I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to review this book. All opinions are my own.

I wish I liked this book more, but I just kept getting stuck on the insta-love part. I know many people out there will really enjoy that bit, but it really distracted me from the story and made me start skimming.

This is a fast paced, insta-love book, which I don't normally mind, however, this book would've really benefited from a slower burn. I still enjoyed reading it, and being in the world but just a slightly slower pace for the romance and a few more scenes, would've made it excellent.

I found this story to be a little boring. I tried to pick it up about 3 different times but each time, I felt myself dragging through the chapters. I think the concept of the book was good, but the characters didn't have enough emotional growth for me.

I enjoyed this far more than I thought I would, but it wasn't for me entirely. The worldbuilding was what kept me going, but I think the romance element just wasn't what I was looking for. I think that just boils down to the dynamic that perhaps I personally prefer in romance fantasy - but for fans of more insta-love, this might be better received. My experience of this book made me want to almost skip over the romance and only focus on the world-building, which in hindsight left me feeling like the overarching plot was left behind sometimes (but that could be because of my disinterest in the romance). I am, however, still interested in seeing what is next for Wren in Bliton's coming works.

Unfortunately this book was just not it for me. I found it really hard to get into and pretty boring. I’m also not a big fan of the Wizard and Witch stuff in fantasy books like this nor am I a fan of insta-love. Both of which were present in this one and made it hard for me to enjoy the read.

I could not get through this book. Almost put it down a few times then finally decided not to finish it. The main character was poorly portrayed. One moment she would be questioning her fortitude and exhibiting symptoms of depression and the next she would be full of resolve and talking about her strength. Her portrayal was so inconsistent it felt awkward. The setting seemed to be more historic (no electricity) yet contemporary terms were used. When guards died at the library, the main character seemed more concerned about the loss of books than the loss of life. Overall, what I read felt disjointed.

I'm not exactly a fan of YA, but what can I say? Pretty cover is pretty.

Add to that a rather unique - to me - concept for a story, with an unconventional male lead, and I was intrigued, to say the least.

Plotwise, the book took a bit of time to actually pick up pace and truly let us in on the real theme of the story - I think it was about page 60 or so. The good news is, I don't usually leave a book until page 100, so I was able to be around to witness the change and honestly get invested. The bad news is... other people don't have that kind of patience. Yes, lore and world building and background story info are important, but they shouldn't take the focus away from what really interests a reader, which is the story itself. The action and the mystery and the characters.

So it's a good thing I don't drop a book easily, because once it got to the main part... Mhmmm, perfection! So much action and suspense, plus the feeling of the protagonists and their loved ones being in real danger that they had little odds of defeating. And don't even get me started on the romance!

Tyran was a wonderful example of non-toxic masculinity, the ideal blend of dark and marhsmallow, and I kept melting each time he showed just how awesome he was in and out. The guy saw a powerful woman, fell head over heels, was not afraid to admit it, and swooned every time Wren exhibited the kind of power that others would consider blasphemous or terrifying. I'm pretty sure she could have killed someone in cold blood, and he would still be on the sidelines yelling "You're doing great, sweetie!"

All in all, a really good book that only minor editing could have made even better.

***I was given an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinion stated in this review is solely mine, and no compensation was given or taken to alter it.***

I will start by saying I was provided with an advanced reader copy of this book in return for an honest review

This is a sweeping fantasy adventure. The history and depth of world building is wonderful to see.

The characters are believable, well written and dynamic. You can look at them and find something of yourself in them.

The book took awhile to get into and was a bit slow to start but once I was reading I had to know how it would end and how the relationship between Wren and Tryan would go.

Throughly loved this adventure.

I really liked this book and the writing! The story was full of plot twists and intrigue. The Shadows of Wren was very imaginative and had unique story line that held my interest until the end.

Magical and action packed. I found myself really invested in this story. Good world building and great character development.

4.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I loved this book!! The world building was great, leading the story to possibly continue into a series. To which I am very excited to see happen. Magic 🪄, necromancy, mythical creatures, shadow wielding, and some romance… yes please🤩

The story flowed so well for me, the characters, their journey, and their issues. I could not get enough of it. I loved how Jen Bliton made Wren relatable with anxiety and her doubtful thoughts.

Also, Wren and Tyran, ughhh I cannot get enough of them 🖤 I swear I wished this book had some 🌶️ scenes 😅 They literally are my favorites from the book. Like come on when Tyran calls Wren “My Dark Star” ⭐️ (internally screams), bye I’m unwell. Loved their interactions and how their relationship progressed.

Thank you Net Galley for giving me the opportunity to read this book and to review it.

Rating: 2.5/5

The world building was incredible and the overall premise was promising; however, I felt that the characters lacked dimension and personality. I felt as if every character that was introduced, instantly opened their arms for one another - there was no tension or banter that I generally enjoy when I read fantasy books. The romantic dynamic between Wren and Tyran seemed instant, which may be perfectly ok for other readers but it is not my favorite. Overall, the book was an easy, simplistic read which may be perfect for some! Ultimately, I do not think this book was for me.

3.5 Stars Rounded to 4

I did enjoy this book but found it to be a little slow but after a few chapters it did get me hooked. The Shadow of Wren is a fantasy book which follows a forbidden love between two young magic users who both have different magic, one a mage the other a Necromancer. Magic which people have hunted down and been killed for.
The world building was fantastic and really descriptive. The book was well written and had a good plot. I loved the magic system in this book and found it worked perfectly. I did find that the book lacked some depth in both the characters development and the plot. I would have loved the plot to have more going forward.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for an eARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

"Sometimes people fear what they don't understand"

I wanted to end the year with a fantasy that completely transports you into another world. The Shadows of Wren didn't fully scratch that itch. The world was well built and I understood the lore and the magic within it, I enjoyed the moments about trying to figure out the dynamics of how this world of Mages and Necromancers operates.

My biggest downside was the characters themselves, specifically our main female and male lead. From the beginning of the book I never truly felt connected or was made to care about Wren. I could tell the author tried to make me understand and connect with her but it felt more telling than showing. The same goes for Tyran, and because of this, their relationship didn't feel as if it had a lot of depth. It felt more insta-love for me because of how fast the relationship pacing was rather than a gradual progression of two people falling in love. This opinion doesn't go for all characters, however, as I enjoyed the depth and backstory we got from Viggo.

Overall as a fantasy, I enjoyed myself, but as a romance not as much.

Thank you to netgalley for the arc! <3

I wanted to love this. There is so much potential but it just fell short for me. I felt like some of the character and backstory descriptions were thrown in at such random intervals that the placement felt odd. Great story line; I just wish there was more....

I don´t know if the book has been for me at all, but Wren definitely is.
On the one hand the plot is simple, wich I like because sometimes less is more, but it would have been nice if there was more context. It introduces you to the villian and the plot but tell you very little about both, I feel that 50 more pages would have been good to give context and that everything was more organic.
On the other hand, the magic system and the supernatural creatures follow the limple line that I like, so great :) I like to read convoluted magic systems, but to be easier to understand are also well. And the fact of being able to visualize in my head the creatures that are spoken of so clearly has been such a pleasure.
But the jewel in the crown is Wren. Is a character that feels very real. The are times when she feels anxiety or even doesn't know how she feels, and it's one of the few stories where I've seen this. She makes mistakes, she feels overwhelmed, she doesn't easily forgive a betrayal just because it's the right thing to do, she is real and makes you empathize with her.
I think the final battle might have lasted a little longer to be more epic, but it's not a bad book. I think it might be ideal for someone who starts reading fantasy with romance, but without spice scenes.

This book tells the story of a young woman who goes on the hunt for an arsonist who set her beloved libraries on fire but they’re not just libraries to Wren and her community. The libraries held the Red Kingdom’s magical and ancient texts. She ends up joining forces with Tyran, a necromancer (user of death magic). This causes issues due to long held biases and stereotypes. This does have a romance element and follows the template used by many fantasy books.

Thank you Net Galley for the e-arc!

Wren is orphaned as a child and discovers that she has a gift for shadow magic. As she grows, she trains with her father to learn how to work her magic. This was a book that was difficult to get into, and that may be because I don’t normally read this type of genre, it did have a good plot/storyline but it just wasn’t for me.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I really wanted to like it, but this book simply wasn't for me. However, I do recognize that it might be perfect for some readers. So, here are a few reasons you might consider picking it up:

-Complete Story - no cliffhangers
-Fast Paced - the plot kept right on moving ahead
-Limited Worldbuilding - all plot and not worldbuilding info dump to sit through
-No complex plot to keep track of - everything is simply stated and there are no threads to tease out of remember

If you want a simple romantasy escape, this is the book for you.

Unfortunately, The Shadows of Wren didn't work for me because of its simplicity. There was no tension, no drama. Everyone politely introduced themselves and immediately offered up the information needed to move the plot along. I feel like it could have used a little more development.

“No matter how dark, and through all the shadows, I see you, and I love you.”

The Shadows of Wren by Jen Bilton is the first instalment in a romantic fantasy series. It follows Wren, a young mage, and Tyran, a mysterious Necromancer, as they discover they share an ancient magic which people are hunted down and killed for. Lives are changed when libraries begin burning down and valuable texts are stolen. Unlikely alliances must form to save the peace of their kingdom against a force trying to wield unformidable power.

This book had me completely captivated at the first page. The world-building was incredible and the intricate details made me feel like I was in the story. Each page held important information and the writing was well-paced. The plot took unpredictable and exciting turns leaving me completely hooked and on the edge of my seat, it was so hard to put down. I loved learning about the different characters and types of magic.

There were a couple of things which could've made this book even better. I think the romance between Wren and Tyran could've been more of a slow burn to create a phenomenal enemies to lovers story. On a few occasions, I found that the language used felt slightly too modern for the time period the story was depicted in. Other than those tiny criticisms, the story felt perfect.

I know we all love a Shadow Daddy, but how about a powerful shadow wielding FMC?

I truly can't believe The Shadows of Wren isn't viral, it's a must-read for all romantic fantasy fans!