A Tempest of Shadows by Jane Washington  

I really liked the plot of this book, but I have some pretty big reservations about recommending it.  

The premise is interesting, somewhere between Greek mythology and colliding worlds. It’s a strong foundation for a fantasy story with heavier themes. While I usually love that, there are some creative choices that didn’t sit well.  

This review contains minor spoilers to explain why parts of the book didn’t work for me. No detail, but if you want to go in blind, this is your warning.  

My biggest issue is that the FMC is 17. Since the entire first book takes place over three weeks, she never actually reaches adulthood. That’s questionable for a story setting itself up to be a harem. But it gets worse. There’s on-page assault, implied desire for intimacy, and at least one scene where things start happening before pulling back. The whole thing felt icky and uncomfortable. . A 17-year-old has no place being the centerpiece of a harem.  

The timeline is another problem. The entire book takes place in three weeks, which just doesn’t allow for organic character development or believable relationship dynamics. A lot of the FMC’s choices and emotions don’t fully track with how little time has passed. She should have never been 17 to begin with, but using the count down to becoming legal as a plot pacing guideline was especially weird. If she had at least turned 18 quickly, it wouldn’t have fixed everything, but it would have helped.  

Lastly, the fantasy naming conventions were a lot. I love unique names, but between pronunciation struggles and how often they were used, it started to feel excessive and clunky.  

Overall, I genuinely enjoyed the story, themes, and world-building. But I can’t decide if I want to continue the series because I liked those elements or if I should drop it because some of the author’s choices really didn’t sit right with me.