Shadows of the Lost is the new book in the Guild of the Night series, featuring Gaige and Kost. While they appear in the previous Beast Charmer trilogy, this book can be read as a standalone. Gaige is struggling with his new life as an immortal assassin. He finds it impossible to control his shadow powers, which will soon lead to dangerous consequences if he can’t master them. Meanwhile, Kost is trying to show Gaige that life as one of the immortal assassins isn’t as miserable as he fears. When a destructive and strange new power manifests, Gaige and Kost will need to work together to stop it and reveal who is behind it. 

Gaige and Kost have a very sweet romance and I enjoyed watching them form connections while trying to unlock Gaige’s control of his power. Gaige is mourning the loss of his beasts, which I really liked learning more about. Kost was able to help him create a beautiful solution to his loss. There are plenty of supporting characters from the previous trilogy and also intriguing new ones. I’m hoping to learn more details about the villain in the next book, because they felt a little over the top at times. 

I loved the tight bond between the band of brothers; even when Gaige was having the most difficulty with his powers they never gave up on him. I also loved the acceptance of the queer-norm world. It seems clear that Ozias and Calem have future romances to come, which I’m looking forward to. The world-building excels in creating types of creatures and their powers. Shadows of the Lost would be perfect for anyone who enjoys stories about magical creatures, shadow powers, and sweet queer romance. 

Thank you to Maxym M. Martineau, Sourcebooks Casablanca, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.