Sacrificed in Shadow

Ascension #1

by S.M. Reine

Sometimes, you need a demon to fight demons.

Lincoln Marshall is a small-town deputy with a very big problem. Six members of his church have been found dead, killed by a rogue werewolf. He’ll have to make a deal with the Devil to save victims that have gone missing — maybe literally. Elise Kavanagh, preternatural investigator and exorcist, is the expert when it comes to violent deaths at the jaws of evil. She’s also among the most powerful demons that Hell has spawned.

Elise jumps at Lincoln’s case, and it’s not just because of his down-home charm. Someone’s laid a trap for her in Northgate, and she wants to find out who. She’ll have to team up with Rylie Gresham, Alpha of the last surviving werewolf pack, to figure out who’s trying to blame the murders on werewolves. Only together can they stop the killings — and uncover the secrets buried in Northgate.

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, Fantasy, Demons, Romance, Angels, Magic

326 pages, Paperback

First published July 15, 2013

About the author

Hi everyone! My name is Sara, and I write urban fantasy and paranormal novels as SM Reine. I collect swords, cat hair, and typewriters (which I do use for writing!). It's a good day when those three things have nothing to do with each other.

If you would like to know the instant my next book is available, you should enlist in my Army of Evil! We have a wicked cool secret handshake, but you'll have to sign up to learn it. ;) Check it out -- http://smarturl.it/armyofevil

Reviews

[✘✘ Sarah ✘✘ (former Nefarious Breeder of Murderous Crustaceans) · Rating 4 out of 5]

🖤 Elise Kavanagh Thou Art the Sunshine of Our Black Withered Hearts Buddy Reread (EKTAtSoOBWHBR™) with the MacHalos 🖤

➽ And the moral of this reread is: color me bloody shrimping surprised, I didn't hate Lincoln Officer Uptight as Fish (OUsF™) or the Silly Werewolf Clique (SWC™) as much this time around. Okay, so I still strongly slightly dislike them, but I no longer feel like unleashing my murderous children on them. Well, I still do. A little. But not as much as I used to. That's progress, right? Right.

➽ And the other moral of this reread is: demons are sexey as fish. And that, my Little Barnacles, is a scientifically proven fact.



Told ya.

💌 A very private message to James the Bastard Faulkner: I hate you. You're one of the most delicious biggest assholes in the history of most delicious biggest assholes. So Poof Gone Harem and stuff. Obviously.

· Book 2: Oaths of Blood ★★★★
· Book 3: Ruled by Steel ★★★★
· Book 4: Caged in Bone ★★★
· Book 5: Lost in Prophecy ★★★★★
· Book 6: Torn by Fury ★★★★★
· Book 7: Sins of Eden ★★★★★
· Book 8: The Second Coming ★★½



[January 2015]

⚠️ Disclaimer: the fangirl in me might make an appearance at any given time during this review. As a consequence, said review might not make much sense. It should make even less sense if you haven't read Descent. Oh, and brace yourself because this should take a while. Don't say I didn't warn you.

⚠️ Warning: HUMONGOUS Descent spoiler upcoming. Thou hast been warned and stuff.


Where to start? Oh yes. Elise is back.



Elise Kavanagh. Kopis. Exorcist. Father of all demons. Godslayer. Omnipresent shadow. Mother of all angels. Total badass. Bloody hell, I love you. You're one of the coolest, most complex, most original heroines ever.

“What made you like this?” Lincoln asked.
Simple question, with such a complicated answer.
Yatam, father of all demons.
Metaraon, the Voice of God.
Adam, the first man.
Isaac, my father.
James Faulkner, my betrayer.

Lovely bunch of bastards right there. It's a wonder Elise is still sane after all these guys put her through in Descent. Well she can get slightly bipolar at times but the girl went from being human to being god-like in less time than it takes to blink so cut her some slack will you? Besides, she's a demon but now she also has Eve's heart (yes, Eve as in Adam & Eve), which certainly doesn't help. And she feels lonely. And James broke her heart. But hey, it's not all bad! She swallows dead bodies like no one else. She's everywhere and nowhere. She gets shot in the face: no biggie. She apparently regenerates through sex (yay!). And she's her own weapon of mass destruction. Pretty handy.

Oops. Sick of hearing about Elise are you? What can I say? The girl's awesome. Hey don't complain, I warned you about the fangirling.

I guess at this point you'd like to hear about the story? Right. Let's go back in time for a bit. Elise's Descent adventures finished in 2013, after seven amazing instalments. It was hard to let her go but Reine wrapped things up nicely and everything came to a satisfying (if heartbreaking) end. Time passed. And then one day I found out Reine had started writing another series about Elise.



I bought the first book right away. And put off reading it for more than six months. Couldn't bring myself to read it. Paradise Damned was such a mind-blowing finale to Descent that I was afraid to go into Sacrificed in Shadow. I didn't want to be disappointed. I was scared to death of what Reine was up to and of what she would put me through. The woman has no mercy. But hey, I'm a brave girl. So I started reading.

As much as I love Elise I have to admit I had a hard time adjusting to the new setting. What I didn't realize before I dived into the book is that Ascension is a crossover between the characters of Descent and of Seasons of the Moon , one of Reine's other series (about werewolves). To me Elise's world has always been about demons and angels so seeing her mixed up with shifters was unsettling. Then Reine worked her magic and I was sucked into the story.



Don't think you'll even get so much as a synopsis from me because in typical Reine style this story is one hell of a ride and impossible to summarize. It all starts out innocently enough (well as innocently as things can get when Elise is involved) but all hell breaks loose faster than the speed of light. My nerves. My poor nerves. SM Reine you are insane. There are enough twists, turns and revelations in this book to last a lifetime or two. And I didn't see any of them of them coming. Reine defeated my inner Sherlock once again.

So this is me while reading the book: "OMG this is so cool" – "WTF???!!!" – "OMG OMG OMG" – "Oh please don't break my heart!" – "Damn! Where did that come from?" – "YES YES YES YES YES!!!" – "Oh you bastard!" – "Oh shit" – "Hahahahahahaha!" – "Oh no you don't!" – "Ooooooh, yummy!" – "NO NO NO NO NO SM Reine don't you dare do this to me!" – "Bwahahahaha this is so sick! I love it!" –"Seriously??" – "Double damn!" – "Wow wow wow wow" – "Bloody hell!" – "OMG OMG OMG this is freaking crazy" – "Someone call an ambulance, I think my heart just stopped" – "Elise you are the shit girl" – "Triple damn!" - *faints*

Gut-wrenching? You bet. Emotionally draining? Yep. Heartbreaking? That too. I'm exhausted. I think I'm going to need a few weeks to sleep this off.



What's that back there? I can't hear you. Oh you're asking if there are other characters besides Elise in this books? Sure, I was just getting there.

James Freaking Faulkner: Elise's aspis. Ethereal Gray. Aggravating idiot. What are we going to do with you? And what's up with the "I'm a semi-god" attitude anyway? What the hell happened to you while you were away? Where did all that power come from? And What the Fish are you up to? Well I think I might actually have an idea about that (getting your son back and reverting Elise back to human form? Please tell me this is it!) but I'll just have to wait and see what happens in instalments to come. By the way James, one word of advice: maybe if you stopped being such an ass for five minutes Elise would end up forgiving you. Oh and before I forget: you might be an aggravating bastard but I'm still rooting for you.

The other characters? I don't know what to make of Lincoln. His character is as freaky as it gets (a religious freak with demon blood? And God's blood too? SM Reine you really are evil) and I love it but I just can't get myself to like him. I LOVE McIntyre. I didn't like Anthony in Descent and I still don't like him here. And Stephanie? Freaking Stephanie again? You have to be kidding me. Can't we just get rid of the bitch once and for all? The shifters I'm not sure about: Rylie is a bit meh. Abel I don't particularly care about. Seth seems pretty cool though and I want to know more about him.



You've had enough, I know. This might be one of my longest reviews ever. Will you stay with me for a list of random awesomeness? How lovely of you. Here goes:
Swallowing. Elise getting shot in the face. Orpheus. The OPA. Nashriel. Every single fight scene. The Union. Elise's tattoos *sighs*. The Descendants. Exorcism to hell. Elise & Nashriel at the lake. The White Ash Coven. The rings. Ace. Eurydice. The Apple. Elise & James. Portals. Judy. Infernal Grays. The Origin.

Sacrificed in Shadow wasn't as mind-blowing as Paradise Damned but it was pretty damn close. What now?! I want to know!! Next please!

[S.M. Reine]

I think this is the best book I've written so far. :) And I just finished it!

[Denisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

YAYYYY!
Elise's story continues!

[Sláinte Wanderlust · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cover & Title - 4 out of 5
Favorite character - Elise

I stayed up so late last night to finish this book and after i finished it, it was all i could think about!
Elise was a brand new character to me as I have not read her own series, i found her really interesting. A kick-ass female protagonist is my major love. I enjoyed her throughout the story, I think i will have to go and read her series now actually. Not knowing anything about Elise did not hinder me in anyway, I still easily got into the story and the more I read the more i knew about her (and liked). I would definitely say you can read this book without reading the other series that are linked.
The story was fast passed, high emotion, bubbling with drama, action packed and it had twists & turns.. major excitement all round. From start to end I did not put this book down, it hooked me in and I loved it.
I am already looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
I would recommend this & I plan on reading, a hell of a lot more by this author.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

well oops...
Might have rated this higher- but I read this one without reading the prequels.



Although it wasn't too difficult to understand all of the lingo and background history going on-I don't think I can go back now and read them with out the current relationships coloring how I feel about some of the characters

*cough James cough*

We'll see if I continue on with this particular series either way, or if I just say screw it and go back and read the other books in the previous series from the very start--even though I know what the characters are going to be up to in the future. Hmmm.

[Al *the semi serial series skipper* · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally a good book from kindle freebies. I thought the day would never come. *cries a little*

I loved Elise, a total badass that did not suffer fools. I didn't find it hard to get into but knowing that there is a prequel where Elise was just a normal human makes me curious. I'm also hoping there is some degree of romance to this series as well.

[Kelsy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am always up for good supernatural fiction. Until now, I've enjoyed all that I've read by S.M. Reine. While Reine's writing is intelligent with clear imagery, complicated human emotions and an intricate back story, the novel as a whole was not enjoyable for me to read. Her creative theology is just plain wrong--Adam becomes God who gets drunk on his power, commits all kinds of violent acts; and, as a result, had to be destroyed (I know, WHAT?!). Furthermore, there is an interesting, if not confusing, juxtaposition in which life is valued, yet human beings are objectified and heinous acts such as eating human flesh are treated as nothing more than necessary means of survival. There is a lot of pointless profanity, explicit sexuality, and gore. In my circle of aquaintences, I could not in good concience recommend this book. However, if a person is not bothered by the content mentioned above, I'm sure they'd have a very enjoyable read.

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon & on iBooks today (9/11/2020)! 🎁

[Anne · Rating 1 out of 5]

I love urban fantasy, it's my #1 favorite genre and I wanted to try SM Reine's work. I thought Sacrificed in Shadow would be a good choice since it was the start of a new series. While Elise is an interesting character, her back story is a confusing mess at 53%. I really think this book is not a stand alone start of a new series. To me, I think you really need to read at least Elise's previous series. I also gave up because Elise and the other characters never talk to each other, there's no chemistry between any of them (though Riley and Elise seem to be starting a working relationship and talk at about 50%, but at that point I didn't care). There were unexplained actions (How does Lincoln know about Elise and how to contact her?) and confusing situations (What is Elise? Was she once the original Eve? Did she kill the original Eve? If she is a demon, why is she trying to kill demons?).

I have SM's Descent series and I'll still give the first book a try since the other reviews are good, so eventually I may make my way back to Sacrificed in Shadow, but I can't recommend it to anyone not already a knowledgeable Elise fan.

I received a copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Mara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't deny it. Reading Sacrificed in Shadows was a shock. No, I had no doubt going in I would have loved it. But I left Elise as an incredible strong hunter so in love with her Shield that she sacrificed everything to save him. I was really sad (and angry) reading what had happened to her.

But Elise is still the great kick-ass hunter that she was and I sincerely hope that she'll stop James and makes him pay. Yep, this is the strength of the emotion this book churned in me :D

The world-building in this series is pretty complex and not easy to go down if you are a very religious guy. But then I suspect that you wouldn't be reading UF if you were. I love this level of gritty.

The plot revolves around a series of killings that may involve a werewolf. Elise has to unravel the mystery trying to stay alive at the same time. And enemies are hidden everywhere.

The Ascension series unites two previous one from S.M. Reine, but you don't need to read them to get this story. I have only read Death's Hand, the first volume in the 7-books Descent series, and All Hallows Moon, the second book in The season of the Moon one. I had no problem whatsoever. :)
Not every author is able to avoid info-dumps and, at the same time, leaving the readers stranded.

I'm glad the book revolves around Elise, though. I'm not a fan of Rylie. I prefer the dark and gritty heroine to the sweet and blond one :). Always did.
I'm sorry Elise was shut down by the pack, after everything she did for them. I hope the future will hold something different.

And I really hope James is not in it... < grin >

DRC courtesy of S.M. Reines

[Carrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I could not get my hands on this book fast enough! I am absolutely in love with both of the series that come together in this book. After picking this book up, I seriously considered calling out sick from work just to finish uninterrupted.

Even after all the expectation I had for this series, I still don't think I would change a single thing about this book. It was filled with all the things I was hoping for: We get a good dose of James and Elise (in all their dysfunctional glory), answering all my questions about where they ended up after their last book. We get to learn a little more about Nash, which is exactly what I wanted after completing his book. Seth gets more time in the spotlight, to make up for him being away in the last book. Some familiar supporting characters and references show up along the way, which makes me feel like a little fan girl. Anthony is only present in small sections of the book (a plus for me, because I still hate him). There is tons of action, which really kept the pages turning. Lastly, the story was what I've come to expect from this author - great!

I love a story that can keep me guessing until the last few chapters. It's so rare that you can pick up a book, especially this deep into the series (or more than one series), and still be surprised at the twists and turns the author throws at you. I can't wait to see where this new Ascension Series goes and I'll be counting down the days until the next book comes out!

[Marsha · Rating 2 out of 5]

First and foremost let me say that anyone reading this review should know that "Sacrificed in Shadows" is not my type of book; therefore, anyone interested in reading it should do so without any prejudice from me. I do not like books written about angels because they are always less than my vision of what angels are like. Had I known this book was steeped in angels, I never would have purchased it.

After reading the book description, I was expecting an exorcism type demon who was going to assist a police officer solve several murders involving werewolves. The story began with so much potential but quickly lost its focus and became lost with too many angelic tales and too many other grandiose story lines. The main story got lost and I was left with a convoluted mess. Obviously, I won't be going on to any other books in the series. It just isn't my cup of tea.

[Christina · Rating 1 out of 5]

Got 33 pages in & felt nothing for any of the characters, nor did I find the world interesting. The writing just didnt grab me.

[J.A. Belfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this title from the author in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way affected my opinion of the book.

When Ms Reine contacted me and asked if I’d like to read Sacrificed in Shadow, I thought Sure. I mean, I read Six Moon Summer a little while ago, and have the following books in that series of S.M.’s to check out (if I ever get five minutes to do so), and I enjoyed what I sampled of her writing, so I figured I’d be safe. What I hadn’t banked on was the massive part played in SiS by certain characters from SMS (I don’t read blurbs—so, shoot me), and the fact I suddenly realised just how much of their development I’ve missed by not having read those already.

That being said, this didn’t hinder my enjoyment of Ms Reine’s latest read. It merely made me want to get my finger out and read those books of hers even more. There also seems to be a crossover (though smaller) from her other—Death’s Hand—books, but other than to mention what I have already, I’m not going to delve into that because I think you should find out how they all intertwine for yourself.

Now, onto the story. We have a few of POV’s in this title—what I’m going to consider as the two MC’s—as well as very small amounts from another POV (I *think* I recall there being only one other).

Elise seems to be the biggest player through the book, despite it not being her POV that opens the story, and in truth, I wasn’t so sure I’d like her at first. I mean, those female MC’s with an attitude that seems borne of just their knowledge that they’re faster and tougher than most usually makes me annoyed with them, and means they have to work harder for my approval. Well, Elise most certainly managed to pull me over to her dark side, and trust me when I say it wasn’t long before I totally TeamE and egging her toward working everything out.

Alongside her, we have Lincoln—the seemingly straight-laced, law-abiding, small-town, good Christian (did I miss anything?) cop. Now, don’t be fooled by my description, as this guy is not all that he appears, and he certainly has plenty of demons (heh) of his own to battle, as well as inner turmoil, and boy, oh boy, did I want him to be strong—because, man, I LOVED Lincoln’s character. He’s so … FULL! And HOT, but without even seeming hot. Hot, in an understated, unassuming, unaware, kind of way—if that even makes sense?

And around both of those, we have everyone else. And there are a LOT of them. However, the only place I found myself slightly confused and straining to keep up was the second time we get to meet the brothers, Seth and Able, as well as everyone else who comes with them, and I had to try and keep track of who all of these good folk were. Not to mention the ‘baddies’, and the sturdy sidekicks working for Elise from the sidelines, and the ex-lover, who I simply could not get a handle on because he was just THAT good at manipulation he easily had my mind yanking in all directions. I guess what I’m trying to say here is, YES, there’s a big cast. But Ms Reine does such a fab job of making each and every one of them so individual, hence making them easily recognisable, that getting to know them was a cinch. This is certainly one full-bodied bunch of peeps.

And then we have the plot. This plot will keep you guessing. EVERYTHING about this book will keep you guessing. Any time I thought I had it all figured out, I turned out to be wrong. Any time I thought I had a character’s number, turned out I had them all wrong. Even characters who were on the ‘good guy’ team kept me on my toes and trying to figure them out—because this is so craftfully weaved, it appears so many times that pretty much any one of them could be on the ‘dark side’, and absolutely not a one of them is safe from manipulation and betrayal—NONE of them are as safe as they think.

To wrap up: this book has mystery and intrigue and sex appeal from the off, and each of those combined with a great body of characters will keep you turning the pages for more. From werewolves, to demons, to angel, and filled with magic, it pretty much covers all bases, and I’m really looking forward to finding out where S.M. takes this tale next. Hopefully, I’ll have read the preceding books by then and caught up.

[Gerd · Rating 4 out of 5]

For clarity: I got this novel for free from the author.
For further clarity: I consider myself a huge fan of her "Seasons of the moon/The Cain Chronicles" series but couldn’t get through the "The Descent" series, sorry.

Frankly, I don’t like Elise much, she appears to me like the type of gal Eleanor could have been friends with, if she had been one to do friends with demons, hell, if she had been one to do friends at all. Elise is quite the polar opposite of Rylie, and here lies the beauty of the novel, in the cute as a button Alpha, naturally, but also in the alleviating character contrast she provides.
I’m not sure if I could have stood Elise alone for the whole novel, no matter the quality of the story, which is phenomenal!

"Sacrificed in Shadows" elegantly combines story elements from both series, thereby enriching their background, and weaves a compelling story of its own in the progress.
In a review of "Death’s Hand" (Descent #1), I said:
SM Reine’s trademark Young Adult style doesn’t lend itself to The Descent series more mature nature…
I still stand by this, for "Death’s Hand" doesn’t work for me, I guess whereas Seasons is Young Adult, The Descent would now count as New Adult, and finally with "Sacrificed in Shadow" Reine has completed the transition into Adult. And she has matured as a writer along the way, a lot, my only gripe with "Seasons" was that the ending felt too new age to me, too much love, happiness and pancakes - in short if fell flat to its build-up.
One can’t say that about "Sacrificed", which closes off with a terrific showdown, throwing around several unexpected twists when at last everybody’s ulterior motives finally get revealed.

"Sacrificed" does, as mentioned, build heavily on the two series crossing here, but one can actually pick up the book and read it without needing any background knowledge, all you need to follow the story along is getting explained, in a smooth manner, I may add, that never feels overly intrusive. And all one is missing are some finer points. If you read the Cain Chronicles, though, you will not want to miss reading "Sacrificed in Shadow" for it imparts important information on the organization known as The Apple and about their agenda. I hopefully won’t spoil too much when I say that nomen est omen count’s fully here.
For those, like me, that didn't read "The Descent" series, yet, "Sacrificed" will make you uncannyly curious about it, I for one will be giving it a second chance for sure, because Reine has build a fascinating mythology for it based on Christian myths.


What else can I add?
Much as I disliked Elise I disliked Lincoln, her, well, not romantic interest, it’s pure lust that drives Elise in his bed. A man who’s a piece of his own – but, and here lies another beauty of the story, there’s a good reason to it. Lincoln isn’t just your typical women hating, sexually repressed, Christian dick, the sort of which we encounter often in Paranormals, and Elise isn’t just in lust with him for the sake of providing the writer with random chances to throw sex scenes at the reader, no, this is actually an integral part of the plot.
As I said, Reine has matured as writer.
Don’t worry, "Sacrificed" comes along at its core as playfully adventurous, though much darker, as "Seasons" did, but with an a whole lot more complex mystery plot that leaves you guessing right through to the end.

"Sacrificed" is the start to a new series, and as such it does close with a cliff hanger, but it is, in my opinion, self enclosed enough to enjoy on its own.


For those that take importance with these things a warning: there’s a number of errors in the novel; mostly missed words (the sum of which I hadn’t seen since the last Eileen Wilks novel I read), and in at least one instance Reine seems to have switched wording mid-sentence, which led to an unconnected “it” or something equally small.
The only one that irritated me personally, because it drops in the middle of the showdown, was a double negative towards the end of the novel:
“He might as well have been firing blanks. It didn’t nothing.”

[Stacey Brutger · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars
DESCRIPTION:
Sometimes, you need a demon to fight demons.

Lincoln Marshall is a small-town deputy with a very big problem. Six members of his church have been found dead, killed by a rogue werewolf. He'll have to make a deal with the Devil to save victims that have gone missing -- maybe literally. Elise Kavanagh, preternatural investigator and exorcist, is the expert when it comes to violent deaths at the jaws of evil. She's also among the most powerful demons that Hell has spawned.


Elise jumps at Lincoln's case, and it's not just because of his down-home charm. Someone's laid a trap for her in Northgate, and she wants to find out who. She'll have to team up with Rylie Gresham, Alpha of the last surviving werewolf pack, to figure out who's trying to blame the murders on werewolves. Only together can they stop the killings -- and uncover the secrets buried in Northgate.



REVIEW:

The beginning of the book left me floundering a bit as I scrambled to figure out what was happening. Don't get me wrong, the writing was engaging, but I had to stop after a couple of chapters to read the blurb again and see if I had the same book. Only after Elise began to dig into the investigation did the story really start to pick up speed. Dead bodies were piling up, mauled to death. Werewolves were accused of committing the crimes. The small town deputy doesn't understand why nothing was being done, so he decided to hire outside help in the form of Elise Kavanagh. He knew she was a special investigator. Too bad no one told him she was a demon.


When Elise went into the woods to hunt the wolves responsible for the deaths, she soon discovered that all was not as it seemed. To stop the killings, she must team up with those accused to find the real murderers before all hell breaks loose...literally. It's only when I reached the halfway point in the book and discovered the truth about Elise, that my fate was sealed. I had to find out more. I enjoyed learning about Elise's unique skills. The mystery kept me guessing, and I quickly became addicted to the action. The mixture of witchcraft and demon lore was fascinating. The romance on the other hand was a bit disjointed and disappointing. Though the last page might have resolved some issues, it left me feeling a bit sorry for Elise. I'll read book two because I like Elise and want her to have her happy ending.


Posted from my site: www.StaceyBrutger.com

[Beau · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given this book by the author in exchange for a review, an honest one. So, I honestly have to say I have not been this frustrated by a book in a very long time! Sacrificed in Shadow was fantastic. I do have to say that it may be a bit easier to understand if you have read the Descent series, so you know Elise and James, and their story.

Someone else also mentioned you should read Reine's other series, Seasons of the Moon. (I think that's right, feel free to correct me if not!) Anyways, this book was an absolutely fantastic way to bring these two series together. I read this book in pretty much one setting once I set my mind to it, which has been fairrly true for most of Reine's books. You are simply pulled into the world she has created, and it's honest amazing. I would highly recommend this book to anyone, as long as you don't mind a bit blood and gore. Some rather crass language as well, but if we all lived in that world I think we'd speak the same way. I stated a few reviews back that I didn't think Elise was a character you could really like, and I still feel that way. However, I think she's a character you can understand. In a way. She's fairly untouchable, and it's hard to empathize with a character like her. At the same time, she's amazingly relatable in a way many heroes aren't. I highly enjoy reading about her adventures, and can't wait to find out more. I'd just like to say that I haven't run into a non villainous character I wanted dead more than Umbridge, but James Faulkner is comes in close. When Elise tried to get into the werewolf compound and James was there, I literally threw my Kindle onto the bed and screamed in frustration. DAMN YOU, FAULKNER.

[Julie Matthews · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just finished Sacrificed in Shadow. The author was kind enough to send me a copy (Thanks again!!). This is the first in a new crossover series featuring Elise from the Descent series and Rylie from the Cain Chronicles.

This is the first book I've read featuring Rylie and the author tried to write this as a book where you really didn't need to have read any of the two separate series in order to enjoy it. On that point, I think she succeeds fairly well. I felt a little behind when it came to Rylie, and discovered that there were parts of Elise's story reveled that I didn't know about. I just started the last book in the Descent series, so I played catch-up a bit. Anyway, there weren't any huge spoilers for either individual series and that was well planned.

Anyway, the story is about some strange happenings in a small town. There are murders blamed on werewolves, and Elise goes to investigate. What she discovers is a group of werewolves that shouldn't exist, and that the murders are far more complicated than they seemed.

I'm definitely looking forward to more. I feel like I should catch up on Rylie's story before I start the second book in this series.

If I have one complaint (and it's a minor one, really), it's some of the language. Some of the "millennial generation" speak is a little forced for me. And there's quite a peppering of foul language throughout! Certainly not enough to turn me off from the book -- and I've had that happen before -- just a teeny little gripe on my part.

I would recommend any of S.M. Reine's books. So far, I've found them all very enjoyable.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy Crud. Elise's life is full of twists and turns, isn't it? She was badass to the extreme when she was a mortal and now that she's gone all demony, she's even badder.

She's also been softened somewhat by Eve's influence and that makes her frightening. She has a touch of empathy now and yet she's still willing to kill when she needs to.

I seriously respect her level of badassery and the fact that she has the ability to EAT people and travel by shadow. The years have allowed her to learn a smidgen of what she's capable of but she doesn't know all her limits yet and that's frightening in itself.

Okay, enough about Elise. Let's talk about what she's in Northgate to investigate. Death. Destruction. Potentially feral werewolves living in the wilds of the Appalachian Mountains. All the normal things.

I LOVED meeting up with Rylie and her pack again. It was interesting seeing Rylie through Elise's eyes. As unassuming as Rylie looks and acts, Elise could see the power in her and she learned a grudging respect for her and her willingness to fight for her people.

Simply put, I'm in love with this series and these characters. Elise isn't always easy to like but she's committed once she finds something worth fighting for and she's tenacious in unearthing secrets. And there are plenty of secrets for her to find. PLENTY.

Book 2 will be read soon. Very soon.

-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal

[Michelle Cornwell-Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so excited about the Ascension series! I loved Sacrifice in Shadow because there was action right from the beginning. S.M. Reine is a master at creating characters that are very well developed, this coupled with gripping, edgy description, a fast paced plot, Ms. Reine’s books become addictive. I enjoyed how in Sacrificed in Shadows I saw a dimension of old favorites such as Rylie, Seth and Abel in a new light. From an outsider’s point of view, I was privy to a completely in depth view of these characters. Yes, I knew Rylie was strong, capable and loyal—but seeing the same Wolf Alpha through Elise’s eyes was so very cool. The young girl became even more fierce and the pack’s loyalty and unity took on even more depth to me.


Although I was drawn to Sacrifice in Shadow due to my love of The Cain Chronicles, I became to enjoy and admire and really like Elise the Demon Hunter. She was fascinating to me with her history of once being human to Demon to wow, even more a span of history that dates back to the Garden Of Eden.


I was fascinated in how Ms. Reine was able to bring in legends and interweave this into her story, which made for a wonderful rich, and entertaining read.


I look forward to the next in the Ascension series, and I am also very happy because I have the entire Descent series to learn more of Elise and get caught up to be ready for the October release of the next book in the Ascension series!

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did love this book, I was unable to put this book down! I love paranormal. Its a fantastic genre for young adults to find love and horror in one
BUT, I just felt like it went on for two long.. It just kinda dragged, I bought this book in a box set of 6 books by different authors. And I did think this was a great book to start with, I am doubting whether I will buy the other books in this series...
Why?
1) Because it was good but was it series worthy?
2) I wasn't too keen on her writing style
The first point was, it was brilliant but I just didn't think it was a book that rolled into a series, yes someone runs off BUT why is this some big deal?
Secondly she misspells things, some authors need to learn spell check. Sadly she is one of them.
And with all these points I don't think i will be reading this book again let alone the rest of the series. It didn't leave me dieing to read more I am afraid.

[☆Angel☆ · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wow, I think I may be the only one who didn't really like this book. I wasn't too fond of the whole Adam/Eve/Voice of God storyline. It felt like there could have been 2 or 3 separate stories written from this one book...there was just way too much. Usually having a lot of things going on is a good thing, but not when it comes to this story. Maybe if the Adam and Eve thing had been a prequel it would have been better? This doesn't mean that I won't read more S.M. Reine books because I probably will, but this one just wasn't for me.

[Lisa Chew · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’m not sure why I kept reading and eventually finished this book, actually. I did not enjoy it. Not sure it was really the book’s fault, it just wasn’t for me. Too much religion. And although this was the first book of its series, there seemed to be a lot of history to the characters that, without having read those books first, I found rather confusing. Overall, this story kind of made my skin crawl. Will be looking for something sweet and fluffy to read next, I think.

[Rona · Rating 5 out of 5]

S.M. Reine has done it again! I am wrapped up in her new series and can't wait to see where we're headed next. Elise Kavanagh is one of my favorite characters and looking forward to getting to know the new ones . Thank you, Sara, for sending it to me!

[Anna Serene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whoa... just whoa

[JWinter · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book wasn't for me.

[svnshowers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ah, more Elise (I love her)! More murder! More angels! Werewolves, this time! And more of the now-familiar refrain... wait, can you guess? All together now: "I HATE JAMES FAULKNER."
Never in my LIFE have I wanted to strangle a fictional character so badly, and what's worse is that not only does he not even seem to be truly atoning for any of his MANY egregious misdeeds, he's come up with an even worse idea to "fix" things, rather than probably like... truly holding himself accountable for any of his decisions or truly repenting the wrongs he's done unto others.
Seething hatred aside, like I'm honestly amazed at the depths of his... what, arrogance? That he even came up with this idea in the first place. Part of me wanted him to do better, and for him and Elise to reconcile, but in the last hour or so I've become firmly entrenched in the "well, guess he's gotta die" camp.
TL,DR: fun first book in a cool new series, which are going to prominently (apparently) feature werewolves, everyone's favorite murder child (Elise), and everyone's least favorite pretentious bastard (I hate him so much???? so much). Really I have never been so furious in my life? I can't live like this.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

A tough one. The characters were not very likeable for various reasons. Lincoln was a rigid, judgmental deputy who is told to find Elise, but not bring her back. I'm not sure he deserved what happened to him at the end, but if he truly lied to her, then perhaps it was fate. The wolf pack was cool enough, but I don't like how they treated her at the end, especially since she did go out of her way to help them and was considering them friends. And her "thing" for her old partner and lover was a turn-off. Him, I didn't like at all. Elise was a contradiction. One the one hand, I could understand why she was the way she was. Betrayed, killed, brought back as a demon and distrusted by everyone, even those who hire her to handle their paranormal problems. She was somewhat growing on me at the end. I do wish I knew what becomes of Lincoln, or is he truly irredeemable?

One of my least favorable parts of the story was the portrayal of Adam and Eve, and God. Not sure I could get on board with that one, but the story in general was kind of dark so I went with it...constantly waiting for a bolt of lightning to strike given how blasphemous this felt. I can't say I am going to race out and get the next, but I will probably read the next one at some point.

[Victoria (nocturnalintimacy) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Free Kindle Read
3.75 stars

I enjoy SM Reine books. I think the writing is good, with only minor grammatical issues. The characters are likable and the stories are exciting.

I'm sure I'm in the minority here, but what I DON'T like about SM Reine books is that all of the worlds and series are connected. So even when you read book #1 in a series, it's actually book #34 in the world. There's usually a lot of back story you've missed and character drama that's alluded to but never outright said.

If I ever spent the time to figure out the proper order to read the books in, I think I'd be in love.

All of that said...THIS book is actually one of the first books in the world. We get a young Rylie, Seth and Abel. Yes, some serious drama has already happened, but it's not as compiled as in some of the other Book #1 in SM Reine series that I've encountered. Elise is likable and badass. The story leaves you wanting more, but not in an obnoxious cliff hanger way. I will add book 2 to my TBR list.

[Alexandria Woods · Rating 4 out of 5]

Back with a Bang

*****Spoilers*****

Back into the world of Elise Kabanaugh with a bang and it does not disappoint. Picking up three years after the previous series, Elise is called in to investigate possible werewolf murders, only to find herself in the cross hairs of a cult and confronted by James. I was surprised at the turn from demon hunting and dealing as the primary theme of the other books but I enjoyed the change. Turns out werewolf facts are hard to come by so Elise is out of her element which is probably why it took her so long to connect certain pieces of information until the end.

Even though they see one another for the first time in three years, Elise's animosity is still going strong but so is their chemistry. One thing I don't like though is that James always seems to have a hidden agenda. I'm not sure if Elise is even considering forgiving him at this point but at least from what we got from the door to another world opening, James has spent his time trying to find out how to get back to his son.