This book has a compelling plot and I really liked the authors writing style.

However, the world-building felt a little heavy for such a short book. It felt like there was too much to take in without enough time to fully explore it. I also would have liked a bit more depth from the characters. I think they had so much potential but maybe the book needed to be a bit longer to fit it all in?

I still really enjoyed the overall story and look forward to book 2!

I'm really surprised by how low this is rated overall. I thoroughly enjoyed the story, I felt some of the side characters were a little underdeveloped but other than that for me this was a well written and captivating tale.

Complicated magic system? Really??!! Mind you, I'm old school and grew up reading Katherine Kerr, Andre Norton, Marion Zimmer Bradley, David Eddings etc so I didn't find it difficult to follow at all. This isn't as deep or complex as the work those authors produced in the 80s and 90s but it's a darn sight better than most of the trash that is hyped to the high heavens on TikTok and that I usually end up DNFing because they are so trite and formulaic.

Our tastes vary, personally I love Kate Dylan's author voice, her ability to write characters who are flawed and may irritate you at times but who you also care about and her skill at producing an utterly enthralling story I didn't want to put down.

To start, even as someone who hasn't read Six of Crows, I think it was a disservice to this book to comp it to that. Until We Shatter is a heist novel with forced alliances, magic, and more. Unfortunately, I didn't think that there was anything super special about this. While normally I don't mind this, the writing didn't capture me from the beginning, and I found I didn't think to pick it back up once I put it down. Cemmy has good intentions but constantly makes bad decisions, which after a point, got frustrating to follow.

Overall, I don't think this was a bad story, but it wasn't for me. I wanted more depth from everything; more character interactions, more of the magic. I'm sure some of these issues will be resolved in the next book, but it wasn't in this one enough to make me want to continue with the series.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.75
0.5 🌶️

Genre: fantasy/ romantasy
Tropes: Queer Rep, Enemies To Lovers, Heist, Found Family, YA, Magic, Religion

‘Your salvation is only an In-Between away.’

‘I am the violence the world made of me.’

Cemmy has turned to theft to keep myself & her mother safe in this city. When she’s forced into carrying out an impossible heist. The reward? Her mother’s health returned. The cost? Her and her friends could shatter…

I initially started this book with high hopes from the marketing & cover design. And initially I was getting into it, however as we progressed further through the story it began to shatter very much like the concept within it.

Early on the FMC’s motivations are clear & the descriptive writing gave a good view of the city where this takes place. The start gets straight into it & by page 30 I was intrigued. But then it kinda falls apart…

The pacing comes to an abrupt stop at the start of every chapter from here on, due to a backstory info dump on the FMC. Which destroyed any tension built from the previous chapter.
As we get further into the story it feels like place after place & by act 3 I was desperate for a map to reference.
Speaking of act 3 I felt it did pick up a bit from there but I had guessed the twist much earlier in the book so I wasn’t surprised.

In terms of characters, I actually preferred some of the side characters to FMC & MMC. Sadly though I just didn’t feel that invested in the characters & if they shattered. I was also confused by the romance in this one, it’s YA so not a lot happens but the FMC is really horny & jealous??

Thank you to Kate Dylan, Hodder & Stoughton & NetGalley for the review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley for the review copy!
I found the idea of this book quite interesting but I found the magic system quite complicated. There was a scene in the book where the magic got a bit more of an explanation but it was further in than I'd have liked. There was a lot to remember which got to the point where I wished for a visual or that I'd taken notes.
The cast of characters could have been interesting - I thought the relationship between Cemmy and Novi could have had more to it and I'd have enjoyed seeing more of what they had been like at the beginning of their relationship. Chase was, in my opinion, a bit of a damp squid when it came to being a romantic interest for Cemmy. The just didn't seem to mesh as well as Cemmy and Novi but that's just my opinion.
The authors writing style was enjoyable - probably the main reason why I stuck with the book until the end. If not for that I'm not sure I'd have made it. The book was a slow start in the beginning with most of the action taking place in the last 100 or so pages.

This was my first book by Kate Dylan. I was impressed by her candor in relation to the making of this book, having rewritten it over and over till it was perfect.

I really enjoyed the story, with an exciting plot and a main character I was rooting for. UNTIL WE SHATTER was filled with themes of hope and good lessons such as learning to accept your flaws and be who you truly were.

Can't wait to read more of her books!

3.75 Rounded up. First and foremost can someone please tell me what's going on with this book? I received an ARC from Netgalley but it is nowhere to be found in the US and I'm so confused by this because it says it was released Nov 2024???? What happened?

Okay, onto the review. This had me rolling my eyes a little in the beginning because I found the whole "color classification of powers" a little like things my friends and I thought of in freshman year of high school. HOWEVER, once I let that go, I started to enjoy the ride a little more. Was it predictable? Mostly. Was I mad about that? Not really. If I was a teen while reading this, I'd probably have rated it five stars so for the target audience this book is, yes, I recommend completely. For my adult tastes, less so but it was still an overall fun time. I see there will be a sequel that I'd be interested in as it follows Ezzo who deserved better but I'm a little wary of how that will play out in the synopsis I've seen so far...its gonna have to convince me HARD.

This dystopian sci-fi blends rebellion, heartbreak, and resilience with cinematic flair. Dylan’s protagonist is fierce yet vulnerable, navigating a fractured world with unshakable determination. The book tackles themes of control, identity, and the cost of freedom, making it an emotional and adrenaline-filled read from start to finish.

Having read from Kate before and really enjoying Mindwalker i was really excited to read this new book.
It was well written and had fantastic world building. Kate can truly create the most imaginative worlds through her books.
I love when you are able to imagine what the author is describing.
I loved the main character and how she made plenty is mistakes through the book and wasn’t perfect. I love seeing characters grow throughout the book and felt the main character did this.
I did find the plot to be pretty fast paced which I don’t mind but felt that some aspect could have been explained a little more or needed a little more depth.
Overall I enjoy this book and I’m looking forward to seeing what comes next for this author.

"Savian will stop at nothing until we place the siphon in his hand. He'll push, and taunt, and beat, and torture, hold a flame to our lives until we blister and burn to ash. Until we shatter."

Cemmy is a Hue, someone who has half the magic a Shade has and who can enter the Grey, a shadow world that allows her to become a quick and sure thief. The Church wants her dead for having magic at all. The Council of Shades will hunt her down for not having enough magic to make her a full Shade.

During a lift, a cruel rogue Shade, Savian, traps Cemmy and her friends, and she's forced to use her thieving skills to pull off an impossible heist: steal a siphon that could drain the shadow world and kill Hues and typics (those without magic) alike, or die trying. Cemmy is forced to work with Chase, another Hue and Savian's ally. Chase, who is beautiful and smart and smug and full of secrets.

I love a good heist fantasy ('Six of Crows' will always have my heart) and this one is certainly fun. However, while the magic system is interesting, it is also overly complex. I found it hard to keep up with which Shades and which Hues had which powers, meaning I had to refer back to the beginning a fair bit. Maybe my concentration just isn't what it used to be. I think the author should have 'eased' the reader in, letting us pick up the information as the book went along instead of dumping all the world-building on us in the first few chapters.

The pacing is quick, which kept me engaged though I also feel some elements were rushed and unrealistic. Cemmy can barely use her magic properly and then learns all the tricks in less than a week? I feel like there really could have been more build-up to the heist, which would have created a better sense of anticipation and upped the tension. I didn't figure out the twist until right before the reveal – and it's a good one I think – so bonus points for that.

As for the romantic aspect, I wasn't really invested in the will they, won't they romantic tension between Chase and Cemmy. Maybe if the characters had more depth to them, if I cared more about them, I could have been interested in some romance between them. As it stood, I wasn't very moved by it.

Overall, this is an enjoyable heist fantasy, but I'm not sure I'd read the next book in the series.

Reading this book was such a wonderful experience! Going in, I tried to not set my expectations too high after Mindwalker (which in my opinion is one of the best sci-fi books out there!) but there was no need to worry. Kate Dylan managed to write something brilliant with such an imaginative world and characters you just cannot wait to get to know better. Kate Dylan is definitely on the list of my favourite authors!

DNF: 28%

Honestly, comparing this book to Six of Crows is what drew me in. However, I couldn't get through this book. I tried to give it time, but I was very much confused and tired reading this.

The idea of this world is super interesting, which is why I initially did not want to give up in it. But, the magic system was way to complicated at the beginning. I feel that the author could have eased the readers into this system, and given more info on how the magic worked. This in turn made the book hard to get through, as it wasn't relaxing to read as I had to go back and forth figuring out the magic system.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for an early copy of this book!

I definitely think this was an interesting concept that just wasn’t executed in a way that captured my attention. I had a hard time getting into it.

First and foremost Kate Dylan knows how to write prose. That is, by far, the highlight of the book and a constant that carries through her other novels. As for Until We Shatter, I think it fell a bit short for me. The main character is great- she's complicated, makes a lot of mistakes, but is overall a good person. The heist action was exciting and a lot of fun. My issue was that the first part of the book felt like nothing more than a heavy info dump about the world and (mostly) the magic system. Now, there's a lot of great ideas there, but I think if there's going to be that complicated a set up that we really needed a duology in order to space the worldbuilding out a bit more. It's not a bad book and certainly won't put me off reading more Dylan in the future... it just didn't quite work for me.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5)

Kate Dylan’s *Until We Shatter* is a gripping, high-stakes dystopian novel that keeps you on edge from start to finish. Set in a world where genetic enhancements dictate worth, the story follows Nate, a "Defective" who is running out of time before the system disposes of him. Desperate and determined, he teams up with Kit, a fierce and unpredictable fighter, in a rebellion against a future designed to crush them.

Dylan’s worldbuilding is immersive, painting a bleak yet electrifying vision of a society obsessed with perfection. The tension is relentless, with action sequences that pack a punch and emotional stakes that hit hard. Kit, in particular, steals the show—her complexity, resilience, and raw determination make her an unforgettable character.

While the novel excels in pacing and intensity, some moments feel slightly rushed, and a deeper exploration of the world’s politics could have added more depth. However, the fast-moving plot and compelling character dynamics more than make up for it.

If you love dystopian thrillers with strong-willed characters, adrenaline-fueled action, and a touch of rebellion, *Until We Shatter* is well worth the read.

I loved Kate Dylan's sci-fi books and was so excited to read her new fantasy one! I thought the magic system was unique, those with powers are called Shades and have different abilities represented by different colours. Shades also have access to the Gray - another dimension of the real world where everything is intangible and allows Shades to walk through the world unseen. Cemmy is a half-Shade (a Hue) so only has partial access to the Gray, and her ability to touch objects in the Gray catches the eye of a Shade wanting to pull off a risky heist.

The world building really drew me in, the politics, magic and city were constructed well - although it might be a bit too complicated for a short standalone. I definitely think the book could've been longer to explore all these details a bit more as it was very intriguing. The heist plot was well paced though and I loved seeing the found family develop as they progressed. I'd definitely recommend if you're looking for a quick, high-stakes heist fantasy!

A really interesting magic system, and a richly imagined world! The characters are interesting, and the way all the threads of the story twist together is great

Until We Shatter is such a unique book. I really loved that it is a standalone book and the story is wrapped up nicely.

I loved the unique world building of the Shadows, Hues, Typics and the Gray. Cemmy, her three friends, Chase and a new Hue, Lyria are tasked with an impossible heist. With the stakes high and a deadly mission, it is only up to the five of them to work together and save the world as they know it.
Can they trust each other or is the quest doomed from the start?
It is up to Cemmy to gain the trust of the Gold Hue and save herself, her friends and heal her mom.

I really loved the idea of the friendship between Cemmy and her friends, however I wish I got to see them interact a bit more. I found the idea of the Gray and phasing between the worlds. The romance aspect of the story was great and I was rooting for Cemmy and Chase from the start. I enjoyed the plot twists even if some of them were a little predictable. I did find myself feeling lost with the lore and the rules of magic in this world, however it was getting better as the characters were learning along with me. I wish Cemmy’s character was a little more likable and she trusted her friends more but I suppose that is a nice lesson to learn from her mistakes.

Unfortunately I tried reading this book on multiple occasions. I read around 10-15 pages each time I picked the book up, but struggled to carry on reading. I'm unsure whether the problem was the writing style or the perspective the book was written in. I really struggled to read this and really had to push myself to get to 20% completion.

Therefore, I was unable to finish the book.

2.5 rounded down. I find that I am quite picky with young adult nowadays, but I was really intrigued by the presmise which is why I wanted to pick this one up. Unfortunately, while there were some things I liked about the worldbuilding and the writing style was fine for me, I didn't quite resonate with the characters here, which made the overall experience kind of fall flat for me.