Title: Sanctuary of the Shadow
Author: Aurora Ascher
Publisher: Red Tower Books (Entangled Publishing)
Publication Date: January 9, 2024
ISBN: 9781649374110
Synopsis:
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.
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I’m going to kick this off by saying how much I dislike having to give a bad review. It takes so much time and effort to write, edit, and publish a book, so it’s a terrible thing to have to share a negative opinion of a story knowing how much care and effort goes into creating them. Unfortunately though, there is just no redemption for Sanctuary of the Shadow. It’s been a long time since I’ve given a one-star review and this is one of my latest dislikes. I chose not to DNF this one because it was such a beautiful book and the description held so much promise. I should have just DNF-ed.
The concept of this book promises a mysterious travelling circus, characters with power, unknown histories, a fated romance, and mysterious pasts. There’s an element of danger in the male protagonist, a weapon of sorts, and a beast, but with the promise of so much more. The magic that sits with the female protagonist, Harrow, is something to be kept hidden, but it pulls her to this strange man in a way that she doesn’t fully understand. There’s so much potential for this story to be incredible. Alas, it fell so flat and was a huge let down.
Honestly, I can’t understand why this book has been hyped so much. It made it onto a number of most-anticipated books of 2024 lists. The first print run features beautiful sprayed edges and a striking cover. It is a beautiful book. That’s just about all it has going for it. I can honestly say, I don’t think I’ve ever read writing so weak in a published book, ever. It’s badly written and over-hyped. The dialogue is lazy and unrealistic with characters who talk nearly incoherently if they speak much at all, the world-building is virtually non-existent making it impossible to picture, there is a total lack of chemistry (platonic and romantic) between any of the characters, and there was no real characterization or character growth to be found.
I couldn’t for the life of me understand why Raith and Harrow had any attraction to one another. Raith barely says anything throughout the whole book, yet they declare undying love to one another after 5 days of hedonistic passion at a seedy tavern. There are no true conversations. Even without dialogue, a good writer can build chemistry and relationships based on how the characters interact and take cues from one another. This is not a book that even attempts non-verbal communication between its two love interests. Their interactions and “relationship” are flat and lacklustre, as lacking as the magic throughout is as well.
The fantasy elements in this story are so unexplained within the text, it’s confusing to read and even more confusing for me to try to describe it. We’re repeatedly told there is magic, but the description is so cursory and brief that it may as well have been cut out of the book entirely. Harrow is a seer who is friends with some kind of human-animal hybrid creatures. She has some kind of water-related magic that compels her to act in certain ways and sends her cryptic messages that she tries and fails to understand. Raith’s magic is a bit more clear, but only serves to convey to the reader that he’s built and bred as a killing machine. It would have been incredible to see him learn to harness his magic and turn it into something beautiful. He and Harrow are supposed to be two halves of one whole and we see nothing in their magic that brings them together in awe and beauty, completing them as one, as light and dark.
One thing a good novel is supposed to do is to transport the reader to another world and another realm without the reader even noticing what’s happening. With Sanctuary, you are acutely aware of book at all times, simply because of how poor the writing is. There is no surprise or delight to be found. Everything is so literal and matter-of-fact. It’s the very epitome of “telling” instead of “showing,” making it impossible to get swept away in the story.
I cannot deter you away from this book enough. It’s awful. I hate to say it, but this should not be sitting on the front shelves of bookstores, and it’s embarrassing that this is what we as society deem “most-anticipated” when we look at upcoming literature for the year. Please avoid at all costs.
Worn Pages and Ink 