The Blade in the Shadows is written in a way that is vividly descriptive, placing the listener into the action right away. We’re told just enough info at the start to know who Umbra is and his general mission, but there remains just enough mystery to get listeners invested in how the rest of the story will play out. The story allows the listener to explore different paths, which will lead them to discover new things about the Allegros and other major characters. In addition, the story allows the listener to shape the moral alignment of Umbra, in terms of if he is inclined to only think about his own goals or if he will act to help others such as the tortured man and prisoner. Listeners are inclined to replay and see all the different possible outcomes, with each route revealing more about the situation Umbra has found himself in.
One criticism is that the listener is not able to influence the more action heavy parts of the story. The listener is given a passive role in these action sequences, only getting descriptions of how these scenes play out. Personally, I wished there were more opportunities similar to the intro scene, in which we can choose how Umbra acts during these fights.
All in all though, The Blade in the Shadows was a great interactive audio story! No major spoilers, but I appreciated that there were a large variety of endings. Some were surprisingly wholesome for a dark story like this, and I actually quite enjoyed seeing these hints towards a brighter future for Umbra.