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3.99 AVERAGE
3.99 AVERAGE
Unfortunately, Shadow's Claim really fell apart at the 3rd act breakup. Was there not the pages to have Trehan fully break in any other manner? Jealousy over a woman being friends with a man, crush or no crush, is such a turn-off on-page and off-page.
(I'm a bisexual, non-binary person, so when people ask stupid questions like, can men and women be friends? I think about how, if the answer is a black/white no, I'm not allowed to have any friends.)
Cas was clearly having a gay panic this entire book. I will be interested to see how Cole deals with this in his book, given how cheating is considered the 3rd rail in romance. (We'll probably see some ridiculous loophole, like how he couldn't get an erection or something, or that he and Mirceo have an open relationship (that'd be another first in IAD).)
Tournaments, fight rings, and other fight-to-the-death competitions are my least favorite, but until Trehan's final battle with Cas, I was impressed with the balance and how entertained I was. Call me a basic bitch (gender neutral), but I love a man (or person of any or no gender) who will bring me a bag with the heads of my enemies. There were indeed some inventive demons and powers.
Bettina seemed naive and young throughout most of Shadow's Claim. Even in the narrative, she speaks to how much younger she feels than Trehan, and despite her coming into some power and confidence, she does seem too young for him. Bettina seemed most happy when in her workshop being an artisan, not ruling her people. While I immensely enjoyed her and Trehan's date (it was beautiful) and him encouraging her at every moment to work through her trauma, they felt uneven in a way I'm not sure other IAD pairings, even with age gaps, have.
Usually, I find Cole pretty humorous, but I'm not sure Salem, the invisible letch, and Morgana's over-the-topness worked for me. Likewise, through Trehan's eyes, Lothaire didn't quite work in the same way his book and previous books did to loosen up the seriousness.
LGBTQ Watch - Cas has his aforementioned gay panic as he knows Mirceo is his fated mate. I'm not sure Mirceo's actions showed that he knew this about Cas, which may make sense given that Mirceo hasn't reached the point where born vampires "die." It's possible that they have to go through that so they can be blooded and realize their fated mate. It didn't seem that Mirceo had a plan to save Cas' life in the Cas vs. Trehan head-to-head or was angry that his "uncle" was going to kill his fated mate.
(I'm a bisexual, non-binary person, so when people ask stupid questions like, can men and women be friends? I think about how, if the answer is a black/white no, I'm not allowed to have any friends.)
Cas was clearly having a gay panic this entire book. I will be interested to see how Cole deals with this in his book, given how cheating is considered the 3rd rail in romance. (We'll probably see some ridiculous loophole, like how he couldn't get an erection or something, or that he and Mirceo have an open relationship (that'd be another first in IAD).)
Tournaments, fight rings, and other fight-to-the-death competitions are my least favorite, but until Trehan's final battle with Cas, I was impressed with the balance and how entertained I was. Call me a basic bitch (gender neutral), but I love a man (or person of any or no gender) who will bring me a bag with the heads of my enemies. There were indeed some inventive demons and powers.
Bettina seemed naive and young throughout most of Shadow's Claim. Even in the narrative, she speaks to how much younger she feels than Trehan, and despite her coming into some power and confidence, she does seem too young for him. Bettina seemed most happy when in her workshop being an artisan, not ruling her people. While I immensely enjoyed her and Trehan's date (it was beautiful) and him encouraging her at every moment to work through her trauma, they felt uneven in a way I'm not sure other IAD pairings, even with age gaps, have.
Usually, I find Cole pretty humorous, but I'm not sure Salem, the invisible letch, and Morgana's over-the-topness worked for me. Likewise, through Trehan's eyes, Lothaire didn't quite work in the same way his book and previous books did to loosen up the seriousness.
LGBTQ Watch - Cas has his aforementioned gay panic as he knows Mirceo is his fated mate. I'm not sure Mirceo's actions showed that he knew this about Cas, which may make sense given that Mirceo hasn't reached the point where born vampires "die." It's possible that they have to go through that so they can be blooded and realize their fated mate. It didn't seem that Mirceo had a plan to save Cas' life in the Cas vs. Trehan head-to-head or was angry that his "uncle" was going to kill his fated mate.
The first book in the Dacians series (sequel series to Immortals After Dark) is a ghoulish, punkish story with a plethora of otherworld MMA-like ring fighting. Pulpy moments are equally bountiful, which is expected and desired by romance readers. It's the sort of urban fantasy where the females exude attitude like Madonna in the 80's and the men telegraph their dangerous tidings with bulging muscles and superior weaponry.
The first 75% winds into a tight coil of demon world doom. It almost drags because all we really care about is the cowardly heroine relinquishing her stubborn hold on her maidenhead. Gah, she's frustrating! She has the gorgeous devoted Prince of Shadows tossing away his life for her, and still she pines for her slutty, self-absorbed BFF. If anyone needs a wooden stake and poisoned goblet in this story, it's her. A sad disappointment considering my chief draw to KC's novels are her fierce and playful heroines.
Nevertheless, this romantic fantasy epic succeeds in capturing the gothic imaginative immortal world I fell in love with in the IAD series. The variety and complexity of the tournament fighters with their comic-book like qualities will satisfy any fantasy or action fan. Some of the beloved IAD characters (Nix, Lothaire, Sebina) make guest appearances and you won't fully appreciate them without reading the IAD series first. KC's world-building virtuosity and her originality and style is the best in the genre. And there are enough arousing scenes to win romantic fangsters. This is a promising follow-up to IAD.
The first 75% winds into a tight coil of demon world doom. It almost drags because all we really care about is the cowardly heroine relinquishing her stubborn hold on her maidenhead. Gah, she's frustrating! She has the gorgeous devoted Prince of Shadows tossing away his life for her, and still she pines for her slutty, self-absorbed BFF. If anyone needs a wooden stake and poisoned goblet in this story, it's her. A sad disappointment considering my chief draw to KC's novels are her fierce and playful heroines.
Nevertheless, this romantic fantasy epic succeeds in capturing the gothic imaginative immortal world I fell in love with in the IAD series. The variety and complexity of the tournament fighters with their comic-book like qualities will satisfy any fantasy or action fan. Some of the beloved IAD characters (Nix, Lothaire, Sebina) make guest appearances and you won't fully appreciate them without reading the IAD series first. KC's world-building virtuosity and her originality and style is the best in the genre. And there are enough arousing scenes to win romantic fangsters. This is a promising follow-up to IAD.
adventurous
challenging
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I highly enjoyed this one, I liked that this one had the Ascension and goings on as a light background element vs being the main focus. I loved the competition element of this story and really liked the small nods to the previous books events and characters. I wish there had been more understanding of what the FMC did to understand and speak up for what she messed up with after the big dramatic moment towards the end and not just be about the MMC, but overall I loved this book in the series.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content, Violence, Blood
adventurous
dark
funny
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:
Complicated
I just adore this Author and Narrator
I very much enjoyed this story and was thrilled to see a lot of characters that we have grown to know and love making cameo appearances. Typical of Ms. Cole’s work there was intense battles, sometimes a little too gory for me though. Trehan and Bettina were fun to watch, seeing that even such powerful and magical individuals can screw up their love lives reminds us that at our base we are all just human and can make some seriously bad decisions when it comes to matters of the heart. The next in the series should be interesting and I’m hoping it is Cousin Viktor’s story. I can’t wait to see how the possibility of opening up the world of mists will affect the Ascension, but I see that the changes to come will be vast and terrifying. Keep the awesomeness coming please Kresley.
To read more see my blog at:
http://romancewitchreviews.blogspot.com/2013/02/review-shadows-claim.html
To read more see my blog at:
http://romancewitchreviews.blogspot.com/2013/02/review-shadows-claim.html
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-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 liked it. A LOT!! No further explanation necessary
It was entertaining like most Kresley Cole's books but I found the heroine pretty annoying with her insistence on deluding herself.
I h8 Cole's heroines. But I loooooooooove Trehan.
audiobook :: 7/7/13 Trehan rules.
audiobook :: 7/7/13 Trehan rules.