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New court. New problems. Old flames.

Crina was supposed to have a breather. But with Reiner still out there, Breccan being a royal ass, and her own powers a damn bag of unpleasant surprises that would sooner get her killed than help, life is far from peachy.

When a near-fatal mistake sends her hunting a murderous witch and throws her in Ilya's path once more, her already shaken stability takes another hit. The vampire can offer precisely what Crina needs-if she can let Breccan go.

Unfortunately, deciding matters that cannot be helped with a slash of a blade has never been Crina's forte. Will she be able to keep her head throughout this mess-and not carve her own heart out in the process?

282 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 9, 2019

110 people are currently reading
62 people want to read

About the author

Gaja J. Kos

180 books290 followers
USA Today Bestselling Author Gaja J. Kos writes steamy urban fantasy and paranormal romance, rich with sizzling tension and soulmates who come in pairs, menage, or reverse harem constellations. Why choose, right?

As a Zodiac enthusiast and shameless summer babe, she thrives on finding magic in everyday life. She loves binge reading high-heat series, seeing her favorite rockstars live in concert, and spending time with her husband and two Chinese Crested dogs.

For more information on Gaja’s books, you can download your free guide and reading checklist at gajajkos.com!

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5 stars
97 (52%)
4 stars
64 (34%)
3 stars
17 (9%)
2 stars
5 (2%)
1 star
1 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
Profile Image for Patti.
1,502 reviews13 followers
July 10, 2019
Overall rating: 4.5

As an FYI before I forget to mention this, this tale starts off with mature content that should be read by adults. Now, with that said, I am really happy to read more about China! This book is a stand-alone however these characters have appeared in other tales which have been equally awesome! China is unlike any other creature I have read before so reading about her exploits keeps me glued! Her hidden talents plus horrendous upbringing mixed in with a possible fated mate exhibiting adverse reactions equals a heart pounding tale full of mysteries and unwanted surprises! This author did a beautiful job with the conclusion, ensuring that I will be looking for that next release! All my reviews are always voluntarily written.
Profile Image for Caroline Doig.
5,464 reviews49 followers
July 11, 2019
This is book 2 to the Shade Assassin series and I absolutely loved it, it’s just as action packed as book 1. I loved Crina she is such a kick ass woman but she is trying to get over being dumped by Breccan while being attracted to Ilya what’s a girl to do?. Breccan is so selfish so Crina needs to wake up and choose Ilya, I can’t wait to read book 3 I have no idea what’s coming but I’m so very much looking forward to it it needs to be available now lol. This is such a fantastic story/ series and I highly recommend this book it’s definitely well worth the read.
Profile Image for Tera Comer.
2,136 reviews49 followers
July 10, 2019
This book picks up where book one ended with Crina still hunting Reiner and dealing with her emotions from being dumped by Breccan. This book is just as action packed as the first book and I can not wait to read the next book to continue the journey.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Scarolet Ellis.
7,445 reviews52 followers
July 27, 2019
Shadow Lies by Gaja J. Kos is an amazing story to read. This is book number two in this amazing series that I have loved reading since book number one. I highly recommend this story to everyone who loves reading about fantasy and paranormal romances.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Debleena.
325 reviews142 followers
March 24, 2022
WTF BRECCAN

Loved Crina, she became one of my favourite fmc in book 1 itself, but the girl is too forgiving and nice.
I loved loved and totally swooned over Ilaya but was wary seeing how Reiner and Breccan turned out to be. That vamp was soooo nice, understanding, compassionate and lethal. Tbh from book 1 I was teaming for Crina and Ilaya, but I loved Breccan in book 1 so I couldn't choose who was my fav mc amongst these two.
Now I can say I don't have any high opinion for the asshole demon lord. I hope some big werewolf stomps over him like the cowardly shit he was in this book. I wanted to bash the moron, stab him and just wished Crina to move on from his pathetic ass but that girl is too forgiving 😭. Breccan sure shit doesn't deserve an awesome fmc like Crina, and I wish and hope to see more of Ilaya and Crina, Breccan for all I care can go f*ck himself, though he did prove to be useful exactly twice in this book so there's something teeny itsy bitsy good his cowardly ass did in this book.

Other than Breccan, the book was splendid and amazing like book 1.
Profile Image for Tiffany Copple.
1,491 reviews69 followers
January 4, 2021
4 stars for Shadow Lies by Gaja J. Kos. This is book three in the Shade Assassin series. This book picks up right where book two left us. Reiner is after Crina and seems he will do anything to get her. Breccan is a grade-A jerk who hurts Crina any chance he gets. He is pushing her away and I don’t know why. I think he has secrets that we do not know about yet. Ilya is back in her life and he is sexy and sweet. He is there for her every step of the way. He seems to honestly care about her, and I am loving his character. (I personally think she should pick Ilya but that is beside the point I guess.) Crina has to go after a group of witches to save Zion’s son and this is a job that will change everything for her. She is someone she never thought she could be. Crina is a total bada** but we see a different, more caring side of her in this book and I like that. I will say it does end in a bit of a cliffy so be ready.
Profile Image for Darcy.
2,165 reviews25 followers
February 27, 2022
Oh man this second book is fabulous. It has so much action with twists and turns throughout it. Crina is still feisty and stubborn. She is still a kick butt assassin that so many issues that she is going through in this book. The mystery keeps getting bigger and bigger regarding her and her powers. I absolutely loved the box set as it allowed me to go from book 1 right into book 2 uninterrupted. The story is stunningly written and developed. The characters are amazing. The chemistry is strong and it is an absolute must read.
Profile Image for Alex Ciz_naughty.
953 reviews5 followers
January 25, 2021
Omg omg OMG!!

Finished book 2 same day as 1. Can’t get enough of this series and I HAVE to read the others linked as well. SPOILER ALERT********************************
I want Ilya and Crina together NOT emotionally stunted Breccan. He’s hit, then cold the straight up rude then says jump and she says his high in essence? No. Thank you. Other than that? This was an action packed read that I tore through!
Profile Image for Cathy P.
1,790 reviews9 followers
November 7, 2021
Wild ride.

I liked this book even better than book one. Fast paced and lot's of great fight scenes. Plenty of steam. Interesting to see what will happen with Ilya and Breccan moving forward. I like Crina, but the poor thing hasn't had am easy life. Doesn't appear to be getting any easier anytime soon.
The cliffhanger this ended on is crazy. Looking forward to seeing what happens there. Books probably need to be read in order.
2,889 reviews12 followers
June 3, 2021
Good

I enjoyed this book. Breccan is a huge butt. And we find out Crina’s got a lot of emotions and can act very human and it’s awesome. Also, that scene in the basement, so good. Many feels.
1,270 reviews7 followers
August 25, 2020
Changing the rules

I liked this story better than book 1. There were definitely more details dropped and the hunt for the amulet intensified.
Profile Image for Sheila Ryals.
2,625 reviews13 followers
April 10, 2021
😻

Hun I’m curious if that ending kinda hints at her true heritage. Of course the shoes are a bit different in this. Can’t wIt to find out!
Profile Image for Stephanie.
235 reviews
May 13, 2022
Great

This one was a roller-coaster of emotion and the ending is awesome love how she made this world happen it is so good
Profile Image for Megan Nichols.
193 reviews46 followers
April 19, 2021
This is a binge worthy series, so obviously I started the second immediately after finishing the first.
An unimportant amount of time has passed and we find Crina struggling with her relationship with Breccan.
This book focuses a lot on lies as the title suggests. Secrets. Confusion. Betrayal.

Crina isn’t the same and she doesn’t know what to do. Breccan has pulled away without explanation and Crina is left cut off and confused. She focuses in on a case left unfinished, a case she’s hired for that leads to a much larger plot, and her friendships. Her work later leads her to re-connect with my man, Ilya. There are new characters introduced and they’re precious.

I really enjoyed Crina’s relationship journey, navigating the lack of communication, her own boundaries, and her own personal problems she’s dealing with alone. I couldn’t put this book down and laughed a lot with Crina. Her humor is excellent. She’s so fun.

Breccan was frustrating and he was supposed to be. I still cared about him but was so angry with how he treated Crina. Ilya is a sweetheart and deserves the whole world in my opinion. The plot thickened and I was so invested. The intimacy in this book wasn’t as satisfying- which was Crina’s struggle- as it was lacking connection and was solely physical with the withdrawal of vulnerability. With that said, the growth is really great and the room for it allowed for progression and development.
568 reviews4 followers
July 9, 2019
I'm exhausted at work because I have to force myself to put this book down as I was desperate to know what happened. The author swept me away to magical worlds filled with amazingly rich and complex characters and weaved a story that is so unique. Crina is a superb character, her strength, snark and wit endear her to you as well as the fact that you know she has had a really hard life but she still has a vulnerability about her that melts you. The secondary characters are also well-crafted and the story wouldn't be the same without each of their remarkable personalities. For me, personally, Illya is a much better option for her than Breccan. Breccan is a selfish man whilst Ilya is sweet, kind and gentle and has such a calming influence on Crina. There is danger, passion, magic and action which will keep you enthralled from start to finish.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for A_MOTUS.
415 reviews47 followers
July 21, 2019
One hell of a ride, from the edges of words passing by a breaking of atoms. I certainly felt some itches and winced to some ghost pains. Just as I felt my poor heart get stung by some dialogues. Shadow lies is well written, and I recommend it to anyone who could stumble around my review.
Yes there are some hot actions scene and I admit the first one nearly deterred me (it was a bit too soon in the book in my opinion) BUT, it was so short and such an introduction to Crina’s and Simon’s characters that I actually digested it quite easily. It actually made the characters more alive, more prone to weakness and darkness while bringing their feelings to the surface. And for all the twists and turns of the plot it was in perfect rhythm with the actions.
So, if you like some sassy, free spirited demon to give you some hunch about particles travels, hop on!
Profile Image for Laura.
1,229 reviews11 followers
November 17, 2019
Epic ending right there

Solid 4.5 star rating.
The world building was captivating, the MC continued to be interesting, and the many plots kept you intrigued until the very last word. That was quite an ending to the book. Now I can't wait to see what the author dreams up next to continue this series.
I have very few complaints/dislikes with this book. First is that it would have been nice not to have a whole month disappear from book one to two and second, minor editing but that about covers it for me.
Regardless of my few dislikes, I very much enjoyed the book and would recommend this series.
Profile Image for Marie Fraser.
441 reviews1 follower
December 4, 2019
This book continued seamlessly from the first book. It was well written and the characters and story were both well developed. I loved the character personalities and their character dynamics. The story was action packed and full of suspense, emotion, intrigue, hot chemistry and romance. I’d highly recommend this book!!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Karina Benedik.
976 reviews2 followers
September 1, 2022
Die Geschichte rund um Crina und Breccan geht spannend und chaotisch weiter. Crina versucht weiterhin mehr über ihre Vergangenheit zu erfahren, Breccan ist wie gewohnt etwas unnahbar, zeigt aber trotz allem überraschende Seiten. Parallel ist Crina bemüht das Leben eines Jungen zu retten und muss sich mit der ein oder anderen Hexe oder anderen Wesen auseinandersetzen.
Sehr gelungene und spannende Fortsetzung im Reich der Schattenwelt
1,147 reviews
July 8, 2019
Crina is still hunting Reinier, still dumped by Breccan, still attracted to Ilya while on another case, stopping incensed supes, battling witches, and trying to keep alive. As I've titled this review - Exciting! But the ending - What?! Where is the next book? [I received an advanced copy of this book and voluntarily chose to review it.]
Profile Image for Carole.
824 reviews
July 9, 2019
The author doesn't disappoint in this story. It is full of intrigue and action plus just the right amount of steam without it being too much.
Crina is such a likeable character and to see her work through the plot was intriguing.
Of course a cliffhanger which has me anxious for the next installment.
I highly recommend this author and her books for great entertainment.
1,347 reviews6 followers
July 20, 2019
This book picks up from where the first book ended with Crina still hunting for Reiner. I love Crina's badass character and really hate it when the heroine gets dumped on. But there is a new player in the mix and I am pulling for Ilya to win the prize! Excellent storytelling!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
1,147 reviews13 followers
July 7, 2019
I liked this book. It wasnt like most of the books i normally read.im not sure if i want to continue this series. But overall the book was ok.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
1,863 reviews6 followers
July 14, 2019
This is a great book, with wonderful characters and an interesting plot. I really enjoyed it and would recommend it to others

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
2,416 reviews
July 17, 2019
This was a really good book. It’s well written with great characters. I found it hard to put down. I recommend reading.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews

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