“Shadow Reaper” by Lynette Noni is a dark YA fantasy that will leave you in tatters. It is the first book in a duology, and it is one of those books that are very difficult to put down once it pulls you in.
Written in the third-person POV, the book follows seventeen-year-old Viridia Solace, a young reaper hunter with a mission: to catch the Reaper Priest who killed her parents. She lives in the city of Aravell, a place bordered by the Blackmist Forest and plagued by a deadly magical mist, where reapers addicted to magic roam and siphon magic mostly from children.
When the Priest’s most loyal follower, Reeve Ashton, is captured, he offers Viridia a bargain: his freedom in return for information about the Reaper Priest. The plot thickens when kids go missing, forcing her hand. With the help of her best friend and his motley crew, the two embark on a quest that will lead them through unforeseen dangers. Thus starts an exciting adventure chock-full of magic, slow-burn romance, and twists.
I loved the book! It has all my favorite tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found family, and a high-stakes quest. Add to it an original magic system, vivid world-building, enchanted artifacts, and a pet bunny named Walnut, and you’ve got me hooked. Instead of vampires thirsting for blood, we have reapers thirsting for magic, which is cool. As this is YA, there is no spice, nor was it needed.
I loved Viri and Reeve, and especially the banter and dynamic between them. Viri was too stubborn for her own good, and Reeve too secretive, but somehow it worked. The supporting characters felt vivid and easy to connect with, and I would love to know more about their backgrounds. I loved the slow reveal of the backstories and how nuanced and human the protagonists felt as characters. Adding a bunny to an otherwise dark world was just brilliant.
Some old mage’s journal entries are inserted between the chapters, which shed light on the magic system. I found them less interesting than the rest of the plot, but they were necessary to give us the background of the magic. It could have used a bit of tightening, though.
Overall, I was impressed with the tale despite some hiccups — a slow start, long journal entries, and miscommunication that could have been avoided. It's complex, multifaceted, and thought-provoking. The writing was compelling and kept me fully immersed, and the tale itself was equally captivating. The major twist at the end left me open-mouthed and yearning for more.
Alas, the story ends with a very dramatic cliffhanger, leaving me itching to have the next book in my hands already. Sigh, we will have to wait for it. Highly recommended! Readers will be propelled through the plot’s twists, turns, and action. I really enjoyed the book, so I rate it 4.5 out of 5 stars, rounded up to 5. I would recommend this to fans of dark YA fantasy, enemies-to-lovers romance, unique magic systems, and high-stakes magical quests.
* Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for the opportunity to read this arc. All opinions are my own.
* For more info about the book: "Shadow Reaper" by Lynette Noni
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