The villains of the novel are equally well-drawn, and the ravenous queen Kunin Yillda is downright terrifying, helped by her manipulative soothsayer, Nebfet.

(Where can one acquire his t-shirt that says “I LUB YOU”? Asking for a friend.) My second favorite, of course, is Toby’s cute and fluffy lub. She’s brave, sassy, and as real as the human characters, alongside her warmer partner, Brol. My favorite character, hands down, is Zavanna, one of the foxlike kettu warriors who loves as fiercely as she protects. Learning to accept our parents as humans with their own flaws and private battles is a tough lesson, especially after they’re gone, and that grief buried under Jack’s anger makes for an emotional read. Jack’s character arc is strong, and it’s satisfying to watch him transition from a bitter non-believer to the hero the story needs. It gives the novel breathing room to get to know the characters and the worlds. However, there’s also plenty of downtime in between fight scenes while the characters follow clues to hunt for the missing pieces of the Glass (in true quest fashion). The action/battle scenes are exciting and tense, with an almost cinematic quality to them that pays homage to the films of childhood. The book is well-paced, and the quest starts off strong in the early chapters without too much set-up, allowing us to pick up on the world-building as we go. We fought monsters and saved worlds with Atreyu and Sarah when we were younger, but what happens when we grow up and no longer believe in magic? The world and characters are new but feel familiar, and it’s a sort of sequel-in-spirit to those films. The Shadow Glass is a love letter to 80s fantasy films like Labyrinth (1986) and The NeverEnding Story (1984), with its own original twists.

This book has a special place for both of us (and the rest of #TheShadowGlassGuild), and I’m so happy to see it find its way into the hearts of fans everywhere. I had a chance to beta read this, so getting the opportunity to buddy read it again with Roberta from Offbeat YA was so wonderful. Trigger warnings: character death (on-page), parent/child death, gore, body horror, dismemberment, poison, violence, cancer, grief. I received a free e-ARC through NetGalley from the publishers at Titan Books. Jack is in no way prepared for a storm to bring the discarded puppets from The Shadow Glass to life, and he’s suddenly surrounded by brave kettu warriors and evil skalions in the search for an artifact that will save their world. As an adult, he’s jobless and bitter over his father’s obsession, and he wants nothing to do with Bob Co., the film company Bob left behind after his death.

Flash Book Review: A love letter to 80s fantasy film like The NeverEnding Story (1984), Labyrinth (1986), and The Dark Crystal (1982).Īs a child, Jack loved the world of Iri that his father created in his cult classic film, The Shadow Glass.

Josh winning the shadow glass