The Twice-Scorned Lady of Shadow

HOLY SHIT! I am reeling. This book was so damn good. It's such an incredible follow-up to The Long Forgotten Winter King.

We get so much Zak, more than we ever have. And Saber really grows in this book. Rikr is great of course and I love his relationship with Saber. We find out what really happened all those years ago and it's so fitting.

But best of all, Lallakai. This is her story and she shines. Oh boy does she shine. Without getting into any spoilers, I went into this hoping for one thing and left it with the exact opposite feelings. And SO many of them.

Lallakai has always been an interesting character, and as a reader, I've been at odds with her. Sometimes I love her and other times I hate her. But through it all, she is spectacular. Since she was first introduced, I've wanted to know more about her past and it was better than I hoped.

One of my favorite things about the Unveiled books is getting to find out more about fae and druids, and I was not disappointed here. There was one cameo I didn't expect, and was super pleased about. Saber gets her druid name, which is badass and so perfect for her.

Also loved Saber's intro to the Crow & Hammer. I knew as soon as Kit mentioned it in the last book, it would be fun. And it was. Went better than I expected. Can't wait for the next book for more C&H shenanigans. Saber would make a fun bounty hunter.

This book deserves all the damn stars! SOOO GOOD. Each Unveiled books gets better and I CAN NOT WAIT for the next one.

The Twice Scorned Lady of Shadow brings back a few familiar faces as Saber is introduced to the Crow and Hammer. Having hidden behind her nice persona for so long, when Saber decides to let her true face show to the guild, her surprise at their acceptance is wonderful. For those who have read the original Guild Codex series, it will come as no surprise that Saber will have a new found family if she chooses to accept them. But acceptance can be a hard thing to come by when you have a darker past. Yet Saber is making quite a few strides towards learning trust and forming closer bonds.

But make no mistake, Saber is still just as hard edged as she began. And when she finds herself journeying to the Court of Shadows to help Zak, the cruelty and bitter betrayal she encounters would tear any lesser character down. The past will come back in full force to emotionally devastated Saber and Zak, uncovering truths long buried and forcing them to relive horrific moments of their childhood.

Readers will have the chance to listen to Zak’s point of view this time. As one of the main morally grey characters of the series, and after spending countless books with him viewed from another character’s point of view, seeing his reasoning behind what he does will not let readers down. While there has been time to understand Saber’s past and her feelings towards the present day, Zak’s outlook will be just as emotionally painful.

The Twice-Scorned Lady of Shadow will show readers a darker side of the fae world and how the power some seek will take precedence over everything else. The past traumas Zak and saber have endured will blend into their future state eliciting dark and gritty emotional stances. Not to mention with the action packed writing style Annette Marie is known for will leave readers needing more by the end.