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Thursday, February 11, 2016

Book Review: A Scarlet Fury (World in Shadows #2) by Bridget Blackwood

A Scarlet Fury (World in Shadows #2)
by Bridget Blackwood
January 20th 2016
by Booktrope Editions
Paperback, 208 pages
It has been almost a year since mankind became aware of the world in shadows. Where peace prevails, prejudice still lurks among the masses. Madalaina Bonvillian believed nothing could harm her; she's the daughter of the former alpha and the sister of the current one. She counted on her status to keep her safe. Little did she know how naive she was. After surviving a brutal attack, Madalaina must try to move forward, but where do you go when you feel like you've lost yourself? Cleary Neil has kept his feelings for Madalaina to himself. He's been nothing more than a friend to her, and now that's what she needs more than anything. The only problem is he can't shut off the part of himself that wants to protect his mate from the pain and confusion he sees in her. Together they will go on an emotional journey to find out if love can heal all wounds. Time is of the essence, because enemies are gathering.

Last month marked the re-release of A Scarlet Fury, the second installment in Bridget Blackwood’s Rising Shadows series. The series is an urban fantasy telling of paranormal creatures and their struggle for survival and, at times, dominance. Humankind has only recently become aware of the existence of supernatural beings and the reaction vacillates between acceptance and extreme aggression. 

I fell in love with this series after reading the re-release of book one, Rising Shadows and the following novella Winter’s Kiss. I found the characters thoroughly intriguing and the plot irresistible. Book two surrounds Madalaina Bonvillian, a female shifter from a high-profile ruling class-type family. At the beginning of the book, Madalaina is abducted by a group of rogue militant humans and consequently suffers horrific, brutal abuse. Unlike other stories featuring a daring rescue where, with a little TLC, the heroine quickly bounces back, Blackwood writes about a broken woman and her long and winding road to recovery.

Eventually, the book develops into a tender love story between Madalaina and Clearly Neil, the seemingly laissez-faire lion-man. The long-time friends struggle with new feelings that develop alongside Madalaina’s trauma and recovery. The love story is poignantly written.

Ultimately, A Scarlet Fury is a reflective book and Blackwood has written a responsible tale about violence and sexual assault. She does not gloss over the healing process or the ugly side of survival. As a reader, my objective is to read books that provide an entertaining escape from the realities of life. So in spite of its descent writing and character development, the book didn’t meet my personal criteria. It was a slow read for me, which, given the subject matter, was appropriate I suppose. For me, it was a little too real for an urban fantasy. Nevertheless, I’m invested in this series and look forward to more from the World in Shadows series.

4.5 Sheep Review: Rising Shadows (World in Shadows #1)

Three Sheep





Bianca Greenwood




About the Author:
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I'm a hopeless romantic and a sucker for love stories with a happy ending. I grew up in East Texas, where I met and married my high school sweetheart. Together we moved to Southern Illinois and have called it home for over a decade now.

The characters in my head are loud and bossy. I began writing down their stories in self defense. My first book, Rising Shadows, comes out on February 14, 2014, the first in a paranormal romance series called World in Shadows.

A social butterfly by nature, I love to talk. When I am not writing, I enjoys video games, going out for dinner so I don't have to cook, and laughing as much as possible. I am a big horror movie junkie, I watch gobs of them. I have an addiction to eye shadow, crazy hair colors, tattoos, and glitter.

At home, I'm a wife and mother of three children, Blackwood Boy, Ballerina Blackwood, and Baby Blackwood. I also claim my fur babies; a pug, a boxer, and four cats bent on world domination.

1 comment:

  1. I'm not sure, but I am glad you are enjoying this series.

    ReplyDelete