I received this book via the author Elle Madison, Robin D. Mahle. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.
Of Thieves and Shadows by Elle Madison, Robin D. Mahle Series: Twisted Pages #4
Published by Self Publish on 2022-09-19
Length: 352 pages
Reviewing eARC from the author Elle Madison, Robin D. Mahle
Rating:
Reading Challenges: 2022 Finishing the Series Reading Challenge, 2022 New Release Challenge, COYER 2022
A marriage that could save them both. A truth that might destroy them.
And a choice that will break her heart.All Aika ever wanted was a family -- until hers was standing on opposite ends of a war. Trapped between her loyalty to a monster and her love for a man who despises her, she must decide who sheโs willing to lose.
And who sheโs willing to betray.
Donโt miss this dark Cinderella retelling, where the stroke of midnight could mean the end of everything.
Fantastic conclusion to this dark and twisted Cinderella retelling! Of Thieves and Shadows by the fabulous Elle Madison, Robin D. Mahle picks up right where we left off in book three with Aika and Remy. Here we get to see just how far they will go for the kingdom and to stop Aika’s “Mother.” Because this is the fourth book of the series, please note that there may be spoilers to previous books in this review. Read at your own risk ๐
Aika’s growth from the last book through this one is phenomenal and believable. Her struggles with her feelings for Madame are perfectly represented here. Mahle and Madison do a fantastic job representing abused children through Aika (and Zaina). Those feelings of love and loyalty, wanting to belong and just wanting to be wanted, broke my heart. I love how once Remy got over his own hurt from Aika’s lies that he sees and accepts all of her, every piece. That was an important part of Aika’s growth and courage in this book.
The plot doesn’t slow down at all. It moves at a fast clip from the very first words to the last. It didn’t lag or slack off at all. Once I started, I could not set it down! I finished in almost one sitting ๐ Aika and Rey’s banter is perfection, and their sham of a marriage is only a sham to them. They aren’t fooling anyone else on how they feel about each other. I also loved the few chapters from Zaina’s and Einar’s POV. It was nice to see things from their perspective as well as helped tie them into this story.
Overall, I loved Of Thieves and Shadows. Fantastic read from start to finish! Aika is my favorite sister so far. I cannot wait to continue this series with Melodi’s story. I have so many theories about where the authors are leading us, but in truth I’m happy with whatever they send our way. Of Thieves and Shadows is a fast-paced, dark conclusion to this Cinderella retelling that will leave you with a happy heart.
About Elle Madison
Elle Madison is a faerie disguising herself as an author in the human world.
When she isn't wrestling her children, she's busy baking cookies for her husband and becoming a regular at every taco shop she comes across.
After hours, when she puts the kiddos to bed, you can usually find Elle working on creating new fantastical worlds or playing Stardew Valley.
Elle enjoys watching the sunset, trying new wines, the occasional raccoon, and being with people who make her laugh.
About Robin D. Mahle
The name Robin D. Mahle represents a dynamic husband and wife storytelling team. They've travelled the world for both love and war, and a tale began to form between the two of them that just had to be told. One's love of anime and comics collided with the other's love of fiction novels to produce a story with action, captivating dialogue, and riveting prose.
The female piece to the puzzle that is Robin spends her days as a captioner for the deaf and hard of hearing. She loves to read, write, and loves all things Doctor Who. A Marine Corps veteran, her husband homeschools their offspring, lovingly nicknamed Thing 1 and Thing 2. He loves to write and spend time in his garden.They also have two fur babies: a standard full-sized poodle and a persian cat. Their family lives in Colorado after a lifetime of being way too hot in Texas.
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