Reviewed by: Rabid Reads 
 The first installment in the McKenzie Lewis series was one of My Top 5 Fav Books of 2011 so, needless to say, I've been anxiously awaiting the follow-up ever since. The beginning of this novel was a little muddled in my opinion. Multiple smaller plot lines are introduced simultaneously as well as a brief recap of The Shadow Reader so it was a lot to take in all at once. However, after things aligned the story really captured me and held me until the last page. I liked that McKenzie is no longer flying solo in the Realm, her friend Paige is now in it with her (for better or worse), and I thoroughly enjoyed the stolen lovey dovey moments that she squeezes in with Aren even though they're at war. 
 The Shattered Dark is definitely not lacking in the action department. There are countless interconnecting plot lines, conspiracies and love triangles; in other words, there's never a dull moment! Boredom was definitely never a factor but confusion sometimes was. I enjoyed the level of detail that Sandy Williams uses in this book but it wasn't without its shortcomings. At times, I almost felt like I needed to take notes in order to be able to keep track of all of the little story lines. I probably wouldn't be making this observation if I'd had the time to read this novel in one sitting but unfortunately I didn't have that luxury and as a result, I found the whole experience a little overwhelming. That's not to say that I didn't enjoy this installment because I did but I'm thinking that a re-read might be in order. 
 I was extremely happy with McKenzie's growth in this book. She's starting to think for herself instead of blindly trusting the fae and refuses to rush into a relationship with Aren. Lewis waited for twelve years for Kyol to come around so I think that I would have yelled at the pages had she immediately jumped into bed with her new suitor. I'd still be a bit weary over the possibility of Stockholm syndrome if I were her. I don't think that's the case in this instance but she should and does still proceed with caution. Smart girl! I loved the chemistry between McKenzie and Aren. He's obviously a much better match for her but then again, Kyol never really had a chance to be himself because he was constantly under the watchful eye of his king so I'm not ready to write him off just yet. The crazy ending only helped to reinforce that sentiment and when I say crazy I do mean c-r-a-z-y! 
 Very little, if anything, is solved in The Shattered Dark. Actually, I think more problems are added to the already massive pile. There's so many directions that this series can take and tons of different possible meanings that each can have. It's quite the kerfuffle! After an ending like that I'll probably be bald from anxiety before the next installment is published. The Shattered Dark is complex, moving and frustrating; Sandy Williams has some explaining to do!