 |
SHADOW
BLADE - Seressia Glass Simon & Schuster/Pocket Books February 2010 |
SYNOPSIS: The first novel in a thrilling new series featuring multiracial bounty hunter Kira Solomon. After Kira comes across an ancient dagger that belongs to Khefar, a 4,000-year-old Nubian warrior, the sexual tension between the two builds, and a sinister evil sets its sights on both of them.
URBAN FANTASY |3| LaTessa Montgomery
REVIEW: Shadow
Blade is book one in
the Shadowchasers series by Seressia Glass. The Shadowchaser lore is steeped in
the mythos of ancient Egypt and is definitely a fresh addition to the urban
fantasy market.
With Shadow
Blade, we are
introduced to Kira Solomon, a real “bad mutha shut yo’ mouth” Shadowchaser for
the Gilead Commission. Shadowchasers are the first and last defense the Light
has against the Fallen—those dark figures that prefer discord and chaos to
harmony and goodness. Kira’s public face is that of an antiquities expert where
she uses her “special gifts” to determine the origination of artifacts and to
detect and remove dark magic whenever possible. When a mysterious and very
powerful dagger is left in her safekeeping, Kira is faced with her toughest
challenge to date: a man claiming to me the dagger’s owner and a power agent of
Shadow determined to posses the blade.
Kira can handle herself in the face of danger without a dropping a bead of
sweat. And while her supernatural abilities help her excel at her job, it also
alienates her from other humans. I think the author does a great job showing how
being forced to live without one of the most basic comforts, one generally taken
for granted, can have an adverse affect on even the strongest of individuals,
forcing them to walk to very same line they fight to hold on a daily basis.
Khefar is strong, honorable and can hold his own in a fight. And while being
over four thousand years old comes with some privileges, nothing he’s ever faced
in the past has prepared him for Kira. The way he handles his differences with
Kira and stands with her shows the type of man he really is. Khefar is one of
those men you would love to have by your side.
Shadow Blade
is a fast paced story that takes place in Atlanta, GA. The setting paints a
picture and really grounds this story. But I’m still on the fence about this
series. Understanding this is book one, I realize it has to pull double, if not
triple, duty in setting up a new world, introducing a new cast of main and
supporting characters and resolving enough issues to deliver a satisfying
ending, while leaving enough threads exposed to pull us in deeper. For me,
Shadow Blade
raised way more questions than it answered. This left me not fully satisfied and
unable to connect with any of them beyond a surface level. I think the author
was trying to do so much, that there was just not room to flesh out one or two
of the main threads of the story more. I would have loved to understand the
world Kira is from, the basis of her magic, or the world she grew up in more. I
was also disappointed in the lack of connection I felt from Kira and Khefar.
While this is not a romance, it is very apparent that these two have feelings
for each. I only wish the author explored their relationship a bit more.
Overall, I would recommend this story to those that enjoy fantasy and paranormal
who are looking for a fresh tale. But be warned, you will walk away with way
more questions than were answered in this volume.
reviewer@romanceincolor.com | 1st March 2010