Shadows of Memory

Shadows and Smoke #4

by Nicole LaBrocca

Sebastian was a gargoyle warrior bound by duty to rescue his kin. Aurora was a red-haired enigma found unconscious by a river's edge, her past a blank slate. From the moment their eyes met, a primal connection ignited, a forbidden flame that defied his stoic nature. Amnesia stole Aurora's memories, but not the searing heat that pulsed between them, nor the strange, untamed fire that flickered at her fingertips. As their perilous journey deepened, so did their passion, a dangerous dance between duty and desire.

Aurora's forgotten past hides a dangerous she's an immortal, a vessel of immense power, tied to a crystal born from dying stars. Her abilities could save or destroy the realms, a fate she doesn't understand. Their love is forbidden by duty, yet their bond becomes a battleground. Monsters, collapsing worlds, and ancient prophecies converge. He must love the woman who might save creation, or accept she's destined to destroy it.
Can their forbidden love withstand the weight of destiny, or will their fated bond shatter amidst the chaos?

638 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 26, 2025

About the author

Nicole LaBrocca ventures into enchanting new territories with her spellbinding tales of romantic fantasy. She invites readers on an exhilarating odyssey through a realm where steamy passion intertwines with suspenseful supernatural intrigue, all seasoned with a sprinkle of humor. Be prepared for an immersive journey where love ignites amidst swirling mysteries and hidden truths. Step into a world where every page holds the promise of an unforgettable escape.

Reviews

[Rachel’s Coffee & Rain Reads]

This is a tough one for me. I ended up DNFing around 41%, which I hate to do, but this story and writing just did not work for me. This could be a complete case of “it’s me, not you” but here are my thoughts anyway. Possible spoilers below so be warned.

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For me, the writing needed a polish. The author is very descriptive in her language, which works, but the writing is so verbose that things felt repetitive at times and there was a lot of telling instead of showing. The book is dual POV third person, which sometimes works but in this case I think the reader loses something not being narrated to by the MCs. I think I would have connected more with Seb and Aurora if it was first person and I could actually know their feelings. Instead, we’re told what they’re experiencing and given some insight into how they feel about it, but there’s a layer of removal between us and the characters that doesn’t quite land. I also noticed a few repeated phrases or changing of tense and pronouns that would have benefited from another round of edits.

Seb and Aurora are likable, and their chemistry is there. I knew instantly they were meant to be, and wanted to see them find their HEA. In that sense the romance works. However, at only 41% in, the waffling of these characters, MMC Seb in particular, became taxing. He’s torn between duty to his gargoyle clan and his desire for Aurora, which makes for a good plot device, however the reasons he couldn’t have both weren’t clear. Insert gargoyle female he saves who is so desperate to throw herself at Seb, and you have an oddly contrived love triangle that doesn’t quite ring true and honestly makes Seb seem weak minded. The other aspect of this back and forth was Aurora’s power. Her memories are missing until 40% in, but she’s clearly a powerful fire elf. However, anytime she displays said powers (usually to help or save someone), everyone looks at her with suspicion and doubt. It didn’t land for me, as I’d think everyone would be grateful to have someone like her in their traveling band, but not so. Her power gives Seb even more reason to doubt her intentions and question her safety, and it grew taxing.

By the time I called it a day, they had a searing heat between them, but one that Seb constantly questions internally, and Aurora shies away from due to memories of a past lover. I didn’t know if we were headed into love-square territory and I got anxious.

I like the side characters and the world was interesting. The slowly unraveling story of Aurora’s power and memories is intriguing, and I almost DNF’d earlier but wanted to see what was coming. I just couldn’t keep going though. This is my first book by this author, and my first in this world, though it’s book 4 (interconnected standalones). I still may venture back to this one and the world she’s created at some point, but for now my tbr is too daunting to keep going on something that isn’t hooking me. No rating as I DNF and want to be fair to the author, but I did want to leave my thoughts.

[Ana Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish to start off by saying that this book was part of an ARC reading. I enjoyed the book immensely and had no trouble navigating it, considering I have not read the first books of this series. What striked me the most about this book was the dedication to the characters and to uncovering different layers to each of them. I am a sucker for a well written character (sometimes, it is one thing I do look for more than the plot itself), and this book has not dissapointed. The characters were hardly one dimensional and along with the plot twists that appeared, it made for a very fun reading journey.
I am also a big fan of the author's style of writing. While I admit that it may seem a bit overzealous compared to a typical fantasy book, it definitely is my own personal preference to have a few metaphors here and there and have the language itself adapted to the world that was being built.
The only reason I would not give this book 5 stars is because it felt like it was dragging here and there and I found myself having a harder time picking up the book and continuing. I feel like it could be maybe a few pages shorter without actually hurting the content itself.

[M]

This has been the third book of this series I’ve worked on with the author and I still cannot get over the growth that she has made throughout writing. I did Alpha/Beta reading and I’m so excited to see what other readers think because I really enjoyed it.

This one is by far my favorite. The character building, the jokes, the world building and plot pulled me in more than any of the others and I found myself giggling non stop and in suspense about the tension between the two main characters. 🌶️🌶️

There are a bunch of tropes throughout the story that are definite fan favorites in the romantasy world and incredible mythical creatures all over the world.

Her writing is extremely descriptive and paints a great picture of the surroundings and her characters feelings.

Well done 🥰

[Amelia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the alpha/beta version of this book that I read! Such a great addition and expansion to the Shadows and Smoke world!
Aurora really comes into her own, despite her memory loss. When she regains those memories, she's a force to be reckoned with! I loved how protective and yet supportive Sebastian is throughout the whole book.

[Caitlyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not much of a Gargoyle person but I need a Sebastian!! I absolutely loved this book! He is literally the sweetest. Aurora is lost but strong. I really enjoyed her character and her strength. I am already looking into the other books!!