Joshua Johnson

I have so much to say about ACOWAR...too much–I dare say.

First off, the grammar of this book is atrocious. I listened to ACOTAR and ACOMAF on Audible, so I hadn't been exposed to the overuse of em-dashes and ellipses until now, and I gotta say, SJM needs a new editor. Assuming she used one at all for this.

I will say that the first two hundred or so pages of ACOWAR were top notch and super engaging. When Feyre and Lucien made their escape from the Spring Court and had to take on the twins, muah. Give me more of that SJM. That level of engagement fell off hard when she returned to the night court and the plot came to a crawl.

The WAR part of ACOWAR was more of a let down than the smut part of this book, and even that was non-existent. Although, that may be because I'm used to reading epics such as the Horus Heresy where war and characters are the primary focuses, not bat wings, throat bobbings, and ten pages worth of Rhys shoving his hands in his pockets. What is he even doing that for? Are we playing with ourselves in public now? All of the battles, or around 99% of them, are watched from afar as Feyre is left behind under the care of Mor, which is fine, but SJM shows that her ability to convey the nitty-gritty side of war and the emotional losses that come with it is severely lacking.

Secondly, the pacing of the last two hundred pages was insane. We spend around 300 - 400 pages in the night court where the main group are worried about unifying the realm. Then, when it comes down to the battle, we fly through it in maybe one hundred and fifty pages with twenty allocated for epilogues. The final twenty or so chapters go like this: “OH NO! Problem has arisen!” to “It's aight, we'll solve it in a three or four page chapter :).”

Overall, I'm disappointed to say that this was my first book I finished in 2025. I wish I could take it back, but alas, my throat bobbed and my hands needed warming, so I shoved them in my pants. One out of five. Read it if you must, but abandon all hope ye who must put up with Nesta for another page. I'll see you ACOFANs in the next book!

SPOILER: Using the high lords to resurrect Rhys in the same manner that Feyre was in ACOTAR was a lame maguffin. Better to have not killed him off in the first place as it ruined his sacrifice. The same went for Amren. There were no stakes in the end. Sure, you can make the argument that the Bone Carver, The Weaver, and Feyre's father (who SJM didn't even bother naming???) lost their life, but those are side characters. I'm also pretty sure they didn't bother giving the Archeron's father a sendoff? Though, maybe I missed that singular paragraph.

Listened to this on audible and it was fine.

I think the Siege of Terra spoiled me with the break in 40k era dogma and constant bolter porn. When Felix was leading his men in a blind charge (later in the book), I zoned out for the better part of twenty minutes, and he was still shouting “FORWARD!”

Really enjoyed Ku'Gath's introduction, but Mortarion + Typhus' interactions made me zone out from the mustache-twirling evil villain HAHA-ness of them. I hate to say it, but Typhus was right. They should have just ransacked Macragge and its inner systems while Guilliman was returning from the Indomitus Crusade.

I really enjoyed the Guilliman + Bellisarius Jr. interaction earlier on in the book.

Overall, three out of five. Read it for catching up on the lore purposes but be prepared for lack-luster villains, dialogue that would make the Emperor wish for death, and bolter porn.

For the Emperor!

Very good read!

Honestly, I went into this not knowing what to expect and I'm happy to say I came out on the other side pleasantly surprised! After reading SJM and other popular modern-day Fantasy authors, M.L. Wang has given me hope again that good reads (ha) are floating around out there.

The first chapter hooked me instantly. Sciona hooked me instantly. Sciona and Thomil's slow burn romance hooked me instantly. The world and its magic systems hooked me instantly. The only part that didn't hook me was Thomil's niece and how she acted, but can you really blame her? Maybe her snarkiness didn't sit well with me.

I also felt that the Renthorn plot-line where he assaulted Sciona in the library was a bit out of the blue. Like I get it, there are evil men in this world. But this felt thrown in to force him into being one of the big baddies. Leaving him as obsessed with seeing Blight's effects on humans and animals would have secured him, and the other Highmages, as insane and deserving of the climax enough.

I enjoyed that M.L. Wang had the gumption to throw Alba disavowing Sciona during the climax as well. It provided a real reaction that brainwashed citizens of a dystopia such as Tiran would have when the dark side of their society was forcefully presented to them.

Overall, 4/5. Very high recommend that I've already sent to a few co-workers and reading buddies.

Let's be honest, we all read it for Chapter 55, but to get that far? Pure slog. Maybe it was the VA for the audiobook, but Cassian's voice definitely brought me out of scenes. He's supposed to be a muscled, chad of a man, yet sounds like he's in his nerd-phase with his nose clogged up tighter than Nesta's fists in every scene she's in.

Also, suspension of disbelief need not apply itself here with Feyre using working plumbing in the beginning in the Spring Court + working showers.

Also x2, which Editor thought Rhys calling Feyre “Defender of the Rainbow” after the battle of Velaris was brilliant? I would like to have a conversation with them...

Overall, it took me 6 months to get through this, but I would 100% listen / read it again for the memes. Thank you SJM for this masterpiece. 2/5 would get watery bowels, throw a shoe at Rhys, and fling vulgar gestures around like no tomorrow again.

It was okay, I guess?

I really wanted to like the first Licanius book, but as I got further into it, it seemed to become the same thing over and over and over again until Davian met with his Augur mentor in Deillanis. The fight scenes also didn't do anything for me, and I'm not sure why. They were just fine.

What I really ended up enjoying were the visions, or flashbacks, or flash forwards? Those small glimpses provided a ton of information and glimpses into what was to come, and how certain characters became who they were.

Overall, I give The Shadow of What Was Lost a 3/5. It was good, not great, and certainly not bad. Give it a whirl if you enjoy a ton of dialogue, a little lack luster in the action department, but the world building is 10/10.