Shadow Walker

Stormwalker #3

by Allyson James

Winter descends on the town of Magellan, and new evil comes to call.

Racing her motorcycle down a lonely winter highway, Stormwalker Janet Begay feels the ground collapse beneath her feet. After tumbling two hundred feet into an underground cavern, she manages to escape with help from her sexy dragon-shifter boyfriend, Mick—but not before they disturb some dark forces.

As Janet contends with a hotel inspector intent on putting her out of business, as well as her grandmother, who's taken up residence, Mick's behavior becomes strange and erratic, until he is a clear danger to Janet and her friends. Janet's drag-queen, attitude-ridden magic mirror insists that Mick has been touched by shadows, and the Stormwalker realizes that someone is out to enslave her dragon. Now she must free Mick before he kills her.

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, Paranormal Romance, Romance, Fantasy, Magic, Dragons

282 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published June 7, 2011

About the author

Allyson James writes paranormal romance, urban fantasy, and erotic romance (paranormal and futuristic). She is a nationally bestselling author, a multiple RITA nominee, an RT Award winner, and a Prism winner. She also writes romance (paranormal and historical) as Jennifer Ashley. See Allyson's website for current and upcoming books. See also Allyson's GoodReads bookshelves for all books under all pseudonyms.

Reviews

[Michelle, the Bookshelf Stalker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclaimer-
I’m a serious fangirl of this series. I went into this book expecting it to rock my world so it started with 5 stars before I even read one word on the first page. Now, I bring you my biased review…


Before this series, this is the way I imagined dragons:


It’s hard to think of a hot alpha hero shape shifting dragon when you think of a cute loveable huggable dragon that you want to hug in the form of a stuffed animal.
After this series, this is how I imagine dragons:



I still want to “hug” the dragons and then some..

Ok, so I haven’t really said a damn thing about the actual story in book 3. Who cares! It has Mick, and Mick is Mick. He is loyal, and hot, he cares for Janet more than he cares for himself, and their sex is so scorching, they have a safe word and this isn’t even an erotica novel.

Which brings me to the story…

Ok, so the story is great. Seriously. It was way better than book 2 and I gave book 2 a very happy 5 stars.

So…

If you haven’t read this series, go right now and read book 1 and book 2. If you have read this series, you’ll love this book. But one warning, Mick is mine.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. I didn't realize how much I missed Mick and Janet until I jumped back into their world.

In this latest Stormwalker installment, the book opens with Janet and Sheriff Nash Jones falling into a random sink hole out in the middle of the Arizona desert. Except nothing with Janet is ever random.

In that sinkhole (about 200ft down!!!) Janet sees these awful freaky skeletal hands coming her way. Nothing she does can get them to leave her alone, and there are hundreds of them crawling towards her. Mick is able to save her and an unconscious Nash, but not before one of those spider-like skeletal hands grips her leg. The injury is similar to frost-bite, and only Mick is able to heal her.

Mick goes down into that hole to investigate, and comes back a changed man, er, dragon. He is hostile to Janet. The magic mirror screams and screams and screams. Magic Mirror tells Janet that Mickey has been touched by shadows. They are all around him. Janet in fact can see the difference in his aura as well...but only sometimes. Other times he's her normal wonderful Mick. But what worries everyone, is the burning question; What is strong enough to work some serious mojo on Mick?

Meanwhile, Nash is recovering from his fall into that hole, but someone is out to get him too! Can Janet figure out what is controlling Mick, who's trying to kill Nash, why those skeletal hands are after her, and the icing on the cake, why is the hotel inspector showing up with a list of "fix this now" for her? Can Janet catch a break please?

Janet's half-sister Gabrielle is involved in this one, and I can honestly say I'm happy with the way it worked out with her. I wasn't sure what would happen with her, but I should have learned by now not to doubt Ms. James.

The only spoiler I'm willing to part with is that Mick is actually being controlled by a Shadow Walker. And let's just say that any person who can control a dragon as powerful as Mick is a force to be reckoned with. The dragon council finds out, and so so much happens from that point on. Mick is no longer his normal self-he is losing pieces of himself. I loved the scene when he finally broke free, and how Janet helped break the Shadow Walker's spell.

This is a non-stop ride that cranked me to the top only to be dropped in a free-fall and caught again.

Jennifer Ashley/Allyson James' writing is always consistent, her stories wonderful. You will never be disappointed when picking up an Allyson James novel.

Fans of Urban Fantasy will love this series.

Fans of kick-ass heroines will love this series.

Fans of super sexy dragon-men will LOVE this series.

I canNOT stress enough how I don't like Urban Fantasy and yet I love the Stormwalker books. And btw, can I say I love this cover? GORGEOUS!
**ARC provided by Allyson James

http://www.demonloversbooksandmore.co...

[CJ - It's only a Paper Moon · Rating 4 out of 5]

more of a 3.7/3.8

What I like about this book is that there isn't a love triangle for me to have worry about. I like that Janet and Mick are a firmly established couple and they have each others backs. However, I would still like a little more of a relationship aspect of them without the constant shagging. This book provided me with a bit more of that, so I'm happy about that.

What I'm not so happy about it is the large rambling plot threads that didn't really make much sense until the final part of the book and still, it was still a "Huh? Wtf?" moment.

Why couldn't Janet have figured out the Mick situation sooner? Why didn't she press her grandmother for more info? Why didn't she just give Gabrielle a really good slap in the face?

I don't have these answers.

Despite it's weight and baggage, this book is still one of the better books I've read this year in this genre. This series is still very good and I care very much about what happens next. Especially with the little cliffhanger at the end.

[new_user · Rating 3 out of 5]

Compared to Stormwalker and Firewalker , Shadow Walker dragged. Shadow Walker hinged on breaking one stretched-out, magical conflict, especially in the last chapters, that left Janet repeating ad nauseum, "Give me your name!" I wanted to give her a hobby. Shadow Walker did pack some emotional punch, however. In the next book I hope she focuses more on the dragons; they steal the show. Coyote too. And Nash. What?

Not first place but a fun series nonetheless. Well worthy of being a popcorn read, as my friends say. ;)

[Ami · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars
I had small memory term capacity, so I didn't really remember a lot from the previous two books (lol). BUT, it doesn't matter because as soon as I read the first chapter, I remember how much FUN this series are and how much I love Janet, her sexy dragon boyfriend, Mick, and her round-about friends.

The book is opened (I think) in similar way of book #1, Janet being attacked while speeding with her bike (my God, I love chick with bike!). Then the plot goes with Mick being enslaved by a powerful witch, and he ends up trying to kill Janet. So Janet must try to rescue Mick from the enslavement, while also finds out what the witch is up to -- with the help of her friends, including the void sherrif Nash Jones, her wicca manager Cassandra, the mysterious Coyote, and Janet's own Crow grandmother.

As plot goes, I think it's pretty tight ... Ms. James keeps the witch's evil needs until the end. All the while, my heart goes to Janet -- with Mick trying to kill hurt her and she tries to remind Mick of their love. The battle between Janet and Mick is awesome, because Mick is a powerful dragon but Janet also has two kinds of magic in her (Stormwalker and Beneath magic).

I LOVE that almost all secondary characters are present, EVEN Janet's step-sister Gabrielle, Cassandra's wolf lover Pamela, and Mick's friend Colby. Oh, I love Colby, he gives comic relief to the book (my favorite scene of him in this book will be when he tries to escape the dragon binding by using Nash!). Well, him and the horny magic mirror *lol*. Nash is not very "present" though, but at least in terms of relationship, there is a sign that he is moving forward (with the fiery Maya). So I'm good :)

The ending is surprising but at the same time a bit "teaser naughty". Man, I cannot wait to see how this new development is being handled in the next book. FINALLY, someone that seems to be able to put Coyote on his place!

This, by far, is my favorite of the series yet ..

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Books like this one remind me so much why I love to read. I stayed up waaaay too late reading this fantastically, awesomely, wonderful book.

My biggest complaint from Firewalker was that it didn't have enough Mick in it. Let's face it, Mick is one of the main reasons I love this series. So imagine my surprise that Shadow Walker started a little slow but then picked up when Mick left the scene! I think the difference is while Mick is not there for me to read; the storyline is still focused on him.

Without giving away too many plot spoilers I found myself surprised that Mick didn't break out sooner. Each time he fought Janet I thought for sure she would find some place in him that wasn't caught and that place would stop him from trying to hurt her. But James did an awesome job of not letting that cliche happen. I knew that Mick was in there somewhere realizing what he was doing and when he was all better he would be so appalled by the acts he had performed.

And finally the scene where Janet drags him out of it....oh Mick you poor, wonderful man. It was fabulous. His emotional reaction was priceless. I love that Janet made the decision not to hurt him and how Mick realized that and ultimately gave her his name.

Another wonderful installment in the series. 5+ happy stars.

[Jen (That's What I'm Talking About) · Rating 5 out of 5]

AH! I cannot stop talking about how much I adore this wonderful (still fairly new) series by Allyson James! For those not familiar, the series followers half-Navajo Janet Begay, a Stormwalker who can bend the power of storms to her will. Oh, and she also is the daughter of an evil goddess who has passed on dangerous Beneath magic to Janet. She lives in a small Arizona town, owns a quaint hotel, has a ridiculously hot and sweet boyfriend, Mick, and trouble seems to follow Janet where ever she goes.

The third story picks up shortly after the end of the second book and opens with Janet finding herself in danger once again when she plummets to the bottom of a sinkhole while being tailed by Sheriff Nash Jones for speeding. Janet finds herself under attack from dozens of mysterious petroglyphs and once again, she finds herself at the center of another dangerous mystery.

One thing I love about this story is that Janet has matured. She has always been a mighty kick-ass heroine, but by now she has gone through many trials, including saving the world, and she is embracing all of her magic - even the dark Beneath magic. The overall plot of the third book is another fantastic mystery. This time, Janet needs to find out why an evil witch, a Shadow Walker, wants to claim Janet’s hotel, how her evil “sister” (same goddess mom) is involved, and how to save Mick from potential enslavement, all while entertaining 2 dragon shifters who would rather kill Mick than allow others to be enslaved, and her grandmother who is keeping secrets with the cook while sending Janet’s one big ally, the trickster god, Coyote on errands. Janet has her hands full, but she never gives up. I love that she gets frustrated and mad, and she may fall and fail. But in the end, her beliefs and inner-strength, along with the support of her friends, keep Janet going.

Finally, I have to reiterate how important the supporting cast of characters is in the function and enjoyment of the book(s). There are several, but each is written so organically that every one has his/her place and is an important cog in the machinery of this series. No matter what I write in this review, I cannot give justice to this story or series. Ms. James has created an amazing world with such intricate details and comprehensive characters.

My Rating: 5 Stars. Please visit my blog to read my full review: http://twimom227.blogspot.com/2011/06...

[FV Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Stormwalker, a hot, biker dragon, a buttoned up witch, a smart assed female electrician who is in love with the hard assed military man sheriff in which magic can't effect, a Native American Coyote God, a tiny mean Grandmother that turns into a crow AND last but not least a magic mirror that is an equal opportunity voyeur. Seriously, what more could you possibly want in a PNR? This series gets better with every book.

One last thing, this is the third book I've read this year by Allyson James/Jennifer Ashley. She also writes the Primal series under the name Jennifer Ashley which is good, the Shareem under Allyson James (which is the first series I read by her. Be warned those are scorching hot Erotica.), a historical series under Jennifer Ashley, which started out with one of my all time favorite reads and finally this Storm Walker series. I am always amazed that this author can turn to other genres so easily and put out what I think is incredibly enjoyable quality books. If you enjoy this book go and check out her other titles.

[TJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE REVIEW

Why this book?

I liked the other books of the series

What I thought
Each book is getting better and better!! In this installment Mick is enslaved by a witch and Janet must save him before the dragons kill him. She also has problems with her half-sister Gabrielle. The action in this book leaves you wanting more and so does the characters. My only problem was it didn't have enough Mick in it, since he’s one of the main reasons I kept reading this series. With that said I’m looking forward to next book.

[Bamafever · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is listed as PNR but I think it should also be UF. Plenty of romance but the story is the forefront not the romance. I absolutely love it. Mick is so great and Janet is such a wonderful heroine. She kicksass and takes names later. I can't wait for the next installment.

[Jamie ~ Bad Boy Inspector · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great installment from Allyson James. I love this series it has everything I look for in a good book - great action, interesting plot & sexy hotties!! I mean what else is a girl to ask for ;)

[Kathy Davie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Third in the Stormwalker urban fantasy series revolving around Janet Begay, a unique magic user and hotel owner who likes to hop on her Harley and ride.

My Take
It certainly makes life easier for Janet now that Nash and most of his men, Maya, and Fremont accept the weird stuff that happens around Janet. Now, if only their alpha personalities could be toned down to make Janet's life easier...snicker… Seriously, James does a nice job of balancing their acceptance while still keeping life a bit of a trial for Janet.

Mick and Gabrielle both taunt Janet quite a bit about her powers. Mick tells her that she has so much more available to her and she's clueless about its uses.

Dang, Janet sure is hard on vehicles this time around: two motorcycles, a car, and two trucks. Now you know Janet's friends like her since they're still around at the end!

I dunno. I think I'd'a let Gabrielle go into the vortex. So I'm assuming that James has plans for her.

I do enjoy this series. It's different and lively in its characters and the variety of activities that crop up. They all relate, but James has a knack for making them unique in spite of their common root.

It rather reminds me of Faith Hunter's Jane Yellowrock series in that both have strong women heroines following a unique path.

The Story
Life has been going so well...just why Nash has such a need to chase Janet down. Just because she's a bit over the spee...whoa...where did that hole come fro…aiyee

Is he alive? Did he make it? What are the odds of a sinkhole suddenly opening up just as Janet and Nash are driving across it? And those skeletal hands with their grasping fingers!? What are they? How can she stop them? Please, Mick, find us! Help us!

And Mick does find them as do the paramedics and the police who rush Nash to the hospital and its ICU. Where only family is allowed in to visit. Where a magical being masquerading as Nash's dead mother attempts to kill Nash.

And it's all downhill from there as Mick gets colder and colder toward Janet. A county safety inspector arrives with a long list of violations that he insists must be fixed within a week or the county will shut her hotel down and sell it out from under her. He even takes it upon himself to fire Elena! Janet knows that Fremont and Maya did incredible work replacing all the plumbing and electrical wiring. State-of-the-art work! How could it have deteriorated so quickly? And, how quickly can they replace it all!!?

Sliding even further is Janet's encounter with her nutso sister Gabrielle. A battle to the death, secret plans, a demand for an evil alliance, threats against her friends...sure would hate to be at those family reunions!

The Characters
Janet Begay has been learning to combine her stormwalker and Beneath powers and she owns a hotel in Magellan, New Mexico. Her mother is a Beneath goddess whom Janet and Mick trapped inside a vortex a year ago (see Stormwalker ). Her father, Pete Begay, lives in Many Farms in Chinle with Janet's formidable Grandmother — even Coyote hops to her tune!

Mick is a dragon in one form and a six-foot-six-inch tattooed biker in his other. He has declared Janet as his mate and no dragon can harass her.

Series regulars include Cassandra Bryson, a Wiccan and Janet's hotel manager. Cassandra left her old life seeking refuge here in Magellan. Maya Medina is Janet's friend and an excellent electrician who has finally gotten Nash to admit to loving her. She goes a bit overboard in this story. Fremont is the plumber who dreams of having a touch of magic. Jamison Kee is a mountain lion Changer, shaman, and renowned sculptor. He taught Janet how to control her magic when she was young and helped her get started as a professional photographer. He is still one of her best friends. He's married to Naomi who runs a plant nursery in Magellan who has a daughter Julie. Coyote is a trickster god who has a thing for Janet. Pamela Grant is the Changer now living with Cassandra. Elena is Janet's temperamental cook. Ansel is the resident Nightwalker at the hotel.

Nash Jones is the sheriff in Hopi County as well as a null around magic; he used to be Special Forces in Iraq and now suffers from PTSD after a building fell on him there. He's the only one who made it out. Lieutenant Salas has given up on dating Maya, Chief McGuire, and Deputy Lopez who all work with Nash.

Colby is a dragon not-friend of Mick's who also has a thing for Janet; he makes clever use of Nash's abilities to get around council bindings, partly to help Janet and Mick. Drake is a dragon flunky to Bancroft, one of the dragon councilmembers.

Koshare is a clown kachina god to whom Janet made a promise about using her magic. Gabrielle Massey is another daughter of Janet's mother; she has no compunctions over using people to achieve what she wants. Heck, she's embarrassing the way she goes after Nash! Ted Wingate has recently moved to Magellan with his wife Vonda. He is a county safety inspector with a roving eye and open to a particular kind of blackmail as well as an obnoxious and a condescending jerk.

The Cover and Title
Janet's smokin'! She's down on one knee with her arms crossed and elbows resting on her bent leg atop a mesa with canyons and bluffs spreading out behind her in shades of purple, pink, and blue. Even though there is a light snow fall, Janet only wears light blue jeans, a bicep cuff, and a leather tank top as smoke writhes around one arm twirling upward.

The title is accurate enough for Janet and her friends battle a Shadow Walker.

[Sherri · Rating 4 out of 5]

<4.5 Stars out of 5

Shadow Walker is the third novel in the Stormwalker series by Allyson James, which IMO just continues to get better with every release.

Janet and Mick are back, along with the rest of the gang, and I am so glad that I picked this book to read, because it absolutely blew me away. There is so much going on in this book, at least four unique storylines, and each is so effortless woven together, it’s difficult to untangle them.

The story opens with Nash and Janet racing down an interstate when a 200 foot deep sinkhole opens up and they both fall to the bottom of it. Janet is relatively uninjured but Nash gets pretty banged up. As Janet tries to help Nash, she sees skeleton hands moving around the cave; creepy, glowing skeletal hands that seem to be drawn to her.

Janet is a storm walker and she is a great urban fantasy heroine. She cares deeply for those she loves, a good friend and human being. She struggles with controlling her Beneath magic but I love how she wrestles with herself over moral implications of having so much power. She is also a strong woman, who is comfortable enough to show her vulnerable side to Mick and she often allows him to take control.

Mick has been the love of Janet’s life; even before the first novel Storm Walker. He has guided and mentored her with her storm walking ability, as well as being her friend and lover. Their relationship has been passionate and caring, but Janet has always withheld a portion of herself from Mick. Mick is one of my favorite characters, he is well-written and in Shadow Walker we learn how truly scary he can be to those he does not care deeply for is shattering for Janet. This whole storyline was heartbreaking, yet satisfying at the same time, as it forced the main character to evaluate the strength and commitment of their relationship under the most trying of circumstances.

A great addition to the series is Janet’s grandmother who arrives on the scene to help Janet out. She is so well written you can visualize her jumping off the page shaking her head at Janet. She has her own agenda and powers and we learn more of Janet’s background and where her strength comes from. Janet’s notion of her elderly grandmother is challenged and she learns that sometimes you do need to lean on others to help you out.

Overall, I loved Shadow Walker. The storylines were amazing and Janet and Mick are the perfect hero/heroine couple. The secondary characters are well developed and bring depth to the storylines. My favorites are the overly serious Sheriff Nash Jones and the comedic magic mirror. There are many more interesting characters that add to the series and I can’t complain about any of them. Even the evil Gabrielle is interesting.

I would recommend this book to all urban fantasy and paranormal junkies out there. Shadow Walker can be read as a stand alone, but it would be best to read the series in order. There is so much history before Shadow Walker; you would be missing something special.

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Rating* 4.0
*Genre* Paranormal Romance

*Review*

Shadow Walker is the third installment in the Stormwalker series by Allyson James. The story opens with Janet Begay and Nash Jones crashing into a large sink hole and falling nearly 200 feet. Janet soon finds that she is under attack by skeletons that seem to be drawn to her beneath powers while they seem to once again ignore Nash who is a magical null.

After being rescued by her Firewalker/Dragon Shifter/love slave Mick Burns, Janet finds that strange things are happening around her. Mick becomes distant and angry at Janet for silly things and ends up enslaved by a powerful Shadow Walker. At the same time, Janet’s friends Maya and Freemont are having a hard time repairing damage to the piping and electricity her hotel suddenly experiences and is close to losing the hotel to the county.

Shadow Walker is a decent enough story that is filled with mystery, suspense, and yes, lots and lots of steamy hot sex between Janet and Mick. The only good thing about the sex is that it doesn’t cross the line into the Erotica realm or I would lose interest quickly in this series and move onto something else entirely. Of course, I’m in the minority in that thought process.

Janet has found a way to combine her beneath magic with her Storm Walker (earth magic) powers so that she doesn’t destroy the world thus causing Mick and Coyote to kill her for being too powerful and dangerous. She is able to use the powers in order to save those she loves while also defending herself against those who want her dead.

Grandmother Begay makes a surprise appearance at Janet’s hotel and ends up taking charge and putting Janet in her place more than one time. It’s become old hat for Janet that Grandmother seems to belittle her every time she has the chance to. We also see a totally different side of Elena the cook, as well as a shocking and funny truth about Coyote and his past relationship which I can’t wait to find out more about.

In the end, it’s Janet, Mick, Coyote, Nash, Maya, Cassandra, Pamela, Elena, Grandmother, and Janet’s sister Gabrielle, against a powerful witch who seems to collect powerful abilities from supernatural beings she meets along the way.

I’m warming up to the point of actually liking Nash Jones. We learn the truth about what happened to him in Iraq, and why he has such a devastating case of PTSD that causes him to lash out at people and turn away from those who love him, like Maya. As one who has lived with PTSD since the 1980’s, I actually can relate to the way he feels and acts now.

Here’s hoping that James doesn’t turn into a Hamilton and add several dozen more characters to the mix and storyline to the point where you have no clue what is happening. The current character participation is just right with Drake and Colby being tertiary characters who Janet calls on to help find a way to save Mick.

[Μαρία Γεωργοπούλου · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really?? I have to write a review for this book?? I think that this is enough for a review: OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I absolutely love this series!!!! “Shadow Walker” by Allyson James is AWESOME!!!!! I love the first two and this is not an exception! For God’s sake, with this book I fell in love with a dragon! I have to say that “Shadow Walker” has more adventure and OMG moments than the first two. The plot is very good and the writing style is great.
In this book Janet Begay, a Stormwalker finds herself from the very beginning of the story in trouble and later the things are getting worse. She has an accident and a couple of days later, her boyfriend acting really weird until he finds himself enslaved by a powerful being bound to hurt Janet. A wicked hotel inspector, a nosy and bossy grandmother, a boyfriend / dragon out of his mind, a little sister with her own crazy agenda, a couple of pissed off dragons and a lot of pissed off friends are some of Janet’s problems!
Janet is one of my favorite female characters in an urban fantasy book. She is strong and very loyal to her family and friends. She’s always trying to do her best and to become a better person. She knows that inside her are forces of both good and evil, but she knows that what defines us are our actions. Although, in the previous books she shows her unconditional love for Mick, her ABSOLUTELY sexy dragon-shifter, in this book is more intense. She loves him with a very deep love. He is her other half and she prefers to be killed than harm him. She is a badass woman but she knows that with Mick, she will always be the young woman she was when she first met him.
Mick has some pretty tough times in this book. He has been touched by shadows and been enslaved by an evil force. He is a strong man and dragon but as he realizes later, he’s arrogant because he believed that he is untouchable. At the beginning of the book we can see his great love for Janet and for that is more devastating what happens later. He becomes bad, but we can see that he’s not nothing but a puppet in the hands of the evil. Did I mention that good or bad he is HOT??????????????????
All of the characters from the previous books are in this book too. I love Nash and Maya and the development of their relationship, her bossy grandmother and the AMAZING magic mirror!!! I am curious about Gabrielle’s future because I didn’t expect this kind of development for her and, of course, WHAT AN ENDING!!!!!!
I am so looking forward for the next book!!!!!! Allyson James is an amazing author and I love the way she writes!

[All Things Urban Fantasy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy

I would never have thought dragons and Coyote of Native American lore would mix as well as they have in Allyson James’s Stormwalker series, but after three books, the mythologies blend better than ever. In SHADOW WALKER, Janet has her hands full with both practical and romantic problems, but with her Stormwalker and Beneath powers still refusing to work together there’s no such thing as an easy fix.

On the practical front, Janet’s fairly new yet oddly deteriorating hotel was an interesting mystery to start off with especially since the magical force affecting the hotel had no obviously discernible cause or perpetrator. What I liked the most about Janet here is that she didn’t refuse help from her friends and used her resources and connections right away to try and solve this problem instead of dealing with it on her own.

Along with Janet literally trying to keep her roof and lively hood from collapsing on top of her, her dragon shifter lover Mick has become uncharacteristically moody and reticent. Mick’s subtle personality shift was exceptionally well written as it was drawn out over the span of a few chapters. I was just as bewildered as Janet was as Mick slowly pushed her away. As a big fan of this couple, I think I was more distressed at the possibility of a break up than Janet was.

Just when I was beginning to think the hotel and Mick’s problems were two completely separate story lines, there was a bizarre but brilliant twist that brought them together. Even though I was blindsided by the end of SHADOW WALKER and some of the character revelations, I’m more invested than ever in this series and can’t wait for more shocking twists from Allyson James.

Overall, I loved the way the multiple story lines in SHADOW WALKER fused together and the way the writing allowed me to intimately experience the story. The romance between Janet and Mick is still just as sizzling as in previous books and even strengthens after this most recent test to their love for each other. The fourth installment of this series, NIGHTWALKER, has no publication date yet but will definitely be on my to be read pile.

Sexual Content:
Explicit sex scenes, references to sex

[Alyssa Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great installment of the Stormwalker series — in this book, Mick is enslaved to a witch, and Janet has to figure out how to stop the witch from carrying out her evil plans, while also fighting off Mick and yet not killing him.

I absolutely loved this book. Mick has so far been a sort of invincible character in the series, but now he’s given some vulnerability, and because of that, Janet’s a lot more vulnerable, since she doesn’t have her dragon bodyguard to make sure everything’s okay. She grew so much as a character in this book because she had to stand on her own and fight for Mick’s life. This was action from start to finish, and I read this quickly (too quickly!), because it is such a page-turner. Besides Janet maturing as a character, however, her relationships also mature, since she has to rely on other people aside from Mick to help her. We see a lot more of Cassandra and Janet’s grandmother (my personal favorite all-time character), and even learn more about some of the workers in Janet’s hotel. I love that they are fleshed out more and more with each book and because of that, each book continues to be interesting and exciting.

We get a little more mythology in this one — more background on witches and how their magic works. The idea of a Shadow Walker — a witch who steals others’ magic to keep herself powerful and young — was super interesting. I like that we got more history of Flat Mesa and of why Janet’s hotel seems to be such a hotbed of magical activity. It seemed like this book was going in a whole bunch of different directions, and I worried that things would be confusing and scattered, but everything tied together in the end, which was nice. I’m definitely going to work on getting my hands on the fourth book. I can’t recommend this series enough!

Also posted on Purple People Readers.

[Cassandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, when I started this series, I assumed it was going to be just like all the other PN books I've read over the last 5 years - you know: Damsel, hot damsel who doesn't realize it, then Damsel's in distress - enter hero, really hot hero, then hero saves damsel from herself/enemies/him ...... etc, etc, etc
The kind of book that's sort of interesting, but not so much that you can't come up with your shopping list at the same time. This seems to be the kinds of PN that I've had to read over and over again.

Then there is this series. I actually loved it enough that I was moved to write my thoughts for the person who is having this same issue....

I loved it! Everything!

Janet, half Navajo! And we aren't just told, we're shown! Through all 3 books, the Native life is woven into the story, hell, is the story. Native Americans are a beautiful people and hats off to Allyson James for giving us this glimpse into their spirit. These people are so well fleshed out, I'm wouldn't be surprised if they knocked on my door.

Mick, the dragon. I can't say enough about him, so just, WOW, holy shit .... I want to run away with that man-dragon!!

The Magic Mirror. A voyeuristic, smart-assed mirror who I actually feel sorry for and have dressed in high heels, a wig and a fabulous dress, that I want desperately hanging in my house.

There is nothing about these books that I didn't love - it was very much a breath of fresh air...love, love, LOVE!!

[Yodamom · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars It all started with a giant sinkhole, some skeleton hands and a cold touch.

Loved it ! There is Native American Shamans, Vampires, Dragon Shifters, Witches, Demons and many other mythical beasties, all together loving, fighting and spelling each other. This edition to the series whirled at super speed, with non-stop heart racing magical madness. Oh and did I mention the sexy hot dragon shifter, he is smoking literally. Wait, This is not a romance, this is urban fantasy with a touch of romance in just the right levels for my taste.

The hotel has been inspected by the new guy in town and failed. Something is off considering they just replaced everything that is now shown to be rotten. Mick the Dragon shifter is acting strange and the magic mirror is screaming "
shadows" Janet the Stormwalker's Navajo grandmother shows up and sneaks talks with Coyote. Yes, Coyote is back, and he's just the way he should be. (i love the trickster). Janet's evil sister shows up along with a blond two legged bundle of trouble. Magic is everywhere, old spells, mysteries and cave drawings. It gets complicated and intense to solve a mystery that will save somebody Janet loves.I can't say more without giving away too much.
Read the series, you'll love it.

This is my 1000 rated book !

[Lynsey A · Rating 5 out of 5]

These books just get better as the series continues. This one did more than make me cry, it made my heart hurt. What a powerful story and gut wrenching read. I've really grown to like Janet and Mick. This story really revealed the powerful love they have between them. Nothing can tear them apart. For people who think this series is more Urban Fantasy than Paranormal Romance, they are dead wrong. Read this book and know why!

Nash and Maya are a great addition to this series. I like seeing their relationship grow and their experiences in this one brought them closer together. Oh and the line: "I saw Nash have an uh-oh-did-I-forget-the-condom-moment, before he realized Maya was speaking metaphorically," definitely made me laugh out loud.

This book made me laugh, smile, cry and sigh. The first book in the series is a little slow but don't let that keep you from reading this rest of this series. I only hope the books continue to be as good as this last one.

[☘Misericordia☘ ⚡ϟ⚡⛈⚡☁ ❇️❤❣ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is incredible - each of the 3 installments I read in one gulp!
It introduces a fresh take on paranormal. A number of more or less newish concepts are all introduced here: Tribal magic, gods' magic, dragons' magic, Stormwalking, Shadowwalking, and more! And this mesh is not messy, not in the least.
Another refreshing feature is that there is no love triangle, no cheatong on each other, no lusting after someone on the side, no agonised looking for the significant other, guh! You can't imagine how refreshing it is to read series about people who met each other, loved each other, stay with each other and plan to carry it on!
The writing is atmosferic and passionate, the storyline in turns believable and enchanting.

[AlohaMyPikachu · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. This is the second series of Allyson James that I've completed and I must be brutally honest. I've been disappointed with the final books of the series. They've just fallen a little flat for me. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but I turned the last page feeling oddly let down. I can say that one of the things that bothered me was the fact that Mick is an immortal dragon and Janet is human. It was mentioned that he'll eventually have to watch her grow old and die, but being together would be worth it. To me that kind of sucked, but oh well. Author's choice, so I'll live with it. Begrudgingly.

Overall, this book as well as the rest of the series was a fun ride. I would still recommend it as well as AJ's Dragon series.

[Anita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Third book in this series, and it's very good! I was worried at first that I wouldn't like it, because the book starts off with Janet being threatened on several different fronts, and I couldn't imagine how the author was going to make it all right (but she did!) The ending was very satisfying.

In this one Janet's hotel is threatened by a new county inspector, and creapy ghost hands are following Janet around. Then Mick is seen with another woman, and Janet's sister is back on the scene. There's also a new witch in town. I forgot to mention the sink hole that nearly kills Janet and Nash in chapter one.

[Melindeeloo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am glad that I finally got around to reading Shadow Walker, which was the best of the series so far. There is a lot going on, and some upsetting things for Jane as it looks like she may lose the things that are most important to her - her hotel and her lover Mick. Part of what made this good is that the cast has really gelled and it's fun to see even some of the fringe ones (Jamieson and his family) get a little bit of screen time. So glad I rescued this off the TBR pile and even gladder that I have the next book (which James self-pubbed) ready to go.

[Ivanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Keren banget....

Perjuangan Janet untuk menyelamatkan Mick dari pengaruh sihir jahat yg menguasainya.

Lebih baik dia mengorbankan dirinya daripada harus membunuh Mick... so sweeett...
banyak adegan lucunya di buku yg ke 3 ini.

[harlequin {Stephanie} · Rating 5 out of 5]

MORE!!!! NEED MORE!! Yes it is that good. The writer takes a story that might not be the most original and forms it into something all her own. No need to say anymore.

Con: Not nearly enough Maya in this book.

[Jennifer Ashley]

Book 3 of the Stormwalker series.

[Ming · Rating 4 out of 5]

a series getting better

love the mirror girlfriend .....

[Bonnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Vic · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book. Was heartbreaking when Janet & Mick were separated but was happy with how things wrapped up. Looking forward to book 4.