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In the Shadow World, he was the God of Death, and he was called many names. The monsters he hunted called him Anubis. Those who saw his face died. To Guardian Security, he was a number, a surgical weapon they wielded against monstrous evil. One woman called him Kaeden Lang. Anubis never meant her to be anything except an interlude, a moment of light in the darkness of his life, a one-time escape from the ever-present haze of death. He committed an unforgivable sin—he saw her again—and again—and again. She held back the shadows that threatened to consume him.
Sky Meyers made a grave mistake six years ago. She fell in love—only to have the man she knew as Kaeden Lang disappear. Now, his daughter needed him to save her life. As the office manager for the State District Attorney, Sky accessed national databases in a desperate search for her baby’s daddy only to discover the man she knew as Kaeden Lang didn’t exist. She'd already lost the man she loved; she couldn't lose her daughter.
Other eyes noticed Sky’s search. Abruptly recalled and informed of the existence of his daughter and her illness, Anubis slipped through the shadows to help Sky—but found death threatened more than his daughter. In her attempt to find Kaeden Lang, Sky unknowingly jeopardized his Shadow World existence by alerting an enemy Kaeden Lang can’t eliminate--only Anubis can.
Sky Meyers made a grave mistake six years ago. She fell in love—only to have the man she knew as Kaeden Lang disappear. Now, his daughter needed him to save her life. As the office manager for the State District Attorney, Sky accessed national databases in a desperate search for her baby’s daddy only to discover the man she knew as Kaeden Lang didn’t exist. She'd already lost the man she loved; she couldn't lose her daughter.
Other eyes noticed Sky’s search. Abruptly recalled and informed of the existence of his daughter and her illness, Anubis slipped through the shadows to help Sky—but found death threatened more than his daughter. In her attempt to find Kaeden Lang, Sky unknowingly jeopardized his Shadow World existence by alerting an enemy Kaeden Lang can’t eliminate--only Anubis can.
298 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 30, 2018
1875 people are currently reading
768 people want to read
About the author
Kris Michaels
80 books1,115 followersUSA Today and Amazon Bestselling Author, Kris Michaels is the alter ego of a happily married wife and mother. She writes romance, usually with characters from military and law enforcement backgrounds.
Kris was born and raised in South Dakota. She graduated many years ago from a high school class consisting of 13 students (yes that is thirteen, eleven girls and two boys...lucky boys). She joined the military, met her husband, and traveled the world. Today she lives on the Gulf Coast and writes full time.
Kris is an avid people watcher and dreamer. The stories she writes are crafted around the hopes and dreams of a true romantic. She believes love is essential, people are beautiful, and everyone deserves a happy ending.
When she isn't writing Kris enjoys a full life revolving around family, friends, laughing, whiskey, and cold red wine. (Yes cold...don't judge.)
Kris was born and raised in South Dakota. She graduated many years ago from a high school class consisting of 13 students (yes that is thirteen, eleven girls and two boys...lucky boys). She joined the military, met her husband, and traveled the world. Today she lives on the Gulf Coast and writes full time.
Kris is an avid people watcher and dreamer. The stories she writes are crafted around the hopes and dreams of a true romantic. She believes love is essential, people are beautiful, and everyone deserves a happy ending.
When she isn't writing Kris enjoys a full life revolving around family, friends, laughing, whiskey, and cold red wine. (Yes cold...don't judge.)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 209 reviews
February 12, 2022
A new world but same great writing. Kris Michaels has a gift for writing and characters. Old favorites return and play their role perfectly in as support to the main characters without overshadowing the mains.
This is a heart wrenching beautiful story. Kris captures the emotion that every parent can relate to and the lengths we would go to, to protect and keep our child safe. Of course not all of us are super deadly assassins for whom that protection goes to a whole new level. However we can relate in theory.
The Shadow World is a Black Ops of Black Ops. The Good guys get their hands dirty doing their jobs. These guys are so secret that only the highest levels of Guardian Security know of their existence and sometime even they do not want to know what it takes for the job to get done. Only the strongest of the strong and survive here, and their can be no trace of them in the "light". When
the "light" shines Anubis showing him a part of himself he never knew existed, is in danger what will a man that is will to die to protect the work do to protect the two people closest to him?
Another all round great book. Though this is a spin off series the characters from the main Guardian series are also here in their take no crap attitudes with them. I love Ember calling Anubis on his carp without blinking. Even as support characters they are true to their core. This could be read as a stand alone book or the start of the new series but as always the other books will show how great these characters are and how well they have been developed. Hope for many more shadows coming into the light.
This is a heart wrenching beautiful story. Kris captures the emotion that every parent can relate to and the lengths we would go to, to protect and keep our child safe. Of course not all of us are super deadly assassins for whom that protection goes to a whole new level. However we can relate in theory.
The Shadow World is a Black Ops of Black Ops. The Good guys get their hands dirty doing their jobs. These guys are so secret that only the highest levels of Guardian Security know of their existence and sometime even they do not want to know what it takes for the job to get done. Only the strongest of the strong and survive here, and their can be no trace of them in the "light". When
the "light" shines Anubis showing him a part of himself he never knew existed, is in danger what will a man that is will to die to protect the work do to protect the two people closest to him?
Another all round great book. Though this is a spin off series the characters from the main Guardian series are also here in their take no crap attitudes with them. I love Ember calling Anubis on his carp without blinking. Even as support characters they are true to their core. This could be read as a stand alone book or the start of the new series but as always the other books will show how great these characters are and how well they have been developed. Hope for many more shadows coming into the light.
February 1, 2018
absolutely brilliant. this is one of the best series i have read and continue to read. i was hooked from the very first book. the individual romances are always beautiful to read but the way the group as a whole works towards making the world a better place and eradicating the worst of humanity makes for compelling and rewarding reading. the stories are huge .. they are not confined by the limits of the romantic entanglements but lean heavily on the external factors as well, the danger, the evils that exist in the world. moving on into the Shadow World we see characters who work for the greater good at enormous sacrifice to themselves. impeccable writing, beautiful love stories, drama and an overall feeling of family and support.
January 31, 2018
In the famous words of Howard Payne ' Pop Quiz Hotshot': ...Who doesn't love a Kris Michaels book? Not me I freaking love all her books!
Sadly she doesn't write a lot of gay romance novels, but when she does her M/M fiction is sublime. Point in case: Jared, Incident of Magic series and Heart of Desire. As delicious as her sinfully written man on man time is, clearly her real talent is her contemporary M/F military/law enforcement /bodyguard romance series which is now ten books in and growing. No two ways about it, the King family and friends is obviously where Ms Michaels' jam is, because the super sexy, and smoking hot Guardian Security series is seriously one of the best around. There is no doubting Ms Michaels can write fabulously deadly sexy as hell Alpha men getting down and dirty with capable sexy as hell woman as they trim the world of the bad guys.
This new spin off from her very, very delightfully written Guardian Security series Shadow World is shaping up to be another winner. Some small spoilers in this review.
For those that know Ms Michaels's books, we met Anubis during 'Jewel' when the delicious Bengal a.k.a Zane Reynolds romanced the hell out of the super smart Jewel King. Anubis made a reappearance at the end of 'Jade', when it became clear Yi Bao, the head of a powerful international Triad and the man responsible for so much hurt and suffering to the general public, Guardian security and Nicolas in particular, was on borrowed time. Who better than a man well versed in walking in shadows to end that sucker’s life?
Kaedan Lang or whatever his real name is, returned Vet, Assassin extraordinaire, adult orphan, was everything I expected and wanted Anubis to be: emotionally hurt, strong, stoic, dedicated, super-efficient, smart as hell and sexy as sin. He evens the score board for Guardian, in an up close and personal way with a twist. The slant of his skillset made him a standout as did the side effects of that skill.
Having read all her books I can easily attest to the fact that Ms Michaels hit another ball out of the park with Anubis, because from a reader perspective there is nothing sexier than a smoking hot man with brains and muscles, in full on protective mode, capable of extracting vengeance and retribution while sexting up the love of his life.
Kaedan's lickable meter ramped up into the redline when we got to know his past hurts, secret desires, wants and dreams after he realized the woman he'd fallen in love with had unknowingly given him a child. His protective instincts and encompassing love for his brand new instant family made him completely swoon worthy, which he needed, since he had the shockingly bad habit of sneaking away at Zero Dark Thirty, without a backwards glance. Not cool at all.
Skye Meyers was a slight deviation from Ms Michaels super strong and sexily capable female leads, though I wasn't expecting it, Skye's slightly weaker character didn't change her appeal at all and I think that was because despite how crap her life was she owned the hell out of being strong, dedicated, loving and resilient in the best possible way. Skye, mother to Kadey, a (thankfully non-annoying) well-spoken five year old with a heart defect was at the end of her rope. Repeatedly heartbroken by a man who on paper did not exist, she was emotionally wrung dry, almost broke as a church mouse, facing impending charges for abuse of information technology in her position at the D.A's office, and pained beyond belief over the suffering her daughter was enduring.
Skye's strength lay in her ability to cope as well as she did and a blind person could see her love for her child and her complete and utter sadness at never having, or keeping the man she had accidentally fallen in love with. She could have easily hated Kaedan and herself for the revolving door that was Kaedan's sudden reappearances in and out of her life over 6 long years. Her unspoken acceptance for what their nights actually meant in their slightly destructive relationship elevated her to Saint like status for not pulling a gun on him every time he came back, as it did drop her to lower than a doormat for continually saying yes and opening her arms. It was easy to see that it was her selfless and unquestioning ability to forgive coupled with her unconditional love for Kaedan that saved the doormat status from sticking like a dirty little secret.
Despite her not being a badass for Guardian, I connected with Skye immediately and wanted to kick Kaedan's butt for hurting her unnecessarily the way he continued to do. The man was no dummy, surely there could have been a better way for him to manage their on and off again relationship so that the ever affable, and completely smitten Skye wasn't continually hurt, despite him having solid reasons for doing so.
As with all Ms Michaels books her secondary characters are where her writing kicks it up a notch from good to great. Asp was fabulous, deadly, capable, morally strong and terrifically loyal, I loved the heck out of his and Kaedan's friendship and I cannot wait for his book. In previous books we've gotten a sneak peek at Thanatos, Anubis’s other silent but deadly bestie, and now we have new players emerging to extend the series with Smoke, Moriah and Lycos, all secretive, very capable and deadly assassins dedicated to offing bad guys and working loyally for their friends, compatriots and Guardian.
As with previous books, the plot was tight, rational, chronological and fast paced, there is No Dumbing of anyone down to speed chapters and resolutions up and the horizontal times was as we’ve come to expect smoking hot. The icing on the cake of course is where there are a multitude of cameos in the appearances of Adam, Jacob, Jason, Jewel, Zane, Gabriel, Ember and Kaylee their visits and ties cemented the world building into this spin off series and just made this instalment so much nicer.
I really loved this book. I love the series, though I will pose the question we're all asking, when will Justin get his book? And when are the Double D's getting their book? Those three men definitely need their story told so, so badly...*whimper*
For lovers of extremely well written romantic fiction this series is absolutely Highly recommended.
Sadly she doesn't write a lot of gay romance novels, but when she does her M/M fiction is sublime. Point in case: Jared, Incident of Magic series and Heart of Desire. As delicious as her sinfully written man on man time is, clearly her real talent is her contemporary M/F military/law enforcement /bodyguard romance series which is now ten books in and growing. No two ways about it, the King family and friends is obviously where Ms Michaels' jam is, because the super sexy, and smoking hot Guardian Security series is seriously one of the best around. There is no doubting Ms Michaels can write fabulously deadly sexy as hell Alpha men getting down and dirty with capable sexy as hell woman as they trim the world of the bad guys.
This new spin off from her very, very delightfully written Guardian Security series Shadow World is shaping up to be another winner. Some small spoilers in this review.
For those that know Ms Michaels's books, we met Anubis during 'Jewel' when the delicious Bengal a.k.a Zane Reynolds romanced the hell out of the super smart Jewel King. Anubis made a reappearance at the end of 'Jade', when it became clear Yi Bao, the head of a powerful international Triad and the man responsible for so much hurt and suffering to the general public, Guardian security and Nicolas in particular, was on borrowed time. Who better than a man well versed in walking in shadows to end that sucker’s life?
Kaedan Lang or whatever his real name is, returned Vet, Assassin extraordinaire, adult orphan, was everything I expected and wanted Anubis to be: emotionally hurt, strong, stoic, dedicated, super-efficient, smart as hell and sexy as sin. He evens the score board for Guardian, in an up close and personal way with a twist. The slant of his skillset made him a standout as did the side effects of that skill.
Having read all her books I can easily attest to the fact that Ms Michaels hit another ball out of the park with Anubis, because from a reader perspective there is nothing sexier than a smoking hot man with brains and muscles, in full on protective mode, capable of extracting vengeance and retribution while sexting up the love of his life.
Kaedan's lickable meter ramped up into the redline when we got to know his past hurts, secret desires, wants and dreams after he realized the woman he'd fallen in love with had unknowingly given him a child. His protective instincts and encompassing love for his brand new instant family made him completely swoon worthy, which he needed, since he had the shockingly bad habit of sneaking away at Zero Dark Thirty, without a backwards glance. Not cool at all.
Skye Meyers was a slight deviation from Ms Michaels super strong and sexily capable female leads, though I wasn't expecting it, Skye's slightly weaker character didn't change her appeal at all and I think that was because despite how crap her life was she owned the hell out of being strong, dedicated, loving and resilient in the best possible way. Skye, mother to Kadey, a (thankfully non-annoying) well-spoken five year old with a heart defect was at the end of her rope. Repeatedly heartbroken by a man who on paper did not exist, she was emotionally wrung dry, almost broke as a church mouse, facing impending charges for abuse of information technology in her position at the D.A's office, and pained beyond belief over the suffering her daughter was enduring.
Skye's strength lay in her ability to cope as well as she did and a blind person could see her love for her child and her complete and utter sadness at never having, or keeping the man she had accidentally fallen in love with. She could have easily hated Kaedan and herself for the revolving door that was Kaedan's sudden reappearances in and out of her life over 6 long years. Her unspoken acceptance for what their nights actually meant in their slightly destructive relationship elevated her to Saint like status for not pulling a gun on him every time he came back, as it did drop her to lower than a doormat for continually saying yes and opening her arms. It was easy to see that it was her selfless and unquestioning ability to forgive coupled with her unconditional love for Kaedan that saved the doormat status from sticking like a dirty little secret.
Despite her not being a badass for Guardian, I connected with Skye immediately and wanted to kick Kaedan's butt for hurting her unnecessarily the way he continued to do. The man was no dummy, surely there could have been a better way for him to manage their on and off again relationship so that the ever affable, and completely smitten Skye wasn't continually hurt, despite him having solid reasons for doing so.
As with all Ms Michaels books her secondary characters are where her writing kicks it up a notch from good to great. Asp was fabulous, deadly, capable, morally strong and terrifically loyal, I loved the heck out of his and Kaedan's friendship and I cannot wait for his book. In previous books we've gotten a sneak peek at Thanatos, Anubis’s other silent but deadly bestie, and now we have new players emerging to extend the series with Smoke, Moriah and Lycos, all secretive, very capable and deadly assassins dedicated to offing bad guys and working loyally for their friends, compatriots and Guardian.
As with previous books, the plot was tight, rational, chronological and fast paced, there is No Dumbing of anyone down to speed chapters and resolutions up and the horizontal times was as we’ve come to expect smoking hot. The icing on the cake of course is where there are a multitude of cameos in the appearances of Adam, Jacob, Jason, Jewel, Zane, Gabriel, Ember and Kaylee their visits and ties cemented the world building into this spin off series and just made this instalment so much nicer.
I really loved this book. I love the series, though I will pose the question we're all asking, when will Justin get his book? And when are the Double D's getting their book? Those three men definitely need their story told so, so badly...*whimper*
For lovers of extremely well written romantic fiction this series is absolutely Highly recommended.
May 15, 2024
Anubis is book one in the new series by Kris Michaels called Guardian Security Shadow World. Six years ago, Sky Meyers made the grave mistake of falling in love with a man called Kaeden Lang and found out she was pregnant after he disappeared. When Sky's daughter fell ill and needed help from her father, Sky started to search and find out he did not exist. However, when Sky asked her cousin in the Sheriff's Department to check their records, this action triggered a notification to the computer centre of Guardian Security that someone was looking for Anubis, one of their Shadow operatives. Unbeknown to both Kaeden and Sky, this also alerts the enemy of Anubis. Will Sky and Anubis servive? The readers of Anubis will continue to follow Kaedan and Sky to discover what happens.
Anubis is the first book I read by Kris Michaels, and I enjoyed it. I engaged with the characters and the story from the first page to the end of this book. I love Kris Michaels's portrayal of her characters and the way they intertwine with each other. Anubis is well-written and researched. I like Kri Michaels's description of the settings of Anubis, which allowed me to imagine being part of the book's plot.
The readers of Anubis will learn about the problems of having a rare blood type and a heart disease, which is called Ebstein's Anomaly.
I recommend this book.
June 19, 2018
When I just saw the book title I'll admit I got super excited. I mean Anubis and shadow world, this is straight out of the realm of mythology [Egyptian to be exact]. Alas, it was not meant to be, it was just a shadowy-er side to the already shadowy company that is Guardian.
The story itself was ok really and I respected Sky's drive to do anything that would save her daughter regardless of the consequences.But the draw back was even if the identity of Kaedan Lang was no longer active wouldn't it be worthy to keep ears on the ground for anyone searching for it. No one realised Sky was searching until they ran his daughter's DNA - that's sloppy.
Also, what's it with these books about coming into the light. Is it to give the impression that everyone prefers the light? What about a story that converts the female to the dark side for once? Why do all the males have to give up their sense of self?
The story itself was ok really and I respected Sky's drive to do anything that would save her daughter regardless of the consequences.But the draw back was even if the identity of Kaedan Lang was no longer active wouldn't it be worthy to keep ears on the ground for anyone searching for it. No one realised Sky was searching until they ran his daughter's DNA - that's sloppy.
Also, what's it with these books about coming into the light. Is it to give the impression that everyone prefers the light? What about a story that converts the female to the dark side for once? Why do all the males have to give up their sense of self?
September 15, 2022
A name like any other
Anubis is fascinating. The few times he has been in a story I was intrigued and wanted to know more. The assassins are the most covert and captivating of this series. This story has a current issue along with a good blend of his history and other cases he worked. Sky is a warrior. She is a great blend of fierce mom and loving partner. Their chemistry is hot and their dynamic shows a great relationship forming. Seeing the other Shadows and how they worked/trusted added a lot to this story and spin off series. This series is going to be great learning about these members of Guardian and their individual skill sets and stories. Seeing Doc and Jewell get a lot of time was enjoyable as they are two sweet and smart characters. The ending has a great set up for the rest of the series and the next book!
Anubis is fascinating. The few times he has been in a story I was intrigued and wanted to know more. The assassins are the most covert and captivating of this series. This story has a current issue along with a good blend of his history and other cases he worked. Sky is a warrior. She is a great blend of fierce mom and loving partner. Their chemistry is hot and their dynamic shows a great relationship forming. Seeing the other Shadows and how they worked/trusted added a lot to this story and spin off series. This series is going to be great learning about these members of Guardian and their individual skill sets and stories. Seeing Doc and Jewell get a lot of time was enjoyable as they are two sweet and smart characters. The ending has a great set up for the rest of the series and the next book!
March 16, 2023
'Nobody could eclipse the light you have brought into my life'
Anubis thinks his future holds the same as his past...shadows, death, coded missions and loneliness. Sky is the only bright spot he allows himself, a forbidden time where he can indulge, dream and be happy, but learning about Kadey and her illness freezes his heart. He has known fear but until this point has never known true terror, he will stop at nothing to keep them safe and provide them with everything they need...it may just take him a little time to realise what they need most is him! He is a man after all!
But true to form, when a Guardian is in, they are all in and he steps from the shadows to become the man Kaeden always dreamed of being, then man Sky and Kadey need.
I love Kadey and the instant bond that she and Kaeden form, it really is beautiful to watch as he allows himself to hope and to finally start living again.
I read this on Kindle Unlimited.
Anubis thinks his future holds the same as his past...shadows, death, coded missions and loneliness. Sky is the only bright spot he allows himself, a forbidden time where he can indulge, dream and be happy, but learning about Kadey and her illness freezes his heart. He has known fear but until this point has never known true terror, he will stop at nothing to keep them safe and provide them with everything they need...it may just take him a little time to realise what they need most is him! He is a man after all!
But true to form, when a Guardian is in, they are all in and he steps from the shadows to become the man Kaeden always dreamed of being, then man Sky and Kadey need.
I love Kadey and the instant bond that she and Kaeden form, it really is beautiful to watch as he allows himself to hope and to finally start living again.
I read this on Kindle Unlimited.
January 31, 2018
My favorite books to read are suspense security romance, and Kris Micheals is one of the best in writing this (in my humble opinion).
This new series is a spin off of the King of Guardian Series and is about the agents in the Guardian Security agents living and working in the Shadows.
This book was so good. Anubis made a mistake and came out of the shadows for a woman. Now Sky Meyers need Kaeden Lang’s help to save their daughter.
This book is so amazing. I highly recommend this book if you love suspense romance books.
Awesome start to a new series. Can’t wait for Asp’s book.
5 STARS!!
This new series is a spin off of the King of Guardian Series and is about the agents in the Guardian Security agents living and working in the Shadows.
This book was so good. Anubis made a mistake and came out of the shadows for a woman. Now Sky Meyers need Kaeden Lang’s help to save their daughter.
This book is so amazing. I highly recommend this book if you love suspense romance books.
Awesome start to a new series. Can’t wait for Asp’s book.
5 STARS!!
February 19, 2021
This was a captivating diversion. I was drawn by the premise of a Shadow Guardian assassin having to break his cover to save a little girl who was his secret unknown daughter. It pulled my heartstrings in just the right way. Anubis does the right thing on more than one level. A great read, if only a bit unidimensional.
August 31, 2021
Thoroughly enjoyed this, I really did.
Took me a while to get in to it, both the book and the narration, but at some point I will jump into the next book, because I am intrigued by this group of people, and how they live their lives. I read the first King's Security book and this is a spin off from that series.
4 stars across the board, for the book and the narration.
Took me a while to get in to it, both the book and the narration, but at some point I will jump into the next book, because I am intrigued by this group of people, and how they live their lives. I read the first King's Security book and this is a spin off from that series.
4 stars across the board, for the book and the narration.
September 21, 2020
*sigh* ok, let's roll ....
The good: I liked the attention to detail as far as the military stuff goes. I totally appreciated the code words and phrases used, and how the Guardians operated in that sense. I thought giving Anubis a food paranoia issue was great, considering his modus operandi. I liked that him and Skye managed to have very adult, respectful conversations about their decisions as parents. Well done. No emotional manipulation or scenes, no unnecessary tears. Refreshing to see adults behaving as such and putting the child's needs above theirs. Bravo. I appreciated Anubis being VERY clear to her about his intentions from the get go, even after meeting his daughter. No room for miscommunication.
The bad: Skye. Yup. She's the bad. All over the book, it's her. First of all, When it comes to secret babies, unless you are 100% sure the man is EVIL, there's no reason to hide the baby. Her thinking that even if she had told him, he wouldn't have stayed is bullshit. It's not about him staying, it's about him KNOWING he was about to become a father. Plain and simple. Now if he chose not to stay, then fine, move on, it is what it is, you can't force him to be a dad. Then there's the fact that she somehow managed to stay in a relationship for two years with a man, who has been mean to her daughter, even if he did it with a smile on his face. The worst part? he berated her and she just stood there. I wanted to slap her. Then there's her whole thumb sucking/nail biting thing. Anubis even had to constantly pull her thumb out of her mouth. Just no. Anubis, or Kaeden. Either name wasn't real, in fact, we never got to know his real name. I thought that was .... lame. I mean, he had a past, a family, a life, and by not giving her his REAL name, just came off as him holding a part of himself back. The sex scenes were lukewarm at best, and I thought . I don't know if it comes off the same way in the book, but in the audiobook the way Anubis calls her "babe" is just cringe worthy.
The audio: If you are a fan of Adam Driver's voice as Kylo Ren, Matt delivers that. Not all the way through the book, but just when he voices Anubis. He luckily does a good job voicing females, and they don't come off all weird sounding. That being said, was the audio worth the credit I spent on it? Nope. Had the story been better, I probably wouldn't have returned it.
This was my first book by this author/narrator. Will I be reading more ? Not at $5 a pop for the Kindle book, or $15 for the audiobook credit.
The good: I liked the attention to detail as far as the military stuff goes. I totally appreciated the code words and phrases used, and how the Guardians operated in that sense. I thought giving Anubis a food paranoia issue was great, considering his modus operandi. I liked that him and Skye managed to have very adult, respectful conversations about their decisions as parents. Well done. No emotional manipulation or scenes, no unnecessary tears. Refreshing to see adults behaving as such and putting the child's needs above theirs. Bravo. I appreciated Anubis being VERY clear to her about his intentions from the get go, even after meeting his daughter. No room for miscommunication.
The bad: Skye. Yup. She's the bad. All over the book, it's her. First of all, When it comes to secret babies, unless you are 100% sure the man is EVIL, there's no reason to hide the baby. Her thinking that even if she had told him, he wouldn't have stayed is bullshit. It's not about him staying, it's about him KNOWING he was about to become a father. Plain and simple. Now if he chose not to stay, then fine, move on, it is what it is, you can't force him to be a dad. Then there's the fact that she somehow managed to stay in a relationship for two years with a man, who has been mean to her daughter, even if he did it with a smile on his face. The worst part? he berated her and she just stood there. I wanted to slap her. Then there's her whole thumb sucking/nail biting thing. Anubis even had to constantly pull her thumb out of her mouth. Just no. Anubis, or Kaeden. Either name wasn't real, in fact, we never got to know his real name. I thought that was .... lame. I mean, he had a past, a family, a life, and by not giving her his REAL name, just came off as him holding a part of himself back. The sex scenes were lukewarm at best, and I thought . I don't know if it comes off the same way in the book, but in the audiobook the way Anubis calls her "babe" is just cringe worthy.
The audio: If you are a fan of Adam Driver's voice as Kylo Ren, Matt delivers that. Not all the way through the book, but just when he voices Anubis. He luckily does a good job voicing females, and they don't come off all weird sounding. That being said, was the audio worth the credit I spent on it? Nope. Had the story been better, I probably wouldn't have returned it.
This was my first book by this author/narrator. Will I be reading more ? Not at $5 a pop for the Kindle book, or $15 for the audiobook credit.
December 6, 2024
Every book I’ve read by Kris Michaels I have liked, and this book does not disappoint. The plot was logical, well-paced, and held my interest beginning to end. The characters were three-dimensional and—for a wonder—the romantic leads acted like grownups. The good guys are good folk who do the bad things that others can’t or won’t. The bad guys are pure evil.
The plot is complex and includes both a world-wide setting and a personal one. Anubis is a part of the Shadow world of the Guardians. While recuperating in Fresno after a particularly difficult mission, Anubis met Sky Meyer; they spent time together until he had to leave. In fairness, he was always straightforward about his leaving – he told Sky he would not stay. However, upon leaving, he left more than Sky behind. He left a daughter, Kadey, who is now five years old. He found out about Kadey because the little girl has Rh-null blood (aka “golden blood”), the rarest blood in the world, and Sky was looking for a donor, hoping Kadey’s father might have that Rh-null blood. He does—and that’s a key plot point because her search triggered the Guardians’ snooper programs and that unleashed all sorts of mayhem.
Anubis used the name Kaeden Lang and stuck with it, although that is not his “natural” name. We’re never told, and neither is Sky, what his real name is. He is simply Anubis, a Shadow. Anubis has some peculiar traits that make him quirky and real. They serve a purpose in his Shadow world.
Sky also has several personal behaviors, but they border on the irritating. She bites her nails; many people do, of course, especially when nervous or stressed, but here it gets tiresome. Her fingernails bleed from her biting and Anubis has had to take her hand out of her mouth to get her to stop. It does show the two interacting, but her nail nibbling gets old.
Sky is also emotionally up and down. Of course, she is worried about her daughter who needs surgery and without an Rh-null donor, it cannot be performed. However, Sky’s actions are sometimes strange. She deliberately kept his daughter a secret from Anubis when they met again perhaps three years later, when Kadey was two. I get it, but she had no idea what he did for a living and telling him about his child would have been appropriate…or so it seems. She's also been involved for two years in an abusive relationship. It’s emotional, mean, brutal, and she just takes it. Even her daughter picked up on her boyfriend, Trey’s, nasty treatment of Sky. That jarred with the strength of character the writer has tried to give Sky.
I wondered about the writer's use of a hypersonic boat; could she have meant supersonic? Hypersonic means precisely five times the speed of sound. Reaching Mach 5 in air is a stretch (apart from experimental planes) but on water…? No. And the acceleration would be killer on the human body. Supersonic is faster than the speed of sound (Mach 1) and not a precise Mach number. Supersonic speeds are possible, but again, acceleration (and deceleration) would be hard on the human body.
Occasionally, there is a page that is literally a wall of words. Kindle page 68 (at 24% completion) is a good example of this. The page is covered in words, edge to edge, top to bottom. It is a daunting thing to slog through. There are no breaks, no interruptions. The next page is similar, but three paragraph indents relieve the eye strain.
There is a slight disconnect that occurs regarding Sky and her boyfriend, Trey. Trey complains of the lack of sex and Sky admits, “They hadn’t slept together in about six months.” However, she tells Anubis, “I haven’t been with anyone since.” The “since” is ambiguous but it occurs in a discussion about Kadey’s difficult birth, so it seems that she’s referring to that period of time. She’s been with Trey since then.
There is another disconnect in a shower scene in chapter 9. Anubis and Sky have been discovered in the shower by their daughter, Kadey. Anubis says to Sky, “How are you going to explain me in the shower with you?” I think the writer forgot that Anubis had already been explained two pages previous when Sky told Kadey, “…he’s helping me wash my hair.” The scene is funny and shouldn’t have been forgotten. IMHO.
There are a few errors that cause a reader to step out of the story. For instance:
Thee’s a misspelled word: “…the parents were following numbly behind the hoarde.” This should be spelled “horde,” as in a group or throng.
The incorrect verb is used: “He…sat the two canvas bags on the kitchen counter.” Animate objects (people, pets) sit; inanimate objects (books, canvas bags) set. This should read, “He…set the two canvas bags…” English is a living, evolving language and it changes often; however, the sit/set verbs are still used as indicated here, in a way similar to the lie/lay verbs.
This happens again later: “Sky sat the liquor back and grabbed the water bottle…” This should read, “Sky set the liquor back…”
And again: “Asp carefully sat the spoon down…” This should be, “…carefully set the spoon down…”
A preposition is missing: “Sky drifted his direction and watched…” This should probably read, “Sky drifted in his direction and watched…”
A pronoun is missing here (I think): “He pulled her into him, holding to his chest.” I think Anubis is holding Sky, not himself, to his chest, so this could read, “He pulled her into him, holding her to his chest.”
There is a strange turn of phrase used: “He’d…spent countless hours over the last two days watching…” There are forty-eight hours in two days, scarcely countless. It’s not a terrible oopsy, but it gives a reader pause.
There is a missing period on Kindle page 194: “…the security installed by the new owners was impressive” [A period is needed at the end of the sentence.]
There are several examples of two characters speaking in the same paragraph, giving the impression of only one person speaking. The reader must look back and reread the passage to figure out who is saying what to whom. It upsets the flow of the story. Chapters 21 and 22 have multiple examples of this. In chapter 22, there is a complete dialogue between two characters occurring in one paragraph…very confusing, initially.
There might be an incorrect word choice here: “The operator system works very well…” An operator in programming is a character that denotes a mathematical or logical process. I think the writer might mean, “The operating system works very well…” I’m not sure, of course, but it made me pause to think about its meaning within the conversation among the Guardians who were discussing how their (computer) systems protected the Shadows.
I rated this book 4.5-stars and rounded down to 4-stars because of some of the problems mentioned here. I like the way Ms. Michaels writes – she is easy to read, and her characters always seem to pop right off the page. Her plots are strong and it’s entertaining to follow the Shadows in their pursuits. I did not care for Sky overly much, but she appeared real and conflicted. I like my female leads to be less malleable, but that may be what Anubis found so attractive in her…besides the sex, of course. I enjoyed the discussions between Anubis and Sky. They felt honest when they occurred. Anubis has been a non-communicator which led to the problems in his relationship with Sky, but when they did talk, it felt true to their characters. I will definitely continue with this series.
The plot is complex and includes both a world-wide setting and a personal one. Anubis is a part of the Shadow world of the Guardians. While recuperating in Fresno after a particularly difficult mission, Anubis met Sky Meyer; they spent time together until he had to leave. In fairness, he was always straightforward about his leaving – he told Sky he would not stay. However, upon leaving, he left more than Sky behind. He left a daughter, Kadey, who is now five years old. He found out about Kadey because the little girl has Rh-null blood (aka “golden blood”), the rarest blood in the world, and Sky was looking for a donor, hoping Kadey’s father might have that Rh-null blood. He does—and that’s a key plot point because her search triggered the Guardians’ snooper programs and that unleashed all sorts of mayhem.
Anubis used the name Kaeden Lang and stuck with it, although that is not his “natural” name. We’re never told, and neither is Sky, what his real name is. He is simply Anubis, a Shadow. Anubis has some peculiar traits that make him quirky and real. They serve a purpose in his Shadow world.
Sky also has several personal behaviors, but they border on the irritating. She bites her nails; many people do, of course, especially when nervous or stressed, but here it gets tiresome. Her fingernails bleed from her biting and Anubis has had to take her hand out of her mouth to get her to stop. It does show the two interacting, but her nail nibbling gets old.
Sky is also emotionally up and down. Of course, she is worried about her daughter who needs surgery and without an Rh-null donor, it cannot be performed. However, Sky’s actions are sometimes strange. She deliberately kept his daughter a secret from Anubis when they met again perhaps three years later, when Kadey was two. I get it, but she had no idea what he did for a living and telling him about his child would have been appropriate…or so it seems. She's also been involved for two years in an abusive relationship. It’s emotional, mean, brutal, and she just takes it. Even her daughter picked up on her boyfriend, Trey’s, nasty treatment of Sky. That jarred with the strength of character the writer has tried to give Sky.
I wondered about the writer's use of a hypersonic boat; could she have meant supersonic? Hypersonic means precisely five times the speed of sound. Reaching Mach 5 in air is a stretch (apart from experimental planes) but on water…? No. And the acceleration would be killer on the human body. Supersonic is faster than the speed of sound (Mach 1) and not a precise Mach number. Supersonic speeds are possible, but again, acceleration (and deceleration) would be hard on the human body.
Occasionally, there is a page that is literally a wall of words. Kindle page 68 (at 24% completion) is a good example of this. The page is covered in words, edge to edge, top to bottom. It is a daunting thing to slog through. There are no breaks, no interruptions. The next page is similar, but three paragraph indents relieve the eye strain.
There is a slight disconnect that occurs regarding Sky and her boyfriend, Trey. Trey complains of the lack of sex and Sky admits, “They hadn’t slept together in about six months.” However, she tells Anubis, “I haven’t been with anyone since.” The “since” is ambiguous but it occurs in a discussion about Kadey’s difficult birth, so it seems that she’s referring to that period of time. She’s been with Trey since then.
There is another disconnect in a shower scene in chapter 9. Anubis and Sky have been discovered in the shower by their daughter, Kadey. Anubis says to Sky, “How are you going to explain me in the shower with you?” I think the writer forgot that Anubis had already been explained two pages previous when Sky told Kadey, “…he’s helping me wash my hair.” The scene is funny and shouldn’t have been forgotten. IMHO.
There are a few errors that cause a reader to step out of the story. For instance:
Thee’s a misspelled word: “…the parents were following numbly behind the hoarde.” This should be spelled “horde,” as in a group or throng.
The incorrect verb is used: “He…sat the two canvas bags on the kitchen counter.” Animate objects (people, pets) sit; inanimate objects (books, canvas bags) set. This should read, “He…set the two canvas bags…” English is a living, evolving language and it changes often; however, the sit/set verbs are still used as indicated here, in a way similar to the lie/lay verbs.
This happens again later: “Sky sat the liquor back and grabbed the water bottle…” This should read, “Sky set the liquor back…”
And again: “Asp carefully sat the spoon down…” This should be, “…carefully set the spoon down…”
A preposition is missing: “Sky drifted his direction and watched…” This should probably read, “Sky drifted in his direction and watched…”
A pronoun is missing here (I think): “He pulled her into him, holding to his chest.” I think Anubis is holding Sky, not himself, to his chest, so this could read, “He pulled her into him, holding her to his chest.”
There is a strange turn of phrase used: “He’d…spent countless hours over the last two days watching…” There are forty-eight hours in two days, scarcely countless. It’s not a terrible oopsy, but it gives a reader pause.
There is a missing period on Kindle page 194: “…the security installed by the new owners was impressive” [A period is needed at the end of the sentence.]
There are several examples of two characters speaking in the same paragraph, giving the impression of only one person speaking. The reader must look back and reread the passage to figure out who is saying what to whom. It upsets the flow of the story. Chapters 21 and 22 have multiple examples of this. In chapter 22, there is a complete dialogue between two characters occurring in one paragraph…very confusing, initially.
There might be an incorrect word choice here: “The operator system works very well…” An operator in programming is a character that denotes a mathematical or logical process. I think the writer might mean, “The operating system works very well…” I’m not sure, of course, but it made me pause to think about its meaning within the conversation among the Guardians who were discussing how their (computer) systems protected the Shadows.
I rated this book 4.5-stars and rounded down to 4-stars because of some of the problems mentioned here. I like the way Ms. Michaels writes – she is easy to read, and her characters always seem to pop right off the page. Her plots are strong and it’s entertaining to follow the Shadows in their pursuits. I did not care for Sky overly much, but she appeared real and conflicted. I like my female leads to be less malleable, but that may be what Anubis found so attractive in her…besides the sex, of course. I enjoyed the discussions between Anubis and Sky. They felt honest when they occurred. Anubis has been a non-communicator which led to the problems in his relationship with Sky, but when they did talk, it felt true to their characters. I will definitely continue with this series.
February 2, 2018
I still think Fury (Joseph - Kings of Guardian Book 2) is going to be my favorite shadow asset but Anubis, Asp, Thanatos, and the rest, will be giving him some stiff competition.
This book is an awesome start to a new spin off series from the Kings of Guardian books. Re-occurring characters form the Kings of Guardian are an added bonus and just help draw fans deeper into this World that Kris Michaels has built.
While this story does have the prerequisite scorching hot sex (I tend to skip in favor moving the story along) and a couple of Ani in Action sequences (I wanted more - I'm a little blood thirsty and love action), the story is is mainly about bringing these three people together and finding a way to make them a family. Sky's love for her daughter and Anubis' willingness to do anything for the daughter he never knew he had shine through in their every action. I love how Guardian always pulls together to help/protect one of their own.
The only thing missing from this book was Fury kicking Asp's s$$ (read the book - you'll understand).
Fangirling for a second - If you haven't read a Kris Michaels' book or you have only read Backwater Blessing, do yourself a favor and grab a copy of Jacob (the first Kings of Guardian book) and get sucked into this freakin' fantastic world
This book is an awesome start to a new spin off series from the Kings of Guardian books. Re-occurring characters form the Kings of Guardian are an added bonus and just help draw fans deeper into this World that Kris Michaels has built.
While this story does have the prerequisite scorching hot sex (I tend to skip in favor moving the story along) and a couple of Ani in Action sequences (I wanted more - I'm a little blood thirsty and love action), the story is is mainly about bringing these three people together and finding a way to make them a family. Sky's love for her daughter and Anubis' willingness to do anything for the daughter he never knew he had shine through in their every action. I love how Guardian always pulls together to help/protect one of their own.
The only thing missing from this book was Fury kicking Asp's s$$ (read the book - you'll understand).
Fangirling for a second - If you haven't read a Kris Michaels' book or you have only read Backwater Blessing, do yourself a favor and grab a copy of Jacob (the first Kings of Guardian book) and get sucked into this freakin' fantastic world
December 21, 2023
I really enjoyed rereading this story and the character development. I paid a little more attention this time to Anubis and his feelings. He’s such a strong character that it’s easy to lose sight of his insecurities and vulnerabilities. That’s why that last scene with him and Sky is so important.
My only qualm is the overuse of graphic language. It took away from the enjoyment of the story and the love scenes.
My only qualm is the overuse of graphic language. It took away from the enjoyment of the story and the love scenes.
August 19, 2019
Great start to this series!
This was my second time to read this book, getting ready for Lycos!! Great action and steamy romance means I will definitely read this one again! It’s nice that we still get to keep up with the original Guardians in these books as well
This was my second time to read this book, getting ready for Lycos!! Great action and steamy romance means I will definitely read this one again! It’s nice that we still get to keep up with the original Guardians in these books as well
January 25, 2022
Have to say, the Guardians tick my needed boxes way more than the origin series ( although... am very much looking forward to 'The Siege'... eeep!! )... the characters seem to appeal to me far more. Not sure what that says about me tho!
November 12, 2020
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
💋💋
Excellent book and wonderful characters with chemistry to match.
These books get better every time.
Brilliant!
💋💋
Excellent book and wonderful characters with chemistry to match.
These books get better every time.
Brilliant!
July 26, 2020
The author, Kris Michaels, has kept me in suspense throughout the story and has managed to stir my emotions through the development of events. Although Anubis is an assassin, he's also a vulnerable person when it comes to Sky and his daughter Kadey. He'll do anything to get her to safety and help Kadey get the life-saving surgery she needs. Anubis has a rare blood type and so does Kadey. She urgently needs Rh zero so that she can survive the operation. This has not gone unnoticed by Anubis' enemies and they are trying to track him down through his rare blood group Rh-Zero. But his enemies are now not only after him, but also after his family. Sky and Kadey are in great danger, especially because Kadey needs to be operated on as soon as possible. I like how Anubis addresses the other assassins - former assassins and other characters in history - with their code names, because that reminds me that they have a dangerous past / present existence and they have survived. It is scary and interesting at the same time to see how careful Anubis is to leave no traces of his existence and that he is always aware of the danger in which he lives. That's why he can't have a family! Because of what he is, he would put them in danger. The story is not only exciting, but also has- despite the sometimes serious and dangerous aspects - many humorous moments, especially as another assassin "Asp" is presented. The first book in the new Guardian Security Shadow World series is addictive like Kris Michaels' The Kings of Guardian series. I highly recommend it.
February 18, 2021
The author did a good job of creating likeable characters. We can admire both Kaeden and Sky. The barriers to their relationship aren't caused by stupid misunderstandings or misplaced pride. It centers around Kaeden's dangerous job, but not knowing this, Sky has convinced herself that she and her daughter have to live without him in their lives. Only her daughter's rare blood type, which Kaeden also has, and the child's need for surgery cause Sky to search for him.
The daughter, Kadey, is sweet, and it's enjoyable to see how Kaeden falls under her spell even though, at the beginning, he kept telling himself that he had to keep an emotional distance. The supporting characters are engaging as well. In fact, the only weakness I see in this book is that the people that Kaeden works with are too helpful. Considering his line of work and the evil people who would like him dead, I was expecting Kaeden to have to overcome more obstacles before ensuring that Sky and Kadey were safe. It was a bit of a letdown when he put down the threat so quickly.
The author has a good writing style. There were a few errors (using the word waive when it should have been wave, misspelling the possessive form of people, and toward the end there were a few instances where the change of speaker in dialogue was not signaled by a separate paragraph), but none of these errors affected my enjoyment of the book.
The daughter, Kadey, is sweet, and it's enjoyable to see how Kaeden falls under her spell even though, at the beginning, he kept telling himself that he had to keep an emotional distance. The supporting characters are engaging as well. In fact, the only weakness I see in this book is that the people that Kaeden works with are too helpful. Considering his line of work and the evil people who would like him dead, I was expecting Kaeden to have to overcome more obstacles before ensuring that Sky and Kadey were safe. It was a bit of a letdown when he put down the threat so quickly.
The author has a good writing style. There were a few errors (using the word waive when it should have been wave, misspelling the possessive form of people, and toward the end there were a few instances where the change of speaker in dialogue was not signaled by a separate paragraph), but none of these errors affected my enjoyment of the book.
September 7, 2023
Great secret child and second (or third or fourth) chance
Anubis is told that he has been compromised and then he is told that someone is looking for him and he has a child. When he figures out who is looking for him he is surprised the Sky is looking for him because their daughter he didn't know about is sick but can't have lifesaving heart surgery until they find someone with her rare blood type. Because he has this type they set the process in motion for testing and Casey's surgery. Before the surgery can happen, the lab where he had his testing done is blown up and two people are killed. Figuring it is someone from his past out to kill him, they all go into protective custody of Guardian, but the also set it up so Kadey will still get her surgery and then recuperate at the ranch. Anubis tells Sky that he will stay until Kadey is out of danger from surgery but then he will leave. When the time comes for him to go, he is having g second thoughts about going back to his old life but needs to tie up loose ends with this person who has threatened him and Sky and Kadey. Will Sky and Kadey wait for him at the farm into he gets back or will she figure he isn't coming back and leave? Will he be able to find her and convince her that he loves her and Kadey? What will he do if he isn't in the Shadow world anymore?
Anubis is told that he has been compromised and then he is told that someone is looking for him and he has a child. When he figures out who is looking for him he is surprised the Sky is looking for him because their daughter he didn't know about is sick but can't have lifesaving heart surgery until they find someone with her rare blood type. Because he has this type they set the process in motion for testing and Casey's surgery. Before the surgery can happen, the lab where he had his testing done is blown up and two people are killed. Figuring it is someone from his past out to kill him, they all go into protective custody of Guardian, but the also set it up so Kadey will still get her surgery and then recuperate at the ranch. Anubis tells Sky that he will stay until Kadey is out of danger from surgery but then he will leave. When the time comes for him to go, he is having g second thoughts about going back to his old life but needs to tie up loose ends with this person who has threatened him and Sky and Kadey. Will Sky and Kadey wait for him at the farm into he gets back or will she figure he isn't coming back and leave? Will he be able to find her and convince her that he loves her and Kadey? What will he do if he isn't in the Shadow world anymore?
December 16, 2025
4 - 4.5 Stars
Anubis is the first instalment in the Guardian Security: Shadow World series by Kris Michaels. I couldn't wait to dive into this series - binging my way through this thrilling blend of high-stakes suspense, military precision, and emotional romance. This series is a spin-off from her Kings of Guardian universe, and dives into the covert, dangerous, and morally complex missions of elite operatives working in the shadows where the stakes are high, loyalty is tested, danger is constant, and love often comes at the highest cost.
Each book focuses on a different operative, giving us a fresh perspective each time, while also weaving in an overarching sense of camaraderie and found family. The characters are layered - hardened by their pasts and yet still vulnerable in ways that make them relatable. I recommend reading the series from the beginning, reading each book in sequential order for you to be able to fully appreciate the interconnected relationships and evolving team dynamics.
Ms. Michaels doesn’t shy away from the darker realities of covert work, but she also infuses hope, resilience, and the healing power of love into her storylines.
So, if you enjoy romantic suspense with military and intelligence intrigue, then you will want to dive into this world and experience all the action, passion, and edge of your seat missions for yourself.
Happy Reading…
Anubis is the first instalment in the Guardian Security: Shadow World series by Kris Michaels. I couldn't wait to dive into this series - binging my way through this thrilling blend of high-stakes suspense, military precision, and emotional romance. This series is a spin-off from her Kings of Guardian universe, and dives into the covert, dangerous, and morally complex missions of elite operatives working in the shadows where the stakes are high, loyalty is tested, danger is constant, and love often comes at the highest cost.
Each book focuses on a different operative, giving us a fresh perspective each time, while also weaving in an overarching sense of camaraderie and found family. The characters are layered - hardened by their pasts and yet still vulnerable in ways that make them relatable. I recommend reading the series from the beginning, reading each book in sequential order for you to be able to fully appreciate the interconnected relationships and evolving team dynamics.
Ms. Michaels doesn’t shy away from the darker realities of covert work, but she also infuses hope, resilience, and the healing power of love into her storylines.
So, if you enjoy romantic suspense with military and intelligence intrigue, then you will want to dive into this world and experience all the action, passion, and edge of your seat missions for yourself.
Happy Reading…
December 2, 2023
I borrowed Anubis ~ Guardian Security Shadow World ~ Book 1, by Kris Michaels from the Kindle Unlimited Program.
Anubis was known by his handlers by a number and in the Shadow World by many names and anyone that was sanctioned was gone. After a mission when he had been hurt he rehabed at the South Dakota Annex and then put a pin on the map with his eyes closed and spent six months in the Central Valley of California.
He meet Sky Meyers and found her special but when called in the middle of the night he left her to do his duty with no note or intention of seeing her again. He returned between mission and unknown to him they created his daughter Kadey and now Sky is looking for him because Kadey is ill and has a very rare blood type the Anubis shares with his daughter.
His past quickly catches up to him. Three men attack Sky's home, they escape to an Air Force Bace where Kadey has her surgery and then is moved to the South Dakota Annex to recover.
Anubis stays in California to take care of 'loose ends' and he does. The threat against him and his family is removed, and he knows he wants Sky and Kadey in his life but can he learn to live in the light for them?
Anubis was known by his handlers by a number and in the Shadow World by many names and anyone that was sanctioned was gone. After a mission when he had been hurt he rehabed at the South Dakota Annex and then put a pin on the map with his eyes closed and spent six months in the Central Valley of California.
He meet Sky Meyers and found her special but when called in the middle of the night he left her to do his duty with no note or intention of seeing her again. He returned between mission and unknown to him they created his daughter Kadey and now Sky is looking for him because Kadey is ill and has a very rare blood type the Anubis shares with his daughter.
His past quickly catches up to him. Three men attack Sky's home, they escape to an Air Force Bace where Kadey has her surgery and then is moved to the South Dakota Annex to recover.
Anubis stays in California to take care of 'loose ends' and he does. The threat against him and his family is removed, and he knows he wants Sky and Kadey in his life but can he learn to live in the light for them?
February 4, 2018
As a huge fan of the Guardian Security series I was so excited to dive into the Shadow World and find out more about Anubis who we first met in Jewell. I knew I would fall in love with this character but what I didn't count on was how much he and his girls would own my heart by the end of their story. When a man has lived his life immersed in the shadows and devoid of emotions then to be suddenly thrust into the light to save the daughter he didn't even know existed and the woman that held is heart, this can only lead to nothing but confusion of the heart and mind. Sky and Anubis (aka Kaeden) is a story that is full of emotion, suspense, drama, angst, secrets and passion. There is plenty of appearances by our favourites from Guardian Security because when you are part of their family they will do anything and everything to guide you out of the darkness. Anubis held me captive from the very first page and just wouldn't let go. This first book in the Shadow World series is nothing less than ten stars and one of the best books that Kris Michaels has written.
October 26, 2019
3.5 Stars!!
A great start to the spin-off series for the original Kings Of Guardian series. Do yourself a favour and read that series before commencing on this spin-off, everything will make a lot more sense and the relationships and background will make this a much richer story.
This novel starts off with the unintentional secret baby trope. If that’s your favorite like it is mine, you will be into this book. It’s pretty low-angst secret baby though. Sky has been in a serial one night stand relationship with Guardian Assassin, code name Anubis who she knows as Kaeden. She has no idea how to contact him or what he does, unfortunately she needs him because unbeknownst to him, they have a little daughter who needs heart surgery and she has an extremely rare blood type. In trying to find Kaeden, Sky triggers alarms and Kaeden is forced to come out of the woodwork to face his past and protect his new family from danger.
I love this new series and I’m already looking forward to reading Asp’s book next. This author has become a romantic suspense favourite.
A great start to the spin-off series for the original Kings Of Guardian series. Do yourself a favour and read that series before commencing on this spin-off, everything will make a lot more sense and the relationships and background will make this a much richer story.
This novel starts off with the unintentional secret baby trope. If that’s your favorite like it is mine, you will be into this book. It’s pretty low-angst secret baby though. Sky has been in a serial one night stand relationship with Guardian Assassin, code name Anubis who she knows as Kaeden. She has no idea how to contact him or what he does, unfortunately she needs him because unbeknownst to him, they have a little daughter who needs heart surgery and she has an extremely rare blood type. In trying to find Kaeden, Sky triggers alarms and Kaeden is forced to come out of the woodwork to face his past and protect his new family from danger.
I love this new series and I’m already looking forward to reading Asp’s book next. This author has become a romantic suspense favourite.
May 9, 2021
Anubis is the first book in the Guardian Security spinoff series Shadow World.
I adored Kaeden! He was a shadow, which to me is similar to good guy mercenary. Because of his job, Kaeden didn’t believe he deserved to be happy. He’d spent his life living in the shadows and never formed any bonds or relationships, with the exception of Sky. Although Kaeden loved her, he knew his presence would bring danger to Sky’s life.
Sky loved Kaeden, but she was tired of him constantly leaving. Which was why she kept a huge secret from him. Whenever their daughter becomes ill and needs Kaeden's very rare blood type, Sky reaches out hoping he can help.
This is the second book in the Guardian world where the leading lady gets pregnant but doesn’t tell the father. I don’t like that scenario and it has always bothered me. But as I knew he would, Kaeden stepped up and realized how important both mother and child were. He promised to do whatever was necessary to keep them safe.
I like the Shadows, and am excited about reading each of their stories.
I adored Kaeden! He was a shadow, which to me is similar to good guy mercenary. Because of his job, Kaeden didn’t believe he deserved to be happy. He’d spent his life living in the shadows and never formed any bonds or relationships, with the exception of Sky. Although Kaeden loved her, he knew his presence would bring danger to Sky’s life.
Sky loved Kaeden, but she was tired of him constantly leaving. Which was why she kept a huge secret from him. Whenever their daughter becomes ill and needs Kaeden's very rare blood type, Sky reaches out hoping he can help.
This is the second book in the Guardian world where the leading lady gets pregnant but doesn’t tell the father. I don’t like that scenario and it has always bothered me. But as I knew he would, Kaeden stepped up and realized how important both mother and child were. He promised to do whatever was necessary to keep them safe.
I like the Shadows, and am excited about reading each of their stories.
February 3, 2018
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
WOW!! Anubis is a rocket-launching beginning to the sequel series to the Kings of Guardian series! The story begins with a shadow operative being called in to a safe house because he may be compromised. Someone has entered a DNA profile into a unified system that searches for potential matches and there is enough similarities to investigate. The DNA belongs to Anubis’ daughter, one he had no idea he had fathered, and she needs his help.
Anubis met Sky while on medical leave 6 years before. He had to leave unexpectedly and he left in the middle of the night, knowing there could never be more of a relationship because it would be unsafe. Now he’s back to help his daughter. He and Sky are still combustible together. They end up on the run to save their family and their daughter’s life. Most shadow operatives never come back into the light, but now Anubis has to choose: a life forever in the dark and without love or a chance at a future with his family!
WOW!! Anubis is a rocket-launching beginning to the sequel series to the Kings of Guardian series! The story begins with a shadow operative being called in to a safe house because he may be compromised. Someone has entered a DNA profile into a unified system that searches for potential matches and there is enough similarities to investigate. The DNA belongs to Anubis’ daughter, one he had no idea he had fathered, and she needs his help.
Anubis met Sky while on medical leave 6 years before. He had to leave unexpectedly and he left in the middle of the night, knowing there could never be more of a relationship because it would be unsafe. Now he’s back to help his daughter. He and Sky are still combustible together. They end up on the run to save their family and their daughter’s life. Most shadow operatives never come back into the light, but now Anubis has to choose: a life forever in the dark and without love or a chance at a future with his family!
February 13, 2020
ANOTHER FANTASTIC READ!!!😁
This book was so interesting! The storyline was unique, exciting, suspenseful and heartwarming all at the same time!!!! I loved Kadey.... When she referred to her father Kaeden as "Prince Charmin" at the beginning of the book my heart melted and I knew the story was going to be another winner....Which it was 100%!! Sky and Kaeden were swoony and sweet together and I enjoyed immensely reading about their journey to happiness... And, Kaeden's revenge, was very cleverly done and enhanced the story and was riveting too!!! I always love when all the other characters from the Guardian team are interspersed throughout the story... All of them are so real to me after reading all the previous books in the series that it's like finding out what new things my book family is doing!😀😁😊 I highly recommend this book.... You won't be able to put it down!!!!
This book was so interesting! The storyline was unique, exciting, suspenseful and heartwarming all at the same time!!!! I loved Kadey.... When she referred to her father Kaeden as "Prince Charmin" at the beginning of the book my heart melted and I knew the story was going to be another winner....Which it was 100%!! Sky and Kaeden were swoony and sweet together and I enjoyed immensely reading about their journey to happiness... And, Kaeden's revenge, was very cleverly done and enhanced the story and was riveting too!!! I always love when all the other characters from the Guardian team are interspersed throughout the story... All of them are so real to me after reading all the previous books in the series that it's like finding out what new things my book family is doing!😀😁😊 I highly recommend this book.... You won't be able to put it down!!!!
August 16, 2023
Great book
What a great book. I really like how crazy bad*ass Anubis (Kaeden) is as he’s an assassin for Guardian Security. I was hooked on this book right from the beginning and was enthralled the entire time. He and Sky are great together and I really like their daughter. She’s adorable and sweet. They are fighting through the daughter’s illness, someone trying to kill them and navigating through their relationship. Anubis is sweet to Sky and daughter. I also really like how the author showed us his skills as an assassin. So cool how successful he is at it. No angst or drama. Good suspense without getting into too much details of the bad guy so that the book is still a light romance book and not dark at all.
I also really like the other assassin Asp and can’t wait to read his book, which is next in the series. I highly recommend this book and can totally see me reading this again.
What a great book. I really like how crazy bad*ass Anubis (Kaeden) is as he’s an assassin for Guardian Security. I was hooked on this book right from the beginning and was enthralled the entire time. He and Sky are great together and I really like their daughter. She’s adorable and sweet. They are fighting through the daughter’s illness, someone trying to kill them and navigating through their relationship. Anubis is sweet to Sky and daughter. I also really like how the author showed us his skills as an assassin. So cool how successful he is at it. No angst or drama. Good suspense without getting into too much details of the bad guy so that the book is still a light romance book and not dark at all.
I also really like the other assassin Asp and can’t wait to read his book, which is next in the series. I highly recommend this book and can totally see me reading this again.
April 26, 2025
Interesting read
Haven read this du grande In a While, and though this wasn’t as action packed as expected, it still captivated my interest. And I suspect each book will be unique in its story so you aren’t reading the same thing over and over.
Trigger warning: the book evolves around a little girl with a congenital heart defect and needs open heart surgery. It’s very triggering for any parent who’s lived this portion of the story, I of course have so I was surprised I even kept reading as I don’t like to be reminded of this time in my child’s life when I’m really just looking For escape at the end of the day.
Overall though, very well written, great characters. The couple are in a unique situation but handle things rather maturely when sharing how they feel. And I liked that. No dragged out guessing game.
HEA: Yes
Spice: Yes, open-door, more romantic feeling, but several intimate scenes.
Cliffhanger: No, but ends with hints for next book in series.
Haven read this du grande In a While, and though this wasn’t as action packed as expected, it still captivated my interest. And I suspect each book will be unique in its story so you aren’t reading the same thing over and over.
Trigger warning: the book evolves around a little girl with a congenital heart defect and needs open heart surgery. It’s very triggering for any parent who’s lived this portion of the story, I of course have so I was surprised I even kept reading as I don’t like to be reminded of this time in my child’s life when I’m really just looking For escape at the end of the day.
Overall though, very well written, great characters. The couple are in a unique situation but handle things rather maturely when sharing how they feel. And I liked that. No dragged out guessing game.
HEA: Yes
Spice: Yes, open-door, more romantic feeling, but several intimate scenes.
Cliffhanger: No, but ends with hints for next book in series.
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