Advance reader copies (ARCs) of Child of Shivay by JR Cathers were sent out in waves. Each wave went to a new round of applicants. Since my reading schedule for October was already very full, I tried to ignore the first few waves. However, a couple friends of mine jumped on the book right away. They fell head over heels in love with it. They quickly talked more friends into subsequent waves, and then I heard even more positive hype. Finally, The Nerd Fam announced they would be facilitating a round of ARC applications. I have loved working with TNF for the past year, so that was the final straw. At that point, I couldn’t resist applying, and I’m glad that I did.

Child of Shivay is officially out tomorrow, October 16th. It is the first installment in the new Veils of Terr series.

Summary:

For as far back as she can remember, Shivaria has spent her life in training. The Drakai took her in when she was very young after finding her as an orphan. They honed her into a weapon, a skilled assassin like the rest of them. It was a hard upbringing, but it has all led up to her current assignment. She must eliminate the king of A’kori, the kingdom that oppresses hers, hoards the world’s resources, and protects the fea and feyn who would see mortals like her completely annihilated.

Though she sometimes wonders whether she is fully capable of completing her assignment, she is eager to do so. Unfortunately, she discovers upon arrival that it will take longer than expected. The king is away. His location is undisclosed, and he won’t be returning for some time. In the meantime, she’ll have to wait, and she spends that time ingratiating herself with those closest to the king. She learns all she can from them about the man and the kingdom he rules. The more she learns, the more questions she has until her certainty begins to shake.

My Thoughts:

This is a fantastic story that I am hungry for the next installment of. The world, its magic system, and (possibly most importantly) its politics are all extremely well flushed-out. I expect in the next installment all of these will become even more detailed and vivid. I especially loved the way we get to watch the more hidden elements of the world unfold through Shivaria’s eyes. It gives us a keen insight into the effects that propaganda has had on this world on individuals and entire countries. It’s a powerful way to demonstrate how pervasive and divisive it can be, using this war-torn world as an example. Few doubt that their beliefs are factual, nor whether their actions are warranted. Most factions brand doubt as weakness.

Her upbringing did make Shivaria difficult for me to like at first. In the beginning, she has a potent “not like other girls” energy. Thankfully, this is part of her growth journey. If this is typically an ick for you as well, I recommend trying to push through on this one. A trait that’s more enduring and may also cause irritation for some readers is that despite her training, Shivaria is not a very good spy. She has learned very little about the inner workings of her target country. She is frequently too trusting of others, and she has no poker face. This would have been more endearing if it were played for humorous effect. As it stands, it feels closer to a plot hole. It’s possible that the a subsequent installment of the series could close that gap, and I’m hopeful that it will.

Though it felt out of place, I did ultimately enjoy the way her trusting nature created relationships and then the relationships themselves. I should also mention there is some great spice in this one. I’m anxious to see what happens next with each of her connections. Revelations made at the end of book one are sure to drastically affect how characters view one another in book two.

I’m also looking forward to the fulfillment of foreshadowing that I’m seeing in the story. I really enjoy stories that encourage me to make connections and put pieces together. Whether that’s done through hinting or more overt dramatic irony, I love to figure out big reveals before the characters do. There was a specific twist I was expecting to come toward the end of this book. I spent much of the book wondering if my guess would be right or wrong at the end. To my dismay, that question has no answer yet. In the final chapters, the narrative takes a very surprising turn and finishes with a cliffhanger. In most cases, the lack of an answer would leave me agitated. Instead, I have a whole set of new, more pressing questions I need answered first. They are the type of questions that promise a deeper and widening world.

We don’t yet have a release date for the second book. I will be keeping an eye out for updates from the author. There is also no indication I can find about the intended length of the series, either. Not all readers are willing to deal with that sort of suspense, but if you don’t mind not yet knowing, I do recommend this one.

Content Warnings: Child Abuse, Parent Loss, Vomit, Graphic Depictions of Violence & Injuries, Blood, Torture, Gore, Child Death, Graphic Sexual Content, War, Starvation, Discrimination, Gaslighting, Betrayal, Abduction, Confinement, Alcohol, Drugging

After I Finished Child of Shivay

Once I got to the end of this one, I didn’t have to spend long thinking about what I should read next. Not one but two of the ARCs on my list release next Tuesday, October 28th. Both are books I’ve been excited to read. One of them is a sequel to another book I ARC read for, and one was from an author I’d never read before. The books are similar length and I know I can read the sequel quickly. Therefore, I decided to take the plunge into the book I knew less about. I was excited by the unique-sounding magic system, FMCs who aren’t as young as they used to be, and even a sapphic romance subplot!

My next review will be for Oblivion’s Hymn by A.J. Peterson.