Shadowbound by Dianne Sylvan
Series: Shadow World #5
Published by Penguin on March 25th 2014
Genres: Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy
Format: ebook
Source: Purchased
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Spread throughout the dark corners of our world lies the Shadow World, a society of vampires who feed off the living. In Austin, Texas, one woman must quell the cravings rising within her, as the very fate of the world rests in her hands…
Ever since her Prime, David Solomon, returned from the dead, Miranda Grey has been hungry. The transformation from ordinary vampires into the ultrapowerful children of Persephone has left both Miranda and David craving the taste of death—and their appetites are growing.
Meanwhile, a formerly vague threat from a fringe group of humans has turned into a full-on war. The Order of the Morningstar has devoted itself to eradicating vampires and has begun to assassinate Primes all over the globe.
The Shadow World’s fate depends on the circle of Signets descended from those who subdued Morningstar hundreds of years ago—but if even a single one is killed, the war is almost certainly lost. Now, with the help of a strange new ally, Miranda must put aside her hunger and access long-forgotten magic to save the circle, but time is running out…
Liezel’s Thoughts:
This story revolves around the Morningstar’s crusade to demolish the Shadow World. To fuel their army, Primes and Consorts are being annihilated around the world. Despite the unparalleled strength and power of the newly formed circle of eight (David/ Miranda, Deven/ Jonathan, Jacob/ Cora, Olivia/___ ) they aren’t immune to the destruction around them. If anything, the death of the other primes are just a means to an end with the circle being the primary objective.
Defeating the Morningstar should not have been a great concern but because of Deven’s unwillingness to carry on it becomes a massive issue. The shocking factor is the new race added into spice up the story. If you’ve read Book 4 you know that Deven is a fourth elven. Who else would be better to fix Deven’s problems if not one of his brethren? Here enters Nico…
At first, it was difficult to accept him. I felt highly suspicious of his intentions. Why would an elf leave his peaceful abode to help someone who wasn’t remotely close to him? As the story progressed we find just how elaborate Nico’s involvement really is. And let me tell you – his appearance into the fold was not like anything I would have ever expected. Whatever happens is just unbelievably heartbreaking yet beneficial at the same time.
Deven: “Do you ever wonder why people love you?”
Miranda: “There is no why. ..they love you because they’re them and you’re you – flawed, tired, sad, strong, loving, all of it. Love doesn’t need a why.”
At first I couldn’t understand why the author decided to take this route but in the end, I realize that it was actually brilliant. This is just one thing that I loved about it. It’s unpredictability – it kept me on my toes and at every turn continued to surprise me. Other factors are, as the series progresses the relationships flourish beautifully. It also doesn’t just concentrate on the one couple but the circle as a whole. These characters evolve into so much more than they ever were and even begin to discover and harness their newfound skills.
It might be an issue for some but as the storyline moves along it gets more and more complex which I absolutely love. Where in Book 1 just involved vampires and humans now we have a variety of supernaturals working together to achieve one goal.
I have to admit that in the beginning, I had issues getting into this story. It might have been because it had been months since reading
Book 4 – Of Shadow Born or it could also be attributed to the multitude of characters and POV’s that were introduced at the very start so if that becomes an issue for you I recommend pushing through…everything will come full circle in the end.
The Verdict:
About Dianne Sylvan
Dianne Sylvan, author of the Shadow World novels (Queen of Shadows, Shadowflame, Shadow’s Fall, the forthcoming Of Shadow Born, and at least one more) as well as two books on NeoPagan spirituality (The Circle Within: Creating a Wiccan Spiritual Tradition and The Body Sacred), lives in Austin, Texas, the only sane part of the entire state.
She is an unabashed Mac enthusiast, a froofy iced coffee beverage addict, a chronic Twitterer, a seasoned snark professional, a Spiritual Nomad, a shameless Vampire Diaries (TV) fangirl, a happy herbivore, a bit of a moody Scorpio, a sock junkie, a slightly freaky tattooed postmodern hippie, a cupcake baker extraordinaire, and is prone to hyperbole as well as fits of profanity.
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