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The Stricken
What if our spirits walk to another life while our bodies sleep? Every day in Clara's world, a dark cloud descends upon her town.. The storm comes like clockwork, erasing everyone’s memories. Everyone except Clara. But after Clara’s father mysteriously disappears, things change. The Diviners, captive souls who feed off memories, come for her. With the help of a mysterious figure, Clara escapes the Diviners and flees to Khalom, a city in a parallel world, where she hopes to find refuge. There, Clara discovers that she is a Noble―one of the few people to have knowledge of both worlds, along with the ability to venture between the two. Forced to live the Noble life, Clara goes to school with peers who want her dead. Meanwhile, a rare and dangerous power begins to stir inside of her. The power of Death. And it grows until she’s not sure if she can control it. When the Diviners break through the city’s defense and students begin to turn up brain dead, Clara must find a way to harness her newfound power in order to stop the attacks before the city―and her mind―is wiped clean. For readers who enjoy A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab, Crave by Tracy Wolff, House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig, A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published March 5, 2024
37 people are currently reading
13761 people want to read
About the author
Morgan Shamy
6 books376 followersMorgan Shamy is a former ballerina and professional pianist whose transition to writing has made her a standout voice in Young Adult fiction. Rooted in a lifelong devotion to the arts, she began ballet at age four and went on to perform on prestigious stages such as Carnegie Hall before mentoring hundreds of students—many of whom received full scholarships to top ballet schools, including the School of American Ballet, Kirov Academy, Pacific Northwest Ballet, and Harid Conservatory.
Morgan discovered writing as a creative lifeline after her three-year-old son was diagnosed with cancer. Determined to bring art and magic to young readers, she poured her heart into fiction—and built a career marked by both critical acclaim and devoted readers.
Her breakout gothic thriller, The Stricken, hit #1 on Amazon in hardcover, stayed in Barnes & Noble’s Top 10 Dark Fantasy rankings for over three consecutive months and was featured as a “Most Anticipated Read." Morgan was also named a Top 40 author storewide at Barnes & Noble four separate times. Her success earned her a coveted cover feature in Publishers Weekly and nominations for both the Whitney Award and the prestigious Reading the West Book Award.
Her latest novel, Danse Macabre, sold at auction to Entangled Publishing's Mayhem Books, where it’s already generating early buzz for its eerie blend of dark academia, ballet lore, and supernatural mystery—complete with original music composed exclusively for the story.
She was also featured by Unplugged Book Box, and even caught the attention of actress Katherine Heigl, who purchased a signed copy of The Stricken. Morgan was the first girl in Utah to receive the 75-point Gold Cup in piano solo and concerto competition through the Utah Federation of Music, further highlighting her rare blend of discipline, talent, and creative achievement.
Morgan lives in Salt Lake City with her X-Games gold-medalist husband and their four children, where she continues to write, inspire, and captivate readers around the world.
Representation: Marisa Corvisiero at Corvisiero Literary
Sign up for her newsletter: http://morgan-shamy-ya-fantasy-author...
You can also find her on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@morgan_shamy
X: https://x.com/MorganShamy
Insta: https://www.instagram.com/morgan_shamy/
Morgan discovered writing as a creative lifeline after her three-year-old son was diagnosed with cancer. Determined to bring art and magic to young readers, she poured her heart into fiction—and built a career marked by both critical acclaim and devoted readers.
Her breakout gothic thriller, The Stricken, hit #1 on Amazon in hardcover, stayed in Barnes & Noble’s Top 10 Dark Fantasy rankings for over three consecutive months and was featured as a “Most Anticipated Read." Morgan was also named a Top 40 author storewide at Barnes & Noble four separate times. Her success earned her a coveted cover feature in Publishers Weekly and nominations for both the Whitney Award and the prestigious Reading the West Book Award.
Her latest novel, Danse Macabre, sold at auction to Entangled Publishing's Mayhem Books, where it’s already generating early buzz for its eerie blend of dark academia, ballet lore, and supernatural mystery—complete with original music composed exclusively for the story.
She was also featured by Unplugged Book Box, and even caught the attention of actress Katherine Heigl, who purchased a signed copy of The Stricken. Morgan was the first girl in Utah to receive the 75-point Gold Cup in piano solo and concerto competition through the Utah Federation of Music, further highlighting her rare blend of discipline, talent, and creative achievement.
Morgan lives in Salt Lake City with her X-Games gold-medalist husband and their four children, where she continues to write, inspire, and captivate readers around the world.
Representation: Marisa Corvisiero at Corvisiero Literary
Sign up for her newsletter: http://morgan-shamy-ya-fantasy-author...
You can also find her on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@morgan_shamy
X: https://x.com/MorganShamy
Insta: https://www.instagram.com/morgan_shamy/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 233 reviews
May 28, 2024
Reading this book feels as whiplash-y as watching a random Riverdale Season 4 episode without having watched the previous seasons. You can imagine how much my brain resembles scrambled eggs
January 13, 2024
oh wow! This is going to be a hit for 2024 without a doubt. This cleverly written dark YA ticks so many boxes in the genre, its untrue. I did struggle a little at the start with the character building and pace, but that passed, leaving an action-packed story. DO NOT snooze on this book. This authors style has drawn me in. I received an advance review copy for free from booksirens.com, and I am leaving this review voluntarily
May 23, 2024
4.25 ⭐ 0/5🌶️
Stand-out tropes:
-Memory loss
-Dystopian/fantasy world
-Parallel lives
-Love triangle (sort-of 😉)
Morgan Shamy is a new author for me and I'm excited to have discovered her! This story felt really fresh and original. The mystery around what the FMC didn't know about herself kept me very intrigued. The fantasy aspects were easy to understand and world building wasn't overly indulgent.
I think this would have benefited from being a duology to flesh out some of the history and relationships BUT I did chat a bit with Shamy on Instagram in order to beg for a novella after that ending, and she hinted that something was in the works 🥳🤩🤫
Add this to your TBR for when you're in the mood for a fast paced, mysterious, fantasy standalone!
Stand-out tropes:
-Memory loss
-Dystopian/fantasy world
-Parallel lives
-Love triangle (sort-of 😉)
Morgan Shamy is a new author for me and I'm excited to have discovered her! This story felt really fresh and original. The mystery around what the FMC didn't know about herself kept me very intrigued. The fantasy aspects were easy to understand and world building wasn't overly indulgent.
I think this would have benefited from being a duology to flesh out some of the history and relationships BUT I did chat a bit with Shamy on Instagram in order to beg for a novella after that ending, and she hinted that something was in the works 🥳🤩🤫
Add this to your TBR for when you're in the mood for a fast paced, mysterious, fantasy standalone!
January 13, 2024
I fell in love with this book because of 3 things.
1st- the cover! How gorgeous is this book?
2nd - the front quote “the storms come like clockwork” - what?? This is gripping.
3rd - the back blurb “What if our stories walk to another life while our bodies sleep?”
I had to know!! I’ve read another book by this author and loved it and with these 3 things drawing me in, I had no doubt I would love it.
This book is just as fabulous as it looks. I immediately pre-ordered a hardback but then was lucky enough to win an ARC.
Fantasy lovers will love this book!!
1st- the cover! How gorgeous is this book?
2nd - the front quote “the storms come like clockwork” - what?? This is gripping.
3rd - the back blurb “What if our stories walk to another life while our bodies sleep?”
I had to know!! I’ve read another book by this author and loved it and with these 3 things drawing me in, I had no doubt I would love it.
This book is just as fabulous as it looks. I immediately pre-ordered a hardback but then was lucky enough to win an ARC.
Fantasy lovers will love this book!!
November 4, 2023
I was sent this book as an ARC reviewer.
I really loved the idea of this book. The magic system had great potential, the story line was unique and presented an amazing opportunity to really be an epic read.
The story follows Clara, a 17 year old girl who lives in a small town, plagued with a “storm” that occurs daily, eating away at everyone’s memories until they are nothing more than a shell of themselves, eventually disappearing. The only person not affected is our FMC, Clara.
Clara is supported by a voice in her head, who helps her to run from the storm and stay one step ahead. The plot moves fast, with a lot of information dumping, and Clara finds herself in Khalom, a city for nobles who each have a centre of magic, and have the ability to travel through parallel worlds, between the magical and non magical versions of themselves. Many fights ensue, there’s tugging back and forth, her mum kills her to send her to the other side and we still don’t know why, considering all that she did to protect her. We meet Cael and Nowan, the same person split into 2 beings who hate each other, but then fight each other in the Dhim and like each other again. We have mhystics, the heads of the nobles who are meant to be all powerful but are easily overthrown. They come back at the end and it’s brushed over.
It is hard to figure out the villain as you move through the story, there are plot twists and questioning. The plot moves so fast that there are many unexplained scenarios. We find out the ultimate bad guy is Clara’s grandmother, but there is hardly any explanation into how this occurred. We move from one plot to the next and it all felt too much. More world building, more explanation of the back stories, more explanation and exploration of the magic system and Clara’s powers were needed. How; at the end did she end up with all 5 powers? Obviously, it was a transfer from Nowan, but how? Especially as he had no centre? There are plot holes galore.
The love interest side threw me, and I hated the ending. I understand this is YA, but with the way the story went it would’ve made more sense to remove the love interest plot line. Cael was always there for her and at the end he just leaves? It made no sense. The ending with Nowan being crowned king made no sense. A lot of this book made no sense.
With all that being said, I stand by my first thoughts that this book and plot holds serious potential. It could be expanded on and split into two or three parts and would make for a better read.
I really loved the idea of this book. The magic system had great potential, the story line was unique and presented an amazing opportunity to really be an epic read.
The story follows Clara, a 17 year old girl who lives in a small town, plagued with a “storm” that occurs daily, eating away at everyone’s memories until they are nothing more than a shell of themselves, eventually disappearing. The only person not affected is our FMC, Clara.
Clara is supported by a voice in her head, who helps her to run from the storm and stay one step ahead. The plot moves fast, with a lot of information dumping, and Clara finds herself in Khalom, a city for nobles who each have a centre of magic, and have the ability to travel through parallel worlds, between the magical and non magical versions of themselves. Many fights ensue, there’s tugging back and forth, her mum kills her to send her to the other side and we still don’t know why, considering all that she did to protect her. We meet Cael and Nowan, the same person split into 2 beings who hate each other, but then fight each other in the Dhim and like each other again. We have mhystics, the heads of the nobles who are meant to be all powerful but are easily overthrown. They come back at the end and it’s brushed over.
It is hard to figure out the villain as you move through the story, there are plot twists and questioning. The plot moves so fast that there are many unexplained scenarios. We find out the ultimate bad guy is Clara’s grandmother, but there is hardly any explanation into how this occurred. We move from one plot to the next and it all felt too much. More world building, more explanation of the back stories, more explanation and exploration of the magic system and Clara’s powers were needed. How; at the end did she end up with all 5 powers? Obviously, it was a transfer from Nowan, but how? Especially as he had no centre? There are plot holes galore.
The love interest side threw me, and I hated the ending. I understand this is YA, but with the way the story went it would’ve made more sense to remove the love interest plot line. Cael was always there for her and at the end he just leaves? It made no sense. The ending with Nowan being crowned king made no sense. A lot of this book made no sense.
With all that being said, I stand by my first thoughts that this book and plot holds serious potential. It could be expanded on and split into two or three parts and would make for a better read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 21, 2024
3.5 stars, but I couldn't round up to 4 when compared to other books I've given a 4 lately. This book had some pacing issues, and a rocky start, but close to half way through it became very interesting. I enjoyed the main character a lot. It's definitely a unique story, and the cover caught my eye.
February 28, 2024
“The storm comes like clockwork, erasing everyone’s memories. Everyone except Clara.”
“What if our spirits walk to another life while our bodies sleep?”
The story of The Stricken was dark and beautifully written. Morgan is a great and creative writer and I think that this book is going to be popular.
The magic system really was unique and the world (or worlds) were well built and interesting. The parallel worlds were well established and it was really interesting to read what was happening in both of them.
The characters were interesting and complex. The story was full of twists and turns. The pace was quite fast but not too fast. The book was action packed from start to finish and kept me hooked on. The ending had some surprises that I didn’t see coming.
Overall I really liked the book and I give it full 5⭐️
I received an ARC of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review. Receiving ARC didn’t affect my opinion of the book.
“What if our spirits walk to another life while our bodies sleep?”
The story of The Stricken was dark and beautifully written. Morgan is a great and creative writer and I think that this book is going to be popular.
The magic system really was unique and the world (or worlds) were well built and interesting. The parallel worlds were well established and it was really interesting to read what was happening in both of them.
The characters were interesting and complex. The story was full of twists and turns. The pace was quite fast but not too fast. The book was action packed from start to finish and kept me hooked on. The ending had some surprises that I didn’t see coming.
Overall I really liked the book and I give it full 5⭐️
I received an ARC of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review. Receiving ARC didn’t affect my opinion of the book.
March 5, 2024
This was an awesome YA fantasy story with a great storyline and twists and turns. The story grabs you instantly and you just need to read more and more to understand what happens with Clara and her worlds. The storyline with parallel lives is awesome and totally interesting written. The FMC is Clara that lives with her mother and is the only one in town without erased memories. Now she needs to run from the memory eating things. She saves herself when she enters a parallel world. But there are secrets, dangers and now Clara has to survive after she finds out she is of noble blood.
Great YA fantasy with an interesting storyline, great characters and twist and turns that grab your attention and you just have to read more more.
Great YA fantasy with an interesting storyline, great characters and twist and turns that grab your attention and you just have to read more more.
January 31, 2024
An incredibly unique YA fantasy perfect for fans of parallel worlds and fascinating magic!
The Stricken follows Clara, the only person in her town who keeps her memories when a storm descends and erases everyone else’s. She goes through the motions of protecting her mom after her dad disappears until The Diviners, souls who feed off memories, come after her. She escapes to the magical city of Khalom where she discovers she is a Noble, someone who has knowledge of both worlds and the ability to travel between the two. The Noble’s spirits walk in this world while travelling to another while they sleep. Clara harbours a secret about her magic and lives, but she is forced to pretend otherwise as she learns more about Nobles with her peers. Clara has the power of Death, rare and dangerous. When The Diviners keep attacking and Clara is surrounded by people she can’t trust, she has to figure out how to harness her power and save her people.
This is SUCH a unique fantasy. I loved the parallel worlds and that they had two lives they could travel between. The magic was so cool, all based on elements like Time, Earth, Body, Death. It was so cool to read chapters from both of Clara’s life and slowly uncover more about the world. This is very much a book where you learn when the main character does, and it was so fascinating to learn bits and pieces about the magic and worlds. It kept me very interested and excited to keep reading. The author did a great job crafting such a unique world with a really fun magic system that felt very new.
Clara was a great main character to from! She is so strong and clever and such a romantic. I loved her fierce protectiveness over the people she cares about. The love interests were good and I really enjoyed the twist at the end! I don’t think I’ve ever read anything like that. However, I wasn't convinced on one of the love interests or why she really liked him for most of the book. It makes sense at the end, but throughout most of it, I wasn't convinced by him. I loved the friends she made along the way as well with her classmates. It’s a really good group of characters, and has good moments of comic relief.
The ending is really good and twisty and you definitely will not be able to expect where the book goes or who the real villains are. There are so many people you can’t trust in this book as everyone seems to know more than Clara and is lying to her. It was such a good twist and reveal at the end!
Overall, this is a really great book you should all add to your TBRs! Especially if you like A Dark Shade of Magic or A Deadly Education!!
The Stricken follows Clara, the only person in her town who keeps her memories when a storm descends and erases everyone else’s. She goes through the motions of protecting her mom after her dad disappears until The Diviners, souls who feed off memories, come after her. She escapes to the magical city of Khalom where she discovers she is a Noble, someone who has knowledge of both worlds and the ability to travel between the two. The Noble’s spirits walk in this world while travelling to another while they sleep. Clara harbours a secret about her magic and lives, but she is forced to pretend otherwise as she learns more about Nobles with her peers. Clara has the power of Death, rare and dangerous. When The Diviners keep attacking and Clara is surrounded by people she can’t trust, she has to figure out how to harness her power and save her people.
This is SUCH a unique fantasy. I loved the parallel worlds and that they had two lives they could travel between. The magic was so cool, all based on elements like Time, Earth, Body, Death. It was so cool to read chapters from both of Clara’s life and slowly uncover more about the world. This is very much a book where you learn when the main character does, and it was so fascinating to learn bits and pieces about the magic and worlds. It kept me very interested and excited to keep reading. The author did a great job crafting such a unique world with a really fun magic system that felt very new.
Clara was a great main character to from! She is so strong and clever and such a romantic. I loved her fierce protectiveness over the people she cares about. The love interests were good and I really enjoyed the twist at the end! I don’t think I’ve ever read anything like that. However, I wasn't convinced on one of the love interests or why she really liked him for most of the book. It makes sense at the end, but throughout most of it, I wasn't convinced by him. I loved the friends she made along the way as well with her classmates. It’s a really good group of characters, and has good moments of comic relief.
The ending is really good and twisty and you definitely will not be able to expect where the book goes or who the real villains are. There are so many people you can’t trust in this book as everyone seems to know more than Clara and is lying to her. It was such a good twist and reveal at the end!
Overall, this is a really great book you should all add to your TBRs! Especially if you like A Dark Shade of Magic or A Deadly Education!!
July 5, 2023
YOUR NEXT FANTASY READ, WHERE YOU'LL NEVER SEE WHATS COMING
The fmc Clara (Claera😉) finds out she has unknowingly been stuck in Disolation for the past 10 years and is of noble blood, but needs to connect her two parallel lives so she can be able to use her power (or center). She is the last of her bloodline and the only one with her power left. Cael, a male voice that has been in her head as long as she can remember, is forced to reveal himself to save her life and bring her back to Khalom so that she will get all of her memories back. She soon realizes that there is much more that she was unaware of, and needs to get her powers to save herself and those she loves.
Thoughout the entire book I was left guessing or completely caught off gaurd by the different turn of events. If you like books that have a ton of world building and dont get to the ineresting/action parts until later on in the book, then this might not be for you lol. The first 50pages are packed with headspinning activity, some of which I found a bit confusing at first, but later on became clearer.
Morgan proves in this story that she is an extremly creative out of the box writer. Throughout the book I was unable to expect what was going to happen, which is pretty uncommon for me.
Overall I would give this book 4out of 5 stars. Like i said previously I was a bit confused in the start of the book but later became clear and was a very intriguing story overall.
This book is safe for younger readers (12+) in my opinion, but can also keep a 30year old interested😀.
SPECIAL MENTION- I want to thank Morgan Shamy again for allowing me to be one of her ARC readers!!! I greatly appreciate the opportunity!
The fmc Clara (Claera😉) finds out she has unknowingly been stuck in Disolation for the past 10 years and is of noble blood, but needs to connect her two parallel lives so she can be able to use her power (or center). She is the last of her bloodline and the only one with her power left. Cael, a male voice that has been in her head as long as she can remember, is forced to reveal himself to save her life and bring her back to Khalom so that she will get all of her memories back. She soon realizes that there is much more that she was unaware of, and needs to get her powers to save herself and those she loves.
Thoughout the entire book I was left guessing or completely caught off gaurd by the different turn of events. If you like books that have a ton of world building and dont get to the ineresting/action parts until later on in the book, then this might not be for you lol. The first 50pages are packed with headspinning activity, some of which I found a bit confusing at first, but later on became clearer.
Morgan proves in this story that she is an extremly creative out of the box writer. Throughout the book I was unable to expect what was going to happen, which is pretty uncommon for me.
Overall I would give this book 4out of 5 stars. Like i said previously I was a bit confused in the start of the book but later became clear and was a very intriguing story overall.
This book is safe for younger readers (12+) in my opinion, but can also keep a 30year old interested😀.
SPECIAL MENTION- I want to thank Morgan Shamy again for allowing me to be one of her ARC readers!!! I greatly appreciate the opportunity!
November 13, 2023
Thank you to the incredible Morgan Shamy herself for this ARC!! This book is unbelievable and gripping! I started out this book confused but it wasn’t a bad confused. it was a push to keep reading, need to put the pieces together, read until you can’t keep your eyes open confused! When the book starts to come together it only becomes a bigger addiction. This book puts to shame most of the over popularized fantasy out there right now and mark my words the lovely Morgan Shamy is going to be huge!
Clara is an epic and conflicted main character who had a lot to learn about herself, who she is, what she’s capable and if she’s able to live with what she discovers. The lovely Cael will break your heart and piece it back together like a puzzle that doesn’t fit and you’ll love every last moment! An equally heartwarming and heartbreaking story! Don’t pass up this book!!
Clara is an epic and conflicted main character who had a lot to learn about herself, who she is, what she’s capable and if she’s able to live with what she discovers. The lovely Cael will break your heart and piece it back together like a puzzle that doesn’t fit and you’ll love every last moment! An equally heartwarming and heartbreaking story! Don’t pass up this book!!
March 5, 2024
Where to start?
Every time I pick up a book by Morgan I’m transported to somewhere magical and this book was no different.
I love the idea of parallel lives and this book had me hooked from page one. I did NOT expect the plot twists at all!
If Morgan writes it..I’m reading it, it’s just that simple.
Beautiful writing from a beautiful human being ❤️
Every time I pick up a book by Morgan I’m transported to somewhere magical and this book was no different.
I love the idea of parallel lives and this book had me hooked from page one. I did NOT expect the plot twists at all!
If Morgan writes it..I’m reading it, it’s just that simple.
Beautiful writing from a beautiful human being ❤️
March 5, 2024
I was lucky enough to be an ARC reader for this book, which had me instantly drawn in by the stunning cover!
I struggled initially with the world and character building, but pushed through and was not disappointed! The plot is fantastic ! This book will be a hit for 2024 , have ordered a paper back for my collection!
I struggled initially with the world and character building, but pushed through and was not disappointed! The plot is fantastic ! This book will be a hit for 2024 , have ordered a paper back for my collection!
April 9, 2024
DNF at 64%. The original conceit of the story seemed interesting enough to keep me for over half of the book but the pacing was rushed, the writing juvenile and a completely unnecessary love triangle killed any desire for me to finish this book. Very disappointing.
June 1, 2025
I had the arc but this was just bad lol. DNF @ 20%
It was very info dumpey and confusing with the plot/world building. There was very little buildup. I just didn’t feel connected to this at all and ngl the writing felt very juvenile
It was very info dumpey and confusing with the plot/world building. There was very little buildup. I just didn’t feel connected to this at all and ngl the writing felt very juvenile
October 6, 2024
Unique YA fantasy novel. There’s a reason I finished it within a day. This story was like nothing I had read before. Morgan took the idea of dreams as peeking into an alternate life to a new level with a unique magic system and world building. A highly unpredictable story, and after reading many YA books that were basically the same story, this one was a breath of fresh air.
My main reasoning for not giving the full 5 stars is because I felt as though something was missing to make the story a little more cohesive when Clara goes between her lives. There was a lot going on and my brain had a hard time wrapping around the point at times.
Other than that, the dialogue was smooth and the story was magical.
My main reasoning for not giving the full 5 stars is because I felt as though something was missing to make the story a little more cohesive when Clara goes between her lives. There was a lot going on and my brain had a hard time wrapping around the point at times.
Other than that, the dialogue was smooth and the story was magical.
March 5, 2024
First the dates are wrong on the when I read this. Not sure what they are so not worrying about that.
This is the first book I’ve read by this author and it didn’t disappoint. It is full of action, fantasy, secrets with a bit of romance thrown on for good measure. Oh and isn’t that cover absolutely gorgeous!!
This is the first book I’ve read by this author and it didn’t disappoint. It is full of action, fantasy, secrets with a bit of romance thrown on for good measure. Oh and isn’t that cover absolutely gorgeous!!
December 17, 2023
I received an ARC copy of this book and and I was immediately swept away by its captivating narrative and complex characters. I was hooked from the very first by the fast-paced action and the intriguing twists and turns that kept me guessing throughout the story.
The FMC Clara is strong, resilient, and resourceful, but she's also flawed and vulnerable. I found myself rooting for her from the start and cheering her on as she navigated the challenges of her extraordinary circumstances.
Shamy's writing is both imaginative and engaging. The world she has created is rich and detailed, and the characters are vividly portrayed, bringing the story to life. I was particularly impressed by the author's ability to surprise me with unexpected plot developments. Despite my attempts to anticipate what would happen next, I was constantly kept on my toes and unable to guess what was coming next.
The novel is filled with action and suspense, keeping the reader engaged from beginning to end. There is no shortage of excitement, and the pace is relentless. However, the action never comes at the expense of character development or plot development.
I am giving this book a solid 4.5 stars and look forward to seeing reading more of the authors work in the future.
The FMC Clara is strong, resilient, and resourceful, but she's also flawed and vulnerable. I found myself rooting for her from the start and cheering her on as she navigated the challenges of her extraordinary circumstances.
Shamy's writing is both imaginative and engaging. The world she has created is rich and detailed, and the characters are vividly portrayed, bringing the story to life. I was particularly impressed by the author's ability to surprise me with unexpected plot developments. Despite my attempts to anticipate what would happen next, I was constantly kept on my toes and unable to guess what was coming next.
The novel is filled with action and suspense, keeping the reader engaged from beginning to end. There is no shortage of excitement, and the pace is relentless. However, the action never comes at the expense of character development or plot development.
I am giving this book a solid 4.5 stars and look forward to seeing reading more of the authors work in the future.
March 5, 2024
I loved this book! I don’t read YA books as often anymore, but this one is so well done. The author brings a unique world & plot to life in this story - it was refreshing to read something that was not the formulaic fantasy that has become popular recently. There are so many twists & turns in the story that kept me engaged and needing to know what happens next. This is an excellent standalone fantasy that I would definitely recommend!
Thank you to CamCat Books for providing me with a copy of this book! All opinions expressed are my own.
Thank you to CamCat Books for providing me with a copy of this book! All opinions expressed are my own.
November 5, 2023
I was lucky enough to get this book as an ARC. And when I say lucky I do mean lucky!
The characters are complex and interesting with twists and turns around every page. Clara is an amazing main character. I loved everything about her. I don't want to give spoilers out so all I'll say is that she had a rough go of it!
Morgan Shamy is an extremely creative writer. I am rarely surprised by what I am reading and can generally tell in advance what will happen yet not once did I even guess at what would happen.
If you love books that are non-stop action then this is for you. I mean literally within the first few pages there was some action happening. Yes, it may be a tad bit confusing for those first pages but you quickly realize what is happening and it comes together cleanly.
I give this book a solid 4.5 stars. And better yet, this book is great for young and old alike.
The characters are complex and interesting with twists and turns around every page. Clara is an amazing main character. I loved everything about her. I don't want to give spoilers out so all I'll say is that she had a rough go of it!
Morgan Shamy is an extremely creative writer. I am rarely surprised by what I am reading and can generally tell in advance what will happen yet not once did I even guess at what would happen.
If you love books that are non-stop action then this is for you. I mean literally within the first few pages there was some action happening. Yes, it may be a tad bit confusing for those first pages but you quickly realize what is happening and it comes together cleanly.
I give this book a solid 4.5 stars. And better yet, this book is great for young and old alike.
March 28, 2024
Morgan Shamy has created an incredible story and there is a lot to unpack! The Stricken is a tale which is comparable to being hauled through a labyrinth and just as everything is coming together, you hit a dead end but get yeeted over the wall and hit the ground running
This is the first book I have read from this author and what a treat!
Action-Packed, the love takes a back seat to the adventuring and I am here for it!
Absolutely unpredictable, this book is inspiring in the power of Clara's heart, her bravery and fortitude
Oh my word, the character growth is incredible! Clara is so conflicted and yet powers on and you cannot second guess her. Cael takes you on a rollercoaster and I am not going to leave spoilers on that!
This book is absolute fire and deserves to be a hit in 2024. Glorious!
I was kindy given an ARC by Book Sirens and leave this review voluntarily
This is the first book I have read from this author and what a treat!
Action-Packed, the love takes a back seat to the adventuring and I am here for it!
Absolutely unpredictable, this book is inspiring in the power of Clara's heart, her bravery and fortitude
Oh my word, the character growth is incredible! Clara is so conflicted and yet powers on and you cannot second guess her. Cael takes you on a rollercoaster and I am not going to leave spoilers on that!
This book is absolute fire and deserves to be a hit in 2024. Glorious!
I was kindy given an ARC by Book Sirens and leave this review voluntarily
November 1, 2024
Really bad storytelling
October 18, 2024
I had The Stricken on my reading list since it came out on my birthday this year. Because I had a few ARCs and a lot of other books waiting in line, I only got to it this month. Oh boy, I'm glad I did because it fits perfectly with the spooky season—dark fantasy, dystopian vibe and the eternal battle between good and evil.
The Stricken by Morgan Shamy is a contemporary YA fantasy with a unique magic system and parallel worlds. Reading this story was an unexpected experience as the book was so different from anything I’ve ever read.
Clara, oblivious to her dual existence, discovers the truth when her mother starts disappearing and her classmates, previously in an almost zombie-like state because of the ongoing storm, start to regain their senses. It is at that precise moment that Clara makes her first jump back to a world she had previously forgotten. The world that Clara has been living in has been strange ever since she was seven years old. Following her father’s disappearance, over time, all the people in her life, including her mother, have started to disappear both mentally and physically.
The magic system is intricate, almost like a combination of many other magic systems. You’ve got those who can control the elements, others who can enter minds, and of course, there’s blood magic. It took me a while for things to make sense, but once that happened, I was hooked.
Awesome YA fantasy with a captivating storyline, awesome characters, and twists that grab your attention and make you want to keep reading. This was an emotional rollercoaster.
Read more at https://www.summonfantasy.com/reviews...
The Stricken by Morgan Shamy is a contemporary YA fantasy with a unique magic system and parallel worlds. Reading this story was an unexpected experience as the book was so different from anything I’ve ever read.
Clara, oblivious to her dual existence, discovers the truth when her mother starts disappearing and her classmates, previously in an almost zombie-like state because of the ongoing storm, start to regain their senses. It is at that precise moment that Clara makes her first jump back to a world she had previously forgotten. The world that Clara has been living in has been strange ever since she was seven years old. Following her father’s disappearance, over time, all the people in her life, including her mother, have started to disappear both mentally and physically.
The magic system is intricate, almost like a combination of many other magic systems. You’ve got those who can control the elements, others who can enter minds, and of course, there’s blood magic. It took me a while for things to make sense, but once that happened, I was hooked.
Awesome YA fantasy with a captivating storyline, awesome characters, and twists that grab your attention and make you want to keep reading. This was an emotional rollercoaster.
Read more at https://www.summonfantasy.com/reviews...
March 24, 2024
This fun, fast-paced read for fantasy lovers will have you guessing from start to finish! I loved the unique concept of a town where a mysterious storm comes in every day and steals memories, as well as the exploration of the concept of parallel worlds which has always fascinated me. The world building in this book is phenomenal! The cover is also sensational if you love a beautiful book on your bookshelf! I can’t wait to read more books from this amazing author.
March 27, 2024
Souls go walking around once they are asleep and no one remembers what happened in the morning until her. They are now after her as they do not want anyone remembering. How will she get on? Can she stop them? See what will happen next
I received an advance copy from hidden gems and I want to review
I received an advance copy from hidden gems and I want to review
Want to read
February 21, 2024darker shade of magic and a deadly education? sold
Read
July 15, 2023Thank you Morgan for gifting me this book!
This has a little bit of everything, adventure,mystery, magic, battles and love.
This is not my normal read but I enjoyed it. At first I had a little trouble understanding what was going on but as I kept reading it all started to make sense. Throughout the book it kept me guessing, it kept me interested and towards the end completely sucked in.
To me this story is unique, it is different than any other fantasy I have read and that is a good thing. It isn't predictable, in fact I didn't get the ending I expected or wanted but understand that it had to be that way.
This book is a journey and I enjoyed the ride!
This has a little bit of everything, adventure,mystery, magic, battles and love.
This is not my normal read but I enjoyed it. At first I had a little trouble understanding what was going on but as I kept reading it all started to make sense. Throughout the book it kept me guessing, it kept me interested and towards the end completely sucked in.
To me this story is unique, it is different than any other fantasy I have read and that is a good thing. It isn't predictable, in fact I didn't get the ending I expected or wanted but understand that it had to be that way.
This book is a journey and I enjoyed the ride!
March 15, 2024
This was an engaging story written wonderfully by a superb author. The premise is one of the most unique ideas I have ever read and the twists and turns, and the world-building kept me drawn to Clara's journey. Some aspects were slightly complex and had me baffled but it didn't take long for me to get up to speed. I highly recommend this is YA readers who want a break from the norm. We need more books like this.
January 10, 2024
This was my first ever ARC read and I was invested in it..This book was so good! The ending had me tearing up lol. I loved it!!
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