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Shadowboxer
Thai martial arts, international crime, celebrity and mythical creatures combine in this masterful new tale of two people facing incredible dangers, from award-winning author Tricia Sullivan.
Nothing she’s faced in the cage will prepare her...
Jade is a young mixed martial arts fighter. When she’s in the cage she dominates her opponents—but in real life she’s out of control.
After she has a confrontation with a Hollywood martial arts star that threatens her gym’s reputation, Jade’s coach sends her to a training camp in Thailand for an attitude adjustment. Hoping to discover herself, she instead uncovers a shocking conspiracy. In a world just beyond our own, a man is stealing the souls of children to try and live forever.
Nothing she’s faced in the cage will prepare her...
Jade is a young mixed martial arts fighter. When she’s in the cage she dominates her opponents—but in real life she’s out of control.
After she has a confrontation with a Hollywood martial arts star that threatens her gym’s reputation, Jade’s coach sends her to a training camp in Thailand for an attitude adjustment. Hoping to discover herself, she instead uncovers a shocking conspiracy. In a world just beyond our own, a man is stealing the souls of children to try and live forever.
304 pages, Paperback
First published October 9, 2014
5 people are currently reading
221 people want to read
About the author
Tricia Sullivan
34 books75 followersTricia Sullivan (born July 7, 1968 in New Jersey, U.S.) is a science fiction writer. She has also written fantasy under the pseudonym Valery Leith.
She moved to the United Kingdom in 1995. In 1999 she won the Arthur C. Clarke Award for her novel Dreaming in Smoke. Her novel Maul was also shortlisted for the same award in 2004.
Sullivan has studied music and karate. Her partner is the martial artist Steve Morris, with whom she has three children.
She moved to the United Kingdom in 1995. In 1999 she won the Arthur C. Clarke Award for her novel Dreaming in Smoke. Her novel Maul was also shortlisted for the same award in 2004.
Sullivan has studied music and karate. Her partner is the martial artist Steve Morris, with whom she has three children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
January 16, 2015
This was damn boring. It was such a struggle for me to go on.
My experience was sorta like this:
- Omg the pacing.
- What is this? My god, I've forgotten everything she just told me. Backtracks. OH MY GOD. What did she say?
- SNORE.
*zzzzzzzzzz*
- Wait. What?
- Falls asleep.
- Okay. I like this chick.
- Puts book down.
- Feels no desire to pick it back up.
- Days go by. Months go by. Reads other books. Enjoys some. Rages others.
- Sigh. Picks it back up.
- Eh.....
*Stares into space.*
- Meh.
- Huh.
*"Yeah....I'm gonna get back to you on that."*
- I like the girl. I like the setting. Yet I feel nothing for her.
- I have no fucking need to know more about her.
- SO MANY PROBLEMS.
*I should have listened to Gandalf*
- Finishes book: wait a sec. What was her name again? Checks book. Oh right. Heh.
End of story.
I've been reading this book for a long time. It was like intentionally sticking pins in my eye. To say the least: it was very uncomfortable. This was not for me. I wanted it to be, yet it was not meant to be.
I thought the inclusion of a female boxer would be a great read. I was even happier that the main character wasn't white. This genre is so fucking white. It's quite...sad. More diversity people! It's a good thing. But just because the book has a diverse character, doesn't mean I'm going to like the book. In fact, I can hate a book solely due to the writing that has nothing to do with the color of main character. Some people get so excited about diversity in genre fiction, they sometimes forget it doesn't always make a good book. I want there to be more diversity in this genre, but I also want a good book. This did not fill that requirement, unfortunately.
If I'm going to explain why I couldn't like this book it would be with three words: I. Was. Bored. The writing was very stale and there was a large amount of pacing issues. I didn't feel that I could emotionally connect with the character. I liked her, but at the same time couldn't feel that intense need to know more about her. It was like there was a lack of emotional empathy. Basically, this was just not the book for me.
My experience was sorta like this:
- Omg the pacing.
- What is this? My god, I've forgotten everything she just told me. Backtracks. OH MY GOD. What did she say?
- SNORE.
*zzzzzzzzzz*
- Wait. What?
- Falls asleep.
- Okay. I like this chick.
- Puts book down.
- Feels no desire to pick it back up.
- Days go by. Months go by. Reads other books. Enjoys some. Rages others.
- Sigh. Picks it back up.
- Eh.....
*Stares into space.*
- Meh.
- Huh.
*"Yeah....I'm gonna get back to you on that."*
- I like the girl. I like the setting. Yet I feel nothing for her.
- I have no fucking need to know more about her.
- SO MANY PROBLEMS.
*I should have listened to Gandalf*
- Finishes book: wait a sec. What was her name again? Checks book. Oh right. Heh.
End of story.
I've been reading this book for a long time. It was like intentionally sticking pins in my eye. To say the least: it was very uncomfortable. This was not for me. I wanted it to be, yet it was not meant to be.
I thought the inclusion of a female boxer would be a great read. I was even happier that the main character wasn't white. This genre is so fucking white. It's quite...sad. More diversity people! It's a good thing. But just because the book has a diverse character, doesn't mean I'm going to like the book. In fact, I can hate a book solely due to the writing that has nothing to do with the color of main character. Some people get so excited about diversity in genre fiction, they sometimes forget it doesn't always make a good book. I want there to be more diversity in this genre, but I also want a good book. This did not fill that requirement, unfortunately.
If I'm going to explain why I couldn't like this book it would be with three words: I. Was. Bored. The writing was very stale and there was a large amount of pacing issues. I didn't feel that I could emotionally connect with the character. I liked her, but at the same time couldn't feel that intense need to know more about her. It was like there was a lack of emotional empathy. Basically, this was just not the book for me.
Read
December 25, 2014When it was good, it was superb but other times, Shadowboxer was dulllllll.
I'll keep this short: Yay for Jade, who's an awesome fighter and narrator and totally a character to root for. Not the nicest person around town, PARTICULARLY around the ring, Jade is (to some extent) nuanced and able to carry on the story. I was invested in her story as a fighter, the politics along with the hard work working gears in the background. As if it's not a tough field already, when you add Jade's attitude in the mix, it gets serious like career-killing serious.
Beyond that, there's the fantasy aspect in Thailand involving myths and tigers, a little girl and evil men. Tricia Sullivan has an awesome writing style that very aptly conveyed the surreal feelings of the different settings. However, I feel like there was something amiss in the merging these two aspects and the fantasy element only served inimically to Jade's story, which as I have stated in different terms, I really enjoyed.
It takes a long-ass time for the two stories to finally come together -- way too long -- and after that, the story moves too fast and honestly, I was left wondering how, when I couldn't get a sense of it and here I am who's seen this evil man and this little girl and this tiger play with each other from the begging, could Jade manage it. And all THAT, well, made it dulllllll.
Too much play makes Jade's a dull story. WORK WORK WORK HARDER GIRL.
I had a few other peeves as well. First: the girl hate that had no basis besides a flimsy crush and some very construed assumptions. Second: THAILAND. JADE GOES TO THAILAND and all that the author elaborates from that happening is the scenery (which could sometimes be very generic) and all stereotypically English-challenged people.
BUT I still enjoyed Jade's fights and personality thoroughly. Which is why I'm not going to rate because my holistic experience left some things to be desired. Nevertheless, it was a very different story from your typical YA book and whatever, cool girls throwing punches is always a reason to celebrate, in my opinion, so long it's not aimed at meeeeeee.
Ummm... this was not short.
Review copy provided by the publisher.
I'll keep this short: Yay for Jade, who's an awesome fighter and narrator and totally a character to root for. Not the nicest person around town, PARTICULARLY around the ring, Jade is (to some extent) nuanced and able to carry on the story. I was invested in her story as a fighter, the politics along with the hard work working gears in the background. As if it's not a tough field already, when you add Jade's attitude in the mix, it gets serious like career-killing serious.
Beyond that, there's the fantasy aspect in Thailand involving myths and tigers, a little girl and evil men. Tricia Sullivan has an awesome writing style that very aptly conveyed the surreal feelings of the different settings. However, I feel like there was something amiss in the merging these two aspects and the fantasy element only served inimically to Jade's story, which as I have stated in different terms, I really enjoyed.
It takes a long-ass time for the two stories to finally come together -- way too long -- and after that, the story moves too fast and honestly, I was left wondering how, when I couldn't get a sense of it and here I am who's seen this evil man and this little girl and this tiger play with each other from the begging, could Jade manage it. And all THAT, well, made it dulllllll.
Too much play makes Jade's a dull story. WORK WORK WORK HARDER GIRL.
I had a few other peeves as well. First: the girl hate that had no basis besides a flimsy crush and some very construed assumptions. Second: THAILAND. JADE GOES TO THAILAND and all that the author elaborates from that happening is the scenery (which could sometimes be very generic) and all stereotypically English-challenged people.
BUT I still enjoyed Jade's fights and personality thoroughly. Which is why I'm not going to rate because my holistic experience left some things to be desired. Nevertheless, it was a very different story from your typical YA book and whatever, cool girls throwing punches is always a reason to celebrate, in my opinion, so long it's not aimed at meeeeeee.
Ummm... this was not short.
Review copy provided by the publisher.
May 13, 2014
I'll write a full review when the book actually comes out, but in the meantime, this is the professional blurb I gave for it after my first read: "Vivid, exciting, immersive and unforgettable."
In other words, I thought it was fantastic!
In other words, I thought it was fantastic!
December 17, 2015
this book is about a latina mma fighter who travels to thailand and gets embroiled in a magical adventure and a magical cat boy sooooooo what's not to love
March 12, 2017
Jade Berrera is a seventeen-year-old MMA fighter, on the brink of turning pro, if only she can control her temper and sort out her messy life. But an altercation with a celebrity outside the gym she trains at leads to Jade getting sent to Thailand to sort her head out, and it’s there everything changes. She’s dragged into a world of mythology, old gods and the undead as a conspiracy twists around her…
This is an unusual YA novel, blending grinding fight action and the harsh life and attitude of cat-loving New Yorker Jade with the mystery of the Thai forest that straddles many worlds, where gods walk in the form of lions and snakes, and broken children’s souls are imprisoned. The idea of a wood between the worlds is not a new one, but the juxtaposition with Jade’s life, the visceral scenes in the ring, the streets of New York and the internal politics of the gym where she trains, is striking. Jade herself comes across initially as unlikable, all mouth and ‘tude, but it becomes clear pretty fast that she’s fighting not only her opponents, but a messy set of family circumstances. And anyone who would break a Hollywood martial arts stars nose over his cruelty to a stray cat immediately has my vote.
I felt a little more could have been made of the villain of the piece, Richard Fuller, a man bent on stealing children’s souls to gain immortality. I felt there was more to him – his web of connections, his scheming – that could have been revealed, and I would have liked him to be more fleshed out as he was an intriguing character, a chemist-gone-bad.
But Jade is the star of the show, smart and sassy with a deep core of vulnerability that warms the readers heart, and she takes us on a fun ride. Shadowboxer is well worth reading, so grab a ringside seat and hang on tight!
This is an unusual YA novel, blending grinding fight action and the harsh life and attitude of cat-loving New Yorker Jade with the mystery of the Thai forest that straddles many worlds, where gods walk in the form of lions and snakes, and broken children’s souls are imprisoned. The idea of a wood between the worlds is not a new one, but the juxtaposition with Jade’s life, the visceral scenes in the ring, the streets of New York and the internal politics of the gym where she trains, is striking. Jade herself comes across initially as unlikable, all mouth and ‘tude, but it becomes clear pretty fast that she’s fighting not only her opponents, but a messy set of family circumstances. And anyone who would break a Hollywood martial arts stars nose over his cruelty to a stray cat immediately has my vote.
I felt a little more could have been made of the villain of the piece, Richard Fuller, a man bent on stealing children’s souls to gain immortality. I felt there was more to him – his web of connections, his scheming – that could have been revealed, and I would have liked him to be more fleshed out as he was an intriguing character, a chemist-gone-bad.
But Jade is the star of the show, smart and sassy with a deep core of vulnerability that warms the readers heart, and she takes us on a fun ride. Shadowboxer is well worth reading, so grab a ringside seat and hang on tight!
Read
September 3, 20193 and a half stars. very interesting book, by a writer i really like. two worlds collide in this one, the very real world of Muay Thai boxing (17-year-old Jade's specialty), and a more evanescent supernatural one, a Thai forest inhabited by immortal animal spirits that is being used for nefarious purposes by an evil man, till it is claimed by a half-spirit 12-year-old child (Mya) who can move from one dimension to another. the two worlds don't entirely work next to each other - Jade's real world is so specific and her voice is so strong it overtakes the narrative and renders the other world too fragile to quite come alive - but that forest is nonetheless fascinating (especially when it appears in New Jersey), the combination is ambitious, and i was really engaged by Jade's point of view and by her whole story. the whole thing might make a terrific coming of age TV series, with lots of boxing and detecting action (catching the bad guy isn't easy) and a fantastic otherworld to enter and explore.
December 11, 2021
https://nwhyte.livejournal.com/3803168.html
A good read, about a young American MMA fighter who goes to Thailand and gets mixed up with a plot to steal people's souls. Both physical fighting and combat with ghosts described in detail. Well paced and engaging.
A good read, about a young American MMA fighter who goes to Thailand and gets mixed up with a plot to steal people's souls. Both physical fighting and combat with ghosts described in detail. Well paced and engaging.
June 16, 2024
Thank You
When a story takes me far away and brings me back a better person, that's all I want. Thank you, Tricia Sullivan.
When a story takes me far away and brings me back a better person, that's all I want. Thank you, Tricia Sullivan.
August 26, 2014
Recently there has been a lot of discussion on my internet feeds about the need / desirability of seeing more, powerful women characters in SFF novels and stories. Some have questioned the use of the word, powerful, preferring instead, women with agency. Well, whichever word you prefer, Jade Barrera, Muy Thai and cage fighter extraordinaire, heroine of Tricia Sullivan’s newest offering Shadowboxer, will answer to either or both; although she may do so in language that will curdle your grandmother’s toes.
Jade is the latest in a growing cohort of complicated, bitter but loving, foul-mouthed, fighting women, of which Kameron Hurley’s, Nyxnissa so Dasheem from the God’s War Trilogy is perhaps the most well-known. If you’re looking for bloody and well written fight-scenes in your bedside reading, Shadowboxer is for you. The author’s long experience in the fields of boxing and training of athletes shows in the ringing authenticity of the fight scenes.
Jade’s backstory is sadly too typical of many Spanish women in America’s big cities. After almost killing her mother, her abusive father and his monstrous temper had been pushed out of their lives. He may be gone in body but that explosive temper remains embedded deep within Jade’s psyche. Her inability to control this rage is endangering what is presented as a promising professional fighting career. After she breaks a prospective supporter’s nose for throwing a rock at an alley cat, she is sent to Thailand to train in a camp owned by her trainer Mr B’s cousin. The plan is for her to hide out there until the heat from her assault of movie star and fight promoter, Tommy Zhang has died down. While there, an unexpected benefit, gained from exposure to Thai attitudes concerning self-respect and respect for others, even when you’re about to bash them to the mat in a ring, is her growing self-control and self-awareness of her value.
Next we meet Mya, an orphan, whose mother is in a Myanmar prison camp. Rescued from the camp and sent to live with Mr Richard in his orphanage near Bangkok, Mya has some very special powers. Not only can she travel to the Forest of the Immortals, a world parallel to ours where fabulous creatures and ghosts roam, she has the power to connect to any green thing, tree or plant, anywhere in the world simply by visualizing it. Mr Richard uses her and this talent to deliver drugs and children to clients around the world. She is also forced to bring Mr Richards with her into the Forest of the Immortals when he injects himself with night orchid extract. He is a wealthy celebrity, world famous for his work in reclaiming orphaned Asian children. The reality of his actions, and his plans for Mya, are far more sinister and ugly.
How Jade and Mya link up with Shea, a half Irish / half Thai reporter to attack Mr Richards and his plans, makes up the core story of this very engaging novel. Ms Sullivan has done her homework. Extensive research into Thai customs allows her to bring shimmering reality to the sections set in Asia. Her descriptions of life in the Rotten Apple and New Jersey, also throb with gritty accuracy. And as an ex-New Yawker, I should know!
I have to confess, I’m not a practitioner or fan of Kick-boxing or Ju-Jitsu, or of any of the variants of Asian martial arts, although I have many friends who are. So, I was really quite surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. While the fight scenes are bloody and violent, as they should be, there is also much lyrical writing about forests and magical creatures. And how could you not love a book where one of the heroes is a giant, fuzzy, black-panther god? There is also a very thought-provoking plot about child abuse by westerners in Thailand, and a few, quite surprising and unexpected twists near the end.
I have one small quibble. What does the acronym MMA stand for? Try as I might, I could not find these initials spelled out in the book.
So, a thrilling horror house of a read; not for the squeamish but very enjoyable. 5***** if you like this kind of story.
January 10, 2017
Ahoy there me mateys! So do ye like strong female Dominican-American protagonists, MMA, Thai mythology, crime novels, Muay Thai, and cats? If so this novel might float yer boat.
I first heard about this book from John Scalzi’s 2014 Big Idea post, which is where the author does an interview with Scalzi that discusses the inspiration for the novel. Among these inspirations were men being condescending to women fighters and the author’s frustration about it. Now this novel is way out of me normal genre range – martial arts, urban fantasy, and crime elements. But the ideas behind the author’s impetus for writing stuck with me and the book continued to sit in me ports for plunder list.
A little over two years later, I finally bought the novel and gave it a chance. One of the interesting things about the novel is that the beginning of the book alternates chapters between Jade’s story (the MMA fighter) and the story of Mya, a little girl caught up in the supernatural.
Now the Big Idea post did in fact use the phrase “supernatural bent,” which I of course had ejected from me brain. It did not mention Mya or the non-fighting aspects of the novel at all. So I found meself highly confused the first time the novel switched perspectives. It felt like two completely separate novels for the majority of the book which some readers might dislike. But I loved both and found the switches back and forth to me taste because each character was so compelling. And of course the two halves come together as a whole later on in ways that were unexpected and fun.
I loved Jade and her bad-ass nature and her growth and her relationship with her family and the other fighters. I adored Mya and her spunk and determination. The novel was compelling and offers glimpses of cultures and ideas way outside of me normal day-to-day life. The only minor gripe was that Jade did not sound like a 17 year old. So overall I consider this book a major success.
Side note: At $1.99 this book was a bargain. Also the author apparently has won awards for her science fiction. More books for the ports to plunder list!
To see more of me reviews visit https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordp...
I first heard about this book from John Scalzi’s 2014 Big Idea post, which is where the author does an interview with Scalzi that discusses the inspiration for the novel. Among these inspirations were men being condescending to women fighters and the author’s frustration about it. Now this novel is way out of me normal genre range – martial arts, urban fantasy, and crime elements. But the ideas behind the author’s impetus for writing stuck with me and the book continued to sit in me ports for plunder list.
A little over two years later, I finally bought the novel and gave it a chance. One of the interesting things about the novel is that the beginning of the book alternates chapters between Jade’s story (the MMA fighter) and the story of Mya, a little girl caught up in the supernatural.
Now the Big Idea post did in fact use the phrase “supernatural bent,” which I of course had ejected from me brain. It did not mention Mya or the non-fighting aspects of the novel at all. So I found meself highly confused the first time the novel switched perspectives. It felt like two completely separate novels for the majority of the book which some readers might dislike. But I loved both and found the switches back and forth to me taste because each character was so compelling. And of course the two halves come together as a whole later on in ways that were unexpected and fun.
I loved Jade and her bad-ass nature and her growth and her relationship with her family and the other fighters. I adored Mya and her spunk and determination. The novel was compelling and offers glimpses of cultures and ideas way outside of me normal day-to-day life. The only minor gripe was that Jade did not sound like a 17 year old. So overall I consider this book a major success.
Side note: At $1.99 this book was a bargain. Also the author apparently has won awards for her science fiction. More books for the ports to plunder list!
To see more of me reviews visit https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordp...
October 23, 2014
This review originally appeared on my blog, Leeanna.me.
==
The first chapter of SHADOWBOXER hooked my interest because I tend to like cocky, tough protagonists, and Jade is exactly that. A talented martial arts fighter, Jade has a tendency to get into fights when she shouldn’t, such as when she defends the gym’s cat from a movie star. Jade’s coach sends her to Thailand to get her out of the star’s sights, as well as to see how well she can fight as a pro.
The parts of SHADOWBOXER set in Thailand were some of my favorites. I can’t recall reading a YA book set there before, and I liked that the author included some Thai phrases/ways of thinking, such as “mai pen rai” and “jai yen.” I actually felt like I was in Thailand, watching Jade train and fight. I know absolutely nothing about MMA and Muay Thai fighting, but the author described the fights very well, so I could easily “see” them.
But Jade’s story is not the only one in SHADOWBOXER. The first time Mya showed up, I had no clue what the heck was going on. Why did the book switch from Jade’s first person point of view to Mya’s third person? And who was this ten year old girl?
Mya has a very special ability: she can travel into the immortal forest. It’s an ability her guardian uses for evil, and when Mya learns he has nefarious plans for her, she flees there. Eventually, Mya and Jade do connect, but not for a while, and I ultimately felt like there were two separate stories inside of SHADOWBOXER. I did like the elements of Thai mythology Mya’s journeys into the Himmapan showcased, but the supernatural elements didn’t 100% mesh for me with Jade’s problems, and vice versa.
==
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
See more of my reviews:
==
The first chapter of SHADOWBOXER hooked my interest because I tend to like cocky, tough protagonists, and Jade is exactly that. A talented martial arts fighter, Jade has a tendency to get into fights when she shouldn’t, such as when she defends the gym’s cat from a movie star. Jade’s coach sends her to Thailand to get her out of the star’s sights, as well as to see how well she can fight as a pro.
The parts of SHADOWBOXER set in Thailand were some of my favorites. I can’t recall reading a YA book set there before, and I liked that the author included some Thai phrases/ways of thinking, such as “mai pen rai” and “jai yen.” I actually felt like I was in Thailand, watching Jade train and fight. I know absolutely nothing about MMA and Muay Thai fighting, but the author described the fights very well, so I could easily “see” them.
But Jade’s story is not the only one in SHADOWBOXER. The first time Mya showed up, I had no clue what the heck was going on. Why did the book switch from Jade’s first person point of view to Mya’s third person? And who was this ten year old girl?
Mya has a very special ability: she can travel into the immortal forest. It’s an ability her guardian uses for evil, and when Mya learns he has nefarious plans for her, she flees there. Eventually, Mya and Jade do connect, but not for a while, and I ultimately felt like there were two separate stories inside of SHADOWBOXER. I did like the elements of Thai mythology Mya’s journeys into the Himmapan showcased, but the supernatural elements didn’t 100% mesh for me with Jade’s problems, and vice versa.
==
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
See more of my reviews:
December 28, 2014
(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review).
(This review may contain spoilers).
I quite enjoyed reading this book, even if it did have the fluctuating first person and third person POVs. It was good to see both of the storylines and how they ultimately converged together.
Jade was an interesting character and it was good to see that she didn't turn into a puddle of goo (sometimes literally) when she was around her crush. I think my favourite part was when she went to Thailand. I liked the relationships she formed with the children there and it was also good to see that Jade liked cats. I liked her right from the start, with her reaction to a cat being mistreated.
The supernatural elements in this book were pretty intriguing. I particularly liked the concept of the forest and the creatures there were in the forest. It was a pretty unique idea to have the animals take on human form and I felt really sorry for Luck. I would have liked to see a bit more of him.
I liked Mya as a character, but I didn't really know what age she was for a while. I also didn't realise at first when the storylines were merging together, because Mya wasn't described at all until the first time Jade saw her.
The minor characters were intriguing, but I would have liked to see more of them during the book, particularly the children Jade met in Thailand. I did particularly like Shea as a character and I would have liked to see more of him. I didn't know much about his past, but I did like how his relationship formed with Jade.
I did notice some errors in the writing, but it was good how the dialogue reflected the life of the characters and how they'd grown up. I was pulled easily into the storyline and there were some really intense moments in this.
If there's a sequel to this book, I would definitely read it. I'd also check out other books by this author in the future. This was a really entertaining book that I read pretty quickly. There's a bit of disjointedness with the two storylines, but they're still pretty easy to follow.
(This review may contain spoilers).
I quite enjoyed reading this book, even if it did have the fluctuating first person and third person POVs. It was good to see both of the storylines and how they ultimately converged together.
Jade was an interesting character and it was good to see that she didn't turn into a puddle of goo (sometimes literally) when she was around her crush. I think my favourite part was when she went to Thailand. I liked the relationships she formed with the children there and it was also good to see that Jade liked cats. I liked her right from the start, with her reaction to a cat being mistreated.
The supernatural elements in this book were pretty intriguing. I particularly liked the concept of the forest and the creatures there were in the forest. It was a pretty unique idea to have the animals take on human form and I felt really sorry for Luck. I would have liked to see a bit more of him.
I liked Mya as a character, but I didn't really know what age she was for a while. I also didn't realise at first when the storylines were merging together, because Mya wasn't described at all until the first time Jade saw her.
The minor characters were intriguing, but I would have liked to see more of them during the book, particularly the children Jade met in Thailand. I did particularly like Shea as a character and I would have liked to see more of him. I didn't know much about his past, but I did like how his relationship formed with Jade.
I did notice some errors in the writing, but it was good how the dialogue reflected the life of the characters and how they'd grown up. I was pulled easily into the storyline and there were some really intense moments in this.
If there's a sequel to this book, I would definitely read it. I'd also check out other books by this author in the future. This was a really entertaining book that I read pretty quickly. There's a bit of disjointedness with the two storylines, but they're still pretty easy to follow.
August 29, 2014
Tricia Sullivan is one of my favorite currently active science fiction authors: the Double Vision/Sound Mind diptych, Lightborn, Dreaming in Smoke, and above all Maul, are all great. SHADOWBOXER is a different sort of book, and it is also Sullivan's first (as far as I know) YA book. I didn't like it quite as much as her SF work, but it is still really good. It might be classified as magic realism combined with a sports-inspirational book. One plot strand concerns Jade Barrera, a young woman (17 years old) in New Jersey, of Dominican background, from a broken family (her father violently assaulted her mother, and is out of the picture; her mother is back in the Dominican Republic taking care of her dying grandmother; she lives with her slightly older cousin). Jade is a competitive fighter: she does Muay Thai and Mixed Martial Arts. It is all about focus and control, growing up, and channeling her negative feelings. It was great to read a book where the hero(ine) is a young woman of color, who has issues, but works them through, and finds her way to self-affirmation. But the magic and mystery of the book come from the way Jade's life comes into contact with the other plot strand, involving Mya, an 11-year-old Burmese girl, living in exile in Thailand. Mya has magical powers, which give her access to The Forest, a kind of mystical realm from Thai mythology. Unfortunately Mya is enslaved (pretty much) to the book's Big Bad, the creepy and abusive powermonger Mr. Richard. Her quest to escape him is paired with Jade's quest to find and assert herself. The best parts of the book, aside from the lessons about strength and self-determination for girls and young women, reside in the poetic descriptions of Mya's magical realm, and the vivid visceral descriptions of Jade's training and fights.
October 28, 2014
Closer to a frustrating 3.5.
Two types of books probably don't get enough play in the YA marketplace right now - books about cagefighting/MMA and the like, and books where the souls of children are being stolen. If you agree, add in some shapeshifting for good measure and Shadowboxer might just be the book for you.
The book follows two stories - one with troubled but talented fighter Jade as she is shipped all over to train as a cage fighter and grow up a bit, and Mya, a girl who is stuck in a mysterious story with a creepy old man in the woods with a bunch of other children. These stories eventually converge into an often-interesting but fairly bizarre conceptual horror novel that has a lot of action and a really interesting mechanic to go along with the ending.
Shadowboxer is ultimately frustrating because, while the Jade story is interesting and mostly well-written, the Mya portions do not provide any clear indication of why we should care or how it's related to Jade's story until much later. The temptation to skim through the parts of the story that ultimately end up being some of the most important is a critical miss in terms of structuring the story, and is a significant drawback keeping this story from becoming great instead of merely good. Thankfully, the Jade parts are quite good, and sprinkle just the right amount of action, humor, and heart to make up for some of the less exciting Mya bits.
Overall, definitely a story worth your time. I didn't think much of any of this would appeal to me, and it ended up doing so even with its flaws.
Two types of books probably don't get enough play in the YA marketplace right now - books about cagefighting/MMA and the like, and books where the souls of children are being stolen. If you agree, add in some shapeshifting for good measure and Shadowboxer might just be the book for you.
The book follows two stories - one with troubled but talented fighter Jade as she is shipped all over to train as a cage fighter and grow up a bit, and Mya, a girl who is stuck in a mysterious story with a creepy old man in the woods with a bunch of other children. These stories eventually converge into an often-interesting but fairly bizarre conceptual horror novel that has a lot of action and a really interesting mechanic to go along with the ending.
Shadowboxer is ultimately frustrating because, while the Jade story is interesting and mostly well-written, the Mya portions do not provide any clear indication of why we should care or how it's related to Jade's story until much later. The temptation to skim through the parts of the story that ultimately end up being some of the most important is a critical miss in terms of structuring the story, and is a significant drawback keeping this story from becoming great instead of merely good. Thankfully, the Jade parts are quite good, and sprinkle just the right amount of action, humor, and heart to make up for some of the less exciting Mya bits.
Overall, definitely a story worth your time. I didn't think much of any of this would appeal to me, and it ended up doing so even with its flaws.
October 4, 2014
Shadowboxer was an interesting read. It is a YA fantasy but when I started reading it , I found it hard to think where the fantasy might come in and how. I have to admit I did find it hard to get into Shadowboxer to start with as the book revolves around Thai martial arts but when the fantasy element was introduced and the story started to entwine between reality and fantasy I really started to enjoy it.
As I have mentioned Shadowboxer revolves around Thai martial arts, Thai legend and reincarnation and the Immortal Forest, an in-between world full of legends including Kala Sriha. I really enjoyed learning about this and exploring the beliefs of other cultures.
Tricia Sullivan is great at intertwining all the characters and how they linked to each other. Shadowboxer goes between two female protagonists, Jade & Mya each very different from each other, but each on a journey of self discovery. Jade was an interesting strong character and she went on a journey that I loved following she started as a girl who was super tough and looked like nothing would phrase her but in the end I loved her showing her softer side and the sacrifice she was willing to make. Mya is a little girl with abilities that were frightening and amazing for such a young girl, she was scared and was manipulated but she grow as a character into a person beyond the years of a child.
Overall I really ended up enjoying Shadowboxer it was really intriguing and I loved seeing the characters journey. Even though I struggled with it at the start and am glad I stuck with it.
As I have mentioned Shadowboxer revolves around Thai martial arts, Thai legend and reincarnation and the Immortal Forest, an in-between world full of legends including Kala Sriha. I really enjoyed learning about this and exploring the beliefs of other cultures.
Tricia Sullivan is great at intertwining all the characters and how they linked to each other. Shadowboxer goes between two female protagonists, Jade & Mya each very different from each other, but each on a journey of self discovery. Jade was an interesting strong character and she went on a journey that I loved following she started as a girl who was super tough and looked like nothing would phrase her but in the end I loved her showing her softer side and the sacrifice she was willing to make. Mya is a little girl with abilities that were frightening and amazing for such a young girl, she was scared and was manipulated but she grow as a character into a person beyond the years of a child.
Overall I really ended up enjoying Shadowboxer it was really intriguing and I loved seeing the characters journey. Even though I struggled with it at the start and am glad I stuck with it.
January 29, 2015
This book has two different halves that have nothing to do with each other. One half is awesome, the other isn't.
The one that's awesome is about Jade, an MMA fighter that goes to Thailand for some training (and to avoid a possible arrest after beating up an MMA fame whore). Holy cow, let me repeat that. A book about a girl American Mixed Martial Artist who travels half a world away to the land of Muay Thai for further training and a chance at a title shot. Doesn't that sound awesome? Doesn't that sound like no other book you've ever heard before? It did to me.
But the other half has nothing to do with this. It's about a girl who can teleport through plants who's being exploited by some rich white guy holed up in Thailand to deliver drugs and human traffic to various parts of the world undetected. It's not even the same genre as the Jade story. It's a dark fantasy with Thai mythology and beliefs about reincarnation and ghost/spirits and animals. Not what I came in for. And neither character has any relation to the other, either in spirit or plot. They just... meet... at the end.
I would so love this book if this part was excised. Each half has nothing to do with each other, it feels like it was shoehorned in to increase length. I just want to hear about Jade. I care about Jade. I'm interested in Jade. Not some girl who can walk through walls and the old rich white guy "big bad". I can go to X-Men for that. The tonal difference is too jarring. That keeps this book from being one of the best I've read.
The one that's awesome is about Jade, an MMA fighter that goes to Thailand for some training (and to avoid a possible arrest after beating up an MMA fame whore). Holy cow, let me repeat that. A book about a girl American Mixed Martial Artist who travels half a world away to the land of Muay Thai for further training and a chance at a title shot. Doesn't that sound awesome? Doesn't that sound like no other book you've ever heard before? It did to me.
But the other half has nothing to do with this. It's about a girl who can teleport through plants who's being exploited by some rich white guy holed up in Thailand to deliver drugs and human traffic to various parts of the world undetected. It's not even the same genre as the Jade story. It's a dark fantasy with Thai mythology and beliefs about reincarnation and ghost/spirits and animals. Not what I came in for. And neither character has any relation to the other, either in spirit or plot. They just... meet... at the end.
I would so love this book if this part was excised. Each half has nothing to do with each other, it feels like it was shoehorned in to increase length. I just want to hear about Jade. I care about Jade. I'm interested in Jade. Not some girl who can walk through walls and the old rich white guy "big bad". I can go to X-Men for that. The tonal difference is too jarring. That keeps this book from being one of the best I've read.
August 1, 2014
Actual Stars: 3.5
Reminded me of: Brooke Valentine - Girlfight.
3 words to describe it: Strong, surreal and vivid.
Favorite part: Vegetarian moggies.
I felt like I was reading two different books with Shadowboxer. They were both good books, but combined I felt like they didn't flow and blend as well as they should. I loved the beautiful imagery and mythology of the Thai half and adored the down and dirty fighter side as well but the impact that Jade had on the Thai part felt so small that she could easily not have been involved at all.
The characters and storyline were written well and at a decent pace to keep you reading and ready for action but the plot combinations prevented me from enjoying it as much as I would have liked.
Shadowboxer appeared to set itself up quite readily for a next novel or series with the potential to correct the issue I had with the book by going deeper into their destinies and futures but I'm not sure if I'll be on the wagon to read the next installment.
Overall a good book with likable heroines, but I'd rather have had them separate.
September 8, 2016
2.5 Stars
Shadowboxer is one of those books that had so much potential and had the two main story arcs been separate books and then later intertwined, it probably would have worked better. Instead, these two stories don’t line up like they should. It feels like two separate books. When the stories come together, it feels contrived, forced, and messy.
That being said, I liked the stories as separate entities. Give me a badass female character who speaks her mind, knows how to throw a punch, and doesn’t let anyone push her around. Jade is loud, bossy, take charge, and ready to jump in any fight for what she believes in. Jade has worked so hard to get where she is and strives for excellence in her martial arts. She’s abrasive, rude, crass, wholly herself, and doesn’t apologize for who she is and that makes her someone you can respect, even if you don’t like her. Despite these awesome qualities and the story that goes with them, I didn’t particularly like Jade. Sure she’s overcome a lot, she works for everything, and has super big dreams, but the girl is catty and rude and a mess. She doesn’t even shell out the respect she gets.
To read more:
https://youngadultbookmadness.wordpre...
Shadowboxer is one of those books that had so much potential and had the two main story arcs been separate books and then later intertwined, it probably would have worked better. Instead, these two stories don’t line up like they should. It feels like two separate books. When the stories come together, it feels contrived, forced, and messy.
That being said, I liked the stories as separate entities. Give me a badass female character who speaks her mind, knows how to throw a punch, and doesn’t let anyone push her around. Jade is loud, bossy, take charge, and ready to jump in any fight for what she believes in. Jade has worked so hard to get where she is and strives for excellence in her martial arts. She’s abrasive, rude, crass, wholly herself, and doesn’t apologize for who she is and that makes her someone you can respect, even if you don’t like her. Despite these awesome qualities and the story that goes with them, I didn’t particularly like Jade. Sure she’s overcome a lot, she works for everything, and has super big dreams, but the girl is catty and rude and a mess. She doesn’t even shell out the respect she gets.
To read more:
https://youngadultbookmadness.wordpre...
July 29, 2014
A Very Unusual Heroine
Jade is one of the toughest heroines I've read in a long time. She's damaged from a life of poverty and abuse and she is incredibly angry. She brings this anger to the MMA Cage where she can go into a blind rage until she beats her opponent into submission. Unable to control that rage, she takes it out on the wrong person and is sent to a training camp in Thailand where her life takes a very unexpected and dangerous turn.
In spite of the contemporary YA feel to this piece, it's also very much urban fantasy - with the emphasis on the urban. The author takes us from ghettos and domestic abuse to Thai lady boys and exotic jungles. It's an exhilarating adventure. The MMA aspect was completely foreign to me, but absolutely fascinating.
Although she's tough, Jade is still very much a girl. She's just a girl who could beat you to a pulp if she wanted to, while still sighing over a handsome guy. There's a tiny bit of insta-love, but it takes some very unique and dark turns.
Simply put, I loved this book, was sorry that it ended, and would read more in a heartbeat.
*ARC provided by Netgalley for review purposes.
Jade is one of the toughest heroines I've read in a long time. She's damaged from a life of poverty and abuse and she is incredibly angry. She brings this anger to the MMA Cage where she can go into a blind rage until she beats her opponent into submission. Unable to control that rage, she takes it out on the wrong person and is sent to a training camp in Thailand where her life takes a very unexpected and dangerous turn.
In spite of the contemporary YA feel to this piece, it's also very much urban fantasy - with the emphasis on the urban. The author takes us from ghettos and domestic abuse to Thai lady boys and exotic jungles. It's an exhilarating adventure. The MMA aspect was completely foreign to me, but absolutely fascinating.
Although she's tough, Jade is still very much a girl. She's just a girl who could beat you to a pulp if she wanted to, while still sighing over a handsome guy. There's a tiny bit of insta-love, but it takes some very unique and dark turns.
Simply put, I loved this book, was sorry that it ended, and would read more in a heartbeat.
*ARC provided by Netgalley for review purposes.
October 26, 2015
Jade, a young MMA fighter with a temper problem, decks a film star and ends up packed off to a training camp in Thailand to keep her out of harm's way. She discovers that her trainer and her gym may be involved in awful crimes, testing her loyalties and her grip on reality. Mya, a young girl working for an English Doctor in Thailand, makes journeys from or world into a mystical forest full of ghosts and gods. The doctor has terrible plans for Mya, but can she escape and keep her family safe? The two stories, one of the hard, bruising, physical world of training and fighting, and the other of disembodied souls and fickle deities, become intertwined, and one world leaks into another with dangerous consequences.
Snappy, pacy writing and the endearingly larger-than-life Jade, with her mixture of pure toughness and hidden vulnerability, make this a quick, smooth, action-packed supernatural thriller. The fighting, and the fighting culture, have an authentic feel to them, and the bone-crunching bouts are a highlight.
Snappy, pacy writing and the endearingly larger-than-life Jade, with her mixture of pure toughness and hidden vulnerability, make this a quick, smooth, action-packed supernatural thriller. The fighting, and the fighting culture, have an authentic feel to them, and the bone-crunching bouts are a highlight.
Read
November 21, 2014Jade is an MMA fighter with a great record in the ring, but a terrible temper which has caused many problems for her. When she lashes out at the wrong person, she’s sent to Thailand for training. There she discovers a strange and supernatural conspiracy. A desperate and powerful man is stealing the essences of children, their souls, in an attempt to live forever. SHADOWBOXER is an urban fantasy which delves into territory I’d never ventured into previously. The worlds of MMA and Muay Thai unfold around the reader, spiced with a taste of the supernatural. Jade is a tough protagonist, willing to fight for herself and for what is right. Jade isn’t the only character with a voice in SHADOWBOXER…we also meet Mya, a little girl with a very special ability. I don’t want to give too much away about SHADOWBOXER, it’s an adventure you’ve got to undertake on your own.
March 8, 2016
Not bad, a bit strange (ok, a lot strange), but not bad. For sure not what I was expecting...or better, I did expect something else entirely. I didn't read the plot like I should have and I was expecting a story about a girl who is into boxing.
Well, this is a story about a girl who has anger issue and is into mixed martial arts. But there is also a fantasy story intermixed to that that change all the expectation of the reader (= mine). It often felt like a dream and, at that, one that anybody could have...it wasn't a bad feeling, just strange. ;)
p.s. I had some issue with Jade and Shea's age. They seem to me a bit too young to be doing all that dangerous stuff without the "grown-ups" butting in (they are respectively 17 and 20). Ok that we are speaking about a fantasy story but it is set in the real world and how they acted was surreal to me.
Well, this is a story about a girl who has anger issue and is into mixed martial arts. But there is also a fantasy story intermixed to that that change all the expectation of the reader (= mine). It often felt like a dream and, at that, one that anybody could have...it wasn't a bad feeling, just strange. ;)
p.s. I had some issue with Jade and Shea's age. They seem to me a bit too young to be doing all that dangerous stuff without the "grown-ups" butting in (they are respectively 17 and 20). Ok that we are speaking about a fantasy story but it is set in the real world and how they acted was surreal to me.
July 6, 2015
Jade was a young woman whose life was out of control. She was a martial arts fighter who could not control her temper or her life, when she steps in to defend a stray cat and manage to embarrass the leading action star she knows she has messed up big time.
Her trainer thinks of Jade as a daughter, so he arranges for her to train Muay Thai in a small camp ran by his brother in Thailand.Jade also learns something of Thai culture and how to let things roll off and maintain control, she will need it.
Jade becomes embroiled in a mystical syndication abusing children and stealing her souls, will karma smile on her or will she have to linger on a shade, a ghost seeking atonement for past wrongs.
ShadowBoxer is like reading two different stories until they become entwined, if you can hand on through this odd mix, you will find a story well worth the read.
Her trainer thinks of Jade as a daughter, so he arranges for her to train Muay Thai in a small camp ran by his brother in Thailand.Jade also learns something of Thai culture and how to let things roll off and maintain control, she will need it.
Jade becomes embroiled in a mystical syndication abusing children and stealing her souls, will karma smile on her or will she have to linger on a shade, a ghost seeking atonement for past wrongs.
ShadowBoxer is like reading two different stories until they become entwined, if you can hand on through this odd mix, you will find a story well worth the read.
October 31, 2014
3.5 stars
I enjoyed this - until the end, which I found a huge letdown. I didn't see the point, and it left me ambivalent. Despite the disappointing conclusion, I loved Jade's character. Here's a girl who would much rather talk with her fists than use her words, though she struggled to control her violent impulses. The fight scenes were great, too.
I enjoyed this - until the end, which I found a huge letdown. I didn't see the point, and it left me ambivalent. Despite the disappointing conclusion, I loved Jade's character. Here's a girl who would much rather talk with her fists than use her words, though she struggled to control her violent impulses. The fight scenes were great, too.
April 16, 2015
While it is better than Lightborn, and I did enjoy it, I think it has a couple of issues. While Jade is a great character, and her half of the book is well written and exciting, Mya's half feels much less well developed, and you end up skimming that bit waiting for Jade to come back.
No Double Vision or Maul, but a step up from Lightborn.
No Double Vision or Maul, but a step up from Lightborn.
August 24, 2014
Shadowboxer was an entertaining mix of action and suspense. I thought the fight scenes were realistic. The blend of martial arts styles kept the fight scenes interesting instead of being repetitive.
October 1, 2016
A middle-of-the-road YA occult romance thriller, set in the world of MMA fighting. The fighting jargon was too much at times and things got too implausible at times. The ending was a bit surprising, but didn't really mesh with the rest of the book.
May 17, 2017
Between the excellent intro to Thai mythology (my first encounter with it) and a literal-kickass, painfully honest, entertaining heroine like Jade, I reallyreally enjoyed this one. Would not mind further adventures of Jade the MMA-Fighter Rescuer of Abused Spirit Children.
March 3, 2015
This was an entertaining YA book with a very unique storyline! Female 17 year old MMA fighter, bad guy that steals the souls of children and an interesting infusion of Thai culture, mythology and Muy Thai. If you are looking for something different, this is it.
September 18, 2015
Partway through the book, the pacing evens out and it stops feels like two distinctly different books at odds with each other. Push through. The story is well-done but I knocked down stars for the very disjunct feel of a large chunk of the book.
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