Darkness Unknown

Beshadowed #1

by S.A. Fenech

Everly never wanted to return to Shroudhaven, the small town with big secrets. When family matters drag her home, her hopes for a second chance with childhood sweetheart, Rylan, are shattered when she witnesses his death at the hands of a nightmarish creature. But when his body goes missing, who would believe her story? As she desperately searches for answers, Rylan's spirit haunts Everly's dreams, warning her away. Do not look, do not pry. Run, before it's too late. Shroudhaven is crawling with monsters. Werewolves, vampires, ghosts? They look like those creatures from legend, but are something … different. Can Everly unearth the dark secrets of Shroudhaven in time to reunite the body and soul of the man she loves? Or will the secret she's carrying herself consume them all? Fans of Stranger Things and Cassandra Clare's Shadowhunters will love this supernatural, small-town mystery with a lovable cast of characters and slow burn romance. Do you believe in love after death? Grab your copy today to begin your binge of the completed Beshadowed series!

Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Vampires, Ebooks

377 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 8, 2020

About the author

As a lover of all things fantasy, S.A. Fenech has been a professional artist for over fifteen years. But painting fantasy worlds and characters wasn't enough, and in 2011 she published her first fantasy novel. The award-winning, illustrated, Memory's Wake Trilogy was just the beginning, with many more magical worlds to share.

S.A. Fenech lives in Australia with her husband and daughter and loves food, gardening, geekery, and all things fantasy.

Find her colouring books and art books under her artist name, Selina Fenech.

Reviews

[Maja - BibliophiliaDK ✨ · Rating 2 out of 5]

This did not appeal to me at all. I was promised a 'reinvention' of all things paranormal - wherewolves, vampires and such. But what I got was a confusing mish-mash of weird stuff that was never fully explained. The universe was messy and had huge gaps. More than that, the characters are bland non-entities - aside from the two secondary characters, Callan and Harper. They were the only things that made this sort of enjoyable.

ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

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[Kristy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have a hard time writing reviews without summarizing the entire story, so I will attempt not to do that here. This book is YA. It has a couple of f-bombs; no sex and very little violence. If I had realized it was YA I wouldn't have agreed to read it, but I'm glad did anyway. The views expressed are my own; this is an ebook given to me for review by Booksprout. Thank you to Booksprout.

Two good friends, Everly and Harper return to Everly's hometown, Shroudhaven. Everly's mother died, leaving her an "antiques" shop (mostly junk), and the house attached. She hasn't been to Shroudhaven since her mother kicked her out at 18 years old. Her plan is to clean out the house, put it up for sale, and go home.
Everly finds out after she arrives that her best friend, Rylan, is missing and she wants to find him, but has to leave in 2 days so she doesn't lose her job.

Everly is very negative about herself, and assumes that whatever happens that is bad is her fault. People don't drive to someone's hometown and stick with her through supernatural events just to be nice! Her friend Harper seems to only care about her internet fame. Luckily she turns out to be a true friend, sticking by Everly even when things get unbelievable, and scary. Her friends really do care about her.

The town turns out to be filled with supernatural beings, including Rylan and his family. Two main groups are vampires and werewolves, but aren't like what most myths make them out to be. There are other types of supernatural beings, but not much is revealed about them. There are evil creatures, but little is said about them. Everly is unaware of the supernatural; great pains are taken to hide it from normal people, but it seems odd she missed it.

Everly talks to Rylan's brother Callan and his mother, Lain, and she runs into various other supernatural people at their house. Some are teens who have run away or been kicked out of home and Lain has taken them in.

Everly has vivid dreams about Rylan. He tries to explain things and help her find him, but the dream world isn't reliable. In reality she wakes up and sees a monster kill or mortally wound Rylan in the street! Everly taps into a mysterious power, and destroys the creature. She wants to keep this power under control and seems to struggle with it, but not much else is said about it. Everly can't decide how real Rylan or the monster were, especially since she has seen them in dreams as well. It is more important than ever to find Rylan now that he is wounded.

There are disagreements between Lain's family, and a man named Howell who runs a type of boot camp for supernatural teenagers. Howell enjoys the control he has in town, as well as over his "students". Rylan and his brother spent some time there.

I enjoyed the friendships, the mysteries, and the characters in the book. Everyone with Everly is genuine, sticks with their friends and loved ones, even when things get scary and weird. Supernatural monsters, supernatural friends, or enemies of Everly can be bizarre and frightening, but if Everly can deal with it her friends will too.

The one thing I didn't enjoy is how little explanation there is for the magic, and what the vampires, werewolves, and monsters are, how they exist. There should have been more information about the town, the people in it, and how the supernatural fit together. Maybe this book is an introduction to the world and there is more explanation in the second book?

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Darkness Unknown was okay but it could have been a lot more enjoyable if the author didn't make everything vague and 'mysterious' on purpose, leaving us readers not really knowing what was going on and what creatures were in this world. I wish things had been explained sooner and better.

I also didn't really believe or care about the romance especially since he pulls away and then after that, the only interactions they have are in her dreams and she doesn't even think he's real for a little while. It was in a word, weird. And again, I didn't believe in the romance and I didn't feel any sparks/chemistry.

(Thank you for letting me read and review an ARC via Netgalley)

[Alaina · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Darkness Unknown went by pretty quickly for me but I feel like I'm left with a lot of questions after that ending. Yeah, it was a cliffhanger (sort of) but this whole book was a bit confusing for me to comprehend. No, I haven't dipped into the wine that badly - just a glass or two. Yet, things just weren't making sense to my poor brain.

Some things would happen but then they weren't really explained that well. Or maybe I just wanted more information about things. Maybe I'm just getting super picky - it happens and I'm sorry! Then there's the characters, they were interesting but then again - things didn't add up for me.

The whole mixture of paranormal and supernatural aspects was pretty cool but explained pretty badly for me. Things had a name but then nothing after that. Like, thanks for giving me a name for whatever you are... but nothing else? No details? I NEED DETAILS!

Other than that, it was an okay book and I'm sort of intrigued to see what book 2 will be about. Hopefully things will start to make sense and I will get some answers.

[Aly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is very much an introductory book. We meet the cast of characters, learn about the supernatural creatures, and get the beginning of a story. I thought the creatures were interesting and it was a cool spin on werewolves and vampires. Evie is an okay heroine, we know she was abused growing up and is a kind person, but she needs to be fleshed out more.

The reason I only gave this three stars is that the story feels like it's just beginning and then the book ends. I feel like this should have been longer so we had time to be drawn in, at this point I'm not sure whether I'm intrigued enough to continue. The romance wasn't really there and I don't know where the series is going.

It's not a bad start, just needed more details and plot. If I see the sequel around, I might give it a shot.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars...

Darkness Unknown had a unique take on paranormal creatures. They aren't your standard, run of the mill vampires and werewolves....there's a twist. I won't say that the storyline was the most inventive, but there was some originality to it which made it refreshing and different. Also, I really like the way the author portrayed Everly as a "full size" woman without talking about it continuously. It felt like a natural flow into the story.

Everly and Rylan have a history and I was eager to see more of their story explained. I did like their connection and unrequited love story. Even though some of their tale is explained, there were still some significant parts that I felt were missing. Hopefully more will be answered in the second book.

Also, I felt like the story had a flow going and then we were left hanging. That's not unusual in books sometimes, but this one really felt like a "hard stop" type of cliffhanger. There were so many open questions. Even so, I will look to read the next book in the series because my curiosity has been piqued.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to review it and the opinions contained with are my own.

[Paula McArdle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I quite enjoyed this book, and I'm excited to read the rest of the series. It is different to anything I've read, which is refreshing. And Selina writes in a way to keep the mystery, so I'm intrigued as to how everything is going to play out from this point on.

[AB · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review and more at I Wish I Owned A Bookstore

I really enjoyed this new paranormal mystery with a fresh take on supernatural creatures. Featuring a spooky town full of creepy monsters, and a mysterious estate on the hill, which is definitely not full of vampires lol.

The writing felt a little clunky in the very beginning - and it definitely has a young adult feel to it, but the story pulled me right in and didn’t let go. It moved fairly quickly, not all action but definitely not dull. There was enough mystery and intrigue to keep things interesting the whole way through.

The plot was fun, dark at times, and I definitely did not expect that crazy ending! Things mostly got wrapped up, but there’s definitely more to the story and more mysteries to discover, so I’m looking forward to diving into book 2.

The MC Everly is not perfect. She has anxiety and panic attacks, she’s still dealing with a bad childhood, and she often sees herself as a failure, but she does whatever she can to help her friends, and she is brave despite her anxiety. She keeps going through extreme craziness, and doesn’t let the monsters scare her away from helping a friend. She always tries to be a good person, when she could choose to go back to her normal life, and I really admire her for it.

Her best friend Harper is a bit over-the-top but I liked her. She never missed a chance for adventure. The story has a broad cast of diverse characters who all play a part in the story.

I love the way that dreams are used in the book, and the way that the MC uses lucid dreaming to kind of control what’s happening, but they still have weird dream logic. I thought it was really cool.

If you’re looking for a fun, spooky read for Halloween - that’s not too scary - with plenty of supernatural mystery, then this is the perfect read!

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, this was one unbelievable fantasy. Everly has a dream or is it, strange things for sure. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and ready for more.

[Gabrielle Viszs · Rating 3 out of 5]

Une lecture perso de ce mois-ci (enfin en mars vu mon retard), comme j'ai pu en faire quelques unes des éditions du Chat noir que j'adore, même si parfois ce n'est pas forcément le bon match. Dans ce premier tome nous rencontrons Everly qui revient dans sa ville natale pour vider la maison de sa mère suite à son décès. Ayant déjà perdu son père très jeune, son enfance nous ait donné avec parcimonie, mais nous comprenons très vite, dès les premières pages que sa mère était tout sauf aimante. Avec l'aide de sa meilleure amie Harper, elle va devoir revenir sur les traces de son enfance, de son amour de jeunesse non déclaré ouvertement et surtout de tout ce qui peut être bizarre dans cette petite ville. Et je ne parle pas du fait que les gens savent tous quelque chose, mais ne disent rien. Pourquoi faire simple quand on peut faire compliqué ?

Bref, un monde où nous avons l'impression de Shroudhaven est isolé du reste du monde avec le soleil qui ne transperce pas la couche au-dessus des maisons et le fait qu'il existe une maison de vampires. Non, c'est une blague, mais la maison existe avec des éléments perturbateurs à l'intérieur, de nombreux secrets et une fois sorti du premier tome, nous avons encore plus de questions qu'au départ. Les mystères sont bien là, avec tout ce que nous pouvons nous demander : qui sont-ils vraiment ? Pourquoi être autant isolés ? Comment sont-ils capable de faire ce qu'ils font et c'est quoi en fait ce mélange ? Je ne peux en dire plus, mais les capacités des uns et des autres sont faramineuses et c'est dérangeant de ne pas comprendre comment ils en sont arrivés à ce stade. Alors nous avons des indices, et quelques passages qui nous livrent des miettes. Je sais c'est un tome 1 et si tout est dévoilé, les trois autres ne serviront à rien, mais un peu plus aurait été sympa à mon sens. Après il y a déjà pas mal à faire avec la confrérie du manoir perdu (c'est moi qui l'ai inventé ce titre) et la lumière d'Everly.

Parce que oui, notre Everly cache bien son jeu, mais comme elle ne semble au courant de rien, le lecteur non plus découvre tout en même temps et cela donne une vague de chaleur qui fait disparaitre dans la noirceur de l'ombre... l'ombre elle-même. Mystères sur les lieux, sur ce qui existe vraiment, mystères sur de nombreux personnages et le salace pourrait bien aller se faire cuire un œuf pour la peine. Harper semble être la plus "normale" du groupe, mais avec ce type de récit, ce n'est jamais vraiment la réalité. Faire disparaitre le désordre d'une maison dans une benne à ordure est une chose, croire en ses rêves en est une autre, surtout si la mort de celui qu'on aime vous est carrément mis en avant. Je en sais pas ce qu'il y avait dans la tisane d'Everly, mais c'était du bon, enfin jusqu'à ce que nous comprenions qu'il se passe des choses étranges (promis, je vais laisser le mot mystérieux pour quelques lignes encore). Les étapes que notre héroïne doit abattre sont immenses et son manque de confiance en elle la rend encore plus que vulnérable. Par moment j'ai eu envie de la secouer, avant de me rappeler que j'ai mis du temps à prendre confiance en moi et qu'à son âge j'étais dans le même cas qu'elle : obstiné sur l'apparence et le fait qu'entendre qu'on est bon à rien ne fait pas avancer les choses.

Shroudhaven est un personnage à part entière avec ses rues sombres, le vent qui souffle tel une veine ouverte, des lianes d'arbres bougeant sans savoir pourquoi et la noirceur qui a atteint le cœur de la ville. Si Rylan y habite toujours c'est qu'il y a autre chose que la raison de sa famille à protéger : nous en apprenons un peu plus à chaque rêve, chaque pas, chaque moment où le combat doit se faire. Ces combats ne durent pas forcément longtemps et ne sont pas non plus très expansif, tout se fait en se cachant, par contre ce que j'ai vraiment apprécié c'est la façon dont Everly gère ses cauchemars démontrant qu'elle n'est pas seule au final. Rylan est celui pour qui Everly pourrait mourir pour le sauver et apprendre à se battre serait un plus si elle veut un jour le récupérer et vivre une histoire avec. Les secrets sont nombreux et nous nous demandons également ceux de la famille d'Everly, car pour ce que nous en savons, elle n'est pas... comment dire, elle est humaine, mais il semble qu'il y ait autre chose, mais quoi ? À moins que je ne me trompe, mais il y a anguille sous roche. Tout comme le fait que ces traumatismes soient si nombreux et malgré tout, elle arrive à voir, réellement certaines choses.

Des révélations, nous en avons quelques unes et comme je l'ai dit plus haut, nous avons plus de questions que de réponses à la fin de ce premier tome. L'action est plus lent, si ce n'est l'une des dernières scènes, j'ai trouvé ce récit plus onirique, on va dire, c'est surement ce qui m'a un peu éloigné. La lecture est plaisante avec ses chapitres courts et les secrets sont intéressants à décrypter. Pour ceux qui attendent de la romance, il n'y en a pas, juste un début, mais je ne dirais pas qui avec qui non plus à vous de le découvrir. L'intrigue s'étoffe au fil des pages. Deux personnages qui ont leur vie déjà tracé vont au final se retrouver dans une panade pas possible. Deux jeunes femmes qui sont liées de part leur passé que nous avons entre ces pages et cela donne une belle amitié que j'ai aimé comprendre. Everly est généreuse et sans arrière pensée. Rylan est protecteur et un brin pour ne pas dire totalement tenace. Quant à sa famille, elle est géniale à découvrir, même si je n'ai pas tout suivi avec sa mère lors de l'entretien particulier. Je pense que des éléments vont faire leur apparition plus tard et donc nous comprendrons mieux (télépathie ?) Callan va faire des merveilles monstrueuses, pas vrai ?

J'ai aimé pas mal de choses, même si c'est touché du doigt et non par des ombres maléfiques. Le fait que l'héroïne ne soit pas la plus forte, la plus belle, la plus en vogue, bref elle est comme la plupart des vraies personnes. Son passé n'est pas forcément reluisant et elle a su s'en sortir même avec du mal. Son cœur bat toujours après des années et nous comprenons bien que Rylan cache bien son jeu pour protéger les siens et ceux qu'il aime (d'où son indifférence, sa manière d'être avec elle lorsqu'ils se croisent, par inadvertance... mdr) Les créatures m'ont fait penser à celles des enfants particuliers en plus terrifiants encore et vu tout ce qui est dans le récit, j'en ai encore des frissons. Par contre l'action est vraiment soft, je m'attendais à plus, mais ce n'est que partie remise, pas vrai ?

En conclusion ? À la recherche du bonhomme perdu ! Enfin, c'est presque cela, le récit se passe sur quelques jours où Everly doit retrouver Rylan et le sauver. Est-ce que ce dernier va ouvrir les yeux ou bien rester là où il est ? à moins qu'il ne soit déjà mort, vous y avez pensé à celle-là ? mdr. C'est une bonne question. Toujours est-il qu'il s'agit d'un récit mystérieux, rempli de secrets. Il va falloir prendre son mal en patience pour en avoir le fin mot de l'histoire. Hâte d'entrer dans le deuxième tome pour ma part car pour l'heure il me manque un peu d'approfondissement envers le tout, (le contexte, les personnages, les lieux car même si nous en apprenons c'est léger) c'est un peu léger, mais je reste convaincue que s'il y a 4 tomes, c'est que je vais avoir des réponses à mes questions au fil du temps !

https://chroniqueslivresques.eklablog...

[Caitlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

✨Darkness Unknown✨

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for sending me an e-arc.
✨
Summary: Darkness Unknown follows Everly, who appears to be early 20s, who returns to her mysterious hometown of Shroudhaven after her estranged mother dies. She stumbles into some trouble when she witnesses her childhood crush/best friend die at the hands of a strange monster. In a desperate attempt to uncover the truth of what happens with Rylan, Everly must reconnect with those she left behind.
✨
Rating (out of 5)
Overall:⭐️⭐️⭐️
Fantasy:🧛🏻‍♀️🧛🏻‍♀️🧛🏻‍♀️
Friendship:👯‍♂️👯‍♂️👯‍♂️

Review:

What drew me to this book was the girl on the cover, it’s not often you get an actual curvy girl MC. It’s refreshing.

Firstly, I can see the appeal of this book, 13 year old me would’ve been all over it and probably would’ve been head of the fandom. It was unique take on a vampire, werewolves and demon kind of book which was intriguing.

Despite the age of the characters this book reads as a very YA, plus some swearing. I found the characters to be quite flat. They felt quite juvenile. I understand it is the first book in the series but something about it felt incomplete and left me frustrated. The information provided was all very vague.

The friendship between Everly and Harper is the stand-out part of this story, they have each others backs regardless and that’s nice to see.

This story holds a lot of potential, the idea was unique, there is a lot of room to build the characters and expand. I really hope to see this in book 2.

[Kaye · Rating 5 out of 5]

✴️✴️ONE INTENSE ADVENTURE✴️✴️
Fabulous! Fenech hits the ground running with this skillfully composed debacle, delivering one heart pounding, pulse racing, adrenaline pumping, page flipping bombshell, hooking you from the start and reeling you in for the duration, wrapping this baby up sleek, shiny and tight. Traversing the formidable trials and challenging tribulations, noting the deadly twists and dramatic turns, igniting a fierce surge of self preservation and determination, with such intensity and precision, kicking this baby into a tailspin with an astonishing realization. Add daring drama, perilous intrigue, underlying threats, escalating danger, spiraling suspense and unnerving situations ensue in epic proportions, you have one intoxicating thrill ride. The characters, banter, interactions and charged atmosphere are realistic, complex and genuine with traits and qualities, add depth and diversity, blending into charismatic personalities. The scenes are strikingly sharp with abundant details and descriptions that feel as though you were transported to ground zero with them. Fantastic job Fenech, thanks for sharing this little jewel with us.

[Avery LuBell · Rating 2 out of 5]

Short Version: This book is overly ambitious, and fumbles its potential with a word salad of cliches.

Longer Version, Spoilers Below: I both pre-ordered this book and offered to review an Advanced Reader's Copy of this book because I love S. A. Fenech's work and want to support her as an artist. So, I'm sad to have to be honest: This book did not live up to my hopes.

I will start with the positives though; the lead, Everly, is endearing, realistic, and equal parts heartbreaking and heart-warming. Imagine "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", but instead of bright and perky Buffy being the chosen one, it's shy and sullen Tara instead. Everly is empathetic, trusting, and generously kind, all while nursing the wounds of childhood trauma and living with anxiety. She often fails to see the best of herself, or blames herself for others' suffering. Despite that, Everly never fails to try and do right by people, which - in a world full of darkness both moral and supernatural -is a superpower in its own right.

However, every single secondary character exists to remind Everly that she is great. They have different names and physical appearances, but they might as well be interchangeable, since they share the same motivation and temperament. I honestly had a hard time reading this book because my brain would stumble to match a name to a character, and I would have to go back and reread passages, that was how flat they were. A group of friends (or acquaintances) doesn't agree all the time. I expected someone to question Everly from time to time. To ask if she was being irrational, or paranoid, or besotted, or even magically mislead.... Or to take umbrage with her self-deprecation and fear-induced-paralysis; not everyone is patient with empaths. The lack of interpersonal conflict in this book was noticeable and disappointing, it robbed potentially interesting characters of any depth.

Speaking of Everly's anxiety being a source of conflict... Her anxiety manifests, sometimes, in the form of lucid dreams. For years she has dreamt of her crush, Rylan. After one such dream, Everly wakes up in the middle of the night to see the real Rylan fighting a monster in her yard. The ENTIRE conflict of the book stems from this moment: Everly witnesses Rylan receive a severe injury before she wakes up again, to find herself outside but Rylan is missing... The obvious conflict would be if Everly couldn't tell dreams and reality apart, convinced herself that what she saw was a dream, but lives in an uncertain limbo for days before the magical truth bombs start falling. It would be an ongoing source of tension, never knowing if we could trust the viewpoint character, rather like the escalation of a horror movie. INSTEAD, Everly assumes for the first time ever that her super real-feeling dream was in fact reality this time, and now she needs to go on a quest to rescue Rylan's body, wherever it may be. As mentioned before, her friends and allies do not question her, and completely support Everly in poking randomly around town. At no point does Everly, or anyone else, give up the hunt for Rylan's body on the basis that "maybe my dreams are true" is a bad jumping off point for a detective. Seems like any one character should have had a Reality Check moment and questioned whether believing a dream was a sane idea.

And speaking of sanity checks... Everly takes in stride a LOT: the existence of a parallel world full of shapeshifters and monster ooze; her hometown being a hellmouth; monster zombie roadkill; the spooky monster assassin boarding school her crush attends; being covered in rats, repeatedly... This character was dealing with the deaths of her parents and the reconciliation of her trauma under their roof, and /that/ would have been enough of a story. This girl's crush goes mysteriously missing, and in a bizarre, gender-bent Sleeping Beauty sort of way, she's able to communicate with her love in dreams; she saves the day and /that/ would have been enough. There is a monster hunter academy, and /that/ would have been enough. Everything we think of as a gothic monster is actually the /same/ species of monster, and they have interbred with humans, and /that/ would have been enough. But this book tried to do ALL those plots and more, and after awhile too many threads did not make a sweater.

My final criticism is with the technical writing. I highlighted a lot of passages because they were simply awkward to read. As an example, a large, old home is described as looking like a slumped wedding cake. I don't know what comes to other people's minds, but the first wedding cake I think of is the three-tiered kind, with the circular cakes which get smaller and smaller the higher they stack. I have never seen a house that shape. Fine, perhaps my misunderstanding a metaphor is nitpicky. Better example, "The aroma was a mix of dry-dirt stale and warmly pungent." Pungent is an adjective, it describes something else. You can't structure a sentence as "It was a pungent." But with a change of punctuation, this sentence could be made to make sense: "The room had a dry-dirt aroma: stale and warmly pungent." The technical writing in this book needed an editor's eye, to tighten it up and make it smoother to read. But because the grammar was off, or the word choice was odd (Why would you name your evil castle full of racist, homicidal jocks, Darkfrey. DARK. FREY. Why not just call them The Vile Academy for Would-Be Magical Murderers and be done with it!) I spent more time playing Editor than Reader.

What was great about Everly was not enough to save what was lacking with the rest of the book.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review. Everly is not your typical heroine. She is “chubby”, loves to eat, and is very insecure - needing almost constant reassurance from her friends. But I do love these aspects of the character. She returns to her hometown after her mother’s death to clean out the old antique shop and attached living quarters in order to sell it. But soon fantasy and reality become blurred. While there she runs into the man she loved since she was a teenager. When he goes missing she searches for him with her group of friends. What follows is a completely unique retelling of our preconceived ideas about vampires, werewolves, and the Frankenstein legend. Ms. Fenech writes as she paints with soft strokes that reveal layers of mystery. Totally enjoyed the book and look forward to the sequel.

[Christina Luberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had suspense, turmoil, a little action and supernatural characters. It was a book that you wanted to keep reading until you reached the end. I gave it for stars because of the made-up words. I would have liked to know what there meaning were instead of guessing. Everly is going home after her mother passed away. Her best friend is going with her. Her childhood love still lives there and wants her to leave. Why does he keep chasing her away? What is really going on in her home town? What's her mystery?

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Nadine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great read!

Not 100% my normal genre: it’s a bit darker and has elements of horror. Which I normally don’t do. But I read every book this author has written and loved them all, so I was willing to give it a fair try. And… I loved every word of it! It was original and very interesting, and it kept me turning those pages! Fast, faster! I love the writing style. It’s very refreshing. And the story: it’s so unique, so different: in a good way. In an awesome way! I will give this 100 stars! But I can only give 5. It’s very much at the very top for me!

[Jillian Nau · Rating 4 out of 5]

SA French takes familiar lore and adds her personal take and characters. Beshadowed is a fun read with suspense and a bit of a love story. As usual she has strong female characters that are diverse and interesting. Although it ends abruptly it’s an engaging story that will no doubt unfold in the next book in the series.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jeanne Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the 3rd book I've read written by S.A. Fenech; she has done a great job at writing a good book; I can’t wait to read more of her books.

The story line caught my attention at the very beginning and kept me interested throughout the entire book.

I received a free copy of this book via booksprout and I’m voluntarily leaving a review.

[Debbie Eyre · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great read! It’s a well written urban fantasy with a touch of horror, and a satisfying mystery and shifters and vampires with a twist and I could not put it down. The world building is incredible and the characters likeable and there were a few hilarity and laugh out loud moments but also serious and mysterious and with A touch of horror! I am very interested to read the next book!

[Dee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everly returns to her hometown to pack up what is left of her childhood home and sell it. Along with her best friend Harper she has 5 days to do this before she has to return to her job. Everly is nervous as she is still in love with her childhood friend Rylan who she hasn’t seen since she left years earlier. But there is some weird things happening and after Everly witnesses a fight between Rylan and something otherworldly she wakes to find that Rylan has disappeared.
This was something like I have never read before and was hooked from the beginning. All the characters were interesting even the annoying one and this kept me turning the pages. There was enough background laid out that you were not feeling like you were missing anything but you also knew there was more to some of the stories. The interactions between Everly and Rylan were also something that was new to me and had me wondering about what was happening throughout.
I am excited to read the next book to find out what is going on
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been a fan of Selina for a while and I have read her books before, so when I found out about this book I was super excited to read it! I really enjoy her writing style. The main character in this book, Everly (also my daughters name, which I thought was pretty cool!) has to move back home to clean out her childhood home, after her mother’s passing. I have to be honest, when it mentioned werewolves and vampires I pretty much thought it would be the typical storyline - think Twilight (which I would have been fine with by the way!) However, it’s very different from that, and I was pleasantly surprised. I couldn’t wait to read it everyday during my daughters nap and I can’t wait for the next book to find out what happens! I won’t mention any spoilers, but it really didn’t go the way I thought it would at all, and I wanted to keep reading to find out more and what was going to happen next. If you enjoy fantasy, sci-fi/paranormal, a little mystery and yes, a little bit of a love story too, you’ll enjoy this book!

[Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Take an urban fantasy and twist in some shifters and some mystery and you have this wonderful new book world. I am looking forward to the next book in the series.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Normally just seeing the word vampire in a book description is reason enough for me to not read it, but since I've been waiting for this series to start, I decided to give it a chance. I am so glad I did! This is nothing like any other fantasy novel I have ever read. Yes, it has some familiar creatures like vampires and werewolves, but they are completely different from any others I've ever come across. The story of Everly Boderleth's return to her hometown and the strange events that follow starts off by grabbing your attention then continues at a steady pace while keeping you guessing about what's really going on in Shroudhaven. Book 2 can't get here soon enough!

[Mary Brannian · Rating 5 out of 5]

“You never know what you’re fated for until you reach the end of your story. I think my story has ended.” - Rylan

Everly has five days. Five days to finally close the door on her past. With her best friend Harper Bells in tow, Everly returns to Shroudhaven, to a house filled with secrets, mysteries and undiscovered answers... To her past, to herself, to her lost love...

"She’s not,” Callan agreed. “She’s something else. Something I’ve never seen or heard of before. Something that the weroth ran screaming away from like a terrified bunny.” - Callan

Weirdness piled on strangeness piled on the inexplicable leaves Everly in a state of high anxiety. When a phantasm attacks Callan, Harper and Everly, inexplicable events unfold... And reality tumbles into the void...


A fantastic tale that immediately transports the reader from the normal and mundane into a reality that twists and melts like a Dali painting.

[Amanda Evernden · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this as an ARC in return for my honest review.
I was absolutely hooked from the get go. Everly, Harper, Rylan and the gang have had so much thrown at them especially Everly, its a wonder she kept it together as long as she did. I honestly cant wait to see what their future holds and if they conquer the shadyrs who have caused the mess that just keeps coming for them all. Loved it.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Karli Cagney Patton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book got me into reading again. I was hooked from the very beginning. All the details of a whole new world that I have never seen before, so perfect for me. I can’t wait to read more

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Teresa Jobes · Rating 5 out of 5]

A new take on the supernatural world. A BBW heroine and an internet influencer as a sidekick. Fast paced and keeps you guessing. Looking forward to the next installment.

[Carole · Rating 3 out of 5]

https://my-bo0ks.over-blog.com/2023/0...

Jusqu'à maintenant, les sorties Urban Fantasy des éditions du Chat noir, m'ont toutes convaincues, je partais donc hyper confiante quant à cette nouvelle série, Les monstres de Shroudhaven. Un titre intriguant, une quatrième de couverture toute aussi mystérieuse, je me suis donc lancée dans ma lecture avec plaisir.

Everly, notre héroïne revient dans sa ville natale, Shroudhaven, après plusieurs années d'absence en compagnie de sa meilleure amie. Mais dès son retour, des événements étranges se produisent et quand son ex-ami/garçon qui lui a brisé le cœur meurt ou presque littéralement devant ses yeux et qu'ensuite il disparait, ne faisait pas partie de ses plans. Avec Harper, elle décide de mener l'enquête, en commençant par la famille de Rylan.

A noter qu'ici, nous sommes sur une série Young Adult. On a certes des créatures surnaturelles, quelques passages plus sombre et pour le moment, on reste vraiment très soft en termes de d'action, de romances et de rebondissements. Personnellement, ça ne me gêne pas, mais c'est à savoir. J'avoue que j'ai mis bien la moitié de ce premier tome pour être véritablement dans l'histoire. Et la principale raison à cela c'est que l'entrée en matière est assez flou. C'est un peu comme si on prenait le train en marche de cette histoire. J'ai été un peu largué au début de ma lecture, ne comprenant pas bien ce que savait notre héroine, ou non, et surtout, ce dans quoi je mettais les pieds. L'autrice joue la carte du mystère à fond et ça marche ou pas. Mais j'ai persévéré, car ce premier tome fait moins de 250 pages, donc je savais que plus j'avancerais et plus j'y trouverais mon compte. Et ça a été le cas.

Everly, notre héroine n'a pas confiance en elle. Son enfance joue pour beaucoup dans cela et aujourd'hui, elle doute continuellement d'elle-même. Elle se rabaisse, pense que toutes les galères qui arrivent à ses proches sont de sa faute et si sa meilleure amie, Harper est d'un soutien sans faille, sa célébrité sur les réseaux accentue aussi ce sentiment. C'est intéressant d'avoir une héroine qui souffre de crise d'angoisse et montre une certaine fragilité. Bien souvent dans ce genre on a plutôt à faire à des héroines badass et fortes. Cela apporte donc un peu de diversité. Même si, parfois, je l'avoue, j'avais envie de la secouer.

Côté romance, comme je vous le disais, on prend l'histoire en cours de route. Everly est amoureuse de Rylan depuis de nombreuses années. On ne sait pas vraiment ce qu'il s'est alors passé mais on sait que les sentiments sont encore bien là. Je regrette un peu le fait de ne pas avoir cette partie développée car du coup, j'ai eu du mal à cerner cette relation et l'apprécier totalement. Sans doute aurait-il fallu quelques flash-back du passé pour bien l'apprécier. De ce fait, elle amorce quelque chose mais je m'attendais à plus. D'autant que comme nous l'annonce le résumé, Everly assiste à sa mort (ou presque) et sa disparition. Mais l'autrice nous propose une façon bien particulière d'exploiter cette relation par la suite.

Ce premier tome se concentre donc essentiellement sur la recherche de Rylan et la découverte des créatures de l'ombre. Et c'est tout naturellement qu'elle va faire appel à Callan (le frère) et ses proches pour le retrouver. C'est bel et bien là que l'histoire gagne en intérêt et surtout en rebondissements et que l'on comprend un peu mieux l'univers avec ses secrets. Je dois dire qu'à partir de là, j'ai été nettement plus embarquée par ma lecture et cela m'a donné envie d'en savoir plus.

En conclusion, un premier tome qui nous plonge sans ménagement dans un univers riche et prenant. Des personnages avec du potentiel mais qui restent encore discrets. J'aurais voulu plus d'approfondissements notamment sur le début et les relations mais cela reste malgré tout prometteur. Curieuse de lire la suite.

[Sonja · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was okay. It was nowhere near as good as I was hoping for because, while the idea behind this world is interesting, the story itself was really rather boring. Worst of all, every (main) character was in their 20's but they all read as if they were young teenagers. Their thoughts and actions were always so immature that it was annoying. And don't get me started on the best friend being a goddamn social media influencer. I can't even tell you how much I hate the fact that that's even a thing. And you expect me to believe that everyone that Everly and Harper come across in this town know who she is? In a town where cell reception is sketchy at best and the internet iffy? Yeah, okay. At least I liked how Harper, while obsessed with her social media appearance, was actually a pretty solid best friend. The girl didn't balk about working or getting dirty, and was always the first to help Everly in any way she could. So yay that she wasn't self-absorbed. There were also random moments of PC pandering going on that came completely out of left field and added nothing to the story.

So it's been four years since Everly left her hometown and is only back now because her mother died and she needs to clean out the house as best she can so that she can sell it and get back to her life. She has five days to do it because that's all she could afford to take off from work. Her best friend, Harper, tags along for a bunch of reasons. The first night there things already start to happen and Everly sees something that can't be real. Her long time crush, Rylan, turning into a vampire and fighting a monster? Appearing to die in her arms? Can't possibly be real. Until the next day when he's gone missing and where he fell is covered in blood. Stranger still, the Rylan in her dreams now seems so much more real and knows things that she couldn't possibly have known.

Cleaning up the house takes a back seat to finding Rylan within a world that Everly was never supposed to know existed. The town my not have a vampire population like the rumors say, but it certainly has enough real monsters to make up for that. Both good and bad. Everly also finds out that she's not entirely human either, though nobody seems to know what she is. With her time there running out, Everly decides she's going to stay as long as she has to to help Rylan and figure out the job thing after. And while at least one good thing comes out of a horrific encounter, the book ends on such a cliff hanger that not a single question is answered. Which is frustrating for me because I do want to know what Everly is, but I don't want to read the next book.


ARC provided by publisher via Netgalley.

[Motive of the Witch · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was my first book written by S. A. Fenech and I requested it because the synopsis sounded really intresting for me. Did I received what I expected? Not really, but from the beginning.

Plot looked for me super intresting. We have a girl, Everly, who is back to her hometown after the death of her mother. She wants to clean a house and family's antiuque store. She gives herself and her friend - famous Instargamer, five days for that and after that she wants to back to her current life. The town is a little stereotypical place where community has a local legends and forests are hunted by werewolfs, vampires, etc. Everly sees something what she shouldn't see and it changes her plans.
Motives used for plot building are the old ones and it makes this book extremely predictible.

Main character Everly is a girl with a lot of issues. She has the panic attacks, she is from pathological family - mother was an alcoholic and she has a lot of men who not really like a child at home. Everly blames herself for everything, I am suprised that she doesn't think that ozone hole is her fault as well. At the beginning I was thinking that is fine that she has some issue and she tries to fight with them, but later her character doesn't change. Everly considers everything as issue with her and even in very hard situations she needs her friend who pushes her to the action.

Supporting characters are much more intresting in my opinion. Harper, Everly's friend, She keeps both feet on the ground, but is able to accept that the world is different from the one she knows. For me, she is a little babysitter for Everly and her private, not paid therapist.
Second really nice character is Callan. He is Rylan's (Everly's beloved) brother. He can handle a difficult situations very well, he supports Everly and also manages his invastigation.
Finally Rylan, Everly's beloved. He is a person who wants to save the whole world. Such a type of martyr...

Logic is a little lame. Everly felt in love with Rylan when she was 13 years old, but she knows that he is the one forever for her. She dreams about him every single night, but she doesn't do anything with it becasue she feels guilty for situation which had place around 10 years earlier.What?! Maybe when you are 16 years old reader you can belive in that, but the older audiance not really.

Summarizing after synopsies I expected werewolfs, vampires and spooky things, but I received the mish-mash of everything. We recieved a lot of things, events which haven't been fully explained. I followed the characters and I felt pretty lost. I didn't feel connected with characters and I really didn't care for them.
For me it's much more young adult book, even if the characters are older, but rest things are the target for teenagers. Idea for a world is intresting, but I think author hasn't used its full potential.