Book Review: Shadoward by Alison Archer
Shadoward by Alison Archer
Genre: New Adult Romantasy
Tropes: Slow Burn, Princess-on-the-Run, Magic, Mystery, Morally Grey MMC
Rating: ★★★★
Binge: 🔥🔥🔥
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
Thank you to Alison Archer for providing me with an e-ARC of Shadoward in exchange for an honest review! This was also my first ARC, which made the experience extra special!
All thoughts and opinions are my own.
WORTH THE READ?
Yes! A fun romantasy with a unique magic system and worldbuilding, realistic characters, and an intriguing mystery wrapped around an amazing slow-burn romance. There are some pacing issues, but the story really picks up in the second half and had me flying through the final stretch.
“Every night, every second near you, I’m in a fight to the death with better judgment.”
THE REVIEW
This story is about a princess who sees a vision of her own murder by a masked man and goes on the run to survive, fleeing to lands ruled by a dangerous lord of night.
I really enjoyed this story! The overall premise was interesting, and I especially liked the mystery surrounding the masked man and Lysandra's past. The beginning immediately had me curious because I genuinely couldn't tell whether Lysandra was losing her mind or if there was something much bigger going on. Needless to say, I had QUESTIONS.
The worldbuilding was also really good. I appreciated having both a map and a glossary because there are a lot of names, places, magic terms, and lore to keep track of, and they made everything much easier to follow. I also LOVE Alaris's abilities.
Speaking of Alaris… The tension. AHHHH.
Their romance was a slowwww burnnnn, but in a way that I actually enjoyed. There was plenty of tension and buildup throughout, but when they actually got together?? I was so happy. Their little rendezvous early on had me like 👀, and then she becomes a member of his staff, and suddenly we have a forbidden-ish relationship brewing?
“Keep testing me, Ly. And I’ll treat you like a thief.”
Alaris definitely gives me some Rhysand vibes, but he feels unique enough to stand on his own. I also loved the earring! I've genuinely never read a fantasy MMC with an earring before, so that was a fun little detail.
I also really liked Lysandra as a character. She's incredibly selfless, but I appreciated that she wasn't stubborn just for the sake of being stubborn. When she wanted to help people, she stood her ground because she genuinely knew she could make a difference. I especially loved when she gave up her lobellum and her room to help the injured. It was nice to see that side of her. And I have to give a special shoutout to her for taking care of the hawks. 🌱🐦 Plant and bird appreciation!
The side characters were also surprisingly good. They all felt like their own people rather than blending together into a generic cast of fantasy side characters, which I really appreciated.
My biggest issue with the book was definitely the pacing. For the first 20% or so, I was really enjoying myself. Then around 30–50%, things started to drag a little. The biggest thing bothering me was that we kept hearing about this masked man, but there wasn't really any concrete proof that he was actually a threat. There hadn't been an actual attack on Lysandra, so I found myself questioning whether the danger was even real. By around 45%, I was thinking, girl, you've been running from this man for HOW long, and he hasn't actually done anything?? 😭
I think I would have been much more invested if the first attempt on her life had happened earlier. That would have made her fear feel more justified and given the mystery a stronger sense of urgency. Instead, I felt like I was waiting for the plot to actually start moving.
Thankfully, once the masked man finally becomes an actual threat around the halfway point, the story picks up significantly. From there, I was much more invested in the mystery, and the 60–70% range started building momentum before the final 20% basically became GO GO GO.
And that ending??
I DID NOT SEE THAT COMING.
There were definitely things I predicted along the way, but the final reveal completely got me.
I also liked that the story didn't make every character's decisions feel completely irrational just to move the plot forward. For the most part, the characters' choices felt logical based on what they knew at the time, which made the story much easier to buy into.
I also think the confusion around Lysandra's memories is going to be important going forward. I'm really curious to see if the next book clarifies exactly how her magic works.
Overall, I really enjoyed Shadoward. The worldbuilding was immersive and easy to picture, the magic was interesting, the characters felt distinct, and the romance was YUMMY. The pacing held it back from being a five-star read for me, but the mystery and final stretch absolutely made up for some of the slower sections.
And after that ending?
I NEED THE NEXT BOOK NOW.
“Chains would not be enough to keep me from this.”
🚨 IF YOU'RE STILL HERE... Click for major spoilers for the entire book below.
Okay, so… I TOTALLY THOUGHT ORSO WAS THE MASKED MAN.
NOPE. IT WAS DASHOL. (I think. Alaris said it was someone close to him, so this is my educated guess LOL).
And then: ALARIS WAS THE TRUE KILLER???
AND HE HAD BEEN KILLING HER THE WHOLE TIME FOR HIS OWN PLANS???
Actually insane. I genuinely did not see that ending coming. I had been so focused on figuring out who the masked man was and whether the danger was even real that I completely fell for the Alaris reveal.
I did predict that Alaris was actually Arastor and that Lysandra was Cryalia, so I wasn't completely wrong… but apparently they are incarnials of those gods rather than literally being the gods themselves. So I'll take my partial credit. 😌
The reveal also made a lot of the earlier parts of the story more interesting in retrospect. I really liked that the mystery had enough breadcrumbs that you could potentially piece things together, but not so many that the ending became obvious.
I still stand by my pacing complaint, though. I wish the first attempt on Lysandra's life had happened much earlier. I think it would have made the masked man plot feel much more compelling throughout the middle of the book instead of having me constantly wonder whether her fear was warranted.
The one thing I was a little confused about was Lysandra's memories and exactly how her past lives work. I wasn't completely sure whether what she was experiencing was a "what if" scenario or memories from actual past lives. If she really has lived through multiple lives and keeps returning at the same age, then girl is OLD old. 😂 I'm still not entirely sure how her death and the timeline surrounding her past lives work, but I'm assuming that's something that will be explained more in the next book.
BINGE FACTOR
The binge factor was a little uneven for me.
The first 20% was good and got me interested, but the 30–50% range was noticeably slower. Once the masked man finally became an actual threat, the story started picking up, and by around 60–70% I was much more invested.
Then 80% onward? GO GO GO.
The ending definitely had me turning pages much faster, especially once the reveals started dropping.
WHO SHOULD READ THIS?
Read if you like...
Slow burn romances with lots of tension, build-up, and yearning
Morally grey MMC’s
Unique worldbuilding
Fantasy mysteries
Princess-on-the-run stories
Skip if...
You prefer heavy spice and quicker payoff
You need a clear and simple conflict and plotline from the start
IF YOU WANT MORE...
slow-burn romances, fantasy mystery & morally grey men
Pick up:
From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout — for the princess-on-the-run vibes and romance-heavy fantasy adventure (My Review)
A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas — for a slow-burn romantasy and morally grey MMC.
The Darkness Within Us by Tricia Levenseller — for morally grey characters, dangerous romance, and fantasy mystery
Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
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