The Construction of Shadows by Dakota Jackson

I was given a free e-galley by the author in exchange for an honest review

CW’s: some violence, some language, pretty tame.

My Rating: 4.25/5 Stars

The concept right off the bad, was amazing. And for me, it kicked off right away. Jackson didn’t waste time in the book with exposition, she multi-tasked by providing both at the same time. She built the world and began building out the characters as she established what the story would be.

On that note, from the beginning the writing was so beautiful and lyrical. I adored how she wrote. The writing reads as effortlessly beautiful and readable at the same time. It didn’t feel like Jackson was trying too hard and it didn’t feel like she was implementing purple prose. Her writing style made the exposition seem natural, like she was telling a true fable and was building the world out for the fable to begin.

The world itself was a good mix of urban fantasy and high fantasy. I think most YA books are good entry points for high-fantasy, but this one especially is one of the ones that maintains quality of the book while being digesteable enough for someone new to the genre. I don’t know what it is about Fantasy worlds with plays on divinity, heavens/hells, etc. But I love them so much. I was obsessed with angel books as a teen (Hush, Hush, Fallen, Immortal City, etc) and this feels like it scratches that itch for me while having this even-better quality of escapism.

But at the same time, it maintains this aspect to it that interrogates oppressive systems that are in part, perpetuated by people around the oppressed. And it’s what they’re taught to do, yes, but it demonstrates how propaganda can influence people into participating in oppressive systems out of fear.

Meiling and Suraya are both enjoyable characters. I in particular really liked Suraya, as this overachiever who desperately wants to believe she deserves what hse has. She wants to earn her place. At the same time, in contrast, Meiling has the opposite problem. She deserves to be treated the same, to gain access to education, but because she’s not Gifted she doesn’t get it. So it offers up a really interesting contrast between the two of them.

This book does require a bit of suspension of disbelief and just acceptance of the world you’re placed in. Which i think is fine when it’s well done and well executed. And I think that Jackson did a pretty good job. She sprinkles in confirmation that this world is a lot like ours (mentions medications, doctor’s visits, lap tops, news, articles, etc). And the author explains, in pieces, about the religion and center source of powers. I think if you’re someone who needs a lot of establishing for the world, then it might be a bit confusing, but I think if you’re willing to go into it without having to know absolutely everything, it makes sense.

Also, special shout out to not having a long directory. For me, personally, I didn’t really feel like I needed it that much, which is a credit to the author.

I also like morally gray FMC’s, like Suraya. I’m so used to these teenage FMC’s that have to be perfect, or have to be this very specific type of morally gray. I like when girls are allowed to break the mould a bit and still be flawed and angry and ambitious.

There are a good number of POVs, and some show up more than others. I think if you’re someone who has a hard time keeping track of multiple POV’s, or wants them to be distinct, the book might be a bit disappointing. But I think with the third person point of view the book is written in, and the way it’s written, distinction doesn’t super make sense. The characters feel distinct, I don’t really think the narrative need to be separate. I think their motivations, their backgrounds, and their abilities distinguish them enough (I adored Evie by the way, though she’s introduced around the 30% mark, she’s adorable).

The book was well paced in my opinion, this is subjective, naturally. It’s a lot happening all at once and the book doesn’t always give time to breathe. But to me, that’s what makes it so readable. The characters have multiple plots going on but to me it doesn’t feel frivolous or inane to have so many. They feel like threads that matter. The way this is plotted, and the world building, feel like they were actually kept track of; things stayed consistent.

I will say the dialogue ia bit clunky, but dialogue is difficult to write, and it’s not so clunky that it takes you out of the book and honestly, real life people talk in clunky ways.

Also special shout out for the diversity in names AND the well written fight scenes.

Once the half-way mark passed, it picked up even faster. And it felt like one revelation after the other was happening but it didn’t feel overwhelming to me. Not really. The emotions felt complex and dynamic that the characters felt and I think the characters all got their fair shot at development and growth. I do feel like Suraya almost had reverse-growth, but i think it was well done and realistic. If that revelation happened to you, and you found out something about your best friend that was connected in such a negative way to your family, you’d react in a bad way too.

Overall, great book! I loved the two of them and their dynamic.