Reign of Night (A Study in Shadows) - Gothic Fantasy Novel for Adults | Mystery Thriller Book | Perfect for Late Night Reading & Book Club Discussions

This book was a very enjoyable and well written read. I downloaded it on a whim when it popped up in my recommendations but didn’t have any real expectations since I’m not usually a fan of vampire novels. I was very pleasantly surprised!The book is a lot more gritty and atmospheric than expected, and I loved it! The fantasy world and Helius Order worked really well and set it apart from other books in the genre.It reads almost episodic, with the first half having one main plot and the second half another mostly separate one, plus several subplots. While I did feel the initial plot concluded a bit quickly, I enjoyed the second storyline more so I’m not complaining. There is plenty of intrigue and murder mystery that keeps you invested.The characters are definitely a highlight of the book. I really enjoyed Lyss. She is a strong, capable hunter an protagonist but is still very human and flawed. She is well developed and I found it easy to relate to her. I loved her friendship with Tholdri and Steifan, and I was so glad that it remained mutually platonic. It was refreshing to have a male-female friendship with no underlying lust.Asher is very interesting and mysterious.I am looking forward to learning more about him and his motivations in the next book. Although he is an ancient vampire, his personality avoids many of the cliches typically associated with that type of character.There is a romantic subplot but it remains mild in this book, which I was a big fan of. I loved that the author didn’t rush the enemies to lovers transition but instead allows time for the characters to slowly grow closer. It leaves the door open for more enemies to lovers goodness in the next book.The ending of the book sets up the next in the series. While some of the plot lines will continue on and there are plenty of loose ends, I wouldn’t say it ends on a cliffhanger. I’m happy to wait for the next book and have added it to my list. This is the first book in a while that I actually stayed up late to read, I’m so glad I gave it a chance!