What do you think?
Rate this book
SHaDOW GAME
When Jarret, a seasoned assassin agrees to do one last "hit" in Indonesia, and discovers his hands have gained the power to heal, his carefully planned, secret world is thrown into chaos. Desperate to understand what's happening to him, he seeks out a local mystic -- a Dalang of the spiritual Shadow Puppet Theater and his mysterious, mesmerizing daughter -- only to soon find himself healing the sick of Jakarta's slums by night, while by day, planning the hit on the very political opposition reformer who could help them -- driving Jarret to a mental, emotional and spiritual crisis from which there is no escape, save the Shadow Game.
- GenresFantasy
80 pages, ebook
First published January 30, 2013
11 people are currently reading
2179 people want to read
About the author
Darryl Sollerh
12 books15 followersRaised in Los Angeles, Darryl Sollerh grew up with a deep appreciation for its diverse communities and cultures. He is a regular contributor to The Huffington Post, and his most recent works include "SHaDOW GAME", FIRST PLACE WINNER, Reader Views Literary Awards as well as a CHOICE AWARD winner, Rebecca's Reads, and a First Horizon Award Finalist (Hoffer Awards), and Readers' Favorite Book Award Finalist. His "COWBOY AND INDIAN" is a SILVER MEDAL BOOK AWARD winner, Readers' Favorite Awards, and his "ALIBIS OF THE HEART" was also a Finalist. His other FIVE STARS novellas, include "TRANCER", "MINDFALL" and "EDDY FALLS", "Recommended" by The US Review of Books. All are available in Print (on Lulu.Com & Amazon), and on Kindle. For more, visit him at: http://www.DarrylSollerh.com/
A recent article about him appeared in the Santa Monica Mirror at: http://www.smmirror.com/articles/News...
A recent article about him appeared in the Santa Monica Mirror at: http://www.smmirror.com/articles/News...
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
March 18, 2015
"There is a lyrical beauty in the tale as Jarret discovers himself and his soul. I loved this book."
READERS' FAVORITE REVIEWS
"Shadow Game is fast paced and fascinating. There are occasional moments of literary beauty, however, and, rather than stand out awkwardly as you might expect, they serve to highlight important moments in the plot."
SAN FRANCISCO BOOK REVIEW
"It reminds me of a good roller coaster. Not too long, with enough twists and turns to leave you breathless and an ending that makes you proclaim "Wow! What a ride!" Sollerh delves into an area where few actions writers seem to travel and makes it out alive....ultimately this is a story of redemption and rebirth."
Liz Evans, AMAZON REVIEWS
READERS' FAVORITE REVIEWS
"Shadow Game is fast paced and fascinating. There are occasional moments of literary beauty, however, and, rather than stand out awkwardly as you might expect, they serve to highlight important moments in the plot."
SAN FRANCISCO BOOK REVIEW
"It reminds me of a good roller coaster. Not too long, with enough twists and turns to leave you breathless and an ending that makes you proclaim "Wow! What a ride!" Sollerh delves into an area where few actions writers seem to travel and makes it out alive....ultimately this is a story of redemption and rebirth."
Liz Evans, AMAZON REVIEWS
December 4, 2014
I won this in a Goodreads giveaway.
Jarret is a master assassin, beyond skilled at hiding in the shadows. What he forgets is that others are just as skiled as he is.
Jarret wants out of the game, but is lulled back in with false promises. It is difficult to keep track of what is occurring: there is very little background, characters that crop up seemingly out of nowhere, and no full breaks.
Pacific Book Review is quoted on the cover: "Riveting...You don't want to put it down!"
I didn't want to put it down because I was afraid of losing my place in a story that was already confusing to me. Like why did Jarret and others see auras? Why was he immediately trusted? I don't know - it wasn't really for me.
Jarret is a master assassin, beyond skilled at hiding in the shadows. What he forgets is that others are just as skiled as he is.
Jarret wants out of the game, but is lulled back in with false promises. It is difficult to keep track of what is occurring: there is very little background, characters that crop up seemingly out of nowhere, and no full breaks.
Pacific Book Review is quoted on the cover: "Riveting...You don't want to put it down!"
I didn't want to put it down because I was afraid of losing my place in a story that was already confusing to me. Like why did Jarret and others see auras? Why was he immediately trusted? I don't know - it wasn't really for me.
December 15, 2013
Sollerh has an intriguing writing style, it gives a mysterious feel to his work. He jumps from scene to scene bringing you forward through his unique concept. As a reader you feel like you’re in a haze right alongside the main character. You’re just floating by, observing the story. His descriptions give a grey overtone to the whole story. The story becomes more exciting and fast paced the further in you get.
The character development in this novel is quite unique. Everything is left in shadows. What’s there is taken at face value. It makes it difficult to identify with the characters but adds to the feeling of floating through.
Please note that I received this novel free of charge from the author in exchange for an honest review.
The character development in this novel is quite unique. Everything is left in shadows. What’s there is taken at face value. It makes it difficult to identify with the characters but adds to the feeling of floating through.
Please note that I received this novel free of charge from the author in exchange for an honest review.
January 9, 2016
Let me begin my review by stating that suspense/thriller with a sprinkling of assassination is one of my favorite reads. Although not so much for location, I do very much savor great detail/reason in plot and character. No matter the shocking twists or multiple branches in which the storyline takes me, I want to follow the thread of reason throughout the author's journey. I found this slightly lacking in an otherwise entertaining story. Somewhat like Hansel and Gretel.. somewhere along the way my bread crumbs disappeared and I was left to wander along to the end of my adventure blinking wide-eyed with puzzlement at what was nonetheless a very beautiful forest, and an enjoyable hike.
Thank you to Goodreads for the journey.
Thank you to Goodreads for the journey.
February 17, 2013
"Riveting and action packed...Author Darryl Sollerh has created a dramatic fiction about violence, betrayal and life lived as a shadow...It takes some brilliance in writing for an author to bring together these two worlds...and make them work in a way that offers up a Buddhist lesson on the soul of a man...You don’t want to put it down"!
S.Marie Vernon, PACIFIC BOOK REVIEW
S.Marie Vernon, PACIFIC BOOK REVIEW
September 10, 2013
An amazing, intense story. It has great characters and depth. It also manages to combine an intense thriller with a deep philosophical insight.
Bravo.
Bravo.
April 25, 2016
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
Every review seemed to write about how they couldn't put this book down. I did...several times. And it's a novella. I got through it in a day, but it just wasn't captivating. I didn't really care for any of the characters; at least, not until the end. In the end I liked Jarret. One of the characters was written as a "bro". You know, like a frat boy or Jersey Shore (the show, not the actual place with normal people) dude. Almost every sentence ended in "brah" or "dude", and it annoyed me to no end. The "bro" was supposed to be a high-class assassin and he couldn't stop saying "brah".
A lot of characters popped out of nowhere, but the strangest instance of character neglect was when this lady has a connection with the main character. They never spoke, no one told him her name, no one even said her name, but the next time he sees her he knows her name. Inexplicably. Oops.
Now on to grammar. If you don't care about proper grammar then don't read the next bit. I do care about proper grammar, so I'm writing it anyway.
I'm not perfect when it comes to implementing grammar, but this novella was just exhausting. This was why I had to put it down so many times. Most of the paragraphs were 1 to 2 sentences long. Many of those sentences were run-ons disguised by an onslaught of commas. There were a lot of unnecessary commas. There were several oddly-placed colons, semicolons, and dashes. And quite a few times I caught Sollerh using possessive nouns in the wrong contexts. Worst of all, the man doesn't use quotations during dialogue. What do people have against quotation marks? They are used to denote dialogue. Why is that so evil? Sollerh uses italics. It was terribly obnoxious, and it took a while to get used to. Italics are used for emphasis, not for dialogue. See what I did there? I don't care if it's "stylistic". It's improper. Style can be conveyed without trashing the parameters of writing that we've been taught all our lives.
The concept was kind of interesting but not well-developed. There wasn't a whole lot of information about the colors and auras that were presented as a main plot but were explored like a minor detail. I wanted to know more. All I got was an assassin's redundant week-long job with a few pinwheels of color.
Also, I think Jarret is the worst assassin ever. He can't ever find the people he's looking for, but everyone - everyone - finds him.
This book just wasn't for me. I'm glad there are people who liked it, but I'm not one of them.
Every review seemed to write about how they couldn't put this book down. I did...several times. And it's a novella. I got through it in a day, but it just wasn't captivating. I didn't really care for any of the characters; at least, not until the end. In the end I liked Jarret. One of the characters was written as a "bro". You know, like a frat boy or Jersey Shore (the show, not the actual place with normal people) dude. Almost every sentence ended in "brah" or "dude", and it annoyed me to no end. The "bro" was supposed to be a high-class assassin and he couldn't stop saying "brah".
A lot of characters popped out of nowhere, but the strangest instance of character neglect was when this lady has a connection with the main character. They never spoke, no one told him her name, no one even said her name, but the next time he sees her he knows her name. Inexplicably. Oops.
Now on to grammar. If you don't care about proper grammar then don't read the next bit. I do care about proper grammar, so I'm writing it anyway.
I'm not perfect when it comes to implementing grammar, but this novella was just exhausting. This was why I had to put it down so many times. Most of the paragraphs were 1 to 2 sentences long. Many of those sentences were run-ons disguised by an onslaught of commas. There were a lot of unnecessary commas. There were several oddly-placed colons, semicolons, and dashes. And quite a few times I caught Sollerh using possessive nouns in the wrong contexts. Worst of all, the man doesn't use quotations during dialogue. What do people have against quotation marks? They are used to denote dialogue. Why is that so evil? Sollerh uses italics. It was terribly obnoxious, and it took a while to get used to. Italics are used for emphasis, not for dialogue. See what I did there? I don't care if it's "stylistic". It's improper. Style can be conveyed without trashing the parameters of writing that we've been taught all our lives.
The concept was kind of interesting but not well-developed. There wasn't a whole lot of information about the colors and auras that were presented as a main plot but were explored like a minor detail. I wanted to know more. All I got was an assassin's redundant week-long job with a few pinwheels of color.
Also, I think Jarret is the worst assassin ever. He can't ever find the people he's looking for, but everyone - everyone - finds him.
This book just wasn't for me. I'm glad there are people who liked it, but I'm not one of them.
March 8, 2015
Jarret is a superb assassin, capable of penetrating the tightest security and then evading the ferocious backlash after killing his target. When he hits his head and begins to see colors, his first reaction is that he just needs time for his brain to heal, believing that his injury was more serious than he first thought.
His contact for the deadly contracts is a woman named Helen, when Jarret expresses a desire to retire from his deadly profession, she tells him that he must do one more job. She plays emotional strings with him, telling Jarret that if he doesn’t do the job she will come to harm.
The job is the killing of a populist presidential candidate in Indonesia running against a ruthless general that controls the media, army and police. Jarret is still the hardened assassin until he encounters a Shadow Puppet Theater and is mesmerized by the puppet master and his daughter. They introduce him to some of the Indonesian culture as well as show him that he now is a channel for powerful healing energies.
The old habits die hard and while Jarret is healing people by touching them he still plans his last murder. Through personal battles, double-crosses by people that could be allies and even encounters with the ruthless Indonesian police, Jarret experiences a personality change for the better. He is forced to make fateful decisions regarding his future and the future of an entire nation.
The action combines the brutal and unforgiving life of a professional assassin, the spiritualism of the Buddhist religion and some ill-defined magic. The story moves quickly from the introduction through a conclusive ending in less than 90 pages.
It is a story that I would recommend to beginning authors as a demonstration of how a complete story can be told in less than a hundred pages. Many authors feel that a complete story requires a lot of characters and various plot threads, this is a demonstration proof that if you do it right only one solid plot line is needed in order to create a story that keeps your interest.
This book was made available for free for review purposes and it appears on Amazon.
His contact for the deadly contracts is a woman named Helen, when Jarret expresses a desire to retire from his deadly profession, she tells him that he must do one more job. She plays emotional strings with him, telling Jarret that if he doesn’t do the job she will come to harm.
The job is the killing of a populist presidential candidate in Indonesia running against a ruthless general that controls the media, army and police. Jarret is still the hardened assassin until he encounters a Shadow Puppet Theater and is mesmerized by the puppet master and his daughter. They introduce him to some of the Indonesian culture as well as show him that he now is a channel for powerful healing energies.
The old habits die hard and while Jarret is healing people by touching them he still plans his last murder. Through personal battles, double-crosses by people that could be allies and even encounters with the ruthless Indonesian police, Jarret experiences a personality change for the better. He is forced to make fateful decisions regarding his future and the future of an entire nation.
The action combines the brutal and unforgiving life of a professional assassin, the spiritualism of the Buddhist religion and some ill-defined magic. The story moves quickly from the introduction through a conclusive ending in less than 90 pages.
It is a story that I would recommend to beginning authors as a demonstration of how a complete story can be told in less than a hundred pages. Many authors feel that a complete story requires a lot of characters and various plot threads, this is a demonstration proof that if you do it right only one solid plot line is needed in order to create a story that keeps your interest.
This book was made available for free for review purposes and it appears on Amazon.
April 14, 2013
This book was reviewed by Lee Ashford for Reader's Favorite.
“Shadow Game” by Darryl Sollerh is a powerful example of what may happen to a professional assassin when his conscience begins to take over. Jarrett has a very lucrative career assassinating people that his contact, Helen, assigns him to kill. But he’s had just about enough of the business, and he has saved enough money to live comfortably for the remainder of his life. He determines to tell Helen that he’s through when he returns from his current assignment. Helen has other plans, however, and convinces him he must do one last job for her, or she will be in serious trouble with her clients. When he tries telling Helen he won’t do the job, she threatens the lives of two people with whom Jarrett has formed a close relationship. Some very complicated issues come to light, as Jarrett realizes he is in too deep to back out now.
Darryl Sollerh has created a realistic character in his assassin, Jarrett, as well as giving Jarrett a credible “change of heart” about his assignment and his life’s work. Various small things, inconsequential of themselves, begin to add up to suggest a set-up where Jarrett himself may be the intended target. Sollerh has done a meticulously convincing job of developing a complex set of variables which limit Jarrett’s options significantly. The final two chapters of this story could not be any more true-to-life than they are, as far as probable outcomes are concerned. There is an element of “happily ever after”, but not for everybody, and perhaps not for whom you might expect. “Shadow Games” is not a lengthy story, but it is a very good story. I most strongly recommend it for fans of excitement and suspense.
“Shadow Game” by Darryl Sollerh is a powerful example of what may happen to a professional assassin when his conscience begins to take over. Jarrett has a very lucrative career assassinating people that his contact, Helen, assigns him to kill. But he’s had just about enough of the business, and he has saved enough money to live comfortably for the remainder of his life. He determines to tell Helen that he’s through when he returns from his current assignment. Helen has other plans, however, and convinces him he must do one last job for her, or she will be in serious trouble with her clients. When he tries telling Helen he won’t do the job, she threatens the lives of two people with whom Jarrett has formed a close relationship. Some very complicated issues come to light, as Jarrett realizes he is in too deep to back out now.
Darryl Sollerh has created a realistic character in his assassin, Jarrett, as well as giving Jarrett a credible “change of heart” about his assignment and his life’s work. Various small things, inconsequential of themselves, begin to add up to suggest a set-up where Jarrett himself may be the intended target. Sollerh has done a meticulously convincing job of developing a complex set of variables which limit Jarrett’s options significantly. The final two chapters of this story could not be any more true-to-life than they are, as far as probable outcomes are concerned. There is an element of “happily ever after”, but not for everybody, and perhaps not for whom you might expect. “Shadow Games” is not a lengthy story, but it is a very good story. I most strongly recommend it for fans of excitement and suspense.
October 17, 2016
Won this as a goodreads giveaway!
Ultimately I did not get into this book. It just wasn't my thing. The story has this odd fade in and out at different, seemingly random moments with little to no cohesive flow. At first this added a level of intrigue but it quickly died off. And the conversation style annoyed my with the italics. I am so used to that as more an internal monologue that seeing it used back and forth was frustrating. I never felt like I got into Jarrett's character. Nothing felt personal. It was like he was even detached from himself. The story is clearly written, although honestly I am not even sure what genre to quite consider this. It dabbles in so many areas but doesn't have a clear, strong suit. Overall-an alright attempt but not my thing.
Ultimately I did not get into this book. It just wasn't my thing. The story has this odd fade in and out at different, seemingly random moments with little to no cohesive flow. At first this added a level of intrigue but it quickly died off. And the conversation style annoyed my with the italics. I am so used to that as more an internal monologue that seeing it used back and forth was frustrating. I never felt like I got into Jarrett's character. Nothing felt personal. It was like he was even detached from himself. The story is clearly written, although honestly I am not even sure what genre to quite consider this. It dabbles in so many areas but doesn't have a clear, strong suit. Overall-an alright attempt but not my thing.
July 18, 2013
When a cold-blooded assassin suffers a concussion, he begins to see auras. He travels to Indonesia to perform one final ‘hit’, but instead meets a father and daughter who force him to understand his true nature.
Complex layers of plot twists, intrigue, and moral dilemmas, are skillfully woven into this novella. The writing is powerful and mesmerizing, and drags the reader into the story, putting you right at the center of this struggle between good and evil. I am amazed at how much was packed into this short book. Mr Sollerh would benefit from an editor to clean up the typos/spelling/grammar errors, but this author has a true talent for storytelling. Bravo!
Complex layers of plot twists, intrigue, and moral dilemmas, are skillfully woven into this novella. The writing is powerful and mesmerizing, and drags the reader into the story, putting you right at the center of this struggle between good and evil. I am amazed at how much was packed into this short book. Mr Sollerh would benefit from an editor to clean up the typos/spelling/grammar errors, but this author has a true talent for storytelling. Bravo!
May 12, 2015
Shadow Game, what an amazing novella. It's Hitman with a spiritual paranormal identity. Jarret is an assassin who doesn't know he can be much more. Lia, Daksa, and Dalang will make he discovered his true nature. Helen and Rafa will make him see how wrong his life's journey has been. Chakras and auras mix with violence, vengeance, betrayal and love. Love it; it has spirituality and soulfulness. I wish it has a sequel. I read it twice in a row it was that good. 5 I wish it continued stars.
Received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
Received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
March 5, 2015
This is a gem. Although it starts like a thriller about an assassin, it quickly deepens into an incredible work of mesmerizing suspense. I totally see this as a movie, taking an audience along on a completely unexpected story into the soul of a man, with romance, suspense, mystery and intrigue. One of the best works I've read in a long while.
July 8, 2015
This is a story about an assassin taking on "one last job." We know how all those kinds of jobs go, don't we?
He hits his head, gets healing powers, and meets a love interest in Indonesia. Then we get all the usual betrayals and such all last jobs entail.
Not bad, but I wouldn't really say anything really stands out either.
He hits his head, gets healing powers, and meets a love interest in Indonesia. Then we get all the usual betrayals and such all last jobs entail.
Not bad, but I wouldn't really say anything really stands out either.
October 4, 2013
A wonderful, intense, deeply-moving read. It combines worlds and themes in an amazing way that defies the genre. An exceptional book.
March 23, 2013
amazing!!!!!!!!!!
July 20, 2013
Disclaimer: I recieved this book free through Goodreads First Reads.
A very descriptive and action packed book. It grabs the readers attention from page one and keeps it til the very end.
A very descriptive and action packed book. It grabs the readers attention from page one and keeps it til the very end.
April 5, 2013
A great read with a great ending.
A story of redemption that I continue to think about.
Nice work. And it's great to read a novella again. I forgot how much like this form.
A story of redemption that I continue to think about.
Nice work. And it's great to read a novella again. I forgot how much like this form.
April 16, 2013
A beautiful, moving, thrilling novella. Just great!!!
April 16, 2013
Finding a piece like this is what Goodreads is all about. A gem.
April 16, 2013
Lean and taut, with moments of sheer poetry. Loved the story, the writing and that it made me think!!
April 16, 2013
You know a book is good if you find yourself still thinking about it days later.Shadow Game is THAT kind of a story. A great read!
August 24, 2014
it was amazing i couldnt stop reading it i was up all night just reading it because i loved this book and books in general
July 26, 2013
Incredibly gripping, with an amazing underpinning of spirituality!
Great, great read.
Great, great read.
August 12, 2013
Incredible journey, full of emotion, rawness and heart. I am reading it again.
November 11, 2013
I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
A fast read. Plot twists at every turn. it was an interesting read.
A fast read. Plot twists at every turn. it was an interesting read.
September 4, 2013
A breathtaking story. It kept me reading from page one to the end. It has it all, romance, suspense, intrigue, great characters and a heck of an ending. All I can say is "wow"!
September 12, 2013
Incredible! Highly recommend! Wow!
September 17, 2013
All I can say is "wow"!
Great book.
Great book.
October 3, 2013
All I can say is this is an excellent, excellent book.
Amazing, moving, and days later, I'm still thinking about it.
I highly recommend it.
Amazing, moving, and days later, I'm still thinking about it.
I highly recommend it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews