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The Breed Wars #1
House of Shadows
Befriended as a young teenager by a beautiful and mysterious benefactress, Eugene Evans believes the downward trajectory of his white trash existence has finally been arrested and his life turned around. Then, after he becomes a man, he is confronted by a horrifying and unavoidable choice between two unacceptable options.
But it doesn't stop there.
For once his decision has been made, and the consequences accepted, he finds himself in a new and terrifying reality threatening all that he loves, where his first wrong choice will be his last.
But it doesn't stop there.
For once his decision has been made, and the consequences accepted, he finds himself in a new and terrifying reality threatening all that he loves, where his first wrong choice will be his last.
210 pages, Paperback
First published June 14, 2012
9 people are currently reading
1164 people want to read
About the author
Walter Spence
10 books56 followersI'm a writer of fantasy, particularly fantasy with an edge. My urban fantasy/paranormal series, The Breed Wars, are independent novels which take place against the backdrop of a much larger story which continues to unfold with each successive book. For more info, please visit my website at http://walterspence.com. And if you'd like to be kept informed about upcoming releases, future giveaways and other special offers, please sign up for my newsletter while you're there.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
May 5, 2013
4.5 stars, rounded up to 5!
I read this book with my horror group at Shelfari and found it to be an original twist on an old theme.
Young Eugene looks out for his sister Barbie, because his mom is often otherwise engaged. Sometimes they are left alone for days at a time without anything in the house to eat other than bread and ketchup.
Then, a mysterious woman catches sight of him and Barbie and their lives are changed forever. In a good way? You will have to read this book to find out.
I was pleasantly surprised at the turns taken in this story. The characters were well drawn and believable, (as believable as can be in a story of this type), and I took a great liking to the protagonist, Eugene.
As I understand it, there is more to the story coming from Mr. Spence. I will be looking forward to that release. Recommended!
Note: In the interest of full disclosure, the author is part of our horror group at Shelfari, but welcomed honest opinions on his work. He also offered free copies to our members. I paid for my copy and even if I had not, my review is an honest one.
I read this book with my horror group at Shelfari and found it to be an original twist on an old theme.
Young Eugene looks out for his sister Barbie, because his mom is often otherwise engaged. Sometimes they are left alone for days at a time without anything in the house to eat other than bread and ketchup.
Then, a mysterious woman catches sight of him and Barbie and their lives are changed forever. In a good way? You will have to read this book to find out.
I was pleasantly surprised at the turns taken in this story. The characters were well drawn and believable, (as believable as can be in a story of this type), and I took a great liking to the protagonist, Eugene.
As I understand it, there is more to the story coming from Mr. Spence. I will be looking forward to that release. Recommended!
Note: In the interest of full disclosure, the author is part of our horror group at Shelfari, but welcomed honest opinions on his work. He also offered free copies to our members. I paid for my copy and even if I had not, my review is an honest one.
September 13, 2016
There is someone hunting the members of House Ember. Newbie Mordant may be the last. He has a lot to learn in a short time frame if he and the rest of the Breed have a chance at survival. Who can he trust?
Well done and intelligently written, Walter Spence’s House of Shadows is a very good debut. The characters were fleshed out very well and Mr. Spence was able to create an entire mythos surrounding the Breed in a short framework. Just enough closure to be thoroughly satisfying and enough cliffhanger to keep me looking forward to the second installment.
Solid 4 Stars! Recommended!
Well done and intelligently written, Walter Spence’s House of Shadows is a very good debut. The characters were fleshed out very well and Mr. Spence was able to create an entire mythos surrounding the Breed in a short framework. Just enough closure to be thoroughly satisfying and enough cliffhanger to keep me looking forward to the second installment.
Solid 4 Stars! Recommended!
September 19, 2013
This may go up to 5 stars after I mull this over some more, I enjoyed it that much. I must confess I'm not a huge vampire fan, I don't avoid the character type but I don't actively seek them out either. While this is a vamp story there were enough small twists and tweaks to the standard vamp style that I never found myself thinking I had read this before. So while I found the changes around the vampire mythos interesting, what really intrigued me was the background and history of said vamps. There are "houses" of vampires(i.e. House Lannister for you ASoIaF fans) who operate independently of each other, as well as lesser houses that are "sept" to a greater house. This is what I found so compelling about this story. There are some disappearances from a lesser house and a great deal of mystery and machinations going on in relation to these events.
I typed out some more plot details and then decided, screw it, you really need to read this yourself, come on, it's only a bit over 200 pages. I finished it in a day. Even if you're tired of the whole vampire thing give this a shot, I know I wasn't disappointed.
Well, one small problem.
Now I have to wait for the next book. (wink,wink,nudge,nudge Mr Spence)
Update: Well after about a week I went back over my highlights and decided to bump this to a 5 star book. Still catch myself thinking about the story from time to time.
Pulled this highlight:
"In modern popular culture, various writers have populated their tales with all manner of bastardized versions of our kind who feed on animal blood, synthetic blood and Christ knows what else. I wait for a vegetarian vampire who subsists entirely on a diet of tomato juice."
I typed out some more plot details and then decided, screw it, you really need to read this yourself, come on, it's only a bit over 200 pages. I finished it in a day. Even if you're tired of the whole vampire thing give this a shot, I know I wasn't disappointed.
Well, one small problem.
Now I have to wait for the next book. (wink,wink,nudge,nudge Mr Spence)
Update: Well after about a week I went back over my highlights and decided to bump this to a 5 star book. Still catch myself thinking about the story from time to time.
Pulled this highlight:
"In modern popular culture, various writers have populated their tales with all manner of bastardized versions of our kind who feed on animal blood, synthetic blood and Christ knows what else. I wait for a vegetarian vampire who subsists entirely on a diet of tomato juice."
May 3, 2013
Walter Spence has woven a tale of unique vampire creatures, and given the vampire sub-genre a fresh new look. The Breed are set apart from others in most aspects of their existence and are truly a species unlike any others.
Let me start out by praising the language and smooth narrative style of this novel. This area alone sets House of Shadows leagues ahead of other similarly themed books. The pacing was perfect throughout--I never once found myself feeling that it was either lagging, nor being rushed. The highest praise I can offer is that I felt the style reminiscent of some classic works written by those that I consider to be "literary greats".
House of Shadows captured my attention from the first page, and never let up. Although it is the first of a reported series, the novel ends on a very satisfying note. I will immediately be checking out the author's website in anxious anticipation of the next book in the series.
Highest recommendation!
Let me start out by praising the language and smooth narrative style of this novel. This area alone sets House of Shadows leagues ahead of other similarly themed books. The pacing was perfect throughout--I never once found myself feeling that it was either lagging, nor being rushed. The highest praise I can offer is that I felt the style reminiscent of some classic works written by those that I consider to be "literary greats".
House of Shadows captured my attention from the first page, and never let up. Although it is the first of a reported series, the novel ends on a very satisfying note. I will immediately be checking out the author's website in anxious anticipation of the next book in the series.
Highest recommendation!
September 21, 2015
Not a single word of praise from my fellow group members (and others) is not well earned and I'll just join the chorus. First off, Walter Spence writes really well, beautiful prose with a very nice flow. Secondly, the story is fantastic; enough due is paid to the vampire myths and sagas so that we feel quite at home, and what is different with theses vampires and their communities and traditions is different enough to makes one feel that we are reading a new story. Finally (yes, there's more), the pacing is relentless, the protagonist(s) get out of the frying pan and into the fire enough to render the reader breathless at times.
Highly recommended, cannot wait for the next book in the series!
Highly recommended, cannot wait for the next book in the series!
February 11, 2013
I purchased a copy of House of shadows as part of a group read through Goodreads and I’m glad I did.
Being a vampire fan, I was happy to read a new and believable take on the species. In this story his vampires are called the Breed, and they make it quite clear that they don’t even consider themselves in the same league as traditional vampires. There are some similarities, but I think Walter was successful in trying something new.
The main plot follows the story of a young man named Eugene who is saved from his destitute life by a beautiful woman. However unknowingly he becomes an intricate part in her plan to become not only a member of the Breed but to also save her household. All goes according to her plan, until Eugene awakens as a member of the breed, only to discover that the woman who turned him has disappeared and he has been left alone. Eugene must discover how to cope with his new life and discover what has happened to his sire, but being a newly born vampire has enough problems on its own. He is attacked on all fronts, not only from members of his own kind, but also from the predator that now lives inside him.
House of shadows is a fast paced well written adventure, which kept me turning pages. It is a wonderful addition to the vampire genre and its hidden mystery left me wanting more. My only regret was that it was short. I wish I could have learned more about what Eugene would have to face in the future but I guess I will have to wait for the next one. I recommend this to anyone who loves vampires and a good supernatural mystery.
Being a vampire fan, I was happy to read a new and believable take on the species. In this story his vampires are called the Breed, and they make it quite clear that they don’t even consider themselves in the same league as traditional vampires. There are some similarities, but I think Walter was successful in trying something new.
The main plot follows the story of a young man named Eugene who is saved from his destitute life by a beautiful woman. However unknowingly he becomes an intricate part in her plan to become not only a member of the Breed but to also save her household. All goes according to her plan, until Eugene awakens as a member of the breed, only to discover that the woman who turned him has disappeared and he has been left alone. Eugene must discover how to cope with his new life and discover what has happened to his sire, but being a newly born vampire has enough problems on its own. He is attacked on all fronts, not only from members of his own kind, but also from the predator that now lives inside him.
House of shadows is a fast paced well written adventure, which kept me turning pages. It is a wonderful addition to the vampire genre and its hidden mystery left me wanting more. My only regret was that it was short. I wish I could have learned more about what Eugene would have to face in the future but I guess I will have to wait for the next one. I recommend this to anyone who loves vampires and a good supernatural mystery.
July 19, 2016
I am totally in love with this book. I have only a few pages left, and I am going to savor them- as hard as that is, literally I did not want to put it down. I am glad that I chose to read it on the train commute to work everyday so I was forced to make it last.
Why should you like this too? Vampires are terribly interesting creatures, especially when they don't sparkle and there is no "love triangle" nonsense. The author here has used some of the very well known lore and has introduced some new twists to what you thought you knew about the BREED. There is enough of both to be very interesting.
The plot is carefully crafted and not to extravagant- a simple story that moves at a great pace. Characters that you enjoy getting to know the both the good and the bad. Dialogue is well done and believable. Just enough of the "gore" you expect with vampires on the loose but, not over the top. Cheers for the glossary and list of characters at the back.
Really the best thing I can say, is grab a copy of this and read away- but be warned you will not want to put it down, but if you don't it will end far too soon ;-)
Why should you like this too? Vampires are terribly interesting creatures, especially when they don't sparkle and there is no "love triangle" nonsense. The author here has used some of the very well known lore and has introduced some new twists to what you thought you knew about the BREED. There is enough of both to be very interesting.
The plot is carefully crafted and not to extravagant- a simple story that moves at a great pace. Characters that you enjoy getting to know the both the good and the bad. Dialogue is well done and believable. Just enough of the "gore" you expect with vampires on the loose but, not over the top. Cheers for the glossary and list of characters at the back.
Really the best thing I can say, is grab a copy of this and read away- but be warned you will not want to put it down, but if you don't it will end far too soon ;-)
August 31, 2012
Pygmalion with a twist
A young boy is befriended by a mysterious wealthy woman who saves him and his sister from abject poverty. Although her support is practically anonymous throughout his childhood, eventually he is required to repay the kindness. He finds himself in a world of non-humans where he must learn to protect and preserve a culture he never knew existed.
The first part of the book documented Eugene’s (known as Ace) journey from the dregs of society to an educated worldly young man with a bright future. His character is well-developed and the reader quickly identifies with him, and anxiously follows his quest to save his new existence.
Mr. Spence has created a dark fantasy that keeps you turning pages to discover how the story ends. Sinister and unsettling, the story slowly sucks you in and does not let you go. A very well-written book with some good plot twists. I am not usually a big fan of vampires, but this one is well worth a read!
A young boy is befriended by a mysterious wealthy woman who saves him and his sister from abject poverty. Although her support is practically anonymous throughout his childhood, eventually he is required to repay the kindness. He finds himself in a world of non-humans where he must learn to protect and preserve a culture he never knew existed.
The first part of the book documented Eugene’s (known as Ace) journey from the dregs of society to an educated worldly young man with a bright future. His character is well-developed and the reader quickly identifies with him, and anxiously follows his quest to save his new existence.
Mr. Spence has created a dark fantasy that keeps you turning pages to discover how the story ends. Sinister and unsettling, the story slowly sucks you in and does not let you go. A very well-written book with some good plot twists. I am not usually a big fan of vampires, but this one is well worth a read!
January 12, 2013
I picked up this book by Walter Spence because it looked like a great read - something right up my alley....and it definitely was!
This story begins about a teen brother and sister who meet a mysterious woman who begins to provide them with necessities and luxuries but never tells them why. She is rarely seen by them, remaining a mystery, mostly to the boy Eugene, who longs to see her.
The book takes a very dark turn in which we fast forward thirty years and watch Eugene go through some serious changes and a lot of danger. The book itself has a lot of violence and gore, and if you're looking for a romance or a love story, keep looking because you won't find any of that here!
I really enjoy the way this author writes. The book was well constructed and edited, and it was refreshing to read a book where the writer actually cared about constructing dialogue and proper grammar usage. I will definitely be reading more books by this author!
5 Stars!
This story begins about a teen brother and sister who meet a mysterious woman who begins to provide them with necessities and luxuries but never tells them why. She is rarely seen by them, remaining a mystery, mostly to the boy Eugene, who longs to see her.
The book takes a very dark turn in which we fast forward thirty years and watch Eugene go through some serious changes and a lot of danger. The book itself has a lot of violence and gore, and if you're looking for a romance or a love story, keep looking because you won't find any of that here!
I really enjoy the way this author writes. The book was well constructed and edited, and it was refreshing to read a book where the writer actually cared about constructing dialogue and proper grammar usage. I will definitely be reading more books by this author!
5 Stars!
December 7, 2012
Eugene has a difficult life with his sister, impoverished and with a mother who is, at best, neglectful and at worst outright abusive it is not a life with many opportunities. So when Penelope, a wealthy, generous benefactor appears to give them every advantage it seems like a wonderful gift and that they’re finally given a chance at life.
That is, until the price arises and one of them has to die. Faced with an impossible choice, Eugene elects to be Penelope’s prey – but death is hardly the end of Penelope’s plotting. After decades of unconsciousness, Eugene arises as one of the Breed and the last scion of a major House whose legacy (and his continued existence) requires him to learn extremely quickly.
There are a lot of vampire books out there and it sometimes feel like many of them are telling very similar tales. It’s always a pleasure, therefore, to find a book that seems to be bringing some genuinely unique elements to the genre and some fresh angles. Eugene’s reluctant passage into vampirehood, how he was moulded before transition, even following his journey from childhood adds its own angle.
In terms of pacing, it started slow, introducing us to the characters and bringing us towards the inevitable. Thankfully, once we get that transition, we hit the ground running. Eugene has to learn a lot about his new life extremely quickly and nothing is going to stop to allow him to catch up. There were a couple of tangents that were, perhaps, not entirely necessary but I think they all added up into building the character, the worlds and different facets of the story.
The world building is nicely restrained. It’s clear, especially if the lexicon in the back, that this is a very broad world and a lot of work has gone into characterising it. But the author resists the temptation to dump vast amounts of unrelated information on us. In fact, in keeping with Eugene’s own confusion, we often have words and references used and have to extrapolate their meaning. Like Eugene we’re plunged into a world we don’t know and have to keep up and learn as we go. I think this lack of explanation both keeps the story moving and excellently conveys the theme of being out of depth, of being overwhelmed by the new information he was faced with.
The decisions made by the characters, while not always perfect, were well informed – or, at least, based on reasonable emotion and didn’t frustrate me. The action stayed good and the story progressed well.
I found no great flaws in this book – but I did find a couple of minor stumbling blocks.
The first stumbling block I found in this book was the language. It’s not as bad as some books out there, certainly, but it is overly elaborate and overly formal. Part of that is because Eugene is trying to “better” himself with a determination to be educated and well spoken after Penelope gives him the resources. It’s even lampshaded in the book with his sister accusing him of having swallowed a thesaurus. But this language starts long before he meets Penelope and is used in everything from dialogue to describing action. Sometimes I think a more casual tone would have been better.
Read More
That is, until the price arises and one of them has to die. Faced with an impossible choice, Eugene elects to be Penelope’s prey – but death is hardly the end of Penelope’s plotting. After decades of unconsciousness, Eugene arises as one of the Breed and the last scion of a major House whose legacy (and his continued existence) requires him to learn extremely quickly.
There are a lot of vampire books out there and it sometimes feel like many of them are telling very similar tales. It’s always a pleasure, therefore, to find a book that seems to be bringing some genuinely unique elements to the genre and some fresh angles. Eugene’s reluctant passage into vampirehood, how he was moulded before transition, even following his journey from childhood adds its own angle.
In terms of pacing, it started slow, introducing us to the characters and bringing us towards the inevitable. Thankfully, once we get that transition, we hit the ground running. Eugene has to learn a lot about his new life extremely quickly and nothing is going to stop to allow him to catch up. There were a couple of tangents that were, perhaps, not entirely necessary but I think they all added up into building the character, the worlds and different facets of the story.
The world building is nicely restrained. It’s clear, especially if the lexicon in the back, that this is a very broad world and a lot of work has gone into characterising it. But the author resists the temptation to dump vast amounts of unrelated information on us. In fact, in keeping with Eugene’s own confusion, we often have words and references used and have to extrapolate their meaning. Like Eugene we’re plunged into a world we don’t know and have to keep up and learn as we go. I think this lack of explanation both keeps the story moving and excellently conveys the theme of being out of depth, of being overwhelmed by the new information he was faced with.
The decisions made by the characters, while not always perfect, were well informed – or, at least, based on reasonable emotion and didn’t frustrate me. The action stayed good and the story progressed well.
I found no great flaws in this book – but I did find a couple of minor stumbling blocks.
The first stumbling block I found in this book was the language. It’s not as bad as some books out there, certainly, but it is overly elaborate and overly formal. Part of that is because Eugene is trying to “better” himself with a determination to be educated and well spoken after Penelope gives him the resources. It’s even lampshaded in the book with his sister accusing him of having swallowed a thesaurus. But this language starts long before he meets Penelope and is used in everything from dialogue to describing action. Sometimes I think a more casual tone would have been better.
Read More
January 20, 2013
As much as I love horror and all the fantastic characters it produces, I have never sank my teeth (haha) into a vampire book before this one. I was tired of the vampire clichés, modernized vampires and the young adult interpretations, so there was definitely nothing out there to convince me to change my mind. I was hesitant to even read this one, but after much procrastination (it stayed in my shopping cart for months), I finally decided to take the plunge. I had received a tablet for Christmas and was anxious to use the Kindle app, so I decided to make this my first purchase.
This is the kind of book that really sticks with you. The first night I bought it, I made it almost halfway through (I'd say I'm an average-speed reader). The only reason I stopped was because it was late and my contacts were practically glued to my corneas. I spent the rest of the night - and the next day at work - thinking about what I had read so far, and I couldn't wait to read the rest. This book is one of those that gets even better the more you think about it. The main character, Eugene, is very well-developed throughout the entire book. His thoughts and feelings are easy to identify with, and it's amazing how you find your own perspective changing along with his during the course of his journey. It really makes you wonder what you'd actually be capable of doing if you were in his shoes. I liked all the other characters as well, and while some may say that they weren't very developed, I thought they fell right into that cozy category of not wearing out their welcome. The overall build of the story came to a perfectly-timed climax and left you wanting more. I could easily see this becoming a movie (and one that I'd even pay the outrageous theater prices to see!)
Lastly, I just want to say that the thing I like the most about this book is that it is very smartly done. The writing style is smart (kudos, Mr. Spence, for using more than 10 different adjectives in the entire 200+ pages), and all the details put into "these" vampires are refreshing and very well constructed. If you're looking for a new spin on vampires (habits, etiquette and all!), this is a definite must-read.
This is the kind of book that really sticks with you. The first night I bought it, I made it almost halfway through (I'd say I'm an average-speed reader). The only reason I stopped was because it was late and my contacts were practically glued to my corneas. I spent the rest of the night - and the next day at work - thinking about what I had read so far, and I couldn't wait to read the rest. This book is one of those that gets even better the more you think about it. The main character, Eugene, is very well-developed throughout the entire book. His thoughts and feelings are easy to identify with, and it's amazing how you find your own perspective changing along with his during the course of his journey. It really makes you wonder what you'd actually be capable of doing if you were in his shoes. I liked all the other characters as well, and while some may say that they weren't very developed, I thought they fell right into that cozy category of not wearing out their welcome. The overall build of the story came to a perfectly-timed climax and left you wanting more. I could easily see this becoming a movie (and one that I'd even pay the outrageous theater prices to see!)
Lastly, I just want to say that the thing I like the most about this book is that it is very smartly done. The writing style is smart (kudos, Mr. Spence, for using more than 10 different adjectives in the entire 200+ pages), and all the details put into "these" vampires are refreshing and very well constructed. If you're looking for a new spin on vampires (habits, etiquette and all!), this is a definite must-read.
November 24, 2012
This is an interesting and unusual vampire story. The approach is very different from the traditional gothic horror but at the same time also far removed from the misunderstood and loveable creatures that we have grown used to in the past few years. 'The Breed' that Walter Spence introduces us to is something akin to a mysterious race. As the story unfolds and we learn about their traditions and history, we may not grow to like them but we do grow to understand them.
The story is written in the first person and, whilst I know that many readers prefer the third person, I think that is was a good choice in this instance. The gradual and seamless change in narrative tone shows the development of the main character, Eugene Evans, from child to adulthood is gradual and seamless and is only obvious by re-reading earlier chapters and comparing the difference. In fact, I thought that character development generally was very good.
I have only two criticisms. The first is that the ending felt a little rushed and I would have preferred the pace to have slowed down just a little. The second is that, although there were some very good similes, too many of them were in the first few pages of the book. However, the writing style overall is very good and neither of these criticisms are major problems so I would only remove one star for both of them taken together.
The story is written in the first person and, whilst I know that many readers prefer the third person, I think that is was a good choice in this instance. The gradual and seamless change in narrative tone shows the development of the main character, Eugene Evans, from child to adulthood is gradual and seamless and is only obvious by re-reading earlier chapters and comparing the difference. In fact, I thought that character development generally was very good.
I have only two criticisms. The first is that the ending felt a little rushed and I would have preferred the pace to have slowed down just a little. The second is that, although there were some very good similes, too many of them were in the first few pages of the book. However, the writing style overall is very good and neither of these criticisms are major problems so I would only remove one star for both of them taken together.
September 29, 2012
House of Shadows was a wonderful surprise! I enjoyed this book so much I read it in one day! Walter Spence plays with the vampire genre in an interesting and new manner. There was a bit of confusion as the vocabulary of the characters are a bit more advanced then the storyline can support and due to that makes this book geared towards adults as I do not think the average YA reader would be able to follow. There are some minor editing/proofing errors as well. All that being said, I am anxiously awaiting the next book in this series and giving it a solid 5 stars!
My rating system is as follows:
5 stars - Excellent, Worth Every Penny, Made It Into My Personal Library!
4 stars - Great book, but not a classic.
3 stars - Good overall, generally well written.
2 stars - Would not recommend based on personal criteria.
1 star - Difficult to read, hard to finish, or didn't finish. Wouldn't recommend purchasing or reading.
In accordance with the FTC Guidelines for blogging and endorsements, you should assume that every book I review was provided to me by the publisher, media group or the author for free and no financial payments were received, unless specified otherwise.
My rating system is as follows:
5 stars - Excellent, Worth Every Penny, Made It Into My Personal Library!
4 stars - Great book, but not a classic.
3 stars - Good overall, generally well written.
2 stars - Would not recommend based on personal criteria.
1 star - Difficult to read, hard to finish, or didn't finish. Wouldn't recommend purchasing or reading.
In accordance with the FTC Guidelines for blogging and endorsements, you should assume that every book I review was provided to me by the publisher, media group or the author for free and no financial payments were received, unless specified otherwise.
February 17, 2013
I loved this book…what a plot. Mr. Spence has written an impressive book with such a fresh storyline. When I first started the book I had no idea what type of adventure I was going to be taken on and man what an adventure. Once I started this book I couldn't put it down. You would think that every story had been written about this subject matter…that it has been beaten to death…but Mr. Spence has created a world of its own in this narrative. I would tell you what the story is about but I don’t want to say too much about the story itself…I want the reader to have the same experience I had…not knowing what the book is about, no preview.
The characters are developed and well rounded, very credible individuals. Mr. Spence has built a very plausible world and I can’t wait for the next book in the series.
I think Mr. Spence is a great author and I am looking forward to any new stories from him…can’t wait for the next adventure…I am sure it is going to be a grand one. Thank you Walter, for the wonderful ride.
The characters are developed and well rounded, very credible individuals. Mr. Spence has built a very plausible world and I can’t wait for the next book in the series.
I think Mr. Spence is a great author and I am looking forward to any new stories from him…can’t wait for the next adventure…I am sure it is going to be a grand one. Thank you Walter, for the wonderful ride.
October 2, 2012
I got this book in a goodreads giveaway and was excited to dig into it! This book was amazing and i imediately got sucked into it. The author Walter Spence wasted no time getting to the good stuff in this book and constantly left me wanting more and more. All of the characters are so exciting but i have to say I fell in love with Ace and want to see more from him in the next books. There was so much left open for the next book that I know they can only get better and I cant wait to see what happens next and I hope Penelope has a bigger part in the next one.
November 12, 2012
I won a free copy of this book for review from Library Thing and was pleasantly surprised.
The shadowy prose of Gothic Lit is blended with the glamour of old Hollywood to conceal what the well-crafted blurb of this book doesn’t tell you. And I’m not giving away the spoiler but I will tell you that I loved the surprise.
I don't know when the second book will be released, but I'm eager to read it.
The shadowy prose of Gothic Lit is blended with the glamour of old Hollywood to conceal what the well-crafted blurb of this book doesn’t tell you. And I’m not giving away the spoiler but I will tell you that I loved the surprise.
I don't know when the second book will be released, but I'm eager to read it.
December 24, 2012
I can not wait for the next book in this series! This book starts slow, but when it begins to move, there is no stopping it.
A poor boy 'happens' into a bright future with a lovely yet distant benefactor, but once this poor boy turns into a well groomed and intelligent man, his world is ripped away from him, and he awakens in a world he doesn't know. Does he have the worst luck ever or a fate he is yet to understand?
A poor boy 'happens' into a bright future with a lovely yet distant benefactor, but once this poor boy turns into a well groomed and intelligent man, his world is ripped away from him, and he awakens in a world he doesn't know. Does he have the worst luck ever or a fate he is yet to understand?
April 10, 2015
This was a pretty good read. It was quick and was paced nicely. This was a great horror type of book. The characters were interesting and the story was pretty interesting. I would definitely recommend this book to just about anyone. A good read.
May 1, 2013
A creative, detailed, and surprising story. I haven't read vampire stories since I read a few by Anne Rice, but this one was really very interesting, and I'm glad I took a chance.
Vampires are a bloody sort, literally. I don't like to read about the blood, the killing for it or any of that vampire stuff, at all. I always feel sorry for the one who is changed, or killed, and never understood why anyone would want to be a vampire. Silly, I'm sure, but just one of my aversions. So when a book comes along about vampires, it has to have a story line that is captivating enough for me to skirt over the blood issue. This story was just that. I remember one part was so surprising, I reacted out loud. I love it when the author can create a web so unexpected you have absolutely no choice but to react. That is a good book. From a good author.
The ending leaves you wanting more. Not more vampire blood stuff for me, but more information on the characters, the story line, what's going on and what will happen next. Don't get me wrong, the story gave you answers for now, but you realize there is more to the big picture. And even though you wonder about it, you just know that the author will surprise you again. This is not a book that you feel you know what the outcome will be. At least it wasn't for me, and that is a good thing. There has been many a book where I knew very early on what was going to happen and how it was going to end.
There obviously will be one or more sequels to this book and fortunately there is no way you can imagine what will happen in book two before it gets here. Interestingly, the details Walter weaves into the story made me wonder if it was all created, or researched somewhat on what was written about certain things or a mixture of both. Wondering about things like that mean you are caught up in the story. When that happens, you know the story was well done.
Walter Spence will not bore you, irritate you, or even placate you, but he will captivate you with a spin and tale you won't see coming, taking you down a path you can't wait to tread, with a book you're glad you picked up. Here's an author that can grab your attention and keep it well past the end of the book as you wait for the next one to be released. He says he has a thousand stories running through his head. I'm glad to hear it.
Vampires are a bloody sort, literally. I don't like to read about the blood, the killing for it or any of that vampire stuff, at all. I always feel sorry for the one who is changed, or killed, and never understood why anyone would want to be a vampire. Silly, I'm sure, but just one of my aversions. So when a book comes along about vampires, it has to have a story line that is captivating enough for me to skirt over the blood issue. This story was just that. I remember one part was so surprising, I reacted out loud. I love it when the author can create a web so unexpected you have absolutely no choice but to react. That is a good book. From a good author.
The ending leaves you wanting more. Not more vampire blood stuff for me, but more information on the characters, the story line, what's going on and what will happen next. Don't get me wrong, the story gave you answers for now, but you realize there is more to the big picture. And even though you wonder about it, you just know that the author will surprise you again. This is not a book that you feel you know what the outcome will be. At least it wasn't for me, and that is a good thing. There has been many a book where I knew very early on what was going to happen and how it was going to end.
There obviously will be one or more sequels to this book and fortunately there is no way you can imagine what will happen in book two before it gets here. Interestingly, the details Walter weaves into the story made me wonder if it was all created, or researched somewhat on what was written about certain things or a mixture of both. Wondering about things like that mean you are caught up in the story. When that happens, you know the story was well done.
Walter Spence will not bore you, irritate you, or even placate you, but he will captivate you with a spin and tale you won't see coming, taking you down a path you can't wait to tread, with a book you're glad you picked up. Here's an author that can grab your attention and keep it well past the end of the book as you wait for the next one to be released. He says he has a thousand stories running through his head. I'm glad to hear it.
February 10, 2013
The story follows Eugene, a teenager in 1980s America abandoned by his father and with a less than model mother. His reasonably normal little sister is the only real plus in his life until Penelope Ember, a rather tasty and well-heeled woman, takes an interest in Eugene. Desperate to earn Penelope's approval, Ace (as she calls him) works hard to improve himself only to discover… that the next few lines would give the plot away.
The author does a good job of capturing that certain period of a young man's life when he's both desperate to please but can flip that need to bitterness in an instant. However, my favourite parts of the book were when there was frenzied violence, which were very well-written and enjoyable.
Generally, the quality of the writing was very good and the story was immersive. Although it's not the longest book in the world I did read it in a couple of days and often found myself reading for longer than I'd intended.
Downsides are harder to think of. It is, I believe, planned to be the first part of a 12 part series, and as a rule I prefer short series and stand-alones. However, I certainly plan on giving book 2 a look.
It's slightly on the short side, but to be honest I'd rather read a somewhat short book than one padded with waffle.
So, if you like real-world fantasy then you may well enjoy giving House of Shadows a crack.
The author does a good job of capturing that certain period of a young man's life when he's both desperate to please but can flip that need to bitterness in an instant. However, my favourite parts of the book were when there was frenzied violence, which were very well-written and enjoyable.
Generally, the quality of the writing was very good and the story was immersive. Although it's not the longest book in the world I did read it in a couple of days and often found myself reading for longer than I'd intended.
Downsides are harder to think of. It is, I believe, planned to be the first part of a 12 part series, and as a rule I prefer short series and stand-alones. However, I certainly plan on giving book 2 a look.
It's slightly on the short side, but to be honest I'd rather read a somewhat short book than one padded with waffle.
So, if you like real-world fantasy then you may well enjoy giving House of Shadows a crack.
February 7, 2013
Very cool vampire novel unlike any I've ever read or seen on screen. I can't wait for the next one in this series!
January 29, 2015
sword and laser brought me here
enjoyed it. seriously . kinda wish there was a next book
enjoyed it. seriously . kinda wish there was a next book
September 10, 2019
I liked it and judging by all the rave reviews it seems that most people do so give it a shot. Lots of world and character building. Almost forces you to read the next in the series to see where things are going and to learn more about the characters.
March 24, 2015
It isn't often that I sit down to read a few pages of a book and look up hours later as I finish the book. This is one such book. Oh my goodness! And it is the first in a series, so now my fingers are scrabbling to turn the page and find volume two somehow hidden on my Kindle.
This is a vampire book for adults -- no sparkly vampires here or ones who steal from blood banks. And yet, it isn't focused on horror, so there's really no gore, except as necessary. The book includes a vampire culture, mores, and society that are intriguing. The background is organic to the story, and I want to learn more about it.
There's a mystery to be solved and there are enough hooks thrown out to pull the reader in. Surface answers for some of those hooks are hinted at by the end, but I want to know more. There are suggestions that paranormal themes will surface in the next book.
Oh, and the author knows his North Carolina settings. It adds a layer of verisimilitude.
Where's my next book? Write, Walter, write!
This is a vampire book for adults -- no sparkly vampires here or ones who steal from blood banks. And yet, it isn't focused on horror, so there's really no gore, except as necessary. The book includes a vampire culture, mores, and society that are intriguing. The background is organic to the story, and I want to learn more about it.
There's a mystery to be solved and there are enough hooks thrown out to pull the reader in. Surface answers for some of those hooks are hinted at by the end, but I want to know more. There are suggestions that paranormal themes will surface in the next book.
Oh, and the author knows his North Carolina settings. It adds a layer of verisimilitude.
Where's my next book? Write, Walter, write!
December 13, 2013
It was okay. Frankly, it would have been better if not for two things, and those brought the rating down majorly.
1. About half the book was explanation. We not only have the long letters from Penelope to Eugene explaining what happened to him, but we have various characters telling, for chapters, the history of the Breed and everything Eugene needs to know! I'm not kidding! It was at least 50% of the book spent in explanation. Over and over and over again.
2. The parentheses. In the narrative, fine, I can live with it, but not in dialog. And it was there, a great deal, in dialog. People do not actually talk in parentheses. They do not go, "blah blah blah (blah blah) blah blah". That ruined part of it for me because I know the editor should have caught that! If it was once, I might overlook it, but it kept showing up.
What little plot there was was good. I enjoyed that part. However, it was not enough for me to continue with the series.
1. About half the book was explanation. We not only have the long letters from Penelope to Eugene explaining what happened to him, but we have various characters telling, for chapters, the history of the Breed and everything Eugene needs to know! I'm not kidding! It was at least 50% of the book spent in explanation. Over and over and over again.
2. The parentheses. In the narrative, fine, I can live with it, but not in dialog. And it was there, a great deal, in dialog. People do not actually talk in parentheses. They do not go, "blah blah blah (blah blah) blah blah". That ruined part of it for me because I know the editor should have caught that! If it was once, I might overlook it, but it kept showing up.
What little plot there was was good. I enjoyed that part. However, it was not enough for me to continue with the series.
May 19, 2013
I received this book via Library Thing's Member Giveaways. My rating is actually 3.5 stars.
This was a very different take on vampire lore, with regard to the classic assumptions such as garlic, immortality, becoming a vampire, people who are in service to vampires, etc.
The story overall was good with great world building. Spence made the characters interesting (if not very sympathetic, including our protagonist). Spence's vampires are dark, violent, untrusting, and old fashioned.
There were times where I wasn't sure how Eugene got from place to place, and some of the fight scenes were confusing, usually because they introduced new characters or concepts.
I think the glossary should have been at the beginning. There were a lot of unfamiliar words introduced here.
This was a very different take on vampire lore, with regard to the classic assumptions such as garlic, immortality, becoming a vampire, people who are in service to vampires, etc.
The story overall was good with great world building. Spence made the characters interesting (if not very sympathetic, including our protagonist). Spence's vampires are dark, violent, untrusting, and old fashioned.
There were times where I wasn't sure how Eugene got from place to place, and some of the fight scenes were confusing, usually because they introduced new characters or concepts.
I think the glossary should have been at the beginning. There were a lot of unfamiliar words introduced here.
April 26, 2014
I gave this book a 3 star rating because it is reasonably well written and the story is interesting. I don't really like modern day vampire stories. This one had a good enough story to keep me interested. I actually bought this book by mistake. I was intending to buy House of Dark Shadows for Kindle. Since it was into the first chapter before I realized my mistake, I decided to keep reading. I wouldn't put it on my "must read" list, but it's not a bad read, either.
August 25, 2014
Not your typical Vampire tale. These creatures are unique and unlike any others that I have read before. The pacing of this book keeps you reading without dragging. it has the perfect amount of adventure and mystery to grab even non vampire lovers! I wish this book was a little longer, that way Eugenes character could have been stronger.
April 1, 2015
I heard about this book on the Sword & Laser podcast and tried it based on their recommendation. I'm not a big fan of vampire stories, which tend to be a bit samey, however this one was very enjoyable and, as described by other reviewers, a genuine page turner. This is definitely not Twilight. I am very much looking forward to the sequel.
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