Review: To Kill a Shadow by Katherine Quinn
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Introduction:
Jude Maddox knows nothing of love or even light. He knows only his grim duty as the Hand of Death, to lead the Knights of the Eternal Star into a land filled with nightmares and certain demise. It’s only when he sees her―a young woman with wild, amber eyes who’s as fierce, defiant, and swift as the shadow beasts themselves―that he feels the warmth of life in his blood…
The other Knights may fear their lethal commander, with his hard, merciless demeanor. Outcast Kiara Frey sees only a leader, a man who knows how to survive. Someone like her. But wanting him is as treacherous as the shadows themselves…and just as seductive.
With a kingdom on the verge of collapse, the Knights must now venture into the darkest heart of the land and uncover the secrets of the misted shadows, where evil will prey upon their minds and feast on their flesh.
It will betray their senses.
It will surpass their nightmares.
Most of them will die.
But they have no other choice. Because the only way to fight the darkness…is to become it.
Review:
Reviewed by Dakota Watson
Before I go into the review, Katherine Quinn, I See you! Your author’s note truly touched me.
God! This book!! It was simply brilliant. This is the first book I read written by Katherine Queen and I was really impressed by her writing and storytelling. The world in To Kill A Shadow was created with finesse and the pantheon of gods and the lore was superb. I loved the little snippets of lore, proverbs and communiques at the start of each chapter, giving us a comprehensive understanding of the world as the story progressed. All the characters were relatable and credible and their development as the tale continued was executed with great care. And I loved how none of the characters showed false bravado. They were all very human and had their own unique flaws and battles to win. The suspense and the mystery surrounding the characters and The Mist made this book impossible to put down. And that dang plot twist at the end!! Never saw that coming, did we?
Kiara was one hell of a main protagonist. She was badass when needed to be and soft, sweet and caring in turn. She was logical, loyal to a fault, selfless and most of all unapologetically human. I simply loved how she evolved with time, coming to terms with even the darkness in her was truly a part of who she was as a person. It was impossible not to fall in love with her. Hypothetically she was The Light with a streak of darkness.
Aaaaand Commander Jude Maddox! God! He was Darkness himself surrounded by a tiny seed of light. His character was so endearing and his story, heartbreaking. Although he was used by the ones in power as a tool of brutality over and over again to the point he no longer felt human I liked how he still managed to differentiate between good and bad. Despite the heavy mantle he wore he was still a nineteen year old boy who needed redemption.
I absolutely loved Ki’s and Jude’s chemistry. The push and pull, sarcasm and the banter, they were perfect together. The subtle way Kiara never gave up or retreated whenever Jude withdrew into his shell was was heartwarming. Although there weren’t any explosive love making scenes, their slow burning gradual acceptance of each other’s feelings was beautifully written, leaving me wanting more. They complimented each other perfectly as a couple.
The supporting characters were great too. I hated and loved how Katherine managed to tug at our heartstrings with them. She made us fall in love with them and broke our hearts into smithereens.
If I had anything bad to say about this book, it would be that I didn’t quite buy the sudden Micah reveal because there were a lot of unanswered questions surrounding his relationship with Kiara’s family.
All in all, To Kill A Shadow is an amazing first installment of a great series that I am eagerly waiting to get my hands on the sequel.
Book Cover:
