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A review by novelnchill
In the Shadows by L.B. August
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Sending my therapy bills to the author.
This book is a beautifully dark fantasy romance that follows Lily, a queen who rules from the shadows, and Theo, a soldier who witnessed the murder of the love of his life. My heart breaks for these two.
Lily is a brilliant shadow mommy who is fierce, loyal, and feisty as hell. She has created her own inner circle in Umbra and let me tell you, the found family vibes are immaculate. The banter between her and Theo is amazing. Without spoiling, I’ll just say that there are characters you’ll just love to hate. Also, the critters and magical creatures are perfect in a viciously adorable way.
The pacing of this book starts slow as we establish past events and then fast-forward to present day. Once things start rolling, they don’t stop, and it’s an amazing ride. The fight scenes are so descriptive that you can imagine the choreography playing out.
The world-building is great. I feel like there are still a lot of secrets about the world, the gods, and the power players that will continue to be revealed in future books.
There is no shortage of spicy scenes, but they are definitely not repetitive. This story is told in dual POV, which I love because you get the spicy thoughts from both Lily and Theo. It also exposes some of the traumas endured by each character that shape their actions.
I devoured this book, and it wrecked me. I knew it would from the first chapter, but it still cut
deep. This is an amazing debut from L.B. August, and I can’t wait to see what emotional damage she unleashes next.
This book is a beautifully dark fantasy romance that follows Lily, a queen who rules from the shadows, and Theo, a soldier who witnessed the murder of the love of his life. My heart breaks for these two.
Lily is a brilliant shadow mommy who is fierce, loyal, and feisty as hell. She has created her own inner circle in Umbra and let me tell you, the found family vibes are immaculate. The banter between her and Theo is amazing. Without spoiling, I’ll just say that there are characters you’ll just love to hate. Also, the critters and magical creatures are perfect in a viciously adorable way.
The pacing of this book starts slow as we establish past events and then fast-forward to present day. Once things start rolling, they don’t stop, and it’s an amazing ride. The fight scenes are so descriptive that you can imagine the choreography playing out.
The world-building is great. I feel like there are still a lot of secrets about the world, the gods, and the power players that will continue to be revealed in future books.
There is no shortage of spicy scenes, but they are definitely not repetitive. This story is told in dual POV, which I love because you get the spicy thoughts from both Lily and Theo. It also exposes some of the traumas endured by each character that shape their actions.
I devoured this book, and it wrecked me. I knew it would from the first chapter, but it still cut
deep. This is an amazing debut from L.B. August, and I can’t wait to see what emotional damage she unleashes next.