Tuesday 15 May 2012

Review: The Shadow Reader - Sandy Williams


There can only be one allegiance. It’s her time to choose.

Some humans can see the fae. McKenzie Lewis can track them, reading the shadows they leave behind. But some shadows lead to danger. Others lead to lies.

A Houston college student trying to finish her degree, McKenzie has been working for the fae king for years, tracking vicious rebels who would claim the Realm. Her job isn’t her only secret. For just as long, she’s been in love with Kyol, the king’s sword-master—and relationships between humans and fae are forbidden.

But any hope for a normal life is shattered when she’s captured by Aren, the fierce and uncompromising rebel leader. He teaches her the forbidden fae language and tells her dark truths about the Court, all to persuade her to turn against the king. Time is running out, and as the fight starts to claim human lives, McKenzie has no choice but to decide once and for all whom to trust and where she ultimately stands in the face of a cataclysmic civil war.

Series: McKenzie Lewis #1, Genre: Paranormal romance urban fantasy, Pages: 307, Published: 2011 by Ace, Source: My own

My thoughts:

That is the world in general was good, and I like the idea of it all, but I fear I had higher hopes and I got disappointed.

Why was this? I have spent some time thinking (and I never think when i review) and here reason is simple, McKenzie. Look at her all kick-ass with a katana and, oh wait, she has no katana, she was certainly not kick-ass. She was a sheep. She did what people told her and she never questioned it. She let a man string her along since she was 16. She never fought in this book, she was meak. She was not even a damsell in distress, she was more a shadow of something. A follower.

Ok so would I have questioned things? Perhaps not, but 10 years is a long time to believe what others tell you, Fae who will not even let you learn their language. A man who tells you it's forbidden for Fae to be with humans. Did she believe all those "bad" Fae she hunted down was put in prison? Come on, that is just stupid, of course they would be killed and tortured. In this book she learns that other Fae tells their children if they are not good then she will come and get them. And she never knew this? So yes her sheep tendencies irritated me.

The men then, of course the rebel leader fall for her like at once. Does she? Did not feel it. And why did he fall when she was such a sheap? And then we have the guy who has strung her along since she was a kid, first, bad Fae! Still him I got, he was conflicted and all. But why she did not give up that I do not get. She got nothing from the relationship..not even sex.

Now I have spent paragraphs dissing her, but the book was still good. I enjoyed how the rebels fought the King. Learning more about the Fae world (would have wanted more). It was interesting and it was good.

Still..at times the storytelling felt a bit disconnected. Like I was hearing it from afar. Something still made this book good at times but when thinking back i just feel annoyed and that is not a good sign. When annoyance takes over. I did have it down as a 3 first, cos of the good parts, but now I just feel all meh.

Conclusion:
Make up your own mind, sadly I can't recommend it even if I liked some things. 

Cover:
Cool, but so not her.



55 comments:

  1. Hm. Based on the cover I would definitely be expecting someone along the lines of a Kate Daniels-type heroine, kicking butt and taking numbers and all that. It's disappointing that she's more of a follower than anything in this one!

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    1. She was very meh. I wanted her to be more kick-ass and when she is it's more of an accident. Not my kind of heroine

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  2. Hmm I really like the cover and was expecting a kick ass heroine :(

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Maybe some will think she is but then I just say.where?

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  3. Based on the cover I would have thought she was a stronger heroine too.

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    Replies
    1. She sure looks strong, oh well who could have known

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  4. The cover is pretty awesome! Too bad you can't even remotely recommend this to anyone! Bummer!

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    Replies
    1. It just fell really short for me, and I blame it all on McKenzie and the men who lust after her without having personalities

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  5. The cover rocks but from your description is not McKenzie at all so that's disappointing.

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    Replies
    1. The cover is so cool, even if it's a bit hey look at my butt ;)

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  6. Wow, I have so money book reviews to catch up on here. But I don't think that this a book that I'll be picking up. Based on your description, it sounds like the protagonist would annoy me too much.

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    1. The thing is, sure she annoyed me, but mostly I was just very meh towards her, and afterwards, then she started to annoy me

      Yup I have been active ;)

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  7. Bummer! That's always too bad when a book ends up not being the best. Luckily there are plenty more good ones out there to read!

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    Replies
    1. So many good ones out there, and so many books on my shelves :)

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  8. Bummer..I was so excited when I saw it was book one..LOL. Sorry it left you wanting...appreciate your thoughts!

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    Replies
    1. Lol, that sure is typical, here I finally got a book 1 for you and it left me wanting

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  9. I'm sucker for all things fae but the heroine doesn't sound good. And the cover gives whole other picture of her.

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    1. The Fae were cool, normal you know, not all are good, or all are evil. Just normal, but the rest of the book..eh

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  10. I like my heroines to be a bit more questioning and less sheepish! The cover is very pretty though...seeing as I alresdy have the book I will give a try at some point, but maybe not for a while...

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    1. I do hope you like it better. Honestly EVERYONE on my GR friendslist liked this book. I felt so very sad

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  11. Sorry you didnt like it. Too bad the heroine was weak. The cover is deceiving then.
    Thanks for the honest review, if a character isn't likeable, I diss them in my reviews too...lol.

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    1. It all sounded so good in the blurb, and the cover was so cool. But I was fooled by the pretty colors

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  12. "Meh" describes it really well! Loved your review, Blodeuedd. So true! She was definitely a follower. Follow Kyol, love Kyol when he lets her, follow Aren, feel for Aren when he lets her. Self-sacrificing for whoever is there to sacrifice herself for... There was just no character in her.

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    1. You sure said it so well in your review too. I was sure glad to find someone who felt the same about her. She was not my kind of heroine. I do not need her to be kick-ass, I just want her to think for herself

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  13. lol at 'spending paragraphs dissing her'.

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  14. aw boo. I'm sorry this fell short. The cover looked all so promising.

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    1. I know, maybe I was fooled by the petty colors

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  15. Replies
    1. *waves weakly back*
      But holiday tomorrow :D At least here

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  16. I'm surprised. I've heard good things about this one. I wonder if it gets better as the series goes. Sometimes that happens.

    She should have at least gotten sex. LOL

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    1. Everyone except for I liked it, so I am sure you could like it too. Since I seem to be in the minority. As for getting better, well guess we will see when the next one comes out.

      Lol, poor girl

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  17. Haha, I love the honesty of this review :-)

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    Replies
    1. Thanks :) Had to tell it like I saw it

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  18. Hmmm, see that cover thing. I know by the cover I'd expect more as well. Bummer. Thanks for the review.

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    1. I am easily fooled by a pretty cover. But then again the book did sound good and everyone else liked it

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  19. Even though I like this book I agree completely with you McKenzie was a sheep and follower. I wanted her to have more of a back bone. Hopefully she'll be a better heroine in next book.

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    1. Such a sheep and I do want to like my heroines. It was awful really and it made it go from I liked it to ok :/

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  20. Well, that sure is a big disappointment! I am very glad I have not yet bought this one. I need a strong heroine in my books.

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    Replies
    1. Me too, well not always, but at least I want them to be better then sheep

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  21. She is a Dallas author so I will be reading it (eventually). I am not a huge Urban Fantasy fan so I have been putting it off. Thank you for the fair and honest POV---I will see how I feel at the end :)

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    1. It's one of those one day books then :) And maybe you will like it better cos honestly it did not even feel like UF, it was more a pnr uf mix

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  22. I was kind of interested int his book but I was holding off because I'm never a fan of the Fae - your review pretty much makes my decision final to give it a pass.

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    Replies
    1. The Fae was actually the best part, the rest, not so much...and that makes me sad

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  23. I like my heroine's to be kick-ass so I think I'll be giving this one a miss :(

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  24. Yikes. The heroine sounds like one I wouldn't be able to support.

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  25. I wanted this book for the longest time because it got such a kick-ass cover... now, I guess I will be taking this book off my wishlist then... Thanks for sparing me the tediousness of reading a book that would probably irritate me to kingdom come!! :)

    ReplyDelete
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    1. It was just, arghh, not what I wanted! I could have taken it if she hadn't just been such a sheep. I would have been much happier if she had been a damsell in distress cos at least then she had a reason not to do anything

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  26. Oh. Not the heroine for me. She sounds hmmm...maybe young? No I don't have any excuses ready.

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    1. I..bleh, she wasn't even too young, she was like 26. >But I guess she did not act it

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  27. Hmm. The title intrigued me, but I have to connect with characters so I don't know if its for me. Thanks for honest review.
    Brandi from Blkosiner’s Book Blog

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    Replies
    1. Sometimes I just do not click and this was sadly one of those times. And the need to click is just too big

      Delete

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