Shadow Moon (Unbidden Magic, #4)

Apr 09, 2012 Lissa & Alexa The Novel Lasses rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Young Adult Reader of Paranormal Romance

Recommended to Lissa & Alexa by: A NetGalley Review

Synopsis :

Allie Emerson is hoping for a few quiet months to catch her breath after a summer that included the discovery she is not only a twin and of faery blood, but also destined to play a pivotal role in faery world. School has barely begun when Allie must kiss her hope of a normal year goodbye.

She can't escape her unfinished business with the fae, the Trimarks, or Junior Alvarez, who is making it clear he plans to win her back. Signs, portents and whispers are pushing Allie to "find the gir...more
Synopsis :

Allie Emerson is hoping for a few quiet months to catch her breath after a summer that included the discovery she is not only a twin and of faery blood, but also destined to play a pivotal role in faery world. School has barely begun when Allie must kiss her hope of a normal year goodbye.

She can't escape her unfinished business with the fae, the Trimarks, or Junior Alvarez, who is making it clear he plans to win her back. Signs, portents and whispers are pushing Allie to "find the girl" before it's too late. Hoping her twin can help her solve the riddle of their destiny, Allie uncovers old secrets and begins a cross-country journey that puts her in more danger than ever before. If she succeeds, she may just find the answers that can save everyone she loves.

Lissa Reviews

I thought Moon Spun was full of adventure and excitement then I moved on to Shadow Moon. The added mix of danger from our own government added to mix of already supernatural danger and Brothers’ play on government conspiracies was an expected yet unexpected, twist. What was once thought to be story filler tuned into full blown storyline. I can’t think of one thing I didn’t like about the newest installment other than it ended on cliff hanger that has me wanting to hunt down the author and beg for ARC of next installment.

The plot is so engrossing you can’t look away. Allie after finding out she has a twin, also has a evil looking fae who pops in and out at the oddest times. She has an encounter with a fae posing as a preacher who has evil motives at Kizzy’s. While checking him out she meets Sammie who she has a psychic connection to. Allie also gets suspended from school right before the holiday. Though she is vindicated in the by none other than Nicole it opens the path for her to search for her sister. Along for the ride is none other than Junior, Faye and Sammie. What started out as a mission to find her twin and save the world, ends in fight for her life and Sammie’s’?

I was a little disappointed again that Beck didn’t get much page time other than a phone call here and there. Yet I was also glad; it was one relationship I didn’t see working out with succubus side.

Where in the past Junior had lost favor with me he gained a lot in this installment. I expect to see the relationship between Junior and Allie blossom in the coming installments.

We didn’t see much of Ryker in this installment either. His love talker side leads me to think there may be some kin between him and Beck. The two sides seem so close. However in the end his hawk feather comes through.

We are introduced to Sammie, although she has a connection to Allie when they first meet it is not until the very end they both realize how close that connection truly is.

My final thoughts, it you haven’t already began to read the series… it’s never too late to start. There is a little something for everyone. I can’t wait to see wt Brothers’ weaves together next for Allie and her band of merry misfits.

Disclosure: I participate in reviews with Netgalley and an e-copy was provided to me by Netgalley and/or the publishers. No payment was received by me in exchange for this review. There was not any obligation to write a positive review. All opinions expressed here are entirely mine and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, the book's publisher and publicist, or the readers of this review. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
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Aug 08, 2012 Vanya D. rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012, paranormal-urban-fantasy

The final book from the Moonstone bundle. It was better than Moon Spun, because it actually made some sense. But still, it could've been improved.

I didn't really like the constant repeating what had happened in the previous installments every time a character's name was mentioned. Sometimes that was done every time a character was mentioned, and it really got me rolling my eyes.

But there was lots of Junior, new mysteries, and finally there was some moving forward. We weren't stuck in faery lan...more

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Feb 26, 2013 Gaele rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: net-galley, review-reads, tours

In this, the fourth in the series: we are returned to the more “normal” life of Allie – working her way through the puzzle, and getting herself out of scrapes, usually of her own making. Also, Allie seems to find a bit more of herself in this installment, while the continual changes, questions, action and incessant attention from a flurry of boys seem to occasionally get her down, even as readers may find that exhausting.

With a new mystery to uncover, and a missing sister to find as part of the...more

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May 09, 2012 Sara Thompson rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley

With the final book coming out this summer, Netgalley had an offer for their reviewers – all four of the current books of the Unbidden Magic Series as one long e-book. The number of pages was daunting but that didn’t stop me from burning through the books in a matter of days. Allie is just a normal girl trying to survive what life has offered her. She lives with her mother in a travel trailer on a piece of her mother’s step-brother’s land. Her mother was suffering from a mysterious illness that...more

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May 08, 2012 librariantracy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley, paranormal, ya, ya-clean, 2012-reads

I received the first 4 books of the Unbidden Magic series from NetGalley (thanks NetGalley!) as a nice tidy bundle, and I have to say that if they weren't in a bundle I probably wouldn't have continued on to the second book. Here's a little peek at my thoughts on each of the books in the series:

(view spoiler)...more I received the first 4 books of the Unbidden Magic series from NetGalley (thanks NetGalley!) as a nice tidy bundle, and I have to say that if they weren't in a bundle I probably wouldn't have continued on to the second book. Here's a little peek at my thoughts on each of the books in the series:

(view spoiler)[
Moonstone
Allie lives with her loser of a mom in a camper on her step-uncle's property. Mom is on welfare and drunk a lot of the time. Dad left before Allie was born. Allie finds out she has special powers, and then her neighbor, Kizzy, gives her the Moonstone. She discovers she is part of a secret group of people called the Star-Seekers. And there is another group of people called the Trimarks who are out to get the Moonstone from her. Bad things start happening and when Allie takes off running from school to check on Kizzy, flinging her flip flops off and running barefoot on rocks, Junior Martinez (a dude so hot that he goes on to become a movie star) picks her up, goes back for her shoes, and takes her to her destination. Oh, and suddenly becomes her love interest. Because that's how things happen - dudes you never talked to before just happen to skip out of school when they see you running from class and offer to drive you wherever you need to go.

Allie's mom gets kidnapped and Allie saves the day by using her TKP (telekinetic powers - and remember what that stands for because the initials will be used over and over without an explanation for those who have forgotten it).

I dug most of the plot and thought it was going in a unique direction - not another Twilight wannabe. But, the romance bit and the portrayal of the mom really turned me off. Yet, I read on...

Moon Rise
After a fight with the Trimarks in Moonstone, Allie can't get her powers to work. Until she hooks up with hot new dude Beck (part lust demon, of course!), who manages to cure her and win her heart at the same time. Junior has run off to Mexico to star in a spanish soap opera. For reals! There is a bit of a mystery shaping up about Allie's grandmother, but we won't find out more about that until the next book. In the meantime, Allie's mom finally starts shaping up and almost acts like a mom sometimes.

Oh, and this time Allie gets kidnapped and Beck saves the day (along with his sister - who is also half-demon and is capable of astral travel).

Moon Spun
Because being a star-seeker in love with a demon (half-demon, really) isn't enough, Allie discovers that her grandmother (Faye's mother) was a forest faery who fell in love with her grandfather and tried to live in the mortal world but eventually left to return to Boundless (faery-ville). So, Allie happens to be part-faery. And apparently very important to the faeries due to her faery/starkeeper/magical abilities. Since this is the third book, we must bring in a third love interest: Ryker the faery. And not only is he a faery, but he's a "love-talker" - kinda like a lust demon (remember Beck?), but faery instead. Except that his love-talking capabilities don't seem to work on Allie. But that doesn't matter to him because he plans to "woo" her. Plus, she's kinda been promised to him anyway by her grandmother. Ya know - arranged marriage and all. Anyhoo, things aren't going well in Boundless, but Allie makes it all better by working out a deal with Luminata (head honcho) and promising to come back in 8 years (when she's done with high school and college and grad school and whatnot). Oh, and the principal's son is a changeling and Allie's grandmother manages to return him to Boundless and bring back the real kid who was taken years ago. Oh yeah, and Allie has a twin sister. FOR REALS!

Shadow Moon
Allie has been told that she must find her twin sister in order to save the world. So she does some poking around. Conveniently, the nurse who took care of Kizzy way back in Book 1 is nice to Allie and helps her out. It just so happens that the nurse who delivered Allie is still alive but has Alzheimer's. But that doesn't stop us! She has a photo album with all of the babies she delivered, sorted by date. Nice nurse lady also manages to help Allie figure out who bought her twin sister from her grandfather while her mom was out of it. And even checks personnel records to give Allie the social security number. And Allie's best friend's boyfriend is awesome with computers and manages to find out what baby stealer's new name is, baby's new name and where they live. Junior comes back into Allie's life just in time to help her make the road trip to CA to find her sister. Oh and Allie makes friends with a homeless chick and they happen to be able to read each other's minds. The three of them and mom (Faye) take off on the ultimate roadtrip to find Allie's sister (and Faye's daughter). She turns out to be a snooty snot raised by a Trimark who stole the wrong twin (should have stolen Allie). And she sends the twin off to someplace where she can't be found. But that's okay, because Allie notices that she has an extra line on her lifeline that intersects with it at some point. Which to those of us in the know, confirms that homeless chick is Allie's sister. Or at least is the person Allie needs to help save the world (not clear on this part, but whatever - it doesn't really matter much). Allie and homeless chick (Sammie), get kidnapped by some government people who are trying to use people with paranormal abilities to fight the war on terror. But really it seems it must have something to do with the Trimarks because the head trimark bad guy happens to be at the place where they are held. But that's okay because Allie has the feather from Riker the love-talker faery who can turn into a hawk and caresses the feather while asking for help. And she's rescued by another faery, who takes her to a skylight where she uses the moonstone to stop time (another trick of hers) and escape. And when she goes to make time start back up again, she realizes that there is a spot in Sammie's locket where the moonstone fits and OMG - Sammie's the girl she needs to save the world!
(hide spoiler)]

All in all, I think teen girls interested in paranormal stuff would find this series intriguing. It's clean, with just a hint of romance. It has a sarcastic, strong heroine and ultimately draws you in with the action. So, with that said, I'll be waiting for book number 5 to come out so that I can find out how this all ends.(less)

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Apr 12, 2012 Mandi Kaye Ottaway rated it 3 of 5 stars

Reviewed at http://www.mandikayereads.com/archive...

Okay, moment of truth.

I have to admit that while I find these books so utterly and completely ridiculous and over the top, I can't put them down when I'm reading one.

That says a lot.

I don't know what it is about these books, quite honestly.

This installment was better than the others- it wasn't quitethe three ring circus that was going on in previous books. There's no new guy- though I thought there would be for a moment there. There's no trip t...more

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Mar 28, 2012 Charlotte Black rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: reading-romances-challenge, arcs

Shadow Moon affirmed everything that I loved about this series so far. Allie Emerson has grown up so much since Moonstone and she proves so many times that she's now a force to be reckoned with. And woe betide anyone who steps in her way. In the beginning she was meek but with a little attitude, and now she's full on 'don't mess with me!'.

The characters in the series all play their parts, and its Junior, her love interest in the first book, that comes to her rescue this time. The trimarks have i...more Shadow Moon affirmed everything that I loved about this series so far. Allie Emerson has grown up so much since Moonstone and she proves so many times that she's now a force to be reckoned with. And woe betide anyone who steps in her way. In the beginning she was meek but with a little attitude, and now she's full on 'don't mess with me!'.

The characters in the series all play their parts, and its Junior, her love interest in the first book, that comes to her rescue this time. The trimarks have involved a cult religious group and scour towns to bring in new followers. When they arrive at Peacock Flats everyone in Allie's confidence can tell somethings not right about them. Even Nicola, twin to Allie's ex boyfriend Beck, wants to find out what their plans and how they mean to rid the world of supernatural and demonic forces.

Ryker's gone back to faery land, Beck is still away at college (they're now 'justfriends') but Junior decides he's had enough of his TV stardom and settles back into town. He backs up Allie's decisions and becomes her voice of reason, and even wins Allie's mum over in the end.

While Allie is worrying about the new cult, a special government agency pop into town too to recruit Allie. But she proves she's got a good head on her shoulders and checks up with her FBI source, and with the help of her father (part faery) she discovers they may have ulterior motives.

But the main adventure in this book is Allie's quest to find her unknown twin sister. With the help of Sammie (who she meets telepathically at the cult show), her mom and Junior they visit California to pay a visit. But the trip dooesn't go as planned at all and with disasterous repercussions.

This really has been an exciting series so far. In the beginning I was dubious. I thought it would be a little too young for me but I've laughed and been thoroughly entertained throughout. Book 5, the last in the series is being written right now and I hope Allie finally can put the past behind her and find a bit of happiness.(less)

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Mar 01, 2012 Donna rated it 5 of 5 stars

I could not put this book down. The only bad part about this book is that it ended! I'm literally left hanging....What happens to Allie? I have a thousand different visions of how this is resolved in my head. I know Marilee Brothers is such an amazing author, none of my visions will be correct. She will come up with something unique and exciting!
This is the most current book in an incredible series. A truly unique series of paranormal beings. A believable heroine, full of teenage doubts and, at...more

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Mar 02, 2012 Christina Boulard rated it 3 of 5 stars

Sadly, this book isn't as strong as the second or third, although it is still shades better than the first.
We tenderly say goodbye to one character (although I have a feeling that it may not be the last time we see them), and we're introduced to others...one in particular that I absolutely love.
There is a twist that I saw coming, but it's a nice twist nonetheless.
The plot isn't as strong and, for me at least, not as interesting or thrilling as the previous books. It seemed disjointed and awkward...more

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Feb 29, 2012 Rhonda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shadow Moon by Marilee Brothers
4 STARS
Well I now have read the first 4 books in the Moonstone series I have learned their is a 5 and that will be the end. Hope it comes out soon can't wait to read it.
The story lines keep your attention and I did not want to stop reading the book.
Allie has found out she is a twin and sets out to find her twin. She has been told to find the girl and save the world by summer solist.
A fae is showing up and only Allie and her father can see him.
Junior is back for t...more

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Mar 12, 2012 Shiloh (SnarkyWriter) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult, netgalley

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Bell Bridge Books provided me with a free copy of this book for review purposes.

Allie just found out she has a twin sister, and that the twin is necessary to her mission to save the world from Trimarks. So she goes searching for her twin, aided by Junior a new friend. But instead, she gets captured, nearly killed, and discovers that her twin isn't the girl who will help her.

The second and third books in this series were a bit slumpy, but this one picked back up and fixed a few of the issues that...more Bell Bridge Books provided me with a free copy of this book for review purposes.

Allie just found out she has a twin sister, and that the twin is necessary to her mission to save the world from Trimarks. So she goes searching for her twin, aided by Junior a new friend. But instead, she gets captured, nearly killed, and discovers that her twin isn't the girl who will help her.

The second and third books in this series were a bit slumpy, but this one picked back up and fixed a few of the issues that I had with the other books. So I'm trying something new with this review: I'll show you the issue I had, then how this book fixed it.

I'm not sure I like that the Trimarks are Born to Be Evil and the Star Seekers are Born to Be Good. In this book, we discover that the Trimarks are actually part Unseelie faery. THAT I can live with. They're not entirely people, and the part that isn't people is traditionally evil. I wish we'd learned this earlier.

I found the excuse for getting rid of Junior--he's been cast in a Mexican soap opera! As one does--kind of flimsy and Allie's quick, almost eager, bounce to Beck as her love interest rather jarring and sudden. I'm still a bit grouchy about the way Allie bounces from guy to guy in each book, but at least this time she bounces back to Junior. And his fame and money do help out quite a bit in this book.

The entire Faerie (or, as it's called here, Boundless) episode was a radical tonal shift for the books, which have for the most part been pretty down-to-earth (as down to earth as an urban fantasy novel can be). I'm growing to like the faerie aspect better, mostly because it explains a lot, though I think the less time Allie spends in Boundless, the better.

[Allie's guardian angel]seemed like a useless piece of plot that could easily have been left out. I stand by this one. She pops up again (for the last time, apparently) in this book, but doesn't really add anything; Allie already knows everything she has to tell her.

Generally, I wish the faerie thing had been included earlier, possibly even in the first book. Throwing it in as late as the third one was a bit head-spinning, and it took me a few chapters into the fourth book to get my feet back under me. The pacing of all four novels is a bit slow at first, then flies into breakneck speed through the last few chapters; I think that could have been a bit better.

I'm glad the fourth book picked back up after the slumpiness of the second and third ones, and I bet the next few books continue to get better.
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Mar 03, 2012 Farrah rated it 2 of 5 stars

This is going to be a review of the first four books.

Okay so, this series started out with a lot of promise. It was an interesting concept with a tough, relate-able lead. The first books was full of potential. The writing was smooth, the characters were interesting and the plot was exciting. The only problems were slightly one-dimensional characters (Junior and Allie's two friends were very flat; they seemed to serve very little real purpose.) and a somewhat predictable plot (It follows the form...more

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Mar 25, 2013 Jonel Boyko rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: blog-review, series-to-follow, loved-it

I don’t know how Brothers keeps coming up with so many new ideas to put in her books. She never reuses ideas from one book in the series to the next. That said, all of the books flow into one another very nicely and all of the characters and settings stay remarkably consistent.

Brothers’ impeccable writing is out in full force again with this step in the saga. She works her immaculate descriptions throughout everything in the novel. Each and every section of the novel has descriptions and backgr...more

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Mar 09, 2012 Daniela rated it 4 of 5 stars

Book four of the Unbidden magic series finds the reader back with Allie, hoping to have some rest.

But once again she is overwhelmed with new information and tasks to be done: She discovers she has a twin, has to find the girl to make her half whole to save the world from dark fae and all this in only a few month...

Junior is back in town and faithful as ever, helping her find her twin and accompanying her on her quests.

Across the state they are once again encountering menacing Trimarks, who they...more

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Jul 17, 2012 Nikki (The Bibliomaniac) rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: YA Readers

Recommended to Nikki (The Bibliomaniac) by: Netgallery

School starts and Cory is back from boot-camp. He's hot and he's not an A-hole any more. Junior has returned (Yay!)between movies. Her dad has returned with info from Ireland and the Tuatha De Danann, from which he is descended from. They both are being protected by Teagan, a fae from the Tuatha Court. And we meet Sammie, who is traveling with/being used by Jessie (a dark fae) and Kizzy's daughter for food and shelter.

She is getting messages from The Trimarks, Trilby, and Fae to find the girl....more

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May 21, 2012 Tina (yAdultReview) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-books, paranormal, ya, arc-netgalley

Originally published at Nose in a Book

I didn’t even remember that Allie had a twin. Oops. Shows you how much I disliked the last book’s fairy plotline. Oh well. I liked this one much more right off the bat. For one, Junior is back. We also don’t seem to be too immersed in Fairyland this time around. Weird things are happening again–a creepy fairy is acting as Allie’s guardian angel and the government has managed to find out information about the moonstone. Allie has to be on the lookout for Trim...more Originally published at Nose in a Book

I didn’t even remember that Allie had a twin. Oops. Shows you how much I disliked the last book’s fairy plotline. Oh well. I liked this one much more right off the bat. For one, Junior is back. We also don’t seem to be too immersed in Fairyland this time around. Weird things are happening again–a creepy fairy is acting as Allie’s guardian angel and the government has managed to find out information about the moonstone. Allie has to be on the lookout for Trimarks and the government in this one. She’s searching for her twin sister, plus she has all the other Purdy-related family drama to deal with. Since I assume this is the last book, things should start coming to a head soon.

Despite not being immersed in fairies, we do meet a new one, namely Jessie, a dark fae dating Kizzy’s horrible daughter, Carmel. So it looks like Allie’s on the run from the dark fae as well. The Trimarks are planning another uprising, so Allie has to move fast. I was slightly horrified by the addition of stereotypical Irish mannerisms being added to the stereotypicality of Brothers’ Hispanic characters, so excuse me if I indulge in a little written eye-rolling. Ireland is a really tired location for urban fantasy. We get it, Ireland is magical and fairies and druids and omg Celtic Wicca, but seriously, as someone whose grandfather emigrated from Ireland, I just want it to stop. Let’s go to, like, Croatia or something. Anywhere but Ireland.

Luckily, we don’t dwell on Ireland for too long. Allie spends most of this book learning about and trying to locate her twin, Anne Marie Scott. She recruits Junior and a runaway named Sammie tags along as well. I had my suspicions about Sammie right off, but she was a welcome addition to the Allie-Faye-Junior parade. When things finally start getting real, I found I really enjoyed this one. It brought Allie back to who she was in the first book, and the story was smoother as well.

So, in all, I enjoyed this series. It’s just as good as most other paranormal YA series out there, and I’ve certainly seen worse. I’d check this one out if you liked and read the first three. Marilee Brothers commented at the blog to let us know she's writing the fifth, and last, book now, so we're almost done with Allie's story!(less)

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Mar 29, 2012 Julie-anne rated it 4 of 5 stars

The good thing is, the whole every-boy-loving-Allie thing has calmed down. It's all about Junior in this book, which is a major plus 'cos I liked Junior from the start. I thought Allie may have ended up with Beck but that thing sailed a while ago.

This time around we see Allie search for her sister and try to get her help in saving the world, bit of a big thing to put on someone's shoulders on your first meeting. Of course, in Allie style, nothing goes to plan. More Trimarks appear, dark faes tur...more

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Mar 28, 2012 Jenn of Frequent Reader, Infrequent Blogger rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: e-pub, own, young-adult-novels, review-written

RECEIVED FROM: Net Galley For Review

***NOTE MY REVIEWS OFTEN CONTAIN SPOILERS***

Allie seems to have straightened out her relationship problems, but when government agents who know about the Moonstone come knocking at her door, she’s in for a whole new kind of trouble. Like she needs this when she’s in the middle of finding her long lost twin and trying to stop a Tri-Mark prophecy from basically ending the world. And just to make her life even more exciting Carmel has a new boyfriend, he’s an Uns...more RECEIVED FROM: Net Galley For Review

***NOTE MY REVIEWS OFTEN CONTAIN SPOILERS***

Allie seems to have straightened out her relationship problems, but when government agents who know about the Moonstone come knocking at her door, she’s in for a whole new kind of trouble. Like she needs this when she’s in the middle of finding her long lost twin and trying to stop a Tri-Mark prophecy from basically ending the world. And just to make her life even more exciting Carmel has a new boyfriend, he’s an Unseelie in the disguise of a cult like preacher bent on turning everyone against people with paranormal abilities. With obstacles at every turn, does she even have a chance of succeeding this time?

When the book opened it seemed the Allie had yet another guy in her life when she goes to the Winter formal with Corey Philpot and I swear I thought I was going to scream. Fortunately it was a onetime date while Junior was out of town and kind of because Corey has changed. Brothers quickly eliminates this involvement when she turns Corey into only a friend and set him up with another girl soon after. She also settles a lot of the other romantic upheaval as well. Beck has moved on, they’re friends, they care about each other but they’re not together. Ryker is in boundless, he’s still convinced he’s betrothed to Allie, but is content to wait until she returns eight years hence. Junior is what I’d guess you’d call a nonexclusive boyfriend. Fortunately none of these relationships, since there’s now so many it’s hard to keep track, are the focus of this novel. All of the guys are background in this novel and while we get a scene or so with each of them, more so with Junior than the others, they’re clearly secondary characters here, not a focus.

However plot originality is still an issue in this novel like it was in the last. Basic plot points in this book are like a cross between Stephen King’s Firestarter (the movie not the book since I can’t read King, he’s too verbose to keep my attention) and The Lying Game (the television show, not the book because I haven’t had the chance to read that yet). We’ve got the long lost twin she doesn’t know about and yes one of the twins is filthy rich while the other is dirt poor. And yes the rich twin is shallow, selfish and vain, just like that television show. And then Firestarter in with the government division tracking down people with paranormal abilities and not taking no for an answer. Oh yeah those well known plots are very big parts of this story and while I’ve never been one who needs a completely original plot, if you’re going to use a well known plot you have to own it and make it original enough that you may be able to make comparison between that book an others but you aren’t pretty sure what’s going to happen in the current story because of the one it’s pulled from. So yeah my main issue is the one listed above, this series started out with some good originality, and now it’s sliding into used plots just to keep it going. However these aren’t the only plot lines in the book. She’s got a lot of things going on here at once. There’s the religious cult led by the evil guy plot and then finding the girl to unite the stone and of course save the world from the Tri-Marks who are now by the way part of the Unseelie court, something than was wondered about in the last novel and has somehow become confirmed in this novel. Both issues are related but they kind of have separate storylines all the same. While we receive a good story arc on some of the plot lines she’s got going in this book, Brothers is clearly setting up a larger story arc that will hopefully be completed in the next book because they ending leaves tons of questions and is in many ways open. The story remains in a fast paced, first person narrative, and it actually well written and interesting despite my complaints above.

The characters are mostly ones we already know and while she does give some of the well known characters more depth in this story, like Mike for example the major character development occurs in the new characters like Teagan and Sammie who are fairly well developed. One thing I will say is that she had so many characters going in this novel I started to get a little confused. Probably because a lot of the names begin with the letter A. So in scenes where we haven’t seen a character in a while I had to go back and figure out just who the person was. For example the scene on the road where Angela comes to the car window, I thought it was the sister not the government agent and it took me a bit to figure out who she really was. Each book seems to bring in so many new characters that it is getting hard to keep some of the minor ones straight.

Overall it’s not a bad book and fans of young adult paranormal fiction will probably enjoy it. Again I don’t think it was one of Brothers’ best, but the larger open ended story arc in this novel leaves me with high hopes for the next one in the series. (less)

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Mar 14, 2012 Chibineko rated it 3 of 5 stars

First let me give a disclaimer. I am not as happy with the series as I initially was with it. Yet somehow I can't deny that Brothers has an almost magical irresistibly addicting writing style. Despite my vocal gripes, I ended up not being able to walk away from this book.

First the good. Allie is still endearing and the plot brings in some rather interesting elements. I liked the idea of a road trip and I enjoyed the introduction of some of the new characters, namely the character of Sammie. The...more

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Apr 04, 2012 Michelle rated it 2 of 5 stars

I read the first four books in the Unbidden Magic Series at once. To review them, I wrote a mini review of each book followed by an overall review of the complete series. For the full review of all four books, see Chronicles of a Book Evangelist.

Mini Review:

Shadow Moon frustrated me so much as a reader. Allie has developed as a character, and by this point she feels real. However, Brothers seems to have completely lost control of her plot and world at this point. She spends most of the book cha...more I read the first four books in the Unbidden Magic Series at once. To review them, I wrote a mini review of each book followed by an overall review of the complete series. For the full review of all four books, see Chronicles of a Book Evangelist.

Mini Review:

Shadow Moon frustrated me so much as a reader. Allie has developed as a character, and by this point she feels real. However, Brothers seems to have completely lost control of her plot and world at this point. She spends most of the book chasing red herrings and focusing on plot distractions, while characters and events that are integral to the progression of the series arc are barely even mentioned. In fact, Shadow Moon begins with such an info-dumpy barrage of new information - treated as if it is old news - that I at first thought I had mistakenly skipped a book!

Series Overall:

Do not read this portion if you do not want to be spoiled. Okay? Okay.

(view spoiler)[Marilee Brothers' Unbidden Magic series has real potential. She generally starts off a little rough, but once set gets comfortably settled in a book her style is quirky, playful and fun. She has created a lot of interesting and compelling characters. However, I think she gets a little carried away with the drama at times, causing her to lose control of her plot as well as the structure of her world. Some larger issues that I have:

1. Boys are not paper plates. (Forgive me if this comparison is profoundly redneck in nature, but it was inspired by the characters.) Let me explain. Marilee Brothers treats her male leads like Chinet paper plates. They are study enough that you can count on them. They are nice enough that you aren't ashamed to be seen with them. In a real pinch, you can wash or brush them off and still reuse them. BUT, at the end of the day, you're still going to throw them away. Junior, Beck and Ryker were each interesting in their own ways, but ultimately never more than fancy cardboard. They come and go for reasons that defy any explanation other than than Brothers wanted a new lead.

2. It is not a good idea to change the basic design of your world halfway through a series. WHERE did the fairy stuff come from? I mean really. There is absolutely NO foreshadowing in the previous novels to account for the 'big reveals' of Moon Spun. This is where planning for the story arc of the series at the beginning would really help out.

3. Along the same lines, Don't redefine characters mid-series unless they develop into something new. Good for Cory that he got over his scary, racist, bullying ways...off screen, in a single summer, at a special camp, and now is in love with Allie...huh? If something this big happens in a series, the reader should probably be shown, especially if it is going to require suspension of disbelief to this magnitude. Also, what is the opposite of character assassination? Spontanious redemption? Because that is what happens with Allie's mom. "Oh, no. She actually wasn't an immature, selfish alcoholic faking a disability to cheat the government out of SSI! She's really a fairy in constant physical and emotional pain caused by a combination of her metal trailer house and her mean, mean dad. She's a caring and involved mom deep down." What?

4. I get you bad guys are bad - they don't have to be single handedly responsible for every hangnail and genocide in the world for me to believe you. This quote really ruffled my feathers:

"The Trimarks have devoted their lives to chaos and evil, hoping to profit as a result. They were at the crucifixion of Christ, the Nazi death camps, the Kennedy assassination, Hurricane Katrina. One can only imagine what might happen if they get their hands on the moonstone."

So, was that Bobby or John? Or both? Katrina and death camps, huh? That's some pretty diverse talents. It just felt a little insulting to the magnitude of real suffering that each of these casually-tossed-out events truly represent. Events that have affected history so profoundly should never be so cheeply used.

5. Don't mix mythologies unless you can explain how they work together. Reading the Unbidden Magic series sometimes felt like sitting in the middle of the religion and spirituality section of a bookstore scanning titles: Christianity! Fairies! Tarot! Angels! Shamanism! Crystals! Demonology! Except here, unlike in the bookstore, they are all presumed to be true at the same time without explaining how conflictin ideologies worked together.

I think Marilee Brothers definitely has talent, and she can write an interesting book. The Unbidden Magic series is entertaining once you get into it, but it is ephemeral. I think that if she could exercise a little more control over her world building and plot while maintaining her interesting writing style, she could create some really great books. I will probably read the next book (also, I believe, the last?) because, at this point, I am four books in and want to know how it ends. I would recommend the Unbidden Magic series to avid readers who really like paranormal young adult and need something new. However, I don't think it would work for the discerning reader who carefully chooses what they consume. (hide spoiler)]

Thanks to Bell Bridge Books for the Review Copies(less)

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Mar 20, 2012 Jennifer rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley, review, favourites

Well, now I have to go cry in the corner because this was my last Unbidden Magic book that is published. This book was just too awesome! I had so much fun reading it. There is just so much that happens in Shadow Moon that I couldn't stop reading it. When I had to stop for a bit, I was thinking about it. My husband thinks I'm crazy because I can't stop talking about how much I love this series. It's really going to be hard waiting for the next book. I need to know what happens!!!

At the end of Moo...more Well, now I have to go cry in the corner because this was my last Unbidden Magic book that is published. This book was just too awesome! I had so much fun reading it. There is just so much that happens in Shadow Moon that I couldn't stop reading it. When I had to stop for a bit, I was thinking about it. My husband thinks I'm crazy because I can't stop talking about how much I love this series. It's really going to be hard waiting for the next book. I need to know what happens!!!

At the end of Moon Spun we are left with a cliffhanger, right from the beginning of Shadow Moon we learn that Allie does indeed have a twin, her name is Anna Starr Emerson. Allie also finds out that the Trimarks and Dark Fae are planning something awful and two girls are needed to stop them, Allie and someone else. She can only assume it's her long lost twin, so she really needs to find her. Will she be able to find her? So far her connection with the FBI has brought up nothing. If she finds her, will Anna Starr even want to help her? It's possible she might not be able to accept what she is. So off Allie goes, searching for her twin. There is lots of action and drama that happens along the way.

For our love intrests, we are basically back down to Junior and Ryker (kind of). Mostly Junior though. Beck is in the "friend zone". Ryker isn't really around much, he does make an apperance and help Allie out a bit, but hey, he just has to bide his time since she has to go back to Boundless in 8 years anyways. So she will kiss the hunky Junior for now.

I just cannot get over how much I love this series, it's going to be a long wait for the next book. I just can't wait to find out what happens next! I loved the ending of this book, it made me so happy! So I want to find out what happens next. If you still haven't checked out this series, you really should. It really is a great, exciting read! Thank you Marilee for writing such and amazing and awesome series! Seriously, go read this now!

Thank you to NetGalley for the review copy

For more reviews, visit Owl Read It (less)

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Feb 04, 2013 Sharon Hughes rated it 5 of 5 stars

I received this book free from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.
After the shocker ending from the third book, I was really excited to find out what happened in Allie's search for her lost twin. Along with this story, we are introduced to a new and wonderful character named Sammie, that I really loved. More excitement and suspense comes about and I was just literally glued to the book, turning page after page to see how it would all end. Out of all the books so far, this one ends with...more

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Jun 16, 2012 Martha D rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-challenge, author-read-review, kindle, paranormal, sci-fi-fantasy-horror, series-read, werewolf-witch-vampire

Title: Shadow Moon (Unbidden Magic #4)
Author: Marilee Brothers
Rating: 5/5

Summary: Allie is a faerie princess, destined to marry Ryker, and she’s a twin. After all these discoveries, all she wants is some down time to process it and catch her breath, however, that is not going to be allowed. Any hope that Allie had of a normal school year is gone, and she has countless levels of unfinished business with the fae, the Tri-Marks and the returned Junior Alvarez, who wants her back in a major way. Thi...more Title: Shadow Moon (Unbidden Magic #4)
Author: Marilee Brothers
Rating: 5/5

Summary: Allie is a faerie princess, destined to marry Ryker, and she’s a twin. After all these discoveries, all she wants is some down time to process it and catch her breath, however, that is not going to be allowed. Any hope that Allie had of a normal school year is gone, and she has countless levels of unfinished business with the fae, the Tri-Marks and the returned Junior Alvarez, who wants her back in a major way. This danger filled cross-country journey will provide more twists and turns into Allie’s already convoluted life and hopefully she will find the answers and save everyone she loves.

Review: Two words: CLIFF HANGER! Dear god, I am restraining myself from tracking down Ms. Brothers and begging for an ARC of book number five that she is working on. Seriously, I want it that bad. This book was fantastic, this book was even more of a rollercoaster than the other books in the series. The adventure and excitement in Moon Spun have NOTHING on the twists and turns of this book.
The play on government conspiracies, the threat from our own government added to the mix, was something expected yet unexpected. Something I once thought as filler has become its own full blown storyline, and there was absolutely nothing that I could find fault with aside from the fact that it ends on a cliff hanger and those drive me crazy with want for more.
I seriously had to struggle to put this book down and do other things, like work and tend to household chores. It was that good, and you cannot look away. She has a twin, and an evil looking fae who pops in and out at the weirdest times. Also, there is the fae posing as a preacher who has evil motives. Then we meet Sammie, who Allie has a psychic connection to. A suspension right before the holiday, Allie is vindicated by Nicole, and this opens up the path to begin searching for her sister. A unique mix goes along for the ride: Junior, Faye and Sammie. However, things take a drastic turn and this search soon becomes a fight for Allie and Sammie’s life.
I wish Beck had gotten a bit more page time aside from a phone call every now and then, but perhaps it is a good thing, because of Beck’s succubus heritage. Junior has fallen out of favor with me, but he regained a lot of it in this installment, and I’m looking to see what develops between him and Allie in the future installments. Another beau that is absent in this installment is Ryker, but there are some hints that lead me to believe that there maybe some kin between he and Beck. However, the hawk feather comes through.
Sammie has become one of my favorites and I love the connection between she and Allie. One that we do not know how close it is until the very end of the story, and I can’t wait to see more of her.
If you’ve not read this series, it is never too late to start. There is something in it for everyone, and I am anxious to see what else is in store for Allie and her band of merry misfits.

If you have any questions, comments or recommendations you can contact me at simplicity.kindreth@gmail.com
My reviews can be found here:
Confessions of a Bibliophile
Idle Musings and Random Things
Cae's Smashwords
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Apr 05, 2012 Katy rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: fans of YA paranormal fiction

Recommended to Katy by: NetGalley

Shelves: galley-for-review, ebook, net-galley

Disclosure: I received a free special eBook version of this series, including all four books in one, from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Synopsis Book 4: Shadow Moon: Allie Emerson is hoping for a few quiet months to catch her breath after a summer that included the discovery she is not only a twin and of faery blood, but also destined to play a pivotal role in faery world. School has barely begun when Allie must kiss her hope of a normal year goodbye.

She can't escape her unfinished bu...more Disclosure: I received a free special eBook version of this series, including all four books in one, from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Synopsis Book 4: Shadow Moon: Allie Emerson is hoping for a few quiet months to catch her breath after a summer that included the discovery she is not only a twin and of faery blood, but also destined to play a pivotal role in faery world. School has barely begun when Allie must kiss her hope of a normal year goodbye.

She can't escape her unfinished business with the fae, the Trimarks, or Junior Alvarez, who is making it clear he plans to win her back. Signs, portents and whispers are pushing Allie to "find the girl" before it's too late. Hoping her twin can help her solve the riddle of their destiny, Allie uncovers old secrets and begins a cross-country journey that puts her in more danger than ever before. If she succeeds, she may just find the answers that can save everyone she loves.

My Thoughts: This book is a real humdinger – fast-paced and full of wonderful twists and turns. There were a few issues; for one thing, Junior’s last name is Martinez, not Alvarez, so the synopsis is wrong. Fortunately, the name is right in the book – I’m not sure how the synopsis got messed up, but everywhere I checked it was the same, with the wrong name. As far as my confusion about Beck and Nichole and what year Allie is in school, as I mentioned in my review of Moon Spun – as it turns out, they were a year ahead of her, so that was OK – Beck graduated one year early, and Allie had Nichole in school with her for one more year because Nichole was a year ahead of Allie. So I guess I either wasn’t paying close enough attention to relative ages in book two, or it wasn’t made very clear. Overall, I have been quite pleased with the series, and really enjoyed this book and further development of the characters. Some new nasties were introduced, but I think maybe the cast is finally complete and ready for the denouement.

There will be one more book in this series, which is to be called Midnight Moon. An excerpt can be found on Marilee Brothers’ website. Ms. Brothers hopes to have it out by late 2012 – watch her website and Facebook author page for more details. I’m very excited about it and can’t wait for it, to find out what will happen in the end. 5 out of 5 stars.

General Thoughts on the Series so far: While there is still one more book to come out in this series, I wanted to make some general comments now that I’ve read all the books available. Allie is a great heroine – full of spunk, strong, but also human and somewhat messed-up. I really liked her a lot. Her development through the series has been wonderful, and I’m really looking forward to the upcoming final book in this series. But this series so far rates 5 out of 5 stars in my book. Recommended.(less)

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Jun 06, 2012 Cherie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Thank you to Net Galley for providing me my copy to read and review. This story just gets more and more complicated as we learn more about Allie's destiny and the power of the Moonstone. This book had more of Junior but very little of Ryker which was a little disappointing since I think he is cool. I really could have done without the addition of a twin into the picture. I really felt it was superfluous. I really liked the addition of Sammie though and thought the twist at the end of the story w...more

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Mar 12, 2013 Lissette rated it 4 of 5 stars

Allie Emerson's life is far from boring. She's discovered she has paranormal powers, that she's the supposed Star Seeker, is part faery, and now has a twin sister she's never heard of. Her life is an emotion filled roller coaster that never seems to stop. Just once, she'd love to have a normal life. Unfortunately, she knows that will never be likely.

Doing her best to make do with the life she's been saddled with, Allie knows it's only a matter of time before something else comes along to ruin he...more Allie Emerson's life is far from boring. She's discovered she has paranormal powers, that she's the supposed Star Seeker, is part faery, and now has a twin sister she's never heard of. Her life is an emotion filled roller coaster that never seems to stop. Just once, she'd love to have a normal life. Unfortunately, she knows that will never be likely.

Doing her best to make do with the life she's been saddled with, Allie knows it's only a matter of time before something else comes along to ruin her day. Never-the-less, she's determined to make the most of her uncanny situation. There are a couple perks to being part faery and a magic user, but that's only if she'll allow herself to enjoy them.

With the Trimark's still on her tail, she knows she needs to stay one step ahead of them. They'll do anything to acquire her precious Moonstone, including the use of unconventional methods in order to achieve an end to their own means. Yet they never thought they'd have to contend with Allie's brawn and tough demeanor.

Thwarting their every plan, Allie's put up with a lot of disappointments. Though, she knows there's a silver lining underneath every dark cloud. When an uncanny prophecy sends her and her family catapulted in the direction of her mysterious sister, she soon wonders what she's gotten herself into. Everything isn't as it seems, and someone else is obviously out to get her and the Moonstone. Still, she knows the answers they all seek are just around the corner. They just have to work together in order to find out what they need to know before something else goes awry in the process.

This was another lovely addition to the Unbidden Magic series. It was nice seeing Allie grow up just a little more. The little twist with Cory was unexpected, though I've got to admit that it added just a little intrigue to the story itself. I do think a little more Junior in the story would be nice to tie up the loose ends there. Hopefully, the next book will do just that. Overall, it's a very good read.(less)

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Aug 14, 2012 Douglas Larson rated it 4 of 5 stars

This 4th book in the series, is better than both #2 and #3 and is more on par with #1, which was the best of the 3 before I read this one. I liked this one about the same as #1 but it does end somewhat abruptly, though I am guessing that was done on purpose as a lead in to #5.

The author takes plot turns that are unexpected, at least to me and that is primarily what I disliked about #3 with the introduction of Faerie and all. But now that I am used to that reality I found #4 more enjoyable.

This...more

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Mar 13, 2013 Susan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: finished

"Shadow Moon" is the fourth book in the series. With a fast paced plot, losing a character but gaining a new character and the twists and turns, Marilee does it again in her unique writing. I love this series and wish it would never end. A fun read for all but I do suggest reading the books in order so your up to date.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the author which was provided for an honest review.

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May 17, 2012 PopcornReads rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: angel, bullying, children-s-books, demons, family, fantasy, fiction, fairies, magic, marilee-brothers, paranormal, relationships, romance, suspense, teen, tween, ya, young-adult

SPOILER ALERT: Allie had a very busy summer, between fighting to help her grandmother save the fairy kingdom, Boundless, and learning she has a twin – oops, did I forget to mention that? Yep, she has a twin she never knew about. Having to give up that twin is what sent her mom, Faye, into such a tailspin. Read my review of all 4 books in the Unbidden Magic series at http://popcornreads.com/?p=3897.

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Nov 30, 2012 Tia rated it 4 of 5 stars

I wasn't too impressed with the end of this novel, although the content seemed a bit more timid than the other novels, I did enjoy it. I hope the fifth/last and final novel 'Midnight Moon', which was suppose to be out this November (hasn't shown up yet) is as amazing as I've heard. Apparently Junior and Beck are both in it and possibly trying to kill each other for their girl, Allie's attention.

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Shadow Moon (Unbidden Magic #4)

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