Book Tour: A SHADOW CROWN review + interview with Melissa Blair

Book Details

Title: A Shadow Crown (The Halfling Saga, Book 2)
Author: Melissa Blair
Publisher: Union Square & Co.
Publication Date: May 9, 2023
Genre(s): New Adult, LGBT, Fantasy
Pages: 480

     

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Reading Details

Finish Date: May 5, 2023
Format: Physical

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Rating: 4/5

Review: 
Thank you so much to TBR and Beyond Tours for allowing me to take part in this tour and, especially, for allowing me to be one of the interview stops. I had been desperately wanting to check out this series and they made it possible for me to do so! Make sure to check out the schedule so you don't miss any of the amazing stops!

The first thing I want to note is that, despite me having read both books in this saga recently this review will only be discussing A Shadow Crown because that's what the tour is focused on!

I typically have a bit of trouble getting sucked into fantasy books. I just don't always have the mental space for the world-building that's usually present in fantasy books. Thankfully I read this book at the right time and I never found myself getting overwhelmed. Rather I found myself drawn into this world and regularly waiting on edge for what was going to happen next!

I really liked these characters! I found them to be intriguing and fun to read about and follow along. Keera is just honestly really awesome and I think it's enhanced by the fact that she'w not a flawless person. She has her issues, but it just makes me love her more!

This book was paced a bit strangely but not in a bad way. It was a bit slow in the beginning and then picked up quite a bit of steam in the last third. The strange part is that it worked very well. The beginning was slower and it allowed time for the characters to grow and feel more fully fleshed out. The end was more thrilling and it left me wanting more each time. It was a fun little ride, a bit like a rollercoaster that starts off normally and then you hit a launch area towards the end.

I did struggle staying interested during a few of the conversations that were had, but nothing too big and it wasn't that prevalent of an issue. I just want to note that it did happen.

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What comes first to you when writing: the plot or the characters?

For a standalone or the first book in the series, it is always the characters that find me first. Or specifically, the intense conflict they feel in a certain moment that becomes the center of the story. In finishing out the series though, I have to focus on plot or I will just write a lot of depressing back story and zero action. So, for subsequent stories I try to find the path through first and then add in the character details as the plot allows.

How much world-building has gone into writing this book/series?

There is so much about this world that I know will never make it to the page. I used my linguistics background to create two languages, I have stories and lore written out that span over thousands of years, and I have descriptions of cities and areas the characters will never visit on page. I don’t know if the world building ever stops when you spend so much time in the world, it’s like any other universe, continually expanding.

What part of this book was the most fun to write?

Fun because I found it thrilling? The chase scene in Chapter 3. Fun because I will have so much fun watching readers be emotionally devasted? Every single memory and flashback.

Do you play music/watch TV while you write?

I can’t listen to anything with words in it. If I’m at a coffee shop I’m listening to white noise to drown out the people peopling around. If I’m at home, I’m listening to instrumental dark fantasy music. Really sets the mood for this kind of series.

How do you celebrate after finishing a book?

I take three days to catch up on missed sleep and then I go out to brunch with my friends. I also usually catch up on all the movies I haven’t let myself watch while on a deadline. I love going to the cinema.