I actually didn't finish this one... The formatting made it hard to understand where the chapters started and ended - which I know shouldn't be a contributing factor, but it was for me. I got about 30% of the way through and didn't understand the plot. This one was not for me.

Thank you to the author and publisher for the chance to read the ARC, in exchange for an honest review. When Shadows Grow Tall is a gorgeously written, captivating and adventurous read. I loved the Grimm vibes in this. I hope there is a sequel or follow up in this universe.

3.5 ⭐️

Firstly, I want to thank the author and publisher for allowing me the opportunity to read this book. I received it on NetGalley.

I was really into this book in the first maybe 30%.
I was more into the fmc’s storyline than the mmc’s within that time frame.
After that 30% it kind of dropped off for me and started to drag. It was still an interesting read with great concepts and character dialogue but it fell flat for me unfortunately.

This is a beautifully written, immersive fantasy, and I found that I genuinely cared about the main characters. As the first in a series, the book is heavy on world building and slow on plot. The plot itself was a bit convoluted - many different names, places and groups to keep track of. Unlike many fantasy books, this is not heavy on action. Much of the story is related through conversations, internal thoughts, or background exposition. I will continue with the series to see where the journey leads. Rounding up from 3.5 stars.

Many thanks to Maressa Voss and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ARC!

When Shadows Grow Tall follows Lovelace and Gunnar as they search their lands for young boys who’ve revealed their elemental magic, finding them and recruiting them to their order before they’re rival, if for no other reason than to keep them alive. We also follow Kylene, a young girl whose world is turned upside down when she discovers her father is not the man he seems. Both storyline’s play out to build the world around them, showing their battles with the villains, history and secrets.

I really quite enjoyed this book. It took me a little to get into as it was a little slow at the start. But really picked up its pacing and action in the last third or so of the book. I really enjoyed these characters. Kylene had some serious growing up thrust upon her as she learned who to trust and what life outside the family home was really like. Lovelace and Gunnar on the other hand had a really great dynamic that I found interesting, they were not besties by any means, they were partners and had to work together to survive. There was a bit of Yin and Yang with their personalities, very different people but had each other’s backs. Kylene‘s and Lovelace and Gunnar’s stories evolve separately.

The writing style was sufficient and it was well enough written with some good world building. For me it took too long get a feel for the world this story was set in. There was some details I think intentionally that were left out about the elemental magic system because there are characters in the story learning the magic, and the main characters discover unknown elements of the natural magic of this world, so the characters understanding is evolving as well.

I gave this book a 3.5 stars and look forward to the next instalment.

Complex magic systems, beautiful and humorous writing, dual POVs, witty heroes and a tyrannical leader made for a great read! The pace is very slow in the beginning as you wrap your head around the magic, the world and its inhabitants but the payoff is so worth it- I was rooting hard for the protagonists and found myself more invested in them than I’d expected! The writing is beautiful and descriptive and I am eager to see where this story leads. Thank you to NetGalley for the e-ARC!

Two rangers, Lovelace and Gunnar, seek those that have the gift within the Grasp to grow up in the dying ancient brotherhood of the dactyli. A rogue dactyli named Alev creates his own army of the Burned Ones and seeks out the same, but murdering many in search of the white flare. Lovelace and Gunnar are in a race to thwart Alev and find the white flare themselves when they come across Cora, a feral woman who has the gift. Meanwhile, a young woman named Kylene is suddenly on the run after her father, a printmaker, is sought for sedition and leaves her family behind. Trying to figure out his secrets, she picks up where he left off and seeks out a tribe within the mountains he was working with. As their paths intertwine, they have to deal with tyranny, the threat of a mad dactyli and realizing their world may not be what it seems.

My initial reaction to starting this book was what is going on?! Like all great fantasy books, you are thrust into the middle of a story into a world where you are trying to grasp names and language and it can be confusing. And yet, I was intrigued and found this world fascinating. Lovelace is a strong willed and skilled character whose compassion really made me like him. While fearless, strong and smart, he still cares for the victims of the powerful. I even like Gunnar, a great curmudgeon secondary character. Kylene’s story drew me in immediately. I kept wanting to know more of her story and her journey to find answers. Her strength is incredible.

I will say, thought there would be more with the Alev after the buildup to meeting him, but I truly enjoyed this world and this story.

I’m not sure if there will be more in the future, but if so I will definitely be ready to jump back into this world and what the future holds for everyone.

Considering the elemental gifts and the white flare, it gave me Avatar the Last Airbender vibes so if you have an interest in that story, I think you will love this book!

Thank you to Maressa Voss for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4 star rating for this amazing book. Loved everything about it. But it's not 5 stars for me because it isn't perfect like I thought It was.

Atmospheric fantasy with a superb world-building and elemental magical system. Interesting characters and storyline. The writing is very eloquent with a lot of similies and metaphors beautifully woven in creating a very poetic story with great descriptions allowing the reader to visualize.

The feel of the book is close to The Witcher and LOTR/Hobbit.

Lovelace and Gunnar are Dactyli (those born with magic) and a true yin and yang duo that are rangers hunting for Dactyli children, hoping to create a bigger force to fight the growing evil of Osbert and Alev. While doing their duties they're notified by the Brotherhood that there's a massive white "flare" indicating a child with unheard-of powers.

Along with Lovelace and Gunnar's story, you have Kylene whose father is a bellringer (a person who opposes Osbert's rule) who has gone on the run leaving Kylene to find his secrets and eventually creating an explosive arc in the storyline when her path crosses with Gunnar and Lovelace.

A great debut book for Maressa Voss and I will definitely be reading the rest of the series.

I really wanted to like this, I was drawn in by the synopsis saying it had elemental magic and a dual pov but this just fell flat for me. I loved the first few chapters, but there is little to no world building and I felt like there were some key things that just weren’t explained so I had a hard time keeping track of what everybody was doing and where they were at. Pif was definitely my favorite character, and I enjoyed Lovelace’s pov the most but ultimately had a difficult time connecting with any of the characters. I do feel like this was well written, I think my main issue came down to a lack of world building that I just couldn’t get over because thats my favorite part of reading! Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to read this!

What a great read! The narrative is masterfully crafted, keeping a brisk tempo while intricately fleshing out the characters. The construction of the setting is exceptional, offering a plethora of captivating adventures to embark upon. Kylene is a delightful companion throughout the journey, and her clever banter consistent throughout. The magic system is nuanced and plausible, grounded in elemental forces.

Highly recommend!

When shadows grow tall is interesting to read for me. It has a good beginning for a fantasy series and I can’t wait for more books to come out. The book follows two storylines that later on merges together. It shows how the characters actions leads to the stories coming together. The characters I found ti be very likeable and made me feel a bit of connection to them by the end of it.

The author presents the story with a lot of action from the prologue, which is in itself heartbreaking. From then on we discover the characters and each of their paths, each one more interesting than the other. The story is not gentle but engulfs the reader in the violence of its world with every word.
The worldbuilding is exquisite and the magic system is very original and interesting. The details provided when describing a sequence or a landscape make you feel part of the book and forget that you are reading.
The two stories are very different but equally interesting. And the moment when it all comes together and culminates was a big surprise for me that I still can't get it out of my head.
Kaylene struck me as very real and human, her growth throughout the book is impressive and clear.
On the other hand I found Lovelace and Gunnar to be the most dynamic, their chapters are full of tension and action and they were my favourite of the story.
I definitely want to know how this story that gripped me so much and that I found so original continues.
It's a completely amazing start.

As I delved into this book, I couldn't shake the sensation reminiscent of "The Name of the Wind." Perhaps it's the eloquent prose reminiscent of classic literature, or maybe it's the immersive ambiance that truly transports you into a magical realm. . Such experiences are rare for me, and this narrative effortlessly whisked me away into its world, ensnaring my attention without ever dulling or tiring my senses. The story itself deftly blends both showing and telling, ensuring that you remain firmly ensconced within its grip.

The characters you journey with are undeniably entertaining, though I found the villains to be somewhat clichéd, in my humble opinion. Don't misunderstand; the heroes aren't entirely novel either, but they possess a depth and complexity that the villains seemed to lack.



4.5/5

A near perfect fantasy!

Absolutely loved this fantasy read. The characters are well written and face several quests that make up the plot. The main character is fantastic to follow on their journey.

It is clear that Voss has great skill as a writer- her descriptive prose is beautiful and she really paints a picture for the reader. The world she builds in this novel is fantastic and beautiful. That being said, I found the exposé in the beginning to be very long and tedious. There was unnecessary details of small irrelevant pieces like a tree, a disgruntled face, or a very slow and detailed description of a person's reaction. This made it very difficult for me to be invested in the story as I struggled to connect with the actual characters and plot through this forest of prose. Additionally, I found the politics of the Grasp to be a little dull and simple- with talk of Osbert as this dictator ruler and Kylene's father the head of this rebellion, I would have expected more whispers of frustration as our characters went on their journey. There was only two moments where we truly see the peacekeepers, the government's soldiers, acting in a malicious way and this did not completely paint the picture to me of a government worthy of a complete upheaval. I did really enjoy Lovelace and Gunnar as a duo, and appreciated their banter and balance in personalities. Kylene was also a really intelligent and wonderfully developed character. However, I did not like that when Lovelace met Kylene, he referred to her as more of a girl than a woman, when at that point she was already at least 20 and had clearly had a wealth of experience. Nothing in Lovelace’s past portrayed him as misogynistic, so that felt a little artificial. Overall, I probably would not recommend this to someone, as I have much more entertaining and exciting fantasies I have read. That being said, it is clear Voss does have great talent as a writer, just maybe not within this genre.

Thank you for this arc to give my honest review. I had a difficult time following the story line in this one. The first half of the book was extremely slow to me. I did enjoy the story and relationship between gunner and Lovelace. I wish there was a little more action in here. It really didn't pick up for me until 80% in. I'd be interested though.to see where this story actually goes in the future.

Sadly and I'm really sorry for that, I end up DNF the book, I've really tried but it was hard for me to connect with the characters and the story I thought it was a lot going on and happening at the same time

This was a great start to the series. The author does a great job in introducing and immersing the reader in this unique new world. The elemental magic system was wonderful and the characters were well written and engaging. I look forward to more from this world and would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a romantasy book.

ARC received through Net Galley

TLDR: Doesn't break new ground, but is comfortably familiar and has some promising ideas.

Welcome to the Grasp! A peninsula where the tyrant Osbert, his Fingers (secret police) have total control, and few dare to stand up to their rule.
We follow two stories: two dactyli - outlawed magic users from who collect the memories of the world - who are looking for a potential new dactyli, and an inquisitive young girl named Kylene who is trying to uncover her father's secrets.
The story itself follows predictable paths, and if you expect something to happen, it most likely will. The world also lacks a strong personality, as the author doesn't spend much time fleshing it out beyond a few tidbits here or there.
But. But, but, but. This is a debut novel. This is the first in a series. The story gives us enough to have a sense of familiarity with what the world looks like, and there is one spicy idea which, if developed as the series goes along, could be taken in interesting directions.
The spicy idea is this: sgeuls - the magically collected memories of the world, drawn and collected from trees and people by the dactyli. This connects with an underlying theme of memory, and the value of history which is thread throughout the book.
Looking forward to seeing how the next part turns out, and I can recommend this to people who want light fantasy read.