Book Review: Town of Shadows by Jessica Scarlett

Oh my.

Oh my goodness.

Thank heaven there were no Jedi around to tell me, “This is not the book you’re looking for, move along,” when I realized this story was written in first person.

Except it wasn’t.

Town of Shadows was the book I didn’t know I was looking for.

Thank goodness.

Without boring you with details, first-person point of view became hard for me since the first time I had covid. So, I usually avoid them like…well…the plague.

But the point of view wasn’t just first-person. It was multiple points of view from various characters.

And I loved it! It read like nothing I’ve ever read before, and I loved it.

Ms. Scarlett’s writing style pulled me (and my foggy brain) in and held it tight, daring it to let go. In an alternate Victorian London filled with magic and intrigue, the cast of characters made me laugh, cry, sigh, and want to stomp my feet in anger and frustration.

It was that good.

Grab a copy, and when you’re done, let me know what you thought of it. For now, though, I’ll be virtually pacing until the sequel is ready for me to devour it from cover to cover.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Release Date: Tuesday, 07/01/2025

It can be found here on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. (among other wonderful booksellers!)

NOTE: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases

From Goodreads:

In Victorian London, magic earns you a noose.

Eighteen-year-old Dorothy St. James can’t control her magic. To avoid arrest, she locks herself at home and buries her nose in her experiments. But a kidnapper called the Rook is on the loose, and his victims keep turning up insane. When Dorothy’s father is taken, she must exchange her beakers for bravery and find the Rook’s trail—the problem is, only one person ever has: a mysterious masked hero.

Ashley Gardner unabashedly casts illusions, using his charm to flit between the upper ton and the magical underbelly below. When Dorothy accuses him of knowing the masked hero’s identity, he flatly denies it. Until the clever beauty intercepts a communique he desperately needs.

They strike a bargain: she’ll give him the message in exchange for three clues to point her in the right direction. But Ashley won’t make them easy. In fact, he’ll make them impossible, because he has his own dangerous reasons for keeping Dorothy away—and Ashley always gets what he wants.

Through dazzling ballets, wild carnivals, and death-defying train rides, Dorothy must use her wits and magic to solve Ashley’s riddles and unravel her budding feelings for the illusionist mastermind behind them. The masked hero isn’t who she believes, and the Rook is closer than she suspects. While the game was always rigged against her, returning her father—mind intact—might just cheat her out of a heart too.