Book of the Month April 2026

I enjoyed Of Shadow and Mist. The world-building was good in a surprising way. It was rich, interesting, and immersive in that it made me want to explore more of this dark and cursed continent. I’m really hoping the author continues to expand on the world-building in the rest of the series because there’s so much potential here to expand and create a mysterious fantasy realm.

The writing style was easy to read, which was exactly what I needed at this point. It made the story flow smoothly and kept me turning the pages without effort. I was struggling after not being well and I didn't want anything too intense or complex so this was ideal.

Character-wise, I did feel there were moments where emotions or developments seemed a bit skipped over. I’m hoping (and honestly expecting) that the characters will have deeper development in book two. The foundation is definitely there. I think they had some depth but not enough time was invested into the Mist King. Tessa was a sweet character who had to witness so much trauma. I definitely liked her.

King Oberon was truly evil and I didn't like him at all (boo). He had no redeeming features whatsoever. The relationship between the Mist King and Tessa was layered and complex. I definitely didn’t expect certain shifts in their dynamic, which made the story even more compelling.

Plot-wise, it was very engaging. The twists and turns kept me intrigued throughout, and that ending twist especially had me hooked. I was genuinely ready to dive straight into the next book. The only reason I haven’t yet is because I have other reads to finish first.

Yes, there were a couple of small blips along the way, but overall I was fully committed to the story and very invested by the end. I absolutely can’t wait to pick up book two in the series.

I gave it 5 stars for immersive world-building, engaging twists, and a story that kept me hooked. Definitely the highlight of a quiet reading month for me.