The Beckoning Shadow

Vesper Montgomery can summon your worst fear and turn it into a reality—but she’s learned the hard way that it’s an addicting and dangerous power. One wrong move and you could hurt someone you love. But when she earns a spot in the Tournament of the Unraveling, where competitors battle it out for a chance to rewrite the past, Vesper finally has a shot to reverse the mistakes that have changed her forever. She turns to Sam Hardy, a former MMA fighter who’s also carrying a tragedy he desperately wants to undo. However, helping heal Sam’s heart will mean breaking her own, and the competition forces her to master her powers—powers she has been terrified of since they destroyed her life.

The Beckoning Shadow by Kathryn Blair - release date July 2, 2019

My sister read this book before me and when she handed it to me she looked me dead in the eye and told me that it was so good it nearly reached the level reserved for our favorite series of all time (Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas). So, obviously, I had extremely high expectations for this book before I even cracked the spine. This book certainly did not disappoint, between the unique types of powers that each character possessed and the mysteries that drive the plot forward I was absolutely enthralled in this book. 

The book follows the perspective of Vesper and does an outstanding job tying the action packed plot into her emotions, both for Sam and otherwise. I actually enjoyed complications that Sam's former girlfriend brought into the story because it added a few interesting nuanses into the plot. For those who hate to read anything with love as part of the plot, do not worry! The crushing that goes on in the book is sweet and does not take away from the action.

This is a silly complaint, but my only discrepancy with the book is the bandages on Vesper's face on the cover. I don't know why it bothers me, but something about the way they are drawn just doesn't look up to par with the art style displayed on the rest of the cover. Other than that, there is nothing that could improve this book, other than the sequel being released ASAP!! :)

There's no question that this is a 5/5 star novel! This is the type of book that I read and it makes me wonder how I have not heard more about the author who wrote it because the way this book was crafted felt so relatable and real, yet it still managed to hold the perfect amount of fictitious adventure in it to make it spectacular. At first I wasn't sure if there would be a sequel, because the ending almost ends off perfectly, but don't worry, this is only book #1 in the series! I finished the book in 3 days and would suggest that anyone in the mood for stories involving super powers or a fight club-esque  feel should definitely turn to this book!

~Alyse :)

Reviewed on July 1, 2019

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