Deliciously light, lovely world building, and so nice to see queer representation in this gentle fantasy setting.

The marriageable young ladies of London are dying mysteriously, and Abigail Wilder intends to discover why. Abigail's father, the Lord Sorcier of England, believes that a dark lord of faerie is involved - but while Abigail is willing to match her magic against Lord Longshadow, neither her father nor high society believe that she is capable of doing so.

Thankfully, Abigail is not the only one investigating the terrible events in London. Mercy, a street rat and self-taught magician, insists on joining Abigail to unravel the mystery. But while Mercy's own magic is strange and foreboding, she may well pose an even greater danger to Abigail's heart.

The opening is atmospheric and completely absorbing. Immersive, pacy and unputdownable.

👤Longshadow👤

By Olivia Atwater @oliviaatwaterauthor

🤫spoilers for Half A Soul🤫

Longshadow is the third and final book in the Regency Faerie Tales series. This was released on NetGalley prior to the the second book so I did read them out of order, but it wasn’t a major issue.

Description:

Proper Regency ladies are not supposed to become magicians - but Miss Abigail Wilder is far from proper.

The marriageable young ladies of London are dying mysteriously, and Abigail Wilder intends to discover why. Abigail's father, the Lord Sorcier of England, believes that a dark lord of faerie is involved - but while Abigail is willing to match her magic against Lord Longshadow, neither her father nor high society believe that she is capable of doing so.

Thankfully, Abigail is not the only one investigating the terrible events in London. Mercy, a street rat and self-taught magician, insists on joining Abigail to unravel the mystery. But while Mercy's own magic is strange and foreboding, she may well pose an even greater danger to Abigail's heart.

👤👤👤👤

We first met Abigail in Half A Soul, when Dora rescued her from Lord Hollowvale. She is now a young adult, and learning magic as the ward of Elias and Dora.

Abigail is a really likeable character. She’s very rough round the edges, but brave, resourceful and determined to figure out what’s going on.

I enjoyed seeing Abigail getting to grips with the different types of magic, as well as seeing more of the faerie realm.

The LGBT relationship develops nicely, and it’s interesting on a few different levels, as we’re in Regency England, so Abigail initially doesn’t even realise it’s possible for her to feel for a woman what she is expected to feel for a man. There are other factors that take it up a notch too, but I don’t want to give away too much.

The big reveal at the end did come as a surprise to me. It was a very satisfying ending, and I would happily read more in this world.

Longshadow will be released on the 18th of August.

Thanks to @netgalley and @orbitbooks_uk for the review copy in exchange for an honest review.

The final part of the trilogy this book follows the story of Miss Abigail Wilder, adopted daughter of the Lord Sorcier of England. Although it could be read as a stand alone I think it would be better to have read the others in the series as many previous characters return to play their part. The book reads as a detective novel set in Regency England with more than a hint of faerie. Abigail works with her father to discover why young ladies of marriageable age are dying in their sleep and what is the connection with the faerie realm. It also explores Abigail’s coming of age and her developing relationship with the mysterious Mercy. I’m sad this series has come to an end - maybe the author will have a change of heart and we will be able to return to these wonderful characters again. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read the arc of this novel in return for an honest review.

I found it thoroughly enjoyable while reading. The romance perked me up and I loved the characters and the plot and the atmosphere and story building. All in all a good book that you can pick up any day and read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit for this eARC. All thoughts are my own.

After reading and loving Half a Soul, I had to read the other books in the series. Longshadow has a crossover of characters that we got to meet and fall for in the previous two books, and this stories focuses on Abigail Wilder, daughter of Lord Sorcier and Dora. Like her parents, she's intrepid, has a knack for adventures and avoids the ton. After all, the ton never accepted her, and Abigail stopped caring. However, when young noble ladies start dying mysteriously, Abigail starts investigating and bumps head with a strange woman, Mercy. Abigail doesn't know if she can trust her, but she needs her help in solving the mystery and capturing the murderer.

To say that I was shocked by the plot twist about Mercy is an understatement. I wasn't expecting it all. But it made so much sense when I started rethinking about it, and all I have to say is well done Olivia Atwater. Not much can usually surprise me.

Is it too early to ask the book 4 now? I can't get enough of this series.

I went into Longshadow straight after finishing Ten Thousand Stitches on a high - book 1 & 2 in this series are such a delight and focus on a cute whimsical storyline which is easy to follow and captures you from the beginning.
Longshadow is a follow on from Half a Soul and can be read as a sequel - while Ten Thousand Stitches fits in the middle it's actually a side story - however, after reading the three books after each other, the final instalment (so far, please say there are more to come?!) fell a little short of my expectations.
The storyline seemed more complex, with more characters to battle with and more settings to imagine, whereas the two earlier books in the series followed a simple (but beautiful) theme, i.e. managing emotions with half a Soul and making a bargain with a fae.
I wanted, really really wanted to love this third instalment, so I'm a little deflated. BUT the most important point is Olivia Atwater is a genius who has created a world I would love to dive right into.

4.5 stars
Longshadow, the third instalment (and conclusion) in Olivia Atwater’s Regency Faerie Tales was just as whimsically enchanting as the previous books and like the rest of the series, I really enjoyed it. It’s a direct sequel to Half A Soul, which follows Dora and Elias’ daughter Abigail (who we met in Half A Soul.) There’s also a brief appearance by Lord Blackthorn and Effie from Ten Thousand Stitches so if you haven’t read the rest of the series yet, I’d definitely recommend doing so before starting this.

In an alternate Regency England, Young aristocratic ladies are mysteriously dying and Abigail Wilder intends to find out why. Her father (the Lord Sorcier of England) believes a dark lord of faerie is the culprit—but while Abigail is willing to match her magic against Lord Longshadow, no one (including society or her parents) believe she’s capable of it.

Fortunately she’s not the only one investigating, as Mercy (the self taught magician Abigail mistakes for a laundress) insists on helping to unravel the mystery. Mercy's magic is strange and foreboding, but she may well pose an even greater danger to Abigail's heart.

This was another enjoyably charming and lighthearted read and I absolutely loved getting to see so many familiar characters that I loved again. Abigail was a wonderful protagonist—she’s a smart and intelligent young woman who knows what she wants and knows out to get it (even if that means telling a few lies to do so.) I loved how warm and loving her relationship was with her adopted parents and Hugh, the best (and most adorably witty) ghost brother a girl could ask for.

I liked that Abigail’s interactions and experiences with the ton were explored, with the exclusionary, classist and gate keeping attitudes highlighting some of the societal issues and bigotry that prevailed throughout the era. It also perfectly showcased just how brave and compassionate Abigail was especially whilst trying to help save the very people who’ve done nothing but ridicule and belittle her.

Mercy was a pretty intriguing character and I loved her chemistry with Abigail (and how well their relationship blossoms throughout the story.) I did sort of work out the big twist half way through, but I was so excited by it that guessing beforehand didn’t hinder my enjoyment whatsoever.

I also loved getting to see some old faces too, especially the enthusiastically eccentric Lord Blackthorn and Effie. This is the last book in the series (so far) but I do hope we get to see more stories set in this fabulously magic (and fae) filled world in future.

Overall, a whimsical regency romance full of endearingly charming characters and a fabulously sweet LGBTQ+ centred romance—It’s Sally Lockhart meets Bridgerton with a wholesome, studio Ghibli-esque romance that I highly recommend.

And, a huge thank you to Orbit and Netgalley for the e-arc.

Many thanks to Little, Brown Book Group UK and Olivia Atwater for the ARC via NetGalley for my unbiased review.

This is the third book in the Regency Faerie Tales series by Atwater. I admit I have not read the first two books of the series, but this did not affect my understanding of the plot of this book at all. The author summarised the events of previous books in an engaging manner which gave plenty of information, but also would not have been too tedious, had I read the previous stories already.

Unfortunately I chose to DNF (did not finish) this book at 48%. Whilst well written, for me the story was becoming too predictable and I had already struggled through a relatively slow face with relatively little character development up until that point.

I liked the development of an LGBTQIA+ slant of the story, and hope this develops as the story goes on, although it would be good to see a different take/nuance than the current trend of many authors suddenly writing sapphic characters.

Overall:
Pace: Slow-medium
Driven by: Mixed, leaning towards plot
Character development: Medium
Diversity: Medium (young female protagonist, ?sapphic?)
Moods: Adventurous, Mysterious, Emotional

DNF @48%

This book is the sequel to Half A Soul, an exquisitely constructed spun sugar castle of romance and faeries and mystery and magic. But spun sugar is a tricky medium for creation, and if the temperature or weather or any of a thousand factors is just the slightest bit off, the sugar will not behave properly, and the decorator is left with a melted or over-crystallized mess. This book is not quite a mess, but there was definitely too much humidity in the atmosphere to support what Atwater was trying to do, and instead of being perfect, as Half A Soul was, it comes out as fine. Just fine.

To start with, the characterization seemed inconsistent, both between this book and the previous, but also within the pages of this book on its own. But let's start with inter-book characterization. One thing I quite liked about Half a Soul was how Dora, lacking half of her sould, is freed from the grip of raw emotions. Consequently, she see things quite clearly in other people's behavior, and doesn't get hung up about societal norms that other people care about. This allows her to be quite canny in how she interacts with people and she exploits their expectations and societal norms in clever ways. I remember being a bit concerned that Dora's characterization in Half a Soul was verging on magical autism, which would have been problematic because her condition springs from the fact that she has a defective soul. But because her missing half-soul actually allowed her a kind of clear-sighted social savvy that developed throughout the course of the book, I let that concern go. Whatever her odd behavior was, it seemed less and less like magical autism as the book developed. But here, But in this book, all that canniness is gone, and instead Dora seems incapable of reading other people's emotions or reacting in ways that are appropriate. This reintroduces my concern: her behavior now feels a lot like magical autism, which is just as problematic as it would have been in the first book, and is now also inconsistent with her presentation in the first book too.

Even within the pages of this book itself, there are problems of characterization that lead characters who should really know better do wildly stupid things. The most obvious example of this is the case of the true names: If Mercy--who has a very good reason for not allowing her true name to be known--knows that she is going into enemy territory in disguise, and knows that her enemy is actively searching for her true name, then why on earth does she not take Abigail aside and say, 'Hey--FYI, don't introduce me to people by the name Mercy, since, as we've already established, that's part of my true name'? (There's also the case of a very experienced sluagh making an extremely rookie mistake when he strikes a bargain with a mortal who should in no way have been his match in bargain making, but he was being stressed by an iron cage at the time, so I'll let that slide.)

Also, why does Abigail, whose parents are by no means poor, seem to have exactly one gown throughout the entire novel? She's constantly rewearing the same white muslin gown (does she own no other day dress?), and despite having had an entire London Season before the book begins she is utterly at a loss to come up with a ballgown when she must attend a ball.

Yet, despite these concerns, this book was easy to read, entertaining, bold in its treatment of death and motherhood, and invoked quite an elaborate set of fairy politics (probably references to intervening novellas, if I don't miss my guess) in the various visits to different parts of the faerie lands. It's constructing a well-realized world, and because it's all fantasy anyway I won't fuss too much about the rest of it. I hope that the weather cooperates next time Atwater decides to spin some sugar into castles.

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed Half a Soul, so I went into Longshadow with high hopes, and I was not disappointed!

Abigail Wilder is all grown up, and despite being viewed as the Lord Sorcier’s ward by most of society, he and Dora consider her their daughter. Secure in her family’s love, Abigail tries her best to ignore the ton’s subtle cruelty towards her. However, when girls start dying mysteriously with their western windows open, Abigail feels compelled to ensure no one suffers at the hands of faerie like she did.

I absolutely adored Abigail as a main character. She’s witty, intelligent, and knows what she wants. Similarly, I loved Mercy’s determination and bravery, and especially watching her slowly realise that perhaps she has been mistaken in her single mindedness. The way they grow together and how their relationship develops was lovely to watch, and equally, I enjoyed seeing Dora and Elias further along in their relationship and from Abigail’s point of view.

Overall, I enjoyed Longshadow as much as the other books, and would thoroughly recommend it if you enjoyed Half a Soul.

4.5*
This was another great read in the series, again combining a light humour with a greater depth of thought and social commentary. The discussions on death in particular were poignant and thought-provoking.

The romance was a joy, especially with Abigail who I loved, and it was particularly joyful to see queerness in gender and sexuality represented.

This remains a series of joy and heart!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC

This is the third instalment of this Regency/ Fae series and like the others, it’s an enjoyable read. We meet Dora and Elias again but the main interest this time is their adopted daughter, Abigail.
She becomes involved with her father’s investigation into the unexplained deaths of young women and this brings her into contact with Merry, another woman with links to the Fae world. I enjoyed the murder mystery and felt that the treatment of death and grief was really well done.
Sadly, I didn’t feel that this book had the sparkle of the previous two. I liked the romance between the two characters but none of the characters seemed to have the life that I’ve come to expect from this series.
Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed this book. This is the third book in a series; I haven’t read the others and was able to enjoy this book as a stand alone. This is a gentle YA fictional fantasy booked based in world where Fae and Demons exist and interact with those that have magic. There is a good mystery plot, interesting characters and a well developed world for the story to sit within. This book is also about a teenager discovering and accepting their feelings about themselves and accepting others might feel the same way. Thank you to Little Brown Book Group UK and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.

I went into this book with expectations through the roof given how much I loved the previous two books in the series. I am so so SO pleased to say that this book not only met those expectations, it sent them all the way into the stratosphere it was so good. All that I had been missing from this series was a sapphic story and we finally have one and it is exceptionally well done (in my opinion). In fact that way that this book is both gay and also a bit morbid (just a little!) leads me to believe that Olivia Atwater is actually the pen name of one of my close friends and that they are writing books specifically for me to enjoy - there can be only one other explanation and that is fairy magic.
This book has all the charm of the previous books in the series perhaps with a fractionally darker streak/higher stakes purely because the focus of the story is a murder. I would say that those wanting the cosiness of the previous books will not be disappointed though as this is dealt with in the same sensitive way that the previous books have tackled their themes of inequality and justice.
I've also loved going through this series and revisiting old characters as part of new stories. Fans of the series will find it lovely to see where old protagonists are at - but I would recommend to those just joining the series go from book one onwards don't try and jump in at the third!
I am not a romance reader but fantasy books with a romance focus are fast becoming a staple of my bookshelf and a big reason for that is this series which just so perfectly takes romantic tropes and mixes in a dose of magic that makes everything feel that little bit more mystical.
This is one of my favourite series and I can definitely see myself reading and rereading these books for many years to come. My one request is for more!
My rating: 5 Stars
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

A really enjoyable read that was another great installment to the series. Well writtenwith a compelling storyline and well developed characters that I loved. A great read

A lot of Regency reads will no doubt be likened to Bridgerton for the foreseeable future but this is one where the comparison doesn't work.
I really enjoyed Half a Soul which was the first in this series and which introduced us to the characters. However, I felt that Abigail fell a little flat here and the romance was far more contrived. I understand the whole pauper and princess deal but Abigail really didn't seem to fit in either world.
I wonder if I missed some things because I didn't read Ten thousand stitches but I found this book much more difficult to follow and ended up DNF at 67% as I got bored.

3.25
Just like the other 2 books, this one was also fun and easy to read. The reason it gets a lower rating is because I was less attached to the characters and the story, bit it got better the more I was reading. Cute romance, still enjoyed the story.

Another engaging instalment in the regency faerie tales series. I loved the building romance between Abigail and Mercy and thought the author wrote it beautifully. Abigail is an engaging MC, she’s not afraid to peruse the truth even if she has to subject herself to the nasty comments of the ton, and I loved that about her. I’d recommend these books!

Longshadow is the latest instalment in the regency faerie tales series and follows Abigail Wilder, Elias and Dora's (from half a soul) daughter, who just wants prove to her father she can handle magic is and is keen to show she can match her magic up against Lord Longshadow, a mysterious dark lord of faerie. When the marriageable young ladies of London start dying mysteriously, Abigail decides to discover why and prove herself in the process. She teams up with Mercy, a street rat and self-taught magician, to help solve the mystery. But while Mercy's own magic is strange and foreboding, she may well pose an even greater danger to Abigail's heart.

This book was sapphic which was a really pleasant surprise for me (I am always on the hunt for more sapphic historical romance!!!). I really liked Abigail and Mercy's relationship, especially after a certain twist and a spanner is thrown in the works but it just made the dynamic so interesting and addictive. Mercy was such a great character - I'm a sucker for both the scrappy orphan character type and also another which I won't reveal but both elements of Mercy's character were just complete Katy bait.

Also the author talks in the afterword about how often in history queer romances were allowed to exist but had to end tragically (known as the Hays Code) and how this book and it's themes are in defiance of that - which I loved and meant a lot to me as a queer woman. In the authors own words "Abigail is quite literally a stubborn lesbian and she and her transgender faerie girlfriend will live together happily ever after in perfect defiance of the Hays code" T______T

I really liked Abigail as a protagonist as well, she is very classic histrom heroine but I kind of love it haha. I also really enjoying exploring her relationship with both Dora and Elias. Additionally Abigail's little brother, Hugh - who is actually a ghost and only Abigail can see him - was ADORABLE. And the way Dora still makes effort to include him and be a mother to him even though she can't see him was so heart-warming and cute.

One thing I really loved about this book was it's themes of death - something I always love exploring in books and I thought it was done particularly well here. Often books surrounding death talking about approaching death with grace (or similar) however this book we have a protagonist fighting death tooth and nail and a fierce desire to live - which I think is just as important.

I've really enjoyed this series and this book was no exception - the blend of faerie atmosphere, magic and regency era London all combine to creative a highly addictive and compelling series. The writing is very confident and atmospheric and I look forward to seeing whatever the author does next