Map of Shadows Review

Title: Map of Shadows
Author: J.F. Penn
Series: Mapwalker #1
Publisher: Curl Up Press
Publication Date: 12 December 2017
Source: Kate Tilton's Author Services
Format: Ebook
Pages: 210
Rating: 3.25 Stars
Reading Timeline: 26 February 2018

Goodreads Synopsis:

A map of skin etched in blood.

A world under threat from the Borderlands.

A young woman who must risk the shadows to save her family.

When her Grandfather is murdered under mysterious circumstances, Sienna Farren inherits his map shop in the ancient city of Bath, England. Once there, she discovers that her family is bound up with the Ministry of Maps, a mysterious agency who maintain the borders between this world and the Uncharted.

With the help of Mila Wendell, a traveller on the canals, Sienna discovers her own magical ability and a terrifying place of blood that awaits in the world beyond.

But when she discovers a truth about her past and the Borderlands begin to push through the defenses, Sienna must join the team of Mapwalkers on their mission to find the Map of Shadows – whatever the cost.

In a place written out of history, a world off the edge of the map, Sienna must risk everything to find her father … and her true path as a Mapwalker.

Book Review:

Pre-Reading Thoughts:

First of all, can I just say that I absolutely love this cover! It is so well done and to be honest, I just love it! I read the synopsis of this book and thought why not. It sounded intriguing and something that can turn out to be something really good.

Thank you so much to Kate Tilton's Author Services for providing me with a copy of this book to review. Just a small disclaimer for those reading this review. I have received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. Please note that this does not affect my opinion in any way. All thoughts are my own.

Writing Thoughts:

The writing in this book wasn't too bad. It flowed really well and the pacing was actually really good. The author seemed to switch point of views in the middle of a chapter without providing a clear indiction that the point of view was about to change. It can be difficult to remember that whilst third perspective allows us to see a birds eye view of the story we still have different point of views. I liked the detail in this book but felt like it needed to be a bit more consistent.

Plot Thoughts:

I really enjoyed the plot line. It was clear a majority of the time and we were given a problem and a solution. I loved how we got to learn with Sienna about the world of Mapwalker. I am also half that we got explanations on the various powers that a Mapwalker can posses. The blood magic element would definitely be a trigger warning factor as it involves self-harm. So I would proceed with caution. The romance in this book was forced and in my opinion unnecessary. The book was short and the romance didn't add any value to the plot.

Character Thoughts:

Due to the shortness of the book, we couldn't see how the characters grew and developed. This meant that they fell flat more often than not. They often lacked dimension and I also felt as though we didn't really get to know the characters. We got glimpses but it felt as though we were simply people who passed by and heard a snippet about someone.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, I think that this story has potential. The author's writing is definitely in the beginning stages but I think that with time they will figure some things out. The wiring will become a whole lot better with both time and practice. The plot was interesting but I felt myself skipping over some sections because they were boring or because it was too much of an information dump. Please be aware that this book does contain self-harm. The characters were also felt but with the development of the author's writing, the characters will also get more depth. Thank you so much to Kate Tilton's Author Services for providing me with a copy fo this book!

Yours in Reading,

Melleny