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Guards of the Shadowlands #1.1
Captive: A Guard's Tale from Malachi's Perspective
In this thrilling short story set in the world of Sarah Fine’s novel Sanctum, Malachi rescues a mysterious girl from one of his own Guards, who’s convinced she’s a Mazikin. Malachi can tell she isn’t, but she’s not an ordinary citizen of the dark city, either. He only knows one thing for sure—she’s dangerous, and to more than just his mission. The captive’s fate is in his hands—will he end her afterlife or save her?
23 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 18, 2013
40 people are currently reading
1058 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Fine
55 books1,994 followersWhen I'm not writing, I'm psychologizing (really, I even get a paycheck for it). Sometimes I do both at the same time. The results are unpredictable.
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To receive updates on new releases, sales, and bonus material, go to http://sarahfinebooks.com/ and click at the top of the page to sign up for the newsletter.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SarahFineBooks/
Instagram: Sarah.e.fine
Ratings & Reviews
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
June 9, 2020
Well that wasn’t NEARLY long enough :(
March 1, 2020
Good if not short point of view I love this series and will read anything from it I can get my hands on.
May 3, 2013
You can also read this mini-review on my blog Collections.
I've been on a Malachi high lately. First it was all of his journal entries (if you've read Santcum, book one of the Guards of the Shadowlands series, you'll know that he has tons of journals that he's written in over the years since he's been in the Shadowlands) that can be found regularly updated on the Guards of the Shadowlands Tumblr page. And now there's this short story Captive!
Captive takes place during Sanctum where Malachi as Captain of the Guard first meets Lela. It's all from Malachi's perspective too. It may be short but gives enough insight to what was going on with him during that time. I loved reading what he was thinking when he saw Lela. I honestly can't get enough of them and the world found in this series, and I can't wait to read more about them in Fractured, the sequel to Sanctum!
February 18, 2014
This book lacked the bite the other books had, maybe it is because Malachi is a bit boring? Yup that is it, Malachi, your life is tragic but you could lighten up a bit...also I am still very mad about the last book.
Anyway I would not bother reading this, even if you love the series as much as I do.
Sorryish to Sarah Fine, I still love your writing.
Anyway I would not bother reading this, even if you love the series as much as I do.
Sorryish to Sarah Fine, I still love your writing.
May 2, 2013
Okay, this was only a few pages and I knew that going in. Normally I'd feel weird even rating something so short but I just really liked to hear from Malachi. I can't wait for Fractured...and Malachi.
If you haven't read Sanctum, I'd highly recommend you jump it up your TBR list before Fractured is released. IMHO.
July 29, 2016
I feel the same way about this as I felt about Free Four. We got a tiny glimpse of Divergent from Four's perspective. Here we get a teensy weensy peek of a single interaction in Shadowlands from Malachi's POV. Not a short story. No new information. Wait, I take that back. I now know that Malachi saw somebody's boobies :-D
I think authors should put these itty bitty things on their blogs for FREEEE. SF has Malachi's journal entries on her blog & they're pretty cool.
I think authors should put these itty bitty things on their blogs for FREEEE. SF has Malachi's journal entries on her blog & they're pretty cool.
July 27, 2016
Damn, no new information. I wish the book revealed much more about the world or the story. When it's done right, short stories can add something unique to the series or make you see a different side of the character (One of the best examples;Brooke)
Dont get me wrong, I DİD enjoy Malachi's perspective A LOT but since it was way too short I've felt cheated a little bit. The moment when I got excited, when I was looking forward to seeing him interacting with Lela, seeing the first meeting from his POV it cut of. Ended just like that. So disappointing. *sniff sniff*
Dont get me wrong, I DİD enjoy Malachi's perspective A LOT but since it was way too short I've felt cheated a little bit. The moment when I got excited, when I was looking forward to seeing him interacting with Lela, seeing the first meeting from his POV it cut of. Ended just like that. So disappointing. *sniff sniff*
Want to read
April 6, 2013More Malachi goodness? Do Want.
Now off to find out where to get a copy of this. It's been out for half a month and no one's been adding it on GR, not even the fans? What kind of shenanigans is this?
Now off to find out where to get a copy of this. It's been out for half a month and no one's been adding it on GR, not even the fans? What kind of shenanigans is this?
October 11, 2014
A brief interlude at the beginning of Sanctum from Malachi's POV when Lela was brought into the guards outpost. We get to see how quickly he realizes there is something different, something 'alive' about her and unlike any other denizen of the Shadowlands.
August 26, 2016
This short story gave us a great insight into Malachi, and made him seem a lot more human. I found that it was really easy to empathise with Malachi in this story, and I enjoyed it more than I enjoyed the first book in the series!
8 out of 10.
8 out of 10.
August 5, 2014
Well, that could have been about 150 pages longer....... What tiny, little bit was there was GREAT, but seriously, I wanted so much more!
September 17, 2021
I think it's interesting when an author gives us the story from another character's perspective. Plus, who doesn't want a little more Malachi?
November 3, 2019
Malachi's POV
This is a short story told from Malachi's point of view. After listening to the Guards of the Shadowlands trilogy it was really interesting to find out what motivated him as well as what he was thinking and feeling during the first meeting with Lela. To really understand our hero I would suggest reading this book after Sanctum as a bonus scene. I read this book for free with Kindle Unlimited.
This is a short story told from Malachi's point of view. After listening to the Guards of the Shadowlands trilogy it was really interesting to find out what motivated him as well as what he was thinking and feeling during the first meeting with Lela. To really understand our hero I would suggest reading this book after Sanctum as a bonus scene. I read this book for free with Kindle Unlimited.
January 12, 2018
I agree with a few other comments that the book was way too short and didn't give any interesting, previously unknown/unexpected details. So glad, I didn't buy it. Would have been disappointed. Think that this story is best presented for free on author's site. That would be more fair to everyone, IMHO.
January 31, 2018
Interesting short story
Captive is a short story from Malachi's perspective of the first time he met Lela. It was an interesting read. I wish it was a little longer but still worth the read.
Captive is a short story from Malachi's perspective of the first time he met Lela. It was an interesting read. I wish it was a little longer but still worth the read.
February 23, 2017
Boooooooooornig
May 5, 2020
TW/CW:
Violence, gore, g-slur, grief.
Pretty good! I love Malachi so much, at least from just the first book. I hope that stays true as I continue. But yes, Malachi. 🥺
Violence, gore, g-slur, grief.
Pretty good! I love Malachi so much, at least from just the first book. I hope that stays true as I continue. But yes, Malachi. 🥺
October 6, 2020
Great Story
Just a little insight into how Malachi felt when he first met Lela. Enjoyed the insight. Would love to see where Jim ended up. And how Sasha found Henry.
Just a little insight into how Malachi felt when he first met Lela. Enjoyed the insight. Would love to see where Jim ended up. And how Sasha found Henry.
November 4, 2020
A slice of Malachi
Does not add to the series nor do you see them interact. But if you love Malachi, its worth the read for two chapters of his life before Lela.
Does not add to the series nor do you see them interact. But if you love Malachi, its worth the read for two chapters of his life before Lela.
December 27, 2021
I'm just obsessed with this series, and love being in Malachi's perspective.
February 17, 2025
Omg perspektywa Malachiego przy poznaniu Leli!?! I love this
February 21, 2026
I just love Malachi. So I enjoyed pov when first meeting Lela
June 19, 2014
No matter what happened now, no matter who she turned out to be, something had shifted inside of him. He could feel it in the uncertain rhythm of his heart, the unfamiliar heat in his blood, the snap of tension in his muscles, the strange clutter in his normally ordered thoughts.
This is from Malachi's POV, but has more "musings" than reenacting's of the scenes which I was kind of disappointed about but not really because then we got to see a bit inside his head.
Rating
4 stars
[...]she smelled like blood. But she also smelled like that sea. Malachi remembered that bright, wild scent[...]
Characters
Lela
I was super excited to see Lela through his eyes!!
Those eyes...flecks of deep brown surrounded by amber. Like fire... She was strongly built for a girl; he'd felt the supple yet firm curves of her body when she'd been in his arms. And there was something in those fiery eyes of hers, a kind of threat. He wasn't even sure that she'd seen him, as out of it as she'd been, but still, the promise was there: I will fight you until every bone in my body is broken & even after that. She was dangerous. Even here, helpless like this, she had power. He could almost feel it bleeding from her, swirling across his skin, raising goose bumps, and making his heart speed.
We got to see her fighter spirit through different eyes of which didn't immediately label it 'surviving'.
She was so afraid, and so badly hurt, but she was still fighting.
We could also see her fear through him
She was out cold, but she was still trying to fight, to escape the unwanted touch.
Malachi
The feelings that he had for her before she even uttered a word to him were simply fascinating.
he could smell the sea breeze off the girls skin. She smelled alive. But not in a tame, gentle kind of way. This girl made him think of an ocean that might rise up and crush him beneath its waves, one that could drag him under and drown him if he wasn't careful.
He should be careful.
He should be very, very, careful.
...and
There was something about her that made him want to stare for hours. Something mysterious and challenging. Something unbreakable and defiant. Even deeply asleep, seemingly helpless, she ... wasn't. There was still promise there-the promise of war. She would defend herself. She would not be easily intimidated.
He even had to give himself a pep talk!!
"She is your enemy until she proves herself otherwise. She is nothing to you but a prisoner. One who might have information."
We also got into his former life, the beginning of guard life.
He hadn't been consumed by his anger for a long time. It had mostly been a replaced by resignation, acceptance in his role. Acceptance of his sentence. Acceptance of the staggering loneliness that came with it.
...and into his past
He's assumed that he'd find a girl someday who looked at him like his mother had looked at his father, who said his name like a prayer
Ana
We even got into a bit of Ana. From his POV, and from what he knew.
He admired her edge; he'd become an incredibly fierce warrier over the years, but she was so hard, so sharp...except when she looked at Takeshi
I hadn't even thought of what Malachi was feeling that he was 1 of 3 people and the other 2 were a couple (lonely, jealousy).
Raphael
I hadn't quite figured out Raphael yet, either, and I didn't think
Malachi knew that he was the judges eyes and ears. It was kind of nice to put a label on the man who I was having trouble figuring out.
Recommended
Nothing would ever be the same again.
This is from Malachi's POV, but has more "musings" than reenacting's of the scenes which I was kind of disappointed about but not really because then we got to see a bit inside his head.
Rating
4 stars
[...]she smelled like blood. But she also smelled like that sea. Malachi remembered that bright, wild scent[...]
Characters
Lela
I was super excited to see Lela through his eyes!!
Those eyes...flecks of deep brown surrounded by amber. Like fire... She was strongly built for a girl; he'd felt the supple yet firm curves of her body when she'd been in his arms. And there was something in those fiery eyes of hers, a kind of threat. He wasn't even sure that she'd seen him, as out of it as she'd been, but still, the promise was there: I will fight you until every bone in my body is broken & even after that. She was dangerous. Even here, helpless like this, she had power. He could almost feel it bleeding from her, swirling across his skin, raising goose bumps, and making his heart speed.
We got to see her fighter spirit through different eyes of which didn't immediately label it 'surviving'.
She was so afraid, and so badly hurt, but she was still fighting.
We could also see her fear through him
She was out cold, but she was still trying to fight, to escape the unwanted touch.
Malachi
The feelings that he had for her before she even uttered a word to him were simply fascinating.
he could smell the sea breeze off the girls skin. She smelled alive. But not in a tame, gentle kind of way. This girl made him think of an ocean that might rise up and crush him beneath its waves, one that could drag him under and drown him if he wasn't careful.
He should be careful.
He should be very, very, careful.
...and
There was something about her that made him want to stare for hours. Something mysterious and challenging. Something unbreakable and defiant. Even deeply asleep, seemingly helpless, she ... wasn't. There was still promise there-the promise of war. She would defend herself. She would not be easily intimidated.
He even had to give himself a pep talk!!
"She is your enemy until she proves herself otherwise. She is nothing to you but a prisoner. One who might have information."
We also got into his former life, the beginning of guard life.
He hadn't been consumed by his anger for a long time. It had mostly been a replaced by resignation, acceptance in his role. Acceptance of his sentence. Acceptance of the staggering loneliness that came with it.
...and into his past
He's assumed that he'd find a girl someday who looked at him like his mother had looked at his father, who said his name like a prayer
Ana
We even got into a bit of Ana. From his POV, and from what he knew.
He admired her edge; he'd become an incredibly fierce warrier over the years, but she was so hard, so sharp...except when she looked at Takeshi
I hadn't even thought of what Malachi was feeling that he was 1 of 3 people and the other 2 were a couple (lonely, jealousy).
Raphael
I hadn't quite figured out Raphael yet, either, and I didn't think
Malachi knew that he was the judges eyes and ears. It was kind of nice to put a label on the man who I was having trouble figuring out.
Recommended
Nothing would ever be the same again.
October 1, 2014
4 Stars
Ooh, CAPTIVE, how you made me love Malachi so, soooo, much more!! You brought out all the amazing characterize traits and all his alluring sex appeal, and made me fall so much more in love with him! Real or not, Malachi's my dream guy!!!
In CAPTIVE, we get Malachi's POV from a few chapters in SANCTUM. It's only about 23 pages, but was still more then enough to have me loving Malachi so much more! He's strong and tough when needed. He's a protector and leader to his guards. He's feared and hunted by the Mazikin. He's liked and respected by the ones that know him best. And he's loyal and deadly when the time comes. To say Malachi is the perfect male love interest, well that would be an understatement!
THE PLOT
Malachi's dealing with the highly increased number of the evil Mazikin stealing and claiming the bodies of the souls in his city. As captain of the guard, it is his duty above all else to ensure that the wandering souls are protected from the Mazikin's evil clutches. But with the increase in murders, and the Mazikin becoming more bold and cunning, he is feeling more pressured then ever to learn the Mazikin's plans and find their secret nest hiding within the dark Suicide City. Then, he finally gets a break when one of his fellow guards catches a girl acting strange within the city. Or so he thought, something is different about this girl. She doesn't have the Mazikin's scent, but she's not like the other wandering souls either. She's different then anything he's ever come across in his years in the City. But it could very well be one of the Mazikin's tricks to get his guard down and gain his trust. And now Malachi is unsure of who or what she is, and what he should do with her.
I'm so much more excited after reading CAPTIVE to jump back into this series and continue this epic journey through hell and back (Literally), and experience the same wonderful feelings from book one, but this time through a new journey with the same characters I've come to love!!
Overall, if you've read the first book SANCTUM, then you definitely need to read this short story in Malachi's POV. It will not disappoint and only have you craving book two even more!!
And for the record, Malachi is SOOOO HOTTT,and gets sexier with each book!!!!
August 3, 2015
Captive is a novella that fits in between Sanctum and Fractured in the Guards of the Shadowlands series by Sarah Fine.
Novellas that fit between books in a series can so easily go one of two ways: they can help fill in blanks and advance the story, or they can simply be recaps of events from a different character's perspective. Captive fits in the latter category. That is NOT to say that it's not worth reading! Captive is from Malachi's perspective, and anyone who's read Sanctum was probably left (like me) wanting MORE MORE MORE Malachi. This novella is like an appetizer for that desire; it gives the reader a little more Malachi... just enough to leave me wanting even more! I haven't yet read Fractured, but I'm even more anxious to after reading Captive.
The novella explores Malachi's thoughts and feelings when Lela is brought into his Guardhouse. I loved the descriptive language Sarah Fine uses; how Malachi notices even the smallest things about her, like her smell and her strength. It definitely serves to humanize him, as the smell of the sea on Lela takes him back to vacations that his family would take to the Adriatic, and how protective he is of her, right from the start. I appreciate how Fine respects her readers' intelligence, and doesn't shove facts in our faces, but through Malachi's thoughts and emotions we also learn a little more about how he came to be where he is, and even more about his fellow Guard, Ana.
I definitely recommend Captive to fans of Sanctum (and I recommend Sanctum if you haven't read it yet)!
Novellas that fit between books in a series can so easily go one of two ways: they can help fill in blanks and advance the story, or they can simply be recaps of events from a different character's perspective. Captive fits in the latter category. That is NOT to say that it's not worth reading! Captive is from Malachi's perspective, and anyone who's read Sanctum was probably left (like me) wanting MORE MORE MORE Malachi. This novella is like an appetizer for that desire; it gives the reader a little more Malachi... just enough to leave me wanting even more! I haven't yet read Fractured, but I'm even more anxious to after reading Captive.
The novella explores Malachi's thoughts and feelings when Lela is brought into his Guardhouse. I loved the descriptive language Sarah Fine uses; how Malachi notices even the smallest things about her, like her smell and her strength. It definitely serves to humanize him, as the smell of the sea on Lela takes him back to vacations that his family would take to the Adriatic, and how protective he is of her, right from the start. I appreciate how Fine respects her readers' intelligence, and doesn't shove facts in our faces, but through Malachi's thoughts and emotions we also learn a little more about how he came to be where he is, and even more about his fellow Guard, Ana.
I definitely recommend Captive to fans of Sanctum (and I recommend Sanctum if you haven't read it yet)!
April 14, 2015
Captive is a short told from Malachi's perspective. We learn what he was doing when Lela is captured in Sanctum and how caught off guard he is by her strength.
There are several ways you can snag this baby for your own:
(1) Pre-order book 2, Fractured, from Amazon (before 29 Oct 2013) and you'll receive this short for free. Per Amazon, "Download must be claimed by November 28, 2013. Promotion limited to one per customer."
(2) Buy it individually for $0.99 on Amazon or borrow it for free if you're an Amazon Prime member.
She was a girl. Not the prettiest he'd ever seen, but there was something about her that made him want to stare for hours. Something mysterious and challenging. Something unbreakable and defiant.He's unsure how to proceed. Cautiously, most definitely.
No matter what happened now, no matter who she turned out to be, something had shifted inside of him.
Nothing would ever be the same.
There are several ways you can snag this baby for your own:
(1) Pre-order book 2, Fractured, from Amazon (before 29 Oct 2013) and you'll receive this short for free. Per Amazon, "Download must be claimed by November 28, 2013. Promotion limited to one per customer."
(2) Buy it individually for $0.99 on Amazon or borrow it for free if you're an Amazon Prime member.
October 6, 2013
*So good! Full review to come*
EDIT-
I don't always post reviews on my blog of novellas, unless of course, they are outrageously, ridiculously good. Hence, why I am posting one today.
It has to be said, Sarah is an amazing author. Her rich detail and mind blowing ability to create a devastatingly dark depressing world that is so vivid is just outstanding. And the simple fact that even though the world she created is terrifying, you still want to be there, because hey, that world had Malachi and oh boy, Malachi is one guard you need to meet.
I could go on and on about why I love this series, why I love Lela and Malachi but honestly, you just need to pick it up and read it for yourself. Because this is one series you have to experience yourself to truly know and appreciate how well written it is and how captivating it can be.
The simple fact that Sarah gave us a story all about Malachi, in any shape or form is truly a gift and one I am thankful for because it has been a long hard wait for Fractured to be released and this just had enough umph to hold me over and make the wait a little more bearable and of course, make me fall in love with Malachi all over again.
EDIT-
I don't always post reviews on my blog of novellas, unless of course, they are outrageously, ridiculously good. Hence, why I am posting one today.
It has to be said, Sarah is an amazing author. Her rich detail and mind blowing ability to create a devastatingly dark depressing world that is so vivid is just outstanding. And the simple fact that even though the world she created is terrifying, you still want to be there, because hey, that world had Malachi and oh boy, Malachi is one guard you need to meet.
I could go on and on about why I love this series, why I love Lela and Malachi but honestly, you just need to pick it up and read it for yourself. Because this is one series you have to experience yourself to truly know and appreciate how well written it is and how captivating it can be.
The simple fact that Sarah gave us a story all about Malachi, in any shape or form is truly a gift and one I am thankful for because it has been a long hard wait for Fractured to be released and this just had enough umph to hold me over and make the wait a little more bearable and of course, make me fall in love with Malachi all over again.
December 26, 2014
Malachi really is one of my favorite male main characters of all time. I usually find short stories set in the universe of a larger series somewhat pointless and not always that interesting, but because a) I really like Malachi, b) Fine actually wrote from his perspective about something I didn't need to know, but had genuinely been a bit curious about/was glad to be indulged in, and c) she used the third person, it worked out pretty well. I like that she wasn't overly dramatic, but while it doesn't necessarily give you any new information about Malachi or who he is or how he feels, it just somehow feels--nice.
February 7, 2014
2.5 stars. Meh. No new information here really - just the capture of Lela from Malachi's viewpoint. In fact, it reinforced the whole love-at-first-sight thing that I usually don't like. Overall, Captive doesn't really add anything to
and can be skipped in my opinion.
and can be skipped in my opinion.
June 12, 2023
#1.) Sanctum: ★★★★★
#1.1) Captive: A Guard's Tale from Malachi's Perspective: ★★★★
#2.) Fractured: ★★★★
#3.) Chaos: ★★★★★
Tough to review this since it was so short...but good for you, Malachi? I guess?
#1.1) Captive: A Guard's Tale from Malachi's Perspective: ★★★★
#2.) Fractured: ★★★★
#3.) Chaos: ★★★★★
Tough to review this since it was so short...but good for you, Malachi? I guess?
Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews