Until We Shatter by Kate Dylan

Book Fort Rating: 3.5 stars, rounded down.

Is it building the Book Fort? No. I liked it, but as mentioned previously, book forts can only hold so many books...

I'd like to begin this review by stating that Until We Shatter was one of my most anticipated releases of the year, and because of this, I might have set my expectations a little bit too high before picking it up to read. That being said, this is also not a debut novel, so my expectations, although high, weren't unreasonably so. 

As a reminder to those of you who have read my reviews before, or as an explanation for those of you who are new here, anything I rate 3 stars or higher is something that I liked... but didn't love.

Kate Dylan's latest novel contains many elements worth appreciating.

First, she has crafted an eclectic mix of characters, each with distinct desires and ambitions, showcasing personalities that are flawed, amusing, and realistically gritty. Although there was a limit to what could be achieved in (what I believe is) a standalone novel, Kate Dylan effectively assembled a group of believable would-be thieves connected through shared history and trauma.

Another aspect I enjoyed about this book was her writing style. Kate writes very pretty sentences that can pack a real punch. I believe she'd really excel in the adult domain, which would allow her to push her skills even further. Her words read well aloud, and I can imagine they would translate very effectively in audiobook format. She uses narrative pauses beautifully. I believe this is the main reason I was able to persist through what I found to be challenging.

That being said, there were a few things I didn't like. Namely, a criticism that seems to be a common thread among many early reviewers here: the world building is overwhelming and confusing, and frequently left me scratching my head, trying to remember which colour meant what power, or what a metallic even was. I read a considerable amount of adult high fantasy novels, many of which include maps, glossaries, and detailed lore explanations. I only mention this to highlight that complex magic systems are not new to me, and I genuinely believe that the problem with Until We Shatter is that the world-building got lost in translation. 

The power glossary at the beginning of the novel lacks sufficient detail. There is no explanation for shades, family trees, or other information that could help readers understand what Kate Dylan aims to convey. To me, it felt like I was pushed to create my own resources to explain this complex system—a demanding expectation for a Young Adult novel. I took an unexpectedly long time to realise that each colour corresponded to a metallic "shade" counterpart, and until I made this connection, the novel was quite difficult to follow. I initially assumed the entire heist group consisted of "normal" magic users until halfway through the book, when a journal excerpt provided additional context for the lore.

If you are feeling confused while reading this review... I trust that my point is translating well. I, too, am confused. Confused about how to communicate what I experienced. Confused about what happened to make it this way in the first place... It was quite a lot to process.

I truly wanted to love this book. I made a genuine effort to engage with it. From a purely utilitarian perspective, this book appears to have fallen into a common pitfall many standalone novels encounter: overambition within a limited page count. Had this book been divided into a duology, it might have allowed Kate Dylan the opportunity to convey her lore more effectively. But as it stands in my eyes, it's a book that I liked, but didn't love.

Thank you to Netgalley, Hodder & Stoughton, and Kate Dylan for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.