soulfullyalex's Reviews (383)

Thank you to NetGalley and Carina Press for an eARC of this title.

Alright friends, give me a moment to scream into the void. *screams* Okay, I think I’ve collected myself now. Where do I even start? This is the second book in what is now one of my favourite series, definitely a favourite read in 2021. I mean, anything with queer vampires will hook me in seconds, and this is no exception.

Crooked Shadows starts right where Rare Vigilance ends, with Christian and Atlas making their way to Romania, only to face even more complicated situations and danger. I love how fast paced this book was. It just dove into the action and the problem solving right away. I really enjoyed how the mysteries of the first book were revealed, it was a slow process and we only learned about information when Christian and Atlas learned about them. I found their growth and development really interesting. I also really liked seeing them in an environment where Atlas had to rely on Christian to know what was happening and the right steps to take. It was great to see them interacting in a different way.

I also really enjoyed how Atlas’ PTSD and trauma was dealt with. It was never taken lightly and it was handled with a delicate hand. I think it was really great to see both Christian and Atlas lean on each other in different ways throughout the story, as well as watching their connection grow. I am anxiously waiting for the third and final book in this trilogy to come out. I can’t believe it’s almost at the end, but oh how excited I am for it.

 

Thank you to Netgalley and Tordotcom for an eARC of this title.

This book hooked me from the beginning. It starts off with a very tense scene and then drops right into the awkward accident of Robin’s new job and his first introduction into the world of magic around him. I really enjoyed Edwin and Robin’s relationship. I loved that Robin was a generally upbeat guy, where Edwin was reserved and grumpy. It was especially nice to watch the two interact and influence each other over time. Watching Robin and Edwin’s relationship grow was sweet and heartbreaking in different ways, but in the best ways. I loved seeing them get to know each other and feel comfortable together as time went on. 

In terms of the magic I thought it was incredible. The idea of cradling as a way to control and use magic was so fascinating. Rather than verbal spells images are created with cradling to create spells, and I think that was very cool. I also really enjoyed learning about the history of the world and where magic came from. It’s something I would love to see explored more and I liked it as a choice about where magic came from in the first place. 

I thought the mystery was also really well done. I haven’t read a lot of mystery, but I wasn’t able to guess who was causing all the trouble early on. It was only very late in the book that I had a guess, and I loved that. I thin I enjoy reading the reveals when I’m not even sure who is behind it all. 

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I can’t wait to read the next one!