Deborah Walters

The story is boring. It feels like it's pulling from plots of other books. In the beginning, when Ayleth heads to the competition, she unknowingly meets and rescues the Prince, who's dressed as a commoner. That's a standard Hallmark plot. The author's descriptions and world building is drab. Basically, people possessed by Shades harness their Shade's powers to hunt other uncontrolled Shades. It's a dumb, unimaginitive plot, that dragged on and on and on. Since the hunters want to kill all Shades, why don't they all just commit suicide and end the book. Boring!