To Shatter the Night

Mistlands #2

by Katherine Quinn

Welcome back into the Mist…in the astonishing sequel to the instant bestseller To Kill a Shadow…

Some fear the darkness. It’s the place where horror hides, concealing its rank, sharp teeth and insatiable hunger. But there is no darkness more feared than that of the mist that’s overtaken the kingdom...and its brave―and ultimately doomed― soldiers.

Except for Kiara Frey.

She has nothing to fear from the night. Not anymore.

Driven by the fury of her splintered heart, Kiara knows that the answers―and the only possible way to a future with Jude Maddox―begin with the realm’s most notorious thief, the Fox. Together, they hunt down the path to breaking Asidia’s dark curse, but in the shadows, something more horrifying than the mist lies in wait. Watching. Willing Kiara to find the game pieces set in place long ago.

As Jude and Kiara are lured to a sacred temple―a shrine that is the home to both exquisite dreams and chilling nightmares―Kiara’s newfound powers flourish but her shadows threaten to consume her.

Because here in these cursed lands, it’s not the darkness that destroys the soul...it’s love.

Genres: Fantasy, Romantasy, Young Adult, Romance, Audiobook, Fiction, Fantasy Romance

448 pages, Unknown Binding

First published December 3, 2024

About the author

Katherine Quinn is a fantasy romance author and poet. She graduated from the University of Central Florida with a degree in psychology. She resides in Houston, Texas with her husband and children.

Her love for writing began after she read her first fantasy series, Song of the Lioness, by Tamora Pierce. After that, she wanted nothing more than to be a dagger-wielding heroine. Unfortunately, it’s frowned upon to give a child a dagger, so she settled on writing about daring adventures instead.

Coffee is her true love, and she believes anything can be fixed with Starbucks and dark humor.

Reviews

[The Library of Claire Louise]

See I thought this was a stand-alone and now I have to suffer until December.



Why would you do this to me Quinn

[OsiriaGrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This duology is so underrated, and I really wish Katherine Quinn was given more credit. She accomplished what so many authors fail to do, which is to give a perfect conclusion to a story. I have no unanswered questions, what ifs or that didn't make sense. There was no unnecessary page filler. Everything was important and crucial to the plot. Of course, I am sad the story has ended, but I am thoroughly happy with the story and the ending.

Jude is one of the best MMCs I have ever read, and his ending just made my heart so happy for him. He deserved so much good, and it was just such a delight to see his character grow out of so much trauma.

Kiara is what I look for in a FMC. She was strong and knew what she wanted and what 6 to do to achieve. She wasn't whiny, and she got shit done. Yes, she doubted herself at times, but it didn't carry on and was reasonable. She loves and protects fiercely, and her and Jude just make me giggle and kick my feet.

I loved and was invested in every side character and the other gods, and I seriously just can't praise this series enough. If this series has been on your TBR bump it up and read it, you won't regret it.

[amarachireads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good conclusion to the Mistland duology. I enjoyed this one even more than the first and everything just flowed really well. It picks up where the last book ended with the fmc and mmc and there were so many connections and aha moments. The romance is a slow burn, but it made for great angst, tension, and all the yearning. I loved that the fmc was the one with the cool shadow-wielding powers and was still a badass. The world-building and plot were nice because we saw the main characters start away from each other and then come back together after their time apart and face the world together. I liked the prophecy aspect and all the adventure and god lore that came from it and how it was addressed.

Like in the first book, I loved the found family, and seeing the friendships and relationships of other characters together was great. The love, self-discovery, finding one's self, and character development aspects of the main characters were written well, and think overall this was a good ya romantasy with adventure and twists. Thanks to Entangled and Bookedwithemilys for the arc for an honest review.

Read for:
- Slow burn
- Upper YA romantasy
- Yearning and angst
- Shadow wielding fmc
- Prophecy and gods
- Found family

[Jena · Rating 4 out of 5]

To Kill a Shadow is one of the best "romantasy" books I've ever read. In fact, I think that term does the book a disservice. The fantasy, romance, and horror elements are all balanced perfectly. Conversely, To Shatter the Night is a very well conceived novel, but compared to its predecessor, I definitely wanted more. Don't get me wrong, this book is good. But compared to the previous instalment, it just didn't live up to my expectations. I enjoyed the expansion of the lore and world-building, but I really wanted a more clear overarching plot. The last third of To Shatter the Night really grabbed my attention, but a lot of the early parts of the book didn't. That being said, I think To Shatter the Night concluded perfectly. It did a great job wrapping up the duology.

One thing I will note is that this book picks up immediately after book 1 ends, and I think you definitely need to read the two books back to back. I read each book when it was published, and I definitely got a little confused during the sequel. This isn't a fault of the book or anything, just worth noting. There are some series you can put down and come back to, and some you need to read in succession to understand. This is definitely the latter.

Overall, I would recommend this duology, as I think it's really underrated.

[Hailee Nicotra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Plz plz plz I can not wait for this release date I would collapse to be an arc reader!

[All_About_Them_Audiobooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 Stars - I like how this book picked up right away from the first book. However, it just fizzled out from there on. The quest they were on kinda felt so aimless and it dragged on until they finally got to the temple. But even then it just repeated itself in the story of fighting shadow monsters, then Kiara turning into shadow and then regrouping and doing the same thing again. The whole god mythology was not well explained that I did not understood/cared for it…

❤️ Jude x Kiara

[Shian Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

It kills me to give this book a 2 star. I was really excited about this book release and super excited to be an ARC reader.
Overall I think the writing was so much better than book 1. There wasn't a single use of "ambled" and I don't recall any other repetitive word uses. That was probably my biggest annoyance in book 1.
I think this book would have been better if the lore in book one was explained. All the development that happened with our two MCs seemed to come outta left field and was disjointed. If we had gotten background and the lore of the gods, I feel like their developments would have made much more sense.
The first 1/3 of the book was great, it felt somewhat logical and I had no problem following along. The last 2/3 of the book I felt so lost. I had absolutely no idea what was going on or where we were even going. The last adventure of the book I remember thinking "what are we even doing and where are we going???"
One thing I did like: Jake. LOVE him, I think he was a great side character and pretty well written.

[Medusa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ngl it absolutely kills me to do this because book 1 was a 5 star read for me, but I'm not feeling this one at all so a DNF it is, the allurement just isn't there for me sadly.

[ishraq ⊹ [s-ia] · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spin off series where? Third book where? I CANT ACCEPT THAT THIS IS OVER

[Stephanie Morales · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC and I can’t express how much I enjoyed this. To Shatter the Night was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and it did not disappoint. Book 2 picks up right where Book 1 ends. I took my time reading this one because I didn’t want it to end and I wanted to savor it.
Kiara is an amazing FMC and I really enjoyed how she is the one wielding the shadows instead of Jude (MMC). I loved their slow burn relationship and witty banter. I think Katherine did a wonderful job wrapping up this duology and I’m excited to see what she writes next. Thank you Katherine for the ARC.

[Tay_is_reading_again · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️


I really enjoyed the conclusion to this fantasy romance duology. I did a reread of To Kill a Shadow before reading this sequel, and I’m very glad I did otherwise there would’ve been vital pieces I missed.

Kiara has all the traits I love in a FMC plus it is SOOO refreshing to see a female shadow wielder when it’s usually the MMC wielding shadows. Jude Maddox is a fantastic MMC and their slow burn is lovely. It took me a while to read this book because I wanted to savor it. I can’t wait to see what else she writes next!!

Thank you so much to the author, Entangled Teen, and NetGalley for the ARC!

If you like:

💜female shadow wielder
💜Mulan vibes
💜completed Duology
💜slowest of slow burns
💜magic system with gods
💜loveable side characters

Then you should read this one!

[Brinley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this book is good, but I enjoyed the first one more.

[Leen Gilis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a beautiful conclusion to an epic duology! I absolutely loved the ending!

In "To Shatter the Night," we again dive into the terrifying world of the Mistlands. Jude and Kiara go on a quest to break the curse under which their realm suffers, but a vengeful god will try to stop them. Together with unexpected allies, they begin their journey to save the kingdom from the eternal night.

Just like in "To Kill a Shadow," the reader again follows both Jude's and Kiara's perspectives. It was fun to experience their thoughts during their terrifying quest. Now, they not only have to defeat a god, but also learn how to gain control of their new powers. This adds an interesting challenge to the story. Furthermore, they must face their biggest fears while traveling through horrifying crypts in order to save the kingdom. Along the way, they face loss and pain, but that doesn't stop them. Instead, both undergo major character development in this second book. The side characters are also very likeable—Jake even adds some humor to the story.

The tension in this book is palpable throughout the pages. The crypts are sinister—filled with booby traps and deadly challenges—and will test each member of the fellowship. The story is full of suspense and features multiple action-packed moments, all while maintaining its chilling horror vibe.

Besides the creepy moments, there is also time for romance. Jude and Kiara grow closer throughout the book, and I think their romance was beautifully described. Although they each struggle with internal battles, it soon becomes clear that they are meant to be together. Readers who enjoy their chemistry as much as I do will be pleased with the ending.

One of the things that makes this series so good is the writing style of Katherine Quinn. It's captivating and had me immediately hooked! With an eye for detail, the reader is truly immersed in the world of Asidia and can vividly imagine every scene. The emotions and feelings of the characters are also deeply palpable. The ending is heart-touching and provides a satisfying conclusion—there are no unanswered questions left.

The Mistlands series was such an enjoyable journey! I had so much fun with this story. I will definitely read more books by Katherine Quinn in the future. I recommend this series to fans of epic fantasy with touches of horror!

[Kat · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am so sad to give this book a bad review. It was written consistently to match the first book, but because there was a space of time between my reading book one and book two, I struggled.

This book didn’t do the gentle reminders of who people are, what the major plot points are, and things like that- it jumped right back into the story. Which.. I unfortunately didn’t remember all these things immediately, so I was extremely disconnected from this book.

I battled to finish this book, having lost my connection to the characters, and unfortunately wasn’t able to get it back.

[Piper Christenson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Most of this book can be summed up by a quite from CinemaSins: "somehow, we have time for this"
•
•
•
Jude did just about nothing useful the entire book, the final battle was disjointed, and Harlow was never fully explained.

[joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can’t wait for this to come out. I already set it on my calendar so I don’t forget!

[Lovebooksandpixiedust · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nach dem Ende von Band eins war ich super gespannt darauf, wie die Geschichte in „To shatter the Night“ ausgehen wird. Leider muss ich sagen, dass Band zwei ein bisschen schwächer war. Der Schreibstil an sich hat mir wieder gut gefallen aber ich habe etwas gebraucht bis ich in der Handlung drin war, da es eine Weile gedauert hat bis etwas Spannung in die Geschichte gekommen ist. Alle Probleme wurden mir oft zu einfach gelöst und manchmal hätte ich mir auch mehr Kommunikation gewünscht.

Individuell haben mir die Charaktere alle wieder ganz gut gefallen aber bei der Liebesgeschichte hat mir leider etwas gefehlt. Es gab nicht wirklich Tiefe und das Knistern habe ich auch nie so heftig gespürt. In Band eins war da mehr für mich. Die ein oder andere schöne Szene zwischen den beiden konnte das leider nicht retten. Ich muss tatsächlich sagen, dass mir die Nebencharaktere und ihre Beziehungen um einiges besser gefallen haben. Diese Abschnitte bzw. Szenen habe ich super gerne gelesen.

„To shatter the Night“ konnte meine Erwartungen leider nicht ganz erfüllen und ich bin ganz hin und her gerissen wie ich diesen Abschluss bewerten soll, denn ganz so schlecht war er nicht. Deswegen gibt es eine kleine Leseempfehlung von mir.

[Margarita Gacía · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tres piezas necesitan unirse para romper la maldición, Jude, nuestra Mano de la Muerte favorita tiene dos y Kiara otra, ahora solo tienen que dejar de ser tan cabezotas, buscar la solución a la maldición y romperla. Así que nos vamos a una aventura cual Indiana Jones, con trampas, fosos, pasadizos secretos...

Cerramos esta duología Romantazy.

Y todo ha sido muy cliché. Demasiado.

El prota masculino, Jude, el arquetipo de héroe torturado, con tatuajes y cicatrices en la cara, ja, ja.
Kiara, la protagonista, casi una Mary Sue, menos mal que la autora de vez en cuando dejaba que luchara con la ayuda de alguien, sino sería prácticamente insoportable.
El malo, era muy malo, quería que nunca se rompiera la maldición y vivir para siempre en tinieblas, un malo de opereta, bastante satisfactorio cuando lo vencen.


De todas maneras, toda la buena voluntad que ganó el primer libro, la perdí sobre la mitad de éste, ha sido laaargo, repetitivo y aburrido, y la confrontación final, también laaaarga repetitiva y aburrida.

[Bri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m utterly undone! My smile is cheek to cheek across my face. As too, my heart is filled with beaming joy! This concluding book to the incredible duology Mistlands has left me breathless!! What a beautiful story filled with heroic adventures , thrilling battles, dark forest and caves, magic, lore, epic battles, found family and restored hope! But, most of all this story had a love story to die for! The love was so fierce and so, so sweet. Closed doors for sure,which made it all the more lovely and perfect! Definitely brought me to tears in all the best ways. I LOVED this book so much!! Both books exceeded my expectations 💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜

[Katherine Bichler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genre: YA Fantasy

Satisfying conclusion to a fast paced adventure filled fantasy duology. I listened to it on audio and didn’t love the narration. I read the physical book for the first one and enjoyed it way more.

[Mairy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A satisfying ending to the Mistlands duology. I loved the FMC!

[Rose Shupe · Rating 3 out of 5]

To Shatter The Night

3/5 stars
YA so no spice!

The spoilers you will find in this review are not super-spoilers, but I want to mark it as such anyway.

I FINALLY FINISHED IT!

To clarify, this book wasn’t overly long, but it was so hard for me to get through. It was my most anticipated read of this year after reading its predecessor, To Kill A Shadow, which was a five star read for me.

For me, this book fell heavily short of To Kill A Shadow in many, many ways. I felt the story either dragged on, or sped by. There wasn’t a good pace, where the first book was something I couldn’t bring myself to put down.

Picking up immediately where To Kill A Shadow left off, we follow Kiara and Jude in a 1st person POV as they navigate the world outside The Mist. Whoever, due to the lack of world building, I felt it so hard to follow. It mentions a few random towns, but the book mostly takes place in one small area and left me wanting more.

The banter held strong in To Shatter A Night, but I felt the character development took a step backwards (or maybe just a step in a direction I didn’t enjoy). The author chose to bring in new characters and old ones for no real reason other than to have love interests, LGBTQ representation, and people who were red shirts (you know in Star Trek? The ones that have no point but to die? Yeah, that). Now, I’m not saying that I didn’t enjoy the love interests that were brought on, I’m just saying that it was so unnecessary and really didn’t bring much to the plot. Their story could’ve been told in a spin off duology much like the author of Serpents and The Wings of Night did with her universe.

Speaking of love interests; the dynamic between Jude and Kiara was so hard for me. Their characters were basically turned into love-struck morons. Jude’s badass character was done dirty when Quinn decided to make him a sniveling p*ssywhipped bitch (I have no nice way of saying it so I’m going hard here). Kiara kept most of her harsh, stabby vibes, but parts of her character just seemed off to me.

Some pieces of the story didn’t line up either, which frustrated me. This is supposed to be a fantasy world, yet they had “little packets” for the condoms in the fade to black scene (YA) which I could only attribute to the author trying to encourage teens reading this to use protection, but to me it was just so unnecessary and out of touch with the overall story. That whole scene could have been written differently and been completely fine. It’s a YA book, you don’t have to add a fade to black sex scene.

The only thing that kept this book from being a two star for me was the last 40 ish pages. The pace picked up and started focusing on the plot as apposed to the characters and their relationships.

There are so many more things I could get into, but at this point it feels like beating a dead horse, so I’ll just say that, overall, I didn’t love this book, which sucks because of how much I truly adored To Kill A Shadow (I literally have 3 copies of it). I was hoping for more and I was let down by my own high expectations. I hope that, if you’re reading this book, you love it. I wish I did.

[Marli · Rating 5 out of 5]

the yearrrrnnnningggggg

[˗ˏˋ maddie ˊˎ˗ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay, so, I hated Kiara and Jude. I found them so incredibly over the top. It also didn't help that there's no real refresher on them either; there's no calm moment to reestablish the kind of couple they are, to reacquaint you with not their love story but at least their love style. Their love language. Instead it's just immediately off to the races and it feels forced and awkward. It really felt like.... if your friend invited you to a diner somewhere and you showed up and sat down and across from you was this couple you've never met before, friends of your friend, and they spent the entire meal ravenously making out directly in your eye line on the other side of the booth. Those were the uncomfy, uncomfy vibes for me. Also, Kiara just... she almost kills Jude and her own brother accidentally. Is horrified by that for, I don't know, a page and a half, and then a handful of chapters later does the exact same thing to someone else. Like, that's a pretty big fucking mistake you made there, one might think you'd actually learn from it.

Once you dump them as the mains though, everyone else around them was great. Jude's mother, and his relationship to her, was actually really interesting and the found family that she brought with her was great. Jake was the MVP and it was nice to have Liam show up to be a love interest for him (even though that was really all that he was there for).

[Bia Faria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just finished this book!

This second book had such an Indiana Jones vibe at times, which threw me off a little, but I loved the history and how everything unfolded. Honestly, I would’ve given it more stars if it weren’t for the ending.

I didn’t like how Kiara got to choose whether to become the moon god, but Jude didn’t get any choice at all. And the idea that they can only see each other at night when the sun sets? I get that it’s poetic, but it’s just not for me.

On a brighter note, I loved seeing Liam and Jude’s mom find happiness, Jake’s mom accepting him Finn love. Those moments saved it for me!

[Audrey Snyder · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐ I don't know what exactly is keeping me from liking this book more, but I don't. I think it might be because I'm not connected to the storyline or charatcers but I don't know why I'm not. I think it may be the writing and it also probably isn't helpful that I waited like 8 months in between this one and the first one. The ending also ruined it for me *spoilers* like I don't have a problem with them both having powers but him being a god is just so weird and strange and I prefer not to think about it so yeah. Also is this the last one? because I thought it was supposed to be more than just a duology but all of the problems seem solved.

[Bianca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved To Kill the Shadow and was eagerly anticipating this sequel. It did not disappoint. To Shatter the Night picks up immediately where book 1 left off. Kiara is determined to save Jude from sacrificing himself despite her broken heart. Kiara learns to embrace the darkness and needs to convince Jude to open his heart.

Because here in these cursed lands, it’s not the darkness that destroys the soul...it’s love.

I received a free review copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Chloe Houston · Rating 2 out of 5]

Skimmed the last 50 pages. I thought that they were repeating the same story line over and over. I honestly think someone almost drowned every 5 seconds and if they weren’t drowning it was another form of near death experience. The writing was not as in depth or lyrical as I prefer. Not only that but I feel like there were just holes in places that should have gone much more in depth to explain things correctly.

[Aleesha · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I hoped, this book improved on book 1.

There's a lot of really good world building and lore development going on in this book. The lore and magic system in this world really was unique and there were elements I really enjoyed that 'break the mold' of your typical YA/Romantasy books.

For instance, I love that Kiara is a shadow-wielder. How many "shadow daddy" MMCs have we come across in the past few years? HUNDREDS. How many FMCs? I literally can't think of any other than this FMC.

In fact, I really enjoyed the power-play between Kiara and Jude. The way their magic was working against them even as it was pulling them closer. All of this was really unique and interesting stuff.

I also really enjoyed just how involved the gods were in the story. It's not often you encounter a story where the gods aren't these aloof bystanders or these shrouded figures manipulating the game board from afar. In this story Kiara and co. actually become allies with multiple gods, and fight against the 'big bad' with divinity at their side.

Speaking of the fighting--this book's plot was VERY action-packed. I think Quinn's strength is writing fight scenes and engaging adventure plots. The pacing wasn't always the best, there were times I wondered why we were wasting our time with random scenes--but when the action was there, it was impossible to put the book down. This is especially true for the last 50 pages or so.

The found-family aspect of the story is expanded too, and the composition is equally as unique.

Not only do we have Kiara's brother joining the team, but he and Jake actually fall in love over the course of the story. Not only is it good LGBTQ+ rep, it feels genuine, because it's a bit of a slow-burn. It doesn't feel like Quinn's just checking boxes.

Also, usually when we think about a found family the characters are all generally a similar age. In this book, that's not the case. Jude's MOTHER ends up joining Jude, Jake and Kiara (etc) on their quest and she brings her lover along and another friend--these are parent-aged individuals tagging along with teen-aged main characters.

As unique as this scenario was, it sometimes posed problems, because the dialogue REALLY didn't do the older characters justice. If you didn't KNOW that the Fox (Amelia) was Jude's mom, and you read any of her dialogue, it'd be easy to assume she was the same age as Jude and Kiara. In the grand scheme of things this is a minor irritation for me, but still I thought it bared mentioning because there were times I was thinking "man this is friggin' weird".

All in all, this book's got its flaws, but I think it's a solid young-adult fantasy romance story. It gets points from me for breaking the shadow daddy mold and for it's unique lore and magic system.

[Emily McCormick · Rating 5 out of 5]

To Shatter the Night by Katherine Quinn
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

“The day will be restored when the darkness falls for the light. Or it’s a bunch of rubbish and we’ll end up killing each other and the world will end. There’s a prophecy for you.”

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for this ARC! To Shatter the Night was one of my most anticipated sequels of 2024, and it did not disappoint.

Betrayed and broken apart, Jude Maddox is on the run from Kiara Frey. He now holds two pieces of Raina’s power within his heart. Raina, the goddess, who just happens to be HIS GRANDMOTHER! I think that was the most shocking revelation of all. Fearing Kiara would sacrifice her life for the third piece he needs to be at full power of his ancestry, Jude fled with the Godslayer, the only known blade capable of killing one of the deities…and the only way to make the magical transfer. He loves Kiara too much to take the risky gamble of her self-sacrificing, since he himself is unable to offer it himself. Now, Kiara is left alone with Jake, seething that Jude didn’t trust her more. Trust them more. They are going after him, and they aren’t stopping until the prodigal son returns to what has become a trio.

“Safety was an illusion.”

Kiara and Jake arrive at the city Jude fled to just as Jude is captured and hauled off by the royal guard; the punishment for desertion, which is what he is considered to have done, is execution. Not even the Hand of Death is exempt. However, because he is so powerful now, the information he possesses must be tortured out of him first. *que loop hole for rescuing* With the ‘god’ card having been played, we now know that King Cirian isn’t the true villain behind everything, but rather a puppet. It is the Moon God who should be feared.

And he is way more than any of us expected him to be. Like, you are not ready for the reveal, I am throwing that out there right now.

Moving on to the characters: Jake is such a CHARMER!! I love how much of a sarcastic cad he is. When Kiara is struggling with her powers and accidentally becomes incorporeal to visit Jude, Jake is the one who holds her fading, ghost-like body helplessly as though she were dying. It was favorite scene of the entire book.

“I gasped, inhaling the putrid air of Fortuna. ‘Jude,’ I panted, meeting Jake’s bewildered gaze. ‘I saw him.’
‘What are you talking about?’ Jake rasped, helping me rise. He ran a flustered hand through his hair, his body visibly trembling. ‘What just happened? One moment you were fin. And then you went into this creepy, cationic state. You were practically gray. At one point, I swore you flickered out of existence entirely, and I thought—’
I noticed his cheeks were wet, his eyes rimmed in red.
Shit.
‘I’m fine,’ I promised, though it was a lie. The lingering effects made me dizzy, but I swallowed down the panic to hug him close. I wound my arms around his waist and pressed my head against his rapidly rising and falling chest. ‘I’m all right, Jake. I’m here.’
He'd thought he lost me. Like he lost Nic.
Jake’s grip on me tightened to the point where I couldn’t suck in a full breath, but I didn’t mind.”

*Squeals* You can’t tell me he isn’t the most precious thing since chocolate cake was invented.

Jude’s mother, Emelia, Dimitri, and Finn were an addition to the world that I wasn’t expecting to like, but as the book went on, they unexplainedly grew on me. The dynamic between mommy and girlfriend especially was hilarious to witness.

Also, the appearance of Laim shocked me. I always figured that Kiara would go home in the end to see her brother, but the kid has the same fierceness as his sister, even though that might literally be the death of him since he is a walking asthma attack waiting to happen, and inserted himself within the plot as though he was daring people to try him. *high fives* NGL, I saw the whole Jake and Liam thing from the moment he deigned to show up, though. He just…acted a certain way, haha, that I knew Jake would find irresistible.

The romance between Kiara and Jude continued to be one of the most heartbreaking that I have had the pleasure of reading with the “defying all odd’s” tope. Now that the sun burns in Jude’s veins and the dark swirls beneath Kiara’s, they are like fire and oil. A deadly combination. Jude spends the entirety of the book self-loathing as he dwells upon how he ruins everything he touches, quite literally since his touch can kill Ki, and Kiara spends her portion of the tale either afraid of Jude because of what he can do or afraid of him because of the love he is offering. She doesn’t trust it, even if she trusts him, and it was SO AGONIZING. The angst was angsting.

I only wish we had gotten more time in the Mist. Whereases To Kill A Shadow had some killer One Dark Window vibes, this one seemed more like a National Treasure rip-off. It was a fantastic book, but I missed the Mist since that was the whole plot of book one. The Mist is why I fell in love with Katherine’s writing to begin with. However, the nightmare cave was a fantastic edition for a scene in this instalment, so I can’t nitpick too much. Not surprisingly, it added emotional depth to each and every character who was subject to the horrors produced by their mind and projected into reality. That’s some next level shit. Especially Jake’s. That boy has my whole heart, if you can’t tell.

I. Loved. This. Book! Every moment, every second, every reveal, every character. The foreshadowing to the ending for this fantastic duology was unmatched, and the Epilogue will stay with me for many months to come. I was not ready to say goodbye to this cast, but when it came time to do so, I couldn’t have imagined another way to go back to my own world. Five out of five stars. I will be reading this author’s next book, The Golden Huntress, when it comes out in November. I am expecting great things!