The Shadow of Death

Dark Tides #1

by Becky James

A king with a broken crown.
Shay rules from the murky corners of the Topaz Court, a realm not many willingly travel to. It promises only one thing —Death. Duty eats away at the dark king, and as he escorts departed souls to the Otherworld, something—or someone—threatens to taint his kingdom and destroy the magic that sustains it.

A selkie searching for answers.
Seven years ago, Neri's sister disappeared on dry land over the sands. Neri has prepared every day since to follow after her and find what delays her sister's return to the waves.

Death hounds after the selkie. Shay shouldn’t stand in its way; to upset the balance is to risk everything. Not even when her spirit stirs something inside him, something he thought long lost...

As the threat to magic grows, the selkie might be the key. Together, Shay and Neri traverse the realms to save their homes, their families, and perhaps even themselves. Will they succeed, even under the shadow of death?

316 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2022

About the author

Becky has been writing stories since she first learned to put pen to paper. Creating and exploring new worlds is fun, and having them read by others is the best experience ever. Loves coffee, cross-stitch and finding new creative ways to use and abuse words. Constantly cold hands - must have a warm heart!

Reviews

[Beba Andric · Rating 5 out of 5]

Becky James certainly has a very unique way of describing a scene, so fittingly, I feel like a dithering infant teetering precariously on newfound limbs, just like Neri. I'm absorbing all the weird sights and sounds as if it were the first time I was exposed to there wonders. This book really has the most superb world building, and the most delectable storyline... I'm a bit ahead of myself.

Neri has waited 7 long years to go to the human world to find her sister Darla (remember A Dram of Freshwater?) Neri is not the frightened girl she was in that book, oh no, she's determined, she knows exactly what she wants and nothing will get in her way. Well, maybe Shay derails her somewhat! What a beautiful telling of the 2 of them! It's not one of those typical romances, this book captures the confusion and Neri's attempt to understand this new world, let's face it, Neri WAS a seal less than 24 hours prior. Shay is a character of so many layers, he's delightful. His sense of duty and honour is paramount, the burden he carries is huge. And then Neri enters his life....I love Shay's reaction to Neri! My word! I could hear the cogs spinning in his head trying to decipher what is happening to him. He had the awful burden of collecting departed souls and then he does the unthinkable. I love how resigned he is to his fate and life, how he wrestles with himself, how serious he is. Unintentionally, Neri turns his life upside down and the sweet romance that ensues is so warming to the heart. He is a man of few words, much to Neri's annoyance but she sees Shay for who he is behind his facade. This sentence captures it perfectly "I'm not one for many words (Shay) no, but I hear them anyway" (Neri)

Keeping Neri safe overrides all Shay's logic, adding to his confusion, but there's danger lurking everywhere. Not only from the Cat Sidhe but also two feuding gods. And there still the question "where's Darla" You're going to want to read it to find out! And I'm going to have to wait on tenderhooks for the next book!

[Leigh W · Rating 5 out of 5]

Neri knows her sister isn’t dead. So she bides her time and gathers resources for when she can turn human and look for Darla herself. But seven years is a long time for leads to grow cold and she has no idea where to start. And according to the matriarch, she may not even be in this realm anymore, whatever that means. Shay can feel souls and imminent death. What feels like several souls at once brings him and his siblings to the human realm for what they think is a disaster. Needing to make sure his siblings stay safe, Shay tells them to go home while he handles the situation. He is able to track the source of their call to an abandoned selkie pelt thinking someone has been hunting these once thought to be extinct fae. When he finds Neri, she is not what he expects and he ends up breaking his one rule, to never interfere with death. After other fae are drawn to Neri and she explains that she is looking for someone, he decides to bring her back to his home and help how he can. Neri has a limited time to look for Darla and feels that Shay is going too slow for her, stumbling into trouble and into each other. Now they are both questioning what they want and their goals in life.

I liked Neri, she seemed very hesitant in book one and I was curious to see how she moves forward. I was not disappointed. Yes, she is nervous and afraid but meets these challenges head on and once going cannot be stopped. Shay is the classic I can handle every problem and is overburdened by his tasks not wanting anyone else to get hurt. He needs to let go of his control and let people do things which Neri tries relentlessly to knock that concept into his head. I like how the epilogue we got from book one is a hint to how Rosa acts at times, it was a nice little piece of info that we have that her brother did not. We do see the Cat Sidhe again but more towards the end and see how they handled the ending of book one. I’m excited to see how everyone collides and assumptions tested in the next book.

[Anya Josephs · Rating 5 out of 5]

I previously read and reviewed A Dram of Freshwater, the novella prequel for this series, which didn't win me over. So I wasn't sure how I'd feel about this first full-length installment in the Dark Tides series. I was somewhat surprised that I loved it! This volume really expands on the promising worldbuilding from the novella, creating a world that is richly imagined with many interlocking cultures and histories.
This book returns readers to a complex fae world, introducing two new characters. Darla's sister, Neri, takes the central role in this book. Like her sister (the heroine from the novella), she's a selkie who sets her skin aside to leave the sea and walk on land. She's searching for her missing sister, but her journey takes her to the darkest corners of her universe.
My favorite character in this book was Shay. Shay is a prince of the Cu Sidhe, who has the ominous duty to oversee the journey of the dead to the underworld. He's dutiful, solemn, and knowing early in the book, but he warms up as his relationship with Neri grows. I very much enjoyed both sides of this character.
The only thing I would have liked less of was explicit sexual content--otherwise, I enjoyed reading about the developing romance between Shay and Neri.
My favorite part of the book, however, was the ending. I don't want to spoil the twists and revelations, so I'll just wrap up by saying that the stakes are high and the story ties together Shay's character development with several plot threads that promise more excitement int he next book.

[Marena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shay is the Cu Sidhe King of the Topaz Court and he works for the god of the Otherworld and carries a piece of his shadow under his skin to give him power to carry out his duties. Both Cu and Cat Sidhe can feel a death coming and vie to reach the departing souls first because the Cats use the souls for magic and the Cu gathers them to send on their way to the Otherworld and their god. Shay does most of the work because he wants to protect his family in all ways.

Neri is a selkie and can finally start the quest to find and save her sister who disappeared seven years ago but she only has seven days to find her so they can return to the sea.

Death wants the selkie but it turns out Shay wants her to and will do all he can to protect her. She makes him feel things he thought were long dead in him and has him thinking of more than just duty and family.

Loved when Shay was stroking her pelt and Neri said " I can feel that", now on to book 3

[Chelsea · Rating 3 out of 5]

I absolutely loved a dram of water, the prequel to this book. This book is much more of a slow burn. It seemed there was a lot of set up and not much going on besides setting up the chemistry between the 2 main characters Neri and Shay. Neri is the complete opposite of her sister Darla, she has a spicy attitude and a lot of anger. Shay is very similar and is very broody. They spend a lot of time getting to know each other instead of moving the story along. I did enjoy it, I just found it to be a slower read for me. Looking forward to the final book!

[Melody · Rating 4 out of 5]

Duty Meets Destiny and Desire

Whereas Darla was rescued by a Prince of the Cat Sidhi, her sister Neri - seven mortal years later - was saved by the wolf-shifting King of the Cu Sidhi.
The power struggles are real in the fae realm, the inhabitants powerfully captivating, and Becky James' storyline has the power to trap me behind the veil.

I think she has my pelt.

The Shadow of Death finished strong, but it's not the end. Time to portal through to her next book.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Shadow of Death(Dark Tides #2) by Becky James is a enjoyable book and I definitely recommend. It is best if read prequel first. In this book Shay is the king of the Topaz Court and Neri is a selkie searching for answers about her sister's disappearance 7 years ago. Death hounds after the Selkie and Shay shouldn't stand in its way because to upset the balance risks everything. Will they succeed in finding her sister, if alive, and restore magic even under the shadow of death?

[Crystal Anne Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another one sad to finish

This was book 2 and it lived up to more than book 1. The tale of Neri and Shay was powerful and endearing. I loved how the stories of the sisters in enemy realms twisted together. I was sad to finish it and only hope there are more to come. I will miss my friends and wonder what lies ahead for them.

[Deborah Svensson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a good book and great series!

I love the storyline of this book, a selkie leaving her skin to enter the human world and find her sister who disappeared seven years earlier after doing the same thing.
It is a great read with adventure, magic, danger and some romance!

[Barbara Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Shadow of Death by Becky James is a contemporary adult paranormal supernatural quest romance that should not be read in public as chortles will ensue and takes a day to read. 5*

[Mel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is totally unputdownable, I just wish I had more time and less distractions to read it faster! I’m really invested in the characters and the story, bring on book 3!