Great read, just when you think you’re going to put it down something else happens to make you keep reading. If you like shifter romance with suspense this is your book!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you for allowing me to review

3.5 stars
I’m very grateful to have received an ARC of this book! I finished it in two days, I couldn’t put it down! It follows a lot of tropes and I quite enjoyed that. It felt a bit like a Cinderella story, and I’m always a sucker for that. This is a fun read, especially as a little palette cleanser! I’m not huge into werewolf romances, but this one is great!!

Goodness me, this was such a good book. Highly entertaining. Would definitely recommend to others, that's for sure!

I’m giving this 4 stars because the plot and the whole premise were good and I loved the lore. The only thing that made me think about dropping it to 3 stars was the repetition of things and the fact that the characters were SO slow to figure things out. Absolutely no reason it took that long for them to figure out Killian wasn’t Bane’s son.
The bit with Selene’s magic/family was good, I liked the way that was written. I hope Asher’s mate is one of Selene’s siblings since the epilogue was done in his perspective and it seems like the story is going that way.
Overall, I did enjoy it and it has such potential going forward!

First off, thank you NetGalley and Caitlyn McFarland for the ARC! I was so wonderfully pleased with Echoes of Night!

I am always a sucker for shifter romances and this was no exception, it was great!
The characters were lovable and the plot was plotting!

As always I love to give the glows and grows (it’s the teacher in me, I can’t help it!)

Glows:

1. The forbidden romance was great loved seeing the growth the MC’s had to go through in order to be together.
2. The plot line and structure of the story had a very unique element. Definitely didn’t see all the twists and turns that were in the story that helped develop such an intense scenario.
3. Such lovable characters and side characters!

Grow:
1. There were times I was extra confused at a character that was dropped into the story without any context.
2. Some of the ideas seemed like the could have been a whole other plot for another story.
3. Sometimes Killian was too much of a martyr. It’s okay love no need to give your life for every person you meet, it’s okay to be selfish sometimes!

Over all though I am super intrigued to see where McFarland takes this story and the other Bane legacies!

Thank you to NetGalley and Caitlyn McFarland for providing me with an ARC to read and review.

I LOVE me some shifters and fated mates. What I love even more is an underdog FMC who doesn't know her worth until her scary shifter mate helps her see it.
Fair warning though, there is heavy focus on bullying and cruelty within the story, and while necessary to highlight the absolute atrocious way our FMC has had to survive, it can be triggering to readers so please take care!

I slid into this story easily and really enjoyed the futuristic world building the author exposed us to throughout. This also plays a huge role through most of the book as Caitlyn lays the foundations for a bigger series with loads of characters and plots so it can take the focus off of the main characters and their story for periods of time. I almost don't really mind this because in the past I have found that I have enjoyed subsequent character stories or books even more than the first thanks to the solid foundations layed within the first.

On the flip-side, I am sad I now have to wait for more books because I finished this one in a single sitting and it is probably one I could absolutely binge. I have really high hopes for the next books so I hope the author can build on this one and turn it into a fantastic series!

This book was so good I couldn’t put it down. The main characters you will connect with and feel their pain. This book was very different than most wolf books and that is why I would give it more stars if I could. I can’t wait to read the next book of this series!

Really good story, lots of twists!

Selene has been made to suffer at the hands of her pack since they found out she doesn’t have a wolf. They planned to sacrifice her to the evil enemy Alpha Killian Darrow and trick him into breaking the treaty. Only as soon as Killian touches Selene it doesn’t quite end up that way.

I was actually surprised at how good the world building was continually throughout the story, really immersing you in the environment. All of the characters were written extremely well, I even loved the ones we’re supposed to hate! The fighting scenes were also written with great detail which I really enjoyed.
Some of the spicier scenes were a little clunky and were more positioning/moving around than anything else but the rest of the book was so good I didn’t mind that much.

I’m curious to see what happens in the next book, what Vandran does with the book etc and what happens with the sister.
I’m also kinda looking forward to the fanfics of Killian, Selene & Asher!

Thanks to Oliver-Heber Books and NetGalley for letting me read this ARC early.

3/5

This book introduces a unique take on werewolves and other supernatural beings, blending magic, romance, and an apocalyptic world. Selene, a "wolfless" woman ostracized for lacking an inner wolf, is traded to Alpha Killian, whose curse is soothed by her touch. The forbidden romance and enemies-to-lovers trope have potential, but the pacing occasionally suffers as the author sets up a larger series arc.

The world-building is ambitious, but it can be overwhelming, with too many supernatural elements and unclear explanations of key events like the "Quiet" and "Waking." The dystopian setting also feels inconsistent at times. While Selene and Killian's romance starts strong, their chemistry feels rushed, and the story often tells rather than shows, glossing over important twists.

Despite these issues, the book sets a solid foundation for future books, and I’m excited to see how the story and characters evolve. Fans of paranormal romance, especially those who enjoy forbidden love and enemies-to-lovers dynamics, will likely enjoy this unique take on the genre.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Echoes of Night by Caitlyn McFarland

I absolutely loved “Echoes of Night”, the whole book is jam packed with plot, fantasy, romance and plenty of spice. Throughout the entire book I was constantly on my toes with all the twists and turns of the literal emotional rollercoaster in this book; I even cried a few times. I love Killian and Selen’s complex relationship that builds throughout the whole book with a healthy amount of drama and spicy scenes. I love Selene’s character development and growth in the book and I’m really looking forward to reading the rest of the books in this series.

Thank you to Caitlyn McFarland, Oliver-Heber Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book and leave an honest review.

I have really been on a werewolf kick lately and this book did not disappoint!

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

I read this book while on a hiatus from The Ruthless Fae series (a Zodiac Academy spinoff). This was just the refresh I needed: paranormal romance, fated mates, political intrigue, good guy gets the girl, plus a fun plot twist!

I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did!

From the first page I knew this would be something that I was going to enjoy, and boy did it not disappoint me.

The story was so intriguing I couldn’t wait to dive back into it, the enemies to lovers really had me hanging on by a thread with the angst they created.

The story is also really sad though, I felt for the FMC so much and I’m really just rooting for her to get her happy ending. This is the first book in the series though so I think it’s going to be a wild ride.

Thank you, Netgalley, for sending me this ARC! I honestly LOVED it. I loved Killian and Selene' story. I could not put this book down. This is a must-read, in my opinion!

So the first 50% of this book, I was already mentally categorizing it as a 4 star read. I love a good paranormal romance. They are usually pretty easy and enjoyable reads and I find them to be great books to read when you are in a book slump. I felt that this book was no exception for the first half. It was well paced and had all the tropes that I usually enjoy. There were times when I thought Selene should drop Killian but that probably wouldn't make for a good book. Anyway, around the 60% mark I started to struggle. I felt like we were really progressing very much through the book. Every change in POVs would be a recap of events so a large bulk was reviewing what we already know. Then we bring in another character who missed everything that happened and we have to recap for this character. It got to a point where there was more talk about what had just happened and how we all feel about it then progressing through the story line. It wasn't a bad store but the info dumps really left me skimming through many of the ending chapters. As a result, I dropped my rating from a 4 star to a 3 star.

After I finished this book, I was trying to think of a way to describe why this book was such a fun read. I think it has something to do with the cool blend of dystopia and paranormal romance. Maybe it was that the author clearly loves her home in Missouri, and really uses the area she knows well to make a unique setting for werewolf romances?

I also loved how the book both had a very possessive male main character in Killian and yet had multiple other characters explain to him that he was kind of being over the top. Turns out there is something awesome about getting to hear men, even fictional men, being reminded that women can make their own choices.

Mcfarland also makes a great choice in slowly exposing us to how this world works, meaning that the world building feels really organic to the plot. There is a mention of a character with a witch father early on, and by the end, we see that this world includes sirens, faeries and other magic creatures.

The ending sets itself up for a sequel, and I am really excited to see the world get bigger and more complex. I'd recommend to fans of Juliette Cross or Lana Ferguson's paranormal romances.

Thank you to NetGalley, Oliver-Heber Books, and Ms. McFarland for the opportunity to read an ARC of this title. An honest review was requested but not required.

Overall this was a fun paranormal romance featuring primarily werewolves but alluding to all types of paranormal individuals (called "Aspected") in a parallel universe-type near-future America. The werewolves are done in an original way (take it from someone who has read plenty of werewolf books) and the magic system/society structure were clear enough. It's plain that the author is setting up for a much bigger story arc and occasionally the need to lay foundations for that took away from this story a little bit. But I can see the trajectory and once the world building is in, subsequent books should(!) be smoother sailing.

Selene is a "wolfless," a pack member who upon reaching maturity discovers that she has no inner werewolf and is subsequently relentlessly bullied and ostracized. She is traded to a neighboring pack's alpha as a bride in place of her sister, who has no interest in marrying a 'homicidal madman.' Said Alpha, Killian, is saddled with a curse that drives him near insane every night other than new moon, but for some reason Selene's touch nullifies it. The plot moves pretty quickly with enough twists and turns to fill several nights' worth of telenovelas and enough drama for them, too. The relentless bullying and cruelty was difficult to read and sort of killed the joy for me a little bit, although Selene's sweet relationship with her little brother Finn was really nice. I felt somewhat impatient with Killian's absolutely terrible communication skills but I guess he's been alone for what, a decade? I suppose I can cut him some slack but Ms Selene has her work cut out for her, for sure.

I'm hopeful that now that the world building is more established, subsequent books can spend more time on the relationship and plot. I think this story would have benefitted from having Killian and Selene spend more actual time together to grow that spark of chemistry into something more solid. I also thought that [ Deacon and Bianca (and others, but they're the ones that stick out) were dealt with a little too quickly and anticlimactically, considering that Selene was gaslit, taunted, and tortured for such a large portion of the book. (hide spoiler)]. Overall this is a promising start to a series, though, and I really enjoyed the ways the author made it original to differentiate from all the other werewolf paranormal romance out there. I would definitely be interested to see where she takes the series with Selene's half sisters now that a lot of the world building framework has already been done.

3 1/2 stars rounded up to 4 for GR.

Echoes of Night has a very promising premise with supernatural creatures and a complex storyline. I liked the unique werewolf system and the plot was a fun mix of forbidden romance, enemies to lovers, and found family. I think the ideas for this book were great, but the execution itself was a little lacking for me.

You can tell the author has a lot of big plans for this series but I feel like there was too much going on to really build a solid foundation. The world-building was almost a little too complicated and made it hard to follow at times. Not only were there werewolves (which I love, and this story was such a unique spin on werewolves) but there were also pretty much every other mythical creature, as well as the story taking place in an apocalyptic world which was only briefly touched on, and there is also a magic system built into all of it as well. Terms like the “Quiet”, the “Waking” and “Wars of Power” were brought up but I never really understood what actually occurred during these events. Same with the dystopian elements, apparently ingredients like sugar and chocolate are a rarity, but then there’s balls and feasts with elaborate silk gowns and dresses and wine? I think the concept is fun and unique, but it felt like there were too many things trying to be squeezed in that it ended up not making sense.

I love a good enemies to lovers, and I liked the relationship between the two main characters but it lacked tension and chemistry for me. The writing was very expository, there was a lot of “this happened, then this happened, then this happened” and I think the story could be elevated a lot more with more descriptive writing to set scenes up and show the story happening rather than telling it. Also, focusing more on pivotal plot points. I felt like a lot of the twists and reveals that happened were quickly glossed over and the story and characters kind of just moved on, and it made the impact of them less significant to me.

I think this series has so much potential, it just needs a bit more development in my opinion. Definitely a fun read for paranormal forbidden romance fans.

In the sometime not-too-distant future (and in a possibly alternate world), the emergence of magic has torn the old world apart, and created new schisms…and it’s within this semi-dystopia of the United States that ‘Daughters of the Shattered Moon’ sits. And it’s quite a chaotic world too, with almost every kind of magical creature appearing, scrabbling for their own order and territory in what appears to be a very fragmented society.

For a first book of the series, there’s quite a bit going on to establish the rules of this particular world, as I’d expected: neighbouring (and warring packs), the emergence of other magical and mysterious species, and in the midst of it, long-lost children of a cruel warlord who need to help save the world. The trope itself isn’t quite new however; McFarland uses the downtrodden-girl-turned-most-powerful-werewolf trajectory, with whom she find her family and clan, except that within the werewolves, there’s lots of infighting, curses and betrayal that she’s inadvertently found herself thrust into.

My few complaints perhaps, revolved mostly around the very clear black-white lines that were drawn at the start. Selena's sister emerges as cartoonishly villainous rather than a nuanced antagonist, and many characters fall firmly into clearly delineated "good" or "evil” categories, save for a secondary character who seems to be leaning heavily towards becoming the lead of the sequel. The romance between Selena and Killian also follows predictable patterns that grow repetitive as the narrative progresses. Their relationship cycles through attraction and conflict multiple times with similar beats, though you can’t argue that the HEA is hard-earned by the time the end rolls around and the hard work is just beginning.

That said though, I’ve read Caitlyn McFarland ages ago and had quite liked what I read back in the day as one of my first few forays into romantic fantasy and decided to give this a go once again, in the hopes my appetite for yet another compelling series would be whetted. And so far, I’m cautiously optimistic. Book 1 is a solid setup for the next and I can't wait to see where this goes.

*ARC by the publisher via Netgalley

This book really captured my attention right from the start, and I devoured it so fast. I love paranormal romance, and this one is the first in a new series. it's filled with forbidden romance, enemies to lovers, magic, and just enough spice and intrigue to keep you on the edge of your seat. I can't wait to read more.

WOW. This was fantastic. I stayed up all night reading it because I had to know all the secrets. This is a paranormal romance, involving two wolves from different wolf packs an arranged marriage...you know the usual BUT there is more to this story & let me tell you. I was hooked. This is the first book, and it does a great job of setting up for the books to come, there is plenty of magic & I can't wait to see more of it show up in the books to come. (view spoiler)

Thanks Netgalley and Caitlyn McFarland for the ARC