Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
adventurous
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I think the enjoyment of this book is predicated on whether or not you can see using "you're such an asshole" as a term of endearment. If not, Sophie & Nik's prickly relationship may annoy. I really enjoyed them and this expanded world from the Elder Races series. This book is a set up for that new series and there's some cross over and some new players. I think Sophie is the closest I've ever seen to how I'd react if someone I just met started telling me what to do. It's an annoyance I have with a lot of romances but Sophie pushes back big time. I also liked how Nik would be exasperated but he'd also eventually understand what she meant and would explain himself. I liked their dynamic and I'm looking forward to see what goes on in their world and with the rest of this new crew.
Interesting world building, great heroine
Harrison builds a complex world in this first book in a series but it becomes easy for the reader to follow after a while. Her main characters are great, especially the kickass heroine. I’ve grown so tired of female MCs in romance books that are helpless, do stupid things to get in trouble and have to be rescued by the big strong male MC. So many are TSTL. Not the case here. Sophie is a great main character. Nicolas makes a great, centuries old warrior trying to adjust to this 21st Century woman he figures he can use to help his battle cause. He never plans on actually caring for her.
The build up is a bit slow and when we finally get to the crisis point it’s a bit anti-climatic, especially as there are very few resolutions to the overriding problems. I realized it was a series but hoped there would be at least a tiny bit of closure.
Harrison builds a complex world in this first book in a series but it becomes easy for the reader to follow after a while. Her main characters are great, especially the kickass heroine. I’ve grown so tired of female MCs in romance books that are helpless, do stupid things to get in trouble and have to be rescued by the big strong male MC. So many are TSTL. Not the case here. Sophie is a great main character. Nicolas makes a great, centuries old warrior trying to adjust to this 21st Century woman he figures he can use to help his battle cause. He never plans on actually caring for her.
The build up is a bit slow and when we finally get to the crisis point it’s a bit anti-climatic, especially as there are very few resolutions to the overriding problems. I realized it was a series but hoped there would be at least a tiny bit of closure.
Recovering from being shot on the job, witch consultant Sophie Ross decides that it might be a good time to take the opportunity to travel overseas and see what she can find out about her family. When she gets there, however, she stumbles upon a centuries long war between the Light and the Dark Court, and in particular Nikolas Sevigny, a knight for the Dark Court.
While Nik and Sophie immediately clash, Nik can't help but acknowledge Sophie's proficiency with her Powers and knows that he can use her to help his people in the ongoing conflict. At least, that's what he keeps trying to tell himself. Because regardless of there differing views and their penchant for opposition, both Nik and Sophie can't help being attracted to one another.
But when Sophie rescues a long missing member of the Dark Court, and when they're attacked by Hounds working for Queen Isabeau of the Light Court, Nik and Sophie know they're going to need to be ready to fight. The battle is coming to their front door.
Having myself only ready the first Elder Races Book [b:Dragon Bound|9637479|Dragon Bound (Elder Races, #1)|Thea Harrison|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1312822853s/9637479.jpg|14524855], of which Moonshadow is a spinoff, I didn't find it difficult whatsoever to get back into the story world and I don't think new readers will find it a hindrance either.
I loved the background storyline dealing with the conflict between the Light and Dark Courts. Having some classic mythology / characters woven into the story was clever. Thing are far from solved by the end of Moonshadow and it'll be very interesting to see where things progress from here.
I say the above is background because obviously the main focus of the story, being a romance and all, is Nik and Sophie. They definitely don't disappoint. Their antagonism toward each other just added fuel to the chemistry fire. I honestly loved the bickering and fighting between them especially as things turned heated. The fact that Sophie was loath to let Nik try to dictate her actions and she repeatedly called him on it was refreshing.
The only drawback for me was that the story started to drag a little towards the end once we were done with the major conflict of the story. But, again, the main focus is Sophie and Nik and essentially getting them to their HEA was the point so I understand why everything had to be tied up the way it did, I would have just liked it a bit sooner.
I look forward to reading the next book. There are plenty of male leads to choose from among Nik's fellow brother knights but the standout was of course Gawain, who's name itself sparks of legend. I guess we'll see in a few months.
While Nik and Sophie immediately clash, Nik can't help but acknowledge Sophie's proficiency with her Powers and knows that he can use her to help his people in the ongoing conflict. At least, that's what he keeps trying to tell himself. Because regardless of there differing views and their penchant for opposition, both Nik and Sophie can't help being attracted to one another.
But when Sophie rescues a long missing member of the Dark Court, and when they're attacked by Hounds working for Queen Isabeau of the Light Court, Nik and Sophie know they're going to need to be ready to fight. The battle is coming to their front door.
Having myself only ready the first Elder Races Book [b:Dragon Bound|9637479|Dragon Bound (Elder Races, #1)|Thea Harrison|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1312822853s/9637479.jpg|14524855], of which Moonshadow is a spinoff, I didn't find it difficult whatsoever to get back into the story world and I don't think new readers will find it a hindrance either.
I loved the background storyline dealing with the conflict between the Light and Dark Courts. Having some classic mythology / characters woven into the story was clever. Thing are far from solved by the end of Moonshadow and it'll be very interesting to see where things progress from here.
I say the above is background because obviously the main focus of the story, being a romance and all, is Nik and Sophie. They definitely don't disappoint. Their antagonism toward each other just added fuel to the chemistry fire. I honestly loved the bickering and fighting between them especially as things turned heated. The fact that Sophie was loath to let Nik try to dictate her actions and she repeatedly called him on it was refreshing.
The only drawback for me was that the story started to drag a little towards the end once we were done with the major conflict of the story. But, again, the main focus is Sophie and Nik and essentially getting them to their HEA was the point so I understand why everything had to be tied up the way it did, I would have just liked it a bit sooner.
I look forward to reading the next book. There are plenty of male leads to choose from among Nik's fellow brother knights but the standout was of course Gawain, who's name itself sparks of legend. I guess we'll see in a few months.
3.5 stars
Thea Harrison is really good at delivering plenty of non-relationship plot in her romance books, which are supposed to be by definition mostly about the relationship.
I am ALL GOOD with that.
Her adult scenes are smokin' hot and her world and characters are engaging and easy to empathize with, even if they sometimes get on your nerves.
I enjoyed this spin-off to the Elder Races series and am looking forward to seeing how the stories shake out. You could think of it as "Elder Races in the UK" I suppose. Light and Dark Court doing unspeakable things to each other. It sounds pretty standard but Harrison does a good job of making it her own.
Thea Harrison is really good at delivering plenty of non-relationship plot in her romance books, which are supposed to be by definition mostly about the relationship.
I am ALL GOOD with that.
Her adult scenes are smokin' hot and her world and characters are engaging and easy to empathize with, even if they sometimes get on your nerves.
I enjoyed this spin-off to the Elder Races series and am looking forward to seeing how the stories shake out. You could think of it as "Elder Races in the UK" I suppose. Light and Dark Court doing unspeakable things to each other. It sounds pretty standard but Harrison does a good job of making it her own.
Interesting new paranormal series. If you like the Elder Races, you'll like this because it has some of the same characters.
4.5 Old Timey Foot Stars
Review @ Vanilla & Spice Books
I am a huge fan of Thea Harrison's Elder Races series and so far I've gobbled up all the books like candy (except the last full length one, which I'll remedy very soon). She is a master of world building and making a landscape appear in your mind. Add to that her sassy way of writing and I'm a goner.
Sophie, who is a witch consultant for the LAPD, is still recovering from gunshot wounds she received when a police operation went awry. When a stranger contacts her with an offer nobody could refuse she jumps at the chance: An inaccessible house in the UK plus the entailed land and a significant annuity will belong to her if she can gain access to said house.
Nikolas Sevigny's loyalty to his men is unshakable. Of the hundred he had only nine are left, the stranded Daoine Sidhe knights of the Dark Court. Cut off from his homeland he fights with every fiber to help bringing down the Queen of the Light Court and her trusted man Morgan.
Sophie and Nik meet under less than ideal circumstances. Two weeks prior while doing a reading she saw a vision of Nik attacking her. Only it didn't seem like a vision. It's only natural that now, being in the UK, her defenses are up and her distrust for this beautiful man is firmly in place. She is drawn into a war that isn't hers. With the house. that is almost like a fortress, she has a lot to offer to Nik and his men and he is ruthless enough to take it if helps his mission.
You know those heroes, the ones that are hard to love in the beginning...but when you start loving them, you go all in? Yep, Nikolas is one of those. He was such an asshat in the beginning, I wanted to slap him into next week. The enlightenment came quickly though. He is a couple of hundred years old and in the last decades his sole focus was on getting himself and his men home. There was no room for niceties. Of course he bristles and gets his boxers in a twist when he meets this beautiful witch who keeps mouthing off at him.
Nik is everything you expect in an alpha male: overbearing, sometimes rude, commandeering, controlling, rough. But also loyal and gentle and caring.
Sophie is a woman with her own mind and she has no compunctions letting Nik know that he can shove his orders where the sun doesn't shine. She has a temper but once she and Nik get close you find her more often reigning it in and picking her battles. She has a protective side to her that makes Nik go batty because, dammit, he is the one giving orders! Sophie is also a crafty and creative witch, she's brave and kind and I loved how she took care of Robin, the puck.
Their bickering is hilarious and you get the feeling that they only argue to make up again with mind-blowing sex. Speaking of, Thea Harrison is known for some steamy scenes (I'll never forget Dragos' mating heat) so you can definitely expect major sexual tension throughout the book.
One thing I need to mention are the several inaccuracies I've encountered. I was surprised there were so many because a good editor and proofreader should have caught on and gotten rid of them. Only to name a few:
- Silver is not a hard metal - in fact it is extremely soft
- the daughter of an Earl is never a countess, only the wife is.
- there were several mix ups with English and American terms. The heroine being American kept saying supper and crisps, the hero said ass although he had spent a long time in the UK.
With that being said, it didn't take away from my enjoyment of the story which was tremendous and I can't wait to continue this series. This was an extremely well done introduction to this new story arc in the world of the Elder Races and I am really giddily awaiting Gawain's story.
Review @ Vanilla & Spice Books
Thanks for asking, asshole!
I am a huge fan of Thea Harrison's Elder Races series and so far I've gobbled up all the books like candy (except the last full length one, which I'll remedy very soon). She is a master of world building and making a landscape appear in your mind. Add to that her sassy way of writing and I'm a goner.
Sophie, who is a witch consultant for the LAPD, is still recovering from gunshot wounds she received when a police operation went awry. When a stranger contacts her with an offer nobody could refuse she jumps at the chance: An inaccessible house in the UK plus the entailed land and a significant annuity will belong to her if she can gain access to said house.
Nikolas Sevigny's loyalty to his men is unshakable. Of the hundred he had only nine are left, the stranded Daoine Sidhe knights of the Dark Court. Cut off from his homeland he fights with every fiber to help bringing down the Queen of the Light Court and her trusted man Morgan.
Sophie and Nik meet under less than ideal circumstances. Two weeks prior while doing a reading she saw a vision of Nik attacking her. Only it didn't seem like a vision. It's only natural that now, being in the UK, her defenses are up and her distrust for this beautiful man is firmly in place. She is drawn into a war that isn't hers. With the house. that is almost like a fortress, she has a lot to offer to Nik and his men and he is ruthless enough to take it if helps his mission.
At the sight, Nikolas’s mouth tightened. The ghost of the man he used to be turned uneasily in its grave. He had no illusions about himself. Once he would have been filled with remorse at bruising a female, but long ago he had turned cold and hard.
You know those heroes, the ones that are hard to love in the beginning...but when you start loving them, you go all in? Yep, Nikolas is one of those. He was such an asshat in the beginning, I wanted to slap him into next week. The enlightenment came quickly though. He is a couple of hundred years old and in the last decades his sole focus was on getting himself and his men home. There was no room for niceties. Of course he bristles and gets his boxers in a twist when he meets this beautiful witch who keeps mouthing off at him.
“You’re a damn mouthy broad,” he said and kissed her.
Nik is everything you expect in an alpha male: overbearing, sometimes rude, commandeering, controlling, rough. But also loyal and gentle and caring.
"I’ve lost so many people. So many… I thought I didn’t have it in me to care about anyone else again. But now I do, and yes, I’m struggling, because I don’t think I could take losing you too."
Sophie is a woman with her own mind and she has no compunctions letting Nik know that he can shove his orders where the sun doesn't shine. She has a temper but once she and Nik get close you find her more often reigning it in and picking her battles. She has a protective side to her that makes Nik go batty because, dammit, he is the one giving orders! Sophie is also a crafty and creative witch, she's brave and kind and I loved how she took care of Robin, the puck.
Their bickering is hilarious and you get the feeling that they only argue to make up again with mind-blowing sex. Speaking of, Thea Harrison is known for some steamy scenes (I'll never forget Dragos' mating heat) so you can definitely expect major sexual tension throughout the book.
“The gods only know why,” he whispered. “But I find you sexy as hell. So far, you’ve been nothing but trouble.”
“Ugh, stop talking,” she told him, putting the fingers of both hands over his mouth. “You ruin it when you talk. I find you sexy as hell too, as long as you stay silent.”
One thing I need to mention are the several inaccuracies I've encountered. I was surprised there were so many because a good editor and proofreader should have caught on and gotten rid of them. Only to name a few:
"Silver was a hard metal, and besides, solid silver bullets would be much more expensive."
- Silver is not a hard metal - in fact it is extremely soft
“An earl— an English earl?” “Yes.” “Does that make you titled as well?” Her knowledge of English titles was almost nonexistent. Kathryn shrugged. “It does. I’m a countess, but I’ve lived in the States for so long I never use it.
- the daughter of an Earl is never a countess, only the wife is.
- there were several mix ups with English and American terms. The heroine being American kept saying supper and crisps, the hero said ass although he had spent a long time in the UK.
With that being said, it didn't take away from my enjoyment of the story which was tremendous and I can't wait to continue this series. This was an extremely well done introduction to this new story arc in the world of the Elder Races and I am really giddily awaiting Gawain's story.
“Then,” he said, even more quietly, “there are truths that change. Before I met you, I was adamant about not investing in a relationship. I was constantly on the run, my life in danger, and that is a terrible thing to take to a woman’s bed. And I met you. You’re stubborn, infuriating, courageous, inventive, generous, and kind. You make me laugh. You make me crazy. You make me rediscover things inside myself that I thought were dead forever. You make me hard as a rock until all I can think about is tearing off your clothes.
Rating: 3.5 stars
The repeatedly emphasized "male-female" binarism was exhausting, to read over and over again. Still I enjoyed myself a lot and I'm curious about the next installments in the series.
The repeatedly emphasized "male-female" binarism was exhausting, to read over and over again. Still I enjoyed myself a lot and I'm curious about the next installments in the series.