Cursed in Shadows

by C.J. Cooke

I’m not supposed to be here, and the corrupted magic I now wield is my punishment. Twisted. Warped. Deadly.

The shadows seep into my soul, poisoning me from the inside out. And part of me wants to let them. To just let go.

But then they came into my life. So vibrant, so full of light. The threats still hunt us through the shadows, and even though we have to fight to prove we deserve to live, I’m starting to see the point of fighting. Because they are with me. Each of them loving me, cherishing me, showing me that I’m not the mistake I always thought I was.

So together we’ll fight. We will stand against the creeping shadows. And we will break this curse before it has a chance to break us.

Genres: Paranormal Romance

280 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 26, 2023

About the author

I’m a British author who writes paranormal reverse harem romance books.

I couldn’t survive with tea and potentially swear far too much for any kind of polite society. So I spend most of my days shut inside the writing cave and talking to all the voices in my head. Being a writer has given me the ideal excuse to fully embrace the crazy side of my personality, and I can’t wait to share it with you.

I have an amazing reader group on Facebook, which I would LOVE you to join. Be the first to find out all the news on my upcoming projects and chat with me daily.

Join here >> https://www.facebook.com/groups/CJCoo...

Sign up to my newsletter here if you prefer to stay up to date by email >>
https://www.subscribepage.com/authorc...

If you need any more information, check out my website here >>
https://www.authorcjcooke.com

Reviews

[Dani B · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a spin off from the Stoneridge pack books. Following Cassia and her newly found mates. It is a must read if you have read the other Stoneridge books. Filled loving mates, kick arse women, honorable mentors/ leaders. Hot sexy scenes with promise of more. This book will make your world turn upside down and leave you screaming for more and also leave you traumatized with wtf moments where you need answers for more

[Jillian Locke · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was sooo good!! I loved getting to know Cassia and her mates more and seeing them all come together. There are a lot of OMG moments and they will definitely keep you on your toes but there are also some very sexy moments too. And of course there is the CJ Cooke special of a WTH moment lol. That ending will leave you needing more ASAP! But it was such an amazing read and I for one can not wait for the next book! Highly recommend this book and the entire Stoneridge series if you have not started it. You should definitely Run and not walk to get this series!

[Shawna Jimenez more.books.forever · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t even know where to begin! I have been dying to get Cassia’s story since we first met her in Calli’s books and let me tell you our amazing author did not disappoint!! If you haven’t read the Stoneridge Pack series then I would highly suggest you do it will give you some background to Cassia and it’s a freaking brilliant series!! Cassia and her mates do not have it easy nor do they have the luxury of time on their hands to get to know one another before jumping right into all the crazy but they really do make the best of everything and the guys are very protective of their mate. The same can be said about Cassia she is a complete baddie and is very protective of what’s hers. This baby is full of spice, fire, secrets lies and betrayal and will keep you in the edge of your seat the entire read. Let me tell you I shed some tears. I am dying to get my hands on the next book!!! Loved it!

[Ines · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Don't listen to the hate people let fall from their lips when they're afraid. The things you can do are a gift, Cassia. Just because they don't understand it, just because it doesn't look how they think it should, doesn't make it anything less than incredible.

"Cursed in Shadows" is the first book in the Stoneridge Shadows duet, a spinoff of the Stoneridge Pack series. I highly suggest reading the Stoneridge Pack series before starting this duet, because there are a lot of references to Calli and her pack, and everything that happened before Cassia and her men started their own quest. Also: it's a great series that I recommended in the past!

"Cursed in Shadows" revolves around Cassia and her fated mates, on a mission that leads to a lot more danger than they expect. I was really happy to see the connection between Cassia and Alexander develop, and get to know Ethan and Felix better. Even though Cassia is a real badass, the men can't help how protective they are. With all the danger surrounding them, they have reason to be cautious... I loved getting to know the vampire culture better and the action happening in their community. Even though that also meant a really bad cliffhanger to deal with...

I really loved this book, and I definitely recommend reading it!

[Laura Donaldson]

If you loved Calli and her men then you have to read this. Cassia and her men have ended up in a bit of a pickle. It will take them all to get out of this one.
Thank you for bringing us this part of the story. I loved it so much.

[Rae, shutupandbookup · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I had no idea how to take the idea of adding him into the whole mate mess. Because that's what it was." - Cassia

Because of the nature of her magic, that's more of a curse than a blessing, Cassia believed she was destined to be alone. Her shadow magic wanting to constantly consume her whole until nothing is left and sometimes, she wishes it would. But fate had other plans for her as she soon finds herself gravitating towards a group of men. Men with different backgrounds, abilities, and their own demons. Men who are her mates!

Cassia needs help facing the impending fight that started in the shifter territory. Her guys are not going to just stand by and watch their mate face it all alone! They're going to be right there in the middle of everything with or without having officially formed a bond with Cassia. Somethings coming and it isn't good, failure is not an option!

So, as I was reading this book I started picking up on things and feeling like I was missing something. With a quick search I found that there was a prequel series to this duet! "Wolf Hunts: The Stoneridge Pack Book One", Stoneridge Pack is about Callie and her mates' origin story, and I imagine Cassia and some of her guys will be present in the books as well. This is not to say this book was not enjoyable, but for a better reading experience I suggest you start with the Pack series first.

I may have spoiled some things for myself, but I am fine with that. I absolutely loved Cassia and her guys now I am really interested in reading about Callie and her mates. Just be aware that Callie and her mates are mentioned a lot within this read and I imagine there are potential spoilers.

"Feel free to give in to temptation whenever you feel the need." - Cassia

"You might regret saying that." - Alexander

This story is fast paced, and I really enjoyed how with the guys there was different burn rates! Two of them are slow burns while one is a fast burn that peaks in the first chapter of the book! I love why choose romances, especially ones where you can see how the guys are trying to figure out their dynamics, the FMC is trying to understand her feelings, and of course some of the guys are being idiots.

Cassia has written off a lot of things and her past haunts her every day. One of the biggest things she cast aside was the idea of having mates or having a partner of any kind. Her magic is rare and unique but very deadly and dangerous to those around her along with herself. I loved the take on the magic and how one of the MMCs placed it in perspective for her. Placing a little doubt in her head that maybe she wasn't just a monster with unnatural abilities.

"We're all filled with darkness. It's part of the nature of being alive." - Felix

I absolutely love vampires! And the take on vampires in this book was just phenomenal. I really enjoyed the twists and how the vampires tie in with current events within the read. I don't want to give too much away but it made so much sense. This may be a spoiler, but I really appreciated the take on how vampires were not the number one supernatural beings. But some of the vampire clans are partly at fault for how the world views them.

I loved all the intricacies of the characters and the different bond links that were presented. Some bonds being platonic and giving insight as to why they were formed. I also liked how we have a panther shifter, and his mentality/upbringing is different from that of the wolf shifters. The entire cast was amazing, and I really love each of them for different reasons.

However! Davion would have to be my favorite character out of the book! His attitude and his morbid sense of humor had me laughing so much. The description of vampires and what they truly are had me chuckling several times as non vampires looked at the creatures. Davion was everything for me and his blasé approach on things!

This book does contain language, violence, and blood. There are fight sequences and magic being used as well as weapons. Hints to dark pasts and things that had to be done but no crazy details. Feelings of anxiety/panic are present and the multiple POVs are in first person. I loved that all of the MMCs and the FMC were very much touch them or look at her and die vibes! Everyone is equally possessive of the others!

We get MF action in this book and teasing of MFM action. So many teases that get stopped because of other pressing matters within the read. . . You will groan in frustration multiple times especially with some of the hints of interactions to come! There's a vampire love interest and biting/drinking blood during fun time is a thing and it was yummy! It's like an unspoken rule that when you have a vampire lover you also include biting/drinking blood within "the" scenes. Shifters also biting to ensure their marks are present on their mate!

This is a duology so be prepared for the cliffhanger! I was broken because of everything that lead up to the ending of this book. I knew it was coming but still was like where is this going to cut off at?! I need answers now and will be reading the second part as soon as it's available! Will also have to grab the audiobook versions of Stoneridge Pack so I can understand more of the backstories. Not to mention CJ Cooke is just an awesome author and I want to have read more of her work!

Enjoy the fast-paced action with shadows, shifters, and vampires! Don't forget to give the author some stars!

shutupandbookup.blogspot.com

[Sandy Demuynck · Rating 5 out of 5]

This spin off follows Cassia (from Stoneridge Pack) and her new found mates.

This book is filled with amazing scenes, sexy moments and laugh out loud moments.

The ending leaves you wanting more.

This is highly recommended if you read the Stoneridge series.

Cassia has struggled a lot (and is still struggling but working through stuff).

The guys are so protective, even though Cassia is a straight up bada**.

Now I have to deal with the cliffhanger...

[Megan Dycus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Obsessed is the word I would use for this book!
I absolutely loved it and Cassia and her guys were everything I didn’t know I needed in my life. Soooooo good!!!

[Maya Monroe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing

What the heck just happened!
I have been wanting to see Cassia’s story since I read Stoneridge Pack and this book did not disappoint!

[Sassafrack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well that was action packed and left me stunned. Loved it.
After reading the Stoneridge Pack books, I wondered what happened to Cassia and her guys. And man was this a great start to there story.
While delivering Calli’s books with other members from the pack, they came up against another threat and a bunch of vampire politics.
Cassia finds the strength to fight monsters, as well as navigate her new relationships, all while struggling with her insecurities and past trauma. She was treated so poorly all her life, even after months it still amazes her that anyone can accept her as she is. Her magic is still something she is learning to be ok with and is only scratching the surface of what she can do without being controlled by others.
Hunter, Alexander, Felix and Ethan are interesting characters with their own pasts to deal with. We got to see more of Alexander’s past in this book, as well as get more of an idea of the others’ pasts.
That ending though. I’m not really ok. I’ll be holding my breath till the next instalment.

[Kimberli · Rating 3 out of 5]

Confusing

I think I would have liked this book more if I had known what was going on through the first half (or more) of it. I felt like the book started halfway through the story! I had no idea what was going on and almost didn't keep reading because I was irritated that I didn't understand what was happening. I believe there's a series that precedes this one. I also think I read it, but it was long enough ago that I can't remember much about it. I remember the shadow creatures vaguely, but very little else about it. This book should have had a preface or prologue to explain where we were coming in on this story. Instead, it starts us with a group of people, two of them are bonded mates, and the other 3 guys are her mates but she's not bonded to them. Two of them appear to have just shown up. The group is heading out to hide some books so they can then go to war. I'm not sure what war. But that's where this book starts. So, if you didn't just come off reading the first series, then you will be as lost as lost can be for at least 50% of this book.

The rest was interesting because you are given some clues about things in their past to help explain somewhat the plot. It ends in a cliffhanger, but I'm still confused as to why Cassia didn't use her shadows to grab all the vampires. At the beginning of the book she was able to use her shadows to immobilize the vampires. She also talks about not being worried (when they arrive at the citadel) because she can use her shadows. Then, she doesn't use them for much of anything? I don't get it. Right now I'm not impressed. Since it's only a 2 book series I'll read the next one. But I don't think I can really recommend this book.

[Brittney · Rating 1 out of 5]

I couldn't even get through the first chapter because it felt like I was starting the book in the middle of a preexisting book. I was just so lost and had so many questions, if there was a book I needed to read first to understand this one then it should've been mentioned somewhere. If I am confused right off the bat then I feel like there's no reason for me to continue a book.

[Pandora · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating both books in series. This was a great addition the the Stoneridge Pack series. I really wanted to know what this group, that we were first introduced to in that series, we’re up to. It was a clever way to share their story instead of making first series too complicated. Author is really good at character development and just likable characters ylu root for.

[Kathy Zuercher Diveley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cassia and mates

Alexander mates with Cassia, he is vampire royalty. They go to the Citadel for the vampire " conference ". Darius, one of the vampires against Alexander, somehow brings in loads of baby vamps and shadow demons. They barely escape......

[Mari · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was curious about Cassia‘s story and this book was great. I liked the characters and the setting was interesting as well. I didn’t like the end, mostly because of Davion, but I can’t wait to get my hands on the next book.