Thank you NetGalley and the Taylor Street Press for allowing me to read this book early. The opinion in this review is my own.

I requested this book because it sounded interesting but sadly it fell flat for me. The writing style didn't jive with my brain. It felt very strongly like it was telling and not showing. The pacing was off and it was boring at times. The characters were OK but could've used more depth. It wasn't bad per se, and I enjoyed the plot alright but it wasn't something I'm going to think about in the future. I could still see some people enjoying this book but it wasn't for me.

This was an engaging and fun read, each chapter has almost cliff hanger endings that definitely kept me up late into the night reading.
The story telling style is reminiscent of Princess Bride, with the main character telling a tale to a kid and flashing into and out of it in rapid succession. I enjoy this style, especially when the author can wrap it up in a tidy and meaningful way. I think this is definitely the case in A Tale for the Shadows.

The main characters were likable to me, and the villains were easy to hate. Some of the side characters just felt like ethnicity boxes to check for diversity points though.

All in all I do recommend this book, it’s closer to 3.5 stars for me. Be sure to read the trigger warnings beforehand as some of the topics discussed are heavy.

Thank you to NetGalley, author Joyce Sherry, and Taylor St. Press for this digital advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

A Tale for the Shadows by Joyce Sherry is such a good story. I totally recommend everyone to read this book as fast as they can because it's really good and the characters are fantastic.

A sincere thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of A Tale for the Shadows.

This book is such a refreshing and masterfully woven story. Joyce Sherry takes familiar supernatural lore and creates something that feels entirely new. The dynamic between a murdered ghost and a weary vampire is the perfect engine for a story that is equal parts a quest for justice, a dark romance, and a tale of a truly unique found family. The narrative is sharp, witty, and full of heart, avoiding tired tropes and instead giving us characters who feel complex and lived-in, even in their afterlives. And I would be remiss if I didn't mention Luna, a cat who proves to be one of the story's most vital and endearing characters. If you love supernatural stories with genuine emotional weight, compelling mysteries, and characters you will fiercely root for, you need to read this.

So, I picked this book up because I was intrigued by the idea of a vampire/ghost romance, but that's not really what we have here. Instead, it's more of a light meditation on grief with a sprinkle of found family. Ultimately it wasn't for me, but there were some moments that were really sweet. The storytelling scenes with Finn especially were some of the most moving. I think people who love cozy fantasy might have a better time with this, though there are a couple scenes that get quite dark.

I had some problems with the repetitive nature of the story telling, which affected the pacing and ended up boiling the reflections on death down to a couple of platitudes (time dulls the pain of loss, better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all, you know the ones), but my main issue is that this book needed a sensitivity reader. Silas is Native American; this is mentioned several times in the book, and even highlighted in the blurb, but has nothing to do with the story outside of aesthetics and one really strange instance of racism. In fact his character is completely divorced from his heritage, and this is not explored at all. On top of that, many of the non-white characters are identified only by their race with no other descriptors. One character is referred to only as "the Filipina woman" for several chapters. I think the author's intent in calling attention to people's race like that may have been inclusion, but it comes across very othering with heavy reliance on stereotypes.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for this honest review.

A ghost, a vampire and their adorable cat fighting shitty vampires and humans (alongside discussions about grief) is not a book I thought I needed to read but I definitely liked the experience.

I do have to preface it by saying that this is one of those books that you have to suspend your disbelief for and just let the theme of the book get to you. There were parts of the plot that felt a bit too convenient in favour of the main characters but by that point, I was invested in them enough to take it for what it is. It would have been better for the main story being told to have maybe another nuanced subplot or have the two main plot threads interweave a bit more rather than have them solved one after the other.

I did enjoy the characters of Senka and Silas and the overarching plot outside of the story (iykyk). But Luna and Shadow definitely my favourites.

I like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me a read.

I only made it in 20% of the book, but I think I got a grasp on the author's writing. I picked this up because of the comps to Buffy (I'm 37 and Buffy was my jam when it was originally airing). So high praise?

Unfortunately, the writing and the tone of this book was strange. The flow / writing didn't feel polished and everything was moving in a herky-jerky tone. The character did not track as an 'adult' by the way she spoke and the tone / writing the author had.

Overall, I had to bounce from this.

As much as I enjoyed the concept of this book, I don’t think it was for me. The execution felt a little amateur and the pacing was a little all over the place. I didn’t love the frame narrative either, I think the novel would have been stronger without it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book. A gorgeous 4 star read book from me. What an exciting plot, vivid storytelling and relatable, rich characters. I couldn't put this book down – absolutely loved it

A pretty solid read.

A vampire and a ghost help each other get revenge and learn to fall in love.

This book wasn’t really for me, I didn’t enjoy the parallel storytelling and the characters while being well written just didn’t capture my attention

Senka was murdered by the man she loved and trapped as a spirit. Until Silas, a vampire, burned down her cabin and she was freed. They pursue justice - aided by a cat...

A terrific supernatural fantasy. Love the ghost and vampire interwine. It's romantic, dark and magical.
A very refreshing story.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

A ghost and a vampire fall in love and the result is one of the most tender, succinct, and heartbreaking explorations of grief in a story that I have ever read. It has been a long time since I last read a book that made me feel so much emotion. A Tale for the Shadows explores the different ways in which grief affects those around us-and how to cope with it. This was an instant 5 star read for me.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishers and author for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 stars

I loved this story. I was pulled in by the magic realism of the world. The characters were so loveable. The FMC knew her flaws and she changed for the better. She is ghost and she falls in love with a vampire. It's not traditional, but it's a beautiful companionship. He has a cat too. What's not to like?

I enjoyed the adventure they took together, to be together forever. The side characters were well executed also. It gave me Nettle & Bone vibes. So if you're into T. Kingfishers work, you might like this read. An unlikely found family who have each other's backs.

There is no spice in this, but it didn't need it. There was plenty of emotion, especially towards the end. I shed a couple of tears.

This is a story of people getting a second chance after death. It explores grief, death, love and loss. I would say it's focus is more aligned to this, than it is of fantasy. It's worth noting before reading. It is more character driven than plot.

Trigger warnings include but aren't limited to, death, death of a child, gore, blood, terminal illness, murder, gaslighting and grief.

Enjoy