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Shadeborn #2
The Bloodshade Encounters & the Songspinner
Shadeborn: Volume Two provides a unique insight into the past of some of your favourite Book Of Shade characters, through two spine-tingling novellas: The Bloodshade Encounters shows readers where present and past collide, as they learn the dark history of how the charming and enigmatic Baptiste Du Nord came to know Lemarick Novel. Prepare for vampires on the streets of revolutionary Paris, and the day when Novel first laid eyes on the Theatre Imaginique. Amidst all this, a dark secret about Novel is unearthed, one which may threaten his relationship with Lily in the future. The Songspinner begins with the present-day Salem Cross, now weak and powerless, as the old shade looks back on his life, and the dirty deals he made to try to make a success of himself. Witch-trials loom in Salem's murky past, and werewolves roam the streets of Victorian London, not to mention a certain dark lady who would one day become the mother of the heroic Novel. Can Salem face the demons of his past, or bear the thought of a future with no magic? Or will he decide that the end of his time has come?
- GenresUrban FantasyFantasy
354 pages, Paperback
Published February 4, 2015
2 people are currently reading
36 people want to read
About the author
K.C. Finn
38 books389 followersK.C. Finn has been writing since 2011, at a time when extreme illness saw her trapped in the house with nothing but her imagination. Since then she's amassed a collection of stories, poems and novels spanning many genres, including fantasy, science fiction, gothic fiction, horror, paranormal and historical works. Her unique and diverse voice has won many awards, and she is both an Amazon and USA Today best-selling writer.
In her free time, K.C. is an eternal student, forever studying and learning more about the world. She travels whenever possible to explore new cultures and climates, and when she's at home she enjoys coaching writers of all ages with a story to tell. She also exercises her flair for the dramatic by directing, writing and occasionally acting in darkly humorous theatre productions in her hometown of Chester.
K.C. also works as a professional reviewer, manuscript consultant and cover designer. Feel free to message regarding any of these services!
In her free time, K.C. is an eternal student, forever studying and learning more about the world. She travels whenever possible to explore new cultures and climates, and when she's at home she enjoys coaching writers of all ages with a story to tell. She also exercises her flair for the dramatic by directing, writing and occasionally acting in darkly humorous theatre productions in her hometown of Chester.
K.C. also works as a professional reviewer, manuscript consultant and cover designer. Feel free to message regarding any of these services!
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 23, 2017
Ohh, holy cliffhanger batman! Two cliffies within one book, that's just cruel! I like it.
Usually, I'm a big, big fan of chronology. Chronological order makes me happy. I think I'm a little OCD when it comes to that. I don't like flashbacks in the books I read, and I don't like big time leaps, either, as both tend to severely interrupt the reading flow for me.
Well, color me surprised that I enjoyed this book as much as I did, because it practically consisted of nothing else but flashbacks and huge time leaps.
K.C. Finn took a rather unconventional path with The Bloodshade Encounters & The Songspinner. Instead of writing a continuation of Lily and Novel's story from The Book of Shade, she took us back a few centuries to show us more about Lemarick and Salem's pasts in two individual yet contentwise connected novellas, both of them interspersed with short chapters set in the present to show us how the two shades deal with the aftermath of what has transpired in book #1.
And surprisingly, that really worked for me.
While it took me a little while to get fully into Novel's story in The Bloodshade Encounters, I ended up being just as fascinated with his multifaceted character as I was after reading its predecessor. As we get to know him better, we also learn how he became the person he is now, how his unlikely alliance with the enigmatic Baptiste du Nord came about and how he ended up in Piketon.
Salem's story, The Songspinner, gripped me right from the start. While his characterization fell a little flat in The Book of Shade, the author made up for that ten times in this book. Salem is shallow, a coward and an opportunist, he doesn't care about anyone but himself, and still, you just gotta love him. Salem is such a charismatic and appealing character, and when he ends up a somewhat tragic figure, you can't help but feel bad for him. His story was both sad and exciting, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
The writing was just as stunning and intense as expected. K.C.Finn is an incredibly talented writer who has a great way with words.
This was a worthy follow-up to the amazing Book of Shades, and I'll definitely be continuing this series.
Free copy provided by the the author in exchange for an honest review.
January 19, 2015
Wow what a follow up to The Book of Shade! In this you get history on Salem and why he is the man he is! I was spellbound and absolutely amazed by the character's! I loved learning their pasts even learning Novel's past in Bloodshade! This series is so fulfilling but yet I miss these ppl with every ending! They are so realistic and engaging I just can't get enough! K.C. Finn has done it again and has written another great series!!
November 27, 2017
K.C. Finn, once again, doesn't disappoint. I was a bit hesitant that this book was a two-parter that focused more on the back-stories of the other characters, but it was surprisingly well tied in to the present part of the story and shows just how awesome this whole world is. I'm so excited about going on to the next book!
June 4, 2020
After reading 'The Book of Shade', this tantalizing double feature of Shadeborn novellas opens up the reader to a wider and richer Gothic fantasy underworld, exploring the origins of the Theatre Imaginique and the deep roots of the Novel family tree. A treat for fans of historical fiction, we follow the long-lived Shades as they survive through such horror-filled periods as the Salem witch trials and the Paris revolution. We see the supernatural bonds they have forged along the way and the choices that have shaped who they are in the present day.
I really relished this chance to delve into the backstories of some of the supporting characters from the first installment before diving back into the current storyline in 'The Potioneer'. Even secondary players like Edvard Schoojans are given a huge amount of colour and vitality. While a little less romance focused, there is still a very sensual and intoxicating quality to Finn's prose as she seduces you into the dark decisions made by her protagonists.
The revelations about Lemarick and Baptiste's relationship make the first of these stories essential reading for fans of the central pairing moving forwards, while the second story humanizes the plight of one of the series key antagonists and leaves us questioning what his new powerless state will drive him to next.
I really relished this chance to delve into the backstories of some of the supporting characters from the first installment before diving back into the current storyline in 'The Potioneer'. Even secondary players like Edvard Schoojans are given a huge amount of colour and vitality. While a little less romance focused, there is still a very sensual and intoxicating quality to Finn's prose as she seduces you into the dark decisions made by her protagonists.
The revelations about Lemarick and Baptiste's relationship make the first of these stories essential reading for fans of the central pairing moving forwards, while the second story humanizes the plight of one of the series key antagonists and leaves us questioning what his new powerless state will drive him to next.
October 2, 2018
The Bloodshade Encounters & the Songspinner, KC Finn's 2nd book of the Shadeborn series, takes you on a ride between the past and the present where answers will be found and questions will arise. Salem of present day struggles with his loss of power and subsequent loss of identity. Salem of past, helps us understand the choices he made and the circumstances he endured which all helped define the Salem of the present.
June 1, 2015
Shadeborn 2 is a beautifully, captivating history of some of the amazing characters that we find in The Book of Shade. It gives us huge insight on not only who the characters really are but what shaped and molded them into who they have become. My heart broke while reading through the pages of this story. The past has not been easy for these wonderful characters, and it makes the present a little more unbearable for them. The insight and eye-opening revelations revealed give us a whole new dimension in which to view each of these unique and one-of-a-kind characters. You will never look at them the same again.
Novel is mostly a complete mystery to Lily. She wished she could read him like an open book, but Novel would not as willing to let her see the colors and shades of his past. There is much more to him than meets the eye, and we are finally starting to see pieces of his past making his present that much clearer to us. He has a long and complicated past with every person in his little family, and through these pages we begin to see that history take shape. The others in his small troupe that have been completely unknown to us are finally having their mysteries slowly revealed. We begin to see just the unveiling of two such characters: Baptiste Du Nord and Salem Cross. We know that a deep, dark mystery surrounds both, but now their secrets are finally laid bare before us. I couldn’t get enough of the rich and intertwined fates of the characters I have come to love and enjoy. This is an incredible book that fans of Shadeborn will not want to miss!
I loved coming back to the world of magic in the Shade series. The legends and mystery that surround the Theater Imaginique have left me entranced and wanting so much more. I love each of the strange and exceptional people that make up this small group, and I love how they have opened their hearts to the latest member Lily Coltrane. Learning how Novel crossed paths with just a few of these remarkable beings was so much fun, and I look forward to learning about the others as well.
K. C. Finn is an absolutely extraordinary writer who is able to recreate her astounding imagination into undeniably powerful and completely enchanted words on the pages of a book. She pulls you in before you realize it, and all of a sudden you are meeting new and strange people who instead of fearing you desperately want to get to know more about. Her creation of this marvelous world is beyond anything I could have ever hoped for. This series just keeps getting better and better, and I can’t wait for the next book! If you love fantasy that has such a depth of heart and soul that you could never explore all of it in two lifetimes, then I encourage you to read this series! I promise that its beauty will instantly captivate you and its heart will never fail to astound you.
Novel is mostly a complete mystery to Lily. She wished she could read him like an open book, but Novel would not as willing to let her see the colors and shades of his past. There is much more to him than meets the eye, and we are finally starting to see pieces of his past making his present that much clearer to us. He has a long and complicated past with every person in his little family, and through these pages we begin to see that history take shape. The others in his small troupe that have been completely unknown to us are finally having their mysteries slowly revealed. We begin to see just the unveiling of two such characters: Baptiste Du Nord and Salem Cross. We know that a deep, dark mystery surrounds both, but now their secrets are finally laid bare before us. I couldn’t get enough of the rich and intertwined fates of the characters I have come to love and enjoy. This is an incredible book that fans of Shadeborn will not want to miss!
I loved coming back to the world of magic in the Shade series. The legends and mystery that surround the Theater Imaginique have left me entranced and wanting so much more. I love each of the strange and exceptional people that make up this small group, and I love how they have opened their hearts to the latest member Lily Coltrane. Learning how Novel crossed paths with just a few of these remarkable beings was so much fun, and I look forward to learning about the others as well.
K. C. Finn is an absolutely extraordinary writer who is able to recreate her astounding imagination into undeniably powerful and completely enchanted words on the pages of a book. She pulls you in before you realize it, and all of a sudden you are meeting new and strange people who instead of fearing you desperately want to get to know more about. Her creation of this marvelous world is beyond anything I could have ever hoped for. This series just keeps getting better and better, and I can’t wait for the next book! If you love fantasy that has such a depth of heart and soul that you could never explore all of it in two lifetimes, then I encourage you to read this series! I promise that its beauty will instantly captivate you and its heart will never fail to astound you.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews