5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is a perfect fantasy adventure and I loved every minute of it. It can work as a standalone but will probably make more sense if you read “Until we shatter” a linked story in the same world first.

What I loved in particular:
- the magic system is the real star of the show in this book. It is based on colour magic with each colour having certain attributes. Magic users can travel through an alternative realm called the grey. The world building is incredibly well done and the politics of the world are intricate, the shades fear the hues and the typics fear the shades, hue’s seem to exist to run for their lives.
- Raya. She grows so much during the events in this book. She starts out as a bit of a spoiled prodigy and asks her open question as a desperate attempt to avoid being kicked out of the academy and disgracing her parents. By the end though her determination to do the right thing and her ability to take responsibility for her behaviour towards Killen and its consequences made her a flawed but impressive main character. I enjoyed her journey,
-the subtle love story felt more like a gentle story of grief and moving on. I really felt for Ezzo and his grief and guilt about moving on with Raya. The moment he realises he is finally ready to start living again packed such an emotional punch it made me cry.

This was such a fantastic story, I hope Kate Dylan isn’t quite finished with this world yet.

Thank you so much to Hodderscape and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

This book contains the truly amazing and immersive world building that you come to expect from Kate Dylan, you can feel the depth of the universe she's created. And like it's predecessor Until We Shatter, this book offers the same unique magic system which I will forever adore!
But whereas the first book focused solely on the perspective of The Hues, Before We Collide offers a chance to explore the world, the beliefs and thoughts of The Shades.

This duel point of view, especially being that of two people on opposing sides with completely different ideals and motivations was brilliant and added a depth to Dylan's vivid storytelling.
Dylan's writing just makes it easy to visualize everything from the settings to the characters. Speaking of characters, I loved the dynamic between our leads: a messy, inept girl who can see the future—badly, and a sad boy so struck with grief he has a serious death wish. Their character development and evolving relationship was an engaging element, it was easy to connect with the characters on a personal level; they felt relatable in their struggles and quirks.

Dylan has a way to scarily mimic the real world within their fantasy setting and it's actually terrifying how close to home it hits. This book especially depicts the dangers of propaganda and the ease of dehumanising minorities via this propaganda and cult like rhetoric. How powerful and influencial people or institutes have the ability to brainwash the masses, with deadly implications. This element had some pretty chilling parallels to our society, offering a scary real world overlap.

Add in the mix of mystery and murders, and you’ve got an exciting plot that kept me turning pages. It almost felt like I was part of their Scooby Gang vibe, working alongside them to unravel the mystery and secrets. I could not put this down!

If you want a thoroughly enjoyable page turner, full of mystery and magic, with a scooby gang of relatable characters then Before We Collide needs to be your next read!

Well-written and unputdownable.. I LOVED Before We Collide by Kate Dylan, being back in her world of Hues and Shades, seeing Enzo give love and life another chance it was all *chef's kiss*.

Although, this book can be read as a standalone, the beginning might be slightly hard to get into if you haven't read Until We Shatter. If you stick with it though you will be rewarded with a great book full of treason, love, world building and tentative alliances.

Summary: Failing prodigy Raya sees a forbidden vision of magic’s end—and must join reckless half-Shade Ezzo to rewrite their destiny.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book, all thoughts are my own.

Mind you, I didn’t know this when I requested it, but it’s a second book of a series. However, it’s a standalone so I’d say it works great for me. Even if there was something I missed from the previous book, I didn’t notice it at all.

This being said, this book exceeded my expectations in a very good way. I loved the magic system, how the different colors gave different powers. How much growth I could see in Raya, our Indigo fmc. She became a strong open-minded person and she opened her eyes towards so many wrongs in her world and I’m proud of her. Ezzo, my poor son, I could see his grief, I loved to see him open his heart to the people that stayed with him despite everything and how he reluctantly but determinedly decided to open himself for Raya as well.

The slow burn is slow burning, the romance was a little sub plot to the whole story and I appreciated that because neither Raya nor Ezzo were ready for the romance. It felt realistic and understandable because otherwise it would feel like pushing the romance more than what this standalone meant to do.

I’m so glad that I got the chance to read this book, and I wouldn’t mind if Kate Dylan decides to write more about this world. The council does need some more pushing to open their eyes that a change is needed.

Thank you NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the arc!! I appreciate it!

This story had me hooked from the very first words and didn’t let me go until the last page.

The colour-based magic system is unlike anything I’ve read before. It's so imaginative and unique, and perfect for this world. Raya and Ezzo are two characters I loved instantly. They're both flawed and compelling in ways that made me root for them with every twist. Their dynamic and banter had smiled SO hard one moment and aching the next.

The prophecy storyline was gripping, and the stakes felt sky-high throughout the whole book. I loved how the larger fate-of-the-world conflict was balanced with intimate, emotional and growing character arcs. By the end, I was completely invested in both the survival of magic and the beautiful connection between Raya and Ezzo.

This book gave me everything I want in fantasy books: danger, unique world building, romance, and characters who stay with you long after you finish the book. Easily one of my top reads of the year. If you love enemies-to-lovers, inventive world-building, and heart-pounding twists, Before We Collide is for you.