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Shaede Assassin #1
Shaedes of Gray
"I'd learned the hard way that love is nothing more than the sharpest blade, and it can easily be turned against you. I refused to let anyone have that kind of power over me ever again."
Darian has lived alone for almost a century in the shadows of the night. Made and abandoned by her former love, Darian is the last of her kind—an immortal Shaede who can slip into darkness as easily as breathing. With no one else to rely on, she has taught herself how to survive, using her unique skills to become a deadly assassin.
Darian finds herself struggling to keep her employer, Tyler, at arm's length, especially since his seductive smile makes her want to break her rules about love. The work he offers is necessary to protect the innocent—and a welcome distraction. But when Darian's next mark turns out to be Xander Peck, King of the Shaede Nation, her whole worldview is thrown into question. Darian begins to wonder if she has taken on more than her conscience will allow, but a good assassin never leaves a job unfinished.
Darian has lived alone for almost a century in the shadows of the night. Made and abandoned by her former love, Darian is the last of her kind—an immortal Shaede who can slip into darkness as easily as breathing. With no one else to rely on, she has taught herself how to survive, using her unique skills to become a deadly assassin.
Darian finds herself struggling to keep her employer, Tyler, at arm's length, especially since his seductive smile makes her want to break her rules about love. The work he offers is necessary to protect the innocent—and a welcome distraction. But when Darian's next mark turns out to be Xander Peck, King of the Shaede Nation, her whole worldview is thrown into question. Darian begins to wonder if she has taken on more than her conscience will allow, but a good assassin never leaves a job unfinished.
316 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published December 6, 2011
71 people are currently reading
6,631 people want to read
About the author
Amanda Bonilla
17books427followersAmanda Bonilla lives in rural Idaho with her husband and two kids. She’s a part-time pet wrangler, a full-time sun worshipper, and only goes out into the cold when coerced. When she’s not writing she’s either reading or talking about her favorite books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 295 reviews
February 20, 2021
2021
It is no wonder I gave this book 5 stars the first time around - it certainly didn't disappoint this time either! As I became tangled in this world again, I remembered the fantastic writing style of Amanda Bonilla and how much I adored these characters... which quickly turned to an angry disappointment when I realised there was no ending to the series... but now... there is light at the end of this long tunnel and I am eager to revisit each book in time for the new arrival!!!
2014
The prequel shows Darian's previous life - as a human. This books see's Darian become something very different and in a world where she and Azriel are the last of their kind, Darian discovers she is more than human, she is Shaede.
Azriel disappears from Darian's life, after years of them being together, she finds herself alone. Tyler, her close friend, has been there with her for the past 5 years but things begin to change and Darian discovers truths, she finds lies, she finds something else, a whole lot more of her kind...
...and it doesn't stop there!
A superb, nail biting book that had me wishing I was a reader for a living! I found myself grappling through my bag as I left work to find my kindle, before I even got to the bus stop! I loved all of the book but as I swung towards the end I was utterly captivated, what a breath biting finish... I can't wait for more!!!
Amanda Bonilla, for me, is a superb author, her storylines have been nail biting so far and I am so pleased I have the next book to pick up right now!
It is no wonder I gave this book 5 stars the first time around - it certainly didn't disappoint this time either! As I became tangled in this world again, I remembered the fantastic writing style of Amanda Bonilla and how much I adored these characters... which quickly turned to an angry disappointment when I realised there was no ending to the series... but now... there is light at the end of this long tunnel and I am eager to revisit each book in time for the new arrival!!!
2014
The prequel shows Darian's previous life - as a human. This books see's Darian become something very different and in a world where she and Azriel are the last of their kind, Darian discovers she is more than human, she is Shaede.
Azriel disappears from Darian's life, after years of them being together, she finds herself alone. Tyler, her close friend, has been there with her for the past 5 years but things begin to change and Darian discovers truths, she finds lies, she finds something else, a whole lot more of her kind...
...and it doesn't stop there!
A superb, nail biting book that had me wishing I was a reader for a living! I found myself grappling through my bag as I left work to find my kindle, before I even got to the bus stop! I loved all of the book but as I swung towards the end I was utterly captivated, what a breath biting finish... I can't wait for more!!!
Amanda Bonilla, for me, is a superb author, her storylines have been nail biting so far and I am so pleased I have the next book to pick up right now!
August 6, 2014
Just for fun, let’s make a list of ten clichées used in this book, shall we?
(There are many more than ten, but I had to limit myself somehow.)
1. The tough female assassin who thinks of herself as unemotional and cold-blooded.
She’s so badass, she just has to say it over and over throughout the whole book.
2. The tough, beautiful female assassin.
Of course she is beautiful, how can it be any different? And how can’t it be monumentally important what she looks like?
She describes herself as utterly irresistible, with trite expressions such as porcelain skin, glossy hair, pouty mouth blah blah blah. Not interesting. Not endearing. Utterly detestable.
3. The fixation with the outfits, and the lots of leather and black.
This, I’m never going to understand.
I guess that someone thinks that you are more of a badass if you wear badass clothes.
4. Nonexistent female characters other than the heroine.
And if other girls are factored in the story, they are ugly, whiny, mean, ridiculus or all of the above.
We don’t want competition, do we?
5. The ever-so-annoying love triangle.
Seriously, guys-of-this-book: let me tell you, she’s nothing to write home about.
6. Weird prophecies.
We can’t really live without those.
7. A freakin� katana.
Because really, any other weapon won’t do.
8. The heroine becomes the badassest badass of the block.
Even if her “training� is just a glitch if compared with the centuries-long experience of her trainer and almost everyone else in the book.
She’s just a badass by nature.
9. The king
Because he has no other options, apparently.
10. The BFF
11. The heroine becomes
Because she can’t really remain the same detestable bitch that we all grew to love. She has to be something speshul.
Oh, but I said ten points.
Oh, well. So I’m finished here.
(There are many more than ten, but I had to limit myself somehow.)
1. The tough female assassin who thinks of herself as unemotional and cold-blooded.
She’s so badass, she just has to say it over and over throughout the whole book.
2. The tough, beautiful female assassin.
Of course she is beautiful, how can it be any different? And how can’t it be monumentally important what she looks like?
She describes herself as utterly irresistible, with trite expressions such as porcelain skin, glossy hair, pouty mouth blah blah blah. Not interesting. Not endearing. Utterly detestable.
3. The fixation with the outfits, and the lots of leather and black.
This, I’m never going to understand.
I guess that someone thinks that you are more of a badass if you wear badass clothes.
4. Nonexistent female characters other than the heroine.
And if other girls are factored in the story, they are ugly, whiny, mean, ridiculus or all of the above.
We don’t want competition, do we?
5. The ever-so-annoying love triangle.
Seriously, guys-of-this-book: let me tell you, she’s nothing to write home about.
6. Weird prophecies.
We can’t really live without those.
7. A freakin� katana.
Because really, any other weapon won’t do.
8. The heroine becomes the badassest badass of the block.
Even if her “training� is just a glitch if compared with the centuries-long experience of her trainer and almost everyone else in the book.
She’s just a badass by nature.
9. The king
Because he has no other options, apparently.
10. The BFF
11. The heroine becomes
Because she can’t really remain the same detestable bitch that we all grew to love. She has to be something speshul.
Oh, but I said ten points.
Oh, well. So I’m finished here.
January 16, 2012
I’ve discovered that I’m not a big fan of a romantic connection being established prior to the start of a book. I don’t mind a preexisting attraction or a second chance, but I don’t like having an established connection plopped in my lap. I know I’m just supposed to go with it, but it’s hard. It can succeed if done well, but an author has to be careful to still provide supporting data to make me believe in the characters� feelings instead of expecting me to swallow it just because it’s presented as a fact.
Such is the case with Darian and Tyler. They’ve known each other for five years and have been dancing around their attraction the whole time. That’s not a bad thing, but it’s very apparent that they are approaching the love end of things. I just didn’t understand why. I felt no connection between them; no tension. Tyler became pretty pushy and demanding toward Darian and her accountability to him—which was attributed to something that I can’t talk about for fear of spoilers—and I couldn’t help but draw back from his behavior. It felt presumptuous, to be honest. If I had more belief in their relationship and understood him better it might have irritated me less, but as it stands I felt repulsed by his gall and was irritated by Darian’s childish back and forth with him. Of course, the author throws in the obligatory love triangle, which seemed out of place and intrusive, not to mention kind of creepy, given her connection to that other guy.
Darian was my main problem with this book. I found the writing mechanical and the story rather boring, but all that paled in comparison to my issues with Darian. I can’t believe how irritating she was! She wasn’t strong or capable, although I’m sure I was supposed to think she was. She actually came off as childish and petulant. She would frequently blow up and never stop to consider the company she was in or the reaction it would bring. That wouldn’t be so bad if you were the baddest chick on the block, but she wasn’t. Her skills were laughable compared to the other people. She had a great reputation for assassinating humans, but she was a joke when stood alongside another supernatural creatures. I don’t have a problem with her being low man on the totem pole, but I do have to question her intelligence when she refused to recognize that fact. Her attitude and her behavior made it seem like she was trying too hard. She felt like a preteen trying desperately to prove how adult she was. What irritated me most about this was the fact that she was never called on her crap. Certain characters even seemed to admire her for her daring. It made them all seem ridiculous.
In addition to not liking her attitude, I also found her pretty dim. She’s been shaede for years, but she never bothered to research her existence? She was told by her maker that they were the last two in existence and let him put her off every time she pushed for more information about her abilities and what she was. But when he disappeared she never tried to find out on her own? She just went through the next couple decades oblivious, not stopping to consider that even if she was the last of her kind, there were other supernatural creatures out there as well? What??? Maybe it’s harsh of me, but that seems really dumb. She’s introduced to more of her kind in the story and blunders through their world, not even trying to learn the lay of the political land. At that point I gave up on her and concluded that it was a miracle that she had stayed alive that long.
I came close to DNF’ing this book quite a few times in the beginning. It was s-l-o-w and was nothing but tell, tell, tell. It’s written in first person, so we spend all of our time in Darian’s head. This wouldn’t be a problem, except for two things. One, Darian is not a very interesting or likeable character. Two, the writing style made it very apparent that Darian was narrating the story to us instead of us just watching her experience it. That won’t be a problem for all, but I find that style of narrative boring to read about. It inserts an unwelcome distance between me and the events of the story. Plus, I could have done with some more dialogue so I could have gotten a break from Darian. Obviously I didn’t DNF the book, though. I was interested enough in the idea of the world to push through and hope for improvement. Although the story could have used better worldbuilding, I ended up enjoying the setup enough that I gave it a D instead of an F.
Favorite Quote:
*Review originally posted on *
Such is the case with Darian and Tyler. They’ve known each other for five years and have been dancing around their attraction the whole time. That’s not a bad thing, but it’s very apparent that they are approaching the love end of things. I just didn’t understand why. I felt no connection between them; no tension. Tyler became pretty pushy and demanding toward Darian and her accountability to him—which was attributed to something that I can’t talk about for fear of spoilers—and I couldn’t help but draw back from his behavior. It felt presumptuous, to be honest. If I had more belief in their relationship and understood him better it might have irritated me less, but as it stands I felt repulsed by his gall and was irritated by Darian’s childish back and forth with him. Of course, the author throws in the obligatory love triangle, which seemed out of place and intrusive, not to mention kind of creepy, given her connection to that other guy.
Darian was my main problem with this book. I found the writing mechanical and the story rather boring, but all that paled in comparison to my issues with Darian. I can’t believe how irritating she was! She wasn’t strong or capable, although I’m sure I was supposed to think she was. She actually came off as childish and petulant. She would frequently blow up and never stop to consider the company she was in or the reaction it would bring. That wouldn’t be so bad if you were the baddest chick on the block, but she wasn’t. Her skills were laughable compared to the other people. She had a great reputation for assassinating humans, but she was a joke when stood alongside another supernatural creatures. I don’t have a problem with her being low man on the totem pole, but I do have to question her intelligence when she refused to recognize that fact. Her attitude and her behavior made it seem like she was trying too hard. She felt like a preteen trying desperately to prove how adult she was. What irritated me most about this was the fact that she was never called on her crap. Certain characters even seemed to admire her for her daring. It made them all seem ridiculous.
In addition to not liking her attitude, I also found her pretty dim. She’s been shaede for years, but she never bothered to research her existence? She was told by her maker that they were the last two in existence and let him put her off every time she pushed for more information about her abilities and what she was. But when he disappeared she never tried to find out on her own? She just went through the next couple decades oblivious, not stopping to consider that even if she was the last of her kind, there were other supernatural creatures out there as well? What??? Maybe it’s harsh of me, but that seems really dumb. She’s introduced to more of her kind in the story and blunders through their world, not even trying to learn the lay of the political land. At that point I gave up on her and concluded that it was a miracle that she had stayed alive that long.
I came close to DNF’ing this book quite a few times in the beginning. It was s-l-o-w and was nothing but tell, tell, tell. It’s written in first person, so we spend all of our time in Darian’s head. This wouldn’t be a problem, except for two things. One, Darian is not a very interesting or likeable character. Two, the writing style made it very apparent that Darian was narrating the story to us instead of us just watching her experience it. That won’t be a problem for all, but I find that style of narrative boring to read about. It inserts an unwelcome distance between me and the events of the story. Plus, I could have done with some more dialogue so I could have gotten a break from Darian. Obviously I didn’t DNF the book, though. I was interested enough in the idea of the world to push through and hope for improvement. Although the story could have used better worldbuilding, I ended up enjoying the setup enough that I gave it a D instead of an F.
Favorite Quote:
”You hired me to kill…you?� I asked incredulously, because, well, who does that?
*Review originally posted on *
September 4, 2016
I really liked the idea of this book and the concept of Shaedes, but damn if the author didn't make the heroine dumber than a turnip.
Darian is a Shaede and an assassin. She thinks she's the only Shaede left in existence because that's what her dead maker, Azriel, told her a hundred years ago. She receives her assassin contracts from Tyler, a hot human, and hangs out at The Pit, a club/bar. That's basically her life, until her newest assignment. She's sent to kill Xander Peck and gasp, he's a Shaede too! Incroyable! She finds out there's, gasp, a king of Shaedes and gasp, lots of Shaedes in the world. Gasp, wow.
Ok, so she finds out her evil maker/mentor guy was lying, but how in the 100 yrs he's been dead, have you not had any curiosity to your origins or anything? Why would you think you're the only supernatural creature to roam the earth? Unless you live on an island and are the only one there, I don't see how you could come up with that idea and be fine with it. Idiot point number one and two.
Now that she knows there are Shaedes in the world and other things, she's still waiting for others to just give her the info and she asks the ones least likely to. Why not check out some books, yo? Every myth is based in some fact, you'd probably learn something. But no, she just walks around being stupid. Idiot point three.
Her trainer Shaede tells her that one of her friends is a ___ and she doesn't ask for an explanation. She seems to forget about it and doesn't ask the friend for quite a while and the explodes on the friend for them not having told her. Also, what the friend is, it's like not knowing what a vampire is and again, you couldn't google the word and even check out the myths. Nothing? Idiot point four.
Darian's life was bad when she was human and it was disenchanted when she was a Shaede with Azriel, but it's been cool since, but she's still harping over it. She's also not happy no one loves her, but a friend tries to show affection and it's an affront to her ego and she says she's not about love, get away. Please make up your mind about what you want, because your tantrums are annoying me. Idiot point five having to deal with her stunted emotions.
Idiot point six, not figuring shit out. She blindly frolicked around and doesn't try to put any of the puzzle pieces together. She waits for the big reveal to come to her. Her brain barely works. It's all fighting muscle memory.
Alright, now what I liked was the world building. I liked the idea of the Shaedes and their talents of being shadows at night and fully solid during the day. I liked that the world was more than Shaedes and that there was order to it all. I basically liked the book besides Darian's lack of intelligence. I thought of DNF-ing it because she's so oblivious. Maybe she'll grow some brains for book two.
Darian is a Shaede and an assassin. She thinks she's the only Shaede left in existence because that's what her dead maker, Azriel, told her a hundred years ago. She receives her assassin contracts from Tyler, a hot human, and hangs out at The Pit, a club/bar. That's basically her life, until her newest assignment. She's sent to kill Xander Peck and gasp, he's a Shaede too! Incroyable! She finds out there's, gasp, a king of Shaedes and gasp, lots of Shaedes in the world. Gasp, wow.
Ok, so she finds out her evil maker/mentor guy was lying, but how in the 100 yrs he's been dead, have you not had any curiosity to your origins or anything? Why would you think you're the only supernatural creature to roam the earth? Unless you live on an island and are the only one there, I don't see how you could come up with that idea and be fine with it. Idiot point number one and two.
Now that she knows there are Shaedes in the world and other things, she's still waiting for others to just give her the info and she asks the ones least likely to. Why not check out some books, yo? Every myth is based in some fact, you'd probably learn something. But no, she just walks around being stupid. Idiot point three.
Her trainer Shaede tells her that one of her friends is a ___ and she doesn't ask for an explanation. She seems to forget about it and doesn't ask the friend for quite a while and the explodes on the friend for them not having told her. Also, what the friend is, it's like not knowing what a vampire is and again, you couldn't google the word and even check out the myths. Nothing? Idiot point four.
Darian's life was bad when she was human and it was disenchanted when she was a Shaede with Azriel, but it's been cool since, but she's still harping over it. She's also not happy no one loves her, but a friend tries to show affection and it's an affront to her ego and she says she's not about love, get away. Please make up your mind about what you want, because your tantrums are annoying me. Idiot point five having to deal with her stunted emotions.
Idiot point six, not figuring shit out. She blindly frolicked around and doesn't try to put any of the puzzle pieces together. She waits for the big reveal to come to her. Her brain barely works. It's all fighting muscle memory.
Alright, now what I liked was the world building. I liked the idea of the Shaedes and their talents of being shadows at night and fully solid during the day. I liked that the world was more than Shaedes and that there was order to it all. I basically liked the book besides Darian's lack of intelligence. I thought of DNF-ing it because she's so oblivious. Maybe she'll grow some brains for book two.
May 21, 2018
It's been a while since a book annoyed me so much that I had to write a rant. Really. So lesgo.
I hate it when characters decide that they can't be with their love interest because insert most useless and nonsensical reason (ie we work together, or omg he's a humaaaan he will diiieeee if he wuuuvs meeee oh noooes!!1!) YET they waste no oportunity to hit on them and urge them on.
That's about all what the main character is doing. No common sense whatsoever, not even close to being the super duper assassineveryone she says thinks she is. That's the thing, I can't continue reading and buying whatever's happening in the book when I see the main charter act like a complete idiot. There's no plot, it's just the MC fucking up, getting herself in trouble and playing hot and cold with her love interest.
Oh fuck off!!
Mmmmhhhmm. But bae we still can't be together kay cuz we work together and you're a weak ass human and shit. But please come over whenever I beckon like the good dog that you are.
I just can't. Go fuck yourself.
I hate it when characters decide that they can't be with their love interest because insert most useless and nonsensical reason (ie we work together, or omg he's a humaaaan he will diiieeee if he wuuuvs meeee oh noooes!!1!) YET they waste no oportunity to hit on them and urge them on.
"I should have noticed the smell long before I’d come in. Hell, I should have learned my lesson the first time I’d been brought here. Arrogance, again, superseded good sense."
That's about all what the main character is doing. No common sense whatsoever, not even close to being the super duper assassin
"The Shaede met my height almost exactly and had a lean and wiry build rippled with muscles. He looked lethal, and that was a huge thing for me to admit."
Oh fuck off!!
“Ty, can you please come over?� I said. “Give me ten minutes,� he said, and hung up. Tyler never disappoints."
Mmmmhhhmm. But bae we still can't be together kay cuz we work together and you're a weak ass human and shit. But please come over whenever I beckon like the good dog that you are.
I just can't. Go fuck yourself.
December 4, 2011
3.5 stars, but I think on the lower side of three, vs more four. Make sense? In my odd brain it does.
3 stars means I liked it, but it has issues.
This review is going to be difficult for me, because on the one hand, I fell in love with Shaedes of Gray's promise. And you know what they say about falling in love with the potential of a man or woman right? Well, it's true for books too.
Let's start with what I loved:
1) The matrix like feel of the Shaeding aspect, and the 'effects' of how they pop in and out of light and shadows = totally awesome.
2) The world itself is really cool, featuring shaedes, their counterpart whose name is escaping me at the moment, but I will check it back and repost- wow, long winded there. O.o Shape shifters, witches and blood magic and all sorts of cool shit. Also, oracles and gargoyles.
3) I love the idea of Darian, and Tyler too, but they are also going in my negatives
4) The ending was really cool, and had my gut clenching and me saying "OMG! No sir!!! I love twists. Seriously, love twists. Cliffhangers? NO, but twists? Hell Yea bring em!
5) I enjoyed the information guru at the bar.
What didn't work for me:
1) Darian was too much of a self-absorbed, selfish bitch. She tried so hard to be badass, but just came off as a Venus flytrap. I also found myself irritated at the number of men who seemed to want her. I have this issue with all books that have more than one love interest though, for the most part.
~ The problem for me is that Selfish, Prickly women still need to show a soft and tender side. Vulnerability, even if it's just to the reader. We didn't get any of that from Darian
2) Tyler --to an extend. I liked him! I just don't get his motivations for his role in this book. And I can't say much more because it is wicked spoilery. I can say I honestly don't get his obsession with Darian.
3) Xander was creepy. His wanting to bed Darian gave me the heeby jeebies--And not the look under your bed kind expecting Freddy Kruger. More like close and lock the door on an Uncle that looks to closely at you.
4) There was a lot of telling.
It really felt like Darian was too prickly. Now, I can understand to a point--she had a shitty start to life, but what's her excuse now? A hundred year old hate? Get over it! Move on! Stop the woe is me, I must be a man hater, and go get some love.
I have to stop and thank Amanda Bonilla here, less she think I am an ungrateeful bitch, and also Penquin USA. Ever since I saw this book back in...February? I have had it on my must read list, and Amanda was a pioneer to get me a copy, which I appreciate so much because it is a novel that I wanted to read so fucking bad! It had parts that I really enjoyed, but overall I was irritated at Darian, and since she is main protagonist, I found myself grumbling a lot.
I love female, kick-ass-take-no-prisoners-I-killz-you-dead-sword-wielding-women leads. Darian needs some work though in order to be added to my favorites list.
Sorry
Don't let this review fool you. I feel conflicted, which is probably coming across here to all of you. The concept is awesome. The world is really cool. I didn't like Darian, but I loved Darian--and all the other Shaedes powers.
I will read the next one in the series, because I want to see what Amanda has hidden away for us.
3 stars means I liked it, but it has issues.
This review is going to be difficult for me, because on the one hand, I fell in love with Shaedes of Gray's promise. And you know what they say about falling in love with the potential of a man or woman right? Well, it's true for books too.
Let's start with what I loved:
1) The matrix like feel of the Shaeding aspect, and the 'effects' of how they pop in and out of light and shadows = totally awesome.
2) The world itself is really cool, featuring shaedes, their counterpart whose name is escaping me at the moment, but I will check it back and repost- wow, long winded there. O.o Shape shifters, witches and blood magic and all sorts of cool shit. Also, oracles and gargoyles.
3) I love the idea of Darian, and Tyler too, but they are also going in my negatives
4) The ending was really cool, and had my gut clenching and me saying "OMG! No sir!!! I love twists. Seriously, love twists. Cliffhangers? NO, but twists? Hell Yea bring em!
5) I enjoyed the information guru at the bar.
What didn't work for me:
1) Darian was too much of a self-absorbed, selfish bitch. She tried so hard to be badass, but just came off as a Venus flytrap. I also found myself irritated at the number of men who seemed to want her. I have this issue with all books that have more than one love interest though, for the most part.
~ The problem for me is that Selfish, Prickly women still need to show a soft and tender side. Vulnerability, even if it's just to the reader. We didn't get any of that from Darian
2) Tyler --to an extend. I liked him! I just don't get his motivations for his role in this book. And I can't say much more because it is wicked spoilery. I can say I honestly don't get his obsession with Darian.
3) Xander was creepy. His wanting to bed Darian gave me the heeby jeebies--And not the look under your bed kind expecting Freddy Kruger. More like close and lock the door on an Uncle that looks to closely at you.
4) There was a lot of telling.
It really felt like Darian was too prickly. Now, I can understand to a point--she had a shitty start to life, but what's her excuse now? A hundred year old hate? Get over it! Move on! Stop the woe is me, I must be a man hater, and go get some love.
I have to stop and thank Amanda Bonilla here, less she think I am an ungrateeful bitch, and also Penquin USA. Ever since I saw this book back in...February? I have had it on my must read list, and Amanda was a pioneer to get me a copy, which I appreciate so much because it is a novel that I wanted to read so fucking bad! It had parts that I really enjoyed, but overall I was irritated at Darian, and since she is main protagonist, I found myself grumbling a lot.
I love female, kick-ass-take-no-prisoners-I-killz-you-dead-sword-wielding-women leads. Darian needs some work though in order to be added to my favorites list.
Sorry
Don't let this review fool you. I feel conflicted, which is probably coming across here to all of you. The concept is awesome. The world is really cool. I didn't like Darian, but I loved Darian--and all the other Shaedes powers.
I will read the next one in the series, because I want to see what Amanda has hidden away for us.
November 30, 2011
In the first installment of what promises to be an exciting addition to the Urban Fantasy landscape, Amanda Bonilla has skillfully created a new version of Seattle where the heroine Darian is a shaede assassin.
Bonilla offers a unique take on lesser-seen Urban Fantasy mythological beings such as jinn, oracles, and sylphs. The heroine herself is able to become shadow and leave her corporeal form behind once the sun sets. Seattle could not be more perfect for Darian’s line of work, as it is often cloud covered, making it easier for her to change shape in to the shadows. As she moves throughout the city, I felt like I could envision everything she sees and feels as she is flying. I loved it!
Darian’s ability to camouflage and to travel lends itself beautifully to her chosen career as an assassin, specifically going after those she and her bosses deem morally bankrupt. Darian thinks she is the only one of her kind and has led a very lonely life until she is sent on an assignment that completely turns all she thought she knew upside down. She discovers that she has been lied to thoroughly and extensively, and we feel her embarrassment at being made to look like a fool.
In Darian’s previous life, 100 years ago as a human, she endured horrific physical abuse at the hands of her husband. Sadly, the tale she relays is not uncommon in real life and it totally endeared me to her. It allowed me to connect with her as a woman, not necessarily because I could specifically relate, but because of the way she details her past throughout the story. I could feel just how trapped and desperate she had become. The victim she was as a human adult explainswhy she was just so very eager to distance herself from Tyler, the man she has been taking jobs from for the past five years. The attraction between the two is addressed right from the get-go, and the tension between Darian and Tyler was off the chains momentous.
--
“I turned, and Ty beamed at me. It was one of his huge, unguarded smiles that usually made me want to slap his face and then strip off all his clothes.�
--
After suffering prolonged and extensive physical abuse in her marriage to her first husband centuries ago, then enduring manipulative emotional damage at the hands of Azriel, her MIA shaede maker, I was so eager to see her succeed and prevail. The heroine, for me, became my Hero. When two men, Tyler and another mystery man, end up paying attention to her and demanding her time, she is completely dumb-founded and it resulted in endearing her to me even more.
--
“Jesus. What had I done to deserve this kind of attention? I wasn’t charming by any standards, and my sarcastic quips couldn’t possibly be attractive. I did not have time for these ridiculous, dramatic, soap-opera moments.�
--
This pretty much sums up Darian. She is humble, and just wants to get her current job as an assassin completed and move on to the next target. Her strength of character is remarkable, and the dialogue is both sharp and clever. While there is not much comedic relief, there is an odd little character in the form of a seer that gives back to Darian just as good as she takes:
--
“Do I look like I give a flying fuck?� I asked.
“I don’t know how you look,� I heard her say as the lift began its descent. “But you sure don’t sound like you do.�
--
Shaedes of Gray is about a woman who has physically and emotionally endured so much over the past century, and truly does rise above the ashes like a phoenix. She is not a wife, or a “made� anything. She is the only thing like her in the entire universe, and she came to it all on her own, in a world that is truly transcendental as well as gritty.
With extraordinary pacing in a peculiar new world, I really had no idea what would happen next, and was so pleased with the way things play out. There is an abundance of awesome action, as well as raw romance, all wrapped up in a fast-past story that is fresh and unparalleled. Shaedes of Gray is going down as one of my favorite new series, and Darian as one of my new favorite heroines of 2011. The next book in the series, Blood Before Sunrise, will be released next July, and Bonilla’s series is now on my short auto-buy list.
June 14, 2011
I was able to finagle a way to read an early copy of this book, and it sucked me in so much I stopped working on my own manuscript. Bad! Bad book!
Or rather, great book! In short, I loved it. It’s about Darian, a shaede who kills bad guys for money. What is a shaede, you ask? It’s a totally awesome paranormal being who can disappear into shadow at will. This makes for some very kick@ss fight scenes that had me sitting on the edge of my seat.
And the romantic subplot? Divine. I always love me a good romance. Tyler is soooo dreamy, and the sexual tension between him and Darian is fabulous.
And have I mentioned that Darian is fabulous as well? She’s a very kick@ass heroine with tons of backbone and snark. I love her voice. She had me laughing out loud with her quips and sarcastic remarks, and when her latest target turns out to be someone very surprising and powerful, I was completely emersed in the world Amanda created and was happy to follow along as Darian learned more about herself and the dangers of the paranormal world.
Hooked from the very first page!
Or rather, great book! In short, I loved it. It’s about Darian, a shaede who kills bad guys for money. What is a shaede, you ask? It’s a totally awesome paranormal being who can disappear into shadow at will. This makes for some very kick@ss fight scenes that had me sitting on the edge of my seat.
And the romantic subplot? Divine. I always love me a good romance. Tyler is soooo dreamy, and the sexual tension between him and Darian is fabulous.
And have I mentioned that Darian is fabulous as well? She’s a very kick@ass heroine with tons of backbone and snark. I love her voice. She had me laughing out loud with her quips and sarcastic remarks, and when her latest target turns out to be someone very surprising and powerful, I was completely emersed in the world Amanda created and was happy to follow along as Darian learned more about herself and the dangers of the paranormal world.
Hooked from the very first page!
December 3, 2011
Review courtesy of
Assassin for hire is becoming a popular job for urban fantasy heroines. We’ve already got Jennifer Estep’s Elemental Assassin series from Pocket Books, going strong at five books with the sixth due out in early 2012. And this month we meet a new assassin in SHAEDES OF GRAY, the first book in Amanda Bonilla’s new Shaede Assassin series from Signet Eclipse.
Since comparisons between the two are inevitable, lets get those out of the way first. Like Estep’s Gin, Bonilla’s Darian is more than human. She’s a Shaede, a being of immense strength and speed capable of disappearing in shadows. Both share a similar code of ethics where killing is concerned: only bad guys are allowed. Both are also aggressive loners, but where Gin has no problem picking up guys when the mood strikes, Darian has certain self imposed rules about falling in love. She’s been burned before and doesn’t intend to ever let it happen again.
Which brings me to the first, of unfortunately many, gripe with this book. Darian is deliberately prickly and very cool towards her main love interest, Tyler…yet he pants after her like a puppy. I didn’t get it. And when certain revelations about his devotion are explained, it made even less sense that he would choose her. Tyler, apart from his misplaced affection, was at least likeable, the other love interest was anything but. Xander, the Shaede King, is in a twisted round-about-way related to Darian. They both know it. It’s super creepy. And yet, he pursues her and she has to struggle with her desire for him. Every scene where they were touching each other I literally cringed while reading. I had other problems with the small feeling scope of the world, the lack of explanation where the potentially interesting mythology was concerned, and general averageness of the writing.
Judging by some of the other early reviews floating around for SHAEDES OF GRAY, I appear to be in the minority, but I just did not connect with this book. I found the protagonist to be too hard, one love interest inexplicable devoted, and the other way left of my ick factor line since he was basically her grandfather/father-in-law, and the writing—especially the dialogue—to be a little forced and even verging on cheesy in places. Do check out some other reviews before you make your decision about this book and the second book in the Shaede Assassin series entitled BLOOD BEFORE SUNRISE which will be published on July 3, 2012, but this just wasn’t for me.
Sexual Content:
One moderately graphic sex scene.
Assassin for hire is becoming a popular job for urban fantasy heroines. We’ve already got Jennifer Estep’s Elemental Assassin series from Pocket Books, going strong at five books with the sixth due out in early 2012. And this month we meet a new assassin in SHAEDES OF GRAY, the first book in Amanda Bonilla’s new Shaede Assassin series from Signet Eclipse.
Since comparisons between the two are inevitable, lets get those out of the way first. Like Estep’s Gin, Bonilla’s Darian is more than human. She’s a Shaede, a being of immense strength and speed capable of disappearing in shadows. Both share a similar code of ethics where killing is concerned: only bad guys are allowed. Both are also aggressive loners, but where Gin has no problem picking up guys when the mood strikes, Darian has certain self imposed rules about falling in love. She’s been burned before and doesn’t intend to ever let it happen again.
Which brings me to the first, of unfortunately many, gripe with this book. Darian is deliberately prickly and very cool towards her main love interest, Tyler…yet he pants after her like a puppy. I didn’t get it. And when certain revelations about his devotion are explained, it made even less sense that he would choose her. Tyler, apart from his misplaced affection, was at least likeable, the other love interest was anything but. Xander, the Shaede King, is in a twisted round-about-way related to Darian. They both know it. It’s super creepy. And yet, he pursues her and she has to struggle with her desire for him. Every scene where they were touching each other I literally cringed while reading. I had other problems with the small feeling scope of the world, the lack of explanation where the potentially interesting mythology was concerned, and general averageness of the writing.
Judging by some of the other early reviews floating around for SHAEDES OF GRAY, I appear to be in the minority, but I just did not connect with this book. I found the protagonist to be too hard, one love interest inexplicable devoted, and the other way left of my ick factor line since he was basically her grandfather/father-in-law, and the writing—especially the dialogue—to be a little forced and even verging on cheesy in places. Do check out some other reviews before you make your decision about this book and the second book in the Shaede Assassin series entitled BLOOD BEFORE SUNRISE which will be published on July 3, 2012, but this just wasn’t for me.
Sexual Content:
One moderately graphic sex scene.
February 17, 2012
Originally posted at .
My Summary
Darian is a Shaede made by another - a past lover, in fact, one that abandoned her almost a century ago. She's the last of her kind, or so she was led to believe, and with only stealth in her arsenal, she trains herself to be one of the best assassins in the field. She can become incorporeal after twilight, and move in the shadows as nothing more than a ghost.
Tyler has been a long-standing friend (a friend who makes her body feel all warm and flushed) and agent who informs her of her new targets/marks. And this time, her mark happens to be a man named Xander Peck. Nothing special, just a name that isn't commonly heard of. Just another man that has pissed off someone with the goods to hire her services. But when she was about to deliver the killing stroke, Xander slips into the shadows. That's when her world tilts around and she finds out she's no longer the last of her kind.
Xander turns out to be the King of the Shaedes, and her assignment was actually a test. Now, Xander - or should I say, High King Alexander - is training her up for his real task, for her next target may just be one of the most powerful Shaedes alive. That, and someone whom she may have known quite intimately in the past...
My Thoughts
I have to say that SOG is really a "my" type of book - witty, kickass heroine who has awesome powers, a friend that has always looked out for her, another more powerful, high-ranking love interest comes along, and amidst the love triangle troubles, nothing's better than a big and complex plot to up the thrill and suspense. Typical for a PNR novel, but the idea of the Shaede, well that is very unique, and very cool. The only regrettable thing was Darian didn't pick the guy that I was rooting for! But that is for a later paragraph to elaborate.
Darian was witty, snarky, and a girl who sticks up for herself. She is the master of her own decisions, and she will allow no one to be her king, or to make her a pawn of some twisted game for power. I think that's what attracted the attention of the King of the Shaedes himself. Haha, she sure is one special and beautiful woman.
As far as the love interests goes..I'm a fan of love triangles. Not all of them though, cause some of them are just insufferably immature, and in a lot of cases the protagonists are highly self-centered as they get all frustrated with life when they have more than one person vying for their attention, and they go all, "Life is tough." Yeah, ok, have you seen what other people in Third World countries have to go through? That's tough, so suck it up. But as for Tyler, Xander, and Darian, they're all awesome. Tyler's sweet and fiercely-protective in his own silent way, but he is also funny and easygoing; Xander is intense, highhanded, powerful, but very romantic and male; Darian is scared to surrender to the fragile thing that is love, is unsure of what love truly is, or if the thing that she's feeling is actually love at all after what happened in the past. The confusion on Darian's part was very well-written. I used to think 'How can you be unsure if what you're feeling is love or not?', but after seeing what happened to her, it became believable.
The plot was good, not a "WOW!" kind of impressive, but not bad. There was quite some overlaying storylines, and the main point to the storyline only surfaced towards the middle of the book, but I had fun getting to know the characters. After knowing who's the read baddy in here, there was constant action, deceptions - and betrayals and lies..lots and lots of 'em - and the likes! And all that excitement escalated till the end where I just couldn't tear my attention away from the book; I HAD to know where the story went, and how it concluded. And now that the conclusion is read, damn if I don't want to get my hands on the sequel.
However, there were a few questions that I had when I was reading:
1) When Darian just met Xander and they were still strangers to each other, Darian divulged all her personal information to Xander when he asked for it without question. Maybe not all, but she did spill quite a lot. Which is weird, even more so since she's a skilled assassin who has lived in solitude for the past century.
2) It was mentioned that Lyhtans - the counterpart of a Shaede, which means they can slip into the light and be invisible as long as the sun shines, and also the enemies of the Shaede - are easily controlled. Well, if they were so easily manipulated, why aren't they under the control of the good people? Why are they, so coincidentally, under the influence of the bad Shaede?
3) Midway through the book, Darian was attacked by a Lyhtan and was lying in bed unconscious. But when she started to wake, she heard Tyler and Xander quarrelling and she referred to the two voices as "two of my favourite voices". Thing is, she keeps mentioning how much she dislikes Xander for lying to her, for treating her like one of his subjects, and now you're telling me his is one of your favourite voices? Really?
Actually, other than those, the book was very enjoyable. I loved Bonilla's humor and her writing style. She is consistent and I often find myself laughing along with the characters. There was only one sex scene in SOG, but let me assure all Romance-junkies out there - have no fear, the sexual tension in here is as good as any panties-combusting scene.
Overall, SHAEDES OF GREY is an amazing Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance novel packed full of fast-paced action, suspense, witty humor, sarcastic and kickass heroine, love triangle that'll leave you feeling so conflicted as to who to side with, a complex plot with curveballs at every turn, and betrayals and deceptions that will leave you reeling hours after you've put down the book. Even though the plot was a little typical, it was still fun, intense and never dull; A real page-turner, indeed.
Random Musings:
Don't you find it freaking cool that the word "Shaedes" in the title Shaedes of Gray is so unique that you don't even have to type the full title of the book in search engines or book stores or ŷ to search for the book? It's the one and only one that shows up in the results.
My Summary
Darian is a Shaede made by another - a past lover, in fact, one that abandoned her almost a century ago. She's the last of her kind, or so she was led to believe, and with only stealth in her arsenal, she trains herself to be one of the best assassins in the field. She can become incorporeal after twilight, and move in the shadows as nothing more than a ghost.
Tyler has been a long-standing friend (a friend who makes her body feel all warm and flushed) and agent who informs her of her new targets/marks. And this time, her mark happens to be a man named Xander Peck. Nothing special, just a name that isn't commonly heard of. Just another man that has pissed off someone with the goods to hire her services. But when she was about to deliver the killing stroke, Xander slips into the shadows. That's when her world tilts around and she finds out she's no longer the last of her kind.
Xander turns out to be the King of the Shaedes, and her assignment was actually a test. Now, Xander - or should I say, High King Alexander - is training her up for his real task, for her next target may just be one of the most powerful Shaedes alive. That, and someone whom she may have known quite intimately in the past...
My Thoughts
I have to say that SOG is really a "my" type of book - witty, kickass heroine who has awesome powers, a friend that has always looked out for her, another more powerful, high-ranking love interest comes along, and amidst the love triangle troubles, nothing's better than a big and complex plot to up the thrill and suspense. Typical for a PNR novel, but the idea of the Shaede, well that is very unique, and very cool. The only regrettable thing was Darian didn't pick the guy that I was rooting for! But that is for a later paragraph to elaborate.
Darian was witty, snarky, and a girl who sticks up for herself. She is the master of her own decisions, and she will allow no one to be her king, or to make her a pawn of some twisted game for power. I think that's what attracted the attention of the King of the Shaedes himself. Haha, she sure is one special and beautiful woman.
As far as the love interests goes..I'm a fan of love triangles. Not all of them though, cause some of them are just insufferably immature, and in a lot of cases the protagonists are highly self-centered as they get all frustrated with life when they have more than one person vying for their attention, and they go all, "Life is tough." Yeah, ok, have you seen what other people in Third World countries have to go through? That's tough, so suck it up. But as for Tyler, Xander, and Darian, they're all awesome. Tyler's sweet and fiercely-protective in his own silent way, but he is also funny and easygoing; Xander is intense, highhanded, powerful, but very romantic and male; Darian is scared to surrender to the fragile thing that is love, is unsure of what love truly is, or if the thing that she's feeling is actually love at all after what happened in the past. The confusion on Darian's part was very well-written. I used to think 'How can you be unsure if what you're feeling is love or not?', but after seeing what happened to her, it became believable.
The plot was good, not a "WOW!" kind of impressive, but not bad. There was quite some overlaying storylines, and the main point to the storyline only surfaced towards the middle of the book, but I had fun getting to know the characters. After knowing who's the read baddy in here, there was constant action, deceptions - and betrayals and lies..lots and lots of 'em - and the likes! And all that excitement escalated till the end where I just couldn't tear my attention away from the book; I HAD to know where the story went, and how it concluded. And now that the conclusion is read, damn if I don't want to get my hands on the sequel.
However, there were a few questions that I had when I was reading:
1) When Darian just met Xander and they were still strangers to each other, Darian divulged all her personal information to Xander when he asked for it without question. Maybe not all, but she did spill quite a lot. Which is weird, even more so since she's a skilled assassin who has lived in solitude for the past century.
2) It was mentioned that Lyhtans - the counterpart of a Shaede, which means they can slip into the light and be invisible as long as the sun shines, and also the enemies of the Shaede - are easily controlled. Well, if they were so easily manipulated, why aren't they under the control of the good people? Why are they, so coincidentally, under the influence of the bad Shaede?
3) Midway through the book, Darian was attacked by a Lyhtan and was lying in bed unconscious. But when she started to wake, she heard Tyler and Xander quarrelling and she referred to the two voices as "two of my favourite voices". Thing is, she keeps mentioning how much she dislikes Xander for lying to her, for treating her like one of his subjects, and now you're telling me his is one of your favourite voices? Really?
Actually, other than those, the book was very enjoyable. I loved Bonilla's humor and her writing style. She is consistent and I often find myself laughing along with the characters. There was only one sex scene in SOG, but let me assure all Romance-junkies out there - have no fear, the sexual tension in here is as good as any panties-combusting scene.
Overall, SHAEDES OF GREY is an amazing Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance novel packed full of fast-paced action, suspense, witty humor, sarcastic and kickass heroine, love triangle that'll leave you feeling so conflicted as to who to side with, a complex plot with curveballs at every turn, and betrayals and deceptions that will leave you reeling hours after you've put down the book. Even though the plot was a little typical, it was still fun, intense and never dull; A real page-turner, indeed.
Random Musings:
Don't you find it freaking cool that the word "Shaedes" in the title Shaedes of Gray is so unique that you don't even have to type the full title of the book in search engines or book stores or ŷ to search for the book? It's the one and only one that shows up in the results.
April 17, 2012
Shaedes of Gray was an enjoyable read for me. This is an urban fantasy without the requisite vampires and werewolves. Instead, the reader is immersed in a dark world full of shaedes, lythans, and other intriguing creatures.
I found the world created by author Amanda Bonilla fascinating. The shaedes were really neat and their abilities were awesome. Imagine a creature that is corporeal during the day and able to mist in and out and through things as a shadow at night. Ever cool. The Lythans were a formidable enemy. They kind of made me want to run out and buy some Raid. Lythans were the opposite of the Shaedes and in their real form were huge, ugly insect-like beings. Their bite was venomous and they sucked out the insides of their prey. Other supernatural creatures round out this world including a tiny, blind oracle, a jinn, a riddling sylph, and some ravenous gargoyles.
Shaedes of Gray follows assassin Darian and her dependable handler Tyler. I liked Darian � I found her to be kickass, lethal, and I liked her moral values. Darian is a survivor and her back story is sad and painful. Darian is told that she is the only one of her kind, a ruse developed by her “maker� and former lover Azriel. Darien does have her annoying side � she is quick to rebuff Tyler’s romantic advances often.
I can’t say enough about Tyler. I’ll use the author’s words here: “Tyler never disappoints.� So true. I loved him. I loved his devotion to Darian. I want a Tyler. I wish I had a Tyler.
A few other characters stood out for me. Anya, one of the King’s guards, was a leather-clad Bond girl lookalike. Darian’s impressions of Anya were hilarious and I enjoyed reading about her different colored suits. I loved Raif the King’s brother and his guard. Raif was a brave warrior and excellent teacher for Darian.
I’m not sure how I felt about Alexander the King of the Shaedes. I felt that he withheld a lot of information from Darian. I also found that he was just a little creepy for my tastes.
Shaedes of Gray kept me on the edge of my seat. It was action packed and an entertaining read. I can’t wait to read the sequel Blood Before Sunrise.
Favorite quote:
I found the world created by author Amanda Bonilla fascinating. The shaedes were really neat and their abilities were awesome. Imagine a creature that is corporeal during the day and able to mist in and out and through things as a shadow at night. Ever cool. The Lythans were a formidable enemy. They kind of made me want to run out and buy some Raid. Lythans were the opposite of the Shaedes and in their real form were huge, ugly insect-like beings. Their bite was venomous and they sucked out the insides of their prey. Other supernatural creatures round out this world including a tiny, blind oracle, a jinn, a riddling sylph, and some ravenous gargoyles.
Shaedes of Gray follows assassin Darian and her dependable handler Tyler. I liked Darian � I found her to be kickass, lethal, and I liked her moral values. Darian is a survivor and her back story is sad and painful. Darian is told that she is the only one of her kind, a ruse developed by her “maker� and former lover Azriel. Darien does have her annoying side � she is quick to rebuff Tyler’s romantic advances often.
I can’t say enough about Tyler. I’ll use the author’s words here: “Tyler never disappoints.� So true. I loved him. I loved his devotion to Darian. I want a Tyler. I wish I had a Tyler.
A few other characters stood out for me. Anya, one of the King’s guards, was a leather-clad Bond girl lookalike. Darian’s impressions of Anya were hilarious and I enjoyed reading about her different colored suits. I loved Raif the King’s brother and his guard. Raif was a brave warrior and excellent teacher for Darian.
I’m not sure how I felt about Alexander the King of the Shaedes. I felt that he withheld a lot of information from Darian. I also found that he was just a little creepy for my tastes.
Shaedes of Gray kept me on the edge of my seat. It was action packed and an entertaining read. I can’t wait to read the sequel Blood Before Sunrise.
Favorite quote:
"You...are...nothing," he said. "A creature that lives between the realms. You are made of twilight and shadow and move as the wind through the trees. You are Shaede."
December 7, 2011
Posted at
When you hear “debut author�, you sometimes cringe just a little bit. Don’t know why really. I mean, after reading amazing first-time books by authors like Carolyn Crane with Mind Games, Allison Pang with A Brush of Darkness and Jenn Bennett with Kindling the Moon, you would think that the stereotype surrounding debut authors would dissipate. But still, when I picked up Shaedes of Gray by Amanda Bonilla, I took a deep breath and crossed my fingers. Let me tell you, within two pages (and no, I am not exaggerating) my fingers were no longer crossed because I just KNEW I had started reading a great book by a really talented author.
Shaedes of Gray is the story of Darian, a Shaede (a being that can basically melt in with the shadows in the night time hours). She thinks she is totally alone. Her maker, Azriel, told her that they were the only two, and when he didn’t come home one night about eighty years ago, she assumed he was dead and that she was now the only Shaede in existence. She doesn’t dwell on that fact, which I liked about her. Darian knows she is strong and believes she can only be killed by a magical sword. She works for Tyler as an assassin. Really, it’s the perfect job for her seeing what her abilities are. But then, during one job, she finds out that nope, she is not so much the last Shaede. Not by a long shot.
I really felt for Darian and how she had been kept in the dark about pretty much everything for over a century. I found how she reacted to everything to be fitting to her character and probably what anyone in her position would do. Darian is my favorite kind of character. A kick ass chick who knows she’s good at what she does but is not so cocky about it that you want to smack her. She is snarky, funny, smart and slightly damaged. But she also has a vulnerable side that not only makes you feel for her but also makes her more relatable. Darian was really well written.
The side characters were also really solid. Tyler, yum. Xander, yum in a different way. Raif, yum in a different way still. Then there’s Anya. There has to be some story behind that one and I am looking forward to seeing her in future books to see what it is.
I mentioned that this book was incredibly unique. I really is! The supernatural beings that you encounter in Shaedes of Gray consist of Shaedes, a Jinn, an Oracle and Lyhtan. You see?! So different!
The Lyhtan’s are pretty much the villains in this book. Of course, there is a master mind behind everything but I won’t tell you who he is. You need to be as surprised as I was when I read it. Boy did I not see that one coming. But back to the Lyhtans for a moment…they are super gross and super creepy and they will quite possibly give me nightmares for a few says still. The many-voice thing and the clicking-clacking-like-bugs thing�*shudder*
Oh, and there is this super action sequence near the end of the book. It was great. So much fun to read. I just thought I would throw that out there.
All in all, this book was freaking awesome! Amanda has such a lovely writing style and her voice is just…lovely. Really, there isn’t a better word for it. I actually tweeted her to see if this was really her first book because it was so eloquently written! The thoughts and ideas were set well and the characters, the world, the story…all were remarkable. In a first book of an urban fantasy series, you expect tons of world building and scene setting. There was a lot of that in Shaedes of Gray, but it was written in a way that was really clever. This book is written from Darian’s point of view. Since she is pretty clueless about her heritage and her people, she learns about it throughout the entire book � and you are just tagging along for the ride in a smooth and painless manner. I loved that.
As you can tell, I was really impressed by this book and by this author. Urban fantasy fans really must pick this one up. And I believe paranormal romance readers will enjoy this one too since there are strong romantic elements to it. I cannot wait for the next book, Blood Before Sunrise, to be released July 3rd 2012. As for Shaedes of Gray, you will no doubt find it on my Favorites of 2011 list. Yes people, it was that good.
When you hear “debut author�, you sometimes cringe just a little bit. Don’t know why really. I mean, after reading amazing first-time books by authors like Carolyn Crane with Mind Games, Allison Pang with A Brush of Darkness and Jenn Bennett with Kindling the Moon, you would think that the stereotype surrounding debut authors would dissipate. But still, when I picked up Shaedes of Gray by Amanda Bonilla, I took a deep breath and crossed my fingers. Let me tell you, within two pages (and no, I am not exaggerating) my fingers were no longer crossed because I just KNEW I had started reading a great book by a really talented author.
Shaedes of Gray is the story of Darian, a Shaede (a being that can basically melt in with the shadows in the night time hours). She thinks she is totally alone. Her maker, Azriel, told her that they were the only two, and when he didn’t come home one night about eighty years ago, she assumed he was dead and that she was now the only Shaede in existence. She doesn’t dwell on that fact, which I liked about her. Darian knows she is strong and believes she can only be killed by a magical sword. She works for Tyler as an assassin. Really, it’s the perfect job for her seeing what her abilities are. But then, during one job, she finds out that nope, she is not so much the last Shaede. Not by a long shot.
I really felt for Darian and how she had been kept in the dark about pretty much everything for over a century. I found how she reacted to everything to be fitting to her character and probably what anyone in her position would do. Darian is my favorite kind of character. A kick ass chick who knows she’s good at what she does but is not so cocky about it that you want to smack her. She is snarky, funny, smart and slightly damaged. But she also has a vulnerable side that not only makes you feel for her but also makes her more relatable. Darian was really well written.
The side characters were also really solid. Tyler, yum. Xander, yum in a different way. Raif, yum in a different way still. Then there’s Anya. There has to be some story behind that one and I am looking forward to seeing her in future books to see what it is.
I mentioned that this book was incredibly unique. I really is! The supernatural beings that you encounter in Shaedes of Gray consist of Shaedes, a Jinn, an Oracle and Lyhtan. You see?! So different!
The Lyhtan’s are pretty much the villains in this book. Of course, there is a master mind behind everything but I won’t tell you who he is. You need to be as surprised as I was when I read it. Boy did I not see that one coming. But back to the Lyhtans for a moment…they are super gross and super creepy and they will quite possibly give me nightmares for a few says still. The many-voice thing and the clicking-clacking-like-bugs thing�*shudder*
Oh, and there is this super action sequence near the end of the book. It was great. So much fun to read. I just thought I would throw that out there.
All in all, this book was freaking awesome! Amanda has such a lovely writing style and her voice is just…lovely. Really, there isn’t a better word for it. I actually tweeted her to see if this was really her first book because it was so eloquently written! The thoughts and ideas were set well and the characters, the world, the story…all were remarkable. In a first book of an urban fantasy series, you expect tons of world building and scene setting. There was a lot of that in Shaedes of Gray, but it was written in a way that was really clever. This book is written from Darian’s point of view. Since she is pretty clueless about her heritage and her people, she learns about it throughout the entire book � and you are just tagging along for the ride in a smooth and painless manner. I loved that.
As you can tell, I was really impressed by this book and by this author. Urban fantasy fans really must pick this one up. And I believe paranormal romance readers will enjoy this one too since there are strong romantic elements to it. I cannot wait for the next book, Blood Before Sunrise, to be released July 3rd 2012. As for Shaedes of Gray, you will no doubt find it on my Favorites of 2011 list. Yes people, it was that good.
December 31, 2012
Reviewed by:
Shaedes of Gray almost felt like two separate stories that were merged into one to make a full length novel. Normally the cracks would show from attempting such a feat but in this case a neat reverse funnel effect was created. I admire Amanda Bonilla for taking on such a challenge and even more so for succeeding at it so beautifully. The end result is a uniquely crafted story that flows like water. Inhaling the pages of this novel became as important to me as breathing air. My only complaint is that it was over too soon!
The world building in Shaedes of Gray is phenomenal! Darian starts off as being a lone wolf who believes that she's the only immortal on the planet that is, up until her world collides with reality. I was enthralled by the first part of this novel. Imagine being the only one of your kind and knowing absolutely nothing about yourself. What abilities do you posses? Are you immortal? What happened to the other shaedes? These are all questions that Darian asks herself over and over again. Unfortunately for her, she receives no reply. That is up until she's summoned by her king. What!? There's a king? She's not alone!? I experienced a mental light bulb illuminating moment at the same time as Darian and boy, what a trip! I couldn't get over how skillfully Amanda knocked the Shade Assassin world on its ass and me with it. Up until this point I was thoughroughly enjoying the book but now, I'm hooked. I didn't think that the story could possibly get any better but I was wrong!
Part of what made this book pure awesomeness was Darian's winning personality. Resigned to her lot in life she uses her skills to the best of their advantage which turns out to be working as an assassin. She has the tough girl attitude and the "French" vocabulary (a.k.a. swears) to back up her chosen profession. I liked how much of an open book Darian is. I always knew what she was thinking and how she was feeling in any given situation. That combined with discovering the bigger picture at the same time as her character made me connect with Darian on a whole different level. Talk about serendipity!
The side characters were also a real treat. Ty's the perfect man! You're probably thinking that there's no such thing but once you read this book and discover what's special about him you'll surely change your mind. As Amanda points out multiple times throughout the book: "Tyler never disappoints". At first I didn't understand the meaning behind that expression but once I did I loved hearing it over and over again! Raif is also a cool character. He's a male version of Darian and I immediately felt the same connection to him as I did to the assassin. They're not carbon copies of each other though, and, Raif does have his own unique quirks and idiosyncrasies. The shade king is another story. Xander is very complex and I can see him playing an important role in future books but in this instance he was just ok for me. I formed a love/hate opinion of him although, I'm not prepared to write him off yet.
You want NEED this book. Shaedes of Gray is a first rate read from cover-to-cover! Amanda Bonilla breaks-out on the writing scene at full throttle. I loved the cover art, all 336 pages and the back blurb. In short for me, Shades of Gray was pure love. I will (impatiently) await Blood Before Sunrise's release next summer. You can't go wrong in buying this novel for the Urban Fantasy enthusiast on your Christmas shopping list.
Shaedes of Gray almost felt like two separate stories that were merged into one to make a full length novel. Normally the cracks would show from attempting such a feat but in this case a neat reverse funnel effect was created. I admire Amanda Bonilla for taking on such a challenge and even more so for succeeding at it so beautifully. The end result is a uniquely crafted story that flows like water. Inhaling the pages of this novel became as important to me as breathing air. My only complaint is that it was over too soon!
The world building in Shaedes of Gray is phenomenal! Darian starts off as being a lone wolf who believes that she's the only immortal on the planet that is, up until her world collides with reality. I was enthralled by the first part of this novel. Imagine being the only one of your kind and knowing absolutely nothing about yourself. What abilities do you posses? Are you immortal? What happened to the other shaedes? These are all questions that Darian asks herself over and over again. Unfortunately for her, she receives no reply. That is up until she's summoned by her king. What!? There's a king? She's not alone!? I experienced a mental light bulb illuminating moment at the same time as Darian and boy, what a trip! I couldn't get over how skillfully Amanda knocked the Shade Assassin world on its ass and me with it. Up until this point I was thoughroughly enjoying the book but now, I'm hooked. I didn't think that the story could possibly get any better but I was wrong!
Part of what made this book pure awesomeness was Darian's winning personality. Resigned to her lot in life she uses her skills to the best of their advantage which turns out to be working as an assassin. She has the tough girl attitude and the "French" vocabulary (a.k.a. swears) to back up her chosen profession. I liked how much of an open book Darian is. I always knew what she was thinking and how she was feeling in any given situation. That combined with discovering the bigger picture at the same time as her character made me connect with Darian on a whole different level. Talk about serendipity!
The side characters were also a real treat. Ty's the perfect man! You're probably thinking that there's no such thing but once you read this book and discover what's special about him you'll surely change your mind. As Amanda points out multiple times throughout the book: "Tyler never disappoints". At first I didn't understand the meaning behind that expression but once I did I loved hearing it over and over again! Raif is also a cool character. He's a male version of Darian and I immediately felt the same connection to him as I did to the assassin. They're not carbon copies of each other though, and, Raif does have his own unique quirks and idiosyncrasies. The shade king is another story. Xander is very complex and I can see him playing an important role in future books but in this instance he was just ok for me. I formed a love/hate opinion of him although, I'm not prepared to write him off yet.
You want NEED this book. Shaedes of Gray is a first rate read from cover-to-cover! Amanda Bonilla breaks-out on the writing scene at full throttle. I loved the cover art, all 336 pages and the back blurb. In short for me, Shades of Gray was pure love. I will (impatiently) await Blood Before Sunrise's release next summer. You can't go wrong in buying this novel for the Urban Fantasy enthusiast on your Christmas shopping list.
June 1, 2012
I've seen mixed reviews on this book, but I want to start by telling you how much I really enjoyed it. The story pulled me in from the beginning and I read the entire thing in one sitting. I didn't want to put it down.
Darian is a Shaede and an assassin. She knows very little about what she is. Her maker, Azriel, abandoned her decades ago. She only knows that she is fast, ageless, and seemingly invincible -- and at night, she can become incorporeal, at one with the shadows. She works under Tyler, the middleman who sets up her jobs. There is something between them, but she refuses to act on it. Azriel told her she was the last of her kind. What hope could she have for a relationship with someone frail and mortal?
Anyway, her latest hit turns out to be more than she bargained for. The job is a ruse to bring her face-to-face with Xander, the king of the Shaedes. He wants to hire her to kill another supernatural. To say meeting Xander changes her life would be an understatement. Suddenly, Darian's eyes are opened to a huge world she never knew existed. And she must figure out where she fits in, now that she knows she is not alone. This, while fighting off the creatures trying to kill her, training for her new gig, and figuring out her feelings for the two men in her life.
The story sets up a sort-of love triangle between Darian, Xander, and Ty, but I never really bought into it. I loved Tyler from the first time I met him and I basically considered Xander little more than a mildly threatening foil throughout.
The world building in this book is fascinating, original, and easy to understand. The plot was fast moving and action packed. The story developments surprised me and kept me on the edge of my seat. And I was very invested in the characters. Much like Darian, I didn't even realize how much I cared, until the rug got ripped out from under me. My heart broke right along with Darian's when the villain's plan finally came to fruition.
I know that not everyone likes Darian, but I had a lot of sympathy for her. She has had a really rough life and I think she has a lot of inner strength. We've already established how I feel about Ty. But there are some really great secondary characters too, like Raif. I can't wait to get started on Blood Before Sunrise.
Rating: A-
Darian is a Shaede and an assassin. She knows very little about what she is. Her maker, Azriel, abandoned her decades ago. She only knows that she is fast, ageless, and seemingly invincible -- and at night, she can become incorporeal, at one with the shadows. She works under Tyler, the middleman who sets up her jobs. There is something between them, but she refuses to act on it. Azriel told her she was the last of her kind. What hope could she have for a relationship with someone frail and mortal?
Anyway, her latest hit turns out to be more than she bargained for. The job is a ruse to bring her face-to-face with Xander, the king of the Shaedes. He wants to hire her to kill another supernatural. To say meeting Xander changes her life would be an understatement. Suddenly, Darian's eyes are opened to a huge world she never knew existed. And she must figure out where she fits in, now that she knows she is not alone. This, while fighting off the creatures trying to kill her, training for her new gig, and figuring out her feelings for the two men in her life.
The story sets up a sort-of love triangle between Darian, Xander, and Ty, but I never really bought into it. I loved Tyler from the first time I met him and I basically considered Xander little more than a mildly threatening foil throughout.
The world building in this book is fascinating, original, and easy to understand. The plot was fast moving and action packed. The story developments surprised me and kept me on the edge of my seat. And I was very invested in the characters. Much like Darian, I didn't even realize how much I cared, until the rug got ripped out from under me. My heart broke right along with Darian's when the villain's plan finally came to fruition.
I know that not everyone likes Darian, but I had a lot of sympathy for her. She has had a really rough life and I think she has a lot of inner strength. We've already established how I feel about Ty. But there are some really great secondary characters too, like Raif. I can't wait to get started on Blood Before Sunrise.
Rating: A-
December 21, 2011
SHAEDES OF GRAY has such an amazing cover and intriguing synopsis, so I was very surprised that this book just didn't do it for me. I became so frusterated by the characters in SHADES OF GRAY that I just went into one of my angry fangirl moments.
SHADES OF GRAY does however start out incrediably amazing that I was at the point of being sold on the book, but once I got through a few more chapters and a few more after that I wanted to flush this book down the toliet. I thought SHAEDES OF GRAY became a bit slow at times and I really just became incrediably frusterated with the characters.
Darian is the heroine of the book and she had this cool attitude I just didn't like. She had this bad-ass heroine attitude which I usually love in my heroines, but Darian just annoyed me to no end. Tyler, her so called love interest seriously made me want to burn this book.
I have rules for my love interests. They must be hot and confident and independant and say things that make you swoon, bad boy things, and okay I can go on and on. Basically Tyler was a needy and whiny little puppy dog that followed Darian around everywhere she went. In my opinion that is a poor excuse for an actual love interest.
Tyler acted like everything that involved her was his business, that Darian was his business. Stalker much? It was too creepy and weird to me. And another thing is I don't get what they see in each other. I don't see anything special about either of them. In the beginning of the book he was likable, but as you got more and more into the book he became such an annoyance.
Xander, the King of Shaedes was sexy as hell, but I'm not sure how I feel about him yet. But I know that to a point I like him more than Tyler, because he is totally my type unlike Tyler. He had a mysterious air to him and was quite secretive. I like that in my men.
SHADES OF GRAY was slow at times, but it picked up some of the time as well, but it most definitely falls into the '2011 Disappointents' list. I expected so much more from SHADES OF GRAY. There were so many flaws in the book, but despite the flaws I still liked the direction the book was headed and would like to give the second book a try, hopefully the second time around I won't be so frusterated with the characters.
More of my reviews at
SHADES OF GRAY does however start out incrediably amazing that I was at the point of being sold on the book, but once I got through a few more chapters and a few more after that I wanted to flush this book down the toliet. I thought SHAEDES OF GRAY became a bit slow at times and I really just became incrediably frusterated with the characters.
Darian is the heroine of the book and she had this cool attitude I just didn't like. She had this bad-ass heroine attitude which I usually love in my heroines, but Darian just annoyed me to no end. Tyler, her so called love interest seriously made me want to burn this book.
I have rules for my love interests. They must be hot and confident and independant and say things that make you swoon, bad boy things, and okay I can go on and on. Basically Tyler was a needy and whiny little puppy dog that followed Darian around everywhere she went. In my opinion that is a poor excuse for an actual love interest.
Tyler acted like everything that involved her was his business, that Darian was his business. Stalker much? It was too creepy and weird to me. And another thing is I don't get what they see in each other. I don't see anything special about either of them. In the beginning of the book he was likable, but as you got more and more into the book he became such an annoyance.
Xander, the King of Shaedes was sexy as hell, but I'm not sure how I feel about him yet. But I know that to a point I like him more than Tyler, because he is totally my type unlike Tyler. He had a mysterious air to him and was quite secretive. I like that in my men.
SHADES OF GRAY was slow at times, but it picked up some of the time as well, but it most definitely falls into the '2011 Disappointents' list. I expected so much more from SHADES OF GRAY. There were so many flaws in the book, but despite the flaws I still liked the direction the book was headed and would like to give the second book a try, hopefully the second time around I won't be so frusterated with the characters.
More of my reviews at
May 5, 2013
My impressions or rather...a list of sins with the appropriate quotes to illustrate my problems better :
1.
"I wore my signature black—tight pants, low on my waist; long-sleeved black nylon turtleneck that clung to every curve of my body; black boots (of course); and, to top it off, a long black duster. I admit, the coat was a little over the top, but I love dramatics."
Dear Darian- are you an assassin or a fashionista ? Who cares what you wear to work? A tip � not me. Wardrobe descriptions are so boring, especially in fantasy action books, that they should be banned unless they actually contribute to the plot. Not your case, I presume.
2.
"God, he smelled good. Comforting, like fresh-baked cinnamon bread or something equally delicious and loaded with rich spices. His unique scent swirled around in my head, and I wanted nothing more than to lean into him, feel the weight of his arms around me as I breathed him in. But then my common sense gave me a swift kick in the ass."
Olfactory overload alert � honestly, Darian, I don’t need and I don’t want to know how you think Tyler smells. I wish your common sense kicked your ass much earlier � if a guy smells so much his personal grooming level must be abysmal.
3.
"Ty never overdid it in the clothing department. He was a jeans and T-shirt guy all the way, but he knew how to make the simple garments complement his lean, muscular body. Tyler’s not even a notch below Calvin Klein underwear-model physique, and has a tousled mop of goldand-bronze-streaked hair and strange hazel eyes—green with a brownish star surrounding the pupil. A garbage bag would’ve looked like an Armani suit on him."
No, not fashion again, please, I promise, I will be good from now on, I’ll tell you everything, just don’t torture me with fashion…by the way that’s the best characterization of Tyler you can get. He is like a paper cut, heavily photoshoped male model who can’t exist because the evolution wouldn’t be so dumb to allow him to � it would be a complete waste of oxygen.
4.
"He needed to forget about me and find himself a pretty human woman to grow old and die with. And then I’d be truly alone. Wouldn’t I?
Rain pattered against the round toes of my thick-soled boots, and I watched the drops splatter like the tears I refused to shed."
There is nothing worse than an assassin talking fashion � unless you can find an emo assassin talking alternately fashion and self-pitying rubbish chapter after chapter. Darian, I am looking at you right now.
5.
"I looked like a Goth kid’s wet dream, sitting in my black sex-kitten outfit, sipping a rum and Coke, exuding little to no emotion on the outside while my insides writhed like angry vipers."
My first general remark: your ego, dear girl, needs some pruning asap. My second general remark: if you wear a black sex-kitten outfit to work then you are not an assassin, you are a prostitute. My third general remark: you seem to be having diarrhoea and you aren’t aware of it� my commiserations.
6.
"Even from across the apartment, his eyes held me captive. Melted caramel flecked with gold, possessing the bright glow that I knew mine had, though his were more brilliant. The smell of him permeated the air, filling my studio with a sweetness that would put a field of wildflowers to shame. His lips curled up at the corners, hinting at an arrogant smile."
Meet Xander Peck, an overripe hottie Darian failed to murder; another jerk who will invade and foul clean air around you like an unpleasant air freshener in a dirty car. Put on your gas mask, quick!
7.
"Abandoning my signature black, I was decked out in white from head to toe. My white-on-white striped blouse buttoned up to the swell of my breasts, with my white bra visible underneath. I’d tucked the shirt into a white pencil skirt that reached to my white satin heels and hugged my hips perfectly. Business attire, to an extent."
Business attire? With a visible bra and satin heels? Unless, once again, you mean THAT kind of business…with an additional wedding-themed kink.
8.
"Despite his outrage, Tyler knew I was no delicate flower. In fact, once he’d said that I could probably take on an entire company of Navy SEALs and kill them before they knew I was there. He was right, of course."
*rolleyes* And who is a shameless, stupid braggart again? Darian of course. Honestly if your main character says such things about herself you can't help despising her.
9.
"But I kept my standards high, refusing to take any job that involved an innocent. The men who paid me eventually met their ends. Once or twice at my hand. I’d worked for a Russian mob boss for years, and just like the others, his luck had run out. That’s when I met Tyler."
Who do you think you’re fooling, Darian? High standards, no innocents involved, and a Russian mob? Pull the other one, it’s got bells on. By the way who died and made you God to distinguish between innocents and guilty?
10.
All the sins have been taken from the first part of this one, mind you. Add to those: an insufferable love triangle, nonexistent female characters other than the heroine, a very awkward, 1st person limited narration which can be put to shame by many fanfic authors, woody dialogues, infodumps galore, a freakin� katana and you get something I mistook for a novel and is, in fact, a collection of cliches.
Final verdict:
An unintelligent being with an overinflated opinion of herself gets beat up by anything not human, still never learns, and is annoyingly vulnerable to masculine good looks. And forget about the Bechdel test because who needs company of other women when there are GUYS around. A DNF, nuff said.
1.
"I wore my signature black—tight pants, low on my waist; long-sleeved black nylon turtleneck that clung to every curve of my body; black boots (of course); and, to top it off, a long black duster. I admit, the coat was a little over the top, but I love dramatics."
Dear Darian- are you an assassin or a fashionista ? Who cares what you wear to work? A tip � not me. Wardrobe descriptions are so boring, especially in fantasy action books, that they should be banned unless they actually contribute to the plot. Not your case, I presume.
2.
"God, he smelled good. Comforting, like fresh-baked cinnamon bread or something equally delicious and loaded with rich spices. His unique scent swirled around in my head, and I wanted nothing more than to lean into him, feel the weight of his arms around me as I breathed him in. But then my common sense gave me a swift kick in the ass."
Olfactory overload alert � honestly, Darian, I don’t need and I don’t want to know how you think Tyler smells. I wish your common sense kicked your ass much earlier � if a guy smells so much his personal grooming level must be abysmal.
3.
"Ty never overdid it in the clothing department. He was a jeans and T-shirt guy all the way, but he knew how to make the simple garments complement his lean, muscular body. Tyler’s not even a notch below Calvin Klein underwear-model physique, and has a tousled mop of goldand-bronze-streaked hair and strange hazel eyes—green with a brownish star surrounding the pupil. A garbage bag would’ve looked like an Armani suit on him."
No, not fashion again, please, I promise, I will be good from now on, I’ll tell you everything, just don’t torture me with fashion…by the way that’s the best characterization of Tyler you can get. He is like a paper cut, heavily photoshoped male model who can’t exist because the evolution wouldn’t be so dumb to allow him to � it would be a complete waste of oxygen.
4.
"He needed to forget about me and find himself a pretty human woman to grow old and die with. And then I’d be truly alone. Wouldn’t I?
Rain pattered against the round toes of my thick-soled boots, and I watched the drops splatter like the tears I refused to shed."
There is nothing worse than an assassin talking fashion � unless you can find an emo assassin talking alternately fashion and self-pitying rubbish chapter after chapter. Darian, I am looking at you right now.
5.
"I looked like a Goth kid’s wet dream, sitting in my black sex-kitten outfit, sipping a rum and Coke, exuding little to no emotion on the outside while my insides writhed like angry vipers."
My first general remark: your ego, dear girl, needs some pruning asap. My second general remark: if you wear a black sex-kitten outfit to work then you are not an assassin, you are a prostitute. My third general remark: you seem to be having diarrhoea and you aren’t aware of it� my commiserations.
6.
"Even from across the apartment, his eyes held me captive. Melted caramel flecked with gold, possessing the bright glow that I knew mine had, though his were more brilliant. The smell of him permeated the air, filling my studio with a sweetness that would put a field of wildflowers to shame. His lips curled up at the corners, hinting at an arrogant smile."
Meet Xander Peck, an overripe hottie Darian failed to murder; another jerk who will invade and foul clean air around you like an unpleasant air freshener in a dirty car. Put on your gas mask, quick!
7.
"Abandoning my signature black, I was decked out in white from head to toe. My white-on-white striped blouse buttoned up to the swell of my breasts, with my white bra visible underneath. I’d tucked the shirt into a white pencil skirt that reached to my white satin heels and hugged my hips perfectly. Business attire, to an extent."
Business attire? With a visible bra and satin heels? Unless, once again, you mean THAT kind of business…with an additional wedding-themed kink.
8.
"Despite his outrage, Tyler knew I was no delicate flower. In fact, once he’d said that I could probably take on an entire company of Navy SEALs and kill them before they knew I was there. He was right, of course."
*rolleyes* And who is a shameless, stupid braggart again? Darian of course. Honestly if your main character says such things about herself you can't help despising her.
9.
"But I kept my standards high, refusing to take any job that involved an innocent. The men who paid me eventually met their ends. Once or twice at my hand. I’d worked for a Russian mob boss for years, and just like the others, his luck had run out. That’s when I met Tyler."
Who do you think you’re fooling, Darian? High standards, no innocents involved, and a Russian mob? Pull the other one, it’s got bells on. By the way who died and made you God to distinguish between innocents and guilty?
10.
All the sins have been taken from the first part of this one, mind you. Add to those: an insufferable love triangle, nonexistent female characters other than the heroine, a very awkward, 1st person limited narration which can be put to shame by many fanfic authors, woody dialogues, infodumps galore, a freakin� katana and you get something I mistook for a novel and is, in fact, a collection of cliches.
Final verdict:
An unintelligent being with an overinflated opinion of herself gets beat up by anything not human, still never learns, and is annoyingly vulnerable to masculine good looks. And forget about the Bechdel test because who needs company of other women when there are GUYS around. A DNF, nuff said.
December 29, 2015
I should start reading more urban fantasy books. I love it when the plot is always intense and moving. Not emotionally moving, but the kind of moving where it's always BAM! BAM! BAM! BOOM! EXPLOSION! KICKASS FIGHTING! RAIN! BADASSERY! BOOM! BOOM! BOYAAH! BAD GUYS DIED! Know what I mean?
Also, I love it that in urban fantasy the authors (generally) do not just take a mythical creature and write a story, they actually take the creature, make them their own, and then make up their own little incredible world with incredible paranormal creatures that you have heard nothing about. Let's take the faeries in this book for example, they are were not any old faeries that you would find anywhere else.
The whole Shaede business was fascinating. I'm thinking of writing some fanfic maybe because I just love those creatures that much. It's hard to explain for me because I'm not good at explaining, but just know that Shaedes are creatures of the shadows. That's pretty much all I can say without confusing you and sounding like an idiot. But there were more creatures - different ones. All of them were awesome.
Darian was badass. I love that. Darian was strong and independent. She was kept in the dark about her existence and she had no idea that there was a whole council of creatures like her, but you can't really say anything because she was ignorant to the information, she didn't want to know, she didn't ask therefore nobody just sat her down and told her everything. She had to earn or pay for the information she wanted.
I love the fact that there was no information that was useless and didn't go unused. It was always GO! GO! GO! CRUCIAL INFO! INFO! INFO! INFO! Of course, that has downsides because I recall an info dump,. The info dump was so bad that I literally just zoned out. I read it and didn't take any of it in. I don't even remember what it was about, I just know that there was an info dump and I was not amused that I was bombarded with so much info in one go. I'm pretty sure that the info dump could have been handled better, but other than that everything was spread out evenly and was handled with care. I like that. It was like butter on toast in the morning with a cup of tea.
The plot itself was always there to prove you wrong. This isn't a bad thing. While maybe it was just me and my still malfunctioning brain, but everything that I predicted to happen was no correct. I would read on further and then I'd get slapped in the face because of what's happening - because I didn't see it coming. And once you recover from that initial shock - BOOM! You're in for another one. This was happening constantly my bitchin' peeps. And I loved it.
Basically the book starts with Darian showing herself at her best. Badassery everywhere. She threatens this messenger guy because the bossman didn't give her the full amount of money she was supposed to be paid for a job. And then he pees his pants, runs off, she gets back to her apartment, the bossman shows up. Tyler. Oooooh, Tyler, if you ever feel lonely, you know where to find me.
Anyway! We are straightaway given the information of their relationships. Sexual tension everywhere, fuckers! And then she gets all of her money, the address to go kill her target and she sets off. And oh my god, the atmosphere in chapter 2 when she's walking towards the house of her target is... The rain, her clothes, her hair - EPIC! And just have a look at this little excerpt,
"Hey, baby. Lookin' for a little company?" he shouted turning to watch me pass.
I stopped dead and turned to face him. He must have thought himself a real ladies' man, because he went so far as to urge his friends on their way.
I flashed a wicked smile. A dumbstruck look crept onto his face. Weak. Easy. Not even a challenge.
"You must be this tall," I said leveling my hand well above his stocky height, "to ride this ride." I blew him a kiss and kept walking.
Oh shit! Somebody call the fire brigade 'cuz this bitch is on fire! This book is filled with so many funny and cool moments like this I kept grinning for the majority of the book - no joke. Darian is fucking hilarious and her inner thoughts make me smile. She's just cool.
Anyway! She gets to the house of her target and she tries to kill him, but it doesn't work. He goes into his shadow form just like her and that's when shit hits the fan. I would love to tell you more, but that would mean I'd have to spoil it for you. And I don't feel like doing that with this book. Just go read it. It's awesome.
Emilija out, bitches!
Also, I love it that in urban fantasy the authors (generally) do not just take a mythical creature and write a story, they actually take the creature, make them their own, and then make up their own little incredible world with incredible paranormal creatures that you have heard nothing about. Let's take the faeries in this book for example, they are were not any old faeries that you would find anywhere else.
The whole Shaede business was fascinating. I'm thinking of writing some fanfic maybe because I just love those creatures that much. It's hard to explain for me because I'm not good at explaining, but just know that Shaedes are creatures of the shadows. That's pretty much all I can say without confusing you and sounding like an idiot. But there were more creatures - different ones. All of them were awesome.
Darian was badass. I love that. Darian was strong and independent. She was kept in the dark about her existence and she had no idea that there was a whole council of creatures like her, but you can't really say anything because she was ignorant to the information, she didn't want to know, she didn't ask therefore nobody just sat her down and told her everything. She had to earn or pay for the information she wanted.
I love the fact that there was no information that was useless and didn't go unused. It was always GO! GO! GO! CRUCIAL INFO! INFO! INFO! INFO! Of course, that has downsides because I recall an info dump,. The info dump was so bad that I literally just zoned out. I read it and didn't take any of it in. I don't even remember what it was about, I just know that there was an info dump and I was not amused that I was bombarded with so much info in one go. I'm pretty sure that the info dump could have been handled better, but other than that everything was spread out evenly and was handled with care. I like that. It was like butter on toast in the morning with a cup of tea.
The plot itself was always there to prove you wrong. This isn't a bad thing. While maybe it was just me and my still malfunctioning brain, but everything that I predicted to happen was no correct. I would read on further and then I'd get slapped in the face because of what's happening - because I didn't see it coming. And once you recover from that initial shock - BOOM! You're in for another one. This was happening constantly my bitchin' peeps. And I loved it.
Basically the book starts with Darian showing herself at her best. Badassery everywhere. She threatens this messenger guy because the bossman didn't give her the full amount of money she was supposed to be paid for a job. And then he pees his pants, runs off, she gets back to her apartment, the bossman shows up. Tyler. Oooooh, Tyler, if you ever feel lonely, you know where to find me.
Anyway! We are straightaway given the information of their relationships. Sexual tension everywhere, fuckers! And then she gets all of her money, the address to go kill her target and she sets off. And oh my god, the atmosphere in chapter 2 when she's walking towards the house of her target is... The rain, her clothes, her hair - EPIC! And just have a look at this little excerpt,
"Hey, baby. Lookin' for a little company?" he shouted turning to watch me pass.
I stopped dead and turned to face him. He must have thought himself a real ladies' man, because he went so far as to urge his friends on their way.
I flashed a wicked smile. A dumbstruck look crept onto his face. Weak. Easy. Not even a challenge.
"You must be this tall," I said leveling my hand well above his stocky height, "to ride this ride." I blew him a kiss and kept walking.
Oh shit! Somebody call the fire brigade 'cuz this bitch is on fire! This book is filled with so many funny and cool moments like this I kept grinning for the majority of the book - no joke. Darian is fucking hilarious and her inner thoughts make me smile. She's just cool.
Anyway! She gets to the house of her target and she tries to kill him, but it doesn't work. He goes into his shadow form just like her and that's when shit hits the fan. I would love to tell you more, but that would mean I'd have to spoil it for you. And I don't feel like doing that with this book. Just go read it. It's awesome.
Emilija out, bitches!
December 21, 2011
What can I say about this book? "Waouh" is the only word that comes to my mind now that I’ve finished it. It’s one of the best books I’ve ever read since a few months. The Amanda Bonilla’s ideas are awesome; there are no other words to say it. I think it’s always difficult to make a difference with Urban Fantasy’s books because there are a lot today. But the author succeeded in this challenge, and even more. She created an explosive, dynamic mix which leads us in a new universe that we don’t want to leave. Indeed, once started, we instantly get into the story and it’s really difficult to put the book down before finishing it. Well, you can understand know that this book blew my mind away!
Darian is a young woman we really like to discover all along the book. So many things happened in her life that makes her stronger and independent. She asks herself a lot of questions about her, her nature, things that make us really curious too. And we want as much as she does to know the answers. But it’s difficult for Darian to accept the true when it’s about the person she loves. She needs more than some proofs to really understand what’s going on. In the same time, I think it’s always difficult to question what we know or what we may know.
We can too only like Tyler, this young man who will do everything he can to help and protect our heroine. And when I say everything, it’s really everything! It was funny and cute to see them evolve together, Tyler, trying to expose his feelings to her and Darian trying to stay away from him. And what about this meeting with Xander? It was amazing. When Darian realizes what’s going on, and that her life is upside down, we only just want one thing, to get more and even more. We can understand all the characters feelings, and of course we hate really fast like our heroine: Anya. Besides, it’s always interesting to read their confrontations. It’s not possible to be bored with both of them.
The battles are really detailed, so we can only enjoy them. I was a little afraid they were quite fast like in some books or not much described because it’s true that it can be very difficult, but it wasn’t the case. And we get each time in the energy of the moment, following little by little the fights.
To conclude, the story is interesting, Action is present all along the story. I really enjoy the Darian’s evolution, the person she became with all these events. Moreover, we stay surprised until the end; we couldn’t even conceive some acts.
I deeply recommend this book! If you haven’t read it yet, you really need to! It’s a real pleasure.
April 10, 2017
4.5 Stars
Shaedes of Gray was awesome. Darian is a very interesting character, don't let this cover fool you the book is great. Darian's whole existence has been alone, she's sworn off love due to her previous lover using her. Azriel, her previous lover is also the one who made her, he was with her for 20 years told her they were the only Shaedes left, beings who can conform to shadow. He said one day he was going to be back, but he didn't and thus started Darian's lonely existence. She's an assassin for hire, and though she isn't human she has a moral code. She only will kill the lowest of the low people who deserve to be rid from the world. Her handler is Tyler, and Tyler seems to have a thing for her. Things change with Darian's next mark though, and her whole world is turned upside down and completely thrown out the window.
When I first saw the cover I thought "meh maybe this isn't my kind of book" yep covers affect whether I read a book or not, I know totally biased but if it doesn't attract me to begin with how would I come across it. This floated in my recommends section for a while until someone finally recommended it to me. Then once I started reading the book I saw a lot of paragraphs, a lot of internalizing, I'm not a huge fan of this, I like interactions, but I kept going and I wasn't wrong, the book improved. It's not that the book made me *need* to turn the page but that the story was so interesting I needed to know what was going on. I didn't know who to trust or who to love for Darian and I'm still not sold 100% on who it is.
This story is definitely unique and different, at least to me. It is definitely UF with a nice dose of romance thrown in both of which I love in books!
I think you'll like this series. You should read this :)
If you like Elemental Assassin you'll probably like this, though I feel its better she doesn't repeat herself like Gin does.
Shaedes of Gray was awesome. Darian is a very interesting character, don't let this cover fool you the book is great. Darian's whole existence has been alone, she's sworn off love due to her previous lover using her. Azriel, her previous lover is also the one who made her, he was with her for 20 years told her they were the only Shaedes left, beings who can conform to shadow. He said one day he was going to be back, but he didn't and thus started Darian's lonely existence. She's an assassin for hire, and though she isn't human she has a moral code. She only will kill the lowest of the low people who deserve to be rid from the world. Her handler is Tyler, and Tyler seems to have a thing for her. Things change with Darian's next mark though, and her whole world is turned upside down and completely thrown out the window.
When I first saw the cover I thought "meh maybe this isn't my kind of book" yep covers affect whether I read a book or not, I know totally biased but if it doesn't attract me to begin with how would I come across it. This floated in my recommends section for a while until someone finally recommended it to me. Then once I started reading the book I saw a lot of paragraphs, a lot of internalizing, I'm not a huge fan of this, I like interactions, but I kept going and I wasn't wrong, the book improved. It's not that the book made me *need* to turn the page but that the story was so interesting I needed to know what was going on. I didn't know who to trust or who to love for Darian and I'm still not sold 100% on who it is.
This story is definitely unique and different, at least to me. It is definitely UF with a nice dose of romance thrown in both of which I love in books!
I think you'll like this series. You should read this :)
If you like Elemental Assassin you'll probably like this, though I feel its better she doesn't repeat herself like Gin does.
December 16, 2011
I’ve been looking forward to reading Amanda Bonilla’s debut UF novel since I read the first chapter on her blog. I wanted to know more about the Shaede world, and especially the relationship between Darian and Tyler. This book did not disappoint on either count, and once I started reading I couldn’t put it down. The world building is excellent, and I loved the Seattle backdrop; I could almost feel the damp environment and was intrigued by the other supernatural beings living in the city.
Watching the transformation of Darian’s character was highly satisfying, and Tyler certainly made a swoon-worthy hero capable of melting any girl’s heart, even a tough and fearless one like Darian.
I loved this book. I enjoyed the climactic battle near the end of the story, and there were just enough loose ends to leave me waiting anxiously for the next book in this trilogy. I highly recommend it.
Watching the transformation of Darian’s character was highly satisfying, and Tyler certainly made a swoon-worthy hero capable of melting any girl’s heart, even a tough and fearless one like Darian.
I loved this book. I enjoyed the climactic battle near the end of the story, and there were just enough loose ends to leave me waiting anxiously for the next book in this trilogy. I highly recommend it.
November 27, 2011
You can see this review and others like on
I can't even begin to explain how excited I have been about this book coming out. The cover blub was super intriguing and it made me want to read the book, but for me it was more than that. Amanda is, in my opinion, an author who is truly awesome at using social networking. She has a twitter, facebook, and blog, and why this is important is because she feels accessible. Over the past few months, every time I left a comment on her facebook, or tweeted her something, I ALWAYS got a response. So while I was excited to read her book without her being awesome, the fact that she is awesome as so nice just made me all the more excited to read the book.
I have this before about some other books, that one of the best ways to world build is to have to character discover the world along side of the reader. You get to not only know the character but also the world at the same time, and I think it creates a bond between reader and in this case Darian. The that made that unique was Darian already knew she wasn't human, she already had all these preconceived notions about who and what she was, and then all of a sudden she find out she is wrong about everything. Bonilla is able to introduce you to Darian and you believing everything Darian believes, so that when the truth of the world is actually revealed it takes you on this great ride with Darian of trying to figure out what is really the truth of who she is.
Darian, to me, is a great character. She has a lot of depth to her to start out with and Bonilla is able to build on that and grow her as a character so much over the period of just one book. And by the end of this book, you can already tell that it's only the beginning. The reason I like Darian so much at the beginning is because she is so different than everyone else. You find out right off the bat that she has been around a hell of a lot longer than the average human. Even if I hadn't know that I would say she has an old soul. Darian feels like she has cut herself off from the world, just doing enough to survive, but she really seems to have kept herself from getting into any meaningful relationships or even friendships after a terrible ending with the man who made her immortal, Azriel. It's really great to see not only the supernatural world open up to her, but seeing her open up to the people in it.
Darian is an assassin, and she pretty much believes herself to be well a bad ass in the beginning. And when she gets a job to assassinate a certain man named Xander, she finds out she is not the only Shaede of her kind and that she isn't as bad ass as she thought. I like the Shaedes because I find them to be really unique, or rather that they are a part of the "mainstream" of UF. I think what's great about that is that there is a lot more room for the author to use their imaginations and really create a unique world. Amanda really shows her writing and imagination chops throughout this book, it truly was unique.
I really like the side characters too. Tyler is guy every girl wishes they had, he's clearly a bad ass in his own right, but when he is with Darian he is so good to her. As the book progresses you find out he is so much more than you thought he was, which just makes him all the better. I also love that Amanda uses the phrase "Tyler never disappoints" throughout the course of the book, after the few couple of times every time it shows up it made me smile. Raif was my second favorite, in that I think he was the most truthful to Darian of anyone throughout the book. He ends up being, at least for me, one part good friend and one part father figure. Xander is the King of the Shaedes and is interested in Darian just like Tyler is. However, while I did like him within his role in the story, I feel like there a lot I don't know about him, and I can only hope more and more is revealed about him as the story continues on. He has his good points and his bad points, but I will say I believe he does everything he does for the good of his kingdom which is admirable.
In conclusion, I was right to be excited about this book, it was awesome. I'm really excited to see where the series goes, Amanda did the perfect balance of world building and open endings, I have a feeling there is a lot more to come for Darian. And the ending was perfect, no unsatisfying cliff hangers in sight. It's a great urban fantasy, I can totally see readers of the genre enjoying it. It also has a little thrown in there for the paranormal romance readers as well. I think this book would be a great Christmas gift for anyone who loves to read.
I can't even begin to explain how excited I have been about this book coming out. The cover blub was super intriguing and it made me want to read the book, but for me it was more than that. Amanda is, in my opinion, an author who is truly awesome at using social networking. She has a twitter, facebook, and blog, and why this is important is because she feels accessible. Over the past few months, every time I left a comment on her facebook, or tweeted her something, I ALWAYS got a response. So while I was excited to read her book without her being awesome, the fact that she is awesome as so nice just made me all the more excited to read the book.
I have this before about some other books, that one of the best ways to world build is to have to character discover the world along side of the reader. You get to not only know the character but also the world at the same time, and I think it creates a bond between reader and in this case Darian. The that made that unique was Darian already knew she wasn't human, she already had all these preconceived notions about who and what she was, and then all of a sudden she find out she is wrong about everything. Bonilla is able to introduce you to Darian and you believing everything Darian believes, so that when the truth of the world is actually revealed it takes you on this great ride with Darian of trying to figure out what is really the truth of who she is.
Darian, to me, is a great character. She has a lot of depth to her to start out with and Bonilla is able to build on that and grow her as a character so much over the period of just one book. And by the end of this book, you can already tell that it's only the beginning. The reason I like Darian so much at the beginning is because she is so different than everyone else. You find out right off the bat that she has been around a hell of a lot longer than the average human. Even if I hadn't know that I would say she has an old soul. Darian feels like she has cut herself off from the world, just doing enough to survive, but she really seems to have kept herself from getting into any meaningful relationships or even friendships after a terrible ending with the man who made her immortal, Azriel. It's really great to see not only the supernatural world open up to her, but seeing her open up to the people in it.
Darian is an assassin, and she pretty much believes herself to be well a bad ass in the beginning. And when she gets a job to assassinate a certain man named Xander, she finds out she is not the only Shaede of her kind and that she isn't as bad ass as she thought. I like the Shaedes because I find them to be really unique, or rather that they are a part of the "mainstream" of UF. I think what's great about that is that there is a lot more room for the author to use their imaginations and really create a unique world. Amanda really shows her writing and imagination chops throughout this book, it truly was unique.
I really like the side characters too. Tyler is guy every girl wishes they had, he's clearly a bad ass in his own right, but when he is with Darian he is so good to her. As the book progresses you find out he is so much more than you thought he was, which just makes him all the better. I also love that Amanda uses the phrase "Tyler never disappoints" throughout the course of the book, after the few couple of times every time it shows up it made me smile. Raif was my second favorite, in that I think he was the most truthful to Darian of anyone throughout the book. He ends up being, at least for me, one part good friend and one part father figure. Xander is the King of the Shaedes and is interested in Darian just like Tyler is. However, while I did like him within his role in the story, I feel like there a lot I don't know about him, and I can only hope more and more is revealed about him as the story continues on. He has his good points and his bad points, but I will say I believe he does everything he does for the good of his kingdom which is admirable.
In conclusion, I was right to be excited about this book, it was awesome. I'm really excited to see where the series goes, Amanda did the perfect balance of world building and open endings, I have a feeling there is a lot more to come for Darian. And the ending was perfect, no unsatisfying cliff hangers in sight. It's a great urban fantasy, I can totally see readers of the genre enjoying it. It also has a little thrown in there for the paranormal romance readers as well. I think this book would be a great Christmas gift for anyone who loves to read.
April 18, 2012
This is the kind of urban fantasy that I love to read. It contained everything an urban fantasy should have: lots of action, a kick ass heroine, romance, a horde of supernatural beings and loads of drama! It’s exactly what I was in the mood for, and Amanda Bonilla delivered it perfectly.
In this first book of the series, we are introduced to the world of Shaedes through Darian’s eyes, who, for a century, thought she was the only Shaede in existence. She even thought she was the only supernatural being in existence. Boy, was she wrong! Shaedes are an original concept, beings that look like humans (if not more attractive) and can shift into shadows during nighttime as a mean of transportation or a tricky way to avoid a blow during a fight. They are, however, confined to their physical body during the day. They are also more or less immortal with fast healing abilities and strong physical and battle skills.
Darian’s life takes a turn when she is hired to assassinate Xander Peck. Knowing nothing about other Shaedes, she didn’t realize she had been hired to kill the King of Shaedes himself. With time and coaxing, Darian finally learns a little bit more about Shaedes. Almost all of them are born as Shaedes, and not made as Darian was. They are also sworn enemies of the Lyhtans, ugly creatures who can become invisible during the day but are confined to their ugly physical body during nighttime. And of course, we learn that there is something special about Darian, something that makes her so unique that prophecies have mentioned her in passing.
I must admit that Darian is very self-sufficient, teaching herself the ways of the world. But she does come off as a bit naïve and irrational. She is constantly trying to be a tough girl and not show any emotions. After learning she escaped a human life of beatings from her abusive husband by becoming a Shaede, to just be abandoned by her “maker,� we realize why she avoids human contact and simply observes instead of taking part in the world. Emotionally, she has been broken for almost a century, and I was glad to finally see her admit her love for someone. I’m not going to say who and spoil anything, but let’s just say I’m a big fan of the match. Actually, Darian has a few love interests in this book, which keeps things interesting. I’m usually not a big fan of love interests who meet before the beginning of the book, like in Shaedes of Gray. I find it hard to comprehend the existing chemistry between two characters when we know so little about their relationship and history. To me, it’s almost like butting into a conversation, right in the middle, and not knowing what other people are talking about. It doesn’t make a big difference in this case however, since I was able to look passed this pet peeve of mine and still enjoy the flirting and the romance.
Besides the originality of the Shaedes and the other supernatural beings, I also really enjoyed the setting of this story. Set in Seattle as we know it, humans are unaware of the happenings of the supernatural world. Seattle just seems like the perfect place because of Darian’s affinity to shadows and the grey world. I also really enjoyed the idea of a Supernatural Summit, assembling ambassadors from every species. I just wished we could have learnt a bit more about this summit and its different species.
Overall, this was a great start to a series. Besides a few scenes that seemed to slow down the flow of the story and the exaggerated amount of kidnappings, I think the writing was perfect. The world building and the mythology was well organized and defined within the story itself. I’m really looking forward to learning what will become of Darian. Amanda Bonilla could have left us with a bigger cliffhanger but I’m glad she didn’t. She didn’t disappoint. (Once you read the final line of the book, you’ll understand what I mean by this.) The next book, Blood Before Sunrise, will be release on July 3rd, 2012.
In this first book of the series, we are introduced to the world of Shaedes through Darian’s eyes, who, for a century, thought she was the only Shaede in existence. She even thought she was the only supernatural being in existence. Boy, was she wrong! Shaedes are an original concept, beings that look like humans (if not more attractive) and can shift into shadows during nighttime as a mean of transportation or a tricky way to avoid a blow during a fight. They are, however, confined to their physical body during the day. They are also more or less immortal with fast healing abilities and strong physical and battle skills.
Darian’s life takes a turn when she is hired to assassinate Xander Peck. Knowing nothing about other Shaedes, she didn’t realize she had been hired to kill the King of Shaedes himself. With time and coaxing, Darian finally learns a little bit more about Shaedes. Almost all of them are born as Shaedes, and not made as Darian was. They are also sworn enemies of the Lyhtans, ugly creatures who can become invisible during the day but are confined to their ugly physical body during nighttime. And of course, we learn that there is something special about Darian, something that makes her so unique that prophecies have mentioned her in passing.
I must admit that Darian is very self-sufficient, teaching herself the ways of the world. But she does come off as a bit naïve and irrational. She is constantly trying to be a tough girl and not show any emotions. After learning she escaped a human life of beatings from her abusive husband by becoming a Shaede, to just be abandoned by her “maker,� we realize why she avoids human contact and simply observes instead of taking part in the world. Emotionally, she has been broken for almost a century, and I was glad to finally see her admit her love for someone. I’m not going to say who and spoil anything, but let’s just say I’m a big fan of the match. Actually, Darian has a few love interests in this book, which keeps things interesting. I’m usually not a big fan of love interests who meet before the beginning of the book, like in Shaedes of Gray. I find it hard to comprehend the existing chemistry between two characters when we know so little about their relationship and history. To me, it’s almost like butting into a conversation, right in the middle, and not knowing what other people are talking about. It doesn’t make a big difference in this case however, since I was able to look passed this pet peeve of mine and still enjoy the flirting and the romance.
Besides the originality of the Shaedes and the other supernatural beings, I also really enjoyed the setting of this story. Set in Seattle as we know it, humans are unaware of the happenings of the supernatural world. Seattle just seems like the perfect place because of Darian’s affinity to shadows and the grey world. I also really enjoyed the idea of a Supernatural Summit, assembling ambassadors from every species. I just wished we could have learnt a bit more about this summit and its different species.
Overall, this was a great start to a series. Besides a few scenes that seemed to slow down the flow of the story and the exaggerated amount of kidnappings, I think the writing was perfect. The world building and the mythology was well organized and defined within the story itself. I’m really looking forward to learning what will become of Darian. Amanda Bonilla could have left us with a bigger cliffhanger but I’m glad she didn’t. She didn’t disappoint. (Once you read the final line of the book, you’ll understand what I mean by this.) The next book, Blood Before Sunrise, will be release on July 3rd, 2012.
December 10, 2011
This is a Quickie Review. For the full review, please visit .
Expected Release Date: December 6, 2011
Publisher: Penguin Group
Imprint: Signet
Author’s Website:
My Source for This Book: Netgalley
Part of a Series: Yes, Book 1, Shaede Assassin Series
Series Best Read In Order: N/A
Steam Level: Steamy
Utterly alone in the world, assassin Darian is a Shaede � a being who can dissolve into shadows, move with unbelievable speed, and who cannot be killed. Having been created and later abandoned by the man who rescued her from an abusive marriage almost a hundred years prior, she has learned to rely only on herself, reinventing herself as a notorious assassin known for avoiding innocent targets.
However, her next mark will cause her to question everything she has accepted as truth, and in accepting the job, sets her along a path that will change her life forever.
I originally heard about this book on another blogger’s Waiting On Wednesday, which is a meme that highlights upcoming books that bloggers are excited about. I was lucky enough to snag an advanced reader copy, and let me tell you, I was absolutely blown away. I, quite literally, could not put this book down. I read it in line at the grocery store, I read it while I was cooking dinner, I read it while folding laundry, I read it propped up in bed that night. In fact, there was quite a bit of angst for me at the end when I realized that I would have to wait until July for the next installment in the series, despite the solid feeling of resolution at the end.
While not without faults, Darian’s character and the world as a whole sucked me in and refused to let me go. The first person point of view allowed the reader to experience first-hand the frustration, loneliness, heartbreak, and love that Darian went through over the course of the novel, and the high level of action and intrigue kept my attention from the very beginning.
Darian is a badass, no doubt about it, but her arrogance that served her so well in the past suddenly becomes a huge liability, and she has to learn to rely on others, as well as to sift through truths and lies in order to discover just what it will mean for her to become part of the Shaede community.
The world that Ms. Bonilla created is utterly fascinating, and the two main love interests, Tyler and Xander, were able to hold their own even against Darian’s oft-overbearing presence.
Recommended for fans of fast-paced, original Urban Fantasy, of strong heroines suddenly thrown completely out of their element, and of a sweet, albeit complicated, love story. A delightfully solid 5/5 Stars.
Expected Release Date: December 6, 2011
Publisher: Penguin Group
Imprint: Signet
Author’s Website:
My Source for This Book: Netgalley
Part of a Series: Yes, Book 1, Shaede Assassin Series
Series Best Read In Order: N/A
Steam Level: Steamy
Utterly alone in the world, assassin Darian is a Shaede � a being who can dissolve into shadows, move with unbelievable speed, and who cannot be killed. Having been created and later abandoned by the man who rescued her from an abusive marriage almost a hundred years prior, she has learned to rely only on herself, reinventing herself as a notorious assassin known for avoiding innocent targets.
However, her next mark will cause her to question everything she has accepted as truth, and in accepting the job, sets her along a path that will change her life forever.
I originally heard about this book on another blogger’s Waiting On Wednesday, which is a meme that highlights upcoming books that bloggers are excited about. I was lucky enough to snag an advanced reader copy, and let me tell you, I was absolutely blown away. I, quite literally, could not put this book down. I read it in line at the grocery store, I read it while I was cooking dinner, I read it while folding laundry, I read it propped up in bed that night. In fact, there was quite a bit of angst for me at the end when I realized that I would have to wait until July for the next installment in the series, despite the solid feeling of resolution at the end.
While not without faults, Darian’s character and the world as a whole sucked me in and refused to let me go. The first person point of view allowed the reader to experience first-hand the frustration, loneliness, heartbreak, and love that Darian went through over the course of the novel, and the high level of action and intrigue kept my attention from the very beginning.
Darian is a badass, no doubt about it, but her arrogance that served her so well in the past suddenly becomes a huge liability, and she has to learn to rely on others, as well as to sift through truths and lies in order to discover just what it will mean for her to become part of the Shaede community.
The world that Ms. Bonilla created is utterly fascinating, and the two main love interests, Tyler and Xander, were able to hold their own even against Darian’s oft-overbearing presence.
Recommended for fans of fast-paced, original Urban Fantasy, of strong heroines suddenly thrown completely out of their element, and of a sweet, albeit complicated, love story. A delightfully solid 5/5 Stars.
March 2, 2012
“I am a killer and I answer to no one, I am my own woman, my own kingdom, and I am afraid of nothing.�
She's been marked as a wanted woman. Some want her dead and others alive, but no one asked her what she wanted. Before Darian knew it she'd become embroiled in a war with supernatural races she had no idea existed. Having thought for many years that she was the only one of any kind, Darian struggles to comprehend what a Shaede really is and why she was purposefully left in the dark about it. Her only ally is a fellow assassin who keeps her scheduled with appointments to do that which must be done with the scum of the earth. Darian believes all bad guys get theirs in the end regardless of if they are the ones hiring her services or on the hit list and she might as well get paid doing it. However, Darian has her standards and will refuse assignments that involve the innocent. Anyone else is fair game, but her next mark might be her last as she discovers the King of Shaedes won't be an easy kill.
“I was too hard, too cynical, and too deadly for soft emotion and affection. I was fire and passion, but not love.�
Darian starts the story with all the confidence of a woman who knows who and what she is if only to guard her vulnerabilities, which makes her a frustrating, but loveable character. Its as the storyline progresses where Darian is forced to change and then eventually comes to terms with it in her own somewhat snarky way. I very much enjoyed the depth of the plotline and how twisted in that “nothing is as it seems� sort of way. The whole Shaedes concept along with all the other fantastical supernaturals we meet along the way is incredibly engrossing. As the series continues I anticipate there to be much more to learn about these otherworldly inhabitants of Seattle and most especially Darian as she grows into her role and truly begins to learn what she is. The two leading men vying for Darian's heart, Tyler and Xander, create lots of romantic tension for Darian to work through and either of them are alpha enough to handle her, but only one can win.
Readers should be prepared for a one of a kind, exciting adventure that kicks off from the first page with a heroine who truly knows how to take the lead and kick-butt while she's at it. Urban Fantasy readers will want to buy this book.
Review soon-to-be posted @
She's been marked as a wanted woman. Some want her dead and others alive, but no one asked her what she wanted. Before Darian knew it she'd become embroiled in a war with supernatural races she had no idea existed. Having thought for many years that she was the only one of any kind, Darian struggles to comprehend what a Shaede really is and why she was purposefully left in the dark about it. Her only ally is a fellow assassin who keeps her scheduled with appointments to do that which must be done with the scum of the earth. Darian believes all bad guys get theirs in the end regardless of if they are the ones hiring her services or on the hit list and she might as well get paid doing it. However, Darian has her standards and will refuse assignments that involve the innocent. Anyone else is fair game, but her next mark might be her last as she discovers the King of Shaedes won't be an easy kill.
“I was too hard, too cynical, and too deadly for soft emotion and affection. I was fire and passion, but not love.�
Darian starts the story with all the confidence of a woman who knows who and what she is if only to guard her vulnerabilities, which makes her a frustrating, but loveable character. Its as the storyline progresses where Darian is forced to change and then eventually comes to terms with it in her own somewhat snarky way. I very much enjoyed the depth of the plotline and how twisted in that “nothing is as it seems� sort of way. The whole Shaedes concept along with all the other fantastical supernaturals we meet along the way is incredibly engrossing. As the series continues I anticipate there to be much more to learn about these otherworldly inhabitants of Seattle and most especially Darian as she grows into her role and truly begins to learn what she is. The two leading men vying for Darian's heart, Tyler and Xander, create lots of romantic tension for Darian to work through and either of them are alpha enough to handle her, but only one can win.
Readers should be prepared for a one of a kind, exciting adventure that kicks off from the first page with a heroine who truly knows how to take the lead and kick-butt while she's at it. Urban Fantasy readers will want to buy this book.
Review soon-to-be posted @
May 18, 2012
Amanda Bonilla es una nueva autora de fantasía urbana que con su primera novela me ha encandilado.
Y eso que la trama es exactamente igual a los cientos de libros del género: protagonista que hasta el momento era anónima y que de repente, por motivos diferentes, es la reina de la fiesta. Todo el mundo quiere conocerla, ligarsela, matarla o lo que toque. La diferencia en esta ocasión es que en vez de ser vampiros, hombres lobo, etc... Darian tiene la facultad de fundirse con las sombras, lo que la hace una asesina de lo más inusual, trabajo que realiza con limpieza y destreza y sin grandes aspavientos porque tampoco los necesita.
Lo que más me ha gustado de la novela es el tratamiento de los personajes, sobre todo el de la prota. Un alma atormentada que siempre acaba haciendo elecciones dolorosas y con un pasado que le persigue continuamente.
La autora acierta al despegarse de los escenarios y poner hincapié en la galería de personajes que acompañan a Darian en esta aventura. Relaciones diferentes con cada uno de ellos, que me hicieron sonreír en muchas ocasiones. Los dos apuestos galanes que van detrás del amor (o cuerpo) de Darian son divertidísimos cuando están juntos y se tiran los trastos a la cabeza.
Para mí, esta novela es un ejemplo de lo que se espera uno en el género de la fantasía urbana.
Acción en su justa medida, personajes con chispa y diálogos divertidos.
Totalmente recomendable.
Por cierto, se me olvidaba comentar un par de detalles. La prota empieza siendo una asesina y acaba siendo una guerrera ¿cómo?¿por qué? ahhhh, se siente.. Os leeis el libro y lo descubriréis por vosotros mismos. XD
Y por otro lado deciros que la trama está muy centrada en la protagonista y sus sentimientos, por lo que aunque hay enfrentamientos la autora no se explaya en las escenas de lucha.
Es que he escrito la reseña medio zombie y me dejé la mitad de las cosas que quería comentar.... XD
Y eso que la trama es exactamente igual a los cientos de libros del género: protagonista que hasta el momento era anónima y que de repente, por motivos diferentes, es la reina de la fiesta. Todo el mundo quiere conocerla, ligarsela, matarla o lo que toque. La diferencia en esta ocasión es que en vez de ser vampiros, hombres lobo, etc... Darian tiene la facultad de fundirse con las sombras, lo que la hace una asesina de lo más inusual, trabajo que realiza con limpieza y destreza y sin grandes aspavientos porque tampoco los necesita.
Lo que más me ha gustado de la novela es el tratamiento de los personajes, sobre todo el de la prota. Un alma atormentada que siempre acaba haciendo elecciones dolorosas y con un pasado que le persigue continuamente.
La autora acierta al despegarse de los escenarios y poner hincapié en la galería de personajes que acompañan a Darian en esta aventura. Relaciones diferentes con cada uno de ellos, que me hicieron sonreír en muchas ocasiones. Los dos apuestos galanes que van detrás del amor (o cuerpo) de Darian son divertidísimos cuando están juntos y se tiran los trastos a la cabeza.
Para mí, esta novela es un ejemplo de lo que se espera uno en el género de la fantasía urbana.
Acción en su justa medida, personajes con chispa y diálogos divertidos.
Totalmente recomendable.
Por cierto, se me olvidaba comentar un par de detalles. La prota empieza siendo una asesina y acaba siendo una guerrera ¿cómo?¿por qué? ahhhh, se siente.. Os leeis el libro y lo descubriréis por vosotros mismos. XD
Y por otro lado deciros que la trama está muy centrada en la protagonista y sus sentimientos, por lo que aunque hay enfrentamientos la autora no se explaya en las escenas de lucha.
Es que he escrito la reseña medio zombie y me dejé la mitad de las cosas que quería comentar.... XD
January 17, 2012
At first I was slightly skeptical to read an Urban Fantasy, being a huge fan of completely made up worlds, but Amanda Bonilla really took to blending her fantasy world into the world we know. I also appreciate, being from Seattle, the author was correct in her map of the city. Though I'm sure you are not worried about that! Moving on...
The writing style of the book really drew me into its pages. I honestly bought the book and couldn't put it down, till very late at night mind you, but I hadn't even noticed. It was wonderful to read a book that could fully whisk you away to a new world. This leads me to something else I appreciated. Bonilla never treated you like a dumb reader. She didn't mind throwing new puzzles and information at you and letting you do the work. I for one always enjoy a little X solving.
I think that the characters in the piece were all strong in their own right, but I cannot wait to find out a little bit more about their characters. We get an overall feel for who these characters are but not the character development I think it had the potential to reach. Though, I'm forgiving in this aspect for the first book since there was a lot of information going on that I'm sure some great development will happen later.
I've read that in some reviews that they were bothered by how people just seem to all love Darian. To touch on this I never felt that way, there are a couple love interests. But I love the struggle between the two and don't think it would have been the same book without it. Overall she has some struggles and quite a few people who dislike her which makes the twists and turns Bonilla adds delicious.
I think if you read this book you wont be disappointed. But you will want to read it without ever stopping so make sure you're ready!
The writing style of the book really drew me into its pages. I honestly bought the book and couldn't put it down, till very late at night mind you, but I hadn't even noticed. It was wonderful to read a book that could fully whisk you away to a new world. This leads me to something else I appreciated. Bonilla never treated you like a dumb reader. She didn't mind throwing new puzzles and information at you and letting you do the work. I for one always enjoy a little X solving.
I think that the characters in the piece were all strong in their own right, but I cannot wait to find out a little bit more about their characters. We get an overall feel for who these characters are but not the character development I think it had the potential to reach. Though, I'm forgiving in this aspect for the first book since there was a lot of information going on that I'm sure some great development will happen later.
I've read that in some reviews that they were bothered by how people just seem to all love Darian. To touch on this I never felt that way, there are a couple love interests. But I love the struggle between the two and don't think it would have been the same book without it. Overall she has some struggles and quite a few people who dislike her which makes the twists and turns Bonilla adds delicious.
I think if you read this book you wont be disappointed. But you will want to read it without ever stopping so make sure you're ready!
December 11, 2013
One thing you must keep in mind when reading Shaedes of Gray is... Tyler never disappoints.
And nether does Amanda Bonilla writing skills. It's been a while since I stayed up past my bedtime to read a book. Bonilla has crafted an exciting world with all kinds of paranormal species. One being Shaedes, that can hide in the shadows of night and turn into a floating like mist during the night hours. But they are trapped in their human form during the day while their polar opposites the Lyhtans; can "poof" and be unseen in the daylight ours. But in the case of Shaedes of Gray, the light is not the good side.
So you have a good side and a bad side and a heroine Darian, that has no clue that this supernatural world exists. How can that be when she is a Shaede herself? She was lied to for years by her maker and slowly learns about the other supernatural beings along with her own race.
Darian has been working with Tyler, a human that acts as her middle man with her clients. He sets up the assassin jobs but he's more than just her "boss" that happens to have a crush on her.
Darian is like another of my favorite assassins (Gin Blanco from Jennifer Estep's Elemental Assassin series) she has one rule, she doesn't assassin innocent people.
When Tyler sends Darian on her current assassin job her whole world is turned upside down, both business and personal wise.
If you are looking for a well written Urban Fantasy that delivers a great heroine that can only get better and secondary characters that will only help her come into her bad-assery then you MUST read Shaedes of Gray.
March 2, 2012
can anyone tell me how it's possible for me to wait five months until the second book is out?i mean, can't they just publish it and get over with it...so,first of all, the whole idea, the plot, the characters was amazing and while i was reading the last chapters where the lyhtans, amazing name by the way, kidnapped darian, i was something between shocked and dreamy, because while i was trying to figure out what happened, when i learned that tyler didn't betrayed her, i was relieved and ready to start screaming and then she was about to die...in the end though, she leaves that place just to learn that twelve hours had actually passed instead of nine days and ..she also ended up as creature of day and a creature of night at the same time, but again tyler was injured and was going to die...and then, there is asriel who comes back and then they fight and then she wins and then they capture him and then he dies....finally...why was i a bit dreamy?because it was like i was actually leaving that moment and felt panicked and desperate..call me excessive, call me a psycho but that's how things go when you read such an amazing book...how can't you be thrilled by a book like shaede assasin that takes your breath away???(i'm talking for myself now :))anyway hope you guys enjoyed it as i did....
July 7, 2016
This book was a surprise. I went in it a tad reluctantly wasn't sure if I would like it. I'm so glad I read this. Such a unique and differnt PNR. I haven't read anything quite like this before. Dorian can be too stubborn for her own good at times which did slightly annoy me but other than that I throughly enjoyed this one.
December 15, 2011
Originally posted at smexybooks.com
Favorite Quote: “All of this is because I am so god damned irresistible. It must be my shining personality and lighthearted spirit. I feel so sorry for them both. �
Darian spent the first half of her life as an abused wife. When a friend of her husband’s appears on the scene, he frees her from her life of pain and transforms her into a Shaede-a creature able to transform from solid to shadow. She spends her time with her inhuman lover only to have him abandon her; leaving her alone and in the dark about who and what she is now. Now, centuries later, she works as an assassin for hire. Her moral compass, though slightly skewed, has her killing only those whose actions cause others pain in the world. She lives with the impression she is the only Shaede in existence but when she is hired out for a kill, she finds out that not only is she not alone, but she just tried to kill the King of her kind, Alexander (Xander) Peck. Darian, with the help of her boss Tyler, tries to work out who actually hired her and why only to learn that everyone has been lying to her. No one is what they seem and Darian soon finds herself knee deep in the supernatural world, learning far more then she wanted to know about herself and her friends. As war threatens her and her kind, Darian must embrace the unknown if she is to survive what is coming for her.
Shaedes of Gray is a fantastic and powerful debut by Amanda Bonilla. I send many, many thank you’s to Pam, a reviewer for WickedLilPixieReviews, for messaging me and telling me I HAD to read this book. You were right as usual.
Set in Seattle, this noir and Machiavellian Urban Fantasy will have you clinging to the edge of your seat as you follow Darian through the shadows that is her life. A fast paced storyline that keeps you on your toes as Ms. Bonilla uses Darian’s history to unfold and set up this engaging and suspicious world. I found myself completely engrossed in her history of the Shaedes and the life Darian has led to get to the point where she now. Darian is a perfect blending of what I love in my UF heroines. Smart, sassy, and strong with deeply buried vulnerability. Her emotions and reactions to situations and people are realistic as she learns of the lies and betrayals that she has been subjected to her whole life. She doesn’t accept the adage, “It was for your own good,� from anyone. She is fighting mad and is allowed to express that here.
There is a small love triangle in here but I found it more of a way to further characterize Darian and to expand her emotional make up. She and Tyler, her boss of 5 years, have acknowledged the attraction between them but she has always refused to act on it. She doesn’t see her life receptive to a relationship. Plus, he’s human, or so she thinks. When she meets Xander, she finds out there Tyler is not who she thought and while it opens the way for them to have a physical relationship, she is hurt and angry that he wasn’t honest with her. Regardless of her anger, the sexual tension between Darian and Tyler is VERY hot and sensual. You can feel Tyler’s unwavering love for Darian and though I was not happy with his part in this conflict, I did find myself rooting for him in the end.
Xander, the king of the Shaede nation is a pain in Darian’s arse and she doesn’t hesitate to let him know that repeatedly. He lies, omits, and doles out information grudgingly. He really cannot understand why she is so stubborn and won’t accept his sovereign over her. He is hilarious with his self entitlement issues and I enjoyed watching Darian’s frustrations with him. She doesn’t respect him and he can’t phantom why. His dialogue and voice in here is perfect. I could visualize him perfectly as he talks to Darian in his condescending voice.
A diabolically complicated secondary cast only heightens the excitement of this story. Raif is a favorite character of mine in here. He is what he is and doesn’t hide himself with Darian. No matter what happens, Darian knows Raif will always tell her the truth as he knows it. Anya is another favorite and I really hope Ms. Bonilla expands her part in the next book.
The main conflict is a delicious blend of lies, manipulations, and deception. The nature and level of the duplicity Darian uncovers is mind boggling. All of her life, she has been manipulated and pushed into various situations both with and without her knowledge. When she learns of this her anger knows no boundaries. Your never sure exactly who is telling the truth here as you, like Darian, are only told what you need to know. I love how Darian stands up for herself in the face of these revelations. Her sarcasm and snark is like a finely sharpened sword that she wields with deadly accuracy. She is a warrior who bows to no one and those who seek to subjugate her will feel her wraith.
This entire book is an emotional roller coaster ride of twists and turns that will keep you riding the edge to the end. The ending is a climatic shock that left me blinking in surprise as the true villain and their motivations are revealed. The main conflict is resolved in an effective manner but left enough un answered questions still exist to assure that this reader will be first in line for the second book in this series, Blood Before Sunrise, which is set to release July 3, 2012.
Overall Rating: B+
Favorite Quote: “All of this is because I am so god damned irresistible. It must be my shining personality and lighthearted spirit. I feel so sorry for them both. �
Darian spent the first half of her life as an abused wife. When a friend of her husband’s appears on the scene, he frees her from her life of pain and transforms her into a Shaede-a creature able to transform from solid to shadow. She spends her time with her inhuman lover only to have him abandon her; leaving her alone and in the dark about who and what she is now. Now, centuries later, she works as an assassin for hire. Her moral compass, though slightly skewed, has her killing only those whose actions cause others pain in the world. She lives with the impression she is the only Shaede in existence but when she is hired out for a kill, she finds out that not only is she not alone, but she just tried to kill the King of her kind, Alexander (Xander) Peck. Darian, with the help of her boss Tyler, tries to work out who actually hired her and why only to learn that everyone has been lying to her. No one is what they seem and Darian soon finds herself knee deep in the supernatural world, learning far more then she wanted to know about herself and her friends. As war threatens her and her kind, Darian must embrace the unknown if she is to survive what is coming for her.
Shaedes of Gray is a fantastic and powerful debut by Amanda Bonilla. I send many, many thank you’s to Pam, a reviewer for WickedLilPixieReviews, for messaging me and telling me I HAD to read this book. You were right as usual.
Set in Seattle, this noir and Machiavellian Urban Fantasy will have you clinging to the edge of your seat as you follow Darian through the shadows that is her life. A fast paced storyline that keeps you on your toes as Ms. Bonilla uses Darian’s history to unfold and set up this engaging and suspicious world. I found myself completely engrossed in her history of the Shaedes and the life Darian has led to get to the point where she now. Darian is a perfect blending of what I love in my UF heroines. Smart, sassy, and strong with deeply buried vulnerability. Her emotions and reactions to situations and people are realistic as she learns of the lies and betrayals that she has been subjected to her whole life. She doesn’t accept the adage, “It was for your own good,� from anyone. She is fighting mad and is allowed to express that here.
There is a small love triangle in here but I found it more of a way to further characterize Darian and to expand her emotional make up. She and Tyler, her boss of 5 years, have acknowledged the attraction between them but she has always refused to act on it. She doesn’t see her life receptive to a relationship. Plus, he’s human, or so she thinks. When she meets Xander, she finds out there Tyler is not who she thought and while it opens the way for them to have a physical relationship, she is hurt and angry that he wasn’t honest with her. Regardless of her anger, the sexual tension between Darian and Tyler is VERY hot and sensual. You can feel Tyler’s unwavering love for Darian and though I was not happy with his part in this conflict, I did find myself rooting for him in the end.
Xander, the king of the Shaede nation is a pain in Darian’s arse and she doesn’t hesitate to let him know that repeatedly. He lies, omits, and doles out information grudgingly. He really cannot understand why she is so stubborn and won’t accept his sovereign over her. He is hilarious with his self entitlement issues and I enjoyed watching Darian’s frustrations with him. She doesn’t respect him and he can’t phantom why. His dialogue and voice in here is perfect. I could visualize him perfectly as he talks to Darian in his condescending voice.
A diabolically complicated secondary cast only heightens the excitement of this story. Raif is a favorite character of mine in here. He is what he is and doesn’t hide himself with Darian. No matter what happens, Darian knows Raif will always tell her the truth as he knows it. Anya is another favorite and I really hope Ms. Bonilla expands her part in the next book.
The main conflict is a delicious blend of lies, manipulations, and deception. The nature and level of the duplicity Darian uncovers is mind boggling. All of her life, she has been manipulated and pushed into various situations both with and without her knowledge. When she learns of this her anger knows no boundaries. Your never sure exactly who is telling the truth here as you, like Darian, are only told what you need to know. I love how Darian stands up for herself in the face of these revelations. Her sarcasm and snark is like a finely sharpened sword that she wields with deadly accuracy. She is a warrior who bows to no one and those who seek to subjugate her will feel her wraith.
This entire book is an emotional roller coaster ride of twists and turns that will keep you riding the edge to the end. The ending is a climatic shock that left me blinking in surprise as the true villain and their motivations are revealed. The main conflict is resolved in an effective manner but left enough un answered questions still exist to assure that this reader will be first in line for the second book in this series, Blood Before Sunrise, which is set to release July 3, 2012.
Overall Rating: B+
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