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Daughters of Shadow and Blood - Book II: Elena
Gračanica. Kosovo, 1689: Elena, an Albanian peasant girl, has sacrificed her own future to keep her family from starving, but one horrific night they are taken from her, murdered by monsters out of her nightmares. She seeks refuge at the nearby monastery, where she meets Stjepan, a Serbian monk familiar with creatures that stalk the night. Elena longs to return to her farm, but piecing her life back together may be impossible. Stjepan draws her into a dark conspiracy involving an ancient brotherhood, and as war looms, a stranger named Lek appears, threatening to overturn everything she thought she knew about her family and herself. Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 1999: Since surviving the showdown between the vampire Yasamin and the terrorist group Süleyman’s Blade, Adam Mire has lived in hiding, posing as an unassuming Czech librarian. His life is upended again, however, when a new threat arises—one intent on using Dracula’s legacy to unleash another wave of violence across the already war-ravaged nation. Meanwhile, Clara MacIntosh, the love Adam left behind, has come to Eastern Europe to find him. While tracking him down, she becomes entangled in a string of grisly murders—deaths Adam is investigating as well. As they both follow clues literally written in blood, time runs short to unmask the killer before history comes full-circle and chaos engulfs the region again.
- GenresVampires
292 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 23, 2016
11 people are currently reading
110 people want to read
About the author
J. Matthew Saunders
21 books40 followersJ. Matthew Saunders, a native of Greenville, South Carolina, is the author of numerous published fantasy and horror short stories. He received a B.A. in history from Vanderbilt University and a master's degree from the School of Journalism at the University of South Carolina. He received his law degree in California and practiced there as an attorney for several years.
He is an unapologetic European history geek, enjoys the Celtic fiddle, and makes a mean sundried tomato-basil pesto. He currently lives near Charlotte, North Carolina with his wife and two children. To find out more, visit www.jmsaunders.com.
He is an unapologetic European history geek, enjoys the Celtic fiddle, and makes a mean sundried tomato-basil pesto. He currently lives near Charlotte, North Carolina with his wife and two children. To find out more, visit www.jmsaunders.com.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
May 18, 2016
The 2nd book of a trilogy. Fast paced Vampire fiction, I loved this and can't wait to read the next. Fangtastic!
May 22, 2022
Three years ago, I was in the most beautiful town on earth and not a day has gone by since that I haven't wanted to return. That place is Mostar in Bosnia & Herzegovina and together with Sarajevo holds a very special place in my heart. If I couldn't return to the place I love, I did the next best thing this week and read a book set there; it took me back to the streets I love and the places I know, to parts that are still in ruins and parts that have been lovingly restored. It felt like coming home.
Reading Daughters of Shadow & Blood, Book II: Elena by J. Matthew Saunders represented a return on a second level too. It is the sequel to Daughters of Shadow & Blood, Book I: Yasamin which I read and adored last year. I loved having the opportunity to dive back into Matthew’s prose again, to drown myself in his epic tale of power, betrayal, lust and pure evil in the Balkans.
In Daughters of Shadow & Blood, Book II: Elena, we return once again to Adam Mire and his determination to rid the world of evil. We meet Adam's former girlfriend Clara who has rushed to the Balkans to track Adam down and we also meet Elena, the second of Dracula's brides. This is a story about vampires and the ‘true’ story behind Dracula’s brides but more than that, this is a story about power and deception in one of the most troubled regions in the world. Through flashbacks, Elena takes us back to life in rural Kosovo at the end of the 17th century, to the stirrings of the Greater Serbia movement and the hope and fear generated by the advancing Hapsburg armies.
This is a book rich in folklore and religious imagery, with vivid references to the devastation of the Balkan region at the end of the 17th century and 300 years later when the area was torn apart by war. It was fascinating to walk down the streets of Sarajevo and Mostar again, to recognise Stari Most, the old bridge in Mostar which was destroyed at the time of the story but has since been rebuilt. I loved visiting Vijecnica again, which was almost completely destroyed in the Siege of Sarajevo and the beautiful Sacred Heart Cathedral which stood across the road from my hostel.
There are simply not enough accolades to deliver in order to judge the work of J. Matthew Saunders. If you love historical fiction and if, like me, you are fascinated with the history of the Balkans, then you will love his novels. I wasn’t sure whether he could surpass his work in Book I: Yasamin for I loved his depiction of the medieval Ottoman haremlik and the power struggles amongst the women, but he has certainly matched it with Daughters of Shadow & Blood, Book II: Elena
I give Daughters of Shadow & Blood, Book II: Elena by J. Matthew Saunders a superb five out of five stars and recommend to fans of supernatural and historical fiction alike. If you're a fan of one genre and haven't tried the other, then this series would be an excellent place to start. The book will especially appeal to you if, like me, you love the Balkans.
Reading Daughters of Shadow & Blood, Book II: Elena by J. Matthew Saunders represented a return on a second level too. It is the sequel to Daughters of Shadow & Blood, Book I: Yasamin which I read and adored last year. I loved having the opportunity to dive back into Matthew’s prose again, to drown myself in his epic tale of power, betrayal, lust and pure evil in the Balkans.
In Daughters of Shadow & Blood, Book II: Elena, we return once again to Adam Mire and his determination to rid the world of evil. We meet Adam's former girlfriend Clara who has rushed to the Balkans to track Adam down and we also meet Elena, the second of Dracula's brides. This is a story about vampires and the ‘true’ story behind Dracula’s brides but more than that, this is a story about power and deception in one of the most troubled regions in the world. Through flashbacks, Elena takes us back to life in rural Kosovo at the end of the 17th century, to the stirrings of the Greater Serbia movement and the hope and fear generated by the advancing Hapsburg armies.
This is a book rich in folklore and religious imagery, with vivid references to the devastation of the Balkan region at the end of the 17th century and 300 years later when the area was torn apart by war. It was fascinating to walk down the streets of Sarajevo and Mostar again, to recognise Stari Most, the old bridge in Mostar which was destroyed at the time of the story but has since been rebuilt. I loved visiting Vijecnica again, which was almost completely destroyed in the Siege of Sarajevo and the beautiful Sacred Heart Cathedral which stood across the road from my hostel.
There are simply not enough accolades to deliver in order to judge the work of J. Matthew Saunders. If you love historical fiction and if, like me, you are fascinated with the history of the Balkans, then you will love his novels. I wasn’t sure whether he could surpass his work in Book I: Yasamin for I loved his depiction of the medieval Ottoman haremlik and the power struggles amongst the women, but he has certainly matched it with Daughters of Shadow & Blood, Book II: Elena
I give Daughters of Shadow & Blood, Book II: Elena by J. Matthew Saunders a superb five out of five stars and recommend to fans of supernatural and historical fiction alike. If you're a fan of one genre and haven't tried the other, then this series would be an excellent place to start. The book will especially appeal to you if, like me, you love the Balkans.
June 13, 2016
Not quite as engrossing as the first book of the trilogy; Yasmin and the Ottoman Empire are a tough beginning to beat, both being powerhouses of beauty and death. Elena is much more quiet, the shadows are hers ... a person you fall for even as you know she will kill you. The silent breeze brushing a moment against your throat.
Mr. Saunders again creates a compelling Bride, completely different from the first. The story continues to have the tangle of timelines - going over Elena's story from the middle ages, the horror of present day Sarajevo, a quick side trip to Lord Bryon eighteen hundreds, etc. The mysteries deepen - where I thought the green hand was going it not necessarily where the trip will end. And as for the medallion - so many players are after it, Mr. Saunders has his work cut out for him to bring this to a satisfying conclusion in the final book.
A slightly slower book for the middle of the trilogy, but driving relentlessly forward to a conclusion with Mr. Saunders beautiful descriptive prose. The book works well both as a stand-alone and as part of the series; I would recommend reading the first book of the series first, but it is not required.
Mr. Saunders again creates a compelling Bride, completely different from the first. The story continues to have the tangle of timelines - going over Elena's story from the middle ages, the horror of present day Sarajevo, a quick side trip to Lord Bryon eighteen hundreds, etc. The mysteries deepen - where I thought the green hand was going it not necessarily where the trip will end. And as for the medallion - so many players are after it, Mr. Saunders has his work cut out for him to bring this to a satisfying conclusion in the final book.
A slightly slower book for the middle of the trilogy, but driving relentlessly forward to a conclusion with Mr. Saunders beautiful descriptive prose. The book works well both as a stand-alone and as part of the series; I would recommend reading the first book of the series first, but it is not required.
June 12, 2016
I received a free copy of this book fromthe bublisher.
I love this series. This book was just as good as the first one, can't wait for the next book.
I love this series. This book was just as good as the first one, can't wait for the next book.
November 6, 2024
The loose ends from book one are finally seeming to come together... the characters now have faces and pasts that I can differentiate and a story that makes sense!
Elena's history was far less complex than Yasmin's...but the present plot flowed into a much more linear timeliness!
And...pretty sure...we finally get to meet Dracula in the next one...although it's really heartbreaking the women he's dragged through history to abandon. He's not the romantic hero of my teenage vampire loving dreams!
Elena's history was far less complex than Yasmin's...but the present plot flowed into a much more linear timeliness!
And...pretty sure...we finally get to meet Dracula in the next one...although it's really heartbreaking the women he's dragged through history to abandon. He's not the romantic hero of my teenage vampire loving dreams!
January 1, 2025
This is a wonderful series written with great historical background and detail. Loved the continuity from the first book and have already moved to the third. If you are a fan of Dracula and want a little more back story to his "brides" then these are the books for you.
January 14, 2024
4⭐️
Book II wasn’t quite as good as Book I but continued in the same vein. The different factions were somewhat confusing, but made sense to my by the end.
Book II wasn’t quite as good as Book I but continued in the same vein. The different factions were somewhat confusing, but made sense to my by the end.
October 19, 2025
I really liked the second one but I DNF this one I just could not finish it. Maybe I will it is a DNF for now.. because the series starts great!
May 19, 2024
Loving this Series9
I'm a fan of Dracula...I love my vampires evil and bloody, but with a bit of a cunning human side. Daughters of Shadow and Blood hits them all! Chasing Dracula with Dr. Adam is very deep and exciting....with history thrown in.
Thank You J. Matthew Saunders for allowing us to read this in Kindle Unlimited Free! I hope you take off as a writer!
I'm a fan of Dracula...I love my vampires evil and bloody, but with a bit of a cunning human side. Daughters of Shadow and Blood hits them all! Chasing Dracula with Dr. Adam is very deep and exciting....with history thrown in.
Thank You J. Matthew Saunders for allowing us to read this in Kindle Unlimited Free! I hope you take off as a writer!
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews