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Of Chains and Shadows

By

Loved it! 😍

4.5 stars! Fast-paced fantasy that has great characters and is extremely well written.

I would honestly give this 4.5 stars, but this site does not allow half stars.


When I first saw Of Chains and Shadows on the website, I was inexplicably drawn to it. I don't know what it was, but the cover and the synopsis just called to me, and I knew I had to read it. I'm so glad I did!


Lauren Duell's writing was incredible. Her writing style, paired with the development and plot, made this book so enjoyable. I loved every minute, and I could not put this book down. It just kept getting better and better!


This book had me hooked from the beginning. It held my attention the entire time, and I was highly intrigued to find out what happens in each chapter. I had such a hard time putting it down because I needed to know what happened next.


The world building and history of the kingdoms within this novel was very well done. It gave enough information without feeling like an info dump, but it also was not underdeveloped. I felt like I had a good sense of what had happened to the kingdoms and people within this novel.


I think the magic and gods aspect of this novel was well written. It was thought out and made the story so interesting, especially throughout the second half of the novel.


The characters were fantastic! I absolutely loved Reina and Malyssandra. They had such great character arcs and I was excited to get to both of their perspectives. Their character development was well written, and I loved it.


The only gripe I had was that I wish there was a little more time between the two characters who had a romance. I definitely felt the vibes going on between them, and honestly, I was completely there for it! Even though I was happy when it occurred, I think it could have held off for just a bit longer. Drag out that tension a little more.


I also really liked that this plot was fast paced! Some fantasy novels, even though they are good, they tend to drag on. This was a quicker read, and it definitely felt right.


Overall, Of Chains and Shadows was such a fantastic read. I loved every minute of it, and I am highly anticipating the sequel! I would definitely recommend this!

Reviewed by

An avid reader and writer who wants to share my thoughts with anyone who wants to listen. I've been a reader for many years, and started reviewing on my blog, readbycourt, in 2019. When I'm not reading, I'm writing my own stories! :)

Prologue

About the author

Lauren is a young author who has dreamed of making a career out of the stories in her head since she was a little girl. Her works currently on the market are: "Love and Other Nightmares", a poetry book; and "Of Chains and Shadows", the first in a fantasy series she has been working on for years. view profile

Published on November 29, 2021

Published by

90000 words

Contains mild explicit content ⚠️

Worked with a Reedsy professional 🏆

Genre: Fantasy

Reviewed by