Publication Date: 09/24/2013
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Inc.
Imprint: Pocket Books
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Pages: 416
ISBN-10: 1451672926
ISBN-13: 978-1451672926
(Received for an honest review from Pocket Books)
Purchase: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, IndieBound
Alexa Egan on the WEB: Website, News, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads
Books in the series:
Demon's Curse (2012), Shadow's Curse (2013)
Coverart: Click the image for a larger, clearer view of the covers in this series.
Excerpt from Shadow's Curse, courtesy of the author's website.
Synopsis:
Can the magic of desire defeat the powers of darkness?
Forced by her half brother to use her dark gift of necromancy for profit, lovely Callista Hawthorne is determined to flee to her one chance for safety, her aunt in Scotland. With no hope of success unless she finds help on the long road north, she offers cursed shapechanger David St. Leger an irresistible bargain.
David—one of the mysterious Imnada—stalks the night streets of Regency London as a large black wolf. Renounced by his own kind, he spends his desperate rage on thieves and murderers. While Callista’s proposal will allow him to escape the terrible enchantment binding him, agreeing to her terms will force him into the treacherous world of the half-Fey Other, his clan’s ancient foes.
Drawn together by danger, David and Callista find passion in each other’s arms. But can they forswear the centuries of enmity separating their two races, and find a love they dare not even imagine?
Thoughts:
Alexa Egan's second book in the Imnada Brotherhood series returns readers to Regency era England. But this isn't your typical ton. Historical meets the paranormal in Shadow's Curse and readers will be delighted. Egan's character development is excellent, as well as, her unique blending of genres. With everything from shape-shifters to necromancers readers will quickly fall under Egan's spell. Egan has a knack for writing uncommon heroes and heroines and decidedly wicked villains. Against the odds Callista and David fight for a new beginning and readers will be hanging on to their seats with his action packed paranormal romance.
Readers who have read the first book in the series, Demon's Curse will really love Shadow's Curse. The world of the Imnada Brotherhood and their ancient blood feud with the Fae is once again the center of attention. Shadow's Curse can definitely stand on it's own, but I think the reader loses a little bit of the background and immense world building. This is such an interesting take on shape shifting and the Fae and the enmity that Egan devises between them. This is a very original series and I think readers will appreciate the author's ability to take typical paranormal characters and give them a new and vibrant kind of story.
Mixing Regency historical characters with paranormal elements is not something new. Authors have been doing it for some time now and that produces a challenge for those who want to write something different. I think Egan showed that she could teach and old dog a few new tricks with this series, especially in Shadow's Curse. The shape-shifters in Egan's tale are indeed cursed with the affliction of turning into a wolf by the Fae. And in this book, we have the added character of the necromancer.
What's a necromancer, you ask? This is a paranormal character that uses magic to communicate with the dead. Some necromancer's raise the dead and control them but in Shadow's Curse, our heroine, Callista is just able to talk with the dead and use the knowledge she learns for good or evil. A medium in a sense. Her half-brother has been using her abilities for his own gain for a long time and now he trying to marry her off to someone who wants to further exploit her. I really felt for Callista because she really had nowhere else to go. When she finally flees she has to make a very long treacherous journey in order to start fresh. She's looking for a new beginning... That is the kind of character that readers get behind and want to see succeed.
The character development in this book was excellent. I felt like Egan takes Callista from a young girl to a young woman throughout the book. Putting her in so many different situations than she has ever faced before and showing how they changed her and helped her grow. The character of David was just as well fleshed out. David is a man cursed with no future. He roams the streets as wolf devouring those who would harm others, but he is slowing dying as an outcast from the Imnada. David is definitely an alpha male from beginning to end, but we see a lot of emotional growth in him as he tries to free himself from his curse, but still has to deal with his feelings for Callista who is a part of ancient blood feud with his people.
The deck was certainly stacked against these two characters but Egan finds a way to give them their happy ending. I liked the fact that there were so many obstacles to their relationship. Coming from Kentucky, I know a thing or two about feuds and I thought Egan did an excellent job of showing the deep hatred that festers between these two paranormal clans. This book has a kind of dark underlying tension in it that is just eerie and compels the reader to keep reading.
There were a few issues with Shadow's Curse but overall I did not think they took too much away from the story that Egan was telling. It starts out a little slow but patient readers will love where it takes them if they give it a little time. The transitions between the scenes were a bit jumpy from time to time but the reader can easily overlook these issues when they take in to account the wonderful world building and extremely well written characters.
I'm interested to see where this one goes. I'm also adding it to my keeper shelves. I highly recommend it to readers who like a little magic mixed in with their history.
Shadow's Curse is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.
I'm giving this one 4 out of 5 apples from my book bag!
About the Author:
Alexa Egan lives in Maryland with a husband who's waiting impatiently for her fame and fortune to support them in a new and lavish lifestyle, three children for whom she serves as chauffer, cook, nurse, social secretary, banker, and maid (not necessarily in that order), one cat, one dog...and twenty-seven fish. You can find her at her website AlexaEgan.com, on Facebook at Facebook.com/AlexaEganBooks, or on Twitter at Twitter.com/AlexaEganBooks.
Giveaway Details:
The publisher is sponsoring a giveaway for one copy of Shadow's Curse by Alexa Egan.
~ You must be an email subscriber to participate.
~ US Addresses only.
~ The deadline to enter this giveaway is Midnight EST, October 30th.
1. Please leave a comment describing another series that uses both paranormal and historical elements. Example: Lydia Dare's Westfield Wolves series. Regency + Paranormal
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8 comments:
Brooklyn Ann won me over with her debut novel Bite Me Your Grace. This was engaging, witty and an all around great read.
I love Lydia Dare's books, too! Another Regency paranormal series I enjoyed is Zoe Archer's Hellraisers books.
The Darkest London series by Kristen Callihan is another really good historical paranormal series.
I have enjoyed Kristen Callihan's series The Darkest London too.
Gail Carrigers Soulless series is a historical, paranormal steampunk, lol. It's a really good series. I can't wait for the spin off series.
Stephanie Luhr's series also uses historical and paranormal elements. It makes for a fun and interesting mix.
Necromancers...nice. I remember seeing book one and being curious. Now I will have to read both one and two!
As for historical with a dash of magic, Kiss of the Highlander. Time travel, hot man in a kilt...yeah. :)
Don't know any because don't really read them
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