It was a good fantasy read and felt like an epic tale with high stakes. I just wish the book was shorter and dragged less. The prose was good and the story was detailed.

This book was great! The story was intriguing from the start and there was a good mix of plot building and action throughout. I enjoyed the dual POVs and was anxiously waiting for them to cross paths! The chapters aren't labeled by character, but Maressa did a great job with making clear who was speaking. The writing in the book was beautiful and descriptive without being long-winded or difficult to comprehend; I could definitely tell that the author is educated in classics! I'm looking forward to the rest of this series and will definitely be on the lookout for other releases from Maressa.

please please before you publish a book be sure to let an editor read it! You can have the most awesome idea, but if you don't know how to write it down, the result cannot be anything than a big mess!!

I was very intrigued by the synopsis of this book, but I lost my interest very early on when there were pages and pages of unnecessary descriptions and dialogues. I could see that the author wanted to go in depth in the world-building and thought that to do so she had to describe any minute detail and reaction of her characters, but she only made the whole story feel overstuffed and slow.

The very big problem is however in the syntax : sometimes there are sentences where whole words are missing while others where the order is wrong. Nothing that a good editor couldn't have picked up.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC!

I could not handle the characters, I'm sad to say. They need more characterization and some depth. I also had problems with the pacing, sometimes very slow and sometimes rushed.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for thos eARC in exchange for my honest opinion. All words are my own.

2.5/5 ⭐️

Oh dang, I really wanted to like this book more than I did. The premise sounded promising, the magic system and world building had potential, but I constantly found myself setting the book down and then I just couldn’t force myself to pick it back up.

Ultimately it came down to the characters just feeling really flat. Good v bad works best when the villains are multi-dimensional and you can understand where they’re coming from. This just didn’t do it for me.

From the very first chapter, When Shadows Grow Tall drew me in with its interesting magic system and well crafted world. The world-building is paced out evenly—detailed without ever feeling overwhelming.

What surprised me most was realizing this is a debut novel. It reads with the confidence and finesse of a seasoned writer—no "first book awkwardness", no clunky exposition. Just a well-crafted, immersive story. The pacing, character development, and world-building all come together in a way that makes it hard to put the book down. If this is just the beginning, I can't wait to read what Maressa Voss writes next.

If you’re looking for a story with compelling characters, a beautifully built world, and a magic system that pulls you in instantly, When Shadows Grow Tall is absolutely worth the read. Looking forward to reading more of Voss' work!

Voss's debut novel, When Shadows Grow Tall, introduces readers to a fallen world held under tyranny where magic and information is held only by the few. The story follows two separate paths - that of Kylene, a young woman searching for her father, and rangers Lovelace and Gunnar who have assembled a ragtag party. Voss's descriptive prose is a treat to read and really brings the world to life while also leaving much to the imagination. Kernels of information about the magic system, government, and the general way in which this world functions are hidden. Much that is revealed is told to characters through dialogue - an interesting method of exposition and one that does feel quite natural, even if one is left with more questions than answers.

While I'll certainly read any sequels, I feel as though I'm a third of the way into this story at best and the motivations of many of the characters feel incredibly unclear. I'm still not entirely sure what is going on here as so much has only been hinted to.

I LOVED IT ALL!

In the beginning we meet our new friend Kylene, who lives with her parents and sister. Spending her time tinkering with the occasional explosive experiments in their basement. Kylene is the FMC that is forever curious with an actual head on her shoulders - not fixated on some random guy, that's her sister - but more about that later.
We then meet Gunnar and Lovelace. Two rangers of a magical order that are trying to find kids with earthly magic or abilities. I don't want to spoil the why, but in the first three chapters you figure out what's the big bad.
I enjoyed the writing, the world building and the characters. I loved Kylene immediately and felt Gunnar's dread.
This is easily one of my favorite reads of the year so far and appreciated the way the storylines of our friends connected.

If you are looking for a great adventure, this is it!

#CuriosityAndCourage

"You must never stop asking questions, my darling. If you don't go about asking questions, no one has to worry about the answers they're giving you."

Thank you to Maressa Voss for giving me the opportunity to embark on this adventure!

I bought this book on an impulsive whim and went into it not knowing what to expect and I came away absolutely loving it! For me the book hit the perfect spot right between a slow burn fantasy and an epic adventure. I really adored the characters and the multiple perspectives. The atmosphere and the vibes were really interesting, and I felt like I cared a lot about the characters and the world as a whole. Great read!

When Shadows Grow Tall by Maressa Voss is a solid fantasy read that really drew me in. I loved the dual storylines—one following Lovelace and Gunnar as they try to stop a rogue magic user, and the other with Kylene searching for her father. The world-building was so immersive, and the magic system was well-developed and subtle, which I appreciated. The start was a bit slow, and there were a couple of things I wish had been explored more, but the character development and the atmosphere kept me hooked. Overall, I'd give it a 4/5!

Excellent. Mystery, magic, female lead. Deep and rich worlds. Loved this and can’t wait for a sequel. Thank you to the author. Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher.

I really enjoyed reading this book. This is the first time I have read anything from Maressa Voss, and I was not disappointed. The characters, story line, and world building were all well done. I thought she did an excellent job with the fast pace and keeping me entertained. I was hooked from early on, and I couldn't put it down. The writing style was also well done because of the descriptive nature. The author made me feel like I was right there in the middle of the story. I can't wait to read more from the author. I absolutely recommend this book to other readers.

Thank you Net Galley, Collective Ink Books, and Maressa Voss

"When Shadows Grow Tall" had moments of promise, but ultimately fell into some well-worn fantasy tropes that prevented it from truly shining. Maressa Voss clearly put a lot of work into crafting her world, but unfortunately, the world-building often manifested as clunky info-dumping. Instead of organically weaving details into the narrative, large chunks of exposition were dropped in, halting the story's momentum and making it feel like a textbook rather than an adventure.
Beyond the world-building issues, the plot itself felt tired and predictable. It rehashed familiar themes and tropes that have been done before, and frankly, better. There weren't any real surprises or twists, and the story followed a well-trodden path that offered few, if any, original insights. This lack of originality made the reading experience feel somewhat uninspired.
The writing style also contributed to the book's shortcomings. At times, the prose felt stilted and awkward, hindering the flow of the narrative. While there were glimpses of potential, they were often overshadowed by clunky dialogue and a general lack of polish.
Despite these criticisms, "When Shadows Grow Tall" wasn't a complete failure. There were moments where the author's passion for her world shone through, and some of the characters showed potential. However, these positives weren't enough to outweigh the book's significant flaws. Three stars feels like a fair rating – it's an okay read, but it's unlikely to leave a lasting impression.

Thank you to Maressa Voss and NetGalley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest view.

The premise is interesting and the synopsis really enticed me in. The book cover is also pretty. Unfortunately the outside is better than the inside. The characterisation was weak, the pacing and plot were both off, and the info dumping was insane. I think it has potential but it needs a major rewrite and further editing.

Thank you to Netgally for this ARC. All thoughts are my own.

I really wanted to enjoy this more than I did. I am tired of Gaelic inspired fantasy and this came at a bad time. I don’t mind fantasy novels with a lot of world building but I just wished less of it occurred in info dumps.

Kylene and Lovelace were interesting enough characters but I didn’t like Lovelace’s POV until about 80% of the way through and I think he made the story drag. Kylene’s may have been more interesting due to the fact that she was younger and her journey was so much newer to her than Lovelace’s was to him. I did enjoy the banter between Lovelace and Gunnar and Pif was one of the most enjoyable characters in the book.

My biggest issues were the pacing, the character arcs and the antagonist. To start, the beginning of the book is so visceral and attention that everything afterwards felt like a drag (again, a lot of it was during Lovelace’s POV.

I also think the book was dragged down by the very binary good versus evil characters and plot. Because every character had a very strict archetype, it felt like there was little room for character development or deviation from a set, predictable plot. This good versus evil also heavily applies to the antagonists. Alev and Osbert are very stereotypical villains that don’t have much going for them, either to make me believe that they’re extremely evil (other than were told they are) or to even find some sort of sympathy for them.

I also think that even if a first book is intent on world building for a series, there still needs to be more happening (for example Black Sun did a good job of this). This fantasy world where magic exists also just had such strict rules regarding gender and sexuality, I just wish we saw fantasy writers stray from.

“When Shadows Grow Tall” by Maressa Voss is a hauntingly beautiful tale that lingers in your mind long after the final page. The prose is lyrical yet raw, perfectly capturing the tension between light and darkness. It’s a story of resilience, heartbreak, and finding hope in the unlikeliest of places.

This was such a fun slow burn fantasy with some of my favourite elemental style books! Both the characters, writing style and atmosphere of this book were just to die for!

The only reason this isn’t a five star is I found the dialogue a bit cringy at times (especially with the villains) and a bit too much info dumping

This was unexpected and yet enjoyable. I really loved the world building and the character and magic system were really well done. The adventure and politics keep me entertained until the very end

3.5 stars

This is a slow-burn story with elemental magic and remarkable world-building. While following two rangers, Lovelace and Gunnar, who are the orders' last on a dangerous mission, at the same time, we follow Kylene, the daughter of a printing press on the journey to find her missing father which leads her to a mysterious group of outcasts with whom she takes up refuge.

With the magic of words, Voss has laid out beautiful visuals in great detail that allow for oneself to fully immerse into the world and the surroundings.

Although the writing style took time to get used to, the story is fascinating and leads to the turning of pages.

Thank you to NetGalley, Collective Ink Books, Roundfire Books and Maressa Voss for providing me with the eARC and the opportunity to read and provide an honest review!

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.