Until We Shatter by Kate Dylan
4 stars
Out: October 17th 2024
Cemmy is a half Shade. That means she has too much magic according to a Church that would kill her, and the Council of Shades believes she doesn't have enough and wants her dead. When her mother gets sick she is forced to become a thief. She is then coerced into a nearly impossible heist to steal an artifact from the Church in the realm of shadows. This heist may be able to solve all her problems but she has to work with the beautiful, frustrating Chase. If she fails she may ignite the city and bring forth the destruction of a whole world.
I am an avid fan of the author's Mindwalker series, so I was excited to read this. Plus I love heists. The heist here involves a truly original magic system and it has the training, planning and bickering you hope for, all leading to the main event. There are also manipulations, deception, secrets and breath-stealing action. I really enjoyed that we learn the plan along with Cemmy and how it evolves. How it is a lot more important than the team initially knew. This brings a sense of foreboding and amplifies the suspense.
Kate Dylan is great at writing witty protagonists with the right amount of snark and Cemmy is a keeper from the very start. She is 'unwanted' in her society, quick to anger, and vulnerable, though much stronger than she realizes. Chase, as the protagonist mentions in the book is "a villain and a saint in equal measure". Their connection is tempestuous and entertaining to read. You will really like Cemmy's squad and her mother of course.
The building and explaining of this world and magic system are intricate but understandable and compelling. You devour the info with gusto. I like the way the author writes a sentence that can be loaded with suspense, intrigue, roaring with emotion and giving clues of the past or the future all rolled into a few carefully selected words. A sentence that speaks volumes. The figurative speech is without fanfare but imaginative in its imagery all the same. The depiction of the protagonist's thought process possesses great depth and encompasses the aspects of the story in such a way so it isn't totally one-sided.
There were some instances, mostly in the beginning, where the interpretation of things got wordy or/and I'd have to reread to truly understand. Also, her musings did get long-winded and sometimes repetitive.
This is a book about the taint of hate due to prejudice. It deals with the pitfalls of power and zealotry. It is about tackling your fears and asks if the end justifies the means. I love it when story threads keep weaving, twisting, in unpredictable and captivating ways. This one rises to its ambition and journeys us in creative glory to a mind-boggling, heart-squeezing conclusion. I do hope the author visits this world again.
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