"A Touch of Shadows" is a quick romantasy read.
I really wanted to get like this book, but I felt like the structure of the book was lacking. The character development wasn't there, and the world building was a bit chaotic. Definitely felt like the storyline was rushed. I wished this wasn't an instant romance as well.

I tried really hard to get into this one, but I couldn't. From the description, I was excited for the Rapunzel retelling but the plot wasn't really going anywhere and the world felt really underdeveloped.

Thank you NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) | Forever for an ARC of this title.

RATING BREAKDOWN
Characters: 2⭐
Setting: 3⭐
Plot: 2⭐
Themes: 2⭐
Personal Enjoyment: 2⭐
Total Rounded Average: 2.25 ⭐

A Touch of Shadows is a fantasy romance and a loose Rapunzel retelling, blending forbidden magic with a high-stakes magical quest. Wren, a young witch with dangerous powers, must navigate a world that fears her while forming an unexpected connection with Finn, a knight sworn to destroy magic like hers. The premise is compelling, blending romance, mystery, and magic, but the execution didn’t fully meet its potential.

Wren was an engaging protagonist, but the male characters felt underdeveloped, making it harder to connect with them. The multiple POVs disrupted the flow, and I found Wren’s perspective the most compelling—sticking with her alone might have created a stronger, more immersive experience.

The magic system, while intriguing, lacked clarity, leaving me more confused than intrigued by the end. A bit more depth in this area would have made the world-building much stronger.

The pacing was another challenge. The story didn’t fully pick up until the halfway point, making the first half feel slower than necessary. By the end, I wasn’t sure this needed to be a trilogy; a standalone or duology might have told the story in a more concise and impactful way. There were also quite a few lingering questions that left me feeling unsatisfied rather than eager for the next book.

Overall, while this book had a creative premise and some engaging moments, it didn’t fully click for me. I can see how it might appeal to readers who love atmospheric fantasy romance, but unfortunately, it wasn’t my favorite

Overall I enjoyed the book, I will say the pov jumping was hard to follow but I kept yearning for more of Fins pov.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read. It did feel a little slow and maybe a little confusing as well in terms of the magic system for the first 30-35% but then something clicked for me and was hooked! Next thing I knew I was at 75% and then the day after that, finishing it!

I appreciated having a fantasy book that wasn’t 500+ long, but I do feel like a little bit more could have been fleshed out earlier on regarding the differences between the light and dark magic earlier on. Not necessarily what the magic is doing to Wren because that’s still kind of a mystery/I think we’ll find out about that as she figures it out, but just some history earlier on about particularly what “the nox” is. Maybe there’s something I somehow missed or don’t recall being earlier, but I realized I didn’t fully understand the historical backgrounds of the nox and aurum.

Also, the romance felt a bit forced; I don’t know if what happened towards the beginning with the magic is kind of a play on forced proximity (like the magic forcing feelings on one another). I am looking forward to book 2 to see their relationship hopefully develop a bit more and would love to see more character growth as well, particularly from Wren! Overall, I liked it and will likely read book 2 when available!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and Jessica Thorne for an eARC of this book!

A suspenseful fantasy wrought with dark deceptions, assassins, witches and witch-hunters, shadowy evil entities, mounting desires, secrets, and the threat of war.

. Political Fantasy Romance
. Slow Burn
. Shadow Magic
. Hidden Identity
. Forced Proximity
. Dark & Light

Wren was no ordinary girl, she had hair that seemed to flow as if it had a life of its own. She could feel the song of the darkwood singing to her, like the darkness calling. Elodie, the only mother she had ever know, who posed as the town healer, had programmed into her from a very young age to hide what she was, what she could do, and to never venture into the darkwood. But she didn't know why, she didn't know a lot of things, as her mother withheld their past from her.

"... the past... the past was dangerous. Secrets needed to be kept." (pg 63)

A stranger came to town, Finn, a hard stoic soldier. Enchanted by Wren, he became her unlikely defender. But he, too, had secrets. They were forced into an alliance as they fled from dark and dangerous pursuers.

Catapulted into the middle of a policital intrigue and a stalking darkness and burning light, the secrets of the past came down upon them. Secrets, magic, and an enticing attraction that could forever change their lives or cause their deaths and destruction.

There was a lot of inner conflict for Wren, she struggled, even when presented with little to no choice. Lessons were hard learned and hard met, but despite whatever she faced she did it with admirable determination and did what she thought was the right thing to do. Loved that for her. Hoping to see how her relationship with Finn develops and how their lives unfold through the next 2 books in the series.

4.33 (~4)🌟

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for this ARC! Please enjoy this spoiler-free review of A Touch of Shadows.

I enjoyed this, but as far as first books go, I feel this is a series in which the second and third books will really be the ones to shine.

Let's start with what I enjoyed! My favorite character was for sure Elodie. I like the charm of seeing the unfolding and reform of history through the eyes of someone who knows largely nothing about it. I love an unreliable narrator and Wren is about as unreliable as it gets! I believe it is a great beginner fantasy, the glossary is very easy to follow. I tend to skim them and I could follow along just fine. The formatting of parts/scenes broken up by poems and additions of the world's lore and history was nice to see.

For my criticisms, they're mostly preference based and, I'm sure, will be solved in later books. The trend of incomplete sentences or sentences repeated for emphasis is just a pet peeve of mine, but it's rather prevalent. It took me a while to get into the book, about 80%, and get invested in the characters and their interests. The pacing was good, but I just didn't know these people well enough to care until the grand fight.

I'm really interested to learn more of Elodie and what becomes of Wren. I like Finn, but I want to know more about him than just his insta-lust with Wren. I really want to see how Elodie and Roland reconcile and I'm excited to pick up the next book in this series.

Um... Okay, I know it's an ARC, but the sentence structure and dialogue is a bit of a mess. I feel like that's the most polite way I can put that. There are so many mistakes that I really could not get past the first couple of chapters. The world and premise seem really interesting, but the execution needed so much work...

Jessica Thorne chose an eye-catching cover for her novel A Touch of Shadows. The cover and the title lured me into reading. This is a quick fantasy read with a limited number of characters. The world-building is constrained, and I look forward to seeing it evolve as the series continues. Elodie, a hedgewitch, hides away a magical child, Wren. Elodie constantly tells Wren, "Reach for the light," in hopes, to keep Wren from falling prey to evil. Wren easily accesses dark powers, while she struggles to use the light. This narrative becomes a motif: light versus darkness. Thorne layers this motif with two forbidden love stories. First, Wren falls for Finnian Ward. The reader must discern if dark magic compels them to one another, or Wren and Finn are honestly attracted to each other. Second, Elodie hides her secret love story with Roland. The story ends with a cliff-hanger.

Thank you #JessicaThorne, #Forever(GrandCentralPublishing), and #NetGalley for my ARC copy in exchange for my honest review.

I liked this book overall.

This book kind of reads like it’s meant for a younger audience. While the fantasy here is very much present, the world isn’t overwhelmingly built. The romance is pretty straight foward; I would call it instant love. But it’s not… annoying especially for anyone starting to read fantasy/ romantasy. Finn especially is a charming character. really enjoy a noble knight who’s tempted into darkness by love. It’s inoffensive. The prose is good. I was interested. I feel like I would recommend this to my younger sister.

But… it’s a pretty surface-level book in a lot of ways. It read as a bit YA to me. That’s not an insult; I could actually see recommending this as a bridge book for YA readers who want to try something a bit more adult. Maybe on the older side since there is sex in the book but it's not overly scandalous.

This isn't a complicated immerse worldbuilding plot twisting book. Again definitely an easy read to read in between reading slumps and recommended to younger reader or even older readers who don't want to over think and just enjoy a story while starting out on fantasy.

Thanks to NetGalley and Jessica Thorne for providing me with this ARC.

However I will reread this again.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
🫑

“A Touch of Shadows” -Jessica Thorne

Elodie, witchkind, healer, lives in the dark wood with Wren, always reaching for the light.

Wren, All she knows is Elodie, an affair with Pol and not to reach for the shadows but they call to her like a beacon of dark light

Finn, touch Wren and die.

It took about 40% for me to really get into this story. There was a lot of Elodie going you can’t do this, don’t do this with no communication. When the story finally started heating up I was entranced.

There is definitely a need to know more because the author only gave you little pieces and there is so much more to figure out about whom and what Wren truly is. I will be reading book 2!

Out now! Sorry for posting late but finished in the midst of traveling and it’s been crazy!

#BookDragon #BookReviewer #Bookstagram #Books #ARC #ARCReader #ARCReviewer #Fantasy #TouchHimAndDie #ATouchOfShadows #ReadForeverPub #NetGalley

I absolutely devoured this! I love the story, the angst and broken heartedness from some of the characters. The urge to do what's right but not be sure how to or what the right thing is. Wren and Finn (lol I didn't even realize they rhymed until now) were both a little broken trying to strive for right. I also love how it ends with so much mystery left for more in the series. I'll be sure to follow this author for all the upcoming news.

3.5 on StoryGraph

I really liked the world that is built in “A Touch of Shadows”. There’s such a fantastic, magical world that’s been fleshed out here. The deities and magic system are interesting, unique, and scary!

I did wish for more from the characters. Finn and Wren’s romance felt so rushed and even though that’s mentioned in the book, it just felt like something was missing. Maybe that’s a purposeful choice, but I missed something to tie the characters together.

Elodie’s story was the most fascinating to me. I want to see more from her and learn more about her past and motivations! She was my favorite part of the book by far.

Lots of potential in the world overall, and I’d be interested in seeing how the characters and relationships develop in the next book.

Fate is such a finicky beast.

And yet that’s all I could think about this entire book. Fate that Elodie would protect Wren… Fate that Wren would meet and fall in love with Finn… Fate that Elodie and Wren would return home where they “belong”.

I can’t wait to read the next one to find out what happens. I have so many unanswered questions.

Thanks to NetGalley for this opportunity.

ahh i ended up not being able to finish this by release date, but if possible i will prioritize this as soon as i can, it seems right up my alley! 💫

This was a quick and easy fantasy read. The cover and description definitely had me interested right away. The magic system was unique but I felt like it could be confusing at times. Perhaps it is meant to be for now until we get the other books! The world building was a little lackluster for me and I felt like there were things that needed further fleshing out.

I did enjoy the story. There’s a lot of potential for character growth with Wren, the FMC. The relationship between Elodie and Wren has a lot of mystery still surrounding it and I’m looking forward to seeing how things play out in the next book.

Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing), NetGalley, and Jessica Thorne for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for the eArc. This book was a quick read and a great option for someone looking to see if fantasy is for them. The development and details of the story drew you in quickly but I felt like the first book could have been longer, more time to explain the background of things without giving too much detail and more development of the love interest. BUT overall really enjoyed this book and cannot wait to see what happens next!

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Publishing) for the ARC.

A Touch of Shadows by Jessica Thorne has a a great plot premise, and an interesting magic system I wanted to learn more about. Ultimately the story fell a bit short for me.
The worldbuilding is very light, and I found the FMC to be very weak.
I am hopeful that the remainder of books in the series can fulfill what was missing in book 1.

Thank you, NetGalley, for giving me the opportunity to read the ARC.
The cover instantly grabbed my attention. I love reading fairytale retellings, and this one gave me a Repunzal vibe.
Meet our main character, Wren— a recluse who lives in isolation by a hedgewitch in a tower. Her mundane life takes a turn when Finnian Ward arrives in town. Their attraction is instantaneous, and from here, the adventure begins.
The magic, dark words—everything strengthens the plot.
Note: it sends with a cliffhanger!

#ATouchofShadows #NetGalley

A Touch of Shadows is book one in The Lost Queen series by Jessica Thorne.
This book is fantastically crafted with a very compelling storyline and captivating characters.
A wonderful Romantasy story and I can’t wait for the second title!