Ecstasy (Shadowdwellers, #1)

Sep 29, 2010 DarienMoya rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010-reads

^^ECSITINGLY GOOD!^^

In my eyes this book was a hit, and I am investing in all the others in the series. I will say this again I am a huge fan of Frank’s writing, she always seems to capture my interest. The Shadowdwellers series has captured my interest and I wanna know all about the nightlife, and the sexiness that is shadow dweller.

Ashla is worried about driving on new years, because she knows there will be drunk drivers, as the designated driver her eyes are clearly on the road but has faith...more ^^ECSITINGLY GOOD!^^

In my eyes this book was a hit, and I am investing in all the others in the series. I will say this again I am a huge fan of Frank’s writing, she always seems to capture my interest. The Shadowdwellers series has captured my interest and I wanna know all about the nightlife, and the sexiness that is shadow dweller.

Ashla is worried about driving on new years, because she knows there will be drunk drivers, as the designated driver her eyes are clearly on the road but has faith will have it Ashla’s car is struck by a drunk driver. Leaving Ashla in a coma and trapped in shadows cape, what is shadowscape? A place where the soul of a someone goes an wander, never knowing they might be dead and they no longer living in reality. Yet shadowscape co-exist with realscape and they form an interesting intertwining bond.

Trace is shadow dweller and a powerful one, there are those seeking to destroy him and all he holds dear. While battling a traitor of their people in shadows cape he is injured and his wounds are fatal. The woman who comes to his rescue should not be able to acknowledge his presence, but this fragile human woman not only sees him but heals him with the touch of her hands. One thing that is clear is that Ashla should not be able to see him, or feel so warm so real. Trace knows this human female is something special but he has to find out just how special.

The story then becomes an education in shadow dweller, their customs and beliefs, and a look into the political war of their world. Trace discovers some important truths about Ashla, and Ashla comes to know about the world she belongs in, and finally about herself.

I don’t wanna get into too much detail about the book, so all I am gonna say is that I liked it a lot. I loved Trace and he made my stomach do some swan diving, it was all types of good. I liked Ashla and that’s it, not in love with her as a character. I am really interested to see what becomes of other characters, so fa sure I will be continuing the series.

I squealed like a pig, when Gideon made an appearance love me some Nightwalkers and I was a lot more interested in Gideon in this book, than his own book.
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Jun 25, 2011 Buggy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: shelf-09, paranormal-rom

Opening Line:"Ashla stood shivering in the darkened streets of Times Square.

Jaquelyn Frank has created a dense and complicated new society in ECSTASY. I tried very hard to like this new world but it was a tough read and fans should be warned that this is not a continuation of the Nightwalker series.

After a horrific car accident our impish heroine Ashla awakens to find herself in Shadowworld. A strange version of New York City without any lights or people. It is also a place of endless night. Ju...more Opening Line:"Ashla stood shivering in the darkened streets of Times Square.

Jaquelyn Frank has created a dense and complicated new society in ECSTASY. I tried very hard to like this new world but it was a tough read and fans should be warned that this is not a continuation of the Nightwalker series.

After a horrific car accident our impish heroine Ashla awakens to find herself in Shadowworld. A strange version of New York City without any lights or people. It is also a place of endless night. Just as she grows accustomed to her solitary, dark world Ashla is confronted by a sword baring warrior named Trace. He is a Shadowdweller. A being able to exist in two demensions; Realscape (our world) and Shadowscape (an in-between world i.e. ghosts, spirits, coma patients). 'Dwellers' are unable to tolerate even the smallest amount of light and therefore must live in the shadows of Realscape as well as being able to fade into Shadowscape where there is no risk of light. If a Dweller however remains in Shadowscape too long he risks 'Euphoria' a deadly form of selfish lustfulness.

Trace has been followed into Shadowscape by a conspirator against the Shadowdwellers. He manages to kill his enemy but is mortally wounded in the process. Normally those stuck in Shadowscape such as Ashla are unaware of Shadowwalkers like Trace but fortunately for him she not only sees him but possesses the ability to heal with her touch. After healing Trace Ashla takes on his injuries and Trace, feeling responsible as well as an unexplainable connection to her lingers in Shadowscape and begins experiencing Euphoria. Ashla accommadates Trace in his sickness and they both discover that she is turned on by submission.

In Trace's culture selflessness and gentleness while making love are paramount and much time is spent schooling the youngsters in all manners of lovemaking. However Trace is so filled with Euphoria that he has all consuming, selfish sex with Ashla for days on end without relief. Evenually Trace is brought back into Realscape by two Shadowwalker warriors sent to rescue him. Leaving poor Ashla alone again in her gloomy spirit world. As Trace recovers back in Realscape he is filled with guilt and vows to return into Shadowscape, find Ashla and make amends. Unfortunately his people have begun their annual migration to Alaska and when he recovers enough he is expected to lead them.

I was initially intrigued by the idea of someone living in an in-between world of darkness and solitide but when I had to read a whole paragraph explaining what a lie means in Shadowese culture and every single detail regarding that society including sex education, history, religion and politics. I was frankly overwhelmed and became bored with the complexity of the world Jacquelyn Frank has created. There is little character developement with Trace and Ashla and I didn't ever really get a feel for their characters. The many pages spent on their lovemaking are crass and border on erotica more than romance. Fans of the Nightwalker series will be thrilled however by a scene in the final pages when Gideon makes a brief appearance.

This book is not a continuation of Jacquelyn Franks Nightwalker series and I would have a trouble recommending it to anyone except her die hard fans.
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Jan 07, 2009 Julie (jjmachshev) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009-reads

Fans of Jacquelyn Frank can rest easy. She's followed up her 'Nightwalker' series with the 'Shadowdwellers', and the first novel "Ecstasy" is a winner for me. The first series introduced her creation of an Earth inhabited by paranormal creatures and focused on the battle of what humans call Demons. This series shifts the focus to another race. A race that exists both in and between Realscape and Shadowscape. Two different, yet co-existing realities that can and do affect each other and the creat...more

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Jan 02, 2009 Jenny Rebecca rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance-novels, science-fiction-fantasy, super-steamy

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Mar 18, 2009 Corrine rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-fantasy-sci-fi-romance

I won't even begin to try to explain the world building in this series; I will just say that there are some very cool aspects (Middle East-influence) and some worrying parts (public sex for educational purposes). Basically, the Shadowdwellers live in darkness and are harmed by any type of light. They basically exist on two different planes, Realscape - our plane - and Shadowscape, a plane that is accessible only to Shadowdwellers and what they call the Lost, or humans whose souls have come disco...more

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Feb 24, 2009 BJ Rose rated it 3 of 5 stars

Jacquelyn Frank expands her Nightwalker series by creating the world of Shadowdwellers, a community of Nightwalkers that cannot tolerate direct light - only the light of the moon and stars is tolerable to them. 'Dwellers exist in two dimensions - Realscape and Shadowscape - and have the ability to Fade into Shadowscape and Unfade into Realscape. It's easier for them to move around in Shadowscape without worrying about the dangers of Light, but they risk Euphoria and possible death if they stay t...more Jacquelyn Frank expands her Nightwalker series by creating the world of Shadowdwellers, a community of Nightwalkers that cannot tolerate direct light - only the light of the moon and stars is tolerable to them. 'Dwellers exist in two dimensions - Realscape and Shadowscape - and have the ability to Fade into Shadowscape and Unfade into Realscape. It's easier for them to move around in Shadowscape without worrying about the dangers of Light, but they risk Euphoria and possible death if they stay too long in Shadowscape. They therefore live a somewhat nomadic life in Realscape, migrating away from extended daylight hours.

Ms. Frank again does an excellent job of world-building, which includes helping the reader learn the benefits and difficulties of the two dimensions of Shadowdweller life, and the mirroring of events in those two dimensions: that what happens in Shadowscape also happens in Realscape, but not always with obvious reasons. I loved the idea that events that happen in parallel dimensions are really the cause of unexplained happenings in our dimension, not ghosts or poltergeists.

Shadowdweller Trace, vizier to the Lord Chancellor of Shadowdwellers, and Ashla, a human Lost girl in Shadowscape, are the focus of this first book, and their 'romance' was to me the weakness of the book. Although the story of how Ashla came by her unusual powers was compelling enough for me to accept that she belongs in the Shadowdweller community, I did not connect strongly enough with the Trace/Ashla love story. I did not enjoy the crudeness of the descriptions of their 'lovemaking', which leaned toward erotica rather than romance, nor the 'love' language which at times was just vulgar and left no tender emotions in this reader.

What I did enjoy was the background story of the Shadowdwellers' long civil war, and the consequent political intrigue and assassination attempts by a rogue contingent that wants to kill the twin regents and take power. This will be the ongoing story and is the reason I will give this series one more chance.(less)

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Jun 24, 2011 Lady Valee rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: pnr-romance

3.5 STARS
I really liked this book, even more than what I thought I would.

I had been postponing and delaying this read for two years now, so I'm extremely happy I finally got to read it. I wasn't sure if I should read this series as I had read many negative comments about it. Well, let me tell you guys that while I gave only 3 stars to it, I would still recommend it as I had a great time with it.

What I loved the most was the world building. This author created a whole new world out from nowhere...more

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Jun 03, 2011 Alicia rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: lib

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Jun 09, 2011 Lisa Lap rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009-books-read, fantasy, fiction, paranormalromance, paranormal

For me the Shadowdwellers are a little more muted than the other Nightwalkers species we've met to date. Of course, it makes perfect sense given the characteristics of their species. Still, I found Trace a fascinating character and loved his interaction with Ashla. I wish there had been more insight into Mayala, as we've glimpsed her presense in earlier books. I also wish we had more than just a passing, but important scene with Gideon being called upon to heal Ashla. It's always nice to see cha...more

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Jan 10, 2009 Wendy (V-Lishous) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-scifi-romance, jacquelyn-frank, were-shifter-demon-faries-other, pub-2009, i-own, 2009-reads

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Jan 25, 2013 Hannah Wade rated it 1 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. So I bought this book, read to page 115, went onto goodreads and rechecked the score it got. Oddly enough, it got a 4 out of 5 for the average reader. When I saw that I spluttered around and tried to find a reason, any reason at all I would rank the first half of the book a 4 out of 5. Unsurprisingly, I found none. This book from the very first page bothered me. Instead of a different realm, palace, or even era, I got a dead, dark, New York City. Forgive me, but that just screams boring and comp...more

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Jan 08, 2013 The Window Seat rated it 4 of 5 stars

I hesitated with this series, I really did. This is an offshoot of Frank's Nightwalkers series and it focuses on the Shadowdwellers. Now, having finished the Nightwalkers with a bit of a WTF on the hanging story lines, I was nervous. But I jumped in anyway. What mixed feelings I have about that!

Trace is a Shadowdweller of considerable power. In addition to his special gift which allows him to move from Shadow to Shadow, without them being linked, he is the special advisor to the king, Tristan, a...more

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Jul 30, 2011 Sandy M rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal

Well, I figured since I haven’t yet read Ms. Frank’s Nightwalkers series that’s sitting on the TBR shelf, I’d better start this new series right now because I have a copy of Ecstasy in hand. Now I’m sorry I haven’t read the first series. I am awed by authors who have such imaginations to give us books like this. Ms. Frank is up there with Nalini Singh, C.L. Wilson, Karen Marie Moning - just to name a few - for me.

I’m still not sure if I understood everything in this book, it’s so complex. But it...more Well, I figured since I haven’t yet read Ms. Frank’s Nightwalkers series that’s sitting on the TBR shelf, I’d better start this new series right now because I have a copy of Ecstasy in hand. Now I’m sorry I haven’t read the first series. I am awed by authors who have such imaginations to give us books like this. Ms. Frank is up there with Nalini Singh, C.L. Wilson, Karen Marie Moning - just to name a few - for me.

I’m still not sure if I understood everything in this book, it’s so complex. But it’s a powerful book, no matter what. I’m wondering if I had read the Nightwalker books first that might have helped my understanding here some. In this new series we meet the Shadowdwellers, a people who are able to live in two different realities, realscape, their everyday reality, and shadowscape, an alternate reality with no people and no light. They are able to remain in shadowscape for a limited time due to the euphoric state they reach if that time is surpassed.

Trace is a powerful political figure and advisor in his world. He is on the tail of one who wishes to see the destruction of their twin leaders. As Trace fights against that traitor in shadowscape, he is able to see one of the “lost,” humans in a comatose state, and she is able to see and interact with him, something that is not supposed to happen. When he suffers a mortal wound at traitorous hands, it is the lost who heals him by taking on the injuries he sustained.

Having been on her own in a completely dark New York for months now, Ashla is at first stunned at the two men fighting to the death in this strange world she’s in and then elated at having found another person to interact with. Refusing to let a man suffer and die, she uses her gift to save him, even with her mother’s satanic slurs echoing in her mind. What she never expects is the connection she feels to Trace, one he reciprocates, a connection so deep they spend the next few days together in total bliss.

After being hauled back to his own reality to recover from his euphoric madness, Trace thinks to never see Ashla again, but this is when the book really begins to take off, twists and turns are thrown at the reader when least expected, betrayal and mystery are around every corner, and the sensual freedom Ashla finds with Trace is oh-so-passionate. The relationships throughout the book are intense and very well done, especially that between Trace and his adoptive father.

This is just one of those books that when you turn that last page, all you can say is, “Wow.” Now more than ever I want to start the Nightwalker series. I just know there are great things in store for me there.

See my complete review at http://www.goodbadandunread.com (less)

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Dec 20, 2010 Katie rated it 5 of 5 stars

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Apr 13, 2009 Dawn rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: pnr

A car crash thrusts New Yorker Ashla Townsend into a desolate version of the once-bustling city. After wandering the streets alone for weeks, she discovers two men battling with swords. The survivor, Trace, is gravely wounded, and Ashla feels compelled to save him. Meanwhile Trace, an advisor and confidant to a shadow dweller chancellors, uncovered a treasonous plot that has him fighting in the alternate reality of shadowscape. When Trace learns Ashla can see and touch him shocks Trace, because...more A car crash thrusts New Yorker Ashla Townsend into a desolate version of the once-bustling city. After wandering the streets alone for weeks, she discovers two men battling with swords. The survivor, Trace, is gravely wounded, and Ashla feels compelled to save him. Meanwhile Trace, an advisor and confidant to a shadow dweller chancellors, uncovered a treasonous plot that has him fighting in the alternate reality of shadowscape. When Trace learns Ashla can see and touch him shocks Trace, because Ashla is human and it should be impossible.

First let me say up front that I have not yet read the Nightwalker Series as such this is a spin off series from the Nighwalkers. I did not find this problematic there was enough information that I had no problem catching on.

On to what I liked:
In this series, Shadowdwellers, are nightwalkers that cannot tolerate any source of direct light including lamps or sun the only the light of moon and stars is tolerable to them. This was an interesting because these people actually see better in the dark with the absence of light – go figure. These walkers can exist in two dimensions realscape and shadowscape the cool thing is what happens in one dimension occurs in the other. I liked the idea that the events happening in the parallel dimension are the cause of unexplained events in the opposite dimension for example food just appears in shadowscape because it was prepared in realscape. I also enjoyed the back story of the Shadowdwellers' civil war, the consequent political intrigue and assassination attempts by a rogue contingent that wants to kill the twin regents and take power. This will be the ongoing story and is the reason I will continue with this series.

The downside:
I had a lot of trouble buying into the romance part of Ashla and Trace relationship. It seemed to me it was mostly lust. I think that the story has so much background on the Shadow dweller community and their governments then we get a lot of supporting character development – I think for future romance and of course we still have the mystery of who is the traitor. With all of this going on I think the Trace and Ashla got sacrifice a little.

I will be read the next in the series and I think I might even start her Nightwalkers sooner than later.
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Apr 21, 2009 Robin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal, frank-jacquelyn

Ecstasy is the newest book in the Shadowdwellers series. Jacquelyn Frank continues the series with Trace, a Shadowdweller and Ashla. He meets Ashla in the dimension of Shadowscape. She finds him fighting another warrior and surpisingly he realizes she can see him. Usually in Shadowscape there are only the Lost. Humans with no souls who wander the dimension. After seeing Ashla and her seeing him - he kills the warrior and the story just moves from there. I don't want to spoil anything so it is ha...more

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Mar 15, 2009 Gardavson rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal, fantasy-romance

Easily a 4 star book. Probably one of the authors best written, though I loved the first book of the Nightwalker series enough that I wouldn't, and didn't, notice anything technical involved with writing. Not that I'm a fancy shmancy book critic but eventually you pick up a few things. Anyway, Ecstasy. Love the characters. They connect with the reader. Great plot, moves along well and is engaging. A few loose strings I would have liked to have seen tied up. I would have liked to know more about...more Easily a 4 star book. Probably one of the authors best written, though I loved the first book of the Nightwalker series enough that I wouldn't, and didn't, notice anything technical involved with writing. Not that I'm a fancy shmancy book critic but eventually you pick up a few things. Anyway, Ecstasy. Love the characters. They connect with the reader. Great plot, moves along well and is engaging. A few loose strings I would have liked to have seen tied up. I would have liked to know more about Ashla's healing and how it will effect her new world. I would also have liked to have had more of her learning to use her healing (as Gideon briefly touched on).

Speaking of which, I was thrilled to see someone from the Nightwalker series, although it was obscenely brief. One could easily start this series not having picked up a single Nightwalker book. From the looks of it, this series is NOT going to solve the Nightwalker dilemma that was unresolved as of NOAH. It looks to run concurrent with it, touch in it's world, but the dilemma of Nightwalkers is not the dilemma of Shadowdwellers. Which makes sense. You don't switch series but keep the same plot issue. HOWEVER I hope this means the Nightwalker series will continue and run simultaneously with Shadowdwellers. Briggs is doing something like this with her Mercy Thompson series, running a concurrent side series, and releasing new books alternately to each series. This will work fine with me here. Otherwise I have a MAJOR problem with leaving Nightwalkers hanging.

This series runs (so far) similarly to the Nightwalkers. The first one is dedicated to the character who is the monarch's right hand man, who finds his mate seemingly outside of his race, which in turn turns out to be not quite the case. The second in the series (sadly) looks to be of the staid old geezer who is a major foundation to the race who finds his mate safely within the confines of the race. I wonder if the third installment will be of the top warrior who falls for another Nightwalker.

Lastly, if anyone actually reads this review from beginning to end, you truly do deserve a dedicated reading award. (less)

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Oct 01, 2009 Barbara M. rated it 2 of 5 stars

2.5 Stars; It was ok...

Being the first in the series I understand all the "history" Frank had to give us...After all this is a new world for her fans...But I have to say all the info dominated the book. I got really frustrated (and I'll admit, confused) by always hearing about Shadowdwellers, Realscape, Mistrals, Lycanthropes, Shadowscape, Nightwalkers, Dwellers, Fade, Chancellors, Priests, Handmadiens....the list goes on and on and on....I do however understand the need to inform the reader of...more

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Oct 03, 2010 Kelly rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: series-read

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Okay now... I am thoroughly disappointed. I am most definitely disappointed because of the actual book, but more-so because this is the first relatively negative review I have been compelled to write for any of the books from any of the pnr series that I've read recently.

I gave it two stars because I try to go by the little pop-up, equivalents they provide you when mousing over each star, and two stars means "it was okay" and thats what it was. It was not a book that I couldn't put down, or was...more Okay now... I am thoroughly disappointed. I am most definitely disappointed because of the actual book, but more-so because this is the first relatively negative review I have been compelled to write for any of the books from any of the pnr series that I've read recently.

I gave it two stars because I try to go by the little pop-up, equivalents they provide you when mousing over each star, and two stars means "it was okay" and thats what it was. It was not a book that I couldn't put down, or was desperate to get through, hell or high water. The clincher is that I was so enthralled with Frank's Nightwalkers series, and still am for that matter. Naturally I wanted to read on about the Shadowdwellers and be thrown furher into the amazing world Frank created in her first series. But, alas, I was led astray. I think she had something good going with the Nightwalkers series and tried too hard to follow up with her second series. In a nutshell, I think it was too much and not enough all in the wrong places. Not enough character building, relationship building, passion. I just didn't feel the fire, you know? In turn, there was just too much... I don't know, vocabulary diahhrea? We all know what the big words mean.. but come on.. it was getting a bit much. It's hard to feel 'in the moment' when you have to take a second or two to register the sentence in lamens terms without the fancy wording. (Sorry, I feel as though I'm having a shit-load of grammatical or spelling errors.. but I'm half asleep so,.. so be it)

Anyway... yea the book was not a total miss... but it wasn't a hit. It's sad to say but the most exciting moment for me in the entire book was Gideon's cameo at the end. That's sad.

Of course, I plan on reading the rest of the series.. because it may just be an extreme case of the "tough first book but amazing series" that I've encountered; and if that's the case I would hate to miss out on an amazing series because I was too stubborn to read past the first installment *cough* all the people who stop a book after 40 pages *cough*.

thats it. (less)

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Feb 24, 2012 Maija rated it 4 of 5 stars

It's a good book but not for me. There are a lot of reasons for that, for example, this book has too much monologues and describtions, but too little dialogues and communiaction between people; it's lacking a good plot and action. Yes, there is action, it just didn't have the substance and believable scenes.
It has a good romance edge to it, all right. But I didn't like that the book seemed to be more about the realationship and everything that happens with others (life threats, suspects, ect. )...more

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Nov 27, 2012 Valerie rated it 4 of 5 stars

4.5/5 I actually liked it more than most other readers did. Yes, oh yes, at times it could be quite confusing, but as you read on it tends to explain itself. The heroine, Ashla, at times truly surprised me. She had been through a lot and still that is probably an understatement. In the beginning I did not think it was all that bad, just some ridicule through out her childhood and teenage life, but towards the end, you find out that it was so much more. She was funny, smart, at times self-depreci...more 4.5/5 I actually liked it more than most other readers did. Yes, oh yes, at times it could be quite confusing, but as you read on it tends to explain itself. The heroine, Ashla, at times truly surprised me. She had been through a lot and still that is probably an understatement. In the beginning I did not think it was all that bad, just some ridicule through out her childhood and teenage life, but towards the end, you find out that it was so much more. She was funny, smart, at times self-depreciating, but she made up for that with her ferocity. And oh did I HATE her mom. She deserves to go to hell, or wherever bad people go in the world of Shadowdwellers.

The Shadowdwellers society was the most confusing part. With the rules and the roles of everybody. But, they had just gotten out of a deadly war, so it was really just them finding a way to restore order and keep their people safe in the process. Whereas, everyone who did fight for those things, held a certain amount of power, that became vital to the society that they were constantly trying to protect. And I can't wait to read a story about all of those supporting characters.

Now Trace, the hero. He was someone with undeniable honor. He LOVED his race and he was literally the backbone to everything that made them so powerful. He was constantly fighting for them, risking his life more than once. He was your run-of-the-mill abused hero, but still with so much dignity, that you hurt for him and with him. I loved his character even when he was sick with euphoria. He loved Ashla and that was exactly what she needed, while at the same time she had the patience and the compassion that he unknowingly craved. At times I did not like the world of the Shadowdwellers, because their rules seemed unfair. But, I guess people who can not just live anywhere at anytime, need rules for stability. Trace played a huge role in creating those rules. I do plan on continuing the series, mainly because of the cliffhanger at the end. But, don't worry the hero and heroine do get their HEA.
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Jun 25, 2009 Holly rated it 2 of 5 stars

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Oct 18, 2009 Barbara rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: vampires-werewolves-oh-my

This is the first book in the Shadowdwellers series.

Shadowdweller Trace, vizier to the Lord Chancellor of Shadowdwellers, and Ashla, a human Lost girl in Shadowscape, are the focus of this first book. Although the story of how Ashla came by her unusual powers was compelling enough for me to accept that she belongs in the Shadowdweller community, I did not connect strongly enough with the Trace/Ashla love story.

What I did enjoy was the background story of the Shadowdwellers' long civil war, and...more

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Sep 09, 2011 Angie ~aka Reading Machine~ rated it 4 of 5 stars

Trace, Royal Vizier of Chancellors of the Shadowdwellers, is battling for his life against Baylor. When they both stumble upon Ashla Towsend trapped in her own personal kind of hell. Her beloved New York is deserted wasteland to her eyes, mind, and soul that all changes when she sees the fight between Trace and Baylor. Thinking that she is one of the Lost and nothing more but when Ashla heals him of his mortal wounds finds that he can't stop thinking about her. Trace returns to Realscape only to...more

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Jun 23, 2010 Suzanne the Mighty ~Satin Seductress~ rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-romance, va-va-voom-vampires

There are many elements in this story, and it is hard to do a synopsis that will reflect this book, even the blurb at the back of the actual book I think was a bit misleading, but I will give it a try!

Ashla Townsend is an unusual person; she has special abilities that her mother condemned her as a devil for, and she has since lived her life relatively alone. However, nothing prepares her for when she wakes up after a car accident and finds that she is completely alone in an ever night New York...more There are many elements in this story, and it is hard to do a synopsis that will reflect this book, even the blurb at the back of the actual book I think was a bit misleading, but I will give it a try!

Ashla Townsend is an unusual person; she has special abilities that her mother condemned her as a devil for, and she has since lived her life relatively alone. However, nothing prepares her for when she wakes up after a car accident and finds that she is completely alone in an ever night New York City. She spends her time at first exploring in places she couldn’t normally go, and shopping in places she wouldn’t normally be able to afford, with only her loneliness and ever increasing panic for company. That changes when a couple of warriors crash into her life. Trace is shocked when he realizes that the Lost can see him, never before has a lost soul been able to see a Shadowdweller. He is even more shocked when she manages to save his life from a fatal wound. She soon gets caught up in Traces’ dangerous world, and the bond between them gets more intense to the bafflement of both them.

Like I said above, there is much more going on in this book then what I mentioned, but that is just about the bare bones. This is the first book I have read by Jacquelyn Frank, and I am now kicking myself that I haven’t started reading this before. The world she has built is intriguing and original, with the Shadowdwellers being a unique race of people. Aswell as focusing on the love story between Trace and Ashla, there is also some political intrigue going on as well, with their being a traitorous plot to try and kill the Chancellors (leaders of the Shadowdwellers) after there has just been a long and bloody civil war. This plot introduced different characters in the Shadowdweller world that I can’t wait to read about in further books and also added an easy way to introduce world building and history without it being off loaded on you all at once.

Now, the romance in this book was hot and had slight D/s tendencies, but I tend to find that in quite a few PNR books, and I love an alpha male so I didn’t bother me. When you first meet Ashla she is very timid and scared most the time, and if you like a tortured heroine then you will like this book. I liked seeing her strength and self confidence grow through put the book, and the way Trace helped her overcome her insecurities, and watching his outrage as he realizes how she has been treated in the past. Another weakness of mine, protective heroes! Trace I would also class as a tortured hero, he has gone through a lot in the past, which Ashla helped him move past without even realizing it. I really enjoyed their romance and how it developed, but if you like kick ass heroines, then this is the wrong book for you.

The only thing that wasn’t so good about this book was that at times the writing didn’t flow very well, and the way the sentences were constructed could be confusing. But apart from that small foible I really enjoyed this read and look forward to reading the next one, as well as her other series.
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Sep 13, 2012 Kelsea (Miz. Reader) rated it 2 of 5 stars

(Might Contain Spoilers)I think that the concept for this book was really good. It was a good idea, but I think it fell kinda flat. And it went at a crazy fast pace. I found myself skimming a lot of it, especially when it switched to follow characters other than Ashla and Trace.

It was really cool how Jacquelyn Frank made the different dimensions and how it was bad to stay faded for too long, but I thought it was a little weird how quickly the euphoria hit Trace. It was just weird. I mean she ne...more (Might Contain Spoilers)I think that the concept for this book was really good. It was a good idea, but I think it fell kinda flat. And it went at a crazy fast pace. I found myself skimming a lot of it, especially when it switched to follow characters other than Ashla and Trace.

It was really cool how Jacquelyn Frank made the different dimensions and how it was bad to stay faded for too long, but I thought it was a little weird how quickly the euphoria hit Trace. It was just weird. I mean she never mentioned anything about soul mates or anything like that, so it's not like he was fated to need her. It just seemed a little out of the ordinary. And all of the other characters thought so too, they even told Trace that, but Frank never cleared up why Trace was acting that way.

As for the characters there were a lot of things that I liked and disliked about them. Firstly I liked Ashla a lot, she was really strong and sweet at the same time. I also liked Trace most of the time, but sometimes he acted kind of dumb when he blamed himself for things. I didn't really like Magnus, I mean, I know that he cares for Trace and what not, but at the same time he was kind of a dick. And I didn't like Karra, and not because of the obvious reasons (You will have to read to see) but I hated her the most for implying that she had had some sort of relationship with Trace when Ashla was feeling insecure about not having sex training.

That was another thing that I kinda got stuck on. I understand having an openly sexual culture, I even understand being trained for sex. But in the book it seemed more slutty than cultural. Like, how everyone is going to want to sleep with Ashla because she slept with Trace and vice versa. And I understand that even in real life sex is a competition, we all have to prove that we are the ideal mate for the one we love blah blah blah... But this just seemed different to me, and it kinda pissed me off. Ashla had gone through so much to be with Trace and now they were telling her she would have to start competing for him, and that it would be perfectly acceptable for someone to try and take him away. You guys know that I hate man stealers more than anything.

But Ashla got pregnant and I love when the main characters have babies. And Frank left off with a cliff hanger so now, despite my mild dislike of the book, I feel compelled to read the next one just so I can figure out what was going on.

My thing with this book was that because of the POV switches to characters I didn't care about I ended up skimming a lot of the book. I would say a 2 out of 5 on this. Maybe the next one will be better. I'll let y'all know.(less)

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Feb 04, 2011 Kim~Fantasy~ rated it 5 of 5 stars

Holy cow I'm addicted to this series! Trace is sexy but in this book I was really interested in Guin....can't wait to see what happens. Wish that Ashla's mom would have gotten more though...would have been great to see Magnus throttle her for her daughters treatment. I seriously want to jump into this series and snag one of these hunks for myself! The question would be which race to choose from! They are all so damn sexy and alluring! Props to Frank for such vivid characters! And the love scenes...more

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Jan 30, 2009 Lorri-lynne rated it 4 of 5 stars

Jacquelyn Frank delivers a great story in the first book of her new series, The Shadowdwellers.

At one with the darkness, the mysterious Shadowdwellers must live as far from light-loving humans as possible in order to survive. Yet one damaged human woman will tempt the man behind the Shadowdweller throne into a dangerous desire.
Worlds Couldn't Keep Them Apart
Among the Shadowdwellers, Trace holds power that some are willing to kill for. Without a stranger's aid, one rival would surely have succe...more Jacquelyn Frank delivers a great story in the first book of her new series, The Shadowdwellers.

At one with the darkness, the mysterious Shadowdwellers must live as far from light-loving humans as possible in order to survive. Yet one damaged human woman will tempt the man behind the Shadowdweller throne into a dangerous desire.
Worlds Couldn't Keep Them Apart
Among the Shadowdwellers, Trace holds power that some are willing to kill for. Without a stranger's aid, one rival would surely have succeeded, but Trace's brush with death is less surprising to him than his reaction to the beautiful, fragile human who heals him. By rights, Trace should hardly even register Ashla's existence within the realm of Shadowscape, but instead he is drawn to everything about her-her innocence, her courage, and her lush, sensual heat.
After a terrifying car crash, Ashla Townsend wakes up to find that the bustling New York she knew is now eerie and desolate. Just when she's convinced she's alone, Ashla is confronted by a dark warrior who draws her deeper into a world she never knew existed. The bond between Ashla and Trace is a mystery to both, but searching for answers will mean confronting long-hidden secrets, and uncovering a threat that could destroy everything Trace holds precious .

Trace and Ashla are great characters and Ms. Frank has developed her world building to an art. The parallel dimension that Trace lives in is realistic and believable, and Ashla’s addition to that world is interesting.

Trace is fighting a traitor to the rulers of his country when they crash into the store that Ashla is poking around in. Sorely hurt, Trace manages to kill his opponent, but without Ashla’s healing skills, both the traitor and the plot would have died with him. She should not have even been in Shadowscape, but luck is on his side.

Ashla has no idea that she has been in a deadly car crash and her actual body lies in a coma in the Earth dimension. She can only imagine that she is the survivor of some very strange catastrophic event that has left New York empty and silent. She never dreamed a dimension such as Shadowscape even exists. Then suddenly, two men appear out of the eerie street and crash through the window of the shop she is currently in. Having seen no one else in weeks, Ashla is stunned. But she can’t stand by and let the warrior who survives the fight die, despite knowing that he is bound to look at her healing gift as some kind of demon’s curse.

Together, they must find a way to save the royal twins from the assassin’s latest plot and figure out why and how Ashla is in Shadowscape.

I really enjoyed the book. Ashla and Trace caught my full attention immediately and the action kept me reading longer than I should have at times. The world is fully developed, with plenty more interesting twists and turns to be explored in future books. The relationship between Ashla and Trace is well done, with plenty of page heating sex.

There was only one small issue I had with the book. Early on, the possibility of Ashla being a sub was introduced. However, in the rest of the book this is pretty much ignored. I expected a bit more Dom/sub relationship and the exploration of that new side of Ashla. I was disappointed that after having introduced the possibility, the author chose to go with a more traditional relationship between an alpha male and his mate.
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Oct 11, 2009 Mary rated it 1 of 5 stars

Hm, these Shadowdwellers can only exist in darkness, but live in our world in the shadows, but even headlights & regular lighting can do them in. So when they take an RV to Alaska, who's doing the driving? Also keeps mentioning their "conservative" culture, but includes hands-(and other parts)-on sex classes.
Lots of time spent in the dark, over and over, which just doesn't work with living in, of all places, New York.
Also has a parallel plane that mirrors this, but with no light.
Running out...more

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May 05, 2010 ൠSinful rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: suspense, series, romance, pnr-series, full-novel, contemporary, parallel-dimension-or-universe

I didn't realize that the nightwalkers spun into this series, Shadowdwellers. I enjoy her books, but they aren't Showalter, Ward, Cole to me. The world was new and intreguing. Probably the best part to me. The two definately had chemistry and connected. Sometimes I think she over describes the characters when they are talking- she gives to much intention detail. I guess it is the need to show and not tell us. It is also up there on the sex content. Not erotica, but if you find Ward uncomfortable...more

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topics	posts	views	last activity
Goodreads Librari...: Please add narrator & merge	3	22	Mar 14, 2013 07:54pm
Jacquelyn Frank's Sexy New Paranormal Just Released	1	9	Oct 26, 2010 07:22am
Celebrating Jacquelyn Frank's First Release Writing as JAX	1	8	Sep 27, 2010 08:04am
NOCTURNAL Anthology Features New Stories From Jacquelyn Frank And Kate Douglas	1	7	Sep 06, 2010 08:19am

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avg rating	preview: Ecstasy Goodreads rating: 4.03 (4219 ratings)
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Ecstasy (Shadowdwellers #1)

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