jmarmor94

If I could give this book more than five stars, I would. The Shadow Reader is well-written, action-packed, interesting, hard-core UF with an awesome (yes - I mean awesome) love triangle thrown in for good measure. McKenzie Lewis isn't anything special, other than the fact that she can see Fae, and more importantly, that she can trace their movements between Earth and the Realm (fairy land, or all intents and purposes). For the last 10 years, since she was 16-years-old, she has been working for the Kind of the Realm with his Sword Master, Kyol, tracing rebels and threats to the throne. Kyol is the embodiment of loyalty, honor and calm, cool control. Although the King forbids any hanky-panky between fae and humans, these two have been in love with one another for 10 years. Unfortunately for McKenzie, due to the aforementioned loyalty and honor, Kyol has never allowed himself to indulge in McKenzie, keeping her at an arm's distance for the last 10 years. For her part, McKenzie has stayed away from all other men, hoping one day that Kyol would chose her over his King. "I dedicated my life to my king. I should have dedicated it to you." See, there's an epic war going on between the Fae King and the rebel forces, and one day, the rebel leaders kidnap McKenzie. They either want her to work for them, or to tell them where certain gates are that will help them defeat the King. McKenzie is loyal to the King and to Kyol, and tries very hard to escape her captors. McKenzie, if nothing else, is stubborn and determined. Honestly, if I were the rebel faction, I would have killed McKenzie for the sheet number of times she tries to escape. But the rebel leader, Aren, has different plans for McKenzie. Nothing in the fae world is black and white. It's all varying shades of gray, open to each person's own perception. Aren wants to show McKenzie that the rebels aren't the "bad guys" and begins to teach her the fae language. Aren rescues and heals McKenzie every time she gets hurt, including a nasty compound fracture that had me wincing as I read. Aren soon turns his affections towards McKenzie, and a love triangle ensues. Both men are honorable, both men are strong and loyal, and both are hot as Hades! Kyol with his broad shoulders and thick, black hair, and Aren with his slimmer muscular body and tousled blond hair were excellent man candy. "Fine," he says, his words coming out breathless. "I'll save your precious sword master, McKenzie. But I will never, ever give you back to him." One of my favorite scenes in this book is the wedding reception scene, where Aren and McKenzie dance. It's such a sweet scene, that even an unromantic person my nature like me can see the romance and happiness in that moment, not to mention the gazowga! gift Aren gives to McKenzie. One of the most telling quotes in this book is: (view spoiler) Once McKenzie gets back to the palace in the Realm, she starts realizing that things aren't what they appear to be. McKenzie makes very difficult choices along the way. She is not an ass-kicking heroine, but she's very smart and uses her mind over any weapons she might find. She calculates each situation, even thinking she may have developed Stockholm Syndrome, and decides the best way to proceed. This novel is action packed. No decision or question is drawn out for too long. The love triangle is well-written, and although I eventually felt bad for one of the triangle members, the ending didn't break my heart. McKenzie has excellent reasons for her decisions and refuses to be swept under the rug any longer. There are surprising plot twists, especially with (view spoiler) I cannot put into words how much I LOVED this book. I will anxiously be awaiting book two in this series. I would recommend this book to any fans of UF. This book has a little of everything. A paranormal world, a smart heroine, an interesting love triangle and action throughout.

2022-10-29 03:39