ARC REVIEW: Blue Shadows Fall by Lenore Stutznegger

Blue Shadows Fall by Lenore Stutznegger

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Release Date: November 9, 2021

Format: eARC

Publisher: Immortal Works Publishing

Get your copy of the book on Bookshop.org

Blue Shadows Fall by Lenore Stutznegger is a debut young adult fantasy tale that features monsters, magic, and a bit of science thrown in.  

First of all, this is an extremely creative book! Other YA fantasy main characters have super flashy powers (demigod abilities, summoning the sun, super assassins, etc.) but Blue’s unique ability is super sight. I can’t recall a book I’ve read before that features that; this aspect helped make the book feel fresh and unique compared to others. I was also very amused by the pop culture references that Blue makes in the book. It reminded me of the moment in Mortal Engines when they refer to old statues of the cartoon Minions as “Native American deities”. 

It’s hard to place this book in just a single genre. The author takes elements from multiple genres and blends them together to create this story. The two most prominent elements would probably be dystopia and dark fantasy. After that, there are also some elements of sci-fi and folklore but they aren’t as strong. 

Blue had all of the best qualities of my favorite female YA dystopian protagonists; headstrong like Katniss from The Hunger Games, scrappy like Tris from Divergent, and immense courage in the face of adversity like Skyhunter’s Talin. The relationship between Blue and her family felt very authentic, and I think it was one of the reasons I connected to her character so easily. 

The author reached out to ask if I would be interested in reviewing an early copy of the book, and the description she gave intrigued me so I agreed. It took a little while for me to get to the book (I’m VERY much a mood reader) but I’m glad I did because I enjoyed the story. I’m curious to see what happens next in the series, so I will definitely be checking the sequel out whenever it releases. 

I would recommend this book to young adult fans of the dark fantasy and dystopian genres who don’t mind some blood and death here and there. If those two genres aren’t your main go to’s, that’s totally ok! Don’t discount Blue Shadows Fall entirely though, because I think it has a lot of genre crossover potential. Thank you to the author for allowing me the chance to read an early copy - I appreciate it immensely. 

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an eARC of Blue Shadows Fall. This did not affect my opinion of the book or the context of my review. 

About the Author:

Lenore grew up running barefoot in the woods of Mechanicsville, Virginia with a dog at her side, five crazy siblings, and creative parents. She learned from a young age to hone her talents in art, trust in her voice, and compete for the most marshmallows in “Lucky Charms”. She graduated from Brigham Young University in Fine Art, married the love of her life, and lived in North Carolina for many years. She considers the South to be her happy place. She now resides in Northern California with her handyman husband, four spirited children, a pug, two cats, and backyard chickens in a new kind of crazy paradise. Lenore loves all things fantastical--from Marvel, Star Wars, and Harry Potter to shark and alien movies. Supernatural and humor play equal parts in everything she writes.

Blue Shadows Fall, YA Dark Fantasy, is her debut novel.

Check out my interview with the author here!

Note: Photography credit for author photo goes to Aria Bethards

Website: https://www.lenorestutz.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lenorestutzart

Twitter: https://twitter.com/lenowastutz