A Shadow Crown

• Author: Melissa Blair
• Genre: Fantasy
• Publication Date: May 9, 2023
• Publisher: Union Square & Co.
• Series: The Halfling Saga #2

Thank you to Union Square and Co. and Jenny Lu for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

CONTENT WARNING: violence, blood, mention of self-harm, alcoholism, parental abandonment, PTSD, addiction, gore

To the kingdom, Keera is the king’s Blade, his most feared and trusted spy and assassin. But in the shadows, she works with Prince Killian and his Shadow—the dark, brooding Fae, Riven, who sets her blood on fire. Together, they plot to kill a tyrant king.

In Myrelinth, the lush, secret city of trees, Fae, Elves, and Halflings like Keera live in harmony. But Keera cannot escape her past: her crimes against her own people have followed her all the way to the Faeland. There is a traitor in their midst, and Keera is the top suspect.

Keera finds comfort in the allies that have become her family. She swore she would never open her heart again after a loss she barely survived. But she will soon find that she has more to lose than she ever imagined … 

I was thrilled to get my hands on an ARC of this book, even if I did read it a couple of months late. Plus, it gave me a chance to reread the first book in this series, and remember all the things I loved about it—the fabulous world-building, the diverse and Indigenous-influenced cast, wonderfully flawed characters, the LGBTQ-centric world, and the idea of oppressed people rising against a colonial power. So this book had some big shoes to fill, if books wore shoes.

This book had all of the same characteristics as the old one, but it was missing some of the oomph. Don’t get me wrong, it was still a great read, but it wasn’t the same as the first book. Let me explain:

The author brings her own experience as an Indigenous person to the story, with a cast of characters that are mostly made up of people who are oppressed if they have any Fae blood. Indigenous beliefs are woven into the Fae’s culture, and Blair expands the world that readers are exposed to, allowing us to see even more of the world she created.

One of my very favorite tropes is done to perfection here: found family. Keera even expresses that she has found a family outright during the story, and the relationship between Keera and several of the characters really grows and broadens throughout the story. In particular, I loved the sibling relationship that develops between Keera and Nikolai, and the big/little sister bond that occurs between Keera and Vrail. 

There’s a slow-burn romance that continues into this book, and we finally get some spicy scenes in the story. The MC is explicitly bisexual, although she hasn’t been in a relationship with a woman in a while and she is currently in a relationship with a man. Many of the major characters are queer, and it’s kind of cool to have a world that isn’t heterocentric. However, despite the connection between Keera and Riven, there’s hints of a strange love triangle thrown into the story, and I couldn’t figure out why. It didn’t serve the plot in any way, and just felt awkward.

This book had a lot of setup, like many second books do in series. There’s a lot of plotting and skirmishes, but all the big conflict is saved up for the next book. In addition, there’s a lot of emotional revelation and growth in the book. We get a lot of answers about Keera’s past, which was something I’ve been wondering about for a while. It doesn’t quite explain why despite decades of her top-notch spying skills, Keera wasn’t able to figure out who the traitor was when I saw it from a mile away. 

I really enjoyed the book, even though it didn’t quite hit the bar when compared to the first book. I’m definitely looking forward to the next book in this series, because I’m so emotionally invested in Keera and her little found family, and need to know what happens next. It’s well-written, even if there are a few issues as mentioned above. But in general I love these books and can’t wait to see where it goes next.

People who have sat around with me while I’m reading, especially when there’s a surprising reveal, a shocking plot twist, or an unexpected event often look up in alarm when I gasp audibly. The gasp factor is directly related to the number of times I audibly gasp during a reading, and there isn’t an upper limit.

Gasp Factor: 13