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Shadow Unit #15
Shadow Unit 15
Contains "Asylum" by C.L. Polk and Elizabeth Bear, "Something's Gotta Eat T. Rexes" by Elizabeth Bear, Steven Brust, and Emma Bull, and several short pieces.
ebook
First published August 1, 2014
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About the author
Emma Bull
83 books692 followersEmma Bull is a science fiction and fantasy author whose best-known novel is War for the Oaks, one of the pioneering works of urban fantasy. She has participated in Terri Windling's Borderland shared universe, which is the setting of her 1994 novel Finder. She sang in the rock-funk band Cats Laughing, and both sang and played guitar in the folk duo The Flash Girls while living in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Her 1991 post-apocalyptic science fiction novel Bone Dance was nominated for the Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy Awards. Bull wrote a screenplay for War for the Oaks, which was made into an 11-minute mini-film designed to look like a film trailer. She made a cameo appearance as the Queen of the Seelie Court, and her husband, Will Shetterly, directed. Bull and Shetterly created the shared universe of Liavek, for which they have both written stories. There are five Liavek collections extant.
She was a member of the writing group The Scribblies, which included Will Shetterly as well as Pamela Dean, Kara Dalkey, Nate Bucklin, Patricia Wrede and Steven Brust. With Steven Brust, Bull wrote Freedom and Necessity (1997), an epistolary novel with subtle fantasy elements set during the 19th century United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Chartist movement.
Bull graduated from Beloit College in 1976. Bull and Shetterly live in Arizona.
Her 1991 post-apocalyptic science fiction novel Bone Dance was nominated for the Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy Awards. Bull wrote a screenplay for War for the Oaks, which was made into an 11-minute mini-film designed to look like a film trailer. She made a cameo appearance as the Queen of the Seelie Court, and her husband, Will Shetterly, directed. Bull and Shetterly created the shared universe of Liavek, for which they have both written stories. There are five Liavek collections extant.
She was a member of the writing group The Scribblies, which included Will Shetterly as well as Pamela Dean, Kara Dalkey, Nate Bucklin, Patricia Wrede and Steven Brust. With Steven Brust, Bull wrote Freedom and Necessity (1997), an epistolary novel with subtle fantasy elements set during the 19th century United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Chartist movement.
Bull graduated from Beloit College in 1976. Bull and Shetterly live in Arizona.
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August 23, 2015And finally it is here, the much-dreaded final volume of Shadow Unit: Just two long episodes and three vignettes, but to say that those packed a massive punch would be an understatement of massive proportions. This installment returns to the accustomed mixture of two episodes and a number of vignettes, but the apparent normalcy is shredded very soon, and the series emphatically goes out with a bang. A big one.
The first episode, “Asylum” by Chelsea Polk and Elizabeth Bear presents a marked contrast to Volume 14’s slow, introspective stories and delivers relentless action and nail-biting tension. Like all good thrillers, it starts off harmless enough but tension ratchets up quickly as the story progresses and snowballs into a fast-paced, violent finale. This episode is likely to leave readers somewhat shaken and breathless, and they get the chance to recover a bit with a series of vignettes before the final episode of the series hits them.
The writers of Shadow Unit made it clear very early (from the Season One finale at the very latest) that they were pulling no punches, so “Something gotta eat T. Rexes” (everyone who has followed the series so far will immediately recognise what that title refers to) might not come as a surprise, but that does not mean it comes as any less of a shock. This is a devastating story, and a large part of the reason it hits so very hard (apart, of course from being exceptionally well written and constructed, but that goes without saying for the entire run of Shadow Unit) is that the reader feels very close to these characters. Partially that is no doubt true to the sheer amount of time one has spent with them at this stage – but on the other hand, I doubt that anyone will stick fifteen volumes with a series with characters that don’t catch their interest in some way. One might not necessarily like them – although by now, we’ve been in their lives and their heads so often and so deep that we not only know many of foibles and weaknesses but also all redeeming features of all of them – but they have always been fascinating to read about, and that is thanks to the great work the Shadow Unit writing team has done on consistent and consistently engaging character building and character development. I for one have grown quite fond of the Anomalous Crime Task Force over the course of the series, and I think among all its many merits, those characters are what stand out most about Shadow Unit and what will stick in my memory for some time to come.
The final story, as brutal and horrifying as it is, emphasizes that again, and it’s not all bleakness – in the end, we do get a glimpse of the survivors and getting on with their lives, even a glimmer of hope that things might improve in the future. Personally, I’d have wished for a few more vignettes to show the aftermath of the events in the final episode, but I have to admit that “Bunny”, the one vignette we actually are getting, makes a perfect ending (but note the very deft callback at the very end of the last episode to the very beginning of the first one) to what has been one of the most fascinating and intriguing experiments in genre literature as well as a highly entertaining and emotionally engaging series.
And, of course, one can’t help but wonder if there’ll be Shadow Unit – The Next Generation at some stage…
The first episode, “Asylum” by Chelsea Polk and Elizabeth Bear presents a marked contrast to Volume 14’s slow, introspective stories and delivers relentless action and nail-biting tension. Like all good thrillers, it starts off harmless enough but tension ratchets up quickly as the story progresses and snowballs into a fast-paced, violent finale. This episode is likely to leave readers somewhat shaken and breathless, and they get the chance to recover a bit with a series of vignettes before the final episode of the series hits them.
The writers of Shadow Unit made it clear very early (from the Season One finale at the very latest) that they were pulling no punches, so “Something gotta eat T. Rexes” (everyone who has followed the series so far will immediately recognise what that title refers to) might not come as a surprise, but that does not mean it comes as any less of a shock. This is a devastating story, and a large part of the reason it hits so very hard (apart, of course from being exceptionally well written and constructed, but that goes without saying for the entire run of Shadow Unit) is that the reader feels very close to these characters. Partially that is no doubt true to the sheer amount of time one has spent with them at this stage – but on the other hand, I doubt that anyone will stick fifteen volumes with a series with characters that don’t catch their interest in some way. One might not necessarily like them – although by now, we’ve been in their lives and their heads so often and so deep that we not only know many of foibles and weaknesses but also all redeeming features of all of them – but they have always been fascinating to read about, and that is thanks to the great work the Shadow Unit writing team has done on consistent and consistently engaging character building and character development. I for one have grown quite fond of the Anomalous Crime Task Force over the course of the series, and I think among all its many merits, those characters are what stand out most about Shadow Unit and what will stick in my memory for some time to come.
The final story, as brutal and horrifying as it is, emphasizes that again, and it’s not all bleakness – in the end, we do get a glimpse of the survivors and getting on with their lives, even a glimmer of hope that things might improve in the future. Personally, I’d have wished for a few more vignettes to show the aftermath of the events in the final episode, but I have to admit that “Bunny”, the one vignette we actually are getting, makes a perfect ending (but note the very deft callback at the very end of the last episode to the very beginning of the first one) to what has been one of the most fascinating and intriguing experiments in genre literature as well as a highly entertaining and emotionally engaging series.
And, of course, one can’t help but wonder if there’ll be Shadow Unit – The Next Generation at some stage…
September 12, 2015
Possibly the best since "Refining Fire" and its follow-ups. The grimmer the story, the better the writing.
February 23, 2017
I just don't like unhappy endings! To spend so much time with a series and then to end it like that - it feels like a cop out. And I know real life isn't always happy, but there's a difference between realistically bittersweet and just unhappy for the sake of it.
Still - this was an awesome series.
Still - this was an awesome series.
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August 22, 2015I am so mad at these authors right now. Two weeks after reading I'm still upset.
May 28, 2018
This whole series is amazing, but the conclusion is so well-written, I wanted to specifically review this book to encourage anyone who's wondering if it's 'worth it' to start such a long run. If you're considering whether to invest time in this odd world of a 'sort-of-Criminal-Minds-fanfic-crossed-with-X-Files-type-fantasy, the answer is YES.
The thing that particularly strikes me about this series (aside from the almost unparalleled level of character development across the whole of the ensemble cast) is that the resolution shows how much thought went into the earlier installments.
I've re-read these books a few times now, and each time I keep finding new depth to how the plot played out. The structure of the stories follows a 'monster-of-the-week' formula, but the longer-term narrative really uses those to build itself up, and it does so in a way that relies on and further develops the characters' individual narrative arcs.
I re-read a fair bit, and it's fair to say that may well be my favorite series to re-read of them all.
The thing that particularly strikes me about this series (aside from the almost unparalleled level of character development across the whole of the ensemble cast) is that the resolution shows how much thought went into the earlier installments.
I've re-read these books a few times now, and each time I keep finding new depth to how the plot played out. The structure of the stories follows a 'monster-of-the-week' formula, but the longer-term narrative really uses those to build itself up, and it does so in a way that relies on and further develops the characters' individual narrative arcs.
I re-read a fair bit, and it's fair to say that may well be my favorite series to re-read of them all.
April 5, 2018
The writing is great. The stories are heartbreaking. However, I still found it to be a fairly satisfying end to the series.
September 11, 2018
All good things must end.
November 20, 2019
😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
September 13, 2021
Sure, rip my heart out. At least it doesn’t leave us hanging.
January 15, 2016
This is the final volume in the Shadow Unit series. These originated on LiveJournal as an homage to the TV show, "Criminal Minds." Emma Bull, Elizabeth Bear, and the others evidently got together and did a "down the hall" version of the FBI's BAU (behavioral analysis unit) - FBI profilers who chase paranormal manifestations in humans.
The last few volumes were very difficult to read as the authors were merciless towards their characters. I want my happily ever after, and too many of their characters didn't get that. So I would recommend the series but stop at about volume 10 unless you want your heart broken.
Knowing the origin was a TV show, I had a problem separating some of these characters from the TV show. (I watched the TV show for years because Elizabeth Bear did analyses of the episodes on her LJ blog. The show got too violent for me eventually.) The skinny Ph.D.s in particular were hard to see as different people. On the other hand, their creation of Ms. Gates was a real triumph - my favorite character, and it took me years to realize that she was probably the "Garcia" character.
The last few volumes were very difficult to read as the authors were merciless towards their characters. I want my happily ever after, and too many of their characters didn't get that. So I would recommend the series but stop at about volume 10 unless you want your heart broken.
Knowing the origin was a TV show, I had a problem separating some of these characters from the TV show. (I watched the TV show for years because Elizabeth Bear did analyses of the episodes on her LJ blog. The show got too violent for me eventually.) The skinny Ph.D.s in particular were hard to see as different people. On the other hand, their creation of Ms. Gates was a real triumph - my favorite character, and it took me years to realize that she was probably the "Garcia" character.
October 23, 2025
I wasn’t sure if the arc could be resolved in its entirely in the final volume, but I seriously underestimated the writers. Not only was the enemy unmasked in a delightfully surprising way right under everyone’s nose; but the overall arc with that enemy came to a painfully beautiful dramatic climax and conclusion all too apt for this series. Shadow Unit was lost, but their battle was dragged into the light. More than one character died. The survivors were forced to change, along with their loved ones. Too much was at stake, too much was lost for them not to. The gravity of the penultimate peril pushed Chaz Villette to not only stop the threat, but to change everything. This led to the beautiful and heartbreaking conclusion. Shadow Unit may be lost, but they left a legacy to the world, taking their readers on an epic journey. This remarkable ride was worth every bump.
December 3, 2014
Ouch...and yet so right
These books have always had a strain of tragedy - already happened, ongoing, lurking nearby - in part, that's a given when the anomaly only emerges when a person is already cracked open with sorrow. The grace of these books is that the authors continue to prove that it's friendship, compassion and the desire to heal that can also grow through the cracks and bind people together into damaged but able to go on. This book ends so much of the unit that I'm not sure how it goes on - and yet it's clear as the book closes that the people do go on in some different form that still has room for the same grace...grief and rightness both.
These books have always had a strain of tragedy - already happened, ongoing, lurking nearby - in part, that's a given when the anomaly only emerges when a person is already cracked open with sorrow. The grace of these books is that the authors continue to prove that it's friendship, compassion and the desire to heal that can also grow through the cracks and bind people together into damaged but able to go on. This book ends so much of the unit that I'm not sure how it goes on - and yet it's clear as the book closes that the people do go on in some different form that still has room for the same grace...grief and rightness both.
April 11, 2015
So Sad
This series has been a staple for me over the last year. Whenever I couldn't decide what was next, I could pick up Shadow Unit. Now so many plot lines are tied off, the best I can hope for is some flashback or prequel stories. Or maybe, if we are all good little kiddies. Ms Bull and Ms Bear will treat us to something wildly new and provoking. One can only hope.
This series has been a staple for me over the last year. Whenever I couldn't decide what was next, I could pick up Shadow Unit. Now so many plot lines are tied off, the best I can hope for is some flashback or prequel stories. Or maybe, if we are all good little kiddies. Ms Bull and Ms Bear will treat us to something wildly new and provoking. One can only hope.
March 8, 2015
3.5 stars.
A little disappointed at the carnage at the end. The tactics used to go after the final jammer seemed foolhardy, and the results smacked more of the authors intent to ensure no more books in the series than a satisfying conclusion to the tale.
A little disappointed at the carnage at the end. The tactics used to go after the final jammer seemed foolhardy, and the results smacked more of the authors intent to ensure no more books in the series than a satisfying conclusion to the tale.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 7, 2014
To sum up the end of this series in three words: ALL THE FEELS!
August 8, 2015
Powerful series finale, so sad and so, so good. Will probably reread the whole series in a year or two, to catch the details that I missed.
September 20, 2015
... Goodbye, WTF.
Glad to have done my part, at the very end. Sorry, Wabbit.
In another world, I finally did learn a little parkour.
(this vague review brought by Lj user=Erik_not_erik)
Glad to have done my part, at the very end. Sorry, Wabbit.
In another world, I finally did learn a little parkour.
(this vague review brought by Lj user=Erik_not_erik)
November 25, 2016
Team Work
I thoroughly enjoyed this series. Individually I love each of the writers and as a unit they really coalesce. I hope we get to see some more of the gAng in the future.
I thoroughly enjoyed this series. Individually I love each of the writers and as a unit they really coalesce. I hope we get to see some more of the gAng in the future.
August 14, 2014
deep tragedy strikes the team and destroys it....
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews