Until We Shatter

“I am the violence the world made of me.”

Phew. Kate Dylan never misses. I was so excited to read Until We Shatter after loving both Mindwalker and Mindbreaker, and now I’ve finished it I might just have to read it again?

Until We Shatter has anything but a slow start - you’re thrown straight into the action with Cemmy, our stubborn, quick-witted main character who has both a forbidden dilution of magic and a desperate need to save her mother’s life, as she tries to pull off a heist of her own. And that’s where things go pear shaped.

I adored the unique, intricate magic system where characters’ powers are based on their colours (known as Shades), from which the forbidden Hues (half-Shades) have their own dilutions. The worldbuilding was really nicely layered into the storytelling! I also really enjoyed the similarities to the Mindwalker world, replacing sci-fi ‘mods’ with fantasy ‘glamours’.

One thing you can always rely on with Kate Dylan’s writing is that she will keep the stakes high, and it’s as brilliant as it is nail-bitingly terrifying. I was on the edge of my seat for basically the whole book.

Until We Shatter is a heist story but of course more than a heist story - it’s truth and lies and the complex webs we weave to protect the people we love. I loved it! Maybe the real heist was the friends we made along the way?

Thank you NetGalley, Hodder & Stoughton and Kate Dylan for the eARC!

A desperate thief. An impossible heist. Survive…or shatter.
Six Of Crows meets Darker Shades Of Magic in this incredible new fantasy from your friendly neighbourhood writer.
Wild ride doesn’t even begin to cover this book. Kate Dylan is a genius.
Dylan has made a seamless genre transition segueing into fantasy as though she were born to write it. Her Sci-Fi books are phenomenal but Until We Shatter is on a whole other level.
Dylan is an autobuy author for me, and I have been anticipating this read since she first began hinting about it on social media, so I was beyond excited when I was approved for this ARC.
The premise was highly intriguing – half magic girl gets drawn in to mysterious magic heist? Yes please. If there’s anything I can’t resist in a book, it’s a heist.
If you’re after a gentle fantasy, this is not it. The first chapter was intense because Dylan has written a deeply intricate and complex magic system that takes some work getting your head around to start with. And, once you’re over the initial transition into a new world and magic system, you do not get a chance to breathe until the book is over. Twists, turns, tricks and treachery abound in this adventure.
The world in this was fantastic. I loved the political divide that is reminiscent of Dylan’s other books and was fascinated by the Gray and how it impacted Shades, Hues and Typics. There’s something both settling and discomforting about a fantasy world that mirrors ours in so many ways; especially when it drills the negatives of our society so fiercely.
In terms of characters, there are plenty for you to love and a good number for you to hate. Our main character, Cemmy, and her three friends are pretty much walking states of sarcasm and snide remarks and I love it. Add a pretty liar and a sweet red head to the mix and you have a perfect cast.
Novi was by far my favourite character. A mussed mohawk with silver vines tattooed in her scalp and a badass personality to match? It inspired the age old queer question; would I want to be her or be with her?
There was some great representation in this; we love a queer norm world but I was most impressed with the Deaf representation and the way the characters responded to Lyria’s arrival. I love how much time and page space was dedicated to the characters navigating her deafness and their lack of ability to communicate: “Lyria’s deafness isn’t the problem here, our inability to sign is.” We love disability rep done well!
The world building is amazing, the magic system is complex and fascinating but there is something about the character dynamics that is just so Kate Dylan and it really makes this book. She has a way of creating a band of misfits that anyone who’s ever felt like they don’t belong can feel seen in and wants to be a part of.
Thank you to NetGalley, Hodder and Stoughton and Kate Dylan for an advanced copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

This book had me on my toes, it was a magical heist with the highest stakes. It was filled with betrayal, blackmail, found family and romance.

I love how unique this story was, the magic sources and the different planes of existence that magic users could phase between. There’s so much detail to this book it’s so easy to immerse yourself into this world.

Cemmy was brash, well intentioned and desperate having to look after her mother due to council/church laws that have affected them both heavily. Other people in her close knit friendship group and civillians are also heavily impeached by the law, there’s a teetering balance within their city that is always on the verge of collapse or destruction. This book involves a lot of prejudice, persecution and fear, but it’s so well done and I couldnt put it down.

Kate!! Dylan!! Take a bow 👏 👏 👏

This was wild. Being conscious of spoilers I'm going to try keep this review light and mostly VIBES...

The magic system in this book is like nothing I've read and I'll be honest, it took a few chapters for me to get my head around the specifics but what helped with this was the pace that Dylan sets for the plot.

We're thrown straight into the thick of it with sneaky thief Cemmy. Cemmy lives a chaotic half life as a' Hue', a half magic half norm. Did I mention her existence is literally illegal? Through every fault of her own she ends up embroiled in a heist plot, with a dubious creep and an infuriating (but kinda hot) guy called Chase. These were the viiiibes I was talking about. 😏

Heart palpitations and pain ensues!

Given the pace of this book the world building is lighter touch and not over described. I am a neuro diverse reader and I don't need pages to describe a room or place, which this book is more in the style of.

If you like messy relationships, a fast paced plot, quippy dialogue and unique magic systems, this book is for you. Get it on your reading lists!

Kate Dylan has pulled off the genre switch with utter perfection. Sci-fi, she kicked it's butt and delivered not one but two brilliant books.
Fantasy, well consider the 'boss level' achievement unlocked, this fantasy novel will Shatter the competition and leave the reader nursing the best kind of book hangover!
⭐5 star read⭐

Even with the genre switch, the distinctive voice that is Kate Dylan is still there and working its magic.
I can not stress enough just how brilliant and clever an author she is, this book just emphasises her talents.
Phenomenal characters
Epically immersive world building
A superb magic system
Will have you gripped from the first to last page and keep you on the edge of your seat throughout. You don't get an easy ride with Dylan, you get a rollercoaster of pure adrenaline, anxiety and anguish.
This is a fast paced read and its high-stakes from the off. You will not put it down, or relax!
The Character work is flawless, all of them feel fully fleshed out, are diverse and have a realness that makes you care and become invested in them. Yes, yes I definitely get too attached to fictional characters but who doesn't 😂
The world building is so immersive you become absorbed and forget you are even reading, I mean it says something when you're reading about an incredibly flawed, dangerous place and you'd visit in a heartbeat.
Her intricate magic system felt fresh and added another level to the storytelling. I enjoyed the slow reveals into the history of the magic, their world and the people who live in it.

This book has everything:
Impossible Heists, Colour Magic and Morally Grey Characters.
Blackmail, Deception and Betrayals.
Found Families, Fatal Secrets and Zealous Fanatics.

With a sickening crack, clink, crunch, Dylan will Shatter your heart into a thousand pieces, leaving nothing behind but a jagged pile of shards and a deliciously devastating book hangover.
Will you Survive or Shatter?

Thank you Netgalley and Hodder and Stoughton for the eARC to review