“If you are weak enough to fall, you are strong enough to rise back up. Weakness and strength come from the same place, and both are necessary. Both provide purpose, and both can lead to destruction or salvation.” ― Melissa K. Roehrich, Rain of Shadows and Endings
The Plot, Characters and Story Progression
I was bound to this book like a Source is bound to a Legacy, I could not put it down. Strap in folks, grab your donuts and your pizza, this review is going to be a long one.
Where do I begin… Rain of Shadows and Endings, ended me. The complex characters and how they are intricately woven into this plot full of secrecy and self-discovery is some of the most masterful writing i’ve ever read. Melissa, take your flowers, you deserve them for this one.
Upon skim reading reviews before starting this book, a lot of the negative reviews were surrounding our FMC. Calling her “whiney” and “insufferable”. “This book is Tessa being abused over and over again” Yes, yes it is and why shouldn’t it be? “Tessa is a petulant teenager screaming for donuts and pizza”. God forbid a girl have one thing that brings her comfort in her sad life! If you bothered to keep reading you’d find out WHY she is always asking for those things. Why shouldn’t that be represented in a story? Some people have lived that. The authors note at the back explicitly states the story was originally written for herself. So, to those reviews I say, have some respect.
After reading her story myself, all those reviews have highlighted to me is that: this book is not for the people who have the privileged of never being abused. Those who have, understand Tessa exactly and perfectly. Every protest, scream, thrash, defiant back-lash are the last bits of light she has within herself to fight for the respect she deserves. The basic human, or shall i say, fae, respect that she isn’t getting.
As someone who has lived and breathed every emotion Tessa is going through, I was on the edge of my seat for her this entire book. Tessa is for every woman who has suffered at the hands of others through no fault of her own and is fighting to do the best with the absolutely terrible hand of cards she keeps being dealt. Melissa’s incredible characterization of Tessa allows us to not only see how her treatment alters her behavior and trust of the people around her. But how she feels deep within herself as a result of such treatment. She is constantly questioning her own self worth and strength. What she deserves. Her mental health is slowly ebbed away as the book goes on and by the end she is a shell of her former self. An empty husk drained of all care, all she craves is the sweet release of death to end her suffering because she truly believes it is the only way out for her. I’ve been there, and honestly, I still am. Reading the depression representation in this book made me feel so seen and I can tell it was written by someone who has been there too.
Tessa is a light in the dark for every person enshrouded in darkness, a fictional salvation illustrating that even when you feel like you’ve got nothing left within you. You can take the dark cloud hovering above you, own it, and be the fucking storm.
“We help each other glue the pieces back together, but it’s never quite right. The pieces of yourself never quite fit back together the way they once did. Until eventually, you don’t remember what it was like to not feel cracked and scarred. Until eventually, you are just a shell of what you once were, but you know there’s no way to go back, so you just move forward, even if death’s song sounds sweeter and sweeter every time.”
Moving on to Theon. I’d compare his character to someone like Joe Goldberg from YOU. You read his perspective and almost understand why he’s behaving the way he is. Whilst knowing that it is inherently wrong and absolutely hating him at the same time. You have this constant inner conflict between feeling sorry for him for being the product of an evil horrible man, his father, but simultaneously hating him for repeatedly abusing Tessa over and over again.
Luka and Axel are just angels and I almost see them as little guardian angels trying their best to protect Tessa from everything, including Theon.
The pacing, plotting and story progression are perfection, I wouldn’t have changed a single thing. The breadcrumbs sprinkled into the prose had me on the edge of my seat at the edge of every page. This ongoing mystery surrounding Tessa and her powers, wondering if she was ever going to give in the bond with Theon. Whether his secret plans would come into fruition and how she’d react when she found out. There is so much of the plot that is yet to unfold and I loved every second of it!
World Building, Atmosphere and Setting
Urban fantasy girlies, rise up! This one is for you. Rain of Shadows and Endings is the perfect blend of godly fantasy with magic, opulence and fae mixed with urban undertones. My favourite kind of fantasy. The atmosphere and setting is painted with precision at the beginning of every scene allowing you to vividly plant yourself in the room with the characters. Whilst most of the first book only takes place in a few different locations, that simplicity allows you to focus on the development on the characters which is what i feel this book is about, whilst still allowing your mind to be transported somewhere else – which lets face it, is why we all love to read fantasy so much!
A message for Mellisa
Melissa darling, if you ever somehow find yourself reading this review. Thank you. Thank you for allowing me to feel and embrace how i’m feeling. Thank you for every beautiful uplifting quote in this book, whilst written to bring life back into Tessa they also brought life back into me. I’ve never been able to relate to a character so strongly as I relate to her. A fighter who has lost her fight, a fighter who is sick and tired of picking herself back up only to be kicked to the ground again by life. But its okay, because nobody can take my thunder if I am the storm. And I’m going to be the fucking storm.
Rating: Five stars – my top read of 2025 and my new favourite book of all time.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐