ARC Review: Sanctuary of the Shadow by Aurora Ascher

Item: Sanctuary of the Shadow
Rating: 2.5
Author: Shannon

Posted January 4, 2024 by Shannon in ARC, Reviews, Shannon / 0 Comments

ARC Review: Sanctuary of the Shadow by Aurora Ascher

Sanctuary of the Shadow by Aurora Ascher
Genres: Fantasy
Published by Red Tower Books Publication Date: January 9, 2024
Pages: 400
Buy on Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Bookshop.org
Find on: Goodreads

"Ascher's latest is a fantasy romance that has everything nice—a hot love interest, a relatable main character, female friendship—and plenty of (consensual) spice." ―Booklist
Some follow their destiny.Others fall for it.
For humans, Salizar’s is a place of mystery and wonder. For Harrow, it’s a place to hide from those who slaughtered her entire clan. A haven where she can disguise both her abilities and who she really is.
Until he arrives.
He has no recollection of who—or even what—he is. He only knows that he’s a monster, with wings and powerful abilities never seen before. But beneath the layers of rage and isolation, one glimpse into those inky black eyes reveals a soul that calls out to the loneliness in Harrow.
And so she chooses him.
She is drawn to the mystery of him, her unquenchable need for his kiss. And as powerful enemies align and conspire against them, Harrow knows their only hope is escape.
Now, with every secret she unlocks from his past, a shadow from her own whispers free—luring enemies who will stop at nothing to get their final revenge on Harrow. And she’s given them the perfect weapon…because her winged beast is not what he seems.
But maybe it’s time they finally learn—neither is she.

Cocktails and Books received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect our opinion of the book or the content of our review.

I participated in a Read-a-long with Entangled Insiders for this title.

I had high hopes for this title. The blurb, cover, and sprayed edges sucked me in so I was hoping this was going to be a title I loved. Unfortunately, it fell short for me.

Harrow is a seer masquerading as a human fortune teller in a supernatural circus. She’s content with that life until the circus owner hides something mysterious in his tent. The something mysterious is Raith.

The supernatural circus should have been cool, instead, we hardly spent any time there despite almost 1/2 the book taking place there. This should have been the cool place that was the backdrop of the story but, it became an afterthought.

The relationship between Harrow and Raith was WAY too fast. I get they had chemistry, but they jumped from Raith barely saying two words to Harrow to them leaping into bed. I love some spice, but could we have development sprinkled in there?

Finally, there’s the plot. Fighting queen sisters. Yes! But it should make sense. Instead, we had a queen who was an Oracle but didn’t dispense any information that people could figure out. Another who tried to be helpful but only after her subject/family tell her off. Only then does she see the error of her ways and help 😒. The last queen (at least in this story) is so corrupted by grief she does horrible things and is allowed to do those until Harrow and Raith.

Too many holes and not enough development to make much sense when I finally got to the end.

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Shannon

Owner at Cocktails and Books

I am a lover of alpha males with dirty mouths, strong heroines putting alpha males in their place, and the Chicago Blackhawks. I'm a proud hockey mom who can often be found at the hockey rink cheering on my favorite forward, with my kindle close by.