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The Half-Light City #1
Shadow Kin
Welcome to the Half-Light City.
Imagine a city divided. On one side, the Night World, ruled by the Blood Lords and the Beast Kind. On the other, the elusive Fae and the humans, protected by their steadfast mages. A city held together by nothing more than a treaty-and even then, just barely...
I was born of a Fae mother, but I had no place amongst her kind. They called me "soulless." An abomination. Perhaps they're right...I'm a wraith, a shadow who slips between worlds. I was given into the service of a Blood Lord who raised me to be his most feared assassin. Still, I'm nothing more than a slave to my master, and to the need that only he can fulfill...
Then he orders me to kill Simon DuCaine, a powerful sunmage. In the blaze of his magic, my own disappears. Instead of seeking revenge, Simon shows me mercy. He wants to free me. But that's one thing my master and his kind will never allow.
And even if I thought I could trust Simon, stepping from the shadow into the light isn't as simple as it sounds...
Imagine a city divided. On one side, the Night World, ruled by the Blood Lords and the Beast Kind. On the other, the elusive Fae and the humans, protected by their steadfast mages. A city held together by nothing more than a treaty-and even then, just barely...
I was born of a Fae mother, but I had no place amongst her kind. They called me "soulless." An abomination. Perhaps they're right...I'm a wraith, a shadow who slips between worlds. I was given into the service of a Blood Lord who raised me to be his most feared assassin. Still, I'm nothing more than a slave to my master, and to the need that only he can fulfill...
Then he orders me to kill Simon DuCaine, a powerful sunmage. In the blaze of his magic, my own disappears. Instead of seeking revenge, Simon shows me mercy. He wants to free me. But that's one thing my master and his kind will never allow.
And even if I thought I could trust Simon, stepping from the shadow into the light isn't as simple as it sounds...
325 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 6, 2011
176 people are currently reading
4707 people want to read
About the author
M.J. Scott
28 books594 followersM.J Scott is a RITA® Award nominated author. She is an unrepentant bookworm. Luckily she grew up in a family that fed her a properly varied diet of books and these days is surrounded by people who are understanding of her story addiction. When not wrestling one of her own stories to the ground, she can generally be found reading someone else’s. Her other distractions include yarn, cat butlering, dark chocolate and fabric. She lives in Melbourne, Australia.
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She has also written contemporary romance as Melanie Scott and Emma Douglas.
For free reads and all her news and sneak peeks sign up to her newsletter at https://www.mjscott.net!
Follow her on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/authormjscott
Or Instagram: www.instagram.com/melwrites
Or Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/mel_writes
She has also written contemporary romance as Melanie Scott and Emma Douglas.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 265 reviews
April 19, 2013
1. If your vocation is killing people, it probably should be a little more difficult to thwart you than putting a key in a pocket because you're too squeamish to stick your hand in a guy's pants.
2. First person is a weird choice for such shallow POV. First person alternating POVs that aren't distinctive enough to know whose head you're in without an icon at the top of the scene to give you a clue.
3. Telling, telling, telling, i.e., "It was humiliating" with none of the attendant agonized thoughts or physical manifestations that accompany humiliation. Lather, rinse, and repeat with all other feels.
4. Several times, a character would say something requiring a response, followed by paragraphs of completely unrelated internal nattering, so that by the time the POV character got around to responding, it was necessary to scroll back up several paragraphs for a reminder of the topic under discussion.
5. "The need" sounds more like IBS than anything sexual.
6. If the basis of the villain's hold is sexual need that can be circumvented by having sex with anybody, maybe try saving the day through the power of MASTURBATION. Any 13-year-old on the planet could explain it to you.
7. Any 13-year-old on the planet could possibly also relate to the emotional intensity. Everybody! Was! Always! Shouting! And shouting things like "I don't trust you! So let's screw!" I kept waiting for somebody to act like an adult, but even ancient vampires and immortal Fae maxed out at high school maturity levels.
8. Some but not all of the "coma" victims woke up after Lucius was killed, the theory being that they fed from him and his death set them free. Never mind that they've been feeding from Atherton the whole time they've been in the hospital, and he's not dead, so according to the theory (Atherton's theory, by the way), none of them should be up unless Atherton's dead. BUT IT'S OKAY, because as the protagonists so helpfully elucidate in the final pages "I have no idea how that works" and "Who knows why any magic works?"
9. And then they want to hold off on telling the "coma" victims' families they're alive because it would be cruel if they relapsed. NOT TO MENTION AWKWARD SINCE YOU TOLD THEM AGES AGO ALL THESE PEOPLE WERE DEAD. "LOL, JK. We've been holding your loved ones in stasis in an underground bunker for years without anyone's knowledge or consent, but they're all yours now. Enjoy having your lives turned inside out again. Oh, and here's the hospital bill."
2. First person is a weird choice for such shallow POV. First person alternating POVs that aren't distinctive enough to know whose head you're in without an icon at the top of the scene to give you a clue.
3. Telling, telling, telling, i.e., "It was humiliating" with none of the attendant agonized thoughts or physical manifestations that accompany humiliation. Lather, rinse, and repeat with all other feels.
4. Several times, a character would say something requiring a response, followed by paragraphs of completely unrelated internal nattering, so that by the time the POV character got around to responding, it was necessary to scroll back up several paragraphs for a reminder of the topic under discussion.
5. "The need" sounds more like IBS than anything sexual.
6. If the basis of the villain's hold is sexual need that can be circumvented by having sex with anybody, maybe try saving the day through the power of MASTURBATION. Any 13-year-old on the planet could explain it to you.
7. Any 13-year-old on the planet could possibly also relate to the emotional intensity. Everybody! Was! Always! Shouting! And shouting things like "I don't trust you! So let's screw!" I kept waiting for somebody to act like an adult, but even ancient vampires and immortal Fae maxed out at high school maturity levels.
8. Some but not all of the "coma" victims woke up after Lucius was killed, the theory being that they fed from him and his death set them free. Never mind that they've been feeding from Atherton the whole time they've been in the hospital, and he's not dead, so according to the theory (Atherton's theory, by the way), none of them should be up unless Atherton's dead. BUT IT'S OKAY, because as the protagonists so helpfully elucidate in the final pages "I have no idea how that works" and "Who knows why any magic works?"
9. And then they want to hold off on telling the "coma" victims' families they're alive because it would be cruel if they relapsed. NOT TO MENTION AWKWARD SINCE YOU TOLD THEM AGES AGO ALL THESE PEOPLE WERE DEAD. "LOL, JK. We've been holding your loved ones in stasis in an underground bunker for years without anyone's knowledge or consent, but they're all yours now. Enjoy having your lives turned inside out again. Oh, and here's the hospital bill."
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 7, 2012
I'm waffling with this book, but I really liked it. Certainly for a first in a series it was REALLY well-thought out and not with all the clunky stuff that comes with first-timers where there's a ton of expo dump and backstory friends. I LOVED how the lead guy was not a pushy Alpha dude, and this was a pretty interesting meld of Templars, Vampires and Faeries that didn't feel THAT contrived a stew of paranormal. I enjoyed the plot and how the main character went from cold to warm because of the love of another, which she'd really never known.
As my main critique, I just gotta say that switching POV between the male/female leads without proper setup was REALLY confusing, and it kept being jarring as the book went on, so I guess that would have been way better to set that up better or just keep with the lady POV. BUT It had a great edgy tone to it, the world was gritty without being uninviting, and I bought the followup to see what happens! I really think if the POV didn't switch so often it woulda been one of my top I've read this year!
As my main critique, I just gotta say that switching POV between the male/female leads without proper setup was REALLY confusing, and it kept being jarring as the book went on, so I guess that would have been way better to set that up better or just keep with the lady POV. BUT It had a great edgy tone to it, the world was gritty without being uninviting, and I bought the followup to see what happens! I really think if the POV didn't switch so often it woulda been one of my top I've read this year!
February 8, 2016
8 February 2016: $1.99 on Kindle
1.5 Stars
First, this book is told in alternating first-person POV. There are, apparently, character-specific symbols that mark the beginning of each section, but I'll be honest and say that I never paid attention to these. Resulting in it taking me a couple of lines (or paragraphs sometimes) to get into who's voice it was.
I think that there's potential with this author, but unfortunately it just didn't hit the mark for me.
Lily, the main character, is a Wraith. A fae half-breed, with some special powers and has been turned into an assassin by the Lord of the Blood (think vampires), Lucius.
Simon, the other main POV character, is a sunmage. I have to admit that his powers seem pretty spectacular actually, but like Lily's they just came off as boring.
I think my biggest problem throughout the whole books was the lack of urgency about anything.
We're told that the wars between the Fae, Blood, Beasts (werewolves?), and Humans were so bad that they eventually had to make treaties, which are renegotiated every 3 years. So we're thrust into this quasi bad world, where no one is really fighting for anything.
The world building was...erratic at best. Was it medieval? Victorian? Victorian steampunkish? Modernish? I don't know. I stopped caring part way through.
Unfortunately, the characters didn't make up anything for me. Lily was the weakest assassin I've ever had the occasion to read. Not only was she completely under someone else's control (which wouldn't normally bother me so much), but she could barely make a decision to make a decision.
Simon came off as naive and petulant. And, even, at the end a complete and utter asshole - who didn't grovel nearly enough to gain the heroine's forgiveness, much less mine.
In the end, I may try something else by this author in the future, but I certainly won't be looking forward to it as much as I did this one.
1.5 Stars
First, this book is told in alternating first-person POV. There are, apparently, character-specific symbols that mark the beginning of each section, but I'll be honest and say that I never paid attention to these. Resulting in it taking me a couple of lines (or paragraphs sometimes) to get into who's voice it was.
I think that there's potential with this author, but unfortunately it just didn't hit the mark for me.
Lily, the main character, is a Wraith. A fae half-breed, with some special powers and has been turned into an assassin by the Lord of the Blood (think vampires), Lucius.
Simon, the other main POV character, is a sunmage. I have to admit that his powers seem pretty spectacular actually, but like Lily's they just came off as boring.
I think my biggest problem throughout the whole books was the lack of urgency about anything.
We're told that the wars between the Fae, Blood, Beasts (werewolves?), and Humans were so bad that they eventually had to make treaties, which are renegotiated every 3 years. So we're thrust into this quasi bad world, where no one is really fighting for anything.
The world building was...erratic at best. Was it medieval? Victorian? Victorian steampunkish? Modernish? I don't know. I stopped caring part way through.
Unfortunately, the characters didn't make up anything for me. Lily was the weakest assassin I've ever had the occasion to read. Not only was she completely under someone else's control (which wouldn't normally bother me so much), but she could barely make a decision to make a decision.
Simon came off as naive and petulant. And, even, at the end a complete and utter asshole - who didn't grovel nearly enough to gain the heroine's forgiveness, much less mine.
In the end, I may try something else by this author in the future, but I certainly won't be looking forward to it as much as I did this one.
September 23, 2013
I worried a bit about this book because while it sounded interesting enough, the setup seemed geared towards victim/angst pandering. And really, it does have that, so I suppose those expectations weren't unrealistic. Fortunately, Scott does a good job keeping her characters grounded and providing a realistic-enough character arc for her main characters—by which I mainly mean that it never feels like Scott had to manipulate either her characters or story to provide an atmosphere of oppressive dark forces and legitimate fear and anxiety.
I liked Shadow/Lily quite a bit, so it wasn't hard to get into the novel. And while her life truly sucks (heh, vampire joke), and that has legitimate expression in her doom-and-gloom outlook, she isn't completely beaten, yet, and still tries her best to hope in the teeth of hopelessness—while still maintaining a grip on the dreadful reality she must live with. There were a couple places where I groaned at her choices, but that's because I wanted her to do what I would have done in her place because my way was completely reasonable for her character (even if her choice was also completely reasonable given the circumstances).
Simon was a bit harder to like. He's a touch too idealistic and a bit pedantic. And frankly, I've never been a fan of translating modern ideals of the Hippocratic Oath into fantasy settings. At any rate, Simon is a bit of a prig, even when he was the only one trying to give Lily a break. That said, I still liked their relationship. Simon was three-dimensional enough to have realistic reactions and both flaws and virtues that kept me interested in his character arc, even in the face of Lily's more dramatic progression.
The story and setting around these characters was legitimately bleak. That's always tricky for me in a book because it's hard for authors to remain authentic without coming across as manipulative. Scott works this well, I think. There are people banding together to try to fix things and they aren't irrelevant or misguided or venal (any more than you'd expect of actual people, anyway). This is exemplified by Simon's brother, Guy. He is a human knight trained to fight the night-side races on behalf of humanity and he's an important measure of how Shadow may eventually be perceived by the humans she'd have to join if she were to leave her position with the Blood (vampires). Between them, Simon and Guy represent the hope that Lily may, eventually, find a way out of her dreadful situation and find a place a little less bloody, capricious, and perverse.
Finally, I really enjoyed the ending (and Simon's stickectomy). It bumped the book from a solid 3.5 into an unquestionable four stars. I'm a bit wary to pick up the next one because I kind of like where Lily (and Simon) are at the end of this book. But Scott's handling of the story in this one gives me enough confidence that she won't bobble it that I'm pretty likely to pick it up and see.
A note about Steamy: There's a lot of blood in the book and some of that is tied to sexual gratification (though never actual sex on-screen). And actual sex is important to Shadow/Lily's progression as a character, and that includes a graphic sex scene or two. It served important narrative purpose, however, so it came across as mellower than most things I designate “steamy”.
I liked Shadow/Lily quite a bit, so it wasn't hard to get into the novel. And while her life truly sucks (heh, vampire joke), and that has legitimate expression in her doom-and-gloom outlook, she isn't completely beaten, yet, and still tries her best to hope in the teeth of hopelessness—while still maintaining a grip on the dreadful reality she must live with. There were a couple places where I groaned at her choices, but that's because I wanted her to do what I would have done in her place because my way was completely reasonable for her character (even if her choice was also completely reasonable given the circumstances).
Simon was a bit harder to like. He's a touch too idealistic and a bit pedantic. And frankly, I've never been a fan of translating modern ideals of the Hippocratic Oath into fantasy settings. At any rate, Simon is a bit of a prig, even when he was the only one trying to give Lily a break. That said, I still liked their relationship. Simon was three-dimensional enough to have realistic reactions and both flaws and virtues that kept me interested in his character arc, even in the face of Lily's more dramatic progression.
The story and setting around these characters was legitimately bleak. That's always tricky for me in a book because it's hard for authors to remain authentic without coming across as manipulative. Scott works this well, I think. There are people banding together to try to fix things and they aren't irrelevant or misguided or venal (any more than you'd expect of actual people, anyway). This is exemplified by Simon's brother, Guy. He is a human knight trained to fight the night-side races on behalf of humanity and he's an important measure of how Shadow may eventually be perceived by the humans she'd have to join if she were to leave her position with the Blood (vampires). Between them, Simon and Guy represent the hope that Lily may, eventually, find a way out of her dreadful situation and find a place a little less bloody, capricious, and perverse.
Finally, I really enjoyed the ending (and Simon's stickectomy). It bumped the book from a solid 3.5 into an unquestionable four stars. I'm a bit wary to pick up the next one because I kind of like where Lily (and Simon) are at the end of this book. But Scott's handling of the story in this one gives me enough confidence that she won't bobble it that I'm pretty likely to pick it up and see.
A note about Steamy: There's a lot of blood in the book and some of that is tied to sexual gratification (though never actual sex on-screen). And actual sex is important to Shadow/Lily's progression as a character, and that includes a graphic sex scene or two. It served important narrative purpose, however, so it came across as mellower than most things I designate “steamy”.
September 6, 2011
I picked up Shadow Kin on a whim, not knowing anything about the book or author. I sat down to read the first chapter, and didn’t get up until I was over 100 pages into it. Shadow Kin presents a very engaging twist on an urban fantasy world. Before I can talk about how much I enjoyed the protagonists, let me set up the world.
In this world the baddies belong to the Night World. In the dark that is the Night World we have the head honcho Lucius, who is a vampire that leads the pack. In this world also resides the Beast Kind, Blood Lords, The Trusted (human blood servants) and the Blood Locked. They coexist in a world with the good guys that consist of the humans and those that protect them – the mages, Fae, and the Templar Knights, who help police the world. Peace occurs because of a very fragile treaty that everyone has agreed to.
Enter next our hero and heroine. Lily is a wraith – born to a Fae mother, and having no idea who her father is, she is an outcast that is shunned by society. No other wraiths exist (that anyone knows of) and as a young child she is sold to Lucius. She grows up to be his assassin, since she can turn into a shadow (while in the dark) and slip through walls or other objects. Her current mission is to kill the sunmage, Simon.
Simon, a sunmage is a healer. No matter who is hurt, good or evil beings, he feels the calling to heal. Soaking in the sun to embrace his power, he is a very strong healer. He also has a soft heart for helping people. But his world gets tipped upside down when Lily’s next assassination attempt is to kill him. But with Simon’s sun powers, he is able to trap Lily in sunlight, making it so she can’t turn to shadow, making her job to kill him much more difficult.
Simon is desperate for Lucius to lose power and if he can convince Lily to testify that Lucius wanted her to kill a human healer, that might sway the Fae to act on the treaty.
What this story comes down to is that Simon loves to help those in need. He can’t let Lily pass him by when he notices her stuck in this horrible job with Lucius. He has a bleeding heart. Lily knows no other life, but all of a sudden has this attractive man who is actually talking to her like a human being. But she is so conflicted (and remains conflicted) throughout much of the story. There are big trust issues on both sides. Lily is so hesitant to accept Simon’s help. Being Lucius’s assassin is all she knows, and no one else has ever wanted her. So when Simon asks her to stay with him and to help him bring down the one man that hurts her, yet gives her shelter, it is truly a hard decision for her. What makes it more difficult is that during her time with Lucius, she was forced to drink his blood and now has become somewhat addicted to it. So she wants to break this bond with him, but she almost physically can’t. She wants to be this good, pure person because she is falling in love with Simon, but she feels so tainted by the blood addiction to Lucius.
Meanwhile, Simon wants to bring Lucius down in a political manner, rather than outright killing him, whereas the only method that might work is violence.
What also stands out in this story are the supporting characters. Simon’s brother, Guy is a Templar Knight. We barely touch on these really cool characters that serve under God. Their method is to protect everyone, for the greater good, Doing what it takes, so the majority stays safe. So having to protect a single girl, isn’t necessarily their thing. Guy really stole a lot of the scenes and I think book two is his – and I’m excited! The Fae also abhor Lily, for they don’t understand her power. But with Simon and Guy backing Lily up, they are forced to work with her - bringing in much stress and tension.
As I read this book I had no idea if there would be a HEA at the end or if this was going to take more the urban fantasy route. There ends up being a HEA, and I enjoyed it. Although my one complaint with this book is that I wish their romance was explored a little more. This book only takes place over about a week – and they go from strangers to in love quite quickly. I don’t want to call Simon a beta hero, but I can’t classify him as alpha either. Maybe his quiet, soothing healing moments lends him more to the beta side, but he definitely has that protective, fighting urges when it comes to Lily. It is a unique relationship that just drew me in.
One more thing that threw me out of the story a couple of times – this is told in first person POV for both Lily and Simon. And sometimes it would switch without me realizing it and it took me a second to figure out whose head we were in. It was a little confusing and didn’t allow me to get lost in the book like I wanted to.
As I said, this world and the characters really stand out in this book. I think there is so much we can explore and we have just tipped the iceberg. Fans of urban fantasy need to check this one out. I can’t wait for the next book.
In this world the baddies belong to the Night World. In the dark that is the Night World we have the head honcho Lucius, who is a vampire that leads the pack. In this world also resides the Beast Kind, Blood Lords, The Trusted (human blood servants) and the Blood Locked. They coexist in a world with the good guys that consist of the humans and those that protect them – the mages, Fae, and the Templar Knights, who help police the world. Peace occurs because of a very fragile treaty that everyone has agreed to.
Enter next our hero and heroine. Lily is a wraith – born to a Fae mother, and having no idea who her father is, she is an outcast that is shunned by society. No other wraiths exist (that anyone knows of) and as a young child she is sold to Lucius. She grows up to be his assassin, since she can turn into a shadow (while in the dark) and slip through walls or other objects. Her current mission is to kill the sunmage, Simon.
Simon, a sunmage is a healer. No matter who is hurt, good or evil beings, he feels the calling to heal. Soaking in the sun to embrace his power, he is a very strong healer. He also has a soft heart for helping people. But his world gets tipped upside down when Lily’s next assassination attempt is to kill him. But with Simon’s sun powers, he is able to trap Lily in sunlight, making it so she can’t turn to shadow, making her job to kill him much more difficult.
Simon is desperate for Lucius to lose power and if he can convince Lily to testify that Lucius wanted her to kill a human healer, that might sway the Fae to act on the treaty.
What this story comes down to is that Simon loves to help those in need. He can’t let Lily pass him by when he notices her stuck in this horrible job with Lucius. He has a bleeding heart. Lily knows no other life, but all of a sudden has this attractive man who is actually talking to her like a human being. But she is so conflicted (and remains conflicted) throughout much of the story. There are big trust issues on both sides. Lily is so hesitant to accept Simon’s help. Being Lucius’s assassin is all she knows, and no one else has ever wanted her. So when Simon asks her to stay with him and to help him bring down the one man that hurts her, yet gives her shelter, it is truly a hard decision for her. What makes it more difficult is that during her time with Lucius, she was forced to drink his blood and now has become somewhat addicted to it. So she wants to break this bond with him, but she almost physically can’t. She wants to be this good, pure person because she is falling in love with Simon, but she feels so tainted by the blood addiction to Lucius.
Meanwhile, Simon wants to bring Lucius down in a political manner, rather than outright killing him, whereas the only method that might work is violence.
What also stands out in this story are the supporting characters. Simon’s brother, Guy is a Templar Knight. We barely touch on these really cool characters that serve under God. Their method is to protect everyone, for the greater good, Doing what it takes, so the majority stays safe. So having to protect a single girl, isn’t necessarily their thing. Guy really stole a lot of the scenes and I think book two is his – and I’m excited! The Fae also abhor Lily, for they don’t understand her power. But with Simon and Guy backing Lily up, they are forced to work with her - bringing in much stress and tension.
As I read this book I had no idea if there would be a HEA at the end or if this was going to take more the urban fantasy route. There ends up being a HEA, and I enjoyed it. Although my one complaint with this book is that I wish their romance was explored a little more. This book only takes place over about a week – and they go from strangers to in love quite quickly. I don’t want to call Simon a beta hero, but I can’t classify him as alpha either. Maybe his quiet, soothing healing moments lends him more to the beta side, but he definitely has that protective, fighting urges when it comes to Lily. It is a unique relationship that just drew me in.
One more thing that threw me out of the story a couple of times – this is told in first person POV for both Lily and Simon. And sometimes it would switch without me realizing it and it took me a second to figure out whose head we were in. It was a little confusing and didn’t allow me to get lost in the book like I wanted to.
As I said, this world and the characters really stand out in this book. I think there is so much we can explore and we have just tipped the iceberg. Fans of urban fantasy need to check this one out. I can’t wait for the next book.
January 16, 2012
I’ve found that I tend to drift more toward darker books. I read widely across the spectrum, but the ones that really resonate with me have that core of darkness. I like the complication of muddying the waters with gray characters and I like the complexity that comes from slightly twisted situations. I wouldn’t say that Shadow Kin is a dark book, per se, but I wouldn’t call it light. The heroine has that complexity to her and I found myself fascinated by the twisted existence she had been forced into.
Lily (Shadow) was sold at birth to a Blood Lord (vampire). She’s a wraith and has the ability to slip into shadows. Wraiths are abominations in most people’s eyes, so Lily is trapped in the only existence she’s ever known. Lucius, the Blood Lord, raises her and trains her to be his pet assassin. He is not a nice man and her whole life has been filled with pain and fear. Lately, Lucius has become obsessed with her and has become even more vicious than usual. Lily fears for her future, but she has nowhere to go. He would hunt her relentlessly if she tried to escape.
Lily’s character was sad but authentic. She had been abused and beaten down her whole life. She wasn’t only physically abused either. Lucius played sick psychological games with her which left her unable to ever relax. He would go into a rage and beat her or he would become displeased by a failure of hers and would humiliate her. Lily is a strong character, but she’s emotionally fragile. She’s suspicious of any kindness or help offered to her, so someone like Simon is hard for her to understand. He looks at her and sees someone worth helping, regardless of what it costs him. Lily doesn’t want him to get involved in the darkness of her life and is ashamed of what he might learn about her. Fortunately for her, Simon is determined to help her whether she wants it or not.
Simon and Lily have a complicated relationship. They are drawn to each other, but they both are bound by skeletons from the past. They have a hard time trusting each other, though they want to. They are caught up in a complicated situation where they have to keep things from each other to stay true to their “side.” The tension and longing between them was very well done. This isn’t a Romance, but I found the star-crossed relationship between them compelling. At times I became angry at them for the choices they made—especially toward the end—but it didn’t keep me from being glued to the pages.
The middle of the book felt slow but I really liked the beginning and the end. At first I wasn’t quite sure how I felt about having alternating first person POV’s and I found the transition between them jarring—until I figured out that the symbols at the beginning of the chapter indicated whose POV it was—but I ended up really enjoying the style. In addition to developing the main characters well, Scott also created some fascinating side characters. Lucius, in particular, comes to mind. His relationship with Lily was complex and disturbing. Too often the villains are flat caricatures. You won’t get that with Lucius. He was dark and fascinating. I found Lily’s reaction to him believably conflicted, although I found it creepy. At one point she goes back to him and willingly sinks into his seduction so she can haze her mind and not have to think about the reality of what she is doing. I was very angry at her for this, but it cemented the vibe I had that Lily was behaving like an abuse victim; unable to keep from returning to her abuser and the life she’d grown accustomed to.
Although I liked Simon and his determination to be Lily’s hero, I thought he could be a right prick. He was quick to blame Lily whenever he learned about something she had kept from him but he never really internalized the fact that he kept just as much from her. His anger when he learned the truth about her twisted connection to Lucius made it hard to like him. He came down on her like a ton of bricks and blamed the victim of the situation. They eventually make up and apologize, but I felt that he was forgiven a little too easily.
Although I had a couple problems with the pace in the middle of the book and the behavior of certain characters, as mentioned, I found the story completely engrossing. This is my first book by this author, but it seems like she has a definite talent for creating intense, emotional stories. I’m definitely going to pick up the next book in this series when it comes out.
Favorite Quote:
*Review originally posted on Fiction Vixen*
Lily (Shadow) was sold at birth to a Blood Lord (vampire). She’s a wraith and has the ability to slip into shadows. Wraiths are abominations in most people’s eyes, so Lily is trapped in the only existence she’s ever known. Lucius, the Blood Lord, raises her and trains her to be his pet assassin. He is not a nice man and her whole life has been filled with pain and fear. Lately, Lucius has become obsessed with her and has become even more vicious than usual. Lily fears for her future, but she has nowhere to go. He would hunt her relentlessly if she tried to escape.
Lily’s character was sad but authentic. She had been abused and beaten down her whole life. She wasn’t only physically abused either. Lucius played sick psychological games with her which left her unable to ever relax. He would go into a rage and beat her or he would become displeased by a failure of hers and would humiliate her. Lily is a strong character, but she’s emotionally fragile. She’s suspicious of any kindness or help offered to her, so someone like Simon is hard for her to understand. He looks at her and sees someone worth helping, regardless of what it costs him. Lily doesn’t want him to get involved in the darkness of her life and is ashamed of what he might learn about her. Fortunately for her, Simon is determined to help her whether she wants it or not.
Simon and Lily have a complicated relationship. They are drawn to each other, but they both are bound by skeletons from the past. They have a hard time trusting each other, though they want to. They are caught up in a complicated situation where they have to keep things from each other to stay true to their “side.” The tension and longing between them was very well done. This isn’t a Romance, but I found the star-crossed relationship between them compelling. At times I became angry at them for the choices they made—especially toward the end—but it didn’t keep me from being glued to the pages.
The middle of the book felt slow but I really liked the beginning and the end. At first I wasn’t quite sure how I felt about having alternating first person POV’s and I found the transition between them jarring—until I figured out that the symbols at the beginning of the chapter indicated whose POV it was—but I ended up really enjoying the style. In addition to developing the main characters well, Scott also created some fascinating side characters. Lucius, in particular, comes to mind. His relationship with Lily was complex and disturbing. Too often the villains are flat caricatures. You won’t get that with Lucius. He was dark and fascinating. I found Lily’s reaction to him believably conflicted, although I found it creepy. At one point she goes back to him and willingly sinks into his seduction so she can haze her mind and not have to think about the reality of what she is doing. I was very angry at her for this, but it cemented the vibe I had that Lily was behaving like an abuse victim; unable to keep from returning to her abuser and the life she’d grown accustomed to.
Although I liked Simon and his determination to be Lily’s hero, I thought he could be a right prick. He was quick to blame Lily whenever he learned about something she had kept from him but he never really internalized the fact that he kept just as much from her. His anger when he learned the truth about her twisted connection to Lucius made it hard to like him. He came down on her like a ton of bricks and blamed the victim of the situation. They eventually make up and apologize, but I felt that he was forgiven a little too easily.
Although I had a couple problems with the pace in the middle of the book and the behavior of certain characters, as mentioned, I found the story completely engrossing. This is my first book by this author, but it seems like she has a definite talent for creating intense, emotional stories. I’m definitely going to pick up the next book in this series when it comes out.
Favorite Quote:
Permanent mercy has to be earned. A warning to choose the right side. Only in my world the sides weren’t right and wrong. They were my side and everybody else’s.
I’d be choosing me.
*Review originally posted on Fiction Vixen*
December 4, 2013
Have you been to an art exhabit and you stop to look at a painting. The painting stops you for a moment and you are not sure if you hate it or like it. Then some smart people cames along talks about it like its the solution to world peace, you stare at it for a moment with mixed feeling than decide you hate it and move on without glancing back. This is what the book made me feel.
The characters in this book are flat. Lily is suppose to be the trained killer, but really lets herself be abused and recused. She is not a strong character and angered me when she constantly changed her mind every .001 seconds.
Simon is no better, being naive and stupid. I felt the author tried to pull him in two directions at the same time; being a healer and a warrior. It just felt odd.
The Villian is a joke doing nothing, why the hell was everyone afraid of him. I have no idea.
The romance. What romance? What the characters had was lust, ending up together randomly. Was there a connection? Kinda sorta, more towards no. Was it love? Big NO.
The one star is for Guy, Simon's brother (yes that is his real name) The only one with common sense and brain cells.
The characters in this book are flat. Lily is suppose to be the trained killer, but really lets herself be abused and recused. She is not a strong character and angered me when she constantly changed her mind every .001 seconds.
Simon is no better, being naive and stupid. I felt the author tried to pull him in two directions at the same time; being a healer and a warrior. It just felt odd.
The Villian is a joke doing nothing, why the hell was everyone afraid of him. I have no idea.
The romance. What romance? What the characters had was lust, ending up together randomly. Was there a connection? Kinda sorta, more towards no. Was it love? Big NO.
The one star is for Guy, Simon's brother (yes that is his real name) The only one with common sense and brain cells.
May 20, 2012
Per Author's Website, a new dark fantasy trilogy starting Sep 2011. Description: "Welcome to the Half-Light City.
Imagine a city divided. On one side, the Night World, ruled by the Blood Lords and the Beast Kind. On the other, the elusive Fae and the humans, protected by their steadfast mages. A city held together by nothing more than a treaty-and even then, just barely...
I was born of a Fae mother, but I had no place amongst her kind. They called me "soulless." An abomination. Perhaps they're right...I'm a wraith, a shadow who slips between worlds. I was given into the service of a Blood Lord who raised me to be his most feared assassin. Still, I'm nothing more than a slave to my master, and to the need that only he can fulfill...
Then he orders me to kill Simon DuCaine, a powerful sunmage. In the blaze of his magic, my own disappears. Instead of seeking revenge, Simon shows me mercy. He wants to free me. But that's one thing my master and his kind will never allow.
And even if I thought I could trust Simon, stepping from the shadow into the light isn't as simple as it sounds..."
Sounds good!
Imagine a city divided. On one side, the Night World, ruled by the Blood Lords and the Beast Kind. On the other, the elusive Fae and the humans, protected by their steadfast mages. A city held together by nothing more than a treaty-and even then, just barely...
I was born of a Fae mother, but I had no place amongst her kind. They called me "soulless." An abomination. Perhaps they're right...I'm a wraith, a shadow who slips between worlds. I was given into the service of a Blood Lord who raised me to be his most feared assassin. Still, I'm nothing more than a slave to my master, and to the need that only he can fulfill...
Then he orders me to kill Simon DuCaine, a powerful sunmage. In the blaze of his magic, my own disappears. Instead of seeking revenge, Simon shows me mercy. He wants to free me. But that's one thing my master and his kind will never allow.
And even if I thought I could trust Simon, stepping from the shadow into the light isn't as simple as it sounds..."
Sounds good!
December 3, 2017
RTC jarring pov changes sometimes. And I don't like that it's not the same characters moving forward. i.e. Simon and Lily.
I can't believe I forgot to review this. I really did enjoy this book aside from the jarring POV changes. Once I got into the swing of how the POVs were changing it wasn't too difficult but I didn't care about other people's povs.
It was interesting the things that went on between Simon and Lily, how he treated her and how she treated him. I found it sucky how the Fae looked down on her. She was treated very shitty. And felt super lonely, all she wanted was to be loved. She was starved, STARVED for attention.
But I'm disappointed that the next book isn't following the same people. I seriously dislike when that happens in books.
I'm not sure how I initially felt but I'm going to make it a 3.5 since I'm unsure where I left it.
I can't believe I forgot to review this. I really did enjoy this book aside from the jarring POV changes. Once I got into the swing of how the POVs were changing it wasn't too difficult but I didn't care about other people's povs.
It was interesting the things that went on between Simon and Lily, how he treated her and how she treated him. I found it sucky how the Fae looked down on her. She was treated very shitty. And felt super lonely, all she wanted was to be loved. She was starved, STARVED for attention.
But I'm disappointed that the next book isn't following the same people. I seriously dislike when that happens in books.
I'm not sure how I initially felt but I'm going to make it a 3.5 since I'm unsure where I left it.
October 22, 2011
Shadow Kin started off slowly, probably due to the fact that it's the first book in The Half-Light City series so M.J. Scott had some world/character building to do. Once that was out of the way though then this novel really started to shine. The element that pulled me in the most was how the seemingly "bad" protagonist struggles with doing the right thing and wavers between her allegiances. Usually the heroine fights for good, it's pretty much a given, but not this time. I really enjoyed experiencing a darker point of view; it's not often that you get to view a story from the bad guy's perspective.
Lily is a very complex character. Her origins are blurry, the few people who do know the truth refuse to share and she's never been treated like anything other than a burden or a possession. It's hard to form a good opinion of oneself when you're constantly being treated like dirt. Lily was resigned to her fate up until she meets Simon. The sunmage takes the time to look beneath the surface and discovers that there's more to this wraith than meets the eye. I easily sympathized with this story's heroine. Her internal struggles over her worth and her actions are heartbreaking. Lily wants to do the right thing and put an end to the chaos but it's hard to do that when you're not entirely sure what good is anymore. At one point, she actually goes back to her captor thinking that sacrificing herself will put an end to all of the killing. The good guys were angry at her for her decision but from my perspective I could definitely understand why she did what she did. It wasn't an easy choice to make and I admired her all the more for making it.
The action in this book exceeds the romance by far but there are a couple of encounters. I found both of them to be emotional and intense. One was the result of need and desire while the other was caused by anger. Two very different sentiments but both were equally enjoyable, just in different ways. Simon is another complicated personality so I guess he and Lily compliment each other well. On the outside he appears to be a self-assured healer who's life's goal is to make the world a better place. However, if you dig a little deeper you'll discover that he'd hiding quite a bit. Simon frustrated me at times. The sunmage's goodie-goddie attitude came off as preachy and self-righteous. Later, I learned that he was overcompensating for his past mistakes and then I began to like him a whole lot more.
The plot line is fascinating and definitely leaves things open for many future installments. Shadow Kin has a nice mix of supernatural drama and political intrigue that's rare to find in Urban Fantasy fiction. I'm anxious to see what M.J. Scott has in store for book 2. This is a well-balanced read that manages to be smart and hot! The wait until the next release in June 2012 will be long but well worth it!
Lily is a very complex character. Her origins are blurry, the few people who do know the truth refuse to share and she's never been treated like anything other than a burden or a possession. It's hard to form a good opinion of oneself when you're constantly being treated like dirt. Lily was resigned to her fate up until she meets Simon. The sunmage takes the time to look beneath the surface and discovers that there's more to this wraith than meets the eye. I easily sympathized with this story's heroine. Her internal struggles over her worth and her actions are heartbreaking. Lily wants to do the right thing and put an end to the chaos but it's hard to do that when you're not entirely sure what good is anymore. At one point, she actually goes back to her captor thinking that sacrificing herself will put an end to all of the killing. The good guys were angry at her for her decision but from my perspective I could definitely understand why she did what she did. It wasn't an easy choice to make and I admired her all the more for making it.
The action in this book exceeds the romance by far but there are a couple of encounters. I found both of them to be emotional and intense. One was the result of need and desire while the other was caused by anger. Two very different sentiments but both were equally enjoyable, just in different ways. Simon is another complicated personality so I guess he and Lily compliment each other well. On the outside he appears to be a self-assured healer who's life's goal is to make the world a better place. However, if you dig a little deeper you'll discover that he'd hiding quite a bit. Simon frustrated me at times. The sunmage's goodie-goddie attitude came off as preachy and self-righteous. Later, I learned that he was overcompensating for his past mistakes and then I began to like him a whole lot more.
The plot line is fascinating and definitely leaves things open for many future installments. Shadow Kin has a nice mix of supernatural drama and political intrigue that's rare to find in Urban Fantasy fiction. I'm anxious to see what M.J. Scott has in store for book 2. This is a well-balanced read that manages to be smart and hot! The wait until the next release in June 2012 will be long but well worth it!
September 21, 2011
Solid world building and a fascinating protagonist. I can't wait to see what Scott will come up with next!
Gray eyes narrowed at me, looking like she wanted to kill me.
She looked beautiful. Beautiful and deadly.
Lily is a wraith. She's a complex creature of mysterious origins who can move invisibly through the dark and walk freely through any solid object or magical ward. Wraiths are rare, dangerous and make perfect assassins.
As a child, Lily was sold to the viscious Blood lord, Lucius. A very powerful and effective weapon, she is Lucius' prize pet, hated and feared by all.
Between Lucius' obsessive control and other creatures labeling her as an "abomination", Lily is isolated. She's without support or friendship and has reluctantly accepted her obligations to her brutal and remorseless owner.
She lives a life of slavery and abuse, often humiliated and forced to kill on command.
Between her twisted relationship with Lucius and the abandonment by her Fae mother, you can't help but to feel sympathy toward Lily's character and her unfortunate circumstances.
She's a wonderfully entertaining contradication - a highly efficient killing machine who is emotionally fragile. She can slip into the dark and slice her target's throat, but she blushes fiercely when being seduced by a man.
Lily is paired with a strong male character who compliments her nicely. I can't say with certainty that he feels entirely original, but there is something about Simon that I found compelling.
He is a sunmage and a healer. He first meets Lily when she attempts to assassinate him in his bedroom, by Lucius' orders.
Unfortunately, Lily isn't aware that her potential victim can call sunlight. Her wraith abilities are stifled and Simon quickly overpowers her.
As the story progresses, they must work together to expose Lucius' crimes, keep Lily safely out of his grasp and slowly begin to earn each other's trust.
Lucius doesn't give up easily and he will do anything in his power to retrieve his pet assassin.
Despite all of the entertainment, I wasn't able to give "Shadow Kin" a full five stars. It definitely had the potential, but there was a deal breaker that presented itself more frequently toward the end. Typos. Not just a couple of typos, but several typos that brought along a lot of their friends.
Then, there was the confusing jumps between points of view. I've read many books where the change was executed flawlessly, but unfortunately this wasn't one of them. The current narrator wasn't immediately apparent, and those moments of confusion were distracting and occasionally irritating.
But regardless, this was still an enjoyable read.
Overall, this story was dark, sexy and exciting. Bring on "Blood Kin"!
I should stop this. Now.
"Forget I asked," I said.
He laughed. It didn't sound terribly amused. More torn.
"That's just it," he said. "I can't."
Gray eyes narrowed at me, looking like she wanted to kill me.
She looked beautiful. Beautiful and deadly.
Lily is a wraith. She's a complex creature of mysterious origins who can move invisibly through the dark and walk freely through any solid object or magical ward. Wraiths are rare, dangerous and make perfect assassins.
As a child, Lily was sold to the viscious Blood lord, Lucius. A very powerful and effective weapon, she is Lucius' prize pet, hated and feared by all.
Between Lucius' obsessive control and other creatures labeling her as an "abomination", Lily is isolated. She's without support or friendship and has reluctantly accepted her obligations to her brutal and remorseless owner.
She lives a life of slavery and abuse, often humiliated and forced to kill on command.
Between her twisted relationship with Lucius and the abandonment by her Fae mother, you can't help but to feel sympathy toward Lily's character and her unfortunate circumstances.
She's a wonderfully entertaining contradication - a highly efficient killing machine who is emotionally fragile. She can slip into the dark and slice her target's throat, but she blushes fiercely when being seduced by a man.
Lily is paired with a strong male character who compliments her nicely. I can't say with certainty that he feels entirely original, but there is something about Simon that I found compelling.
He is a sunmage and a healer. He first meets Lily when she attempts to assassinate him in his bedroom, by Lucius' orders.
Unfortunately, Lily isn't aware that her potential victim can call sunlight. Her wraith abilities are stifled and Simon quickly overpowers her.
As the story progresses, they must work together to expose Lucius' crimes, keep Lily safely out of his grasp and slowly begin to earn each other's trust.
Lucius doesn't give up easily and he will do anything in his power to retrieve his pet assassin.
Despite all of the entertainment, I wasn't able to give "Shadow Kin" a full five stars. It definitely had the potential, but there was a deal breaker that presented itself more frequently toward the end. Typos. Not just a couple of typos, but several typos that brought along a lot of their friends.
Then, there was the confusing jumps between points of view. I've read many books where the change was executed flawlessly, but unfortunately this wasn't one of them. The current narrator wasn't immediately apparent, and those moments of confusion were distracting and occasionally irritating.
But regardless, this was still an enjoyable read.
Overall, this story was dark, sexy and exciting. Bring on "Blood Kin"!
I should stop this. Now.
"Forget I asked," I said.
He laughed. It didn't sound terribly amused. More torn.
"That's just it," he said. "I can't."
October 1, 2011
This was an fantastic read. I used to be a huge fantasy reader, but for some reason have dropped away from this genre a bit lately. I still have my faves - George RR Martin (although I am waiting until there are more books available before I start reading again. Too long between installments, Mr Martin) and Robin Hobb and Anne McCaffrey, to name a few. I read the opening scene in MJ Scott's Shadow Kin on her website just before her book was released and was utterly entranced by the crisp, original writing and the clarity of the world she was creating. I went to her book launch last week and got my own autographed copy, then sat down to devour it yesterday. And could not put it down.
I'm not going to go through the plot points - I never do that in my reviews, too lazy! - but I want to talk about all the things that really worked for me with this book.
First up, such an original and compelling heroine. For many people, Lily would be evil incarnate. A wraith who is only powerful in the night, a trained killer who thinks of little beyond her own survival and the need she must feed and assuage. But Lily is that fabulous thing - a victim of undeserved misfortune, and I understand almost from the get go that she is a victim - a brave, courageous one, but a victim nonetheless. She is essentially powerless, caught between a rock and a hard place, and every decision she makes is expensive and potentially life threatening. Scott succeeds in making her incredibly sympathetic, and not once did I question her decisions, even toward the end when I was silently urging her to come clean with Simon rather than have him discover her secret. I understood her fear - which, in the end, turned out to be well grounded.
Simon was a great hero - heroic, but also caring. The quintessential warrior-healer. His essentially sunny nature - pun intended! - and determination to believe in and do good make him the perfect hero to help Lily save herself from the darkness. He is the light to her dark, and his support and belief and bravery in choosing to trust her when no one else would is what helps Lily see a way out of the darkness of her life.
I loved the world of the Half-Light City and am keen to know much more about it's origins and people. I liked the backstory given to Simon and Lily - they both had reasons for being who they are and for their beliefs and decisions, no one ever did anything simply because the plot required it of them. The conflict was believable and complex, the villain scary and compelling. I particularly liked the "chase" scene when Lucius pursues Lily toward the end of the book.
If you like complex, intelligent fantasy with strong romance, this is a very compelling, involving read with wonderful writing and well drawn, well rounded characters.
*Disclaimer. I do know MJ, but as anyone who reads my reviews knows, I only every review books I feel strongly about.
I'm not going to go through the plot points - I never do that in my reviews, too lazy! - but I want to talk about all the things that really worked for me with this book.
First up, such an original and compelling heroine. For many people, Lily would be evil incarnate. A wraith who is only powerful in the night, a trained killer who thinks of little beyond her own survival and the need she must feed and assuage. But Lily is that fabulous thing - a victim of undeserved misfortune, and I understand almost from the get go that she is a victim - a brave, courageous one, but a victim nonetheless. She is essentially powerless, caught between a rock and a hard place, and every decision she makes is expensive and potentially life threatening. Scott succeeds in making her incredibly sympathetic, and not once did I question her decisions, even toward the end when I was silently urging her to come clean with Simon rather than have him discover her secret. I understood her fear - which, in the end, turned out to be well grounded.
Simon was a great hero - heroic, but also caring. The quintessential warrior-healer. His essentially sunny nature - pun intended! - and determination to believe in and do good make him the perfect hero to help Lily save herself from the darkness. He is the light to her dark, and his support and belief and bravery in choosing to trust her when no one else would is what helps Lily see a way out of the darkness of her life.
I loved the world of the Half-Light City and am keen to know much more about it's origins and people. I liked the backstory given to Simon and Lily - they both had reasons for being who they are and for their beliefs and decisions, no one ever did anything simply because the plot required it of them. The conflict was believable and complex, the villain scary and compelling. I particularly liked the "chase" scene when Lucius pursues Lily toward the end of the book.
If you like complex, intelligent fantasy with strong romance, this is a very compelling, involving read with wonderful writing and well drawn, well rounded characters.
*Disclaimer. I do know MJ, but as anyone who reads my reviews knows, I only every review books I feel strongly about.
November 4, 2011
2.5 Stars
Potential. This author has it. This book is like a box of chocolate, they look good, smell good, the outer layer is scrumptious and melts in your mouth but, when you get to the middle you realize it has nuts in it and you're allergic. This read had fae, beasts, Templars, Healers, and a Wraith, but none of them were "real" in the fictional sense. Simon, if you pay attention, does not come off manly at all. He was naive and sometimes petulant. When he screamed 'no' in one scene I imagined him stomping his foot and shaking his head. As for the Wraith/ bad-ass assassin; I have to say she was really tame, weak, and insecure. There was a lot of getting from a to b and talking, but never getting anything done. As of now, I would be in no rush to read another book by this author. This really reminds me of Patricia Briggs and how the story is supposed to be fantasy but ends up being a weak, unwanted romance.
Potential. This author has it. This book is like a box of chocolate, they look good, smell good, the outer layer is scrumptious and melts in your mouth but, when you get to the middle you realize it has nuts in it and you're allergic. This read had fae, beasts, Templars, Healers, and a Wraith, but none of them were "real" in the fictional sense. Simon, if you pay attention, does not come off manly at all. He was naive and sometimes petulant. When he screamed 'no' in one scene I imagined him stomping his foot and shaking his head. As for the Wraith/ bad-ass assassin; I have to say she was really tame, weak, and insecure. There was a lot of getting from a to b and talking, but never getting anything done. As of now, I would be in no rush to read another book by this author. This really reminds me of Patricia Briggs and how the story is supposed to be fantasy but ends up being a weak, unwanted romance.
August 13, 2012
I had high hopes for this one and unfortunately it didn't meet any of them. The heroine talks the talk, but her wishy-washy tendencies and constant need to retread the same ground over and over again in her frequent inner monologues was irritating and boring. Simon was likable enough, but even he became tedious and predictable (and more than a little naive). The characterizations felt hollow and I never really felt immersed in the world the author was trying to create. Even the bad guy was blah and when the author builds up their evilness with talk about intrigue being one of the vampires tenets, I expect to see some sly machinations at work, but not so. I don't think I'll continue with the series unless I hear some better reviews. As it stands I think this was trying to straddle the UF/PNR line and didn't succeed, so I wouldn't really recommend this one.
October 20, 2011
This book was really dumb :(
The main character is supposed to assasinate this guy..so she creeps up on him..but is caught.
She gets tied up by her intended victim. Is she scared? Angry at him? No she checks him out,because hes so totally sexy,rippling abs,pretty hair etc. Um...hello? Thats not a very natural reaction.
And there is her victims reaction,wich is even more unbelievable.
Who would get concerned for their murderer-to-be? And then let her loose to have another go at him?
I thought the world it took place in was a fantasy one...but it seems not since they have cabs :/ It all felt so cobbled together,for example the love interest is a sunmage (fantasy) but his brother is a templar knight (medieval)
And there are vampires,but they arent really called vampires...
The main character is supposed to assasinate this guy..so she creeps up on him..but is caught.
She gets tied up by her intended victim. Is she scared? Angry at him? No she checks him out,because hes so totally sexy,rippling abs,pretty hair etc. Um...hello? Thats not a very natural reaction.
And there is her victims reaction,wich is even more unbelievable.
Who would get concerned for their murderer-to-be? And then let her loose to have another go at him?
I thought the world it took place in was a fantasy one...but it seems not since they have cabs :/ It all felt so cobbled together,for example the love interest is a sunmage (fantasy) but his brother is a templar knight (medieval)
And there are vampires,but they arent really called vampires...
July 19, 2012
This one was meh to me.
I think the problem was mostly that I didn't like Simon. I found him to be a judgmental douchecanoe. And Lily was ... eh, she had no backbone.
I was disappointed, because I thought the world was interesting. But the combination of the hypocritical Simon (I can lie to you and manipulate you, but if you keep one thing from me, you're an irredeemable whore) and the doormat Lily (no one will ever love me, I don't deserve it *gets emo snake-bite piercing*)... plus the asinine secondary characters (I hate the crusader types, so the Templars, and the Fae with their egomaniacal shitty behavior, were really really irritating).
Also, there was an alternating first-person POV in this book, and I have to admit it bugged the heck out of me.
Meh.
I think the problem was mostly that I didn't like Simon. I found him to be a judgmental douchecanoe. And Lily was ... eh, she had no backbone.
I was disappointed, because I thought the world was interesting. But the combination of the hypocritical Simon (I can lie to you and manipulate you, but if you keep one thing from me, you're an irredeemable whore) and the doormat Lily (no one will ever love me, I don't deserve it *gets emo snake-bite piercing*)... plus the asinine secondary characters (I hate the crusader types, so the Templars, and the Fae with their egomaniacal shitty behavior, were really really irritating).
Also, there was an alternating first-person POV in this book, and I have to admit it bugged the heck out of me.
Meh.
September 20, 2011
I had high hopes when I picked this book up. Reading the back had me so excited and it held up for the first chapter. But it did not take long for my excitement to die. I found Shadow's(I will not use the main character's real name in case you have not read the book yet) lacking. There was no real heart to any of the characters. The dialogue is boring.
Most the book to me was them walking in hallways and talking.The action is lacking. There was some good pages that sucked me back into getting excited, but usually ended by the next few pages.
To some the whole book up it was lacking. It could have been a really good book with more detail and character development.
Most the book to me was them walking in hallways and talking.The action is lacking. There was some good pages that sucked me back into getting excited, but usually ended by the next few pages.
To some the whole book up it was lacking. It could have been a really good book with more detail and character development.
March 25, 2016
3.5 stars. This book features fae, vampires, mages, animal shifters, and a wraith - it's a smorgasbord of paranormal creatures. While that did seem to be a little bit much overall, on the scale of the number of characters involved - this was relatively well executed. I perhaps would have given this book a higher rating, but the character of Simon just didn't stand out for me and the world building was a little weak. Meanwhile the villain, Lucius, did come across as very frightening but I wish we got to see more of his machinations beyond his torments of Lily - what was his plans? Where's the evil mastermind plot? I still liked this book though.
May 14, 2016
"He was so full of life and confidence part of me wanted to slap him. But another part wanted to let him show me how to feel like that. That part made me want to slap myself."
No, I just can't. By the time I hit page 2, I was already reaching for the stapler so I could permanently stable my eyelids shut. This was just so dumb and fucking problematic. I couldn't even tell who's POV it was in. This is a bunch of cringeworthy crap. Do yourself a favor, skip this review, and just don't read this shit.
Here's all the problems I had with this book (and I wasn't even halfway finished with it):
1). We're first introduced to Lily, who also goes by the alias, Shadow. Now the blurb for Shadow Kin gives off the assumption that she's this kick-ass assassin, right? So like any good introduction into a world full of assassins, the book starts off with her going out on a mission. The killing kind, obviously. Well, Lily is supposed to be all stealthy and shit, but instead of getting the job done she gets caught. By the victim freaking touching her wrist! And like that, it was game over. You would think a badass assassin like Lily would have a few tricks up her sleeve, but no. Her first instinct was to run, or in her case, "blink into thin air". Whatever.
I unshadowed completely and lifted the dagger, fingers steady on the hilt as he took one last breath.
But even as the blade descended, the room blazed to light around me and a hand snaked out like a lightning bolt and clamped around my wrist.
“Not so fast,” the man said in a calm tone.
I tried to shadow and my heart leaped to my throat as nothing happened.
2). So now our lead gal is caught. Of course, her being an assassin and all, I was expecting some ass kicking action. The guy pretty much ends the fight before it can even get started. Plus she has the nerve to feel humiliated and afraid. She's supposed to be this high and mighty assassin! SHE LITERALLY KILLS PEOPLE FOR A LIVING. And she's scared... Of a guy who hasn't even done anything to her. When I hear the word assassin, my first thought is of someone kicking ass and taking names. Not some little girl who relies on special "powers" to get herself out of sticky situations. At least her embarrassment makes sense. I would be embarrassed too if I was an extremely well known assassin that got my ass handed to me by someone of lesser rank.
"I swore and flung myself forward, swinging my free hand at his face again. But he moved too, fast and sure, and somehow—damn, he was good—I missed, my hand smacking into the wall. I twisted desperately as the impact sent a shock wave up my arm, but the light dazzled me as I looked directly into one of the lamps.
A split second is all it takes to make a fatal mistake.
Before I could blink, he had pulled me forward and round and I sailed through the air to land facedown on the feather mattress, wind half knocked out of me. My free hand was bent up behind my back, and my other—still holding my dagger—was pinned by his to the pillow.
My heart raced in anger and humiliation and fear as I tried to breathe."
3). But wait, it gets worse. After she tries to kill him, and he holds her hostage, they both fall into this weird attraction phase. Seriously?!?!? She just tried to kill you, dude! So damn naive. Anyway, they are literally night and day, but they want to sit there and play a round of "get to know me". What the hell is wrong with you, both of you?!?!
A smile spread over his face, revealing he had two dimples, not one. Not just pretty, I decided. He was . . . alluring wasn’t the right word. The Blood and the Fae are alluring—an attraction born of icy beauty and danger. I am immune to that particular charm. No, he was . . . inviting somehow. A fire on a winter’s night, promising warmth and life.
His eyes held genuine curiosity. “You’re really a wraith?”
“Yes.”
He laughed and the sound was sunlight, warm and golden, a smooth caress against the skin.
“Is that so amusing?”
“If the stories are to believed, you’re supposed to be ten feet tall with fangs and claws.”
I tilted my head. “I am not Blood or Beast Kind. No fangs. Or claws.”
He looked over my shoulder, presumably at my dagger. “Just one perhaps? But really . . . no one ever said you were—” He stopped abruptly.
“What?” The question rose from my lips before I could stop myself.
This time his smile was crooked. “Beautiful.”
I snorted. Beautiful? Me? No. I knew that well enough. The Fae are beautiful and even the Blood in their own way. I am only odd with gray eyes—a color no Fae or true demi-Fae ever had—and red hair that stands out like a beacon amongst the silvery hues of the Blood. “That’s because I’m not.”
He looked surprised. “I know the Blood don’t use mirrors, but you must have seen yourself.”
“Maybe the Night World has different standards.”
“Then the Night World needs its eyesight examined,” he said with another crooked smile. “Gods and suns.”
***
I found myself leaning forward as Simon spoke, drawn again against my will, like a moth seeking light.
I straightened whenever I noticed, reminding myself exactly what it was that happened to moths that flew into bright lights. Simon the sunmage could be nothing for me but trouble. And the reverse, even more so. Lucius already wanted him dead. His efforts would redouble if he thought I had developed some sort of fascination for the sunmage.
4). Of course, Idiot #2 (Simon) decides to let Idiot #1 (Lily/Shadow) go, but not before trying to get her to switch sides. This dumb-ass actually thinks he can save her? A trained assassin (a terrible one at that), someone who wanted you dead less than 24 hours ago? And you what, just let her go because you think she can be saved? Stupid, stupid, stupid! Quit thinking with your dick and use your brain!
We came to the front door. I reached for the handle.
His hand caught mine. “Don’t go back there.”
“I have to. Lucius will come looking for me.” I looked at our hands, at his fingers curled around mine, and thought of the world I was returning to. No warmth or pools of sunlight there. No one who saw good where there was no good to be seen. No strong hand holding mine.
Only the familiar ruthless world I knew. But I had to go. Lucius would move heaven and earth to find me if I vanished. I doubted Simon would survive the search, Templar brother or no. “Don’t try to save me, Simon. It’s not worth it.”
His smile went crooked again. “Saving people is what I do.”
“I’m not hurt. I don’t need a healer.”
The smile vanished. “Are you certain about that?”
I tugged my hand free, wanting to ask what he meant. A dangerous impulse. I needed to go. “You should leave being a white knight to your brother.”
“He taught me everything I know.”
“Then you should have paid more attention. I’m sure he taught you not to tangle with the Blood over foolishness. Let me go.”
“You think this is foolishness?” His finger brushed my cheek, and the sting of the sunburn faded under his touch. Another warmth altogether flared in its place.
I stepped back. “I know it is. This is the real world. White knights belong in stories.”
BLEH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
5). Idiot #2 comes up with a stupid rescue plan for Idiot #1. Idiot #1 obviously doesn't want to be saved and so that must mean Idiot #2 knows Idiot #1 better than Idiot #1 does. Idiot #1 decides to just go with this shit and play more fuck games with Idiot #2. Which further's my claim that these two are both idiots.
“Yes. Not that it makes any difference to me.” I tightened my grip, increased the pressure ever so slightly. If I were smart, I would do it. Plunge the blade into his neck. Spill his blood all over this room. Complete my mission and redeem myself.
Become the weapon again, not the prey.
My hand clenched tighter. Do it. Do it now!
The words shrieked in my brain. I felt like a chasm had opened beneath my feet, miles deep. If I took this step, if I killed this man whose name came so easily to my tongue, this man who had done nothing to me but offer kindness, offer choice, then I couldn’t return. I would fall. I would be Lucius’ creature completely. Nothing but darkness.
As soulless as the Fae termed me.
But I would be alive.
“If you’re going to do it, make it fast,” he said, voice still completely calm.
I snarled, not liking that he knew what I was thinking. “Tell me why I shouldn’t?”
“Because you’re not who you think you are. You’re not who they think you are,” he said. There was no lightness in his tone now. “You can be more.”
I snarled again. But I knew I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t be the one who killed him. I had always offered Lucius my obedience for his protection, for survival. But something had shifted between us tonight, perhaps shifted in me as well. And right now the thought of doing his will was unbearable.
5). Oh, god. I can't handle this insta-love/lust/attraction shit. It's too much. You barely know this guy and you have a chance to redeem yourself, but you won't because why? He's hot, he wants to fuck you, he thinks he knows you after you tried to kill him???
“You don’t know me, sunmage. If you did, you wouldn’t want me anywhere near you.”
He shook his head. “You’re wrong about that.”
“What you think doesn’t change anything. Go.”
“No.”
“Come with you and what, warm your bed? Is that what you want?” I didn’t know what else he could seek to gain from me.
He looked away—just for an instant—and I knew I’d scored a hit. He wanted me. Foolish. He should learn to think with his head. If he knew the truth about me, knew my dirty little secret, he wouldn’t want to touch me.
7). After Idiot #2 doesn't get what he wants from Idiot #1, him and his brother resort to their backup plan: kidnap the assassin. Yet the assassin never sees it coming... because she gets knocked out by a chair.
Where is a gun when you need one?
I reached for Shadow’s arm, digging the other hand into my pocket for my knockout powder, determined to take her with us, but I hadn’t quite gripped her before something big and wooden sailed through the air from behind, clipping her in the back of the head. The chair—at least that’s what I thought it had been originally—changed direction slightly after it hit her and missed me by a hairbreadth.
I didn’t waste time as I saw her start to fall, simply swooped forward, caught her, and hoisted her over my shoulder. Problem solved. We had her and we were taking her. I’d deal with the consequences when they came.
“You sure about this?” Guy growled as I adjusted Shadow’s unconscious form on my shoulder.
“Completely.”
Guy nodded once. “So be it.”
We made like hell for the exit.
I'm not even going to bother mentioning the rest of the shit that goes down in this book. I think my review says enough, which only covers the first four chapters by the way. I mean, I already have a permanent migraine just thinking about this fuckfest. UGH! Like I said before, I just can't. It is so awful and not worth wasting another second on. I can't even give it at least 1 star, that's how bad it is, which is saying a lot because I actually think M.J. Scott has a lot of writing potential. Anyway, .5 stars.
½ (.5 Stars) | No Recommendation
October 11, 2019
3/5 stars for quality, 5/5 for indulgence. Gosh that was delicious fun.
Premise: in a magical city ruled by a treaty, half of it is ruled by vampire and werewolf lords, and the other half is ruled by humans and fae lords. They're called Blood lords and Beast lords, but yeah, they're vampires and werewolves. Our heroine is a half-fae wraith who was abandoned as an abomination by the fae. She was adopted by a vampire lord, and then put through hell.
Trigger warning time: in the first hundred pages you get to see graphic public humiliation and sexual assault, abuse, physical abuse, violence, threats of rape, and vampiric blood treated as the worst kind of drug addiction. It's surprisingly graphic, but thankfully eases back as the book continues - if you can make it through, the heroine begins to turn her life around with the help of the hero.
So: our heroine starts the book as the pet assassin of a vampire lord, and she promptly fails to assassinate a sun-mage. He's the hero, as when he stops her, he spends the night talking to her and deciding to help her out. He lets her go, and she goes home to be tortured by the upset vampire lord.
Plot: vampire lords aren't supposed to commit violence on humans. If the treaty gets broken, the fae lords are supposed to enforce it. But they're lazy assholes, so they won't enforce it without more proof, which means the hero (Simon the sun-mage) decides to walk into the vampire's court and talk to the assassin and try to convince her to swap sides.
It's a fantastically stupid plan that sends the book spiraling into the rest of the plot, and overall it's a delight to read. Simon and the heroine (she doesn't reveal her true name until like a hundred pages in, so I'll call her Shadow for now) have a fun dynamic as he tries to convince her that he's a genuinely good person, and she tries to convince him that she's irredeemable evil. Along the way they fight werewolves, deal with Fae discrimination (Fae HATE wraiths), try to find a cure for vampire blood addiction, and have absolutely fantastic sex.
This book is basically perfect indulgence. The characters are delightful and the plot is compelling and it never gets too deep or too light. It's just right. The perfect piece of cake to dig into and have a good time with.
Sadly I can't rate it higher for quality as, well, the flaws: the heroine's pov sections spend a lot of time going over how she's the worst thing in the world and Simon will NEVER love her and yes yes we get it, shut up and kiss Simon already.
Second flaw, the writing is a solid decent. It's not great, it's not bad. You won't find any zingers, you won't want to highlight any passages...but that's okay. You're not reading this for the prose.
Finally, the finale is a tiny bit rushed. It felt like things got revealed a little too close to the end, and page-time that was spent on the heroine whining could've been spent expanding this. But whatever, it works out. There are dangling plot-threads, but the main arc for our main couple is resolved. The author clearly intended to write sequels, and she did - there are three of them! I'll get to them eventually.
Last notes: I was thrilled by the couple's dynamic partly because it was all about them trusting each other, and how they didn't. They had to actually work on their relationship, and there was never a moment where I felt like Simon was a stereotyped knight in shining armor - yeah, he helped the heroine, but she had to make all the hard choices herself. (And he had to make some of his own.) It was a good dynamic, very fun to read.
Premise: in a magical city ruled by a treaty, half of it is ruled by vampire and werewolf lords, and the other half is ruled by humans and fae lords. They're called Blood lords and Beast lords, but yeah, they're vampires and werewolves. Our heroine is a half-fae wraith who was abandoned as an abomination by the fae. She was adopted by a vampire lord, and then put through hell.
Trigger warning time: in the first hundred pages you get to see graphic public humiliation and sexual assault, abuse, physical abuse, violence, threats of rape, and vampiric blood treated as the worst kind of drug addiction. It's surprisingly graphic, but thankfully eases back as the book continues - if you can make it through, the heroine begins to turn her life around with the help of the hero.
So: our heroine starts the book as the pet assassin of a vampire lord, and she promptly fails to assassinate a sun-mage. He's the hero, as when he stops her, he spends the night talking to her and deciding to help her out. He lets her go, and she goes home to be tortured by the upset vampire lord.
Plot: vampire lords aren't supposed to commit violence on humans. If the treaty gets broken, the fae lords are supposed to enforce it. But they're lazy assholes, so they won't enforce it without more proof, which means the hero (Simon the sun-mage) decides to walk into the vampire's court and talk to the assassin and try to convince her to swap sides.
It's a fantastically stupid plan that sends the book spiraling into the rest of the plot, and overall it's a delight to read. Simon and the heroine (she doesn't reveal her true name until like a hundred pages in, so I'll call her Shadow for now) have a fun dynamic as he tries to convince her that he's a genuinely good person, and she tries to convince him that she's irredeemable evil. Along the way they fight werewolves, deal with Fae discrimination (Fae HATE wraiths), try to find a cure for vampire blood addiction, and have absolutely fantastic sex.
This book is basically perfect indulgence. The characters are delightful and the plot is compelling and it never gets too deep or too light. It's just right. The perfect piece of cake to dig into and have a good time with.
Sadly I can't rate it higher for quality as, well, the flaws: the heroine's pov sections spend a lot of time going over how she's the worst thing in the world and Simon will NEVER love her and yes yes we get it, shut up and kiss Simon already.
Second flaw, the writing is a solid decent. It's not great, it's not bad. You won't find any zingers, you won't want to highlight any passages...but that's okay. You're not reading this for the prose.
Finally, the finale is a tiny bit rushed. It felt like things got revealed a little too close to the end, and page-time that was spent on the heroine whining could've been spent expanding this. But whatever, it works out. There are dangling plot-threads, but the main arc for our main couple is resolved. The author clearly intended to write sequels, and she did - there are three of them! I'll get to them eventually.
Last notes: I was thrilled by the couple's dynamic partly because it was all about them trusting each other, and how they didn't. They had to actually work on their relationship, and there was never a moment where I felt like Simon was a stereotyped knight in shining armor - yeah, he helped the heroine, but she had to make all the hard choices herself. (And he had to make some of his own.) It was a good dynamic, very fun to read.
February 8, 2022
Basic Plot: Lily the Wraith is sent to assassinate a sunmage who sets her on the path to finding freedom from her vampire master.
I'm not sure how to categorize this book, precisely, so I tagged it with everything that applies. It's a little bit sword and sorcery because there are, indeed, swords and magic present. It takes place in a city, and there are Fae, vampires (the Blood), and were-critters (Beasts). It definitely has a romantic subplot. It walks up to Steampunk and waves at it, but never really does much more than lightly suggest some elements. The book is trying to be a lot of things at once, and as a result, doesn't really fully become any of them. I could never really peg a pseudo-time-period. There were knights in armor who carried swords, but oil lamps and autocabs. Not much of the clothing was really described in any kind of detail, nor people's reactions to it.
The characters were ok. Lily was believable as a very emotionally damaged main character. Simon was a classic Nice Guy (TM)- also known as a guy who seems to be kind and supportive until he becomes a total DICK when it's time for him to actually, you know, *be* a nice guy. I didn't like him. The book switched back and forth between the 2 main characters' perspective, which was a bit jarring. There was never any warning (no clear headers labeling them), so it sometimes took me a moment to figure out whose perspective I was reading. They were different enough that I was able to figure it out, but the page breaks didn't always mean a switch in perspective, nor did new chapters. Sometimes they switched, sometimes they didn't. A little labeling would have helped a lot there.
The plot was ok, it moved well. I did want to find out what happened next, even if it left me wanting to beat Simon about the head and shoulders with an axe handle with relative frequency. The overall effect of the book, though, was just pretty much "meh." I'm not terribly excited about the next book or feel a burning need to know what might happen in the rest of the series, so I don't know if I'll pick it up from the library or not. It wasn't awful, but it didn't grab me.
I'm not sure how to categorize this book, precisely, so I tagged it with everything that applies. It's a little bit sword and sorcery because there are, indeed, swords and magic present. It takes place in a city, and there are Fae, vampires (the Blood), and were-critters (Beasts). It definitely has a romantic subplot. It walks up to Steampunk and waves at it, but never really does much more than lightly suggest some elements. The book is trying to be a lot of things at once, and as a result, doesn't really fully become any of them. I could never really peg a pseudo-time-period. There were knights in armor who carried swords, but oil lamps and autocabs. Not much of the clothing was really described in any kind of detail, nor people's reactions to it.
The characters were ok. Lily was believable as a very emotionally damaged main character. Simon was a classic Nice Guy (TM)- also known as a guy who seems to be kind and supportive until he becomes a total DICK when it's time for him to actually, you know, *be* a nice guy. I didn't like him. The book switched back and forth between the 2 main characters' perspective, which was a bit jarring. There was never any warning (no clear headers labeling them), so it sometimes took me a moment to figure out whose perspective I was reading. They were different enough that I was able to figure it out, but the page breaks didn't always mean a switch in perspective, nor did new chapters. Sometimes they switched, sometimes they didn't. A little labeling would have helped a lot there.
The plot was ok, it moved well. I did want to find out what happened next, even if it left me wanting to beat Simon about the head and shoulders with an axe handle with relative frequency. The overall effect of the book, though, was just pretty much "meh." I'm not terribly excited about the next book or feel a burning need to know what might happen in the rest of the series, so I don't know if I'll pick it up from the library or not. It wasn't awful, but it didn't grab me.
March 29, 2017
This was a brilliant book, with lovely characters in a new fantasy setting. It was an exciting first book in a new series that I thoroughly enjoyed.
The main characters are Shadow and Simon; Shadow is a wraith sent by her master to kill Simon but what she doesn't realise is that he is a sunmage and has the power to trap her out of the shadows. The two spend a night bonding and then Simon makes it his mission to free Shadow and bring down her master in the process. But Simon catches feelings for Shadow in the process and Shadow tries to fight it but finds that she might also have feelings for him.
There are secondary characters however I have a feeling the other books in the series are going to focus on the other characters in this series.
The storyline and setting were new and original and interesting to read, I found myself emotionally invested in these characters. And the pacing was good, keeping readers guessing until the last minute of what the outcome would be.
3.5 stars a good new series for me
The main characters are Shadow and Simon; Shadow is a wraith sent by her master to kill Simon but what she doesn't realise is that he is a sunmage and has the power to trap her out of the shadows. The two spend a night bonding and then Simon makes it his mission to free Shadow and bring down her master in the process. But Simon catches feelings for Shadow in the process and Shadow tries to fight it but finds that she might also have feelings for him.
There are secondary characters however I have a feeling the other books in the series are going to focus on the other characters in this series.
The storyline and setting were new and original and interesting to read, I found myself emotionally invested in these characters. And the pacing was good, keeping readers guessing until the last minute of what the outcome would be.
3.5 stars a good new series for me
January 31, 2020
3.5-This is a pretty interesting beginning to I'm hoping a even better series. The writing is good, has some interesting world building. It dragged in a few places and the characters need some better development but I think given this is the first book and everything is being set up, it was a pretty good read, I'll be reading on to see where this goes.
Read
November 8, 2017Lily is only Bad*SS because we're told she is, but never actually see it. I mean, she won't even reach into dudes pocket to save herself.
First, Lily tries to kill Simon, but Simon catches her. (Which is an amazing feat, btw, since he isn't actually capable of this again, though he tries twice that I saw.)
Then for some reason Simon let's her go and then JUST HAS TO rescue her from her life for reasons I'll never know. He's a good guy? He comes across as naive to me.
He rescues her.
AND THATS ALL THAT HAPPENED IN 100 PAGES.
You're welcome.
First, Lily tries to kill Simon, but Simon catches her. (Which is an amazing feat, btw, since he isn't actually capable of this again, though he tries twice that I saw.)
Then for some reason Simon let's her go and then JUST HAS TO rescue her from her life for reasons I'll never know. He's a good guy? He comes across as naive to me.
He rescues her.
AND THATS ALL THAT HAPPENED IN 100 PAGES.
You're welcome.
December 29, 2020
A really solid paranormal romance book which has a reasonable mystery and worldbuilding attached to it. Recommended for paranormal and fantasy fans looking for an entertaining read, without sacrificing plot!
December 6, 2015
This was the perfect book to get me out of my stupid female lead syndrome. Shadow was everything I wanted her to be (I won't use her name just incase you haven't read the synopsis. That way it will be a treat/surprise). A wraith assassin! A half breed of the Fae sold to an evil vampire named Damon. She's lived in darkness her entire life.
So when her job to kill a Sunmage clearly turns into the setup of a romance I wasn't bummed. Because Simon was actually a cool character. Not to mention it felt like the setup for Kate and Curran from the Kate Daniel's verse. In fact this is the perfect blend of epic fantasy, some steampunk flavors, and urban fantasy genre meld. Not to mention that when Shadow meets Simon she tells him she doesn't need a “white knight”. Yes, she's her own hero.
The world and politics are awesome. I love the idea of the Blood (vampires), Fae, Beast (animal shifters) and humans residing in world that is fully aware. The politics and history that make them coincide together. There's intrigue, violence, sexy times, a fantastic world, and wonderful characters.
Sadly Scott did a lot to make her amazing female lead into a damsel. Don't get me wrong, Shadow is wonderfully realized. However, the reason for her change of heart will always be in question. Was she strong enough to do it? Or was it Simon taking the matter out of her hands? Not to mention that Shadow is supposed to me this great fighter.
But when she attacks Simon out of rage she loses, her second time losing to him. Then when she starts fighting Simon's brother, Guy a pretty awesome character, she can go toe to toe with him. Despite the fact that Guy is supposed to be the better fighter. Simon was always trying to beat Guy. I got the first time that Simon's Sunmage skills took her buy surprise and is basically the perfect weapon to defeating her powers. But this was sloppy. Not to mention she doesn't get to take out the villain. Because Shadow deserved to take out this particular villain. No matter what I would have been disappointed. The fact that Shadow was the bait and Simon was the hero. OK, what she did took guts. Maybe I'm being overly sensitive because I got done reading some stupid female leads prior.
All the questionable scenes were simply verified by Shadow saying at the end that she really did need a white knight to save her. Yuck. It didn't help that Simon demanded Shadow's trust but he threw her to the wolves. Oh, but he could still give a good #*%@*%&.
Overall I love the world. I want to know more about it, explore it. Not to mention that I really enjoy the cast of characters. Hopefully Simon and Shadow can reach a balance of equality in later books. You know, no more forced losing scenes or damsel scenes created to obviously have Simon be the hero. Either way I want to see Shadow create a life with Simon. And in general I just want to see how she lives her life with her new found freedom. This was a promising start and I truly love the dark gritty world Scott has created.
Sexual Content: Sexual humor, some dark themes, and sex scenes.
3/5- Adored it, just a few minor details held it back.
Originally posted at Book Whispers.
So when her job to kill a Sunmage clearly turns into the setup of a romance I wasn't bummed. Because Simon was actually a cool character. Not to mention it felt like the setup for Kate and Curran from the Kate Daniel's verse. In fact this is the perfect blend of epic fantasy, some steampunk flavors, and urban fantasy genre meld. Not to mention that when Shadow meets Simon she tells him she doesn't need a “white knight”. Yes, she's her own hero.
The world and politics are awesome. I love the idea of the Blood (vampires), Fae, Beast (animal shifters) and humans residing in world that is fully aware. The politics and history that make them coincide together. There's intrigue, violence, sexy times, a fantastic world, and wonderful characters.
Sadly Scott did a lot to make her amazing female lead into a damsel. Don't get me wrong, Shadow is wonderfully realized. However, the reason for her change of heart will always be in question. Was she strong enough to do it? Or was it Simon taking the matter out of her hands? Not to mention that Shadow is supposed to me this great fighter.
But when she attacks Simon out of rage she loses, her second time losing to him. Then when she starts fighting Simon's brother, Guy a pretty awesome character, she can go toe to toe with him. Despite the fact that Guy is supposed to be the better fighter. Simon was always trying to beat Guy. I got the first time that Simon's Sunmage skills took her buy surprise and is basically the perfect weapon to defeating her powers. But this was sloppy. Not to mention she doesn't get to take out the villain. Because Shadow deserved to take out this particular villain. No matter what I would have been disappointed. The fact that Shadow was the bait and Simon was the hero. OK, what she did took guts. Maybe I'm being overly sensitive because I got done reading some stupid female leads prior.
All the questionable scenes were simply verified by Shadow saying at the end that she really did need a white knight to save her. Yuck. It didn't help that Simon demanded Shadow's trust but he threw her to the wolves. Oh, but he could still give a good #*%@*%&.
Overall I love the world. I want to know more about it, explore it. Not to mention that I really enjoy the cast of characters. Hopefully Simon and Shadow can reach a balance of equality in later books. You know, no more forced losing scenes or damsel scenes created to obviously have Simon be the hero. Either way I want to see Shadow create a life with Simon. And in general I just want to see how she lives her life with her new found freedom. This was a promising start and I truly love the dark gritty world Scott has created.
Sexual Content: Sexual humor, some dark themes, and sex scenes.
3/5- Adored it, just a few minor details held it back.
Originally posted at Book Whispers.
August 31, 2011
In Lily's world, the many different species are ruled by a treaty that has granted a fragile peace. Of course, that treaty cannot help her as she really doesn't have a kind. She's a wraith and can fade herself into nothingness. She was abandoned by the fae and called soulless, left to be raised by the leader of the Blood, to become his personal assassin. He rules with an iron fist and mistakes carry grave punishments. She's made sure to never fail him and fall subject to his torments, yet all that changes when she meets her match in Simon. His unique powers cancel hers, making her powerless, in more ways than one. She finds herself inexplicably drawn to him, but knows she must keep her distance as her master would terrorize and destroy anything that stands in his way of keeping her. Yet her feelings cannot be denied and she will have to face the hard consequences of her actions, and hope for survival.
I've always been partial to books told in first person perspective as they just seem to suck you further into the story. However there is something to be said about a book with multiple perspectives, especially when it pertains to both sides of a couple. I love being able to see how either side is feeling, and it keeps the reader from becoming biased in their opinions of the events because of a limited perspective. Shadow Kin combines the best of both these aspects as it is told in dual perspectives, yet still in first person. I loved this! The transitions were very easy to follow as each time they changed either a moon or a sun image would break the text depending on whose turn it was. I was really impressed with how well the book flowed as typically books with multiple perspectives can be a little jarring or confusing to follow. That definitely wasn't the case with Shadow Kin, making for a very enjoyable read.
Lily and Simon because of their background and their completely different worlds, were a very unlikely couple, and yet they just seemed to work by bringing the best out of each other. To be honest, I think unlikely couples make for the best reads as the tension seems to suck me in more than a love that just comes too easy, and trust me, nothing was easy for Lily and Simon. Even though Simon felt he needed to save her, I think in part Lily saved him as well. He has some dark skeletons in his closet, and she helped him to confront them. Of course, they both have a long way to go, but at least they are heading in the right direction.
The world behind this book was really interesting. It felt similar to a steampunk book, yet not quite. There weren't any gears and goggles, however, they did have gaslights and similar items. Also, the book nor world really revolves around the "tech" like the steampunk books I have read in the past. Shadow Kin's gaslights and other "tech" were more of a subtle background to the story rather than an integral part, being just enough to enhance without overwhelming the story. So, I recommend this book quite highly to anyone who enjoys an action packed read full of danger as well as the potential for love on the side. M.J. Scott is definitely one author I will be watching out for!
I've always been partial to books told in first person perspective as they just seem to suck you further into the story. However there is something to be said about a book with multiple perspectives, especially when it pertains to both sides of a couple. I love being able to see how either side is feeling, and it keeps the reader from becoming biased in their opinions of the events because of a limited perspective. Shadow Kin combines the best of both these aspects as it is told in dual perspectives, yet still in first person. I loved this! The transitions were very easy to follow as each time they changed either a moon or a sun image would break the text depending on whose turn it was. I was really impressed with how well the book flowed as typically books with multiple perspectives can be a little jarring or confusing to follow. That definitely wasn't the case with Shadow Kin, making for a very enjoyable read.
Lily and Simon because of their background and their completely different worlds, were a very unlikely couple, and yet they just seemed to work by bringing the best out of each other. To be honest, I think unlikely couples make for the best reads as the tension seems to suck me in more than a love that just comes too easy, and trust me, nothing was easy for Lily and Simon. Even though Simon felt he needed to save her, I think in part Lily saved him as well. He has some dark skeletons in his closet, and she helped him to confront them. Of course, they both have a long way to go, but at least they are heading in the right direction.
The world behind this book was really interesting. It felt similar to a steampunk book, yet not quite. There weren't any gears and goggles, however, they did have gaslights and similar items. Also, the book nor world really revolves around the "tech" like the steampunk books I have read in the past. Shadow Kin's gaslights and other "tech" were more of a subtle background to the story rather than an integral part, being just enough to enhance without overwhelming the story. So, I recommend this book quite highly to anyone who enjoys an action packed read full of danger as well as the potential for love on the side. M.J. Scott is definitely one author I will be watching out for!
July 4, 2012
*Rating* 3.0
*Genre* Urban Fantasy
*Thoughts*
In a divided city between light and dark, Lily. a Wraith, is the most dangerous being in existence. On a mission to eliminate Simon DuCaine at the behest of her vampire master Lucian, Lily finds herself drawn into the reality that her master is a conniving, evil son-of-a-bitch who will send her to kill anyone he thinks is a danger to his goals of ruling the city.
The problem is that Simon is a powerful sun mage and healer whose powers stop Lily in her tracks. Simon also has a few secrets and surprises up his sleeves that totally throw Lily off kilter. Simon's one desire is to find a cure for the blooded so that they can finally be free of their vampire masters.
Now, in a race against time, Lily and Simon must find a way to put their differences behind and take Lucian down once and for-all before he starts an all out war against humanity.
I found this story to be interesting conceptually yet at times slower than the molasses in January. I liked the fact that there were Blood and Beast Kind, as well as Lily who is a wraith or Shadow Kind. Wraiths are feared by everyone and used by their vampire masters to terrorize and keep people in line.
I liked the fact that there were Templar's involved in the story as well as a sort of force that keeps the Blood and Beast Kind in line. Guy, Simon's brother was definitely a character that I would follow if he were given the opportunity to come out of his brothers shadow.
As for the characters, I liked Simon a lot better at first than I did Lily. Later, I found myself hoping that Lily would find a way to get out from under her extremely nasty vampire master Lucius who basically treated her like pond scum.
Wasn't all that surprising to find out how Lily was created and became a wraith. Still, I want to know more about what her mother was thinking at the time she gave her up to the vampires to use and abuse.
Another more lenient negative is the fact that the story is told in dual POV's by Lily and Simon. As a reader, it really irks me when writers can't make up their minds who is going to tell the story. If the story is about Lily, then let Lily tell the story. Sometimes, however, the idea of dueling POV's is nice to see and in this case it comes close to being a TV script where you are watching and listening to the characters telling their own story. In other words, I have to stop being such a hard ass bitch when it comes to duality POV's.
The world building is very interesting and has a bit of steam punk thrown in for good measure. Obviously, as the first book in the series, there are more aspects that need to be explained about the characters than say the second or third book. One can only hope that the next book doesn't drag in the beginning like this one does.
*Genre* Urban Fantasy
*Thoughts*
In a divided city between light and dark, Lily. a Wraith, is the most dangerous being in existence. On a mission to eliminate Simon DuCaine at the behest of her vampire master Lucian, Lily finds herself drawn into the reality that her master is a conniving, evil son-of-a-bitch who will send her to kill anyone he thinks is a danger to his goals of ruling the city.
The problem is that Simon is a powerful sun mage and healer whose powers stop Lily in her tracks. Simon also has a few secrets and surprises up his sleeves that totally throw Lily off kilter. Simon's one desire is to find a cure for the blooded so that they can finally be free of their vampire masters.
Now, in a race against time, Lily and Simon must find a way to put their differences behind and take Lucian down once and for-all before he starts an all out war against humanity.
I found this story to be interesting conceptually yet at times slower than the molasses in January. I liked the fact that there were Blood and Beast Kind, as well as Lily who is a wraith or Shadow Kind. Wraiths are feared by everyone and used by their vampire masters to terrorize and keep people in line.
I liked the fact that there were Templar's involved in the story as well as a sort of force that keeps the Blood and Beast Kind in line. Guy, Simon's brother was definitely a character that I would follow if he were given the opportunity to come out of his brothers shadow.
As for the characters, I liked Simon a lot better at first than I did Lily. Later, I found myself hoping that Lily would find a way to get out from under her extremely nasty vampire master Lucius who basically treated her like pond scum.
Wasn't all that surprising to find out how Lily was created and became a wraith. Still, I want to know more about what her mother was thinking at the time she gave her up to the vampires to use and abuse.
Another more lenient negative is the fact that the story is told in dual POV's by Lily and Simon. As a reader, it really irks me when writers can't make up their minds who is going to tell the story. If the story is about Lily, then let Lily tell the story. Sometimes, however, the idea of dueling POV's is nice to see and in this case it comes close to being a TV script where you are watching and listening to the characters telling their own story. In other words, I have to stop being such a hard ass bitch when it comes to duality POV's.
The world building is very interesting and has a bit of steam punk thrown in for good measure. Obviously, as the first book in the series, there are more aspects that need to be explained about the characters than say the second or third book. One can only hope that the next book doesn't drag in the beginning like this one does.
September 6, 2011
You may also read my review here: http://www.mybookishways.com/2011/09/...
Lily is an assassin for the Blood Lord Lucius,bound by a need seemingly greater than herself to do his bidding,and his killing. When Lucius sends her to kill the handsome sunmage Simon DuCaine,she fails,and in Lily,Simon sees someone he can save,and maybe even love. What follows is Lily’s journey in finding herself and her inner strength,and also allowing someone else in,when she’s suffered a lifetime of prejudice,abuse,and sadism from Lucius,and also from the Fae,who gave her up as a baby. Lily is not only an assassin,but she’s also a wraith,which means that when the sun goes down,she has the ability to “shadow” or disappear,which,of course,has come quite in handy as an assassin. Shadow Kin switches back and forth between first person POV of Lily and Simon,and I really enjoyed reading the individual points of view as things happened. It never gets confusing,and is especially fun to read when things get tense (and they do,but in a good way) between Lily and Simon. Lily has a secret,but soon finds out that Simon and the Templars may be harboring secrets of their own. Political intrigue and action abound,the worldbuilding is great fun,and the author has filled her fantasy world with the Bloods (vamps),their Trusted (humans that do the vamps’ bidding),the Beasts (shifters),Templars (peace keepers and warriors),and the Fae. In a Half-Light City firmly rooted in traditional fantasy,but tinged with steampunk details,these characters are given a rich and varied landscape in which to interact,and I enjoyed it immensely.
Lily is a fighter,and she’s tough,but she’s also damaged and torn,and in Simon,finds someone that might be able to put her back together again,if not whole,at least not so scarred. My heart ached for Lily at times,but watching her rise from servant to Lucius,to serious threat to the entire Blood Court,was a story you won’t want to miss! Simon is sensitive but can certainly handle himself in a fight,and his healer side is constantly at odds with his warrior side. Lucious is a nasty,sadistic villain,and delights in keeping Lily on a leash. I’m really looking forward to exploring the City more in future novels,and especially getting to know the Fae and the Beasts a bit better. Shadow Kin will please not only urban fantasy fans (kick-ass heroine and lots of action),but fans of traditional fantasy (great world building and pitch perfect pacing) as well! Shadow Kin is a novel featuring a fascinating world and an exciting cast of characters,and is a must for all fantasy libraries!
Lily is an assassin for the Blood Lord Lucius,bound by a need seemingly greater than herself to do his bidding,and his killing. When Lucius sends her to kill the handsome sunmage Simon DuCaine,she fails,and in Lily,Simon sees someone he can save,and maybe even love. What follows is Lily’s journey in finding herself and her inner strength,and also allowing someone else in,when she’s suffered a lifetime of prejudice,abuse,and sadism from Lucius,and also from the Fae,who gave her up as a baby. Lily is not only an assassin,but she’s also a wraith,which means that when the sun goes down,she has the ability to “shadow” or disappear,which,of course,has come quite in handy as an assassin. Shadow Kin switches back and forth between first person POV of Lily and Simon,and I really enjoyed reading the individual points of view as things happened. It never gets confusing,and is especially fun to read when things get tense (and they do,but in a good way) between Lily and Simon. Lily has a secret,but soon finds out that Simon and the Templars may be harboring secrets of their own. Political intrigue and action abound,the worldbuilding is great fun,and the author has filled her fantasy world with the Bloods (vamps),their Trusted (humans that do the vamps’ bidding),the Beasts (shifters),Templars (peace keepers and warriors),and the Fae. In a Half-Light City firmly rooted in traditional fantasy,but tinged with steampunk details,these characters are given a rich and varied landscape in which to interact,and I enjoyed it immensely.
Lily is a fighter,and she’s tough,but she’s also damaged and torn,and in Simon,finds someone that might be able to put her back together again,if not whole,at least not so scarred. My heart ached for Lily at times,but watching her rise from servant to Lucius,to serious threat to the entire Blood Court,was a story you won’t want to miss! Simon is sensitive but can certainly handle himself in a fight,and his healer side is constantly at odds with his warrior side. Lucious is a nasty,sadistic villain,and delights in keeping Lily on a leash. I’m really looking forward to exploring the City more in future novels,and especially getting to know the Fae and the Beasts a bit better. Shadow Kin will please not only urban fantasy fans (kick-ass heroine and lots of action),but fans of traditional fantasy (great world building and pitch perfect pacing) as well! Shadow Kin is a novel featuring a fascinating world and an exciting cast of characters,and is a must for all fantasy libraries!
June 1, 2017
I was a little apprehensive in the beginning of Shadow Kin simply because I’m very familiar with the whole ‘assassin falls in love with his/her mark’ trope. However, I loved M.J. Scott’s take on this old trope because of course nothing is simple in the Half-Light City.
One of the things I really liked about Shadow Kin is the world-building. There are four factions: vampires, werewolves, humans and the Fae. There is a sort of tense peace between the four races but there’s a lot of compromise. The most horrific compromise is the fact that any human who goes to the Night World chasing vampires is lost to humanity and their remaining family have little recourse if their loved one goes missing or becomes blood-locked. (Blood-locking is when a human drinks vampire blood and becomes addicted to it, eventually going mad.) And of course since the Fae are vulnerable to iron, they also limit the total supply of iron for the entire city. Werewolves don’t seem to do much except fight with the vampires and fight each other for dominance. It’s obviously a lot more complicated than this but that’s the beauty of this book: the world-building is excellent and M.J. Scott is a good enough writer that she can play with the political tensions while still focusing on the interpersonal conflicts.
Of course my favourite part of the book has to be the characters. Lily is a woman that doesn’t belong anywhere: the Fae don’t want her because she’s a wraith and she’ll never truly belong with the vampires even though she does Lucius’ dirty work. She’s been manipulated and used for her whole life so when she tries to kill Simon, fails and then he offers to hep her escape Lucius she obviously doesn’t believe him. I can’t really blame her because I certainly wouldn’t in her situation. But Simon is one of those few people that is entirely sincere in his desire to help people; it’s almost a fault with him. He and Lily make an odd couple but their romance is very sweet. It’s not easy and even the caring Simon can act like a total jerk (particularly in the last quarter of the book) but that just makes it more realistic.
The plot is fast-paced if a little predictable. Well, mostly predictable—there was a major surprise regarding Lily’s powers at the end of the novel. Still, the creative world-building, well-developed characters and sweet romance more than make up for a little predictability. In addition to that, the ending resolves the main plot while leaving so much more for Scott to explore in the rest of the series. Shadow Kin is a good start to the Half-Light City series and I can’t wait to read more.
I give this book 4/5 stars.
One of the things I really liked about Shadow Kin is the world-building. There are four factions: vampires, werewolves, humans and the Fae. There is a sort of tense peace between the four races but there’s a lot of compromise. The most horrific compromise is the fact that any human who goes to the Night World chasing vampires is lost to humanity and their remaining family have little recourse if their loved one goes missing or becomes blood-locked. (Blood-locking is when a human drinks vampire blood and becomes addicted to it, eventually going mad.) And of course since the Fae are vulnerable to iron, they also limit the total supply of iron for the entire city. Werewolves don’t seem to do much except fight with the vampires and fight each other for dominance. It’s obviously a lot more complicated than this but that’s the beauty of this book: the world-building is excellent and M.J. Scott is a good enough writer that she can play with the political tensions while still focusing on the interpersonal conflicts.
Of course my favourite part of the book has to be the characters. Lily is a woman that doesn’t belong anywhere: the Fae don’t want her because she’s a wraith and she’ll never truly belong with the vampires even though she does Lucius’ dirty work. She’s been manipulated and used for her whole life so when she tries to kill Simon, fails and then he offers to hep her escape Lucius she obviously doesn’t believe him. I can’t really blame her because I certainly wouldn’t in her situation. But Simon is one of those few people that is entirely sincere in his desire to help people; it’s almost a fault with him. He and Lily make an odd couple but their romance is very sweet. It’s not easy and even the caring Simon can act like a total jerk (particularly in the last quarter of the book) but that just makes it more realistic.
The plot is fast-paced if a little predictable. Well, mostly predictable—there was a major surprise regarding Lily’s powers at the end of the novel. Still, the creative world-building, well-developed characters and sweet romance more than make up for a little predictability. In addition to that, the ending resolves the main plot while leaving so much more for Scott to explore in the rest of the series. Shadow Kin is a good start to the Half-Light City series and I can’t wait to read more.
I give this book 4/5 stars.
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