*Spoilers Ahead*

Winner of the Best Sophomore Book Award in the Queer Indie Awards 2022.

Blurb:

Fierce love, fortitude, and fury combine in the thrilling sequel to The Dying Light. The Bloodwitch is fledging. A dark presence stirs in the depths of the Casimir coven forest. Haunted by the horrors he endured in the Shadow Cells, Zuriel is desperate to rescue Seren from the clutches of his father. But returning to Elysia will mean facing his past – and himself.

Surrounded by his natural enemies, Vasco is forced to question everything he thought he knew about himself and his world. With Zuriel and Vasco growing ever closer, they must learn to heal, as they begin unravelling the terrible secrets of their pasts. Only then will they be strong enough to face the fight looming ahead.

Vasco cannot abandon the boy he once knew, but what pieces of Charlie survived? Are some memories too horrific to ever be laid to rest? And can Zuriel learn to find himself again – before it’s too late?

Includes Touch of Starlight, a prequel telling the story of the fateful meeting of two mothers.

Content warnings provided. This book contains material that is not suitable for young readers.

All proceeds from the sale of this book are donated to charities supporting survivors of child sexual abuse.

Not only did I get the chance to be an ARC reader for We Become Shadows, I also had the chance to beta read the story as well. And both times, and an extra many other times, proved it was a splendid and emotional read.

What can I say about We Become Shadows?

In We Become Shadows, we follow Charlie, a fan favorite, right alongside Vasco and co, into the heart of a coven. A coven who have more than enough grudges and fear with what and who Charlie is.

In a lot of dark fantasy and grim novels, happy endings are hard to come by, let alone sparks of joy here and there. But in this book, I thought there was a nice blend of both elements, but still staying true to the darker genre. No character was perfect, and no character was immune to destruction or character flaws. It made them relatable, at least to me, and made them feel as real as you and me. Aside from the fantasy elements and transformations.

Here is my Goodreads Review:

Grief, turmoil, anger, joy. These emotions and many more are what will accompany you when reading We Become Shadows. Following the events of The Dying Light, Charlie, Vasco, and co. have just escaped The Great Protector’s clutches. Charlie or Zuriel for most of the novel, is fighting an inner battle that he can’t seem to shake. Vasco does what he can to reassure Charlie, but even through everything, Charlie can’t escape the darkness within him.

While We Become Shadows is a lengthy novel, it was wonderful to see all of the trials and tribulations Lily’s characters were going through. The raw emotion of the recent events that Charlie, Vasco, Alexandra, and others was clear, and at times, would have me take that step back, and really think about everything that they were going through. The absolute distrust was right on the mark. No one seems to trust anyone, and I understood why, even though there were sometimes where I just wanted to shake the characters into some sense. But, it had to happen.

Another thing that I enjoyed seeing, was how Charlie came into his own person. He wasn’t just Zuriel, a weapon to enemies alike, but he was the star his mother always saw him as. It hurt me to see Charlie hurt, that deep emotional pain that can take years for it to heal. I could see that progression throughout the novel, how he becomes closer to Vasco, the protective nature he has for Saga and any child, and the self-control he attained by the end.

The ending just about shocked me and left me wanting to curse out certain characters. (I had the opportunity to beta read We Become Shadows but it had been a while for me to remember the whole plot) It took me a minute to really process everything by the end, and just go like: “Well, that happened. What’s next?”

Life is a scary place, and with We Become Shadows, no matter how much the darkness can suck you in, I felt as though there was always a beacon of light somewhere. It didn’t feel so hopeless, despite events that were occurring in the novel.

The only questions I really have are: what lies in wait for Charlie and Vasco? And will everyone find out the truth?

This was a book you couldn’t really tear away from, and if you get your hands on it, I’d highly recommend you read The Dying Light right before this one. The timelines will make sense, not that they don’t when reading each book independently of one another, but it will only suck you in more to the Bloodwitch Series.

And just like with The Dying Light, please read the content warnings beforehand in case there are materials you are triggered by.

Happy Reading!