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lovetlr's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
theinkdrinker's review
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
belalucy's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I enjoy the vibe of the book, but i absolutely can not stand that fedora.
polychrome's review against another edition
dark
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Funny, lighthearted, and all fantasy. A fun read that kept me guessing.
theangrystackrat's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
lezreadalot's review against another edition
4.0
Here likes Kate Kane. Should’ve minded her own business. Beloved daughter. Sorely missed.
Another spectacular romp of a story that had me both smiling and engrossed the whole way through. It's really just the perfect mix of tongue-in-cheek, witty humour, parodies and references, but it's still very much a paranormal adventure with all the shenanigans you could ask for and a great cast of badass, messy women. I love the theme of Kate being surrounded by all these complicated women who she's attracted to, some of them her enemies, some of them her exes, some of them who really want to bang her, and one of them her gf. It makes me desperately wish that this were poly/reverse harem, because I just love (almost) everyone so much? I REALLY love her main love interest, so no quibbles there, but I also wouldn't mind if the romance were to open up, so to speak. Again, this'll probably be the ONLY time you see me say this but... I kinda want a love triangle. Or love square.
arimcewan's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
mxsallybend's review against another edition
4.0
I'm honestly not sure what compelled me to request a digital ARC when I saw Shadows & Dreams show up on NetGalley. I hadn't read the first Kate Kane, Paranormal Investigator novel and knew nothing about the author, Alexis Hall, but something about the sarcastic tone of the cover blurb hooked me. I'm a sucker for a good vampire novel, and it's been a while since I dabbled in the sub-genre that Anita Blake made famous, so figured I'd give it a shot.
Damn, but I'm glad I did.
This was one hell of a fun read. Alexis Hall demonstrates more imagination and inventiveness here, in this single book, than many authors do in an entire (endless) urban fantasy series. Yes, you've got vampires and werewolves (both with an interesting mythology), but you've also got faeries and nymphs, demons, animated marble statues, angry unicorns, and even a Buffy/Batman figure. There's almost too much going on, like a superhero movie that tries to horn in one too many villains, but it actually works. This was a book that had me thinking, "Oh, that's cool" or "Hey, I like that" on a regular basis.
Much of the novel's charm, of course, rests on the weary shoulders of Kate Kane herself. She walks a fine line between parody and irony, being both a hard-drinking, heavy-smoking, hardboiled detective and an over-sexed, smart-assed urban fantasy heroine. She's also an out-and-proud lesbian, one who has left the landscape littered awkward relationships. She's currently in love/lust with a lesbian vampire prince, while being chased by a lesbian werewolf pack leader, with a lesbian ex-girlfriend (the aforementioned Buffy/Batman figure) still very much in the picture, and yet another lesbian ex-lover just having escaped from prison, where she was serving time for murdering Kate's business partner. Kate is conceited and self-assured, to the point of assuming that every woman who crosses her path is looking to flirt . . . and, you know, she's generally right.
In terms of plot, there are several interwoven stories here that not only cross paths naturally, but which each get a worthy climax. It all starts with a simple missing person's case, but ends in one of those paranormal battles upon which the fate of the entire world rests. The ways in which the stories cross paths keeps the novel moving from one scene to another, and prevents the story from ever lagging, even for a moment. It's an intense tale, full of both action and lust, but all of that is balanced with a steady dose of sarcastic humor. Again, like I mentioned earlier, there's almost too much going on, but Kate's narration keeps it all in check. She's a great character, and one I look forward to reading more about, especially with the very innocent and down-to-earth Elise as her every-curious marble sidekick.
Comprised of equal parts urban fantasy, paranormal romance, vampire soap opera, and vigilante action heroism, this was one hell of a read. It's fun and feisty, with snappy dialogue and witty repartee, but it never cheapens the drama. There are some very large stakes here (pun intended), and while I thought Alexis Hall was writing Kate into a corner, I was entirely satisfied with the way everything came together to resolve the story. Shadows & Dreams is a book that knows very well that it's responsible for fitting into a niche, but which has a lot of fun claiming and twisting the genre tropes for its own end.
Originally reviewed at Beauty in Ruins
Damn, but I'm glad I did.
This was one hell of a fun read. Alexis Hall demonstrates more imagination and inventiveness here, in this single book, than many authors do in an entire (endless) urban fantasy series. Yes, you've got vampires and werewolves (both with an interesting mythology), but you've also got faeries and nymphs, demons, animated marble statues, angry unicorns, and even a Buffy/Batman figure. There's almost too much going on, like a superhero movie that tries to horn in one too many villains, but it actually works. This was a book that had me thinking, "Oh, that's cool" or "Hey, I like that" on a regular basis.
Much of the novel's charm, of course, rests on the weary shoulders of Kate Kane herself. She walks a fine line between parody and irony, being both a hard-drinking, heavy-smoking, hardboiled detective and an over-sexed, smart-assed urban fantasy heroine. She's also an out-and-proud lesbian, one who has left the landscape littered awkward relationships. She's currently in love/lust with a lesbian vampire prince, while being chased by a lesbian werewolf pack leader, with a lesbian ex-girlfriend (the aforementioned Buffy/Batman figure) still very much in the picture, and yet another lesbian ex-lover just having escaped from prison, where she was serving time for murdering Kate's business partner. Kate is conceited and self-assured, to the point of assuming that every woman who crosses her path is looking to flirt . . . and, you know, she's generally right.
In terms of plot, there are several interwoven stories here that not only cross paths naturally, but which each get a worthy climax. It all starts with a simple missing person's case, but ends in one of those paranormal battles upon which the fate of the entire world rests. The ways in which the stories cross paths keeps the novel moving from one scene to another, and prevents the story from ever lagging, even for a moment. It's an intense tale, full of both action and lust, but all of that is balanced with a steady dose of sarcastic humor. Again, like I mentioned earlier, there's almost too much going on, but Kate's narration keeps it all in check. She's a great character, and one I look forward to reading more about, especially with the very innocent and down-to-earth Elise as her every-curious marble sidekick.
Comprised of equal parts urban fantasy, paranormal romance, vampire soap opera, and vigilante action heroism, this was one hell of a read. It's fun and feisty, with snappy dialogue and witty repartee, but it never cheapens the drama. There are some very large stakes here (pun intended), and while I thought Alexis Hall was writing Kate into a corner, I was entirely satisfied with the way everything came together to resolve the story. Shadows & Dreams is a book that knows very well that it's responsible for fitting into a niche, but which has a lot of fun claiming and twisting the genre tropes for its own end.
Originally reviewed at Beauty in Ruins
stormbee's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 stars. A fun romp. As fun as the first book. Though I'm not a fan of first person, the Kate Kane series has more than endeared me and is one of the few books that literally makes me laugh how loud every few pages.
I think the plot was much stronger this time around, with the stakes a bit higher since, ya know, Kate was on trial for murder, the Morrigan raised a vampire army and tried to slaughter all of London, the vamps and werewolves went into civil war, and some dude tried to ascend to godhood. I really want the third book to come out to see how much crazier things will get after that.
The side characters are amazing as always, especially Elise, who's too good for this world. Also Eve, who we finally meet. She's basically a lesbian Batman with a ninja army, and loves D&D, gadgets, and history. She's perfect.
Honestly, all of Kate's exes and love interests are a blast, even the terrible ones that need to be locked up. When Kate shares screentime with Tara, Nim, or Eve, I almost forget how much I like her with Julian, or how much I like her with the any of the others she's not with.
Speaking of, Julian wasn't in this as much. It was for plot related reasons, but I still missed her presence.
Nim and Eve had a very large role helping Kate not get killed during the story, and we find out more on exactly why Eve and Kate fell apart after 5 years together. Though it's prettiest obvious there's still feelings on each end, with the way they talked to each other and interacted, I feel it's a relationship that best remain dead.
On that note, with how much screen time Nim and Kate shared, the end of their relationship still remains a mystery. It interests me greatly, seeing how affectionate they both are to each other while still on good terms. They're relationship is probably the... healthiest? Maybe? As much as Kate is capable of healthy anything.
Julian and Kate are fun, and they definitely care for each other, but they're mostly just sex. Nim and Kate clearly still care a great deal, but there's something holding them back, and I wanna know what it is. I kinda maybe ship Kate and Nim the most. Sorry Julian.
I think the plot was much stronger this time around, with the stakes a bit higher since, ya know, Kate was on trial for murder, the Morrigan raised a vampire army and tried to slaughter all of London, the vamps and werewolves went into civil war, and some dude tried to ascend to godhood. I really want the third book to come out to see how much crazier things will get after that.
The side characters are amazing as always, especially Elise, who's too good for this world. Also Eve, who we finally meet. She's basically a lesbian Batman with a ninja army, and loves D&D, gadgets, and history. She's perfect.
Honestly, all of Kate's exes and love interests are a blast, even the terrible ones that need to be locked up. When Kate shares screentime with Tara, Nim, or Eve, I almost forget how much I like her with Julian, or how much I like her with the any of the others she's not with.
Speaking of, Julian wasn't in this as much. It was for plot related reasons, but I still missed her presence.
Nim and Eve had a very large role helping Kate not get killed during the story, and we find out more on exactly why Eve and Kate fell apart after 5 years together. Though it's prettiest obvious there's still feelings on each end, with the way they talked to each other and interacted, I feel it's a relationship that best remain dead.
On that note, with how much screen time Nim and Kate shared, the end of their relationship still remains a mystery. It interests me greatly, seeing how affectionate they both are to each other while still on good terms. They're relationship is probably the... healthiest? Maybe? As much as Kate is capable of healthy anything.
Julian and Kate are fun, and they definitely care for each other, but they're mostly just sex. Nim and Kate clearly still care a great deal, but there's something holding them back, and I wanna know what it is. I kinda maybe ship Kate and Nim the most. Sorry Julian.