A con artist in a world where shadows can be altered and weaponised is dragged back into a deadly underworld she fled.
- Score
- 73.6
- Spice
- 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️Sweet
- POV
- third
- Ending
- HEA / HFN
Tropes
Content warnings
Curated signals, not an exhaustive guarantee.
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What readers think
Readers consistently praise Holly Black's inventive shadow magic system, Charlie's razor-sharp dry wit, and a second half that delivers genuinely unpredictable plot twists and an explosive finale — those who push through call it unputdownable. The most repeated criticism is a sluggish, exposition-heavy first half (some reviews cite not finding momentum until chapter twelve) and an overwhelming cast of secondary characters who blur together without distinct POVs. The near-absence of romance disappoints readers who came in expecting adult romantasy heat. Overall Goodreads ratings cluster around 3.5–3.7 stars, with appreciation from dark-fantasy readers and frustration from those expecting the lighter magic of Black's YA work.
Read it if
- · Fans of dark, atmospheric urban fantasy with a morally grey female protagonist who lies, steals, and survives on her wits
- · Readers who loved Ninth House and want a similarly gritty adult debut with a unique magic system
- · Anyone who enjoys heist-adjacent plots where the world-building slowly clicks into place and the payoff is worth the patience
Skip it if
- · You want romance or spice — this is overwhelmingly plot- and character-driven with minimal romantic content
- · Slow opening chapters frustrate you; the first half is widely cited as a slog requiring patience
- · You prefer a tight, small cast — the secondary characters are numerous and can feel underdeveloped
If you liked this
- · For fans of Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo — a similarly gritty adult debut with a traumatised heroine navigating a hidden magical underworld
- · For fans of Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo — criminal ensemble, morally grey characters, and heist-flavoured plotting
- · For fans of The Cruel Prince by Holly Black herself — this is the adult, darker, grittier register of her voice with none of the YA romance
- · Like Ninth House but urban contemporary and shadow-magic-based rather than gothic academia
Which dark romantasy heroine are you? Five choices in a forest that wants you dead.
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