Review Detail

To Kill A Shadow is the first book in a completed duology. It is told in a dual perspective from Commander Jude Maddox and recruit Kiara Frey, with short passages at the beginning of the chapters giving hints about the mythology of the world and the conspiracy they soon find themselves surrounded by. Kiara has secrets about the scars on her hands. We know the origin of the scars is important, but it is a frustratingly long time before it is revealed. Same with the secret of Jude’s mother and the part she played in what he is now.
Kiara has been trained since she had the incident that led to her scars by her Uncle Micah, and that is why she is deadly enough to join the ranks of the knights in her brother's stead. Jude is an incredibly skilled fighter and has survived the forsaken mist once before, and is determined to help his small unit survive it again. The training portion of the book is a bit rushed, and the other recruits are presented as poorly trained before being sent into the deadly mists.
The world's magic system is kept mysterious throughout the story. We know that the sun goddess was betrayed by her lover, and for the last fifty years, they have all lived in darkness. We don’t quite get a feel for life in the dark, or what magic people or other gods have that is at play. Jude and Kiara are on a mission from the king to find the keys to returning the light. However, what is revealed puts doubts on the King’s true intentions, and the price is higher than Jude is willing to pay, leading to the setup of the next book.
I love the cover and the sprayed purple edges. I am a sucker for slow burn relationships and worlds with magic. I enjoyed the story overall, and it held my attention steadily throughout. I do think it could have spent more time developing the characters, especially the supporting characters. It also could have strengthened the magic system and mythos that they are working within to make it stand out as a unique story beyond its tropes and starting premise presented in the summary.