Legacy of Shadows

Supernaturals of Castle Academy, Book 1

By: Tessa Hale

Narrated by: Vanessa Moyen

Length: 7 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's summary

All I wanted was to keep my head above water. To survive long enough to hit my 18th birthday so I could escape the nightmare that my homelife had become. But all of that was turned upside down the moment they showed up.

The best friend from my past. The surly brooder. The kindhearted nerd. The king of campus. The dark one.

They say they’re here to give me a fresh start in a place where I’m safe, warm, and cared for. And I can’t deny the pull I feel to all five of them. The buzz that lights beneath my skin when they touch me. And for the first time, I feel like I might belong.

But not everything is as it seems. These guys have secrets. Ones that will rip my world wide open. But when a dark evil begins stalking us, we’re all in for the fight of our lives.

Book one in a new paranormal why-choose reverse-harem romance trilogy from Amazon top 20 author Tessa Hale. Fated mates, powerful supernaturals, and an evil who is out for them all....

©2023 Tessa Hale (P)2023 Tessa Hale

Legacy of Shadows ❤️

Legacy of Shadows was everything I needed!! I am absolutely in love with this new universe that Tessa created. Leighton is a super star, she’s an amazing and resilient FMC who has endured much more than someone should have, especially at her age. Her childhood crush Colt comes back into her life after years of radio silence but it’s not without cost. Leighton tries her best to survive the new threats in her life but it’s not easy. The guys are great, even Trace once we learn more about him. They’re all put into what seems like a situation that no one can win. The ending is really heartbreaking and I feel like Colt in particular needs to make up for the damage done. I’m crossing my fingers that there’s more then meets the eye with Leighton!

It consumed me

I thoroughly enjoyed this listening experience. I had read the book, so i already knew the story was good. The narrator brought it to life. I felt like i was there in the moment with the characters. I had to charge my earbuds twice because i could not stop listening to it.

Loving Tessa Hale's newest series!!

Audiobook veteran, Vanessa Moyen, does an excellent job bringing life to the first book in Tessa Hale’s newest series, Supernaturals of Castle Academy. She is one of my favorite narrators for a good reason, able to bring different voices to a variety of characters. If you are going to go with a single narrator, she is the one to pick.

Legacy of Shadows was an exciting introduction to this new series! It is full of secrets, political intrigue, magic, shifters (of many varieties), fated mates, and overprotective males with ‘who hurt you’ vibes. It feels a bit darker than her last series, Royals of Kingwood Academy, but that is what made it so compelling and hard to put down.

There’s Leighton, who’s been pulled out of Louisiana and thrust into a world she knows nothing about, into the lives of Colt, Ronan, Dash, Trace, and Declan. She must deal with the antics of mean girls who want to piss all over the guys they think are theirs and learn to navigate a system she barely understands. It doesn’t help that the boys keep secrets and send her mixed signals, so she never really knows where she stands. The angst ratchets higher as painful truths get revealed.

The heat is smoldering and builds throughout, but this is a slow-burn romance with a ⓥⓘⓡⓖⓘⓝ FMC. I expect later books will rachet up the steam substantially as their relationships grow.

This baby ends in a whopper of a cliffhanger that I am still not quite over. Book two cannot get here soon enough because I am so thoroughly invested in this story, that the wait might ⓚⓘⓛⓛ me.

Genre: Paranormal Academy Romance
Tropes: Fated Mates, Shifters, Who Hurt You, Touch Her and ⓓⓘⓔ
Narrator: 1st Person POV, Single Narrator
Relationship Type: Why Choose, Slow Burn

Amazing New Series

I’m a huge fan of Tessa’s books, she’s writes great books and this one is no different. It’s a bit different from her other 2 series but you’ll find some similarities from her other stories but it’s still different enough. There shifters of different varieties, political issues, mean girls, some magic, and secrets.

These secrets are huge & will come back to bite the MMCs in the butts. Leighton is a great FMC, even though she’s naive to this new world, she’s strong in her own ways, trying to stay strong despite everything she’s gone through.

Vanessa is a great narrator, I’ve listened to other books she’s narrated and I like her style. She brings Tessa’s story to life, and I’m excited that her books will be released with audio & ebooks in tandem!

The only thing I wish for is a male narrator, but I also understand that it’s extra money for that. So either way I’m amped this is in audio right away. Can’t wait for June already!

Possessive Paranormal Party of Six

I was able to listen to the audiobook thanks to Forever and Always PR. This was a new adult, paranormal, why choose romance that made me want to be rescued by possessive magical beings (honestly, it felt like a billionaire romance).
The story begins at the funeral of Leighton’s father. We are introduced to her abusive mother who is very different from the jovial spirit that was lost, and the one person that breaks up the formality of the day is her childhood friend Colt.
Eight years later, Colt rescues her from the abuse she’s been enduring at the hands of her mother. Colt was giving gentle protective homecoming vibes. The friend he brings along with him was quite frankly giving Damon from Vampire Diaries. Ronan is very dark and broody with possessive protective vibes that he masks with frank humor ( of course I was drawn to him). This sexy duo rescues her by way of private jet, and move her into their mansion. Leighton doesn’t know what to make of their kindness nor does she believe it will last. However, Declan, Dash, and Trace do their best to make her feel welcome ;).
I enjoyed the time spent on her connection with each hero. Since we are dealing with five, I was so happy that they each felt distinctly different. Leighton doesn’t understand why she is so drawn to all of them,or how to navigate her new life. Yet, the secrets slowly start to unfold. The heroes definitely play that “keep her in the dark to protect her”
bit until their lips are pried open by the circumstances.
I enjoyed that this is a slow burn where she is finally being taken care of, and her arc of coming into her own. This definitely has all of the third act reveals, steam, and action. The cliff hanger was vicious and I need to know what happens next. This was an intriguing start to the series.

Wonderful Start

I love everything about this book. Great narration and storyline. I can’t wait to see what happens next.

Great beginning to the trilogy.

Leighton didn't have an easy life, her father passed when she was young and she was left with a mother that abused her and later on a stepfather that gave her the creeps. She lost her best friend the day her father died as well, because her mother moved her away from everything and everyone she knew. Fast forward and Leighton is now seventeen attending school and working hard to save money so she can disappear once she is eighteen but then Colt her childhood best friend reenters her life and brings her back to his home and away from the abuse that she has been suffering for years.

In LEGACY OF SHADOWS we meet each of the men that live with Colt and who Leighton now lives with. Dash, Trace, Ronan, and Colt have been living together for a while now and have a close bond. Leighton feels a closeness to each of the men and there is also Declan who begins to form a bond with Leighton as well.

While Leighton feels a bond with the men she lives with things are totally different at school where we get major mean girl vibes from a couple of the students.

Vanessa Moyen did an incredible job with the narration of this story, I really enjoyed listening to her bring Leighton's story to life. You could feel each of the different emotions Leighton was feeling as you listened to the story. I would highly recommend listening to the audiobook version of this book.

I would recommend this book to those that enjoy Paranormal Romances, Why Choose/Reverse Harem Romances, Fated Mate Romances, or High School Romances.

Happy Listening!!!

Amazing

Well written and I can’t wait for the next ugh… I can’t wait I need it now lol

A fun why choose, paranormal romance!

Such a great start to a new series! I first want to thank Forever and always pr and Tessa Hale for gifting me an audio arc for review. Leighton lost her father when she was younger and now she has to live with her very abusive mother. And when her childhood best friend comes back into town out of the blue, and propositions her to come with him, she can't say no. Colt takes her back to his home which he shares with his best friends. At first, Leighton is skeptical about the whole situation, where are Colt's parents? Why is he living with his friends? And why does she feel an attraction to all of them? But there are also some paranormal things that start coming into play with Leighton and the guys. This was such a fun why choose, paranormal romance! I am dying for the second book, and I cannot wait to read it! Definitely go check this out!!

Legacy of Shadows by Tessa Hale

rating: 3.5 ⭐️
spice: 1.5 🌶️
audiobook rating: 4 🎧

Legacy of Shadows is a reverse harem, new adult, paranormal romance. Now, ya'll know how I feel about reverse harem but this? I surprisingly loved!! I truly loved all our guys, Colt, Declan, Ronan, Dash, and Trace. They all have different personalities and characteristic so it was super easy to differentiate among them. Even through audio! I think our narrator, Vanessa Moyen, did an amazing job with our heroine, Leighton, and our heroes as well. I was never confused on who was who.

Trace is definitely our broody/mean hero, Dash is our golden retriever with a side of control kink, Ronan and Declan are our twin bad boys, and lastly Colt is the childhood best friend of our dreams. It did take me a while to warm up to Leighton. I did end up liking her by the end. I did think she was a strong heroine and for the most part stood up for herself.

There were so many tropes in here I was living for as well. The fated mates trope, one bed, forced proximity, protective/possessive heroes, and so much more. The light smut in here was amazing too! I wasn't really sure what to expect in the spice department but I was not disappointed.

Overall, I definitely recommend and I will definitely continue the series!