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Shadow Dancer
Sunny has a gift that she has no idea how to use, until she meets Leif, a boy from the kingdom of Acadia, on the other side of the shadows. Leif teaches Sunny about Shadow Walkers and how to use her new found gifts. As they grow closer and their gifts grow stronger, a threat arrives. The Shadow Guard has been sent to bring Sunny back to Acadia, to determine if she is a threat to the king as the rightful ruler of Acadia. As Leif and Sunny prepare to defend themselves, Sunny finds that Leif has also been sent to bring Sunny back to the kingdom but for very different reasons. As a battle for possession of Sunny wages, she is struggling to come to turns with her feelings of inadequacy regarding controlling her gifts as well as the hurt regarding the lies and deceit of everyone around her.
- GenresYoung Adult
146 pages, Paperback
First published September 14, 2010
71 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
June 2, 2011
Shadow Dancer was an enjoyable, light, and overall great read. Sunny discovers that she is a Shadow Walker - someone who has the ability to become invisible. Not only does she have this amazing new gift, there is a new boy in her life. Leif walks into Sunny's life just as her new gift is developing. While Sunny is enamored by him, he is not telling her everything about her, her gift and about himself. These secrets have the ability to turn Sunny's life upside down.
Sunny was a fun character to read. She is witty yet at times at a loss for words. She is alone but strong. Overall, she is very human. Despite Sunny's "human" qualities she is very unique in some of the most simplest of ways. Having moved around her entire life, Sunny is at a loss for "real" friends; she never has the time to really fit in anywhere. This in turn has made her into a very strong woman, both in standing up for herself (even when she is literally on the ground) as well as dealing with disappointments, change, and sadness in a very adult way. Sunny stands out from most fictional teenage girls in YA literature.
Then there is Leif: the boy that changes everything for Sunny. Throughout the entire book he is a mystery, even when he starts to reveal some of his secrets. You just know there is more he is not revealing. While Sunny's and Leif's relationship was a bit rushed it was very "real world" (as much as you can get in a paranormal novel) as the "romantic" nature of it was developed even to the last page.
Courtney Rene's writing style is unique. While there is a bit of lacking in some editing, her ability to write as one would think does not hinder the novel in any way, as one would expect it to. Furthermore there were many times throughout the novel I found myself laughing out loud at little sayings that Courtney Rene wonderfully created, giving the novel a lighter feel:
"I stepped in front of my closet to decide what to wear. Unless you are a sixteen, almost seventeen, year old girl, you just can’t realize what a difficult task that is."
Despite the fact that this novel could be more fleshed and edited, it has amazing potential for a series (which I hope will happen). With summer in full swing, this is a perfect read for everyone!
Sunny was a fun character to read. She is witty yet at times at a loss for words. She is alone but strong. Overall, she is very human. Despite Sunny's "human" qualities she is very unique in some of the most simplest of ways. Having moved around her entire life, Sunny is at a loss for "real" friends; she never has the time to really fit in anywhere. This in turn has made her into a very strong woman, both in standing up for herself (even when she is literally on the ground) as well as dealing with disappointments, change, and sadness in a very adult way. Sunny stands out from most fictional teenage girls in YA literature.
Then there is Leif: the boy that changes everything for Sunny. Throughout the entire book he is a mystery, even when he starts to reveal some of his secrets. You just know there is more he is not revealing. While Sunny's and Leif's relationship was a bit rushed it was very "real world" (as much as you can get in a paranormal novel) as the "romantic" nature of it was developed even to the last page.
Courtney Rene's writing style is unique. While there is a bit of lacking in some editing, her ability to write as one would think does not hinder the novel in any way, as one would expect it to. Furthermore there were many times throughout the novel I found myself laughing out loud at little sayings that Courtney Rene wonderfully created, giving the novel a lighter feel:
"I stepped in front of my closet to decide what to wear. Unless you are a sixteen, almost seventeen, year old girl, you just can’t realize what a difficult task that is."
Despite the fact that this novel could be more fleshed and edited, it has amazing potential for a series (which I hope will happen). With summer in full swing, this is a perfect read for everyone!
February 9, 2011
Brilliant read. A "couldn't put it down" book. I strongly recommend this book.
Read
March 30, 2011Fantabulastic.
March 19, 2013
An excellent start to an engaging trilogy. Jump in to learn about the world of shadow walkers as Sunny discovers she is one and meets someone just like her.
April 16, 2023
(copied from my book review blog: Patricia's Particularity)
Shadow Dancer was an enjoyable, light, and overall great read. Sunny discovers that she is a Shadow Walker - someone who has the ability to become invisible. Not only does she have this amazing new gift, there is a new boy in her life. Leif walks into Sunny's life just as her new gift is developing. While Sunny is enamored by him, he is not telling her everything about her, her gift and about himself. These secrets have the ability to turn Sunny's life upside down.
Sunny was a fun character to read. She is witty yet at times at a loss for words. She is alone but strong. Overall, she is very human. Despite Sunny's "human" qualities she is very unique in some of the most simplest of ways. Having moved around her entire life, Sunny is at a loss for "real" friends; she never has the time to really fit in anywhere. This in turn has made her into a very strong woman, both in standing up for herself (even when she is literally on the ground) as well as dealing with disappointments, change, and sadness in a very adult way. Sunny stands out from most fictional teenage girls in YA literature.
Then there is Leif: the boy that changes everything for Sunny. Throughout the entire book he is a mystery, even when he starts to reveal some of his secrets. You just know there is more he is not revealing. While Sunny's and Leif's relationship was a bit rushed it was very "real world" (as much as you can get in a paranormal novel) as the "romantic" nature of it was developed even to the last page.
Courtney Rene's writing style is unique. While there is a bit of lacking in some editing, her ability to write as one would think does not hinder the novel in any way, as one would expect it to. Furthermore there were many times throughout the novel I found myself laughing out loud at little sayings that Courtney Rene wonderfully created, giving the novel a lighter feel:
"I stepped in front of my closet to decide what to wear. Unless you are a sixteen, almost seventeen, year old girl, you just can’t realize what a difficult task that is."
Despite the fact that this novel could be more fleshed and edited, it has amazing potential for a series (which I hope will happen). With summer in full swing, this is a perfect read for everyone!
Shadow Dancer was an enjoyable, light, and overall great read. Sunny discovers that she is a Shadow Walker - someone who has the ability to become invisible. Not only does she have this amazing new gift, there is a new boy in her life. Leif walks into Sunny's life just as her new gift is developing. While Sunny is enamored by him, he is not telling her everything about her, her gift and about himself. These secrets have the ability to turn Sunny's life upside down.
Sunny was a fun character to read. She is witty yet at times at a loss for words. She is alone but strong. Overall, she is very human. Despite Sunny's "human" qualities she is very unique in some of the most simplest of ways. Having moved around her entire life, Sunny is at a loss for "real" friends; she never has the time to really fit in anywhere. This in turn has made her into a very strong woman, both in standing up for herself (even when she is literally on the ground) as well as dealing with disappointments, change, and sadness in a very adult way. Sunny stands out from most fictional teenage girls in YA literature.
Then there is Leif: the boy that changes everything for Sunny. Throughout the entire book he is a mystery, even when he starts to reveal some of his secrets. You just know there is more he is not revealing. While Sunny's and Leif's relationship was a bit rushed it was very "real world" (as much as you can get in a paranormal novel) as the "romantic" nature of it was developed even to the last page.
Courtney Rene's writing style is unique. While there is a bit of lacking in some editing, her ability to write as one would think does not hinder the novel in any way, as one would expect it to. Furthermore there were many times throughout the novel I found myself laughing out loud at little sayings that Courtney Rene wonderfully created, giving the novel a lighter feel:
"I stepped in front of my closet to decide what to wear. Unless you are a sixteen, almost seventeen, year old girl, you just can’t realize what a difficult task that is."
Despite the fact that this novel could be more fleshed and edited, it has amazing potential for a series (which I hope will happen). With summer in full swing, this is a perfect read for everyone!
September 10, 2018
I really liked this book. It had a lot of surprises and a love story mixed in. I was impressed with the characters and enjoyed the fantasy that was part of the book. I was glad to have read this unique book and will be looking forward to reading more from this author.
May 25, 2011
Shadow Dancer combines a fun concept with interesting characters for an easy read. The paranormal aspect was well developped and the two main characters attraction was undeniable. There were a few problems with the writing, at times the dialog was a bit cheesy and it did feel rushed at parts but over all, Shadow Dancer was a wonderful read.
Sunny was a great character to follow around. She was a natural at Shadow Walking and she had a great spark. It's nice to find a character who had power and was able to wield it. Sunny is definitely special and instead of handicapping her, Ms. Rene worked to make her understand and use her power. I also enjoyed that Sunny was pretty gutsy. There were plenty of points in the novel where other characters would have wimped out and Sunny ran marching in. Her counterpart, Leif, was the typical handsome and dangerous stranger but he tested her in ways others haven't. Their attraction to each other was undeniable but I would have liked a little bit more anticipation before they finally got together. It felt a bit too easy at times.
Shadow Walking, which is essentially pulling over shadows so that one is invisible, is something I've never read about before and I found it all really interesting. This paranormal aspect felt very well thoughout and added a lot to the story. I would have liked to know more about and the place the Shadow Walkers and Shadow Guards came from Arcadia. The battle scenes were fast, exciting and clear cut and the plot had several twists.
I did have a few problems with the writing which would have been cleared up with a finer tooth comb. The author tended to use a lot of words when there only needed to be a few. For instance, there would be several "sad and sorrows", "angry and mads" and "gorgeous and beautifuls". Also, there were a lot of phrases that were a bit confusing and didn't feel realistic (like "for Pete's sake" which I've heard of but never heard anyone use). Sunny's voice was pretty solid for the most part but I would have liked a lot more of everything. I think this novel would have benefitted with slowing down and building more tension.
While Shadow Dancer did have it's problems, it was easy to pick up and read and had a really great concept. Coupling an interesting paranormal aspect with a solid cast of characters, I think Shadow Dancer is definitely for some people. If you're looking for something to add to your Kindle that's entertaining and unique, I'd say go for it!
Sunny was a great character to follow around. She was a natural at Shadow Walking and she had a great spark. It's nice to find a character who had power and was able to wield it. Sunny is definitely special and instead of handicapping her, Ms. Rene worked to make her understand and use her power. I also enjoyed that Sunny was pretty gutsy. There were plenty of points in the novel where other characters would have wimped out and Sunny ran marching in. Her counterpart, Leif, was the typical handsome and dangerous stranger but he tested her in ways others haven't. Their attraction to each other was undeniable but I would have liked a little bit more anticipation before they finally got together. It felt a bit too easy at times.
Shadow Walking, which is essentially pulling over shadows so that one is invisible, is something I've never read about before and I found it all really interesting. This paranormal aspect felt very well thoughout and added a lot to the story. I would have liked to know more about and the place the Shadow Walkers and Shadow Guards came from Arcadia. The battle scenes were fast, exciting and clear cut and the plot had several twists.
I did have a few problems with the writing which would have been cleared up with a finer tooth comb. The author tended to use a lot of words when there only needed to be a few. For instance, there would be several "sad and sorrows", "angry and mads" and "gorgeous and beautifuls". Also, there were a lot of phrases that were a bit confusing and didn't feel realistic (like "for Pete's sake" which I've heard of but never heard anyone use). Sunny's voice was pretty solid for the most part but I would have liked a lot more of everything. I think this novel would have benefitted with slowing down and building more tension.
While Shadow Dancer did have it's problems, it was easy to pick up and read and had a really great concept. Coupling an interesting paranormal aspect with a solid cast of characters, I think Shadow Dancer is definitely for some people. If you're looking for something to add to your Kindle that's entertaining and unique, I'd say go for it!
August 16, 2011
Werewolves, vampires, and even zombies get a lot of attention, but what about Shadow Walkers? Why don’t we hear about the creatures who can fade into shadow, free to move around in the world unnoticed?
Courtney Rene takes you with her characters, into the shadows, into the dark. She has the ability to hold your imagination and grip your heart while shifting the dimension of your existence.
Sunny is growing up, and adjusting to a new school after moving yet AGAIN! On top of that, she’s still suffering from headaches no one can find a cause for, but she pushes through, oblivious to what’s really happening to her. When she’s finally adjusting to school and making friends – starting to feel normal – she discovers amazing things about herself, and her little world starts to get weird...and complicated.
Leif, a strange hunk, appears suddenly in her life. She doesn’t know who he is, or where he came from, but he knows. She’s not sure at first what he knows, but as her heart strings are pulled and tangled in his, she learns they aren’t so different.
As Sunny and Leif’s relationship develops, she learns some hard truth about him and where his loyalties lie. Even though they’re always with her, supporting her, it doesn’t seem that way and her mind and heart get twisted and shattered as she struggles to come to grips with who she really is...and who she has to become when/if she returns to her real home.
Shadow Dancer is an enticing and in depth story of a teen girl who struggles with life, her differences from others, and the relationships she builds as she becomes a young woman. Courtney Rene’s story has strong scifi elements, which I found interesting and fresh, while still making the characters real. I was very disappointed when the book ended – I wanted to know more! I have to rate this book at 5 stars, because it’s amazing all around. I can’t wait for the sequel!
Courtney Rene takes you with her characters, into the shadows, into the dark. She has the ability to hold your imagination and grip your heart while shifting the dimension of your existence.
Sunny is growing up, and adjusting to a new school after moving yet AGAIN! On top of that, she’s still suffering from headaches no one can find a cause for, but she pushes through, oblivious to what’s really happening to her. When she’s finally adjusting to school and making friends – starting to feel normal – she discovers amazing things about herself, and her little world starts to get weird...and complicated.
Leif, a strange hunk, appears suddenly in her life. She doesn’t know who he is, or where he came from, but he knows. She’s not sure at first what he knows, but as her heart strings are pulled and tangled in his, she learns they aren’t so different.
As Sunny and Leif’s relationship develops, she learns some hard truth about him and where his loyalties lie. Even though they’re always with her, supporting her, it doesn’t seem that way and her mind and heart get twisted and shattered as she struggles to come to grips with who she really is...and who she has to become when/if she returns to her real home.
Shadow Dancer is an enticing and in depth story of a teen girl who struggles with life, her differences from others, and the relationships she builds as she becomes a young woman. Courtney Rene’s story has strong scifi elements, which I found interesting and fresh, while still making the characters real. I was very disappointed when the book ended – I wanted to know more! I have to rate this book at 5 stars, because it’s amazing all around. I can’t wait for the sequel!
June 8, 2011
This review was originally posted on my blog, Creativity's Corner
Shadow Dancer is the most recent in a long line of YA paranormal novels on my TBR pile. In many places it reminded me very strongly of Twilight while in others it reminded me more of The Mortal Instruments or Paranormalcy. But, I really appreciate the mixture of things. It's almost like a collage in art - sometimes putting pieces together in a new way can make something really beautiful.
I'll be honest, at times this really wasn't my thing. I was very close to putting it down several times because I was having difficulty getting through the style. I felt like Rene would occasionally go off on tangents that detracted from the emotion of the scene, or that were just irrelevant. I am glad I stuck with it though, because it really wasn't that bad of a book. Once you get past the occasional tangent the story itself is fairly interesting. I found myself curious about the mythology Rene sets up behind the story and I was indignant right along with Sunny when she finds out she's been lied to.
Overall, I'd say this is a decent read. Give it a chance if you choose to read it though, as it may take some getting used to.
Shadow Dancer is the most recent in a long line of YA paranormal novels on my TBR pile. In many places it reminded me very strongly of Twilight while in others it reminded me more of The Mortal Instruments or Paranormalcy. But, I really appreciate the mixture of things. It's almost like a collage in art - sometimes putting pieces together in a new way can make something really beautiful.
I'll be honest, at times this really wasn't my thing. I was very close to putting it down several times because I was having difficulty getting through the style. I felt like Rene would occasionally go off on tangents that detracted from the emotion of the scene, or that were just irrelevant. I am glad I stuck with it though, because it really wasn't that bad of a book. Once you get past the occasional tangent the story itself is fairly interesting. I found myself curious about the mythology Rene sets up behind the story and I was indignant right along with Sunny when she finds out she's been lied to.
Overall, I'd say this is a decent read. Give it a chance if you choose to read it though, as it may take some getting used to.
May 16, 2011
I actually enjoyed this book quite a bit! From the start it set a good pace and didn't let up until the end. There weren't any boring parts for me whatsoever. I really love the idea of the shadow walkers and the kingdom of Acadia. I'm definitely curious as to what will happen in the future for Sunny and her gifts as well as her return to Acadia. Though the romance may have been rushed a bit, Sunny and Lief were just so easy to like and they really have a good chemistry. I certainly have a lot of questions and the book left a ton of room for the plot to take off for future books. If this is going to be a series it has a lot of potential to be great!! I hope there are more books to come!! This was inexpensive for the Kindle, so a good value for a very fun, exciting book!
May 24, 2011
Sunny is living the dream that probably all of us have had at some point in our lives. The dream of having the ability to be invisible. But not only can she hide in the shadows, she discovers there is a whole community of people who have the same super powers.
This is an exciting fantasy that kept my undivided attention throughout. It was one of those hard-to-put down kind of books. The characters are mysterious but interesting and the love between Sunny and Leif will keep all audiences asking for more. I will definitely be looking out for the next book in the series!
This is an exciting fantasy that kept my undivided attention throughout. It was one of those hard-to-put down kind of books. The characters are mysterious but interesting and the love between Sunny and Leif will keep all audiences asking for more. I will definitely be looking out for the next book in the series!
January 26, 2011
such a amazing read the characters where awesome and i really hope the Courtney Rene will write a second book i have to know more about the shadow walker world
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April 1, 2013Fantastic.
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