Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️.5

I was so lucky to win a physical copy of this book from an instagram giveaway. One of my booksta friends had been posting about how incredible this book is, so I finally gave my hard copy a whirl. And wow. I absolutely loved it.

Let me start with the world. The underwater world was so unique and incredible. I truly loved the part of the book set in some place different. There is a hierarchy system with gods to include death gods and fae queen we learn LOTS about.

The characters. The MMC and his shifter “cat” have the BEST banter back and forth resulting in great inner dialogue. Our FMC is a strong woman who has excellent character development. I’m excited to see where the next 2 books take us in this trilogy.

Read this book if you like
🐆fated mates
🖤shadow mommy
🐆world with shifters, water fae, shadow fae, and gods
🖤strong world building
🐆a hilarious inner dialogue
🖤dark themes and healing from them
🐆gnomes
🖤strong dislike to lovers

I really enjoyed this book. The world building was really good, and the characters were really well written. I'm really glad I read this book. The introduction to the story introduced the world and characters wonderfully, and I loved the use of journal entries to really add to the characters personalities. The way the characters communicate with one another is fun - the witty banter lightens the story and makes you fall in love with them more.

Rating - 5/5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Date Read - July 27, 2025
Publication Date - Available Now!

*I received an E-ARC of this book for free in exchange for an honest review* - Thank you @cavaleri.archive.author and @netgalley!

I love everything about Shadows Lost! From the first page to the last, B.K’s writing reached through the pages and held onto me. Especially after getting to know the author, you can tell that she pours so much of herself into her stories and the tone of her writing is uniquely hers. I enjoyed the introduction and I think it set the stage perfectly. I love the journal excerpts and the added touch of personalization is provides. I am obsessed with the banter between all the characters, this is a series where you will fall in love with every type of character. Emon is my new MMC crush! He gives me butterflies, like everything he is saying to Rem is being said to me and I love his yearning!

If you enjoy romantasy, bada$$ FMCs, and queer rep, you have to read Shadows Lost and the rest of the series!

Get excited to read Shadows Lost, available now! 🎉

*Please check trigger warnings*

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Shadows Lost is a dark, atmospheric fantasy romance that pulls you deep into the treacherous world of Faerie and refuses to let go. B.K. Cavaleri has crafted a story filled with grit, vengeance, and raw emotion—perfect for fans of morally gray heroines and fae tales that embrace the shadows rather than shy away from them.

Ezra Solaire Dark—Remnant—is the last of the shadow fae, a warrior marked by the sins and failures of the past. She’s exiled, haunted, and yet still carries the weight of her people’s survival on her shoulders. Enter Emon, the Golden One, a shifter fae who has spent a century hunting for her. Their relationship is volatile, magnetic, and layered with both distrust and undeniable chemistry. Together, they are forced to confront not only the twisted powers threatening Faerie but also the monsters inside themselves.

The worldbuilding is lush yet brutal. Readers are taken across desolate landscapes, into oceanic underworlds, and through dangerous shifter kingdoms. The story leans into its darker themes—betrayal, power struggles, violence, and trauma—making this a heavy but rewarding read. Cavaleri doesn’t soften the blows, but the unflinching honesty is what gives the book its raw power.

What stood out most to me was how Shadows Lost balances despair with resilience. Ezra is a complex, hardened heroine, and her dynamic with Emon crackles with intensity. Their bond grows in unexpected ways, and while the romance is as dark as the world around them, it still carries hope, passion, and the possibility of redemption.

This isn’t a light or easy fantasy—it’s filled with sharp edges, painful truths, and trigger-heavy content (definitely check the warnings). But if you love fae stories steeped in darkness, layered characters, and a romance forged in shadows and fire, Shadows Lost is a gripping, unforgettable read.

This story has a concept I really liked: a character on the run after a terrible event, while a much bigger danger threatens their world. The bones of the plot definitely have promise, and I enjoyed the underlying themes of identity, guilt, and betrayal.

Where it fell short for me was in the execution. The characters often felt a little too powerful for the challenges they faced, only to suddenly be outmatched when the villain appeared. The romance leaned into fated mates, possessive love, and insta-connection — tropes that some readers will love, but they weren’t my favourite here. Some plot choices, like certain secrets being accepted too easily or characters thought lost returning, pulled me out of the story a bit.

That said, I can see the potential in the ideas, and with refinement the author could really build something strong from this foundation.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this book

DNF at 20%. I really enjoyed the beginning. The exposition given wasn't just thrown at us. It was done in a way that was enjoyable. I was really looking forward to a badass FMC, but it was difficult for me to get into after that first chapter. I felt no connection to the MMC. He was just too, I don't know, cookie cutter. Forced onto us? I expected for him to be searching for the FMC, but instead in the beginning we suddenly get him finding her, and we only learn about him through his inner monologue and some past occurrences. It just all seemed disjointed to me. And sentence formatting. You do not put a period after every closing quotation mark. A period ends the sentence, no matter what. So many incomplete and jarring sentences were made this way. "One would say the sky is blue." I said wryly. It should read, "One would say the sky is blue," I said wryly. There was just too many of these occurring. I felt like after the first chapter everything was just tossed at us. It all seemed forced.

I am so happy that the publisher for B.K. Cavaleri put the book on here so I could reread and relive my favorite moments!

This book! Why did I wait so long to start this series? I absolutely loved the world building. I love when authors use it to the point where I can see what is happening in my head. I absolutely loved Emon and Remnants connection. I can't wait for Shadows Eternal. B.K. you're a literary goddess!

4 Stars – Come for the cursed queen and fae drama, stay for the tortured Remnant with a sword and more emotional baggage than an airport carousel.

Okay, let’s not even pretend—this book grabbed me by the collar and said, “You’re not here for fluff, you’re here for blood-soaked redemption arcs and slow-burn angst so thick you could cut it with a dagger.” And I ate. it. up.

This is dark fantasy romance with teeth. Literally. Fangs, claws, curses, and deeply broken people trying to do right in a world that’s been shattered by the mistakes of its ruling class. The world of Faerie isn’t glitter and wings—it’s sharp, savage, and full of monsters, some of whom wear very pretty faces and whisper very pretty lies.

Let’s talk about our girl Ezra Solaire Dark—because what a name first of all—and what a character. She’s a legend, a war general, the last of the shadow fae, and so wrapped in guilt, trauma, and razor-wire vulnerability that you can’t help but root for her even when she’s emotionally shutting everyone out (and honestly? same). She’s the embodiment of “touch her and die,” but also “don’t touch me because I will emotionally implode.” LOVE.

Enter Emon, aka The Golden One. Aka the walking contradiction of sunshine-and-smirk shifter energy and deep emotional wreckage. He’s been hunting Ezra for a century (a century!), and now that he’s found her, he is not letting go—even if she keeps trying to stab him with both words and weapons. Their chemistry? 🔥 Slow-burn. Gritty. Painfully earned. Full of tension and tenderness and a million unsaid things that will absolutely make you scream into a pillow.

The plot? Twisted, epic, and full of murky morality. You’ll be dragged across wastelands, under oceans, and through political schemes that are more toxic than a dragon’s breath. Nothing is as it seems. Everyone’s hiding something. And the past? Refuses to stay buried.

Now, fair warning: this book goes dark. It doesn't pull punches—there are heavy themes, violence, and a brutal realism to the way trauma, survival, and vengeance are handled. But it’s also deeply human under the layers of magic and blood. These characters are aching for redemption, for healing, for something worth fighting for—and watching them try (and sometimes fail) is powerful.

Why 4 stars instead of 5?
Some pacing hiccups in the middle, and a few scenes that felt slightly overwritten or meandering, but nothing that dulled the emotional blade it was aiming for.

Shadows Lost is brutal, beautiful, and brimming with broken fae who refuse to bow to fate. If you like your fantasy with heavy trauma, slow-burn romance, found family vibes (the damaged variety), and the kind of world-building that feels as dangerous as it is dazzling—this one’s got you.

Just… maybe keep a glass of wine and a stress ball handy.

This was a fascinating opening chapter to the Remnant Archives series, it felt like the world had been going before we started reading and I enjoyed that. The dark fantasy romance concept was so well done and was hooked from the first page. I thought the characters had that feel that I was looking for and worked with the world that was built. B.K. Cavaleri wrote this in a way that was what I was wanting and left me wanting to read more in this world and from B.K. Cavaleri.

They say blood is thicker than water but this definitely isnt the case...

Im a lover of fae and warriers and romantic triangles but as it didnt rightly warn there are triggers which I did struggle to read. Im used to my happy bubble!

That said its GOT meets Acotar with quirky funny characters. I love the chapters from different perspective and find that most books may have the odd chapter but I love the fact the writing changed regularly to keep you on your toes.

Its straight into the action too no messing around here
It wasnt for me as it was quite dark but if you like dark I'd highly recommend

Great book- really sucks you in and leaves you snorting with laughter!

I really enjoyed the writing of this one! It had some really dark elements (some of which weren't my favorite- check the triggers), but it really sucked you in and made you want to watch Remnant rip everyone to shreds!

I loved all the characters and the found family they created! Everyone was hilarious and I felt like a part of the circle interacting with them. They all had such strong personalities and I can't wait to see what hijinks they get up to in the next couple books!

The author did a good job creating an entire world and got to showcase different areas of it: sort of haunted woods (um Weretrees are some of my new favorite creatures), Undersea, and other cities. I feel like the whole world was drawn out for me and I could picture it so vividly.

The characters struggle with such real issues and manage to build connections, while also still keeping the levity and sarcasm I like.

Also, Remnant? Hello new Shadow mommy. I hate that term, but she is such a bada$$ and wields her shadows so well.

Read if you love:
-Shadow wielding FMC
-Shifters
-Fated mates
-Touch her and d!e
-He falls first

Full disclaimer: this was a review from 2024, but seeing it was on Netgalley gave me the full excuse to reread some of my favorite parts and make sure to leave another amazing review for this book! I enjoyed it just as much this time!

✨Shadows Lost✨

“Do not f**k with my unicorn slippers, your majesty.”

Holy cow. In this first book of the Remnant Archives, @cavaleri.archive.author Immediately throws into the action and chaos of the repercussions of an evil queen, an exiled shadow fae, and a golden shifter king. It starts with a lot of questions, but hold tight: the answers come in the best way and at the right time!

We enter into a fae world of elemental, water, shadow, and shifter fae cursed with infertility and dying out. After the destruction of the queen who had been attempting to harvest for faelings, we follow the first person POVs of Remnant and Emon and their reluctant alliance to find out why their land is dying. So many questions. So many hidden identities. So much history that brings us to this moment. A bond. A child. A found family. A dark power that is unlike any they’ve seen before. Cavaleri wastes not a single moment in the pages. Each is action packed and intentional.

The relationship and romance in this book is just so precious in its protectiveness, its grace, and its support. The chosen family is faithful and utterly hilarious. It had me swooning and grinning the whole time and was a nice balance to the fierceness that is Shadows Lost.

Tropes you may find are fated mates with a twist, all kinds of fae, water dragon, hidden identities, he soothes her panic attacks, banter banter banter, medium spice, cinnamon roll MMC, shadow mommy FMC, shadow pets, chosen family, forced proximity, plot twists, he falls first and SO hard.

The ending was so good and I am diving immediately into book two!

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