Read this in one day! It was fast paced and the plot had me so captivated. So many important themes explored here, how far one is willing to go for love, when does love cross the line into manipulation and selfishness, grief and childhood trauma and its lasting effects.

Things of note:
✨ Morally grey and villainous FMCs
✨ two sapphic romances in dual timeline
✨ very unique world building and mythology
✨ bloody food market because there are so many ways to consume blood than just drink it
✨ dark fantasy
✨ vampire princess x snarky “oracle”
✨ “she’s probably evil but love is blind” energy
✨ matriarchy
✨ queernormative world
✨ anxiety rep
Thanks to Wednesday Books for the ARC!

I chose to read this book because I was interested in the premise given in the summary, but I found it hard to follow; the timeline jumps around, the narrator changes, and, despite being labeled in each instance, the voices of the characters are so similar that it's hard to keep them separate, which makes it harder to follow. It felt rather like this novel was trying to do too many things at once, and never quite completed any of them. If you're interested in vampires, sapphic love stories, and stories of sacrifice and regret, you'll find something in this novel; there's a lot there, which could be a strength or a weakness, depending on your preferences. Appropriate for older teens and adults.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book provided by Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Oh, how I wanted this to work. In my opinion, starting off with an incredibly long prologue with worldbuilding and info dumping never works for me, and from the start I felt way too distant from the story. The concept was cool, but it took way too long to get to the point.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for sending me an eARC of this title in exchange for an honest review!

3.5 stars, rounded up to four.

The pacing of this novel was kind of weird, and took me ages to get through because I just wasn't very into it. I honestly wish the novel had just focused on Thana and Feyre, rather than the other two (whose names I can't even remember, which shows you where my preference lies). It just felt like there was too much going on for just one book, even if it is the first in a duology.

Dark Fantasy romance. This genre is not my usual cup of tea so I am very careful when I start to pick one.
DNF @ 55%. I think I love the plot, I just can't keep up with tons of really difficult names to even pronounce. Everyone has some power of some kind and some title of some kingdom. There is too much going on that I feel the character development is done in a rush having no development at all. If this would have been a duology, maybe each of the events can be explored more and emphasis on the conflicts for more impactful dynamics.

The characters have the potential to be unforgettable—especially the lead, who’s clearly battling trauma, guilt, and the lingering echoes of what came before. But instead of cutting deep, the author keeps things safe. Emotional beats skim the surface. The relationships feel staged rather than lived-in. And the supernatural elements? They whisper instead of scream.

The pacing is another sore spot—slow burn is fine, but this borders on sluggish. The buildup promises something sinister, something explosive—but the climax comes and goes with more whimper than bang.

I went into this book hoping for vampires, and I got that! This was quite good. I enjoyed the writing and the story. It was a little slow in the middle and kind of lost me a little bit, but overall it wasn’t too bad.

This is the first in the Where Shadows Meet series and is a story about love, sacrifice, fate, and the risks we take to protect those we hold dear. There are gods, vampires, reapers, and seers in this story, which is told in multiple POVs and spans over a thousand years.

It gives the history of how the first vampire Thana was made and how her wife Favre would do anything to reunite them together again after choices Thana makes leads to their destruction. There is also the story taking place a thousand years later of Leyla, the heir to the vampire throne, and Najja, a Seer with visions and a mission to save the Princess, travel together to Nekros, the island of the dead, in order to save Danai, Leyla's best friend who has been captured by reapers. The stories are intertwined and set in motion by fate. Little does Leyla know that she is being lured to Nekros and risks destroying the world by awakening an ancient evil.

This was an entertaining read and sucked me with the great world building the author did. The characters each have their own tragic backgrounds, and we learn exactly why things are progressing throughout the story as they are because of the decisions each one makes. I finished this in one sitting and am eagerly anticipating the next in the series!

I enjoyed Where Shadows Meet by Patrice Caldwell! At times, it was a little slow, and I personally do not care for an insta-love romance plot. However, the world building was fantastic and I am intrigued by the new take on the vampire legend. If you are looking for a sapphic From Blood and Ash, this is it!

I struggled to get into this story - partly due to the way the back stories were revealed. I spent a significant amount of time disliking a character that I felt I should have had pity for instead. And I've already forgotten the ending! That being said, I did think the mythology of the vampires and where they came from was interesting, as was the burgeoning relationship between the fortuneteller and the princess. I think this may be a case of a me problem.

DNF this at 45%

Thankful to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for allowing me to read this early however it just wasn’t for me. I was very excited to read a vampire romance and to fall in love with a new world, but I just could not get into it. There were so many character names and the writing was maybe too descriptive for me. I feel like with an audiobook this would’ve been way easier to get into and if it gets one, I will revisit it.

1⭐️

DNF: 25%

*A Soft DNF Review*

Where Shadows Meet was one of my Most Anticipated Reads of 2025 and the minute that finished the prologue, I knew that I was going to DNF this quite early. And here we are. And I am sad because I really have been trying to (1) avoid DNFing ARCs again this year and (2) find another vampire book to fall in love with (The Twilight Series still has the number one lead). When it comes to Fantasy Novels, I have learned that I read them better and enjoy them so much more when I can listen to the audiobook counterpart. I have found that I can understand the world building better as well as tell the characters a part through the different audio narrators. Because of the absentee the audiobook counterpart, I had trouble not only getting into the story but found the writing too flowery. I also found myself having difficulty telling the characters a part. This is not a full DNF. The minute that my library obtains the audiobook, I am planning to reread this and give Where Shadows Meet a proper review. Until then, call this my review a Soft DNF!!!

Thank you NetGalley and Wednesday Books for granting my request for an Advance Reader’s Copy in exchange for my honest and personal opinion!!!

Thank you to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for sending me a copy of this book! All opinions are my own!

Oh my goodness, this book was beautiful from start to finish. From the very first pages, it paints such a gorgeous picture of such a brutal world, and it doesn't stop giving and giving to the reader. From characters so relatably flawed it hurts, to a love story that spans eras and death itself, this is a story that pours itself out onto the page in such a stunning way that the reader will be left unable to really articulate their love for it. (it's me, I'm the reader)

This is a story of gods and vampires, villains and heroes and humanity at its heart. This is a story that is going to take the world by storm, and every fantasy reader is going to need it in their lives.

There were elements of this that I loved; I mean, Black sapphic vampires... say less! The story itself and the premise was a bit more gripping than the execution, unfortunately. The world building and lore at the beginning was a LOT for a reader to follow and the pacing was a little off. It seemed to be very slow and then escalate without warning. However, the story overall and the characters and world were unique and really enjoyable.

*When Shadows Meet* had me hooked! Patricia Caldwell delivers a gripping fantasy with rich characters and some seriously cool magic. The twists kept me guessing, and the emotional depth really hit. There were a few moments that didn’t fully land for me, but overall, it’s a strong, immersive read. Definitely worth picking up!

DNF’d at 25%. I’m so sorry, I hate dnf’ing arcs but I was so disinterested in the story.

Thank you St Martins Press and Netgalley for a copy of this ARC. All opinions are my own.

A very fun, new type of YA vampire fantasy novel! I loved the multiple POV and great world building. Now just need book 2!

Where Shadows Meet by Patrice Caldwell has a lot of ambition — and when it works, it really works. The writing is beautiful at times, almost poetic, and the themes of grief, identity, and healing feel genuine. I appreciated how Caldwell wasn’t afraid to explore darker emotions and let the story sit in uncomfortable places.

That said, the pacing was uneven. The beginning dragged for me, and it took a while before I really connected with the characters. Some of the world-building felt a little underdeveloped, and there were moments when I wanted more clarity about the rules of the magic and the stakes. I also found parts of the emotional arcs a little repetitive.

Still, there’s something powerful in the way the story lingers after you finish — even if getting there wasn’t always smooth. Worth picking up if you like introspective fantasy, but maybe not if you’re looking for a fast-paced, tightly plotted read.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I was really excited for this book; however, it fell very flat for me. I love the LGBTQ+ rep and the concept of the magical creatures that were tied in with the surrounding culture. I liked the plot and how it flowed. However, I did not like the worldbuilding or the "lore." The beginning of the book is so much information all at once; to call it an info dump would be putting it lightly. I appreciate the care that was put into each vampire family, but it was TOO much. If the intent was to help with context when you start the book, it did not accomplish that goal. I was more confused than I think I would have been without the pre history lesson. The descriptions of the settings also left a lot to be desired. I could tell what the characters were doing, but I had no idea of where they were or how the surroundings looked. I really wanted to like this book, but it wasn't for me.

Rating: 4/5
I received the eARC for my honest opinion.

This is the first book of this duology, it is full of vampires, other beings, great queer rep, you will find dual timelines, sacrifice for love and friendship, and a lot of buried history that people want to keep covered up.

At first, I wasn’t sure about this book, I was iffy, but I am so happy that I stayed reading it because wow. Seriously, wow is all I can say. I loved that this book was a fast read, the pace was perfect, and it was full of action, and learning about the characters and what they will be having to deal with. This book is grim, you will get the history of what happened with the world of gods, humans and vampires. I loved that this book was full of information, but it didn’t feel like an info dump and that is because the way that the author wrote this book, she made it where she would give the readers what they need but not dump it all right away but throughout the book. I found all the characters to be well developed, and you will get to know the characters that started it all and the ones that are more in the present time that are trying to fix what is broken. I do think that the romance between Leyla and Najja was too fast for me, I do wish we could have had more of a slow burn between those too.

If you read this book, be ready for a cliffhanger, but I also loved that the author wrote that the next book would have an HEA. I can’t wait to read book two.

I also received the audio of this book as well. I thought all the narrators did an amazing job bringing this book to life, and the characters. I loved that with audio I followed along on my kindle, and it really made this book come to life. I highly recommend this audiobook.

I want to thank NetGalley and SMP and Macmillan audio for the opportunity to review this book.