I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

In Fantome, a kingdom of cobbled streets, flickering lamplight, beautiful buildings, and secret catacombs, Shade-magic is a scarce and deadly commodity controlled by two enemy guilds: the Cloaks and the Daggers—the thieves and the assassins. On the night of her mother’s murder, eighteen-year-old Seraphine runs for her life. Seeking sanctuary with the Cloaks, Sera’s heart is set on revenge. But are her secret abilities a match for the dark-haired boy whose quicksilver eyes follow her around the city?

Nothing can prepare Sera for the moment she finally comes face-to-face with Ransom, heir to the Order of Daggers. And Ransom is shocked to discover that this unassuming farm girl wields a strange and blazing magic he has never seen before. As the Cloaks and the Daggers grapple for control of Fantome’s underworld, Sera and Ransom are consumed by the push and pull of their magic…and the deadly spark and terrible vengeance that keeps drawing them back together.

Short and Sweet Review

In the city of Fantome there’s two enemy factions the Cloaks (thieves) and the Daggers (assassins), and each has control of shade magic. On the night Seraphine finds her mother murdered she goes and seeks refuge with the Cloaks and she waits for the right time to get revenge. Ransom is a Dagger and he’s been tasked with killing Seraphine. When these two meet it’s a game of cat and mouse but also a bit of romance. There’s also bigger things these two have to worry about then killing each other, like monsters roaming the city on a killing spree.

Seraphine is dealing with a lot, first the death of her mother and then she learns she’s being followed by Ransom and is basically the next target for the Daggers. Sera also learns that her mother left her with a parting gift that could help end the Daggers. Ransom is used to doing the jobs handed down to him and he hopes he can be picked to become second in command. When Sera and Ransom meet there’s a lot of flirting and I loved it because it was just building up to something more. The interactions and banter between these two was so good and I just wanted more. Ransom is supposed to kill Sera but he just can’t bring himself to do it, in. a way he’s fascinated by her but even more so she has a power that hasn’t been seen before. I also enjoyed the side characters, mainly the friends that Sera made. Val, Bibi, and Theo only knew Sera for a short bit of time but they were ride or die for her and always had her back and the decision they made at the end of the book really sealed the deal in my mind that they’re amazing friends. Ransom had two close friends Lark and Nadia but I don’t think they were as understanding of his feelings so I thought they were cool at first but at the end I felt they put Ransom in a bad position because they thought they were doing what was best for him without asking. We get to see Sera search for more information about what her mother was doing before she died and how the monsters involved. I liked the world building and seeing how shade magic was used. It was also fun to see how different the Cloaks and Daggers were from each other and how we know Sera doesn’t fit into the box of being a Cloak but something else entirely. The ending was great and I was on a rollercoaster of emotions from everything that happened.

Overall, this book was a solid five stars! It’s definitely one of my new favorite books. I can’t wait to see what the next book has in store. The writing in this book is captivating and it will leave you wanting more!