Shadows Past

Rune Alexander #5.5

by Laken Cane

Glimpse a night in Shiv Crew's past before the twins and Lex entered the picture, before Owen got under Rune's skin, and before the berserker gave her his heart.

This is a short story of the original Shiv Crew.

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, Vampires, Fantasy, Adult, Supernatural, Shapeshifters

37 pages, ebook

First published December 25, 2014

About the author

Laken was first published in 2008. After a few exciting years with her publishers, she struck out on her own to write the now complete Rune Alexander series, and never looked back.

She shares her Ohio home with three spoiled dogs, two fish, and a tenacious African Violet. She drinks too much coffee and continues burning up the keys of her trusty laptop, getting the stories out of her head and into her readers' hands.

You can connect with Laken through her website at www.lakencane.com or her Facebook author page at www.facebook.com/authorlakencane

Reviews

[Elise ✘ a.k.a Ryder's Pet ✘ · Rating 3 out of 5]

God, I miss Z. I seriously hope Laken Cane brings him back. Nothing is the same without him.

[Meigan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shadows Past takes readers back to the original, and best, Shiv Crew. Back to the time where Jeremy was still quelling Rune's monster before she learned to embrace her Otherness, back before Gunnar was Rune's "sexy" otherworldly buddy and, most importantly, this short took place when Shiv Crew was complete and Z was there, Sweet Thing and all. The little glimpses of Z with Rune were the best part of this novella and quite honestly, just made me miss him more. His feelings for Rune have always been known, but this story showed just how strong his feelings actually were. I can't help but think that perhaps Laken Cane has some sort of trick up her sleeve pertaining to Z, mainly because I can't fathom why such a beloved character was taken away. Perhaps he really is gone for good and this is just hope talking, but it sure would be nice to have him around. Not that I don't like the Berserker. I do, but he's just not Z.

As always with this series, I recommend all lovers of Urban Fantasy give it a try. This novella is best read after reading a few of the actual series books just to get a better understanding of the various relationships and, therefore, a better appreciation of the relationships of then vs now.

[Mary Heron · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short story set in the world.of.Shiv Crew.before the events in the series. Rune and her guys are out patrolling on Christmas.eve when they come across a bit being assaulted by werecats they are playing with him before doing him serious injury. The gang rescue him and are trying to work out what to do with the boy when they get a call to.a job not knowing what else.to.do they take him to Funds house (which is close by) and leave him with Ellie and Jack. Turns out the job and the boy are connected and when Rune and the Crew discover the boys story there is panic as it turns out they've left Ellie with a killer.........................and I'm not talking about Jack.................

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Laken Cane! This short blew my mind, and broke my heart all over again. We get to spend sometime with a character that we lost in another book. In saying that, this can be read at anytime in the series, but it's most impactful after book 3.
Shadows Past is so well written, and so action packed, that is a very quick read.
It also fits in very well with the series. This has to be the very best shot that I have ever read.
Laken has a knack for making me fall in love with each and every story. And now I am back to dying for book 6!

[Christine Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this short story. We get to go back in time and see the Crew before the start of the series. We get to see Jeremy who I still really hate and we get to see Z again awww Z... loved the mystery and I can't wait to see if the answers to my questions will be answered in future books. A nice little story perfect for Christmas and while we all wait for book 6.

[Heidi Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun, short read that brings the original group back together. It is a very quick read,which, if you have read the 5 books in the series, will surprise you. It is touted as book 5.5, but it is more a prequel to the series and can be read at anytime. In this short, we get to tag along with Rune, Raze, Jack, and Z as they go through a Christmas Eve. They start out finding a skinny boy being attacked by wererats, and as well you know, nothing in the Shiv Crew's world is ever as it seems. This small, frail boy is deadly dangerous and attacks Ellis, sending our favorite sweetheart to the hospital, but not before he reveals some scary info. We are also rewarded with a look at Rune and Gunner at the beginning of their friendship, and at the berzerker before he became a part of Rune's life. And any chance to see more of Z is a blessing. If you are already a big fan, this book will take you down memory lane. If you are new to the series, this will give you a peek at a time right before the Shiv Crew universe gets blown wide open. Of course now I am itching for book 6, as this has inspired me to reread the whole series now that I have gotten a tiny taste of the magic.

[Tammy "Z Girl" · Rating 5 out of 5]

All I can say is I LOVE YOU LAKEN CANE!!! What an awesome Christmas gift from my favorite author, a short story..Shadows Past. This short story was simply PERFECT. While my heartache is still present, this story made me smile and after Strange Trouble, I needed this one!! ;-). Every book in the Rune Alexander Series is breathtaking. Each book pulls you in further into Shiv Crew's world and keeps you on the edge of your seat. You will not be able to put these books down. I am 100% addicted to this series! For lovers of dark urban fantasy/paranormal books, I highly recommend one-clicking this one!!! Happy Reading my friends!

[SB Morales · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just love the Shiv Crew. Over the course of the series the team and it's members have changed. This give us a night of the original crew I fell in love with! I didn't want the night to end.

[Lais · Rating 3 out of 5]

z :'(

[Jennifer Mccormick eding · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice and short

This was a few short flashback to when the team was still really small, just the five of them. My guess is this is a quick flashback possibly to lead up to things that are yet to come. Just to not be completely caught off guard.

[Suzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved Rune and her crew.

Such a nice story, waiting for the next book.
Can't wait for the next chapter.
Thank you Ms. Cane for such a great storyline.

[Jo Dawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shadows Past is a novella by Laken Cane; it contains a bit of backstory and, as usual, a whole lot of action. This short story tells of a fire-maker out of control and the lengths that Shiv Crew go to get him in custody, as much for his protection as well as the safety of others. It takes place on Christmas Eve, but mind you, this is no feel-good Christmas story, there is no Santa Clause, and Rune Alexander is certainly no angel! This is a quick-paced quick-read with glances of many of the characters prequel style. Rather than a Christmas story, this book is obviously meant as a holiday gift from author to reader, and one well appreciated!

[Felicia Wood · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun glimpse into the past before we knew Rune's monster and the world was so complicated. My favorite, was the peek into Rune and Gunnar's Baby Ruth beginning; it was hilariously adorable. The 'kiss heard round the world' was quite pointless, I was expecting much more from it. It was nice to have a break from Lex and the twins... This little short made me realize that I'm super annoyed by their co-dependence and lack of helpful contribution to the crew. I'd like to see more of these, but I'd like them to be longer, or free-ish.

[Curly's Ramblings · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 5.5 should really be 0.5 in the series order. The best part of the story was having Z back, however short. Really could have done without the whole Jeremy piece. It's semi apparent that Strad had a thing for Rune even before the first bite. The storyline is action filled and the plot is well developed. Unfortunately, we'll never know what Z's gift to Rune was.

[Kara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fucking Christmas.

that's how the book starts. perfection.
a short snippet to enjoy, right where things left off, with new drama in the horizon....

I love shiv crew.

I took me like an hour to read the entire story, but I'm geeked for the sixth now!

[Shannie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Z!!!

[Meredyth Winter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short story, but ties in and explains