I am in two minds about this book. I like the premise, I love many elements of the narrative (two orders, interesting charachters with Lovelace and Gunnar) I ultimately was not convinced in the end; which is something I noticed very early on and should have probably listened to.

The prologue started of so strong though - with a mystery, an evil order and two interesting young men out on a quest. The base for a good plot was there. But then, the long plot started. It was so, SO dense, and in my opinion, repetitive. An example of this (and the first moment I noticed I don't like Kylene) is the description of Kylene. The first few pages made her out to be an interesting young woman - a secretive student of potions. However, this fact about her was repeated so many times, albeit not always overtly. I feel like she was not provided with too much more interesting qualities and quirks. I also did not care for her and Petra's initial rivalry - it felt boring, I've read this before. So right away the plot was getting more uninteresting.

I love a book with lore, with a detailed backstory, a history; and initially I was super curious about this book's backstory. However, I don’t like that in this book the lore is on the one hand made to sound like the book wants us to know what what is and on the other hand it sounds like it does not want to explain. I guess I’m also not a fan of the day dreaming character of Kylene and that many important pieces of information are explained by her mind wandering off. I like a more direct writing style with active story telling.

When Shadows Grow Tall is an ambitious and well written book with some vivid imagery and a bold creative vision. It does a great job of immersing you in its unique world, full of interesting magic, complex politics, and intriguing threats but please be aware this is a SLOWWW burn. A bit too slow for my ADHD self, but worth it for those who love in depth fantasy.

The story switches between two main characters: Lovelace, a brooding ranger mage who’s dedicated to protecting young magic users, and Kylene, a teenage girl on a personal quest to find her missing father in a land full of political tension. Both viewpoints add something to the story, but I found myself more drawn to Kylene’s chapters.

The world building is definitely my favorite take away from this book. The lore seems somewhat original but uses elemental magic and dystopian governments. However, some parts feel a bit dense or unclear, especially in the beginning of the book, as a lot of information gets dumped on you all at once. Voss does have a real talent for visual storytelling. Some of the scenes she creates will stick with you long after you finish reading. However sometimes it can get a bit overly wordy or metaphor-heavy, which you may love or hate.

This definitely as a ‘first book in the series’ feel so much of the plot feels like setup for later stories and the ending doesn’t quite deliver a satisfying conclusion, just a stopping point which left me feeling unsatisfied given the slow burn.

Overall, I would say that When Shadows Grow Tall is a solid pick for fantasy lovers who enjoy layered worlds and slow-building stories. It’s a rewarding read if you’re patient and invested in a long term story. For those who prefer faster paced plots or more complex character development, it might be disappointing. Thank you to the author and publisher for this advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

Where Shadows Grow Tall is a good debut in my opinion!

I absolutely love a book written in dual pov and both were handled well by Voss.

However, I found the pacing of this book a little tricky because the world building, magic system and character development was very deep and detailed. I thought that at parts, the story was quite slow. I feel that some of the descriptions were a little too long and detailed meaning that I became somewhat confused.

Overall, this was a good debut and I can’t wait to see where Voss goes next and what she writes next as it can only build on this promising but not perfect start! Thank you so much to the author and to Netgalley!

I really adore dual stories in fantasy, and you really can't beat elemental stories. The pace was great and the characters were well developed. I absolutely devoured it. I hope this comes across more people's recommended reading lists. Thank you to NetGalley, Collective Ink Books, Roundfire Books and Maressa Voss for gifting me this wonderful ARC. All opinions are my own.

So I would like to begin this review with, this book was not my cup of tea. This book is also the author's debut novel. Therefore take this review with a grain of salt and I will try to portray the good and meh equally. For some perspective, this book is roughly somewhere around 200-300 pages (I read on kindle so not sure the final count) and it took me two weeks to read. Which is not great for me.

First I am going to start with the writing style. I absolutely loved the flourishy language and distinctive dialog, using words to illustrate how some characters speak differently was beautiful. I do wish the point of views (povs) were more distinct, like an icon or a name at the beginning of the chapter. As they are both written in third person it made it jarring for awhile, until you understood the rotation of the chapters. The world building and the unique magic system is really interesting. This book is very obviously the first in a series, 50% in and you're mostly learning about the world, the magic, and politics. It is easy to read, but it is a slow read, I think that is because it is a bit slow because of it being a groundwork book.

As for characters I thought they were all interesting in different ways, and i like Lovelace's group and following them about. It's an interesting choice to have a YA book that, majority of the time, is following two adults with kids, and only some of the time following the teenage character. I felt like because of how spaced out the teenager's parts were, her pacing felt very strange. It was just odd in sense some things moved fast and others slow, and I guess at the end you're suppose to go "Oh that's why" but it just didn't stick that big landing with me. Additionally there were a lot of inconsistencies with her. It was odd that after the author had spent so much time on illustrating how hard on a family it is after someone is convicted, that she just sprints out of there without ever a second though for them again. For as much as she cared about her dad, it seems like she couldn't have cared less about her other family members. Lastly towards the end there seems to be some overlap in information that felt repetitive. And, sadly, when the big reveals or payoff came I just lost interest.

Overall I'm not sure who I would recommend this to. I had some real problems with the awkward pacing and povs, then adding to it the inconsistencies and the big reveal feeling predictable it felt lack luster. I think this book would've done great as a cozy fantasy, but it just seemed as though it couldn't figure out pacing. I do look forward to trying other books from this author as she does have beautiful prose.

This is a good solid read about two slightly odd wizards who are looking for a rogue mysterious magician and a rogue villain magician. At the same time, we get to know more about the world through a brave girl called Kylene, whose dad secretly belongs to a resistance movement. It’s slow paced, really well-written and has some good glimpses of really good character building. Voss writes personality really well.

The world is complex and it’s obvious a lot of thought has been put in it. Since it’s so slow paced, I suspect that we will find out more about the magic system, politics and other key components in later books. However, world-building is about dropping nuggets to color in a rich world without giving too much away. This story seems secretive at times, which detracts from the tension and draw.

I’ll be curious to see more of the characters, which I’ve really grown fond of and to find out more about the world in the next few books. It’s well worth a read, just based on the language!

I received an e review copy through NetGalley — thank you! Thanks also to the author and Roundfire for allowing me to read and review.

Was clipping along well when DNF'd at 8%. The magic was developing nicely and my curiosity in the characters was building when completely unnecessary profanity ended it all.

When Shadows Grow Tall is a gorgeously written, captivating and adventurous read. I loved the Grimm vibes in this. I hope there is a sequel or follow up in this universe.

It was a good fantasy read and felt like an epic tale with high stakes. I just wish the book was shorter and dragged less. The prose was good and the story was detailed.

This book was great! The story was intriguing from the start and there was a good mix of plot building and action throughout. I enjoyed the dual POVs and was anxiously waiting for them to cross paths! The chapters aren't labeled by character, but Maressa did a great job with making clear who was speaking. The writing in the book was beautiful and descriptive without being long-winded or difficult to comprehend; I could definitely tell that the author is educated in classics! I'm looking forward to the rest of this series and will definitely be on the lookout for other releases from Maressa.

please please before you publish a book be sure to let an editor read it! You can have the most awesome idea, but if you don't know how to write it down, the result cannot be anything than a big mess!!

I was very intrigued by the synopsis of this book, but I lost my interest very early on when there were pages and pages of unnecessary descriptions and dialogues. I could see that the author wanted to go in depth in the world-building and thought that to do so she had to describe any minute detail and reaction of her characters, but she only made the whole story feel overstuffed and slow.

The very big problem is however in the syntax : sometimes there are sentences where whole words are missing while others where the order is wrong. Nothing that a good editor couldn't have picked up.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC!

I could not handle the characters, I'm sad to say. They need more characterization and some depth. I also had problems with the pacing, sometimes very slow and sometimes rushed.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for thos eARC in exchange for my honest opinion. All words are my own.

2.5/5 ⭐️

Oh dang, I really wanted to like this book more than I did. The premise sounded promising, the magic system and world building had potential, but I constantly found myself setting the book down and then I just couldn’t force myself to pick it back up.

Ultimately it came down to the characters just feeling really flat. Good v bad works best when the villains are multi-dimensional and you can understand where they’re coming from. This just didn’t do it for me.

From the very first chapter, When Shadows Grow Tall drew me in with its interesting magic system and well crafted world. The world-building is paced out evenly—detailed without ever feeling overwhelming.

What surprised me most was realizing this is a debut novel. It reads with the confidence and finesse of a seasoned writer—no "first book awkwardness", no clunky exposition. Just a well-crafted, immersive story. The pacing, character development, and world-building all come together in a way that makes it hard to put the book down. If this is just the beginning, I can't wait to read what Maressa Voss writes next.

If you’re looking for a story with compelling characters, a beautifully built world, and a magic system that pulls you in instantly, When Shadows Grow Tall is absolutely worth the read. Looking forward to reading more of Voss' work!

Voss's debut novel, When Shadows Grow Tall, introduces readers to a fallen world held under tyranny where magic and information is held only by the few. The story follows two separate paths - that of Kylene, a young woman searching for her father, and rangers Lovelace and Gunnar who have assembled a ragtag party. Voss's descriptive prose is a treat to read and really brings the world to life while also leaving much to the imagination. Kernels of information about the magic system, government, and the general way in which this world functions are hidden. Much that is revealed is told to characters through dialogue - an interesting method of exposition and one that does feel quite natural, even if one is left with more questions than answers.

While I'll certainly read any sequels, I feel as though I'm a third of the way into this story at best and the motivations of many of the characters feel incredibly unclear. I'm still not entirely sure what is going on here as so much has only been hinted to.

I LOVED IT ALL!

In the beginning we meet our new friend Kylene, who lives with her parents and sister. Spending her time tinkering with the occasional explosive experiments in their basement. Kylene is the FMC that is forever curious with an actual head on her shoulders - not fixated on some random guy, that's her sister - but more about that later.
We then meet Gunnar and Lovelace. Two rangers of a magical order that are trying to find kids with earthly magic or abilities. I don't want to spoil the why, but in the first three chapters you figure out what's the big bad.
I enjoyed the writing, the world building and the characters. I loved Kylene immediately and felt Gunnar's dread.
This is easily one of my favorite reads of the year so far and appreciated the way the storylines of our friends connected.

If you are looking for a great adventure, this is it!

#CuriosityAndCourage

"You must never stop asking questions, my darling. If you don't go about asking questions, no one has to worry about the answers they're giving you."

Thank you to Maressa Voss for giving me the opportunity to embark on this adventure!

I bought this book on an impulsive whim and went into it not knowing what to expect and I came away absolutely loving it! For me the book hit the perfect spot right between a slow burn fantasy and an epic adventure. I really adored the characters and the multiple perspectives. The atmosphere and the vibes were really interesting, and I felt like I cared a lot about the characters and the world as a whole. Great read!

When Shadows Grow Tall by Maressa Voss is a solid fantasy read that really drew me in. I loved the dual storylines—one following Lovelace and Gunnar as they try to stop a rogue magic user, and the other with Kylene searching for her father. The world-building was so immersive, and the magic system was well-developed and subtle, which I appreciated. The start was a bit slow, and there were a couple of things I wish had been explored more, but the character development and the atmosphere kept me hooked. Overall, I'd give it a 4/5!

Excellent. Mystery, magic, female lead. Deep and rich worlds. Loved this and can’t wait for a sequel. Thank you to the author. Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher.

I really enjoyed reading this book. This is the first time I have read anything from Maressa Voss, and I was not disappointed. The characters, story line, and world building were all well done. I thought she did an excellent job with the fast pace and keeping me entertained. I was hooked from early on, and I couldn't put it down. The writing style was also well done because of the descriptive nature. The author made me feel like I was right there in the middle of the story. I can't wait to read more from the author. I absolutely recommend this book to other readers.

Thank you Net Galley, Collective Ink Books, and Maressa Voss