Of Stars and Shadows

Of Dreams and Nightmares #2

by Nicki Chapelway

My gaze flicks up to Ravven who is resting with his eyes closed, pale and gaunt just a shadow of the former self he was only days ago. “So, what is your plan? I’m assuming that you have a plan.”

“More like a gamble.”

“And I’m part of that gamble? Are you sure that is wise? You know, considering our somewhat twisted history?”

Jaye MacCullagh may be the Fair Assassin now, but her troubles are far from over. Even though she killed the faerie enslaving her brother, she and Thomas are still just as trapped in the Otherworld as before. Only this time by the deceitfully glamorous Sidhe faeries of the Spring Court. Returning home seems like an impossible dream, especially when Jaye discovers that Ravven Crowe, the king of the Spring Court and her soulmate, is still alive… if just barely. Ravven needs Jaye’s help to discover how he survived, and how to stop himself from dying again. He is fading away and somehow Jaye is weakening alongside him. The only hope for either of them is for Ravven to reclaim his immortality by becoming a faerie again.

However, there is only one way for mortals to turn into faeries. They must drink from the well of Stars and Shadow on the night of the Feast of Starlight. Each court has a way to the well, but they guard it fiercely to keep just any human from becoming one of them. With every other way to the well barred, Jaye and Ravven are left with only one option. They must enter a deadly labyrinth created by the Spring Court. If they can survive and if they can make it through to the other side, the well is theirs. But in the faerie world, nothing is that simple. Especially where the Spring Court is concerned. Forced to trust the man who ruined her or risk losing him forever, Jaye struggles with her convoluted feelings toward both Ravven and the faerie world. However, when her family arrives looking for her, Jaye feels further strained. Everything Jaye has ever cared about is at the mercy of the Otherworlds, and she can’t shake the feeling that no matter how hard she fights to win she is going to lose this time.

Genres: Fantasy

248 pages, Unknown Binding

Published November 12, 2021

About the author

Nicki is a twenty-something author of swoony romantic fantasy. She has been writing since she was eleven and has since published several works. She enjoys creating stories with twisty-stabby faerie romances, retellings that take a darker turn, and epic fantasies in worlds full of monsters and magic.

Nicki lives in Ohio where she spends far too much time watching TV, playing video games, and sleeping. She listens to music basically all the time, and adores obsessing over mythologies, her shows, and her slew of fictional boyfriends. When not writing, she can usually be found at her desk with either a paintbrush or a pen in her hand.

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Reviews

[Nicki Chapelway · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m starting see the way that faeries think. To them life is just one giant chess board, it’s all a game of making moves and waiting to see how your opponent reacts. An ever-evolving scheme where the ends justify the means, and people are just pieces on the board.

I don't know about any of you, but sequels are definitely my bane. The pressure of living up to the first book while still trying to create a piece that is unique in and of itself is just... it's a lot. And Of Gold and Iron was just about one of the most perfect books I have ever written. Now don't get me wrong, I love all my books and think they're all amazing and worth reading, but there is something about the way Of Gold and Iron balanced all of the elements in world building and romance and plot that it truly was just a piece of art (of course I'm CLEARLY biased). But this left a huge pressure on me as I was working on Of Stars and Shadows and I worried that it wouldn't deliver in the same way that fans of Of Gold and Iron had come to expect from this series.

“You lied to me,” I grind out.

“It’s what I do, I don’t know why you need to act so surprised.”

When I finished the first draft I was in despair, I had convinced myself that it wasn't that great, it was too short, and too abrupt. I set it aside for a month because it's always a good idea to distance yourself from a draft when you finish it. I came back at the end of the month full of dread, expecting to have to try to piece together a Frankenstein project just to make it workable. Instead, I discovered that I had some very nice looking garbage waiting for me in my doc.

I cross my arms as I lean up against the wall. Twigs dig into my back and I lean forward grimacing, I uncross my arms to rub at the small of the back but freeze when I realize that Ravven is still watching me. I straighten and pull a face. “Well, I have a lot to lose. And that’s what tends to happen when I go along with your crazy schemes. I end up losing.”

“We both lost, darling.”

Now don't get me wrong, it wasn't all sunshine and roses after that. It took me months of hard edits, I entirely rewrote the ending and added 20,000 words (although this is still my shortest full length novel to dat at only 90,000 words long), but I'm finally to the point where I believe that this book measures up to book one. And that's a point I worried I would never reach.

Ravven lowers his gaze. “We were fated by the stars, but then… mayhap those stars fell from the sky.”

“Or,” I argue. “They’re just stars and incapable of determining anyone’s destiny.”

“Or perhaps the stars simply lied,” Ravven says softly.

I sigh and turn away. Just looking at him hurts. Everything hurts at this point. “Whatever it was, all I know is that this wasn’t meant to me.”

This book is tragic. It is chock full of trauma and pain. It's about redemption and risky gambles. Doomed soul mates. The taint of immortality. The permanence of death. Deals and bargains that should never have been made. Lies, the Fair Law, and of course... faeries.

The thing about death is that it’s supposed to be final. That’s what everyone says, and it’s true. Except, in the case of faeries, it seems. That was the one thing that they were supposed to have in common with humans. That is the one thing that all living things have in common. We all die in the end.

Except for apparently faeries.

I'm the author of this book and my review is 100% biased.

[emma]

Overall, I think Of Stars and Shadows was very well thought out. The plot was so intricate and I was surprised multiple times throughout the book (which is hard to do with YA books nowadays). Thomas was a favorite for sure, and while I liked Ravven’s character, I missed his old self from the previous book. I would’ve liked to see a bit more denial from him regarding the whole soul-bonding thing, instead of complete acceptance. However, I get that everything he went through made him who he was in this book. The additions of Jaye’s family members was pretty cool and it was neat to see their reactions with Jaye, Thomas, and Ravven. Bottom line is that this was a good sequel and the characters and plot twists were neat. (Also, that title is simply beautiful!)

Thank you to Nicki Chapelway for sending me an ARC of OSaS.

[Brianna Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved book two just as much as book one! I love Nicki’s writing style and sarcastic sense of humor speaks to me on a deep level. If you enjoyed Of Gold and Iron, enjoying the sequel is a given! I can't wait to get my hands on the final book of the series later this year, but at the same time, I don't want the story to end!

[Grace Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author/publisher for promotional purposes. I was not required to write a positive review. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.

AHHHHHHH!!!! THIS BOOK MADE ME SO HAPPY!!!!

Ah, it was so good! I couldn’t put it down and would have probably read it in a day if I didn’t have work that week, lol. As it is, I did read in a week, which is the fastest I read something in a while. And that cover! AHHHH, it is absolutely gorgeous! Blue and stars, it is just so pleasing to look at. I mean, BLUE!!!! You know that I will rave about my favorite color, especially when it is so well done!

So something that I need to address before I can get into this review, if you haven’t read book one then there might be some minor spoilers in this review. I plan on writing this review without spoilers as much as I can, but there are a few things I need to talk about that will spoil the first book. So this is your final warning. If you haven’t read the first book, where have you been? You can go and read my review for “Of Gold and Iron” here. Then go and read the book and then come back here and tell me how wonderful this series is. Like seriously. I need someone to talk to.

The Review *Minor Spoilers*

There’s something about the Otherworld that draws me in. It’s a magical place that leaves you awestruck with its beauty in every way. But at the same time, there is the wickedness of the fae that makes the place just as horrible and dangerous as it is beautiful. And I love it. The words just flow off the pages like most of Nicki’s works do. The humor is spot-on, and I can’t help but laugh out loud while reading. Each character is fleshed out and complicated in their own ways and when I think I have figured them out they go and do something that surprises me but it’s always in a way that they would personally act. This is honestly a book that I didn’t want to put down. I’m a visual person, so when a story makes me feel that I’m watching a grand movie, then I’m going to want more.

After all the backstabbing in the first book, I was waiting for someone to backstab someone else throughout this entire novel. And even after the end, I’m not sure if it had happened or not. That’s how good the twist was.

The romance was one of my favorite aspects in this book. It was an enemy to lovers romance but with this soul bounding twist. Even when they didn’t want to care for each other, they did. It was a very interesting take and I was so there for it.

The Characters

Jaye. I really liked her character in this one. She was struggling with guilt of doing something horrible and trying to save and protect her family at the same time. She also was still dealing with the anger and hurt of what Ravven had done to her and there was a really good process of her trying to forgive him. She was real. Down to earth. I honestly don’t think I would have acted any better than her. And then there was her being the Fair Assassin and what that meant.

Ravven. I felt kinda sorry for him in this novel. He was forced to do things in this story that had to be painful reminders of what has happened in his past. But I didn’t feel as though I could trust him? I kept thinking that he might have something up his sleeve, even if he might have been somewhat sincere about his feelings about Jaye. There were still some things that didn’t add up. But he was also so vulnerable in the story and I love him and I felt sorry for him, soooo. He better not hurt Jaye again in the third book!

Thomas. I really liked Thomas in this novel. When he isn’t under the influence of a faerie he is actually a very nice guy. I might even say that he was one of my favorites in this novel. He was so laid-back and relaxed. He forgave Ravven and treated him with kindness when Ravven might not have deserved it. He tried to understand the situation that his sister was in and just be there for her. He often entered scenes at the most inconvenient times, which made me laugh. Seriously though, Jaye and Thomas have to be one of my favorite sibling duos now. They were awesome together.

Jaye’s uncles. I really enjoyed them. They listened to Jaye and were there for her. They might not have been accepting of the situation at first, but that was understandable.

Wren. Wren was Wren. I didn’t know what to think about her. But I think that I am with Jaye on this one. I’m pretty sure that Wren is up to something.

AND THAT ENDING!!!! WHY DO THESE ENDINGS HAVE SO MANY CLIFFHANGERS FOR!!!! BUT IT WAS ALSO SOOOO GOOD!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! I NEED BOOK THREE RIGHT NOW!!!!

Content in Book

1. Violence. (Hand-to-hand combat. Threatening to kill people. There is one scene where these hedge people attack and stab someone with a poisonous thorn, there is blood. Etc.)

2. A couple of passionate kisses (Nothing bad happens).

3. Coughing up blood. People who are dying.

4. People dying from being poisoned.

5. Slaves.

6. Magic.

7. Drunk faeries. Faeries drinking an alcoholic beverage.

Who I Would Recommend This Book Too

Those who have first read book one “Of Gold and Iron”.

Those who want a good book that will make them laugh from the banter, has a good message, is pretty clean, and is about the fae. READ IT!!!

Review first seen on my blog here: https://gracemmorris.wordpress.com/20...

[Jessica DeLand · Rating 2 out of 5]

After reading the first book in this series, I was really excited to read the second book. But I was severely disappointed by it. At least 3/4 of the book is spent on characters rehashing over and over through dialogue the events of the first book and/or the few events that happen in this one. There are also a number of glaring contradictions throughout the book as if the author kept losing track of their own continuity, the most memorable being when Ravven says he's never killed anyone when he very much did right in front of the main character, Jaye, in book 1. The characters didn't feel like the same people from the first book, the plot was incredibly slow to unfold and honestly could have been summed up in maybe 5 chapters if all the repetitious dialogue and completely unnecessary new characters were removed, and it read like a rough draft. There are so many typos, grammar errors, and straight up mistakes (like in one place it says human where it should say faerie) throughout the book that it was honestly difficult to read at times.

And it's really a shame because I loved the first book and this one has good potential, but it really needed to be workshopped through several rounds of beta readers and editors before it was published. As it stands, it very much reads like a filler novel, the ending the only real relevant event that I assume is to set up for the upcoming book 3, but I'm not sure right now if I'm even going to read it when it's released because this one was so disappointing.

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's probably a good thing that Jaye hadn't set out to actually kill Ravven. Otherwise, she would have been really disappointed that he wasn't actually dead at the end of the first book. As it is, she definitely thinks she's going crazy until she realizes that Ravven being alive puts her brother and her at risk.

And wouldn't that just undo everything that she fought for the last book? Jaye decides to break out of the Spring Court to figure out what is going on and also get out of reach of Ravven's cousin. And while she finds answers, she also signs herself up for a new set of Faerie trials.

It was fun to see a new side of Ravven in this book as well as get to interact with some new characters and some old characters in new ways. Turns out that the whole bonded thing is a bit of a double-edged sword especially when one or the other of the couple keeps getting themselves into trouble.

[Miranda Sylvester · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, I'm so glad that I didn't get around to reading this series until now, because now I'm finding it hard to wait for the third book! I need to read it, I need answers.

updated: 3/10/23, 6/10/23, 8/10/23, 12/10/23

I can say with 100% confidence that the sequel to Of Gold and Iron is as good as it is. Even though there isn't twists and turns, it's still just as dangerous and compelling. There's even higher stakes, considering that Ravven isn't himself right now... and he's running out of time to be his former self again. The romance between Jaye and him is even more complicated. Thomas has more page time this time, and I'm really happy about that.

// characters //

I still love Jaye so much. Her new state of mind is a realistic and interesting continuation of her character arc. It explores what it looks like after trusting someone, especially someone who you thought you would never trust in the first place, and being betrayed. How it isn't simple as hating them and moving on, how your care for them doesn't just disappear. What it's like when you're not innocent of hurting them either. Jaye is so much more broken and torn now. Yet she's also the strongest she's ever been. She feels like she isn't, but I know she has a new strength from her grief and traumatic experiences. She also has more of a soft side in this one, I'm not sure if it's because of Ravven or her family or the one faerie that she knows is actually good. I really enjoyed seeing more of how deep Jaye's love is for her family went and how loyal and protective she is to them. Her unwillingness to abandon and disrespect them is so admirable and needed for the YA fiction.

I loved Ravven a lot more in this one. Now that all of his cards are the table and he's unable to scheme more because of his condition, he's almost a cinnamon roll. I actually prefer if he isn't so unpredictable and truly sincere. Also I loved seeing him being so genuine about he feels about Jaye throughout the book. It's so painful and swoon-worthy. It adds to the conflict so perfectly, especially Jaye's inner conflict.

Thomas is again, amazing. I loved seeing him being more mature, after his experience of feeling his life drain away from him slowly. A little more cautious, a bit more distrustful. But he's still the same person as before. I LOVED his reaction when he finds out about Ravven and Jaye, and how he teases his sister about it like it's not a big deal and actually accepts it better than she does. It was so funny, I love him so much. Honestly, whenever he's interacting with both Ravven and Jaye, or when he's around when they're arguing and he makes a comment, it's. the. best. thing. ever.

I also loved getting to see Ravven's father being so protective of his son. It's a side of him that we didn't really get to see in the first book. In hindsight, it was always there, he was just pretending that he's indifferent about his son's existence. Because after all he's the type of faerie who claims he's needs no one nor care about anyone else but himself. So seeing him like this really pulled my heartstrings.

I was so excited to see Jaye and Thomas' family make appearances in the sequel. I think they are so cool and now I know why she's loves them so much. I loved every moment with them. I kind of wish they came earlier and had more page time. I also can see where she gets her grumpy, stubborn, untrusting attitude from. Her parents, especially her father, are similar to her. Even how they make decisions to save their family from the faeries. Honestly, them being there made everything better and painful at the same time. I still haven't recovered from what the author let happened to one of them though. It was so devastating to see Jaye and Thomas slowly get separated from their family again.

I was thrilled to see the ex-faerie spy, aka the one good faerie (I listened to the audiobook version so I don't know how to spell his name, haha.) I loved seeing another side of him while also being the same person he was before. He's my next favourite side character after Thomas. He's just so awesome all of the time. He's genuinely kind and thoughtful, but not in a human way but in a faerie way, if that makes sense. He's different, and I love him for it.

// plot //

Honestly, the plot doesn't feel like it's in a different book because it so perfectly continued on the story from book one. It's so connected, it's like I hadn't left the characters and the world at all. It doesn't waste a moment in getting us back to the action and banter. The only differences and the clues that it is in fact a sequel and not the same book, is the fact that Jaye and Ravven after something else now and it has a time limit. Though it isn't the only one... And the cliffhanger was honestly a lot bigger than the first one. I still gasped even though I had read the blurb for the third book, and I'm so desperate to read it right now. I NEED to know what happens next!

// worldbuilding //

Again, the author did an incredible job at not breaking the magic laws she placed in her world while also fleshing the magic out even more and adding to it. It still feels new and surprising and dangerous even though a whole book has passed. If there was anything certain about this faerie realm is that it has many tricks and twists up its sleeves. Things end when you less expect it and things continue when you think it's the end. I really enjoyed that I was still learning and uncovering many things about this world even in the sequel.

Overall, I would recommend this if you LOVED Of Iron and Gold, and love cliffhangers, the aftermath of betrayal, a family who love each other, MORE faerie realm magic, and a complicated romantic relationship.

[Carinkla · Rating 5 out of 5]

After the ending of the first book of the series I wondered how the writer could continue. I was pleasently suprised with her solution, which created yet an other  great book. 

 Although this one emotionally more intense then the previous one. A few characters start playing a larger role and new characters are introduced.  Still, the great dynamic interaction remains the same. But in this world  the question remains who can be trusted.


 Again the tale is quite original and this time  it is about survival. Also some more secrets are revealed, but enough remain for the third book.


The pace is a little slower but the focus is more on emotions so that works out perfectly. 

[A Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why is it over?!
Okay... I'm okay... Ugh that ending!
I'm glad that book 3 comes out soon.
This book picks up right where the first left off!
Jaye is feeling all kinds of guilty and I shall say it for her... Heartbroken! Wait until the end though... Oh so many feelings 🤣
This book had me laughing, feeling frightened for certain characters, and a few moments where I wanted to snatch a couple of them up and set them straight! 😉🤣
I love this book and the series.
I'm definitely waiting to get my hands on book 3.

[Kat M · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a strong sequel in the Of Dreams and Nightmares Trilogy series, it had that feel that I was looking for and enjoyed how it improved on the previous entry. The characters were everything that I was looking for and was invested in what was going on and was hooked from the first page. I enjoyed the way Nicki Chapelway writes a strong story and was glad I read this and hope for more in this world.

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

[Bekka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ahhhhhh!!!!! It was just as beautiful, binge-worthy, and swoony as the first. Raevan remains my favorite fictional boyfriend. Read it.