Led to victory by its magic-fueled Dragon Corps, Volstov has sent a delegation to its conquered neighbors to work out the long-awaited terms of pea...
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Nov 17, 2011
Hanet
rated it: 
Will they or won't they?
This was my frustration with Shadow Magic. After sitting on my shelf unread for almost 2 years, I finally read Shadow Magic out of boredom. I read it in two great gulps over a weekend, because I had a pressing need to get to the end. Why? Plot? No. Great characters. No, actually. Great relationships? Not quite.
No, it was the Ross-and-Rachel factor. Will they or won't they? And I'll say, the payoff was not equal to the buildup.
I remember More...
This was my frustration with Shadow Magic. After sitting on my shelf unread for almost 2 years, I finally read Shadow Magic out of boredom. I read it in two great gulps over a weekend, because I had a pressing need to get to the end. Why? Plot? No. Great characters. No, actually. Great relationships? Not quite.
No, it was the Ross-and-Rachel factor. Will they or won't they? And I'll say, the payoff was not equal to the buildup.
I remember More...
Oct 23, 2010
Jen
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Aug 20, 2009
Jeffrey
rated it:
In this standalone sequel to Havemercy, the authors first novel, a party of Volstovs has traveled to their vanquished foes homeland to negotiate a peace treaty. The action is split between four characters -- General Albecides, a swordsman and soldier, Caisus (sp), an effeminiate magician who is into clothes, the theater and bothering Albecides from the Volstov diplomatic party and Moromu, the current Emperor's brother and Kayou (sp) his friend and aide, who have escaped the palace and on the ru
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Jun 04, 2011
ayanami
rated it: 
Really bland book. Feels like not much truly happened despite all the fancy prose. And as in Havemercy, the real plot doesn't kick in until maybe the last 80 pages or so. And it's still bland and boring.
It's also quite obvious that both authors are huge fans of Japanese culture-- Ke-han is basically feudal Japan, though oddly enough, their naming scheme also uses names from other East Asian cultures (a few characters had Chinese- and Korean-sounding names while others had Japanese ones More...
It's also quite obvious that both authors are huge fans of Japanese culture-- Ke-han is basically feudal Japan, though oddly enough, their naming scheme also uses names from other East Asian cultures (a few characters had Chinese- and Korean-sounding names while others had Japanese ones More...
Feb 23, 2010
egelantier
rated it: 
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Dec 14, 2009
Becky
rated it:
Gets three stars because of the lovely writing, often elegantly handled themes, fun setting (fake Japan FTW!), and Kouje, who was just super compelling and deserves the Samwise Gamgee award for being a fantastic servant character in a fantasy novel.
An enjoyable read, but I think Jones and Bennett need to work on constructing and executing better plots. This one was made up of pretty good elements - and so was actually much better than the plot of Havemercy - but even still too often More...
An enjoyable read, but I think Jones and Bennett need to work on constructing and executing better plots. This one was made up of pretty good elements - and so was actually much better than the plot of Havemercy - but even still too often More...
Jul 08, 2009
Liviu
rated it: 
If you loved Havemercy, you will love this one as I did both, if you disliked Havemercy for whatever reason I would suggest to try something else since I see no reason this one will change your opinion;
If you are new to the authors, Shadow Magic follows the events in Havemercy but it has completely new characters so it can be read as a standalone.
Some characters from Havemercy have cameos, but here the four narrators, all men as in Havemercy are Alcibiades and Caius diplo More...
If you are new to the authors, Shadow Magic follows the events in Havemercy but it has completely new characters so it can be read as a standalone.
Some characters from Havemercy have cameos, but here the four narrators, all men as in Havemercy are Alcibiades and Caius diplo More...
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May 03, 2010
Jain
rated it:
As with Havemercy, this book follows four paired protagonists, Kouje and Mamoru and Caius and Alcibiades. Unfortunately, the Caius and Alcibiades chapters felt like filler half the time. They were often amusing and replete with bantery dialogue, but filler nonetheless.
An additional annoyance was how the Xi'an characters constantly referred to themselves/their country as "Ke-Han." Way to privilege the perspective of (white) Volstov and to other (Asian) Xi'an.
The More...
An additional annoyance was how the Xi'an characters constantly referred to themselves/their country as "Ke-Han." Way to privilege the perspective of (white) Volstov and to other (Asian) Xi'an.
The More...
Sep 06, 2010
Kristen
rated it:
Like Havemercy, Shadow Magic captured my attention from the very first page and held it throughout with its character narratives. In this novel, there are two narrators from Xi'an, the prince Mamoru and his servant Kouje, and two from Volstov, the delegates Caius and Alcibiades. After only seeing characters from Volstov in Havemercy, the inclusion of two of the Ke-Han with a broader, more sympathetic look at their culture and how they were affected by the war was very welcome. Mamoru and Kouje w
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May 10, 2010
Aithen
rated it: 
As soon as I finish this one, I’ll be working on reading Beautiful Creatures. Why oh why does Beryl always have to dare me to read gigantic bricks that look like lame attempts at Twilight?
Shadow Magic starts exactly where Havemercy ended: the century-long war between the Volstov and Ke-Han Empires is finally over, and Volstovic diplomats are negotiating (what they are negotiating is beyond my knowledge, maybe the terms of surrender or something).
I had first started to rea More...
Shadow Magic starts exactly where Havemercy ended: the century-long war between the Volstov and Ke-Han Empires is finally over, and Volstovic diplomats are negotiating (what they are negotiating is beyond my knowledge, maybe the terms of surrender or something).
I had first started to rea More...
Apr 21, 2010
Rebecca
rated it:
The only thing that I didn't quite like about this book is that the ending felt a bit rushed. There was such a nice and long build up, so when it ended I just felt like "that's it?".
Other than that I don't have any complaints. The characters were likeable (even though it took me a while to get used to, and subsequently like, Mamoru and Kouje.). Caius Greylace was, without a doubt, my favourite out of the four (he's surprisingly easy to like, you know, for a mad man), although More...
Other than that I don't have any complaints. The characters were likeable (even though it took me a while to get used to, and subsequently like, Mamoru and Kouje.). Caius Greylace was, without a doubt, my favourite out of the four (he's surprisingly easy to like, you know, for a mad man), although More...
Aug 27, 2009
Teeuhh
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Sep 15, 2011
Danielle
rated it:
I really enjoyed this story. The lead characters were not the same as the first book in the series, Havemercy, but since it's been so many years since I read that book, I found that it was actually refreshing, because I didn't need to remember much detail about those characters to follow the story.
I thought the characterization that went into this book was top notch fun. It followed 4 very distinctly different characters, which--while at first was a smidgeon confusing--eventually be More...
I thought the characterization that went into this book was top notch fun. It followed 4 very distinctly different characters, which--while at first was a smidgeon confusing--eventually be More...
Apr 14, 2010
Ashley
rated it:
Entertaining story, but it failed its potential. The plot was slow until the last hundred pages, where it picked up, and I thought everything was solved way too quickly. Caius was just an annoying character, Mamarou should have been given more characterization to be liked by the reader instead of talking about what he did during the war, and Iseul could have been a much better villain. There was little imagination in the world- building and very little detail about magic, which I thought would h
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May 01, 2010
Clay
rated it:
I pretty much had written off Jaida Jones and Danielle Bennett, who wrote “Havemercy”, and so I debated whether to spend the time reading “Shadow Magic” (Ballantine Spectra, $25, 387 pages). Luckily, I did, as “Shadow Magic” is a huge improvement over “Havemercy” (both are set on the same world) and its examination of male friendships gives the book depth and texture. Start with “Shadow Magic,” even though it’s volume two, and only try “Havemercy” if you’re very happy with the second effort.
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Jun 19, 2010
Virginia
rated it:
I have mixed feelings about this book. I loved the setting and the description of Ke-Han culture, and the culture-shock humor was reliably funny. I may even go as far as to say I liked the characters as much as or more than the characters of Havemercy. However, when the book ended, I felt dissatisfied. Perhaps it's the goober in me that wanted romantic resolution, but it is also likely the part of me that felt that while there was a climax, it was not very climactic. As far as the dramatic act
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Sep 08, 2010
Kez
rated it:
I really didn't think that I would love this book even more than Havemercy. Second books seem to have a tendency to be not quite as good as the first and third books in a trilogy, but then I guess this isn't strictly speaking a trilogy. Shadow Magic was an absolutely brilliant second novel from Jones and Bennett and has me desperate for more.
Within three pages I was desperately in love with Caius Greylace (the insane magician who makes a brief appearance in Havemercy) and shameless More...
Within three pages I was desperately in love with Caius Greylace (the insane magician who makes a brief appearance in Havemercy) and shameless More...
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Sep 10, 2011
Crowinator
rated it:
I didn't think it was possible, but I love Shadow Magic even more then Havemercy, the debut novel from this young author team. Shadow Magic continues right after Volstov wins the war against Ke-Han, but with an entirely new set of characters. Two of the characters were on the fringes in Havemercy and two are entirely new, but Jones and Bennett prove that their flair with the character-driven novel isn't a fluke: they can create stunningly original people and put them in situations where they dev
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Nov 28, 2009
Dragon Eyes Loves Manga
rated it:
One of the few adult books I've read and enjoyed. Shadow magic's characters are individuals with their own unique personalities. Told from the viewpoints of the four main characters, it can sometimes be a little confusing as to who is speaking, but with this story of diplomats in a foreign country after winning a war against it, a prince accused of treason, and a strict code of conduct in the palace, it would take these people to sort through this mess.
Oct 18, 2010
Kitty
rated it:
this is like lost: book edition. not because anyone gets stuck on the island with a smoke monster, but because there are so many ridiculous loop holes and unanswered questions and completely nonsensical plot/story/character choices by the writers.
it is also at least twice as enjoyable if you just skip mamoru and kouje's not so excellent adventures
it is also at least twice as enjoyable if you just skip mamoru and kouje's not so excellent adventures
Aug 24, 2009
... Okay, I had started typing a long-ish and (sort of ) thoughtful review, and then Goodreads ate it. So, capsule summary: seems like this got no promotion; I didn't see it in any local bookstores. (And I go to bookstores a lot.) I couldn't stop snickering, because one of the main characters is named Mamoru, and that made me think of Sailor Moon.
A peace process is generally going to be less interesting than a war, in fiction, unless it's done well, and as far as I got, this seeme More...
A peace process is generally going to be less interesting than a war, in fiction, unless it's done well, and as far as I got, this seeme More...
May 27, 2010
Kylie
rated it:
I really enjoyed Havemercy, the first book in this series by the authors and the second one definitely had the same good qualities. There is nothing overly special about the writing style or story for that matter but it just makes for a very nice easy read. But I guess what really hooked me was Caius.
How can you not love a man who was described as "He was dress half like a woman and half like a lunatic."? He and his unwillingly friend carried the story for me, I was almost More...
How can you not love a man who was described as "He was dress half like a woman and half like a lunatic."? He and his unwillingly friend carried the story for me, I was almost More...
Oct 08, 2010
Alex
rated it:
I really liked the characters (Caius' craziness was awesome) and there is some great worldbuilding and lovely prose in this, but cpmpared to HAVEMERCY, the pacing really lacked and the authors didn't manage to tie things together as well as they did in the previous book. This is definitely one of those books I read for characters, not so much for plot originality...
Nov 13, 2009
Kat
rated it:
Really liked this sequel to HaveMercy. Less characters to keep track of, though the same rotating point of view thing which works well for these authors. Lots of interesting male friendships and of course action-adventure type stuff. Looking forward to more from these gals.
Jun 22, 2011
Efseine
rated it:
Caius and Alcibiades are a delight. The other two narrators mostly bored me, unfortunately, but those two, oh, those two.
Aug 23, 2011
Laura
rated it:
A slightly different flavour to Havemercy, but no less enjoyable for that.
May 17, 2010
Hpstrangelove
rated it:
I enjoyed this very much, although not as much as the first in the series. It was still exciting, but somehow missed the 'magic' of the first book. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens in the next book when it comes out next month.
Mar 17, 2010
Cmfish
rated it:
Sequel to Havemercy. I enjoyed the world building in both books, but I found the characters in this one much more engaging.
May 03, 2011
Theresa
rated it:
Between this one and the last one, I feel a little bit like I'm watching Love Actually. So many different kinds of relationships, each written so well. I found the plot of this one a little bit weak and predictable, but I wasn't reading it for the plot, I was reading it for the characters and they left nothing to be desired.
