Review: The Shadow Court by Jenn Stark (Wilde Justice #4)

The Shadow Court (Wilde Justice #4)
Jenn Stark
Published: Sept. 30, 2019 (Elewyn Publishing)
Purchase at: Amazon
Review Source: Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Reviewed by: Amy

Rating (out of 5): 5 stars

Note: This review will be spoiler free, however it will reference events from the previous Immortal Vegas series, if you haven’t started that one yet, check out VBC’s review of Getting Wilde.

Let’s just start things off shall we. At the end of The Hallowed Knight readers were gobsmacked—at least this reader was—when it turned out that, in defeating the titular Hallowed Knight, Armaeus’ memories were purged, namely all his memories of Sara.

The Shadow Court picks up just a few weeks later and no one is any closer to figuring out why Sara alone is the only thing missing from Armaeus’s memory. What is discovered, however, is the fact that Armaeus has purged his memories twice in the past. But to what end? Was it to keep information from getting into the wrong hands or to protect it? They’ll have to figure it out fast because a group from the past known as The Shadow Court has emerged from, ahem, the shadows and its opposition to The Council may bring about the Council’s downfall. Unfortunately, the key to defeating this new (old) foe is tied up in Armaeus previously lost memories, which makes their retrieval all the more dire.    

I was really excited for The Shadow Court because I was ready to dive in on all the ramifications from its predecessor. It definitely doesn’t disappoint.

Jenn Stark balances all the varying story threads really well throughout. Pretty much every little detail connects together in some way forming the bigger picture of what makes up the story of The Shadow Court. Jenn Stark deftly draws clear lines from one thing to the next which makes this read very compelling and fast-paced.

I’ve always loved the mixture of history we get in this series seeing as how many of the characters have been around for quite a while. Most recently, I’ve really enjoyed the history of the Justice of the Arcana Council—a position that Sara Wilde now holds, but which her predecessor left very mysteriously upon her death. We get more glimpses into Justice Strand this time around since one of Armaeus’s memory purges occurred during her residency as Justice, but Jenn Stark is sure to leave some questions for later.

As is the same with The Shadow Court itself. I loved the idea of this secret society—being so at odds with what the Council stands for—being an outlier, kind of running behind the scenes this entire time. Although, their motivations are far from wrapped up by the end of The Shadow Court I look forward to delving into their continuing presence.

The main draw for The Shadow Court is Armaeus and Sara. There’s just no getting around that fact. There’s a lot of relearning that has to occur. As well as this idea that each of our relationships are colored by our own view, by what we bring into the relationship. What Sara sees in her love for The Magician isn’t the same as what he saw in his love for Sara and vice versa. These aren’t things that can be conveyed through words, but through feelings and experiences. There’s a sense of heart-break for what has been lost, but hopefulness for the possibilities. 

It’s a risk anytime an author goes somewhere unexpected with their characters, especially so far into a series. But Jenn Stark gambled and won. The Shadow Court opens up a lot of new directions that I’m excited to explore.

Sexual content: Kissing