Lots of great plot ideas, but the implementation was not only flawed in many places, but downright problematic. The only reason I finished it was because I received an ARC.

I particularly d this back and forth game of who is actually the villain. Shows very well that we are all the villain in someone else's story.

I d the world building and the backstory.
My rating would have been so much higher if the negative points hadn't made me feel uncomfortable while reading, almost from the start.

Positive:

- Climate change is mentioned frequently and also how difficult it is to make people understand it

- Lara goes to therapy

- Val

Negative:

TW R*PE

- R*pe is not sex. Anyone who has only been r*ped in their life has never had s*x and I'm horrified by the "I've never been so full" thought when having penetrative s*x for the first time... Just horrible in context.

- R*pe is not a plot filler - why on earth was this detailed description necessary? I couldn't care less for the feelings of the r*pist during this.
It is mentioned briefly again during the course of the book, but the protagonist has no pain or trauma from it - kind of it's so normal for her, is that something we have to read in books? I think it was just for shocking and I hate nothing more. All in all, the way the topic gets space in this book is very problematic.

- Misogyny. There are only her two best female friends (who are much less important than I thought, because one of them is kidnapped for almost the entire book and no one really cares), otherwise it's ultimately just women who make her life difficult. Why Dolly and Blair act the way they do is not revealed.
Saint or whore, the old lyre. Why there was this scene with the three women in the mall, one of which flirted strangely with Damian, I have no idea.

- Therapy where your therapist is constantly chasing after you with the phone and messages? Hahaha, yes exactly. Writing it that is cheeky and a slap in the face to people who urgently need therapeutic help but have no access to it.

Apart from that, there are other points, but these are probably more personal preferences. For example, it is incomprehensible to me how I can bother my employees by making them loudly aware of my sex life - not because it cannot be avoided, but quite consciously - consent is generally rather unimportant in the book. All the spicy scenes came out of nowhere.

And in 2024 I personally don't need a book that praises alcohol and meat consumption to the heavens.9 s Megan Gomez15 3

The words “alluring,” “appetizing,” and “abrasive,” do not begin to describe the addictive experience of reading Aella C Grey’s “Shadows of Dusk.” If “one more chapter” was a book, it would be this one. Each chapter is sprinkled with a bit of magic with every turn of the page, which only pushes the story further and left me wanting more. It is important to note that there are quite a few trigger warnings at the beginning and I highly suggest readers to read it thoroughly and carefully.

“Shadows of Dusk” follows the journey of a young scientist named Lara. She meets two mysterious and estranged brothers who help her unlock the magic they once possessed. Oh, and there is a nice big wolf too.

The story is invigorating and the character development is refreshing. The chapters and relationships are not rushed, meaning there is a clear beginning, middle and end, which makes it more enticing and personal. However, there are a few chapters that are drawn out and felt boring at times. These chapters left me wondering if it was ever going to end. With that being said, I think some scenarios could have been avoided or left out all together. There were a few unanswered questions, but I assume they will be answered at a later time or in another book.

We meet new characters that are only shown for a few pages but are written in a way that you can fully understand who they are as a person. I commend these small details because it allows us to fully engross ourselves into the world. There are some throwaway characters that I felt could have been left out as they did not drive the main characters or the story forward.

Although “Shadows of Dusk” is a work of fiction, there are many real problems that can be based off of real people in our day to day life, or even our own lives. Some scenarios felt so real, it was hard to get through without having to stop reading or jump to the next chapter. This is why it’s important to read the trigger warnings at the beginning.

If you are a lover of dark romance, don’t turn a blind eye from this read. It is interesting, exhilarating and entertaining.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.5 s Sophie Maloney65 6

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