June seems to be the month for ARC reading for me this year and I love it (I have another review coming in a few days, so stay tuned)! 

I was lucky enough to to read the Advanced Reader Copy for The Secret Shadow, by Bethany Atazadeh, and OH BOY was it good!

The Secret Shadow is book two in Atazadeh’s The Queen’s Rise spin-off series. It depicts the origin story of The Stolen Kingdom series big bad villain, Queen Jezebel, and so far, I love it! Book one in the series is called The Secret Gift, and I highly recommend you pick it up so you can read this fantastic book!! 

Without further ado, here is my review of The Secret Shadow! 

Synopsis

Against all odds and at great cost, Jezebel has managed to keep her shape-shifting Gift a secret. With the disappearance of her father, Jezebel has become homeless, and Prince Shem invites her to become a resident of the castle and a member of his own personal council. Jezebel graciously accepts, however it becomes evident that the other members of the council do not want her there and will do anything to exclude or shame her, while the palace guards treat her with extreme suspicion.

Jezebel determines she will do what it takes to prove to Prince Shem she is worthy of his appointment and her place in the palace, regardless of the other council member’s attempts to undermine her. But when another shifter breaks into the palace and lockdown ensues, Jezebel realizes she could easily be caught instead. 

In order to protect her secrets, new home, and budding relationship with Prince Shem, Jezebel must find a way to catch this new shifter and turn them in, or risk losing everything, including her life. 

What I liked:

I LOVED EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS BOOK. 

Maybe I’m biased, but I’ve been waiting for this sequel on pins and needles, and it did not disappoint. I was so hooked on this book that I finished it in three hours.

The twists in The Secret Shadow were incredible. I found myself wracking my brains for ways Jezebel could keep her gifts secret in the face of a truth potion-laced interrogation! It seemed like a conundrum that couldn’t be solved, and yet when she did, a completely new complication was thrown in the mix, and I loved it! 

Jezebel’s narrative voice was really engaging in this book as well. I found it cool and interesting how well she was able to read subtext in every conversation and interaction. This innate ability she shows really increases the believability that this character would one day become the evil queen we see in The Stolen Kingdom series. 

One of my favorite things in this book was how well orchestrated the tension was. I was enthralled by the idea that because the invading shape shifter was much more advanced in their skills than Jezebel, she would be the one to get caught as collateral damage. It heightened the stakes incredibly! It had me by the throat! 

The last thing I’ll mention that I loved was the ending. It made me tear up! Jezebel as a character is in such a grey area right now, but it is still so easy to root for her. You know the bad things she has done were all in self preservation, but as it goes with villains, things start to add up, especially if they get the desired result from their actions. This main character is building up red in her leger (to quote Black Widow), however she is still very likable, relatable, and understandable. I can’t wait to see how she gets consumed by corruption further in the next book!!!!

What I didn’t like:

The only thing I didn’t like was the teaser for book three!!!! 

I don’t think it’s been announced officially as of the writing of this blog post, but we got some plot cookies that make me wonder exactly what Jezebel’s next step in her villain journey is, just because the tidbits we got seem a bit far from where we left her at the end of The Secret Shadow. All the same, I can’t wait to read it and see what happens! 

Content Warnings:

• Violence: Mild, monster attack at the end, but nothing graphic.
• Language: Mild
• Sexual content: None. Chaste kissing and hand holding.
• 5/5 stars