[Review] The Beckoning Shadow by Katharyn Blair

The Beckoning Shadow by Katharyn Blair

Series: The Beckoning Shadow #1

Rating: 4 stars

Published: July 2nd 2019

Goodreads Synopsis:

Vesper Montgomery can summon your worst fear and turn it into a reality—but she’s learned the hard way that it’s an addicting and dangerous power. One wrong move and you could hurt someone you love.
But when she earns a spot in the Tournament of the Unraveling, where competitors battle it out for a chance to rewrite the past, Vesper finally has a shot to reverse the mistakes that have changed her forever. She turns to Sam Hardy, a former MMA fighter who’s also carrying a tragedy he desperately wants to undo. However, helping heal Sam’s heart will mean breaking her own, and the competition forces her to master her powers—powers she has been terrified of since they destroyed her life.

This was the book of the month for Shelflovecrate's July Box.

Vesper's been on the run from her family, from the law, from society, ever since she realized the full extent her ability - to use people's fears against them. But there's the Tournament of the Unraveling, a competition against other people like her, with powers, and its prize - any part of the winner's past can be rewritten. Vesper's going to need all she can to win against people with supernatural abilities - including the innate strength that lies inside her. She recruits the help of Sam, a former MMA fighter, and the rest of his gym, to harness that strength. But Sam's got other reasons for wanting to sponsor her.


Admittedly, it took me awhile to warm up to this book, because Vesper came off as pretentious and all-knowing, the type of teenager with the angsty mentality of "me against the world". But I really grew to enjoy it, this Karate Kid meets X-Men story. Vesper has so much to learn in terms of getting physically ready and mentally ready for this competition and I like that it was a continual process that took pitfalls, took many ups and downs, for her to reach her goal. And I like that Vesper was a cheerleader and a popular girl before all of this - it really shows the sharp contrast in her life as it is now.

Her romance with Sam was really endearing to read, as they dance around their feelings - Sam's still trying to get over his ex, and it's reveal who his ex is (SPOILER), which causes complications in his feelings for Vesper. They also have totally different reasons for wanting to win the competition.

For a minute, I let myself believe that this is simple. He's just a boy with muscles and scruff and that tattoo on the back of his triceps is just a really bad teenage mistake, like our parents always warn tattoos will be. I'm not a gladiator. I'm not a coward, or a life-ruiner. I'm just a cheerleader, and I've stumbled against him like heroines do in the cheesy movies Lindsay and I always made fun of. - p. 250

The world-building, though a bit exposition heavy at times, was really unique when incorporating it to the modern, real world. The powers were new and unexpected - the ability to turn everything you touch to dust, have spikes as armor, turn things to glass, etc. But I did find it a bit corny with the whole villain explains his plot to the hero trope in the end.

Vesper's journey to becoming champion and finally seeking peace with her ability, was an awesome read.