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Shadow Borne Chronicles #1
Shadow Born
Alec Carson wakes up naked and alone with a crazed woman that has abducted him, sliced his wrists open for her own dark needs and forced him to drink blood for her own sadistic ends. After unknown assailants attack his abductor, Alec finds himself in the hospital alive and thinks the nightmare has ended and that his life will get back to normal once he starts college. But he is wrong.
His journey into the dark, secret world of immortal beings, dark power plays and an unknown enemy that wants him dead, is just beginning and Alec will have to fight just to prove he has the right to exist. What can Alec do to stay alive and prove himself worthy of trust and the right to live?
He will have to pit himself against an ageless enemy that wants to see him dead and align himself with powers that even immortals fear. What he’s become has never been seen before and what he doesn’t know could get him killed. Alec was born in shadow, but he will be shadow-borne through his journey to see himself liberated and he will be forced into becoming a power to be reckoned with.
His journey into the dark, secret world of immortal beings, dark power plays and an unknown enemy that wants him dead, is just beginning and Alec will have to fight just to prove he has the right to exist. What can Alec do to stay alive and prove himself worthy of trust and the right to live?
He will have to pit himself against an ageless enemy that wants to see him dead and align himself with powers that even immortals fear. What he’s become has never been seen before and what he doesn’t know could get him killed. Alec was born in shadow, but he will be shadow-borne through his journey to see himself liberated and he will be forced into becoming a power to be reckoned with.
- GenresUrban Fantasy
350 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 2, 2014
9 people are currently reading
65 people want to read
About the author
Paul A. Cagle
3 books14 followersPaul A. Cagle published his first book, Paranormal Journeys, in October of 2010 with limited success. It would be another two years before he sat down to start working on another book, this one a novel. After getting laid off from his job at a major insurance company, he decided to start writing a story that had been in his head for several years, and Shadow Born: Book 1 of the Shadow-Borne Chronicles started coalescing into something that resembled a novel. There were quite a few stops and starts along the way, moving from one place to another, switching jobs and trying to figure out what direction to take in both his personal life and the story line. Two and half years after it was started, Shadow Born was published on Kindle and Amazon. He is currently working on book two which doesn't yet have a name, but he is hoping it won't take another two and half years to finish the second novel.
Paul is a huge fan of the vampire genre but didn't want to write the same old story being told by others. Instead, he took a character, figured out what made him different and wrote a book based on the trials and issues that someone might find themselves in if they were 'human' but had abilities that made them stronger and faster than a creature of the night. Shadow Born follows the life of Alec Carson, a young man that finds himself in a dark world of immortal beings, dark power plays and an unknown enemy that wants him dead. Pick up your copy today to find out how Alec fares.
Paul is a huge fan of the vampire genre but didn't want to write the same old story being told by others. Instead, he took a character, figured out what made him different and wrote a book based on the trials and issues that someone might find themselves in if they were 'human' but had abilities that made them stronger and faster than a creature of the night. Shadow Born follows the life of Alec Carson, a young man that finds himself in a dark world of immortal beings, dark power plays and an unknown enemy that wants him dead. Pick up your copy today to find out how Alec fares.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
December 22, 2014
Gay twilight...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 1, 2015
Blood Promises – A review of the novel ‘Shadow Born’
“I envy people that know love. They have someone who takes them as they are.” - Jess C. Scott
Author Paul A. Cagle’s novel ‘Shadow Born’ is the first book in the Shadow-Borne Chronicles series of books. A 22 year old orphan Alec Carson may have only faint memories of being abducted and tortured by a strange woman. But he will never forget the changes brought on by that incident. Apart from the magical transformation of his body, he also attained super human abilities. This is because he was turned into a vampire that night. He is also a hybrid version, retaining human and vampire physicality. This not only makes him more powerful than other vampires but also the target of evil forces that aren’t happy with the odd one in their group. And he soon realizes that heroism comes at a steep price.
The vampire in Shadow Born is Cagle’s own interpretation of everybody’s favourite myth throughout the centuries. And it stands out from its contemporaries because of two very obvious reasons. Firstly it’s set in a more urban surrounding breaking the monotony of the woods and the mountains where you usually find your quota of vampires in fiction. The urban space of the story lends itself to making the vampire content more believable and relatable.
And secondly it differs in the treatment of its protagonist Alec Carson. He is unlike other heroes you find in similar books; a finished product fighting immortal enemies and saving damsels from the get go. Alec isn’t presented as some hunk so full of himself, his transformation takes place gradually and during that period he is confused, angry and often astonished by his own abilities. In fact Alec is such an unassuming hero that he often thinks about whimsical things to humor himself whenever he’s under intense situations. These thoughts also help in breaking the flow of the narrative whenever it gets too serious for its own good.
The writing ensures that right from the start you will feel for this young boy caught up in such extreme situations. And gradually you will begin to root for him to emerge victorious and choose his preordained life path. The secondary characterizations are also good and well rounded in their presentation. Cagle’s Marcus is loyal and honourable, plus he is strong, vigilant, and protective about Alec. And their friendship bordering on a full blown out romance actually spices up the book. But it’s not all fun and games as the narrative also parlays important political and religious discussions as well.
The chapter breaks are precise and each one has been edited in such a manner as to achieve maximum effect in delivering the mystery factor. And even though there are violent action scenes, it’s never too gory and for the genre it’s set in, it’s actually par for the course. The author also deserves appreciation for the originality & the imagination used in the set action pieces. Their ingenious use in the plot also builds up the thrill factor as the storyline moves forward.
Ending with the definite possibility of returning back with a sequel, Shadow Born is a book that all paranormal thriller fans will enjoy. It’s clever, intriguing and will leave you completely hooked to this new series.
“I envy people that know love. They have someone who takes them as they are.” - Jess C. Scott
Author Paul A. Cagle’s novel ‘Shadow Born’ is the first book in the Shadow-Borne Chronicles series of books. A 22 year old orphan Alec Carson may have only faint memories of being abducted and tortured by a strange woman. But he will never forget the changes brought on by that incident. Apart from the magical transformation of his body, he also attained super human abilities. This is because he was turned into a vampire that night. He is also a hybrid version, retaining human and vampire physicality. This not only makes him more powerful than other vampires but also the target of evil forces that aren’t happy with the odd one in their group. And he soon realizes that heroism comes at a steep price.
The vampire in Shadow Born is Cagle’s own interpretation of everybody’s favourite myth throughout the centuries. And it stands out from its contemporaries because of two very obvious reasons. Firstly it’s set in a more urban surrounding breaking the monotony of the woods and the mountains where you usually find your quota of vampires in fiction. The urban space of the story lends itself to making the vampire content more believable and relatable.
And secondly it differs in the treatment of its protagonist Alec Carson. He is unlike other heroes you find in similar books; a finished product fighting immortal enemies and saving damsels from the get go. Alec isn’t presented as some hunk so full of himself, his transformation takes place gradually and during that period he is confused, angry and often astonished by his own abilities. In fact Alec is such an unassuming hero that he often thinks about whimsical things to humor himself whenever he’s under intense situations. These thoughts also help in breaking the flow of the narrative whenever it gets too serious for its own good.
The writing ensures that right from the start you will feel for this young boy caught up in such extreme situations. And gradually you will begin to root for him to emerge victorious and choose his preordained life path. The secondary characterizations are also good and well rounded in their presentation. Cagle’s Marcus is loyal and honourable, plus he is strong, vigilant, and protective about Alec. And their friendship bordering on a full blown out romance actually spices up the book. But it’s not all fun and games as the narrative also parlays important political and religious discussions as well.
The chapter breaks are precise and each one has been edited in such a manner as to achieve maximum effect in delivering the mystery factor. And even though there are violent action scenes, it’s never too gory and for the genre it’s set in, it’s actually par for the course. The author also deserves appreciation for the originality & the imagination used in the set action pieces. Their ingenious use in the plot also builds up the thrill factor as the storyline moves forward.
Ending with the definite possibility of returning back with a sequel, Shadow Born is a book that all paranormal thriller fans will enjoy. It’s clever, intriguing and will leave you completely hooked to this new series.
November 18, 2014
I enjoyed this book, though I did see some reviews on Amazon that expressed discomfort with homo-erotic overtones, but perhaps that is overblown since this is definitely not a m-m romance, so nothing graphic in regards to the m-m overtones. I also recall a few that didn't like the religious overtones, but I did not perceive the book as being something that condemned religion, though it did have its own take on what happens after death. I do think it is a nice start to a series, so I am looking forward to the next book.
This is more of an mystery action oriented vampire novel, and while I guess you could say it does a lot of world-building, the world is mostly parallel to our own, just with vampires. The mystery isn't resolved in this book, but the book does end on a good note that isn't a cliffhanger making you wonder what is next, which is actually something I prefer in books that are designed as a series, each book being a complete book even if there are plots that are unresolved, at least several compelling bits of the story ended logically, rather than at some point where you feel compelled to pick up the next one for resolution.
Overall, if you don't mind m-m overtones, and enjoy something with a fun plot, decent pacing, and the probability of sequels, then I would suggest this. I look forward to seeing how Alec, Marcus, Steven, (and Jake?) fare in the future.
This is more of an mystery action oriented vampire novel, and while I guess you could say it does a lot of world-building, the world is mostly parallel to our own, just with vampires. The mystery isn't resolved in this book, but the book does end on a good note that isn't a cliffhanger making you wonder what is next, which is actually something I prefer in books that are designed as a series, each book being a complete book even if there are plots that are unresolved, at least several compelling bits of the story ended logically, rather than at some point where you feel compelled to pick up the next one for resolution.
Overall, if you don't mind m-m overtones, and enjoy something with a fun plot, decent pacing, and the probability of sequels, then I would suggest this. I look forward to seeing how Alec, Marcus, Steven, (and Jake?) fare in the future.
April 30, 2015
Where's book 2?
I can't wait for book 2! This is a wonderful read. All the twists and turns kept me on my feet. It is not the mundane jaded reluctant hero vs evil force try to take over world fiction. This is fun!
I don't know about the homosexuality issue for I didn't feel much of it. I don't see there's anything wrong admiring other people. I think Victoria Secret's angels are pretty and I admire their bodies. It doesn't make me gay. It just makes me jealous! Lol....
I can't wait for book 2! This is a wonderful read. All the twists and turns kept me on my feet. It is not the mundane jaded reluctant hero vs evil force try to take over world fiction. This is fun!
I don't know about the homosexuality issue for I didn't feel much of it. I don't see there's anything wrong admiring other people. I think Victoria Secret's angels are pretty and I admire their bodies. It doesn't make me gay. It just makes me jealous! Lol....
May 2, 2015
This book is most definitely worth a read. Don't let the vampire tag make you hesitate, because the author did a good job of making his story unique. Besides, nothing beats the cost of free, so go check it out on Kindle.
February 27, 2017
I tried
Maybe it's just me, I tried to like this book I just couldn't, it was just missing something. For one, There were very few other characters that were interesting in the book, there was also glaring lack of female characters and other vampires. There is a council that apparently doesn't have that much power to do anything. Anyway, I tried to like it and read about 70 percent, it just isn't very good.
Maybe it's just me, I tried to like this book I just couldn't, it was just missing something. For one, There were very few other characters that were interesting in the book, there was also glaring lack of female characters and other vampires. There is a council that apparently doesn't have that much power to do anything. Anyway, I tried to like it and read about 70 percent, it just isn't very good.
Read
April 14, 2015Loved it. Could not put it down. Was sad when it was over. Can't wait for the next one.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews