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A review by kristindh
The Shadow Reader by Sandy Williams
3.0
I'm conflicted about this book. I thought I was going to get a kick ass heroine. The cover of this book is extremely misleading. This chick doesn't use a sword. In fact, everyone in the book seems to use a sword EXCEPT for her. Instead, we get a semi-defenseless "shadow reader" - whatever the hell that is - twisted up in a love triangle.
Williams descriptions of the shadow reading and what not felt forced. I mean, I got what she was trying to explain (I think), but her world building didn't really capture me. The thing that really kept me in the book was the love triangle and the leading men, Kyol and Aren. Point of fact - I'm a sucker for a good love triangle and this one was pretty solid though the set-up for the love triangle was super weak. Here is the cliff's notes version: Our heroine, McKenzie, has been in love with the King's sword master, Kyol, for the better part of a decade and yet she has absolutely no commitment from him. Nada. Nothing. Zilch. Since he's the sword master and he's fae, he's not supposed to be cavorting with humans, but he can't stay away from our little shadow reader and he's been stringing her along with clandestine make-out sessions and sweet endearments like "kaesha" (whatever the f*** that means) for 10 years. You read that right. 10 FREAKIN' YEARS!!!
Who the hell waits 10 years for someone without getting laid once???? I don't care how hot the kissing is - after about a year (maybe two - I'll be generous and give her two years), you start to question where the heck this is going. After 2 years (with no sex mind you!!!), you've got to wonder what the hell is going on and start to question your own sanity. And by year 3 at the LATEST(I mean, I would have been gone around the end of year 1, so 3 years is freakin' unfathomable), it's time to hit the road. 10 FREAKING YEARS!!! I don't care how young you were when you met him - you wait around for him for a decade, you're a f***ing idiot.
Anyway, the idiocy and desperation of our heroine withstanding, the thing that saves this book is the leading men and the action. There is a lot of action. McKenzie is fairly helpless when it comes to all of these fae she's surrounded herself with and she's constantly in trouble so it's pretty much an endless stream of action. In fact, the book starts practically from page one with action and each chapter is a mini-cliffhanger unto itself.
Upon reading this review, you may think that I didn't like this book. You would be mistaken. I did enjoy (most of) it. But it's overridden with flaws that I could go on and on about. I liken it to watching a soap opera. Sometimes you've got to ignore the bad acting and the forced story lines and just take it for what it's worth. That's this book in a nutshell.
Williams descriptions of the shadow reading and what not felt forced. I mean, I got what she was trying to explain (I think), but her world building didn't really capture me. The thing that really kept me in the book was the love triangle and the leading men, Kyol and Aren. Point of fact - I'm a sucker for a good love triangle and this one was pretty solid though the set-up for the love triangle was super weak. Here is the cliff's notes version: Our heroine, McKenzie, has been in love with the King's sword master, Kyol, for the better part of a decade and yet she has absolutely no commitment from him. Nada. Nothing. Zilch. Since he's the sword master and he's fae, he's not supposed to be cavorting with humans, but he can't stay away from our little shadow reader and he's been stringing her along with clandestine make-out sessions and sweet endearments like "kaesha" (whatever the f*** that means) for 10 years. You read that right. 10 FREAKIN' YEARS!!!
Who the hell waits 10 years for someone without getting laid once???? I don't care how hot the kissing is - after about a year (maybe two - I'll be generous and give her two years), you start to question where the heck this is going. After 2 years (with no sex mind you!!!), you've got to wonder what the hell is going on and start to question your own sanity. And by year 3 at the LATEST(I mean, I would have been gone around the end of year 1, so 3 years is freakin' unfathomable), it's time to hit the road. 10 FREAKING YEARS!!! I don't care how young you were when you met him - you wait around for him for a decade, you're a f***ing idiot.
Anyway, the idiocy and desperation of our heroine withstanding, the thing that saves this book is the leading men and the action. There is a lot of action. McKenzie is fairly helpless when it comes to all of these fae she's surrounded herself with and she's constantly in trouble so it's pretty much an endless stream of action. In fact, the book starts practically from page one with action and each chapter is a mini-cliffhanger unto itself.
Upon reading this review, you may think that I didn't like this book. You would be mistaken. I did enjoy (most of) it. But it's overridden with flaws that I could go on and on about. I liken it to watching a soap opera. Sometimes you've got to ignore the bad acting and the forced story lines and just take it for what it's worth. That's this book in a nutshell.