Shadowfae (The Shadowfae Chronicles, #1)

Sep 27, 2010 new_user rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Fans of the Maker Song series

Shelves: succubus, elfpunk, paranormal-romance, racially-diverse

HBO would love this series. Profanity, violence, sex, drugs, often all at once, but Shadowfae isn't generic in any category. Erica Hayes' fae are very elf and very punk, with human vices. Hayes completely reinvents the fae, vampires, and demons in a very human likeness so that they fit seamlessly into Melbourne's seedy side, where fae with claws and pretty, delicate wings also sell the most potent product and vampire mobsters war for territory. Hayes' prose is very well suited to this atmosphere...more HBO would love this series. Profanity, violence, sex, drugs, often all at once, but Shadowfae isn't generic in any category. Erica Hayes' fae are very elf and very punk, with human vices. Hayes completely reinvents the fae, vampires, and demons in a very human likeness so that they fit seamlessly into Melbourne's seedy side, where fae with claws and pretty, delicate wings also sell the most potent product and vampire mobsters war for territory. Hayes' prose is very well suited to this atmosphere, picking out the allure with beautiful words and describing its decay in frank detail.

These fae are complex and familiar so that it is almost like watching a dark drama starring the supernatural. We even see from the villains' points of view so that they are complete characters, rather than half-baked, mustachioed evil-doers. Their scenes are oddly compelling, especially when they come very close to winning.

Jade -fitting name for a succubus- herself has low self-esteem after 100+ years of unwillingly prostituting herself for the demon who won her soul in a high-stakes faro game. Then she meets Rajah, who's almost choirboy-good and they've "never felt like this for anyone before" and there are odious Misunderstandings and doubts due to insecurities typical to romance but out of place in this otherwise dark urban fantasy, unless one takes into account Jade's history.

All the same, the unique plot, villains and world keep me riveted-- as well as the writing style, which is far different from the norm. Don't expect to pick up an HQ novel here. Hayes' style is efficient and precise but decadent with artistic sensuousness very fitting to her sensuous characters. There is not a lot of superfluous language (notice the page count) and it's never missed because the pacing is relatively tight here.

On the other hand, even spare, organic, specific sex scenes can get exhausting after enough of them, especially if most of them are negative experiences enacted on the heroine, albeit she is aroused at the time. Put it this way: she has sex with four men in the novel, and three of them are bad, LOL. She is a succubus after all, and that is her power, the only one she has to fulfill her ultimate goal unless she gets help from others (she's pretty alone). So it doesn't really feel gratuitous. It may not have been necessary to run the gamut, but then again, the plot hinges on sex. Better make it interesting. They're centuries old, they've seen it all.

I would recommend it to readers of dark urban fantasy who don't mind a lot of sex and a weaker heroine, especially fans of the Maker's Song series by Adrian Phoenix. There's the same woebegone atmosphere and angst, the same artistic bent, and the hero is pretty much bisexual. The next book, Shadowglass, in April follows a different pair and I'm considering reading it for the edgy hero and the pretty style, as long there's less sex and it's not one long drug-induced high (you know those fae, they can't get enough of the stuff).(less)

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May 05, 2010 I ♥ Bookie Nookie rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Dark Urban Fantasy

Shelves: genre-pnr-uf, species-vampires, theme-faeries, 2010-read-in, zz-reviewed, genre-paranormal

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Oct 21, 2009 Melindeeloo rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Peppered with Fae, demons and vampires, with Shadowfae sets the stage for a dark romantic new urban fantasy series

Both leading lady succubus Jade and leading man incubus Rajah are enslaved to a demon and both long for the end of their servitude, they are forced to seduce and sometimes kill unable to resist the compulsion of their master's orders. But Rajah has discovered the way to win his freedom, a secret he shares with Jade - to be free, four special souls must be harvested, the only catch...more Peppered with Fae, demons and vampires, with Shadowfae sets the stage for a dark romantic new urban fantasy series

Both leading lady succubus Jade and leading man incubus Rajah are enslaved to a demon and both long for the end of their servitude, they are forced to seduce and sometimes kill unable to resist the compulsion of their master's orders. But Rajah has discovered the way to win his freedom, a secret he shares with Jade - to be free, four special souls must be harvested, the only catch is one of the key souls is the same for both Jade and Rajah which means that only one of them can be free.

Shadowfae was an interesting read, and Aussie writer Erica Hayes' tale blurs the line between good and evil. Almost all of the characters in Shadowfae are predators, and even the `good' characters are morally gray. Just as Jade falls under the control of one of the villains of the tale, who uses his vampiric thrall as sort of a date rape drug, eventually the predator falls prey to the sensual power which allows Jade and Rajah to enrapture their victims. And that blur allows for moments where it is possible to actually feel sympathy for the villians even as they pay the price for their misdeeds and also for moments where Haye's reminds us that the leads, though capable of sacrifice and love, are not classic hero/heroine material.

With an incubus and a succubus in the starring roles, it is not surprising that sex plays an important part in Shadowfae, making it somewhat erotic as well as dark. But the sensual language is not as in your face crude as most of the few erotic books I've attempted - I tend to stick to the steamy side of main stream paranormal romance - and not all of it is meant to titillate, much of it is almost setting and texture. But if you are not an erotic reader, you should be forewarned that the sexuality woven throughout Shadowfae comes in pretty much every flavor.

On the whole, I liked Shadowfae, it felt very original and actually had one very poignant scene that captured me. And since Haye's barely scratched the surface of this Fae inhabited alternate Melbourne, there is much left to explore when the Shadowfae Chronicles continues with [[ASIN:0312578016 Shadowglass: The Shadowfae Chronicles] ]in April 2010.
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May 21, 2010 Jesse Dixon rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: australian

I didn't enjoy this book all that much. When I decided to read it I thought it was going to be a mixture of romance and traditional fantasy i.e. fairies, trolls, maybe even a dwarf or seven, but wasn't I in for a shock. It turns out that the book has more of an erotic genre, with a fantasy twist. It was about Jade, a succubus, who has to have sex to survive, who is enslaved by a demon lord. In other words she has a sex addiction to rival Tiger Woods'. She meets and falls in love with a man who h...more

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Jul 02, 2012 Rooks rated it 3 of 5 stars

So let me say straight off that the writing is pretty good and the world building is rather interesting. The main reason I'm giving this a three is because I really wish that prequel heroine (Hellcursed) had shown up in this book.

Oh sure, it's the same character, but now we're meeting her after a century of emotional abuse, and that's taken a toll, to be sure. I'm not saying I blame her, and the author's read on how that situation could effect someone is valid, but at times it seemed like the o...more So let me say straight off that the writing is pretty good and the world building is rather interesting. The main reason I'm giving this a three is because I really wish that prequel heroine (Hellcursed) had shown up in this book.

Oh sure, it's the same character, but now we're meeting her after a century of emotional abuse, and that's taken a toll, to be sure. I'm not saying I blame her, and the author's read on how that situation could effect someone is valid, but at times it seemed like the only folks in the book showing any real initiative were dudes. Since I read a short story where that wasn't the case by the same author, I'm willing to chalk that up to characterization, not internalized gender norms, but it still wasn't as fun as it could be to read. So that's the main reason for the three star rating.

Beyond that, though a number of the sexytimes scenes (which were reasonably frequent) were arguably rather spicy (and somewhat varied as well, as there's some MM and MMF action that happens), they were hard to just sit back and enjoy for two reasons. The first is that in a book where the protagonist (and her paramour) are both functionally cursed to get pimped out for 1000 years and neither of them much cares for their job, consent is a real issue, and not one that the author skirts by any means. (Date rape, aka rape, happens.) The second is that I have never read so much hatefucking in all my life. (Arguably hot hatefucking, but still.) Seriously, since the book jacket says our gal's a succubus, that she steals souls for a living, and in order to break free she has to steal some souls she cannot friggin' stand, I don't think it's particularly spoilery to connect the dots on how she's going to go about doing that. So again we engage consent, but from the standpoint that she is absolutely consenting to sucking the souls outta some folks she'd rather not touch with a 10' pole in an extremely literal manner, but the only reason she's doing something she would rather not is to avoid another several hundred years of something she considers worse.

So to say that it's one of the darker Urban Fantasy series I've come across would, I think, be obvious at this point. The author is not shy about the fact that sometimes things are totally screwed up and sometimes your happy ending is just finding something or someone you can be happy with, even in a dire and/or less than ideal situation. Each book's a mostly-stand alone, and something about the series has definitely grabbed my interest (no, not just the sexytimes), so I plan to plow ahead. (less)

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Jun 19, 2012 Isa rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult, paranormal, romance, urban-fantasy, read-2012

This book started off really well and, to be perfectly honest, ended well. But the more I read of it, the lower I wanted to rate it. Bear with me, I know I'm not making sense.

The writing is exquisite. Hayes has a way with words, with just a few of them she paints a vivid scene. Look at this:

"They’d whispered in dark ocean grottoes with demons"

That simple, but can't you just picture it? Isn't it lovely?
The whole book is like this, and her writing style produced some very explicit, yet tasteful,...more

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May 14, 2012 Kathy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Really 3.90 Rating

Jade, a succubus tricked into sexual servitude to a demon for a millennium, and Rajah, an incubus enslaved to the same demon team up to try and out wit their contract with the demon lord.

Jade and Rajah had great chemistry. The plot was entertaining with an abundance of mystery, suspense and intrigue; including a great combination of many supernatural races; from fae to demons to vampires. Just a forewarning, there is a lot of sex but those scenes were easy enough to skip over....more

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Dec 19, 2011 Lindsay rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal

I liked the characters, although I admittedly liked the male characters better than the main female role. Jade came across as a little bi-polar: seemingly smart and then suddenly going and acting like a complete bimbo. There were times when I found it hard to believe that she could really be that dumb after 140 years of life.

My next point of contention was that the point of view was strange, jumping from first person POV and then suddenly third person omniscient. As I don't see what was gained...more

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Jul 28, 2011 Sally added it · review of another edition

I really enjoyed Shadowfae.

I love Melbourne and the descriptions of Melbourne in Shadowfae bring elements of it's overall character to life beautifully, evocatively and in vivid colour.

It also was true to the character of Melbourne's seedy underbelly (which has existed since it was first settled. That's what happens when a city is built on gold weath). However in this Melbourne, supernatural creatures, predominantly carefree, drug pushing fae and very nasty vampires, populate the underworld.

I...more

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Jul 15, 2011 Sara rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 3-5-stars

Plot: 3.5 Stars
I really liked the plot, although I felt it sometimes got drowned in all of the sex. If Jade wasn't having sex, she was almost having sex. And if she wasn't almost having sex, she was thinking about sex and her body was reacting to the possibility or thought of sex. Now, I don't dislike a good sex scene or two, but I don't need it around every corner. I think the only reason it didn't actually bother me was how tastefully it was all written. And once you get past all of the sex, t...more

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Jan 01, 2011 Yolanda Sfetsos rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy

Erica's Melbourne isn't one any of us will ever see, and I think that's probably a good thing. The fae, demons, and vamps in this world aren't romantic and sweet. They're cruel, insatiable, and waiting to screw you over the first chance they get. They're all dangerous predators.

Jade is a succubus who belongs to a demon called Kane. She seduces men and steals their souls via some very gruesome ways. Then she vomits the souls into soultraps, but when she finds out that there's a way to break free,...more

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Jan 10, 2010 Katie(babs) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Dark, seductive and erotic are the perfect words to describe, Shadowfae, the debut release from Erica Hayes. Jade is a one-hundred forty year old succubus who is indentured to the demon lord Kane for a thousand years. She is forced to seduce and suck out the soul of the current victim she is with. She uses sex as a weapon, known as the rapture. Jade hates her immortal life but has no choice to do what Kane orders her to do. Kane loves Jade and wants her to love him, but because of his evil and s...more Dark, seductive and erotic are the perfect words to describe, Shadowfae, the debut release from Erica Hayes. Jade is a one-hundred forty year old succubus who is indentured to the demon lord Kane for a thousand years. She is forced to seduce and suck out the soul of the current victim she is with. She uses sex as a weapon, known as the rapture. Jade hates her immortal life but has no choice to do what Kane orders her to do. Kane loves Jade and wants her to love him, but because of his evil and somewhat degrading ways, she refuses to give him any piece of herself. And because of that, Jade suffers.

Jade is forced to go undercover and find out what one of Kane’s enemies has up his sleeve. If Jade has to use her body to do just that, she will, even if she continues to lose her own soul in the process. What she doesn’t know is that she has a possible way out. Rajahni Seth is an incubus also serving Kane who’s found a way to break away from Kane’s hold. Rajah wants to team up with Jade because he believes she can help him achieve his goal. Jade doesn’t trust Rajah because he can use his sex magic to enthrall her. But after Rajah explains that all they need is to harvest four special souls, Jade makes a pact with him.

Jade and Rajah enter a very dark world filled with dark erotic and sexual horrors. Vampires use their blood to conquer their victims sexually and one such vampire has Jade in his sights because he wants revenge against Rajah. As Jade slowly loses her own sanity because of the intense lust she has for Rajah and those supernatural creatures who tap into her desires, Rajah must make a decision where he can either manipulate Jade into giving him what he wants, or save her soul and find a small taste of happiness for them both.

Shadowfae is not comfortable reading. Sex and desire is used as a weapon and I couldn’t help cringe while reading certain scenes because of the almost violent undercurrent as Jade and Rajah use their powers as a means to and end. Everyone comes across as victim in Shadowfae and Jade suffers most of all. The sex scenes with Jade are almost forced acts even though Jade may seem to be in control. This is mainly how she uses her body, but in regards to her mind, she comes across as almost childlike; scarred and ruined. At least Rajah is there to give her compassion and the strength to go on.

I’m not sure what genre Shadowfae would be. There is a great mix of eroticism; paranormal elements as well as an almost gothic horror type feel that taps into the readers psyche. I can really see Erica Hayes going on to writing great erotic horror. I would have liked to see more interactions between Jade and her demon master Kane, who is underused and not written in a well-rounded way. Also, because sex is used as a violence act, I could find no real enjoyment in Jade and Rajah’s lovemaking.

Shadowfae is the type of read for those who are interested in reading about dark nightmares. Leave all thoughts of happy joyful romantic love to the side when reading this book.
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Oct 20, 2009 marlene rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book was not at all what i expected. I think over all it went beyond what i thought it was going to be, but it was quite the downer on the way. Really not a book to bring a smile to your face. It is described as dark, and there is no questioning it.

For a book about a succubus and and incubus i obviously expect a healthy dose of sex. This book is actually about 90 % sex and not once single scene of it is pleasant. Most of it is rape. There is blood rape, mental rape, and the blatant physical...more This book was not at all what i expected. I think over all it went beyond what i thought it was going to be, but it was quite the downer on the way. Really not a book to bring a smile to your face. It is described as dark, and there is no questioning it.

For a book about a succubus and and incubus i obviously expect a healthy dose of sex. This book is actually about 90 % sex and not once single scene of it is pleasant. Most of it is rape. There is blood rape, mental rape, and the blatant physically sexual rape. either i an obvious GHB type of way or a slave mystically forced to do as they are told. even in the two scenes where the characters actually wanted to be together it was after another traumatic round with someone they completely and totally despised. this made their coupling more cathartic than anything. i think if i had known this ahead of time i would have shelved the book for awhile. in hind sight i am glad i didn't because overall it was worth the read.

The female lead is Jade. A succubus full of self loathing. She has body image issues, zero self esteem, almost no confidence, and a laundry list of other issues. She belongs to a demon lord named Kane who basically uses her powers to suck souls to deal with the local mob like groups. One of which she is also forced to date. throughout the entire book she is called everything from a dirty whore to a useless filthy slut. at the same time everyone is trying to figure out how to use her and her powers to their advantage.

The male lead is Rajah. he is an incubus also enslaved to Kane. Outwardly he shows confidence and even a little arrogance. inwardly we see he is in the same boat loaded down with the same issues as Jade. no one could ever possibly love him because of the whore slave he is and no one ever should have to.

Kane the demon lord is just as much of a mess in his right. He seems completely in love with Jade in his own special demon kind of way. since he thinks nothing like the rest of the world he goes about it in odd ways. there is also the bouts of murder. he kills out of jealousy, out of loneliness, and maybe just because he is bored. still, i couldnt help but feel bad for him.

The world that was built shows Melbourne infested with the supernatural, though humans are completely unaware thanks to glamor. Fae drugs are the new hot thing. better highs than anything humans ever made. everything about the world is decadent and a display of over indulgence.

the story itself brings the succubus and incubus together to try to win their freedom by sucking out 4 specific souls. only problem is they share one of the four in common. with seemingly no way to be together if only one can be free and therefore live out a human life they both wonder if it is worth loving for even a short time. would either sacrifice everything to set the other free from a life of slavery ?
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Sep 15, 2009 Tynga rated it 4 of 5 stars

Jade was greedy as a human, craving for power, and got what she was looking for in a crazy twisted kind of way. She's a succubus. She got the power to enthrall men and suck their soul out of their body.

It wasn't what she was looking for, and after 140 years, she is blazée and depressed until she meets Rajah.Rajah, the incubus. She despise him and yet is drawn to him in a way she can't explain.She might not know yet, but he holds the key to her freedom. Will she be able to break her shackles?

Firs...more Jade was greedy as a human, craving for power, and got what she was looking for in a crazy twisted kind of way. She's a succubus. She got the power to enthrall men and suck their soul out of their body.

It wasn't what she was looking for, and after 140 years, she is blazée and depressed until she meets Rajah.Rajah, the incubus. She despise him and yet is drawn to him in a way she can't explain.She might not know yet, but he holds the key to her freedom. Will she be able to break her shackles?

First let's get a few facts straight.
This is NOT a young adult novel.
It should come with a warning "Please read carefully, you might be aroused".

Erica Hayes' debut novel is well written, and oh so steamy. The vocabulary is really diverse, my french-ness was challenged all the way. There are words in that book I didn't even know exist!The plot is well built, and the world is so special. Described to us clear as crystal, yet no humans knows what laying under their knows. Faeries, vampires, demons.

In the first half of the book I felt drowned in sex scenes. They are incredibly well written, so detailed, it turns you on not matter what. I would compare sex scenes in a book with Ice Cream: No matter how rich and exquisite it is, if you take to much it will make you sick. The was just to much sexuality in the first half for my personal taste, and it weighted down the story.

The second half though, WOW. The plot wrapped up, the intrigue unfolded and it was great! Yes there was still kinky encounters but they felt right. I think in that part of the book the steamy scenes were supporting the plot and not the other way around. It was hot, spicy, and well rounded.

The characters were awesome, I loved how Jade was still naive even though she is over 100 years old. Rajah is lovely in his own damned-soul kind of way, loves her but doesn't know how to handle it. I felt pity for Kane (the demon holding both Jade and Rajah in thrall), the guy is so lonely and depressed.

Overall it is a good book, I hope the second book will follow nicely to the second half of the book.

Great work Erica, I'm waiting for the next round!(less)

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Jul 09, 2009 Tez rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. The goals of breaking shackles and finding freedom drive this colourful and disgusting vision of Melbourne, where fae and vampires live among humans.

Soul-sucking succubus Jade goes to steal a soul - only someone else has beat her to it. Incubus Rajah is also seeking emancipation, and the two need four particular souls each to score their freedom. But chasing the same soul, they can't both win, and when it comes to love, is it right to save yourself by damning your loved one?

I love my Melbourne a...more

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Apr 11, 2011 gigi pryce rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fey-reads, paranormal-romance-read, urban-fantasy-reads

Here is what Amazon.co.uk says about Shadowfae:

In a world hidden behind shadowy fairy glamour, thieving spirits rob people blind, beautiful banshees mesmerise people with their song, big green trolls kick heads at nightclubs and sadistic vampire Mafiosi rule the streets. Jade, a succubus, is sick of a life spent seducing gangsters and murderers and simpering as a trophy girl for hell's minions. Her quest for freedom brings her face-to-face with Rajah - formidable adversary and irresistible lover...more

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Jan 19, 2010 Fiendishly Bookish rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: urbanfantasy, faery, 5-star

In Shadowfae, Hayes brings to life a sensory feast of glittering and dangerous creatures, an urban fantasy realm existing side by side with humans in the magnificent shadow of Melbourne. In the luminous underbelly of that cosmopolitan city breathes a current of life filled with incubi, demon lords, banshees, vampire syndicates, spriggans, fairies..the Shadowfae.

The lives of two entities take center stage in Hayes’ dark treat: Jade a succubus, and Rajah, and incubus form an unlikely partnership...more

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Feb 07, 2011 Stephanie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fae, paranormal-urban-fantasy, romance

I found Shadowfae exciting and sexy. An underlying sense of urgency and danger made it thrilling. And frequent passionate and erotic scenes satisfied my love of paranormal romance. It has a certain Buffy appeal. Erica Hayes is an Australian author and despite small amounts of slang, her storytelling translates well to all audiences. There is no transparency to her writing. The plot was well rounded and kept you guessing.

I love the main heroine, Jade. She is sweet and innocent, or as innocent as...more

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Dec 31, 2010 Archer rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: nook-books, urban-fantasy

From Fantasticfiction.com:

Imagine a secret world veiled in fairy glamour and brimming with unearthly delights. A city swarming with half-mad fairies, where thieving spriggans rob you blind, beautiful banshees mesmerize you with their song, and big green trolls bust heads at nightclubs. And once you're in, there's no escape.

Enslaved by a demon lord, Jade is forced to spend her nights seducing vampire gangsters and shapeshifting thugs. After two hundred years as a succubus, she burns for freedom a...more

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Nov 18, 2010 Wenj rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2010

Review provided by Black Lagoon Reviews:

Shadowfae is the debut novel of author Erica Hayes and the first book in her darkly seductive and erotic Shadowfae Chronicles. It drags the reader into the seedy under belly of Melbourne and into the darkest possible realm of the fae. The fast paced and exquisitely rendered world of this novel had me reading late into the night with it's taut, gritty noir-esque tone.

The world created by Hayes is complex, diverse and depicted with flowing adjectives that lu...more Review provided by Black Lagoon Reviews:

Shadowfae is the debut novel of author Erica Hayes and the first book in her darkly seductive and erotic Shadowfae Chronicles. It drags the reader into the seedy under belly of Melbourne and into the darkest possible realm of the fae. The fast paced and exquisitely rendered world of this novel had me reading late into the night with it's taut, gritty noir-esque tone.

The world created by Hayes is complex, diverse and depicted with flowing adjectives that lured me into the sensuous and grungy lives of the characters. It is definitely not the usual fae-fare where good and evil are easily distinguishable. Instead, the characters are all evil to some extent and predators in the truest sense of the word, making this not a realm of black-and-white but one of varying shades of grey. While some characters have redeemable qualities despite their dark natures, others are left without question to be truly vile monsters. The gritty drug addled streets and profuse violence of this alternate Melbourne make for a perfect desolate atmosphere that reflects the emotions of the characters wonderfully.

As a succubus Jade is just as much a killer as the vampiric and demon mobsters that rule the streets, but she is complex and pitiable. Despite beginning the novel on a near note of necrophilia, I was swept away by the rapture of her sexual need and the shame it invokes in her. With serious self-esteem, self-loathing and emotional issues from over a hundred years of sexual abuse, she is still somehow endearing. Her desire to be wanted and loved instead of deplored as a whore gives her a naivete that I couldn't help sympathizing with. Rahajni, an incubus, however, was a show stealer for me. He's charming and cunning and when he falls for Jade it's a tenderness that is heart warming. He is everything that she wants and needs offering her only support and aid, giving rather then demanding. But, you can't always have a happily ever after can you? Rahaj wants his freedom from his demon bonds so he can finally have a life where he can love as he chooses. Jade is the largest obstacle in his path as she comes to desire freedom of her own. However, unlike Rahaj's desire to live and love Jade only wishes to be free of the mortal coil and find peace where no one can demand or take from her again. The fluidity of this relationship makes the characters extremely compelling and I greatly enjoyed watching the relationship flow and ebb.

The villains of the story are also wonderfully complex. While most are wholly vile and deserve the nasty fates that befall them there is a sense of sympathy when they meet their ends. Yet it is the life of pseudo-villain Kane that I found most appealing. Though we sparsely see him through the novel, his is a perfect example of why you can feel sympathy for them. While these creatures have power and stature in the dark world, they are no different then Jade and Rahajni with a lingering sense of loneliness. But, where the atypical hero/heroine take out their emotions on themselves with self recrimination, the villains have a tendency to strike out at the world, killing because of spite and jealousy and using and abusing those around them until the rest of the world is as miserable and turbulent as their inner self. Because of this, the book is filled with dark themes, mainly those of abuse (sexual, physical and drug abuse).

As with any succubus/incubus based novel it goes without saying that sex is going to be involved, however, in this case the vast majority of it is unpleasant and uncomfortable. Sex is most often used as a weapon, brutal and violent with everyone coming out a victim. This contrasts nicely against the few true moments of tenderness showing the vast difference between abuse and love. I actually loved the fact that this novel explored the darker natures of humanity and brought them to bare in this wonderfully crafted novel where none of the unpleasantness is shied away from. It brings a realistic, albeit bleak, edge to the story and lives of the characters and a believable quality to their emotions.

This novel was wonderfully written with a concise descriptive tone that I truly adored. While the darkness of the novel can be a bit depressing, I actually found the moments of contentment all the brighter for it. While this novel won't appeal to everyone because of it's graphic nature, I couldn't help but enjoy the nightmarish ride. With only the tip of the fae realm Hayes created being revealed, I can't wait to read more of this wonderfully grim series.(less)

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Apr 27, 2012 Anne rated it 1 of 5 stars

I gave up halfway through the book since all anyone ever does is have sex. Even the main characters believe that feeling attracted to someone who treats them decent means there must be some connection between them. The real story is why these fairies keep dying, but the MC doesn't care enough about her best friend to truly investigate his mysterious death, she just wants to have indecisive sex with a couple of guys.
Nothing in this world feels fully imagined-like how in the world a devil can make...more

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Oct 16, 2010 Quinn rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: library-book, urban-fantasy, paranormal-romance

Shadowfae is the debut novel from Australian author Erica Hayes, and I see potential.

Hayes has created a complex and detailed world where fae, demons and vampires run amok in Melbourne, largely unbeknown to mortals due to their glamour. Her descriptions of these creatures were not unnecessarily detailed, but sufficient to spark your imagination, particularly the colourful, half-mad fairies with their quivering wings and magick potions available for the cost of a memory.

But this is not a happy wo...more Shadowfae is the debut novel from Australian author Erica Hayes, and I see potential.

Hayes has created a complex and detailed world where fae, demons and vampires run amok in Melbourne, largely unbeknown to mortals due to their glamour. Her descriptions of these creatures were not unnecessarily detailed, but sufficient to spark your imagination, particularly the colourful, half-mad fairies with their quivering wings and magick potions available for the cost of a memory.

But this is not a happy world for any of the inhabitants, nor for the reader. It is dog-eat-dog (or vampire-eat-fae, as the case may be), where only the cruel and devious survive.

Jade is a succubus, 140 years into her thousand year thrall to demon lord Kane. Her life is misery incarnate. Even the compulsive pleasure she gains from fulfilling her needs through rapture - seduction and sex - is brief, clouded and overcome by self-loathing and resentment.

What has always been a necessary evil becomes unbearable when Jade meets incubus Rajah, who shares the same bleak fate as Jade - compelled to follow the wishes of Kane by seducing on his order and stealing souls through climax. For the first time in 140 years, Jade feels genuine attraction toward the sweet and kind Rajah. How can she continue life as a succubus under Kane's rule now that she has seen the potential of love.

Jade and Rajah are both desperate for freedom. There may be a way, but it will be difficult, and the method is such that only one of them can achieve it...

I felt like a dispassionate observer for the most part while reading this novel. The writing is spare and compelling to suit the dark world of the author's creation, but it was never able to move me to enough to engage on an emotional level. I couldn't even say that the novel was depressing, because I just didn't care enough to find it so.

Rajah was a wonderful character, however Jade lacked insight and self-awareness. She was, for the most part, weak and I didn't find her worthy of Rajah's attention. The villains were dastardly but often one-dimensional, never quite fully realising their potential for compelling evilness.

The character I most enjoyed was Luna. Even though he was one of the 'bad guys', he had a complex and engaging personality and I would have liked to learn more about him.

I enjoyed reading a novel set in modern day Melbourne, where I knew all the locations mentioned and could easily visualise the settings - the Italian restaurants on Lygon St, trams rattling down Swanston St, the murky brown water of the Yarra River and the blue neon light on the Arts Centre spire. However, for a reader like me who often likes their stories on the darker side, Shadowfae was just too cold for my taste and I am not likely to read further in the series.(less)

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Aug 24, 2012 Melissa rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: no one

Four books. In my whole life I've only never finished four books.

This is one of them.

The summary is deceiving. It paints a gritty world full of mythical creatures living side-by-side with mortal humans. A succubus yearning to break free of her thrall to a demon overlord. Sounds interesting, right?

What you get is sex-sex-sex-drugs-faeries exploding-sex-vomiting-sex-sex-more vomiting-sex-drugs-alcohol-sex-more drugs and vomiting-blood-vomiting blood-sex-death-more sex-sex ... You get my drift.

Ther...more

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Feb 27, 2012 Leah rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 3-star-average, angels-n-demons, dark-n-gritty, fae-land, genre-urban-fantasy, hot-hot-hot, library-bk, male-yumminess, series, quick-read, vamps, first-in-series

Overall this book is a low three star read for me. I was leaning towards two, but I decided to be generous.
The main character is Jade, a succubus who is enslaved by a demon. She is incredibly lonely and longs for her 400 year thrall to end so that she can die in peace. I found Jade likeable, but it was hard to believe she was still so dumb after living over 140 years. There were some parts of the book where she was unreasonably naive.
I liked the love story between her and Rajah (a male succubus)...more

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Oct 31, 2009 Tiah rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The idea for the plot was great, a succubus and incubus trying to free themselves of their "slavery" from the demon Kane but it fell short for me. There was sex on almost every page. If it wasn't the act itself it was of the characters fantasizing about it. I know that there will be sex from a book with a succubus as the main character but it was too much. I felt that the storyline was sacrificed in order to add more sexual content. Ms. Hayes did create an interesting world but it was also dirty...more

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Jan 23, 2010 Bluesky rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: lifes-too-short-to-read-bad-books

The synopsis for this book sounded like a light, fun read;
"Imagine a secret world veiled in fairy glamour and brimming with unearthly delights. A city swarming with half-mad fairies, where thieving spriggans rob you blind, beautiful banshees mesmerize you with their songs, and big green trolls bust heads at nightclubs. And once you're in, there's no escape ..." It lied. I read the first 5 pages of this book and then quickly glanced at a few more random pages to confirm if my initial horrified re...more

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Jul 25, 2012 Snogged rated it 3 of 5 stars

I found the world that Erica Hayes' created to be quite interesting. She had some pretty vivid descriptions of fae and other supernatural creatures that made it easy for me to paint a picture in my head.

However-

This is definitely a book that is at least 80% scenes where people have sex/scenes where someone is thinking about sex/scenes where people almost have sex. And some of those scenes are hard to read because they are at their base level...rape scenes. There's a raw, cruel edge to the thing...more

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Apr 12, 2011 Tia rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: wish-i-had-never-read

Let me start by saying I don't mind a book with sex. One of my favorite series is the Darkfever series by Karen Marie Moning. I *wrongfully* thought this series would at least be a little similar but was overwhelmed by the page after page of completely repetitive sex. And where are the faeries? Maybe that was my mistake too...With a title like Shadowfae I thought they might have a few more important fae characters. It was all vampires and succubi with the fae in the background. I thought the aut...more

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May 22, 2010 Ashley rated it 4 of 5 stars

Pretty crazy stuff. Dark and punk it has very raw and violent qualities that you don't often see in paranormal romance. I didn't really find that it had "sex on every page" like some people did, the sex scenes are extremely graphic and plentiful though. I thought it contributed to the fact that the character Jade, as a succubus slave, is trapped in a world of forced sex that she doesn't want to be in, and hates herself for. The vampires in this book have a more traditional scary violent way abou...more

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May 24, 2011 Elizabeth rated it 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book. It was a little graphic a parts but overall a great paranormal erotica. Jade and Rajah are both imprisoned by the same demon lord Kane. Their life stories are very similar they have both been through hell and have kept going. Jade is a Succubus, Rajah is an incubus who’s gifts cannot effect each other. Only Rajah has found a way to break their bond with an old ritual. They must first find the 4 souls who represent a word on their bangles they will know this person by a stran...more

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Shadowfae (The Shadowfae Chronicles #1)

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