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Map of Shadows

Map of Shadows by J. F. Penn



*I received free copy to review from the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

Synopsis (from Goodreads)
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.

Review
This book had a lot of great elements! It has a very interesting premise. I thought the world and magic system in the book were creative and original. I like the idea of being able to work magic with maps, or of maps having a type of power over the world. The idea of certain people's blood can also be used to strengthen the borders is slightly creepy but creative and really worked with the setting. I also liked the idea about how maps and places change over time, and what happens to those things when they change? The whole concept of the Borderlands was fascinating and I loved the dark and disturbing world Penn created.

Where this book didn't pull through was I felt there just wasn't much depth to it. The story went so quickly, I felt like I didn't really get to know the characters, so I didn't care so much about what happened. The romance felt rushed. The betrayal had no emotional impact. The plot ran at breakneck speed. With Sienna, she decides within a couple hours to accept this whole different world that she never knew existed, and just dives right in. I would have enjoyed to see her struggle a bit more with the transition. A lot of elements were definitely there: romance, sibling love, friendship, adventure discovering a new world and magic. There was even the interesting discussion about maps and borders changing over time!

But it just needed a little more. The book would have benefitted from being 100 pages longer, in building the relationships between characters, driving up the tension, and really bringing the world to life.

Overall, I did enjoy it, and it's good for a quick fantasy read.


Rating
I give this book 3 stars.


Details
Genre: Fantasy.
Language: Mild to none.
Sex: None.
Violence: Some bloody descriptions, plus some scenes of conditions with abused women and children.
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