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A review by snarkymotherreader
Shadow Kin by M.J. Scott
4.0
The assassin known simply as shadow among the Blood and the Night World is sent to kill the one being that can trap her in the light – a sunmage, able to summon light to illuminate her darkness. And he is not just any sunmage, either, but the brother of a Templar warrior who doesn’t take kindly to being attacked in his own home. Instead of killing the would-be assassin, the sunmage offers sanctuary and an escape from her psychotic vampiric master.
Shadow Kin by M. J. Scott takes a dash of fantasy, a splash of romance, and a pinch of badass monsters and mixes it up into a highly-enjoyable historical urban fantasy. There isn’t anything particularly new about the mythos involved in the story, and the politics of vampires, shapeshifters and fae are pretty cut and dry, but I still found myself unable to put the book down. Shadow’s place in the Night World and her struggle to free herself from the chains that bind her tugged at my heart strings. Granted, there are a few “what do you think you’re doing?!” moments, but that’s to be expected in a character’s journey from flunky to free woman.
Simon, on the other hand, lives up to too many hero clichés. He has the perfect name for a Templar relative – I couldn’t quit thinking about Val Kilmer in The Saint – and exhibits all the classic traits of a Good Hero, but there are times he treats shadow poorly. Yes, she’s an assassin, she was sent to kill him, and she has a Deep, Dark Secret. I get that. But you don’t treat someone you claim to care about the way he does. This is a common occurrence in fantasy/paranormal novels with a love angle, so it didn’t diminish my enjoyment of the story.
I hope future books in the Half-Light City focus on some of the side characters I met along the way, especially Atherton and Guy. Out of all the creatures, killers, and warriors in this crazy/intriguing world, they caught my attention the most. Trust me, once you read Shadow Kin, you’ll understand why.
Shadow Kin by M. J. Scott takes a dash of fantasy, a splash of romance, and a pinch of badass monsters and mixes it up into a highly-enjoyable historical urban fantasy. There isn’t anything particularly new about the mythos involved in the story, and the politics of vampires, shapeshifters and fae are pretty cut and dry, but I still found myself unable to put the book down. Shadow’s place in the Night World and her struggle to free herself from the chains that bind her tugged at my heart strings. Granted, there are a few “what do you think you’re doing?!” moments, but that’s to be expected in a character’s journey from flunky to free woman.
Simon, on the other hand, lives up to too many hero clichés. He has the perfect name for a Templar relative – I couldn’t quit thinking about Val Kilmer in The Saint – and exhibits all the classic traits of a Good Hero, but there are times he treats shadow poorly. Yes, she’s an assassin, she was sent to kill him, and she has a Deep, Dark Secret. I get that. But you don’t treat someone you claim to care about the way he does. This is a common occurrence in fantasy/paranormal novels with a love angle, so it didn’t diminish my enjoyment of the story.
I hope future books in the Half-Light City focus on some of the side characters I met along the way, especially Atherton and Guy. Out of all the creatures, killers, and warriors in this crazy/intriguing world, they caught my attention the most. Trust me, once you read Shadow Kin, you’ll understand why.