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abby_ace_of_books 's review for:
Until We Shatter
by Kate Dylan
From rainbow magic fairies as a kid to rainbow magic heists as a teen, I think I've finally come full circle in my rainbow magic reading.
YA fantasy heists are usually my favorite kinds of books, so it comes as no surprise that I also really enjoyed Until We Shatter. My favorite part, though, had to be the magic system and the worldbuilding. I'm a huge fan of religious themes, especially when they deal with zealotry, so I was vibing with the themes in this book. I also LOVE magic systems with pretty visuals and aesthetics, so I adored the color-coding systems and also the visual of shattering.
This story takes place in a world where there are shades (basically full-blooded magic people) and hues (half-blooded magic people who everyone hates). Cemmy is a Bronze hue who works with a team of other hues to steal a mysterious object from the clergy. I thought the pacing was pretty quick, and while there was only one major heist, I appreciated the tiny tension scenes throughout. I predicted most of the main plot twists, but I was mostly guessing from vibes and I think they were still well done. My only issue is that the slower pace in the middle left me a little bored, as did some of the misunderstanding tropes, but I still enjoyed the story.
I also appreciated the found family vibes in this book. Cemmy's complicated relationships with Novi, Chase, and her mother made her an intriguing character, and I enjoyed her narration. Novi wasn't my favorite, but I enjoyed seeing her interactions with Lyria. Ezzo and Eve were cute too. As far as Chase goes, I was intrigued by his backstory, but I wasn't a huge fan of his personality (just because he felt a bit tropey), although I still liked him. I thought the villain was interesting as well, and I'm kind of sad that this is a standalone because I think his evilness would have been very intriguing to see in a series.
Until We Shatter is a fast-paced YA fantasy novel filled with found family vibes, colorful magic, and plenty of plot twists that will appeal to fans of heists of all kinds.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the free e-ARC!
3.75/5
YA fantasy heists are usually my favorite kinds of books, so it comes as no surprise that I also really enjoyed Until We Shatter. My favorite part, though, had to be the magic system and the worldbuilding. I'm a huge fan of religious themes, especially when they deal with zealotry, so I was vibing with the themes in this book. I also LOVE magic systems with pretty visuals and aesthetics, so I adored the color-coding systems and also the visual of shattering.
This story takes place in a world where there are shades (basically full-blooded magic people) and hues (half-blooded magic people who everyone hates). Cemmy is a Bronze hue who works with a team of other hues to steal a mysterious object from the clergy. I thought the pacing was pretty quick, and while there was only one major heist, I appreciated the tiny tension scenes throughout. I predicted most of the main plot twists, but I was mostly guessing from vibes and I think they were still well done. My only issue is that the slower pace in the middle left me a little bored, as did some of the misunderstanding tropes, but I still enjoyed the story.
I also appreciated the found family vibes in this book. Cemmy's complicated relationships with Novi, Chase, and her mother made her an intriguing character, and I enjoyed her narration. Novi wasn't my favorite, but I enjoyed seeing her interactions with Lyria. Ezzo and Eve were cute too. As far as Chase goes, I was intrigued by his backstory, but I wasn't a huge fan of his personality (just because he felt a bit tropey), although I still liked him. I thought the villain was interesting as well, and I'm kind of sad that this is a standalone because I think his evilness would have been very intriguing to see in a series.
Until We Shatter is a fast-paced YA fantasy novel filled with found family vibes, colorful magic, and plenty of plot twists that will appeal to fans of heists of all kinds.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the free e-ARC!
3.75/5