This book wrestles shadows like it’s a cage match in the dark. You’ve got a grizzled war-veteran-turned-mercenary, a mysterious mansion in need of fixing, and EVERY shadow hiding secrets that could slam your skull. It’s brooding, it’s claustrophobic, and every creak makes you check behind the sofa. Power flickers through the gloom, the characters shout less and stew more, and when those shadowy threats step out? You *feel* that chill. It’s like paranormal meets gritty noir—and I spent the whole ride half-reading, half-holding my breath.

But don’t get it twisted—it’s not perfect midnight magic. The pacing sometimes drags, like you’re trudging through a foggy basement for pages without a jump scare. A few plot strands pop up, then vanish without payoff—where did that subplot go? And shadows are spooky, but if you don’t adore moody atmospheres and haunting silences, you might start yawning. Still, when the big shadow-battle hits? It’s visceral, it’s rage-fueled, and it *smacks*.

**Verdict:** A brooding, shadow-drenched paranormal thriller packed with tense dread, eerie vibes, and atmospheric slow-burn. Clunky pacing and stray threads sting, but the moments of full-on darkness make it a solid midnight read.

I loved this book! It was so good! The characters were amazing. The plot was intriguing and I loved the world building! I will read anything by Abigail!

This book was a satisfying conclusion to the first two. I laughed, I cried. I was happy with the ending. I love all books by Abigail Owen.

I love Abigail Owen! She writes really great fmcs. This fmc is strong and determined. This book is past paced and very interesting. I love this world!

It took me so long to pick this book up because I truly didn’t want this story to end. I love Abigail’s writing and this story in general was truly just magical for me. There were so many emotions going on in this book and I’m still just taking it all in.

Abigail, if you’re reading this thank you so much for letting me read your work. This has been an amzingb journey and I just do not have words..
Thank you as well to Entagled Teen for letting me have the honor of being able to ARC read for them.

I just loved this author and this series!! I’ve been lucky to have been give each book from this series and it hasn’t disappointed at all!! I love the characters, their stories, and all the drama in between their HEA!! I’m super sad this is all over now but I can’t wait for what’s next from Abigail! Highly recommend this series!

Omg!!! This book. This epic trilogy.
Abigail does it again and I felt all the things in this book. I cried so many times and that ending was so good! I loved this book. A fantastic YA series that everyone should read.

The Shadows Rule All is a stunning, emotional finale to Abigail Owen’s Dominion series—and trust me, you’ll want tissues. Buckle up.

This series must be read in order to fully appreciate the layers of betrayal, found family, and fate. From The Liar’s Crown, I was hooked—invested in Meren, the secret twin raised in the shadows, trained to protect her sister and sacrifice everything for the crown.

The villain, Eidolon Calix I, is pure darkness—immortal, power-hungry, and terrifying. His escaped shadow, Reven, is the heart of the story. One accidental kidnapping of the wrong princess and boom—chaos, danger, slow-burn romance, and a fight to save the world.

This book had me on edge the entire time. It's raw, heartbreaking, and hopeful all at once. Abigail Owen wrapped this epic journey beautifully.

My only concern with these books from the beginning is they were very similar to the Twin Crowns series by Catherine Doyle and Katherine Webber but this series has its own voice I can appreciate.

This series has it all. Fantasy romance, intrigue, action. Just to name a few. I loved reading these books and immediately went tk the next one.

Questo libro è un completo disastro.

Basta vedere quanto diamine ci è voluto per finirlo di leggere: tre mesi e mezzo!
Questo vi fa capire quanto io abbia odiato questo libro e quanto mi abbia annoiata. Ma sopratutto quanto mi abbia fatta incazzare come una bestia!

Aspettavo con impazienza il finale di questa trilogia, speravo davvero in un bel finale dopo gli alti e bassi del secondo libro, e quello che ho letto è praticamente un'ammasso delirante di subquest, dove una va peggio dell'altra, e dove ormai non c'è più una trama principale da seguire.
No, ormai i protagonisti non sanno più cosa combinare, a parte compiere un'azione dopo l'altra che porta a risultati devastanti. E non una, non due, non tre...ma ogni singola volta che cercano di portare a termine un compito, che sperano porti alla fine di questa dannatissima guerra, qualcosa va in qualche modo male. No che dico male, malissimo!

Per non parlare del trope che odio di più in assoluto: l'amnesia!!!!!!
Sono stata così arrabbiata e nervosa per tutta la durata del libro che se fosse stato fisico l'avrei voluto fare in mille pezzi (si...io! Che guai ad avere un libro a malapena danneggiato!).

Inoltre non abbiamo avuto ulteriori informazioni su Eidolon (a parte un breve flashback sul suo passato), ne sulle Dee, niente di niente. Le interazioni son sempre ridotte al minimo, sono tremendamente fastidiose e si dimostrano una forma tremenda di Powerplay.
Perfino Reven è ridotto a personaggio di fondo. E' talmente invisibile che a malapena ti accorgi che fa parte del libro.

Per non parlare del finale. Preparatevi.

L'unica scena che ho apprezzato è stata la scena notturna nel canyon con Reven. Basta...il resto è stato un fastidio continuo.

Sono così dannatamente triste e insoddisfatta. Mi è sembrato di leggere una bozza del romanzo a cui mancano tutte le parti di evoluzione dei personaggi, delle interazioni tra di loro, dei sentimenti, dell'intreccio interessante della storia che avevo visto nel primo libro...

Mi sembra di aver sprecato un sacco di tempo.
Spero i suoi prossimi libri saranno più curati.


Grazie Netgalley per avermi permesso di leggerlo.

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This book is a complete disaster.

Just look at how long it took me to finish reading it: three and a half months!
This makes you understand how much I hated this book and how bored I was. But above all how much it pissed me off!

I was eagerly awaiting the end of this trilogy, I was really hoping for a good ending after the ups and downs of the second book, and what I read is basically a delirious mass of subquests, where one goes worse than the other, and where there is no longer a main plot to follow.
No, now the protagonists don't know what to do anymore, apart from carrying out one action after another that leads to devastating results. And not once, not twice, not three... but every single time they try to complete a task, which they hope will lead to the end of this damned war, something goes wrong in some way. I mean, badly, terribly!

Not to mention the trope I hate the most: amnesia!!!!!!
I was so angry and nervous the entire time I read the book that if it was physical I would have teared it to pieces (yes... me! That i would never have a damaged book!).

We also got no further information on Eidolon (aside from a brief flashback to his past), nor on the Goddesses, nothing at all. The interactions are always kept to a minimum, are terribly annoying and prove to be a terrible form of Powerplay.

Even Reven is reduced to a background character. He is so invisible that you barely notice he is part of the book.

Not to mention the ending. Prepare yourselves.

The only scene I appreciated was the night scene in the canyon with Reven. That's it... the rest was a constant annoyance.

I'm so damn sad and dissatisfied. It felt like I was reading a draft of the novel that lacks all the parts of character development, interactions between them, feelings, the interesting plot of the story that I saw in the first book...

I feel like I wasted a lot of time.
I hope the next books of this author will be more polished.

Thank you Netgalley for letting me read it.

Very good ending for the trilogy. Very fast paced from the beginning with epic action scenes throughout. It is an emotional roller coaster ride, and I found myself needing to take breaks. Overall, very good book!

The Shadows Rule All was an okay final book of the Dominions trilogy. It was action packed with good banter.

As the epic conclusion to the Dominions trilogy, The Shadows Rule All delivers a thrilling, fast-paced story packed with high stakes and emotional twists. From the very first page, the tension is palpable, pushing the protagonist to their limits in a relentless series of challenges. Abigail Owen masterfully weaves action, romance, and heartache into a finale that feels both satisfying and bittersweet. The character development shines, particularly in how the relationships evolve under pressure, making every victory feel earned and every loss deeply felt.

That being said, some moments felt like they existed purely for shock value, with certain plot twists seeming more about surprising the reader than serving the story. A few character deaths hit hard, and while they added to the emotional weight, they sometimes felt unnecessary. Despite this, the book delivers a powerful ending that ties up loose ends while leaving just enough room for the world to linger in the reader’s mind. Fans of the series will find this a gripping, emotional ride—one that cements The Shadows Rule All as a worthy, if sometimes heartbreaking, conclusion.

Oh my gosh! I just finished, and again, I'm struggling with the rating. I think I'm decided upon a three since the first book was the same rating. Book two improved, vastly. We saw the building up of relationships and were left with hope. But this conclusion didn't deliver. Too many characters took a backseat, or were just killed off. And the wow factor just wasn't there. I'm honestly not sure what to think, my heart is in ruins, and I'm sad that I invested so much time into this series. I absolutely loved the world building and magical system. The love aspect, not at all. Unhappy reader sighs...

ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest and fair review.

THIS BOOK. I loved it, it was such a rollercoaster of emotions, yet somehow i expected more and more.
I only wish I could reread these books for the very first time.

Nevertheless, I absolutely recommend this saga!! It's so worth it!!

My rating: 4!

I was expecting more out of this final book. It was an emotional rollercoaster but it didnt exceed the hype for me.

💜✨Book Review: The Shadows Rule All by Abigail Owen

The final book in the Dominion series delivers an action-packed, emotional conclusion! Reven and Meren face intense trials, pushing them to their limits as they fight for their fate and each other. The stakes are higher than ever, with unexpected twists, heartbreaking sacrifices, and moments that had me holding my breath.

I didn't wanna put the book down once I started the story was amazing left me feeling sad and wanting more. Definitely made the whole series worth reading. Grab tissues you will cry.

Well this was unexpected… One week. That is all it took for me to not only devour this book, but the entire Dominons Trilogy. I could not put this book down, and I am terrible when it comes to the final book in a series. I will hold of on finishing it just so it doesn’t have to end, but with The Shadows Rule All, I needed more.

Not only did we see Reven become who he was meant to be, we saw the beautiful world building continue, Meren become even stronger than she knew she could become, and watched with tears in my eyes the most perfect ending that could have happened. Abigail always makes us feel what the characters are feeling, and the writing in this finale was no exception. I wish I could read this again for the first time, and that is a hard feat to do in the fantasy world. I have now picked up the rest of Abigail’s books, and I cannot wait to get started. If I could rate this more than 5 stars, I totally would!

Thank you Entangled for the opportunity to read this one early!

A Breathtaking Finale to a Phenomenal Series. The Shadows Rule All delivers a masterful blend of danger, action, and heart-pounding romance, cementing Abigail Owen’s Dominions trilogy as a standout in the fantasy genre. Picking up right where The Stolen Throne left off, this book raises the stakes higher than ever, darker than ever, bloodier than ever, and more intense than its predecessors. I absolutely loved this. From the very first page, I was on edge, fearing for my favourite characters and anxiously wondering how they would survive the chaos. Owen has a ruthless ability to shatter her readers with unexpected deaths and betrayals, and she did just that.

One of the book’s greatest strengths is its world-building. Owen crafts an immersive, vividly detailed realm filled with rich lore, intricate magic, and breathtaking landscapes. Believe me when I say, I truly wanted to live in this world. Beyond that, the character development across the entire trilogy is phenomenal. Meren’s transformation from a hidden princess to a formidable leader is deeply compelling and inspiring. I also adored the way relationships were explored, not just the romantic ones, but the many layers of love and loyalty between various characters. The dynamics between Vos and Tziah, Cain and Meren, Horus and Meren, and even Pella and Meren were beautifully written and emotionally resonant. I especially appreciated getting more of Eidolon’s backstory this time around.

If I had one critique, it would be the pacing. While the book maintains strong momentum, the middle section slows down slightly due to some overly detailed internal monologues (a challenge that the second book also faced). Additionally, a few plot twists felt somewhat predictable, which lessened the suspense in certain moments. However, the ending more than makes up for it. It delivers a satisfying and emotionally charged conclusion while leaving just enough room for interpretation.

Saying goodbye to this world is bittersweet and I will miss it immensely. Abigail Owen has crafted something truly special with this series, and I can’t wait to see what she writes next.

Thank you to Entangled Publishing for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review, and to Recorded Books and NetGalley for the advance listening copy.