annelienvan's review against another edition
3.0
Started out great, quite original even, but then devolved into a very dull YA novel with some weird twists (magic inspired by birthstones? Really) and then added a very convoluted romance.
berls's review against another edition
4.0
I received this book for free from GrownUp Fangirl Blog Tours in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
My Initial Reaction...
Okay, so at first, Book of Shade was weird and I didn't know what to make of it. But by the end, I couldn't put it down. K C Finn has created a fascinating fantasy world, filled with people and creatures I can't wait to know better!
The Characters...
Lily, from whose point of view Book of Shade is told, is a girl after my own heart. When we meet Lily she's moving into the dorms at University and preparing for her first semester. She's studious and smart, and I loved that she was a history major (since I'm an Historian). I think what I liked most about Lily was the way she grew throughout the novel. She starts off a bit awkward and just trying to find her way in university life, but as she grows to know more about herself and who she really is, she changes into a much stronger, more self-aware person.
Right off the bat we meet Lilly's roommate, Jazzy, who happens to be my favorite character in Book of Shade. Jazzy is so incredibly selfless and sweet - it shows through in everything she does. Her parents are wealthy and support Jazzy so well - but rather than being snobbish, Jazzy uses the overflow to help out (and often feed) Lilly. I would have liked to see more of her and hope we do in future novels
And then there's Lemarick Novel. Like his name, this guy is weird. And I grew to love him. We first meet him when Lilly and Jazzy go to Theatre Imaginique with the club they've newly joined, the Illustrious Minds Literary Society. Novel is one of the stage performers and everything about that carnival-esque show is a bit off, in a really wonderfully imaginative way - including him. Like Lily, Novel changes and grows throughout the novel and I really enjoyed seeing (and hoping for) changes in him.
The supporting characters hit the perfect balance - you know just enough about them for their interactions to matter, but they don't overwhelm the story with side-plots. I really enjoyed the two sides of Lily's life - the University world and the Theatre Imaginique world - and how well K C Finn was able to craft them.
The Story...
If I'm 100% honest, Book of Shade took me a while to get into and in the first bit I worried that I wasn't going to get into it. And as an American reader, it took me a little bit to get comfortable with the English lingo. But, that aside, I'm so glad I gave it a real chance. The world that Finn created is so wonderfully weird you can't help but adore it. There's a lot of mystery and there's just enough clues for you to take a stab at figuring things out, but you're never quite sure until the big reveals, which is exactly what I love I also really enjoyed the many relationships in Book of Shade - I'm not talking just romantic relationships, but parent-child and friend relationships that really enriched the story.
Since Finn has created a magical world with creatures that I've never seen - and the ones I have seen wonderfully remade - I can't even begin to guess what's coming next. The last 25% was pretty non-stop intensity for me and I will it ends on a bit of a cliff-hanger. Not the kind that leaves you desperate for the next move, but the kind where just enough has been resolved that you are content for now, but definitely want a bit more.
Concluding Sentiments...
I'm thrilled I had the opportunity to read Book of Shade and can't wait to get to know these characters and the wonderfully weird world a bit better. Don't let the slow-start trip you up, this is worth every minute!
My Initial Reaction...
Okay, so at first, Book of Shade was weird and I didn't know what to make of it. But by the end, I couldn't put it down. K C Finn has created a fascinating fantasy world, filled with people and creatures I can't wait to know better!
The Characters...
Lily, from whose point of view Book of Shade is told, is a girl after my own heart. When we meet Lily she's moving into the dorms at University and preparing for her first semester. She's studious and smart, and I loved that she was a history major (since I'm an Historian). I think what I liked most about Lily was the way she grew throughout the novel. She starts off a bit awkward and just trying to find her way in university life, but as she grows to know more about herself and who she really is, she changes into a much stronger, more self-aware person.
Right off the bat we meet Lilly's roommate, Jazzy, who happens to be my favorite character in Book of Shade. Jazzy is so incredibly selfless and sweet - it shows through in everything she does. Her parents are wealthy and support Jazzy so well - but rather than being snobbish, Jazzy uses the overflow to help out (and often feed) Lilly. I would have liked to see more of her and hope we do in future novels
And then there's Lemarick Novel. Like his name, this guy is weird. And I grew to love him. We first meet him when Lilly and Jazzy go to Theatre Imaginique with the club they've newly joined, the Illustrious Minds Literary Society. Novel is one of the stage performers and everything about that carnival-esque show is a bit off, in a really wonderfully imaginative way - including him. Like Lily, Novel changes and grows throughout the novel and I really enjoyed seeing (and hoping for) changes in him.
The supporting characters hit the perfect balance - you know just enough about them for their interactions to matter, but they don't overwhelm the story with side-plots. I really enjoyed the two sides of Lily's life - the University world and the Theatre Imaginique world - and how well K C Finn was able to craft them.
The Story...
If I'm 100% honest, Book of Shade took me a while to get into and in the first bit I worried that I wasn't going to get into it. And as an American reader, it took me a little bit to get comfortable with the English lingo. But, that aside, I'm so glad I gave it a real chance. The world that Finn created is so wonderfully weird you can't help but adore it. There's a lot of mystery and there's just enough clues for you to take a stab at figuring things out, but you're never quite sure until the big reveals, which is exactly what I love I also really enjoyed the many relationships in Book of Shade - I'm not talking just romantic relationships, but parent-child and friend relationships that really enriched the story.
Since Finn has created a magical world with creatures that I've never seen - and the ones I have seen wonderfully remade - I can't even begin to guess what's coming next. The last 25% was pretty non-stop intensity for me and I will it ends on a bit of a cliff-hanger. Not the kind that leaves you desperate for the next move, but the kind where just enough has been resolved that you are content for now, but definitely want a bit more.
Concluding Sentiments...
I'm thrilled I had the opportunity to read Book of Shade and can't wait to get to know these characters and the wonderfully weird world a bit better. Don't let the slow-start trip you up, this is worth every minute!
gali1's review against another edition
5.0
What a great book! This book is the first book in the Shadoborn series and one of the best books that I have read recently. The book is about a girl who finds out she has the ability to manipulate the elements and follow through with the help of the mysteries Novel. To find our more, read the book!
I loved the book and the writing and found it awesome. The author definitely knows how to appeal to the audience and to keep them entertained. This book was a great read and highly recommended! I would be delighted to read more from this series. If you are looking for an unique plot, that is the book for you!
I loved the book and the writing and found it awesome. The author definitely knows how to appeal to the audience and to keep them entertained. This book was a great read and highly recommended! I would be delighted to read more from this series. If you are looking for an unique plot, that is the book for you!
rks97's review against another edition
5.0
'The Book of Shade' is a brilliant, new novel with such a unique premise. Everything about this novel was perfect, I read it in one sitting. I fell in love with the characters, the setting, the magic, everything. This is an exciting, action-packed novel that will have you desperate for more!
This book tells the story of Lily who is in her first year of University, there she meets her new, chatty roommate, Jazzy. Both Lily and Jazzy join the first club they see at the fresher's fair and one of the perks of this club is free tickets to the 'Imaginique's' monthly show. There she meets Lemarick Novel, who appears to be an illusionist but when he tells her she is a shade her life is turned upside down as she is introduced to this new world with the support of Novel.
I absolutely loved Lily I thought she was such an awesome heroine. She had a great sense of humour but was a hard-worker and completely dedicated to learning the craft of the Shade, she was everything you would want in a perfect heroine. Novel was brilliant, right from the beginning he was such an interesting character and he was one of those people who had an air of mystery surrounding him but not to the extent that you couldn't connect to him. The other members of Imaginique were so brilliant to read about and I felt the community and family spirit that came across between them. My two favourite secondary characters were Jazzy and Novel's dad, Salem. Jazzy was just so sweet and such a dedicated best friend. Salem was a complex character who you couldn't help but just love.
Lily and Novel's relationship wasn't obvious from the beginning at all, which I absolutely love, as their feeling started slowly developing, so did our realisation and I loved how slow and steady their relationship was.
All in all, it was such an incredible book, the ending was a bit frustrating, in a good way of course, I just hope and pray there is going to be a sequel!
*Thanks to the author who sent me a free copy in exchange for a review*
This book tells the story of Lily who is in her first year of University, there she meets her new, chatty roommate, Jazzy. Both Lily and Jazzy join the first club they see at the fresher's fair and one of the perks of this club is free tickets to the 'Imaginique's' monthly show. There she meets Lemarick Novel, who appears to be an illusionist but when he tells her she is a shade her life is turned upside down as she is introduced to this new world with the support of Novel.
I absolutely loved Lily I thought she was such an awesome heroine. She had a great sense of humour but was a hard-worker and completely dedicated to learning the craft of the Shade, she was everything you would want in a perfect heroine. Novel was brilliant, right from the beginning he was such an interesting character and he was one of those people who had an air of mystery surrounding him but not to the extent that you couldn't connect to him. The other members of Imaginique were so brilliant to read about and I felt the community and family spirit that came across between them. My two favourite secondary characters were Jazzy and Novel's dad, Salem. Jazzy was just so sweet and such a dedicated best friend. Salem was a complex character who you couldn't help but just love.
Lily and Novel's relationship wasn't obvious from the beginning at all, which I absolutely love, as their feeling started slowly developing, so did our realisation and I loved how slow and steady their relationship was.
All in all, it was such an incredible book, the ending was a bit frustrating, in a good way of course, I just hope and pray there is going to be a sequel!
*Thanks to the author who sent me a free copy in exchange for a review*
sateem326's review against another edition
5.0
4.75 Stars
I absolutely loved this book. The magic system here is unique and different from any system i’ve ever read before.
The storyline went smoothly and there was not a single boring moment in there from start to end.
One my favourite reads of this year..
I wish there was more of world building. I know that it’s set in our daytime modern world, but there was practically no history for the families and pretty much no clear ranking for the different kinds of beings presented in the story. You only know that Shades are at the top of the list and vampires are at the bottom, whilst having no clue what so ever about what lies in between.
Other than Lily, Novel, and Jazzy; the absence of most of the characters’ background stories was frustrating. And I really wanted to know how the residents of the Imaginique came together in in the first place.
I absolutely loved this book. The magic system here is unique and different from any system i’ve ever read before.
The storyline went smoothly and there was not a single boring moment in there from start to end.
One my favourite reads of this year..
I wish there was more of world building. I know that it’s set in our daytime modern world, but there was practically no history for the families and pretty much no clear ranking for the different kinds of beings presented in the story. You only know that Shades are at the top of the list and vampires are at the bottom, whilst having no clue what so ever about what lies in between.
Other than Lily, Novel, and Jazzy; the absence of most of the characters’ background stories was frustrating. And I really wanted to know how the residents of the Imaginique came together in in the first place.
cdgorri's review against another edition
5.0
I just read the excerpt and couldn't put it down. The writing is good and the characters are original and interesting. The Book of Shade sucks you in with the possibility of the impossible. I can't wait to read more about Lily and the mystery unraveling before her at university. Definitely worth a read!
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