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A review by iam
Shadows & Dreams by Alexis Hall
4.0
Shadows & Dreams is just as hilarious and high-stakes as its prequel, introducing new characters and revisiting much-loved (and not-so-much loved) faces.
Content warnings include: violence and death, graphic injury, semi-explicit sex on-page, kidnapping, past and ongoing relationships between a minor and someone of age, toxic family and friendship dynamics.
One of my favourite things about this series is Kate's humor. It's ever-present and while maybe not the most original for a novel with noir-vibes, I love her voice and being in her head, plus, really, a lesbian protagonist alone is already a vast improvement to most out of that genre.
I adored how the vast majority of power players are women, thought the amount of men in important roles is higher in Shadows & Dreams than in book 1, [b:Iron & Velvet|46284528|Iron & Velvet (Kate Kane, Paranormal Investigator, #1)|Alexis Hall|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1560489416l/46284528._SY75_.jpg|25492234].
Some of the iffy side things, like how Kate's ex is now together with another seventeen year old girl, or his toxic family dynamics, or the murder obsession with pretty much all of the paranormal world, could have been reflected more critically, though it's all definitely condemned on-page by Kate.
I also feel like the many parallel running plots could have been tied together a bit more neatly, with some parts not having much consequence in the long run and seeming kind of pointless - though who knows, there's another book in the series upcoming, after all.
Speaking of, I'm super excited for [b:Fire & Water|47822683|Fire & Water (Kate Kane, Paranormal Investigator #3)|Alexis Hall|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1570472343l/47822683._SY75_.jpg|72953764], which will tie closely into events of Shadows & Dreams.
I received an ARC and reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
Content warnings include: violence and death, graphic injury, semi-explicit sex on-page, kidnapping, past and ongoing relationships between a minor and someone of age, toxic family and friendship dynamics.
One of my favourite things about this series is Kate's humor. It's ever-present and while maybe not the most original for a novel with noir-vibes, I love her voice and being in her head, plus, really, a lesbian protagonist alone is already a vast improvement to most out of that genre.
I adored how the vast majority of power players are women, thought the amount of men in important roles is higher in Shadows & Dreams than in book 1, [b:Iron & Velvet|46284528|Iron & Velvet (Kate Kane, Paranormal Investigator, #1)|Alexis Hall|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1560489416l/46284528._SY75_.jpg|25492234].
Some of the iffy side things, like how Kate's ex is now together with another seventeen year old girl, or his toxic family dynamics, or the murder obsession with pretty much all of the paranormal world, could have been reflected more critically, though it's all definitely condemned on-page by Kate.
I also feel like the many parallel running plots could have been tied together a bit more neatly, with some parts not having much consequence in the long run and seeming kind of pointless - though who knows, there's another book in the series upcoming, after all.
Speaking of, I'm super excited for [b:Fire & Water|47822683|Fire & Water (Kate Kane, Paranormal Investigator #3)|Alexis Hall|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1570472343l/47822683._SY75_.jpg|72953764], which will tie closely into events of Shadows & Dreams.
I received an ARC and reviewed honestly and voluntarily.