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Showing posts with label Shadow Touch. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Shadow Touch. Show all posts

Saturday, January 23, 2016

Book Review: Shadow Touched (complete four novella series) by Erin Kellison

Shadow Touched
by Erin Kellison
“A dark and scrumptious treat.”—Alexandra Ivy

A darkness looms over humankind, lurks in mirrors, blurs boundaries—a twilight world ruled by powerful mage Houses.


It is bleeding into our world, bringing with it banshees, wraiths, fae from the twisting forests of Twilight. But Eleanor Russo’s problem is a very different kind of phenomenon. Her dark mirror image is a wild thing, willfully seducing the very man Ellie hoped could help her...

Dr. Cam Kalamos has devoted his career to exploring the boundaries between this world and Twilight. But nothing could prepare him for the mischief and mayhem of a soul split in two...

As Ellie and Cam explore their deepest desires and barely escape with their lives, there is only one certainty: Trusting in shadows is a dangerous game.

Includes the novellas “Shadow Touch,” “Shadow Play” and “Shadow Hunt,” plus the never before published “Shadow Burn.”

*fangirl squee* If you've read any of my reviews of Erin's Shadow books then you know how much I love her storytelling and writing style. First a little background on her Shadow book series. You can skip this part if you just want the review about the Shadow Touched novellas. I'm just going to explain how all three of Erin's series fit together.

background, you can skip this part
The Shadow series: Shadow Bound, Shadow Fall, Shadowman (series is complete)
-these books are about a place called Twilight, that lies between our world and the afterlife. All must pass through Twilight to get to heaven or hell. The magic in Twilight is called Shadow and it has started seeping back into our world. And with it, some pretty scary creatures called Wraiths. The books are about how the humans are dealing with this threat and some awesome romance between humans and fae/half-breeds.

The Shadow Kissed series: Fire Kissed, Soul Kissed, TBA (not complete)
-these books are about the Mages. When Shadow was part of our world long ago, Mages could use the Shadow and ruled...humans weren't treated very well. Then the Shadow was locked in Twilight and the Mages could no longer access it, but hid waiting for the magic to come back. Mages live in houses with a feudal like system and they don't like humans or half-breeds. The books are about mage society trying to rule again and bring Shadow back. Of course these are romances too and we get lots of forbidden love! Book one, Fire Kissed, has one of my all time favorite couples Jack and Kaye.

The Shadow Touched novella series: Shadow Touched, Shadow Play, Shadow Hunt, Shadow Burn (complete series)
-these stories are a bridge between the Shadow series and the Shadow Kissed series. The four novellas are a continuous story about Ellie and Cam's adventures. These stories are centered around the Segue Institute (set up by humans to study Shadow). This is where the Shadow world and the Mage world start to clash.

You can read the three series in any order and not be lost, they all stand on their own, but you might run into a small spoiler or two. If you want to read in order: The Shadow series, The Shadow Touched series, The Shadow Kissed series.

Review
Shadow Touch, the first novella was released June 2011. And I loved it. Then came the next two in 2012 and 2013. I had to wait till Jan 2016 to get the last installment, Shadow Burn. Now it wasn't that bad of a wait because each novella has a complete story and no cliff hangers. But lucky you! The whole  four novella series has been released at once.

I adore the Shadow world Erin has created. You know I like them dark and this one is definitely that, but don't worry...they have HEAs. Not only do I like the story, but I also love the way Erin writes. I've mentioned this many times, but Erin's novellas are the standard I measure all novellas too. You really do get a complete novel experience in 100 pages (give or take). I'll stop gushing now, but I did warn  you I was a fangirl...

The four Shadow Touch novellas are one continuous story. It is fast moving, action packed with a dark edge. The romance is sexy, dangerous and passionate. Cam and Ellie are naive about the Shadow world in the beginning, but they both get pulled in and changed (for the better? Not saying). While dealing with their own issues there is the threat of the Mages. Segue (where Cam and Ellie work) is now at war with one of the Mage houses.

Reviews:
Shadow Fall
Fire Kissed
Soul Kissed
Shadow Touch novella
Shadow Play novella


5 "shadow, not Shadow" Sheep





SharonS

About the author:
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Erin Kellison is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Reveler serial, where dreaming turns dangerous. She also writes the dark fantasy romance Shadow series and Shadow Kissed series. RT calls Soul Kissed, “a dark fairy tale with a twist, perfect for readers who love passion with their fantasy.” And this year she expands her science fiction romance Sol series.

Saturday, May 7, 2011

Me and My Shadow has a whole new meaning!

Shadow Touch, by Erin Kellison

What is it about a story that separates it from the rest of the pack? As a reviewer, I have to decide how many Sheep to give a book (you got to admit, Sheep are way cooler than stars). Reviews are like…er, bellybuttons! Everyone has one. What does it for me, might not do it for you. That being said, Shadow Touch was one of those stories where the author nailed it for me.

MAGIC

It is bleeding into our world, bringing with it banshees, wraiths, fae from the twisting forests of Twilight. But Elllie’s problem is a very different kind of phenomenon...

SHADOW

It ought to be attached to her; instead it has a life of its own. And her dark mirror image is a wild thing, willfully seducing the very man Ellie hoped could help.

SCIENCE

Cam has devoted his career to exploring the boundaries between this world and the Hereafter. But nothing could prepare him for the mischief and mayhem of a soul split in two.

SURRENDER

Erin Kellison is a new author to me. She writes the Shadow Series (Shadow Bound, Shadow Fall, and coming this Sept. Shadowman). Shadow Touch is a novella coming out in June 1st and is the start of a new series featuring the characters Ellie and Cam (swoon worthy male). Shadow Touch is not part of the central story arc of the Shadow Series, but it ties in with the overall series.

The premise of the story is brilliant: What would happen if your shadow could act independently? Our heroine Ellie’s personality was split in two at birth and her impulsive, instinctual human nature manifested in her shadow. She is starting to lose control of her shadow and in an attempt to get help, she meets Cam (swoon, again). Cam is a scientist at a secret research facility of paranormal phenomenon called the Segue Institute.

Cam recently started working at the Segue Institute and is obsessed with learning all he can about “Shadow”. Shadow is the word for Fae magic from Kellison's Shadow Series. Cam is a smart, good looking (Kellison pictures Ian Somerhalder as Cam because of the eyes), and an all around good guy. He is torn between achieving his lifetime goals or possibly throwing it all away to help a woman he just met. How sexy is that?

What bumps this story from 4 to 5 Sheep for me is the voice of the author. Kellison was able to pull me into her characters minds, and therefore the story, quickly and completely. I guess you can say she had me at “hello”. It is a wonderful feeling, I can feel and see Ellie in my head so clearly. There is one part in the story where Ellie explains how desperate she became to get rid of her shadow and my heart broke for her. When an author can touch me emotionally with her characters, that is when I give 5 Sheep.

I can’t wait to try out Kellison’s Shadow Series and learn more about the world she has created and the people who live there.

*One more little detail I loved; the character Laurence, OMG, I am also going to add a “squee” here too. I so want to read more about him ;)

Check out Erin Kellison's website

Pre-order her book Shadow Touch, it is only $1.29!! Yeah, you read that right!

5 shadowy Sheep!

SS