Token of Darkness

Den of Shadows #6

by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes

Cooper Blake has everything going for him - until he wakes from a car accident with his football career in ruins and a mysterious, attractive girl by his side. Cooper doesn't know how Samantha got there or why he can see her; all he knows is that she's a ghost, and the shadows that surround her seem intent on destroying her.

No one from Cooper's old life would understand what he can barely grasp himself... But Delilah, the captain of the cheerleading squad, has secrets of her own, like her ability to see beyond the physical world, and her tangled history with Brent, a loner from a neighboring school who can hear strangers' most intimate thoughts. Delilah and Brent know that Cooper is in more trouble than he realizes, and that Samantha may not be as innocent as she has led Cooper to believe. But the only way to figure out where Samantha came from will put them all in more danger than they ever dreamed possible.

Token of Darkness is a chilling, irresistable read about the nature of power - and responsibility.

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Vampires, Supernatural, Ghosts, Fiction

197 pages, Hardcover

First published January 22, 2010

About the author

I grew up in Concord, Massachusetts, where I matriculated through the public Concord-Carlisle school district from kindergarten until my graduation in 2001. The best part of school, from fifth grade until the year I graduated, was definitely chorus. I love music, and I love to sing, and though I never had the courage or the talent to participate in any of the high school plays as a performer, I enjoyed being involved at other levels; the music and drama community at CCHS was the highlight of my high school career. I was also on the fencing team for two years, an experience that actually inspired a couple storylines, and regret that I did not continue with that sport.

I now live in Massachusetts with several pets... as well as, of course, my family. I am a student at the University of Massachusetts, with an English/psychology double-major. I hope to work either as an English teacher at the secondary level, or in special education. I have strong opinions about literacy, education, and how our educational systems are treated- strong enough that most of my friends know not to get me started on the subject.

My non-writing hobbies are eclectic, and cover everything from rather domestic pastimes like cross-stitch and cooking to aquarium keeping, playing piano, gardening, carpentry, Harley-Davidsons, driving, and arguing- there are few things I enjoy more than a good debate with someone who knows how to argue, which might have something to do with a best friend who works in politics. I love to learn, so if I have down-time and nothing to do, it is not at all unusual to find me pouring over some book, website or video designed to teach me some new skill, from belly dancing (something I desperately want to learn but have not yet been brave enough to sign up for classes on) to JavaScript.

Reviews

[Alaina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Token of Darkness will be a little bit different than the books before it within this series. WHY? Oh, because...there are none of my favorite vampires in it and there are no vampires at all. Even though it disappoints in that area it is still a really good book. I gobbled it up within an hour - maybe less? I don't know I don't time myself on these things. I really liked Cooper's character in this book - he was probably my favorite in the entire book. Whereas Samantha and Brent sort of helped the book move a long here and there, Delilah was just kind of there and did nothing. At least that's how I felt.

Overall, I liked the book but it wasn't my favorite within the series.

[Sav · Rating 1 out of 5]

The author's ability to write such self-aware genericness is mind-boggling. It's truly bewildering to me that in the 13 or however many years that this woman has been publishing novels she has not improved at all. Maybe it is just her natural style, that she writes completely unengaging books that I waste precious money on. There was nothing special about this book, not a single scene or line that drew me in or made me want to read more. Certainly I didn't care what happened. Except for one minor detail (the ghost is not a ghost, she's an elemental of some kind for some reason!), the story was completely unoriginal, and nothing about it was interesting. Maybe if the characters were more developed, or if there was a subplot of some kind, or or or or-- no, it just wasn't good. Selling this one back through Amazon, I'm afraid.

[nidah05 (SleepDreamWrite) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another book that I had taken a long break from. I like the author but lately haven't been catching up with the rest of the books in this series. So this is a 3.5 for me.

Finally, finally got around to it and found while the writing was good to okay, the characters were well, the same way. Either okay or good I guess? I like the cover.

Near the ending there it was kind of cute. Though I was reminded of the Ghost and the Goth books for some reason. Basically, an okay to good quick read and will try to catch up with this series.

It does have its moments, with some potential with the character of Samantha. I wanted to know a little more about the characters. I mean we do get a little character info throughout, but still. A quick, has its moments, good to okay kind of read.

[Rebecca May · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finished this book, leaned back in my chair, and thought; “Okay, why didn’t I enjoy that as much as the others?” The simple answer? THERE WERE NO VAMPIRES. That might seem like a rather petty reason to give a book four stars instead of five, but I’m used to having vampires in the Den of Shadows series. And I do have a less superficial reason for giving Token of Darkness four stars instead of five – to be honest none of the characters were as engaging or sympathetic as the other characters in the previous books in this series.

So yes, aside from the total lack of vampires anywhere in this book – don’t worry, I am going to stop complaining eventually – none of the characters in Token of Darkness were (I found) anywhere near as compelling as all of those of Amelia Atwater Rhodes’ previous books. For some reason in this novel she had a really hard time making me care about any of them. Aside from perhaps Cooper – but of course if I hadn’t felt anything for the main character I wouldn’t have read the book. And don’t get me wrong, all of the characters were okay to some extent – it was just that none of them had the compelling, jarring impact I’ve come to expect from reading the previous books in the Den of Shadows series.

The premise of the book as stated on the blurb was, admittedly, interesting, but soon lost its charm after you discovered that the “mysterious attractive girl/ghost” was in fact a whiney brat. Okay, so I’m being a bit harsh, admittedly, she wasn’t always that bad – but sometimes she was. There were some times when her fear at being left alone was tugging at my heart-strings, but at other times she was petulant and annoying. And what was with her stealing Brent’s body, and kissing Cooper while she was inside Brent? That’s officially crossing the line for me.

Cooper was the only truly compelling character in this story, though his value was blunted by the plot of Token of Darkness. And this was even more surprising for me, because I don’t usually connect well with characters who like playing sports – I’m not a sporty person. But I could see Cooper loved football and loved his team, and I could see how much it hurt him not to be able to play because of his injury. Aside from that, Cooper was sensitive, intelligent, brave, and he had a really neat relationship with his father. And I respect him immensely for putting up with Samantha and all the other shit – like little dark magic creatures trying to eat him. Cooper was patient and caring, and at times it was cute how scared he was of hurting others.

Cooper’s friend Brent was also an interesting character, if a little more flat than Cooper. I was almost laughing out loud (which would have been most unfortunate in the Senior Common Room) during their conversation about ghosts. Both Cooper and Brent were so ridiculously transparent, but neither realized the others glaringly obvious secret – well, Brent kind of did. For one, if Cooper is so accurately describing every tiny detail about his ghost, how could you not pick up that there must be something behind that? But more importantly, if Brent is shooting out all these very assured answers about types of ghosts and mannerisms of ghosts… well, if it was me, I would at least be asking Brent how the hell he knew so much about ghosts. In any case, Brent was a really great character – cool, down to earth, easy-ish to relate to, and smart.

Aside from Samantha – who I’ll talk about some more later – the main female in this book was Delilah. She was a bad-ass sorceress, shameless flirt, and popular school cheerleader. She was a bit of a ruthless hard-core power-hungry bitch at times, to be honest. I read in another review of this book that this person was annoyed at people like me; people like me are (apparently) annoyed at those characteristics in females but praise/swoon over male characters with those same attributes. Guilty as charged – but that wasn’t why I disliked Delilah, and some hard-core females (in fact most) are actually pretty cool. What annoyed me overall was her complete and utter idiocy in her quest for power, especially as she’d almost killed herself in a similar endeavour beforehand. Really, I don’t understand Ryan’s affection for the stupid girl.

Ryan was a good addition to the story in terms of humans in the Den of Shadows world – because previously we haven’t really seen any humans with powers. I didn’t quite know what to think of Ryan – I liked how smart he was, and his bluntness and general bad-ass-ness, as well as his expert command of sorcery. But on the other hand sometimes his bluntness wasn’t a good thing, so I didn’t know what to think. For example, when he scared Cooper with the thought of those little black demon creatures feeding off him.

Speaking of little black demon creatures – what was with that? That was frankly just weird, and didn’t push the story along all that much, aside from partly explaining Cooper’s troubled nature. And speaking of frankly just weird… the ending; I really had a problem with two major things in the ending. 1; I really wasn’t comfortable with the huge amount of body-swapping going on, and 2; That Samantha wasn’t really, well, Samantha. That she was a water elemental who had taken on the personality of a memory of someone’s sister, so was kind of herself but kind of not… I didn’t get it, to be honest, and I didn’t like the idea that this character we’d been rooting for most of the book wasn’t really a proper person, though she may have become one by the end. Which was a relief, but I’d like to know whether that personality was real. Anyway, enough from me on that topic.

So overall, Token of Darkness was a good story, just not up to the standards of its predecessors. It’s characters weren’t as good and it’s plot line just a little too weird and confusing, along with the complete lack of vampires. But still, it’s only a short read, so I think I will read it again along with the rest of the series.

For anyone interested in discussing the Den of Shadows series with other people, or in role-playing the Den of Shadows world, here's the link to my group: http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/1...
Feel free to join! All welcome. :)

[MJ Codename: ♕Duchess♕]

dnf @ page 66

I just can't get through this book. I think if I was still a teenager I could get through but I can't. I used to be obsessed with Amelia's books but as I've gotten older, I've realized how basic they are and it's pretty disappointing when there's authors like Rowling and Maas who write amazing young adult novels at an adult level.

[Briar's Reviews · Rating 2 out of 5]

I haven't read any of the previous books in this series. I picked it up because my local Coles had it on sale for $5.00 and to me, that's a steal. I wanted to read some new books and decided this was a new author with a cool title, cover, and synopsis for their books.

I liked the story but I was a little bored. I didn't understand what was going on. I definitely needed to read the whole series to understand the relevant of anything. I very much felt like I jumped in randomly.

The book is well written, but I didn't connect with the characters and I was kind of confused what was going on. It felt very... meh. Not for me, that's for sure.

Two out of five stars.

[Cyna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. This book leaves an overall impression of "meh" on me. It's actually kind of weird, because when I think of the specifics of the book itself, I can actually come up with more elements that I liked than ones that I didn't, but somehow, the overall response it evoked was one of bland indifference.

The concept here is something of a switch for Atwater-Rhodes' Den of Shadows books, in that it doesn't focus on that predator-prey dynamic between a human and a vampire, or the vampires and the witches. In fact, it doesn't have any vampires at all. Or witches. Or shifters. No, our cast here is almost exclusively human, the story is more mystery than action, and it's...well, kind of nice.

I'll be perfectly honest, I kind of expected to be bored by the lack of vampire/witch/shifter presence, but Atwater-Rhodes gets points for making her magically-inclined humans as much an interesting part of the world mythology as the supes. Nine books in, and we've really never gotten an idea of how humans factor in to the DoS world - aside from the ones who become snacks for, or are destined to be turned in to, vampires, of course. Turns out, there is actually quite a range of psychics and human "sorcerers" who exist outside the scope of the world that we've seen so far, and whose powers work completely differently than those of born-witch magic users like, say, the Vida family.

The primary focus of Token of Darkness is Cooper, an accidental psychic who woke up from a near-fatal accident with a "ghost" named Samantha at his side, presumably as a free gift with purchase. She has no idea who she is or how she died, but Cooper figures that if she followed him home, then in accordance with popular culture, he must be intended to help her move on or something. Unfortunately, weeks of research have turned up zilch, even on something as basic as her identity, so the quest to send Samantha in to the light has come to something of a dead end.

Though he's become somewhat resigned to Samantha's presence, Cooper hasn't quite recovered from any of the other effects of his crash. He's plagued by remnants of the trauma, both physical and psychological, and that's probably the best part of the book. That sounds awful, but let me explain.

Cooper's surviving the crash was miraculous, but he didn't escape unscathed. His body is healing, but there's massive scarring, and hip and knee issues keep him from being fully physically able. Psychologically, he's difficultly adjusting to the idea of his new limitations and connecting with any of his family or friends. To make matters worse, PTSD has left him struggling with nightmares, flashbacks, and anxiety attacks - especially in cars.

All of this is very well-realized throughout the book. You see it in every part of Cooper's life - in his decision to walk or utilize public transit whenever possible, in his nightmares and his inability to sleep, in his awkward exchanges with school mates. He's dealing with a lot in the wake of the crash, and I liked the acknowledgement of that. Trauma recovery as seen in urban fantasy (adult and YA) is typically either non-existent or, well, off-the-charts dramatic. Token of Darkness falls somewhere in the middle, and rings far truer than anything else I've read, dealing with similar issues.

That being said, I was a little uncomfortable with the idea that some of Cooper's lingering trauma could have just been the result of bad psychic juju...

Read complete review at You're Killing.Us.

[Jordan · Rating 2 out of 5]

When I was in middle school, I read a lot of books by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes and thoroughly enjoyed them. I guess because I read them a while ago and preferred a different style back then, that I didn't enjoy this book as much because my tastes have changed from when I first read her books. I liked her old stuff more in my opinion, but my age could have been the reason for that. I was disappointed by this book. The book sort of seemed like it was thrown together and it just didn't gel with me...at all.

Token of Darkness is a story about a teenage boy named Cooper Blake that was in a horrific accident and because of the accident, is now seeing a girl that nobody else can see. Eh, the story line sounded sort of cliche to me, but I went ahead and checked it out from the library. I was constantly putting off reading the book because I was simply bored of it. I thought Ryan was an intersecting character though; if only he had been more developed it could have been better in my opinion. I guess this book wasn't the one for me. It was pretty much a two star book in my opinion.


Check out my blog! :) http://ladylunareviews.wordpress.com/

[Ikayuro · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh man.

Normally, no matter what Atwater-Rhodes book I read, I can usually find myself really vibing with it when it finally wraps up. Not this one though, sadly... there's just not enough character development for anyone involved, the book wraps up too quickly RIGHT after the climax of the story, and it just kinda... you're left hanging. Plus, it's weird that it's supposedly part of her Den of Shadows series but none of the normal characters or races are even mentioned in it?

Just wasn't for me, I suppose!

[Steph | bookedinsaigon · Rating 1 out of 5]

Elementary writing; a storyline that goes nowhere; unsympathetic, underdeveloped characters. From the start we are thrown into a confusing world that is supposedly ours with a paranormal twist, but it feels more like a story that belongs on an episode of, like, Charmed, or Buffy. Fans of L. J. Smith, Vivian Vande Velde, and Lois Duncan will no doubt be able to overlook its similar flaws and find the book interesting, but this just wasn’t for me.

[Sherry · Rating 1 out of 5]

Why do I keep reading Amelia Atwater-Rhodes? She blew me away with "In the Forests of the Night," then lost me. "Hawksong" was a good first attempt at adding sexual tension to YA, but anything after that has been so bland and follows this formula: long exposition that takes up three-quarters of the book followed by an explanation that comes from nowhere and "happily ever after" conclusion. This book is no different.

[Sean Olen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute little supernatural story with a cute story line. It was cute. 🤷🏼‍♂️

[Alexandra Bayer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cooper Blake thought he lived in a normal world - up until he was involved in a huge car accident, resulting in a coma. When he wakes, not only can he see a girl named Samantha that seems to be invisible to everyone else, but he can also see creeping shadows, always surrounding him, always looking for a way in. On his own, Cooper doesn't know what to do. But when he meets Brent at the library, things change. Brent is a telepath, and he can see, by reading Cooper's thoughts, what Cooper is seeing - and he knows that Cooper isn't crazy. Brent introduces Cooper to Ryan le Coire, and through him, access to a world of sorcery beyond anything Cooper had ever imagined. However, Ryan says ghosts do not exist - but then who, or what, is Samantha? Is she truly Cooper's friend? Or is she, along with the shadows, out for his blood?

This book made me remember why I love YA fiction. I've been reading primarily adult books for the past while, and was reluctant to return to YA for fear of no longer finding the characters relatable. This novel proved my doubts wrong. I always tell myself how smart children and teens are, because I remember being that age, and how frustrated I would get when adults underestimated my abilities. Maybe that message needs to be louder in my head, though. In YA - well-written YA, at least - the characters are always relatable. If not by situation, then by choices and thoughts. I found all of the characters in this novel relatable or otherwise understandable; the author provided a peek behind their curtains in some way or another. My point: this book is a great example of good YA.

If you're looking to be scared, this book probably isn't for you. It is paranormal, and although the concepts are scary, there were no in-the-moment attacks that had to be faced. The most dramatic part of the book was the description of the car crash; however, this was recalled as a memory. That's not to say that this book was not enjoyable; in fact, I think that the lack of horror made me enjoy it more. It meant that I could read it at any time, in any mood, and enjoy it. With what's going on in the world right now, I wasn't up for anything too dark. I love paranormal books, and this one delivered, with ghosts-that-weren't-really-ghosts, telepathy, and sorcery. But, ultimately, it was a light book. Again, that's not a bad thing - in my case, it was a really good one.

I did not realize when I started reading this book that it was part of a series, let alone the sixth book. I even thought that it may be the first book in a series. The world was extremely well-built, and the characters effortlessly interconnected, but there wasn't much history mentioned. I assumed it was a standalone, even after I finished it, because it left off in a pretty good place, with most things tied up. So, if you happen upon this book and are debating whether or not to read it because of its place in a series - do. It doesn't need to be read alongside the others in order to be enjoyed.

If you're looking for a creative new YA paranormal read, this is it. I would definitely read the other books in this series, although thanks to the ending of this story, I don't feel I have to. I would rate this novel four stars. Amelia Atwood-Rhodes is clearly talented - apparently she wrote her first book at age 13! - and I would definitely be open to reading her other works in the future. I would recommend this novel to readers looking for an nontraditional paranormal story, multiple main characters, or a quick read.

[Jessica (a GREAT read) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amelia Atwater-Rhodes's Token of Darkness was a one day read. It went by really quick and I'm at a loss to say if this was a good thing or bad thing. While parts of the story were very intriguing, I felt like things were wrapped up too quickly. Once the true problem presented itself, one of the characters basically said "let's do 'x'!" and all is well again. But again, I must say that it was still a good story in general, I just wished the length was more.

It's been months since Cooper's accident that has left him scarred and damaged in more ways than one. Seeing the ghost of a girl his age named, Samantha, has been only one of the new changes. He's gotten used to Samantha hanging around him. She's become almost like a friend in some ways. She longs to be mortal again. Though her memories of when she was alive are vague and practically nonexistent.

When trying to research ways of helping Samantha move on, her meets Brent, a guy his age who is used to weird things and the like. He knows someone who might be able to help with Cooper's ghost problem, because the same person helped him with his own psychic abilities.

Another character, Delilah is also around who has her own set of magical talents. She felt off to me from the getgo. She seemed almost sinister or conniving in ways. Though her character development never really got a chance to shine. She was just there and seemingly bad.

It soon comes into question that Samantha may be something other than a ghost and that's when the story got really interesting and yet, a little confusing too. The revealing of what she is was a tad muddled and I never really grasped the whys and hows of it all. And then there was a half-hearted attempt at connecting two events to one another and explaining how things came to be in the beginning. It was interesting to say the least, but again, I felt like things were too rushed at times. That the whole trying to wrap things up happened so hurriedly to get it all in a neat little bow. And then story itself is still under 200 pages, I couldn't understand the need to rush things through.

Overall it was an okay story. It wasn't the best Amelia has written, I found I really enjoyed her earlier works the most, as that was what spawned my love for vampire stories. This little mishap, naturally won't stop me from reading more of her books either!


Overall Rating 3/5 stars

[Rae · Rating 1 out of 5]

When I was younger I was a very big fan of the author, even had a fansite dedicated to her books. I loved her first novels but have not read anything by her in quite a while. When I stumbled over Token of Darkness I dind't think about it and just bought it. A big mistake on my part.

Honestly, I don't know if I just outgrew AAR or if this book is so much worse than her other books but it was a pain to finish. There is not one character in it that's actually likable or that you find any reason to care about. They are shallow and badly written and you get the same information about them over and over and over again. It's amazing how boring they are. Boring characters are more or less a death sentence for a book but if the story is interesting enough, sometimes it's worth to pull through. Unfortunately the story itself is just as bad as the characters. Most of the time things happen that are never really explained or if they are explained, it's pretty poorly done. There are a lot of plotholes but since the story overall is not good, it doesn't really matter. Neither story nor characters give you any reason to care, anyway.

If you are interested in the author, you should try some of her earlier work (Forests of the night or Demon in my view are fantastic) but skip this one. It's not worth the time.

[Yin Chien · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is my first book by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes, and I have to say it doesn't leave a good impression to me. The story is quite boring from the beginning until the middle part, and I feel like it was put together without a main point. Yes, I know Cooper's involved in an accident, and there's a ghost who's not really a ghost called Samantha accompanying him, but that's all. I don't feel connected to either character. I think the "darkness" and "shadows" are supposed to make the reader feel scared or at least, acknowledge that it has some horrifying effect. But no, I don't feel anything, at all. I think The Complete Horowitz Horror (which is intended for children aged 12+) is so much better than this book.

The ending is slightly better, but it still sounds off. Not quite right, I mean. Turns out Samantha the ghost is actually an elemental, which is a raw form of power. It finally resides in Margaret's body (Margaret is her maker) and Cooper promises to take her out for a date. Duh.

This book is slightly entertaining. That's the most I can say.

[Tammie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've enjoyed reading Amelia Atwater-Rhodes's books. They are by no means deep or thought provoking, but they have been quick, entertaining reads. This one was just okay. It was interesting but definitely not one of her better ones. I really don't think that she has grown much as a writer over the years. Her first books were published when she was a teen and her recent ones still read pretty much the same. I originally started reading these because my teenage daughter was reading them, but she is older now and has moved on. I think I will too.

[Kiira · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was an overall ok book. It had undeveloped characters, and not a very descriptive plot. but the idea was good. Maybe if the author put more time into it, it might have been better. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone.

[Sarah McMahon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of the books that I come back to time and time again. It's not a difficult read by any stretch of the term, but I still found myself reading it for perhaps the thirtieth time, and I'm twenty-one years old.

The story feels a little rushed, but that's likely because it's a short book. But what the author does in those hundred-something pages is significant. First of all, Cooper (our main character) deals with some pretty serious PTSD. He is involved in a car accident that leaves him more dead than alive, and the aftermath follows him (both physically and mentally) throughout the book. I really like how his trauma is handled in this story- it's not overdramatized or romanticized. It just is. YA needs more of this healthy representation of disability. Even in the scene in the library- where the librarian says the elevator is for *handicapped use only* casually shows an important facet of living with a disability. He is disabled in a way that he can appear normal, so bias like this is handed to him regularly. The author handles it nonchalantly, in a way that makes it really just seem like a part of his life.

Next- the way it deals with the question of what it means to be human is stunning. We have our two main characters- Cooper and Samantha. Cooper, in the aftermath of his accident, finds himself wondering if living and putting in the effort it will take to recover is worth it. He is alive, but his body is damaged- no longer his. He's frustrated with his mortality, and as I mentioned before, he struggles physically on a daily basis. Samantha, on the other hand, would kill for the chance to be alive. As a creature that is not human, she is unable to interact with the physical world around her, which means she can't eat, or move anything, or touch anyone. Throughout the story she laments this constantly. She reminds Cooper that even though his body hurts, it's still his. She is angry that she cannot cry. In one scene, Cooper is trying desperately to console a frightened Samantha, but he cannot touch her. Delilah refuses to refer to Samantha as human, but "respects her as a person." Even Cooper's ability to move someone without moving their body- and his existence outside of his flesh- adds up to this theme. What does it mean to be alive? To be human? A person? The author of this book tells us that each of these questions has very different answers, and how they matter to us depends on who we are.
For example, in the story Ryan is dismissive of Samantha because she is a power and not a person. He doesn't trust her, doesn't respect her. Cooper, on the other hand, respects her as a person even after learning she is not and was never alive or human. Delilah, upon realizing she is a power and not a human, tries to use her to her own ends. The way the characters understand the answers to these three critical questions tells us more about them than any backstory or physical description ever could.

In fact, it even tells us a little bit about ourselves, I think.

[Anne Bassman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hadn't read this book before because it didn't seem to fit in with the other Den of Shadows series. I thought it was an okay read. Cooper was really depressed and didn't have much of a personality as a result. Samantha was honestly kind of annoying. Delilah was straight up a narcissistic sociopath, as was Ryan. The only really relatable person was poor Brent. I was glad that the book ended on a happy note, but the ending was still rather confusing to me. I don't understand how a water elemental can inhabit a human body for a long period of time. Or for that matter, want to inhabit a human body. All the souls shifting around into different bodies and the mention of shadows that attack people isn't really addressed in the other books either. In fact, human involvement is rarely mentioned in the Den of Shadows series at all. Not my favorite of the series, but not horrible.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 1/2 Stars

Token of Darkness is the sixth book in The Den of Shadows series by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes.
This is a great YA, paranormal fantasy series with ghosts, vampires, witches, shapeshifters, supernatural elements, mystery, suspense, danger, action, drama, and a little angst.
Cooper Blake had a promising career ahead of him as a football player- but all that chanced in an instant when a car accident shatters all his dreams. Wen a mysterious girl turns up out of the blue, Cooper has a lot to figure out before its too late.
An original, spooky story- with fully developed and interesting characters. It’s well crafted and is a credit to Ms. Atwater-Rhodes!
A fun read!

Thank you, Ms. Atwater-Rhodes!

[Patricia Lynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first few pages of the book hooked me and wanting to know what Samantha was kept me turning pages. I enjoyed the POVs, but I think all three characters could have been fleshed out more. There were interesting hints, but it never really got into them. The big reveal to Samantha felt a bit anti climatic, as well as the shadow monsters. They seemed really menacing at the beginning, but by the end it was like they were just accepted as there and no real resolution. I liked the fact it was a happy ending, just the climax leading up to it was lacking a punch.

Overall, I don't regret reading it and glad I finally got around to it. I've had this on my shelf for a good two years.

[Natalie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cooper survived a horrible car accident only to be left with injuries, scars, and Samantha. He's the only one that can see her, so they assume she's a ghost. She has no memory of her life and they aren't sure why she's stuck with Cooper. They also see shadows that seem to hover around them.

Brent runs into Cooper in the library and they realize they have something in common. Brent can hear what people are thinking and has been working on controlling it. His ability draws the attention of Delilah, a classmate, and Ryan, a sorcerer. Both Ryan and Delilah have ulterior motives and Cooper isn't sure who he can trust.

And interesting story but it didn't seem very cohesive.

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seems like this series is set for a younger audience and reading level than her previous young adult novels. I enjoyed it but it didn't wow me like the author's previous two series did.
This is a quick read, not quite reaching 200 pages. It's something I would have sat down to start and finish on a Saturday afternoon as a teenager. As an adult with stuff getting in the way I had to put it down a few times.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

With novellas you have much less time to flesh out your characters. Some authors are very good at doing this, but I feel like Atwater-Rhodes never fully develops her characters. All her books have several main characters, and her books leave me wanting to know more about them. I did like the characters in this book for the most part. There wasn't really an antagonist in this book, and there also was not much explanation for the "scavengers".

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is probably my least favorite so far of the series. This book seems to far a part from the other. The beginning is very slow and it takes quite a bit to actually get into it. The last 50 pages is where most of the story is. The explanation and wrap up is quite messy and appears far fetched even for this fantasy world. It was a short read so not bad, I just feel like it lacked in characters and actual development in the story.

[Nanci · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although this is #6 in the series, it's not necessary to read the earlier books first. I hadn't read any of this series and it was easy to pick right up. I wouldn't recommend this book for teens younger than 16 as there is some violence. The morals taught in the story are good, although there is an element of mystical and witches, another reason why I wouldn't recommend it for younger readers. Not bad for a quick YA read.

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Total departure from the rest of the Den of Shadows, involving elemental beings, psychics and telepaths, and sorcerers and witches, with no reference to vampires, hunters, shapeshifters, or Single Earth. It’s interesting and weird and original and has the Atwater-Rhodes classic darkness and trauma, but it’s so different that it took adjusting to. The body swapping was particularly weird, tbh.

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did miss my vampires but I still loved this book!

Idk why but I guess it’s just something about the writing maybe 🤷‍♀️ I always enjoy these books when I read them

And I just realized that she has another series out starting with Bloodwitch that is supposed to include my favorite Jaguar so 😆

[Ken · Rating 1 out of 5]

I lobe this series, I really do, but I didn’t much like the last one (persistence of memory) until over halfway through and I just didn’t like this one at all. Sorry Amelia, but this is far from your best work