Afterlife: A Shadows Series Companion Novella

by Cege Smith

Twenty years have passed since the events that transpired inside the walls of the haunted Bradford mansion. On the eve of its demolition, it calls out to those that escaped it to come home…

It’s Thanksgiving vacation, and Morgan Mitchell returns home from college unexpectedly to find her parents, David and Ellie Mitchell, are mysteriously missing. Thinking they have taken a holiday trip and forgotten to tell her, Morgan settles in for a quiet vacation break alone. When some friends suggest exploring an old abandoned mansion due to be torn down the following week, she doesn’t think there’s any harm in going with them.

But this seemingly random invitation is one that proves not to be so random at all. Shadows from the past are coming for Morgan and her family, and soon she discovers that she is the only one who holds to a message that affects everything, including David and Ellie's happily after after.

Genres: Paranormal

116 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 1, 2016

About the author

Everyone loves a good origin tale. Cege's started when she was eight years old. She snuck out of bed late one night and into the living room to watch TV. Flipping through stations with the volume turned down low, she came across a rerun of a movie called The Exorcist. She was terrified yet mesmerized.

Cege wasn't unfamiliar with the idea of the battle between good and evil. She attended Catholic school in a small town in rural Wisconsin, and at the time knew the 'age appropriate' stories from the Bible. Nothing in those stories prepared her for the visual onslaught of watching the battle between the priests and the demon for the soul of the young Linda Blair. Cege was deeply disturbed by the movie, but nonetheless a seed was planted that night. That seed grew into a rampant fascination with all things supernatural.

Sleepovers turned into B-rated horror film marathons. Her library card was used to bring home piles of books about ghosts and vampires. She still isn't quite sure who she loved first, Stephen King or Freddy Krueger. By the time she was twelve, Cege took a turn at penning her own spooky tales. That love of things that go bump in the night and scare you to death has only grown stronger throughout the years.

The paranormal and supernatural take center stage in all of Cege's stories. Over the years, she has crafted her own origin stories about vampires (the Bloodtruth series), zombies (the Twisted Souls series), and ghosts, angels, and demons (the Shadows series). She's also taken on the folklore around the Fountain of Youth (the Immortal End series beginning with Ageless). There is something for every reader of the paranormal in Cege's books.

Reviews

[Carrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

After breaking up with her boyfriend Morgan Mitchell decides to surprise her parents and go home for Thanksgiving break. The only problem is when Morgan arrives home her parents don't seem to be there so she thinks they may have gone on a trip for the holiday since she wasn't going to come home. Morgan ends up taking up an invitation to explore an old abandoned mansion that is going to be torn down the next week but Morgan finds more than she would ever have expected.

Afterlife is a novella associated with the Shadow series by Cege Smith. This is actually the first I've read of this series but after this I'd be really interested to see how the earlier books went. I believe this is a follow up to the series and the earlier books were about Morgan's parents. I'm sure reading those would have shed a bit more light onto this one but it did read well even without the others.

This being a novella it is a rather short read but the author certainly packed a lot into this book. Without giving too many details what started as a trip into a thought to be haunted mansion turns into so much more. A lot of creativity with the details in this one that had me quite intrigued.

I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....

[Judy Shutter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Afterlife

It was really a good story But I can't wait to finish reading The Ending of afterlife. Hope it comes out soon because I'll probably forget What happened in this book before it comes out But hopefully not

[Digital Book Freak · Rating 4 out of 5]

Morgan Mitchell isn't your ordinary teen.

Since she was four years old, she could hear voices whispering to her and every night her dreams were filled with only nightmares.



She tries to hide it, but when an incident left her without a boyfriend and no place to go over thanksgiving, she decides to head home.



Upon arrival home, she finds her parents went on vacation for thanksgiving. Not wanting to stay at home, she agrees to accompany a group of friends to the Bradford Mansion on the night before the house were to be torn down. The mansion is supposed to be haunted and the curious teens set out to find what lurks behind its closed doors.



Following an accident at the mansion, Morgan finds herself lost. Not only from reality but from her very soul.

Bradford Mansion wants Morgan...but will she find her way out of this rabbit hole in time?

My first novel by Cege Smith and I must say I'm not disappointed!
A well-developed story line, keeps you on the edge of your seat until the last page!
And the end...WOW! I'm definitely reading the next installment, that's for sure!

I would highly recommend this for all YA & paranormal fans!

Novel: Afterlife: A Shadows Series Novel
Author: Cege Smith.
Genre: Young Adult / Paranormal Thriller.
Rating: 4 Stars!
Cover: 10/10!
Do I recommend this: Highly.
Would I buy this book for myself or a friend: Yes.
Released: 11 May 2016.

Thank you, Cege Smith via Netgalley, for my advance reader copy of Afterlife: A Shadows Series Novel in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartbroken Morgan goes home from college to be with her parents for Thanksgiving.
Her boyfriend has broken up with her making her want home even if she has to drive through a blizzard. Almost home, she loses control of her car and slams into a semi. She arrives home finding her parents missing. She gets in touch with her girlfriend and goes to the mall. She is talked into going out with her and her boyfriend along with another guy to see a haunted mansion. As she goes off on her own to another room in the mansion, she discovers on returning to the room where she left her friends that they aren't there. What happen to them? Did they leave her? If so, how will she get home? Will she spend the night in the haunted manor alone?

The story is a novella that is connected with the author's Shadow's series. I haven't read them but enjoyed the story. It is full of surprises or at least it was for me. I am going back to read the series. This story is hopefully a continuation of the series or a new series with Morgan as the main character.

Disclaimer: I received an arc of this book free from the author/publisher from Netgalley. I was not obliged to write a favorable review, or even any review at all. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.

[Irene Well Worth A Read · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a quick read and my first time reading anything from the Shadows Series. As it is a "companion" to the series there may be pertinent details I am not aware of, but the story seems able to stand on it's own without having read the series.
Morgan, is a college student who suffers with a sleep paralysis night terrors type condition. She thinks she has it under control and is able to keep it a secret from most everyone. However a sleep over leads to a break up, and depressed she returns home for the holidays even though she had told her parents not to expect her.
Oddly enough her parents seem to have gone off somewhere without letting her know. They do not return her texts or calls, and their cars are in the garage but nobody is home. When Morgan accompanies some friends to an abandoned house rumored to be haunted She discovers that she didn't know as much about her parents or herself as she thought.
I received a complimentary copy for review

[Sue Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this as an arc from net galley in exchange for an honest review. Twenty years have passed since the events that transpired inside the walls of the haunted Bradford mansion. On the eve of it's demolition, it calls out to those that escaped it to come home. Very good read. I liked the story and the characters. I liked charlotte. She was my favourite character. It definitely wasn't who I thought it was. I was shocked with who it was. It was slow at first but picked up. I liked the ending too. Highly recommended. 4*

[Joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a short story set after the first two books in the Shadows series (of which I have not read). There is a young college student, Morgan Mitchell, coming home for Thanksgiving holiday fresh from a break up with her boyfriend. There is a house in her town called the Bradford house which is rumored to be haunted and is set to be demolished. She and her friends go to investigate it.

Even though I sort of find out what happened after the first two books I am intrigued enough to want to read the them.

[Fangirl.bookgram · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book about a haunted house? My favorite!
Sadly this book was only 102 pages! A little to short for my liking but still, It was a good book. Even though the book was short, It covered a lot if information. Before reading this book I was expecting something way different then what really happened. The name of the title was exactly what the book is about.

This book was released May 11, 2016 & as a disclaimer I was given this book by Netgalley.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book, it was well written and kept me guessing right up until the end. I am really looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

**I received this book at no charge from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions expressed in the review are my own.

[Sang · Rating 2 out of 5]

***NetGalley ARC***
Too YA, too Goldilocks, too short - not my cup of tea at all. I suppose if you're reading the series, and this is a little titbit of a read, it works well.