For Shade, returning to Taralius is like a homecoming she never wanted. She soon finds old relationships are changed and past contacts have turned sour. Worse yet, a bitter enemy stalks the streets—a venomous assassin who’s sworn to deliver Shade to her own sending.
Meanwhile, others in the city are delving into their own pasts. While Second Corporal Avendor Tarcoth re-establishes contacts from the shadowy life he thought he’d left behind, Tiberius follows the trail of an unexpected message toward an equally unexpected encounter. Neither man is aware of the dangers that stalk them.
Far across the Realm, the man calling himself Carvesh Tarne leads a small company through the depths of Jadenwood in search of answers surrounding the shadowbeasts that nearly destroyed his home and family. But answers aren’t always what they seem. Sometimes they fight back.
The Riven Realm series is epic fantasy told in bite-sized novellas, fast to read, tightly written, and much bigger than it first looks.
Book three keeps the momentum going. The pace is still relentless, the chapters short, and the story packed with danger, politics, and magic. If anything, this volume feels like a real turning point. Secrets start coming out, old mysteries get some answers, and the bigger picture of the world comes into focus.
I really enjoyed seeing Avendor Tarcoth step into the spotlight more this time. We finally get a sense of his history and motivations, and that gave his character more weight. There is also more detail about the royal family and their past, which helped ground the wider conflicts. At the same time, Shade takes on a bigger role. Her loyalties and motives remain uncertain, but she brings fresh energy and kept me guessing.
The shadowbeasts, which have been lurking in the background since book one, get more explanation here, along with the guardians who have been holding them back. They added depth to the world without slowing the pace. As before, Matthews avoids info dumps and keeps the worldbuilding clipped and readable.
Caleb continues to grow too. He has come a long way from the unsure boy of the first book, and his quiet resilience remains one of the most inspiring parts of the series. I especially like how his disability is written as part of who he is without ever reducing him to it. Tiberius, the blind sage, still provides some of the most unique and engaging chapters. His perspective brings the story to life in a way few fantasy books manage for me.
It is not perfect. A little more depth here and there would have made the character arcs stronger, and sometimes the phrasing stumbled. But overall, this was another gripping, highly entertaining entry. The action remains intense, the world is steadily widening, and the characters continue to carry the story.
Tightly written, full of action, with answers that spark new questions. A Shattering of Glass proves again that Deck Matthews can deliver epic scope in a compact package.
