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Queen of Shadows (Shadow World #1)

by Dianne Sylvan (Goodreads Author)

3.93 of 5 stars 3.93 · rating details · 2,958 ratings · 331 reviews

Shortly after she picked up a guitar, Miranda Grey conquered the Austin music scene with a newfound ability to psychically manipulate her audience’s emotions. But as her powers outgrow her control, her mind is increasingly invaded by haunting secrets and overwhelming sadness. Unable to look anyone in the eye, Miranda is fast approaching the edge of insanity – with no one t...more

Paperback, 389 pages

Published August 31st 2010 by Ace (first published July 29th 2010)

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Best Adult Paranormal Books of 2010

29th out of 104 books — 355 voters

The Best of Adult Urban Fantasy

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Aug 02, 2011 MelissaB rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: paranormal romance/urban fantasy fans

Shelves: kindle, vampires, 2010-reads, paranormal-romance, urban-fantasy

*** 4 1/2 stars ***

ETA: I will only recommend this book as a stand alone because the author completely ruins the story in her follow up book Shadowflame. It's a shame that the author decided to completely ruin good characters but I guess this book is still okay as a stand alone.

Queen of Shadows was a very good urban fantasy/paranormal romance featuring a heroine, Miranda Gray, who starts out the story almost broken by her newly found ability to sense other people's emotions. The ability has alm...more

38 likes · like · see review

Jun 22, 2011 Regina rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of PNR

Shelves: urban-fantasy-uf, available-at-library

This book reads like a PNR, but the author has said the series will be UF. The world created by the author is strong and while the plot is typical of many PNR stories, it is character based with richly developed characters. I read a spoiler about the end of the book before I really even got started, so perhaps that effected my enjoyment.

This book starts off with a bang, and I would say the beginning is 5 stars. The main female character is in such pain that I felt it – she is awkward and suffer...more This book reads like a PNR, but the author has said the series will be UF. The world created by the author is strong and while the plot is typical of many PNR stories, it is character based with richly developed characters. I read a spoiler about the end of the book before I really even got started, so perhaps that effected my enjoyment.

This book starts off with a bang, and I would say the beginning is 5 stars. The main female character is in such pain that I felt it – she is awkward and suffering and it is told very well. Her pain is believable. She is suffering from something a lot of PNR heroines suffer from (nothing new here) but how she is able to control it (at least initially) is very unique and how far her powers go – in terms of her control over others is unique. Additionally, we get a spattering of history about the two main vamps, I wish we got more. Hopefully she develops this area.

The struggle – nothing new. Very similar in my opinion to the Breed series (warring groups of vamps, one group is more humane and the other thinks humans are just meat). The good guys have superior technology, are nice and attractive and have a very long history. Again, what we have seen before in many PNR books. I thought the way the main h/h interacted in terms of the relief that the hero gives the heroine was very similar to Elise and Teagan in the breed series and very similar to the main characters in the first LOTU books, I guess also similar to Sookie and Bill in the Sookie series. I am sure other PNR series as well that I can’t think of right now ……Not a spoiler, but the main heroine is an empath – she feels other people’s feelings but can also hear their thoughts and memories and it is slowly driving her (or not so slowly insane). The hero is able to shield her and helps her begin to control her talent. This to me was pretty old hat because it is an oft-used theme in PNR, but what makes it enjoyable and new is the depth of character development. I ended up skimming the last half or so of the book. The book ends on a strong point – which is nice. No cliff hanger.

*****SPOILER*****

I thought the author dealt with the violent rape of the heroine decently, but I am not sure why it is included. It didn’t seem to make her grow stronger – she was pretty independent before – yes she is tormented and has to suffer but she would have with her gift and abandonment by David anyway. It may have motivated her to train to fight, but really this could have been accomplished with the death threats alone – and perhaps almost being accosted in an alley. I guess the author doesn’t spare her characters just b/c it is fiction – and I believe she dealt well with the rape. But I also think this is another over-used theme in PNR and UF.
(less)

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Mar 22, 2011 Laura Lulu rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: vampires, i-own, human-plus, paranormal-romance

I didn't realize this was UFR instead of just UF, so I wasn't crazy about that. The book started out super dark & gritty UF, and then turned into total gooey PNR. That lost a star from me. And my least favorite kind of PNR, to boot--the fated-to-be-mated kind. I tolerate it in shifter books, cause well, they're animals. But otherwise I just think it's stupid.

I'm not a big PNR fan--I just don't feel like I get to know the characters well enough to be gaga for the romance, and in turn, I don't...more
I didn't realize this was UFR instead of just UF, so I wasn't crazy about that. The book started out super dark & gritty UF, and then turned into total gooey PNR. That lost a star from me. And my least favorite kind of PNR, to boot--the fated-to-be-mated kind. I tolerate it in shifter books, cause well, they're animals. But otherwise I just think it's stupid.

I'm not a big PNR fan--I just don't feel like I get to know the characters well enough to be gaga for the romance, and in turn, I don't feel the characters have gotten to know each other well enough, either.

Call me crazy, but I prefer my heroine & hero to be a bit antagonistic to each other in the beginning of the series. Lends to some juicy sexual tension--I guess I'm just a fan of delayed gratification. ;)

I did like the characters, I'm curious to see what the author does with them in future books. I think it's difficult for authors to write a couple that's already together--so much of this genre is about flirting, angst & tension.

One of the things I really liked about this book was the whole concept of being a victim vs. being strong, and how someone can give you a push in the right direction, but it's up to you to make that choice and get yourself there. I'm never much a fan of a heroine who needs the hero to save/protect her. It's nice when he does, but I need her to be able to do it on her own, too.

(view spoiler)(less)

18 likes · like · see review

Feb 08, 2011 ♠ Sharon is an emotional book junkie ♠ rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, read-in-2011

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

6 likes · like · see review

Jul 07, 2011 Dana rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy-epic, fiction-contemporary, fantasy-paranormal, fantasy-urban, psychic-telekinetic-telepathy, magic, romance, vampire, cover-yellow

★ ★ ★ ★ ½

Oh, I am very pleased with this book. This is my first exposure to the author and I was not disappointed.

The heroine, Miranda, was a real and believable character. Her suffering, both psychic and physical, was not melodramatic or overplayed. Instead it was dealt with in a sensitive fashion and you never had a moment of, "Oh jeesh! That would never happen!"

I enjoyed the world the author created, and although there was nothing new going on here, the story was well told. For me, that is t...more

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Oct 24, 2010 Words rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I really wanted to like this book. In fact I thought Miranda's abilities, and the debilitating effects they had on her, were very interesting. I liked that the leading man was a decent person without being overly obnoxious (as paranormal alpha men so often are). And the author has some memorable one liners, my favorite being, "Something about crushing a man's skull with my brain always aggravates me." Classic.

But, it doesn't make up for the little things, plot wise, that got on my nerves through...more I really wanted to like this book. In fact I thought Miranda's abilities, and the debilitating effects they had on her, were very interesting. I liked that the leading man was a decent person without being overly obnoxious (as paranormal alpha men so often are). And the author has some memorable one liners, my favorite being, "Something about crushing a man's skull with my brain always aggravates me." Classic.

But, it doesn't make up for the little things, plot wise, that got on my nerves throughout the book. It comes down to three main things that annoyed me:

The prophecy: If you get a fairly descriptive foretelling that something bad is going to happen to your main squeeze, and then it starts coming true, I would think that you'd get super paranoid about it and do everything within your power to prevent it. So when your nemesis says, "I want to see the look on your face when they drag your precious little princess dead from the lake," I would think you'd immediately order an extra battalion of Elites over to guard her, or even better, have her shipped over to your friend's place for safekeeping - the one who's the most powerful Prime in the West. What I don't think you do, is head out to a club at the end of the night, find a woman who looks like Miranda, and then have a little neck sex. I was a little offended to read it.

Miranda's transformation: I think we all know that Miranda won't really die - we've been given enough hints to be fairly certain that she'll end up a vampire at some point in the book. Sure enough, she gets left for dead in a lake, but wakes up and realizes that she's transforming. She's savvy enough to realize that she can't do this by herself, that she needs help and a safe place to change over. So - does she call David, the most powerful vampire this side of the Mason-Dixon, who has an impregnable stronghold named Haven...who is, by the way, her trusted lover and distraught with grief over her supposed death, and who could, at the very least, probably benefit from knowing that 1. there's about to be an attack soon and 2. there are traitors in his guard of Elites? No, she calls her best friend Kat. That's great thing to do when you want to watch movies together, or need a shoulder to cry on, or a second opinion on whether the new top emphasizes your belly chub. It's not great when you need to blockade yourself in her guest room for a week without telling her why, only to emerge with a new set of fangs and a desire to snack on a friend's neck.

Miranda's power: She has an interesting ability to combine her innate powers of empathy and telepathy with her music. Everything we've read about her powers seems to be leading up to a big showdown where she shows us why she has this power. She already demonstrated enough power to kill at the beginning of the book. David trains her to control her abilities and use them to shield, while Sophie teaches her how to use them in combat. After all of this build up, she only uses her empathy training once, against one nameless henchman, during the big fight at the end. I was kind of disappointed because I really wanted to see her use her abilities in a big way - more than I wanted to read about her fighting skills, which I found a little harder to believe she mastered in...three months or so?

The thing is, I don't think it's a terrible book, but the big killer for me were all the little times when actions and reactions didn't follow through believably (or when there was a big build up for nothing).(less)

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Feb 04, 2011 Shawna rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of dark, emotional paranormal & urban fantasy romance

Shelves: austin-texas-rocks, pnr-vampires, urban-fantasy, psychic-special-abilities-powers, angsty-dark-heavy-lotsa-drama, heroine-abused-traumatic-past-rape, badasses-hunks-in-leather, dianne-sylvan-shadow-world, hh-musician-rocker-singer-popstar, tattoos-piercings-body-art, archaeology-antiquities-scholar, hero-abused-scarred-tortured-angst, 2011-reads, 5-stars, best-faves-of-2011, favorite-romance-couple-hh-pairings, favorites, hero-i-wanna-marry, hero-im-gaga-over, hero-mix-of-alpha-beta, hero-alpha‎, hh-addiction-recovery-sobriety, hh-physical-mental-disability-ill, hh-politician-diplomat, hh-post-traumatic-stress-disorder, hh-warrior, hh-widow-or-widower, i-read-borrowed, steam-2-warm, cheating-hearts-fidelity-issues, hh-smart-intellectual-brainy-geek, steam-1-tepid, hero-entrepreneur-mogul-tycoon, hero-daddy-warbucks-wealthy, ending-abrupt-poor-epilogue-needed

5 stars – Paranormal/Vampire/Urban Fantasy Romance

Thoughts Before Reading:

The fact that this takes place in Austin, TX and the addictive sample on Kindle that gave an awesome glimpse of the author's writing and of the unusual storyline definitely have me intrigued.

Thoughts After Reading:

I'm partly biased because this is set in my own city of Austin, Texas, which definitely contributed to my reading experience, but it's a very well-written, intelligent, and dark paranormal/urban fantasy romance t...more

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May 07, 2011 Pamela / SpazP rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

Originally posted at WickedLilPixie Reviews

I picked this book up on a whim at the recommendation of a fellow Urban Fantasy fan and reviewer, and I am so happy I did. I was immediately enthralled and could not put this book down.

Queen of Shadows is the first book in the Shadow World series. The story begins with the introduction of our heroine, Miranda Grey, a very tortured musician on the brink of what she perceives as madness. She is drowning in the effects of her abilities as an empath, with n...more Originally posted at WickedLilPixie Reviews

I picked this book up on a whim at the recommendation of a fellow Urban Fantasy fan and reviewer, and I am so happy I did. I was immediately enthralled and could not put this book down.

Queen of Shadows is the first book in the Shadow World series. The story begins with the introduction of our heroine, Miranda Grey, a very tortured musician on the brink of what she perceives as madness. She is drowning in the effects of her abilities as an empath, with nobody to understand or explain to her what she is experiencing and why. Isolated and in despair, her empath ability feels like a curse and prevents her from forming relationships and even being able to look someone in the eyes. Enter David Solomon, vampire Prime of the South, and a computer geek-slash-ninja to boot… be still my heart! After a chance meeting in a grocery store, he finds her after an unimiginable act of violence she is victim of, and helps her heal emotionally and physically with the aftermath. Through his help and the help of his second in command, Faith, Miranda is able to learn to manage her gift and gain back control over her life. After her initial recovery, Miranda returns back to her former life as an up-and-coming Austin musician. She learns how to function with her new coping and survival skills to make a new life for herself on her own with her empath abilities in check. But that’s not the end of her journey by any means, only the beginning…

On a personal note, Queen of Shadows takes place in Austin, TX where I have called home for over ten years. On the one hand I was excited to read a book that takes place in my town, especially an Urban Fantasy book. Then, I was concerned that I wouldn’t be able to separate from *my* Austin versus the world building in the book. I am happy to say that it completely worked for me. Ms. Sylvan references several local hot spots, such as BookPeople and Kerbey Lane, which was so fun! Overall, the fantasy Shadow World she created was grounded in reality, and she blended the fantasy and real uniquely and very well.

The characters all have real human components to them, and the landscapes are dark and gritty. There are some jarring and disturbing elements to the story that make it spellbinding. I really connected with both Miranda and David from the get-go, and the secondary characters as well. Miranda is the proverbial phoenix that rises from the ashes. David is the modest leader who wants to advance his vampire population technologically {again, I say “swoon”}, and use his knack for technology to keep the humans safe from rogue vampires. Miranda and David together are a force to be reckoned with and you want them to succeed. If you are a fan of Urban Fantasy with Romance, you will definitely want to read this book.

Dianne Sylvan has announced there is a second Shadow World book, ShadowFlame, to be released on July 26, 2011. I cannot wait to read it, just bummed we have to wait so long for it!(less)

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Feb 01, 2011 Galla rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: uf-group-monthly-pick, urban-fantasy, pnr

Miranda Grey is an empath who has never learned how to shield herself from the constant onslaught of strangers' emotions, and it's slowly driving her insane. The Austin, Texas resident obtains relief while performing onstage, since she can channel the energy of crowds who listen to her music, but the effect is temporary. She's losing weight, not getting enough sleep, and self-medicating with alcohol.

And then she gets gang-raped in an alley on the way home from a performance. I'm not putting a s...more Miranda Grey is an empath who has never learned how to shield herself from the constant onslaught of strangers' emotions, and it's slowly driving her insane. The Austin, Texas resident obtains relief while performing onstage, since she can channel the energy of crowds who listen to her music, but the effect is temporary. She's losing weight, not getting enough sleep, and self-medicating with alcohol.

And then she gets gang-raped in an alley on the way home from a performance. I'm not putting a spoiler tag around this one because the attack takes place right after her introduction as a character--it's just 20 or so pages into the book. While I do think Sylvan's choice to include a rape as a plot point makes sense in the overall storyline, and Sylvan handles the aftermath with sensitivity, readers who find rape scenes triggering (or just prefer to avoid them) may want to skip this one. I hadn't read much about the novel before I started it, so I was rather taken aback by the fact that a brutal rape was such a foundational event in Miranda's character development. It wouldn't have caused me to take the book off my TBR list, but I might very well have chosen to read it when I was in a different frame of mind.

Vampire David Solomon, "Prime" of the Southern States, takes Miranda in after her attack. As she recovers mentally and physically from her ordeal, he gradually teaches her better control of her abilities as an empath. Unfortunately, he's also on the brink of war with a faction of vampire insurgents determined to go back to the good old days of unrestrained human slaughter.

The development of the romance portion of the book is a slow burn, which really was necessary after the events of the beginning. Miranda and David are an appealing couple, even when they're being a little dense about understanding their own emotions. I appreciated the fact that Miranda has female friends in this book--more than one, even. UF heroines so often eschew the company of other women that it's nice when the supporting females aren't a bunch of harpies. I also found Miranda's work to develop both her psychic skills and her fighting abilities refreshingly gradual. She doesn't pop into a new chapter and find herself an amazing paranormal ninja; she works hard to get better.

Some of the plot points seemed predictable or contrived, particularly when it comes to the use of foreshadowing and prophetic visions. Some of the plot devices used to keep the lead couple apart at times wore thin, as well. However, I like these characters, I like seeing vampires in Austin, and I like a heroine who orders Shiner Bock instead of Bud Light.

3.5. (less)

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Aug 31, 2010 Kelly rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: this-book-is-made-of-crack

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Having enjoyed Dianne Sylvan’s nonfiction in the past, I was thrilled to see she had an urban fantasy coming out. I wasn’t sure if Queen of Shadows would live up to the high expectations I’d set up in my head, but I was definitely curious to find out. My expectations were met and then some. Queen of Shadows is my favorite book of 2010 so far.

Ironically, this makes it a little hard to review. When a book reaches in and grabs me emotionally the way this one did, it can be hard to separate the revi...more

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Jan 21, 2011 Steph rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: series-ongoing, 2010, 2010-favorites, featured-favorites, series-i-love, author-웃, series-book1

Queen of Shadows introduces us to Miranda Grey, a musician who can manipulate people's emotions through her music. She has spent much of her life avoiding people, never looking anyone in the eye, drinking and trying to keep from losing her mind.

Through random happenstance, she spots David Solomon in line buying ice cream at the market one day. She can't help but notice his stunning eyes. Being a master vampire, he can tell she has power of her own. But, they each go about their business.

Miranda...more Queen of Shadows introduces us to Miranda Grey, a musician who can manipulate people's emotions through her music. She has spent much of her life avoiding people, never looking anyone in the eye, drinking and trying to keep from losing her mind.

Through random happenstance, she spots David Solomon in line buying ice cream at the market one day. She can't help but notice his stunning eyes. Being a master vampire, he can tell she has power of her own. But, they each go about their business.

Miranda plays her usual set in the club, then heads home afterward. Unfortunately, several men stop her outside in the alley and assault her. I try to avoid spoilers in my reviews, but feel this should be included so that people can avoid the book, if they wish (but, I hope you won't). The scene, while traumatic for Miranda and painful for the reader, is handled in a realistic and sensitive manner. It is at this point in which Miranda learns a little more about her abilities and meets David for the second time.

David is the King of the Southwestern Vampires of the US. He's an uber vamp, but also a brilliant computer engineer who uses technology to protect his vampires.

David is the perfect hero, I immediately fell in love with him. He has all the fascinating qualities we love in vampires, but he's also sensitive and smart. He takes in Miranda, after finding her in the alley, having seen how she protected herself. He takes care with her while she's recovering from the assault and wants to help her learn to control her powers. Miranda's growth throughout the book is believable and the relationship between them is touching.

You immediately connect with both characters, as well as those under David. His second-in-command, Faith, is a hoot. Miranda's sense of humor, despite all that she's been through, provides some laugh-out-loud moments. There wasn't a single thing about this book that I didn't like. I didn't want it to end. I cannot wait for the second book, Shadowflame, which is due out later this year. This is most definitely a series I will pre-order from now on. If you love UF with strong, witty characters, you will LOVE this book!

ETA @ 1/21/11:
Dianne added a "Shadow World Extras" page to her website. It includes a deleted scene called "The Space Between": The immediate aftermath of the climactic battle of Queen of Shadows. You can view it here .(less)

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Mar 12, 2011 Flannery rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: kcls, paranormal, read-in-2011, reviewed-2011

Maybe I'll write a review later, maybe not.

Just a few questions:

(1) If your "best friend" is gone for a month and comes back to tell you she's been "in rehab," what should you do? Answer: Not just say "oh, I thought maybe it was drugs," and shake it off. (The friendship between Mira and Kat was ridiculous.)

(2) If you are getting it on with a vampire and know lots of other vampires, who is the perfect person to call in the event that everyone thinks you are dead and (view spoiler)...more

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Dec 05, 2010 FlibBityFLooB rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2010, vampires, magic, witty-i-am-not, urban-fantasy-or-paranormal

I really enjoyed this urban fantasy and found it heard to put it down. I enjoyed Miranda's empath abilities. I also thought it was a unique twist on human-to-vampire transition. I look forward to reading book 2 in the series when it comes out. :)

***** SLIGHTLY SPOILERISH BELOW *****
(view spoiler)...more

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Jan 03, 2011 Dia rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really didn't thought that this book would be so good!! xD You know... with all the selfpity the protagonist showed in the first few chapters... it was downright pathetic. But as the book goes on you can really see her character evolving and growing... she becomes this strong and self-confident woman. And OMG... David is soooo darn mouth-watering!! Gosh... I wish somebody like him would safe me from my pitiful live to xDD hahahaha...
I very strongly recommend this book... especially to vampire-...more

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Apr 17, 2013 Aishwarya Hariharan rated it 3 of 5 stars

3.5 stars, falls short of exceptional.

To be honest, this is more of a review of the series than just this book.

LOOK AWAY IF YOU'RE ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO DON'T LIKE TO KNOW SOME PLOT DETAILS BEFORE READING A BOOK EVEN THOUGH YOU READ REVIEWS WHICH SAY THERE ARE SPOILERS IN THE REVIEW.

When I finished reading this book, I was smiling(which isn't a rare occurence) but honestly this was a great book. The author dealt very skilfully with the main characters and while the insurgency plot(a word overu...more

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Feb 24, 2013 Alan Kessinger rated it 2 of 5 stars

Okay, I'm about a quarter of the way through this book and I'm not sure I'll keep going. Despite a VERY strong opening chapter or two, some negative aspects have started to accumulate, and I'm having trouble convincing myself to read further.

From what we're told, it seems that this world is effectively our world in all visible respects, but with the 'Shadow World' lying beneath it, unknown to nearly all mortals.
And yet, somehow, the Vampires are such a powerful faction that every level of govern...more
Okay, I'm about a quarter of the way through this book and I'm not sure I'll keep going. Despite a VERY strong opening chapter or two, some negative aspects have started to accumulate, and I'm having trouble convincing myself to read further.

From what we're told, it seems that this world is effectively our world in all visible respects, but with the 'Shadow World' lying beneath it, unknown to nearly all mortals.
And yet, somehow, the Vampires are such a powerful faction that every level of government (or at least law enforcement and the military) both state and federal, are not only aware of them... they happily bend over backwards to accommodate the vampires in every way. Murders in Austin that leave bodies (and bits of bodies) strewn all over in a wildly newsworthy way? No worries, the local authorities will give the local vampire lord and his minions sole control over crime scenes (to the point of not even bothering to send personnel until the vamps clear it), as well as sole responsibility for the investigation.
Umm... okay?

Secondly, the local vampire lord, David, is effectively a paranormal Demi-god, powers' wise, a staggeringly handsome/charming/romantic love interest... and also an expy of Tony Stark, since he's able to single-handedly conceive and create technologies so advanced that the United States Military happily mass-produces his tech FOR HIM, in exchange for any lesser goodies he deigns to bestow upon them.

It was at about that point that I dropped the book (or my e-reader, rather) and said 'Oh COME ON!!!'
I really, really hate to use the terms Mary Sue/Marty Stu, but David is so absurdly perfect and magnificent in every way that it's difficult to see him as something other than that.
Likewise, the staggering depth of the masquerade in this world, and the all-powerful influence of the vampires, stretches my suspension of disbelief past the breaking point.

All of this is a shame, since the earliest chapters were incredibly compelling (albeit dark, but I like dark), and I was sure I was in for a fantastic read. At this point, however, that faith is basically gone.

(less)

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Oct 05, 2012 Dark Faerie Tales rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed-by-kiwi

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: These vamps are worth reading, my friend.

Opening Sentence: The guy next to her in the checkout line looked kind of like a vampire.

The Review:

*Sigh* Yep. That’s how I feel about writing about this book, ladies and gents. Ever read a book, or series of books, that just makes you want to put them under your pillow and sleep with them? Yeah, me too! And I would have to say that this book, and the next two in the series could live there. They’d b...more

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Apr 27, 2012 Danielle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-romance

Queen of Shadows is an urban fantasy romance (UFR) and paranormal romance (PNR/PR)featuring Miranda Grey, a troubled musician who is haunted by the emotions of everyone around her, and David Solomon, the vampire Prime who is in charge of the southern United States. Miranda, her powers draining and ruining her life, succumbs to alcohol and depression as she does not understand how to cope with all the emotions surrounding her until the fateful night when her life changes forever and she starts to...more

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Sep 18, 2011 Blood Rose Books rated it 4 of 5 stars

In her debut novel, Dianne Sylan introduces the reader the the Shadow World of the Vampires.

Miranada Grey (Mira) had a gift for the guitar, other instruments and music as soon as she picked them up. She was able to lull the crowd around her, and they would only be there to see her, to listen to her. This is when she discovered she had the power over people's emotions. Through her music she could make the crowd feel anything she wanted them too, but this has also hurt her life as well. She has se...more
In her debut novel, Dianne Sylan introduces the reader the the Shadow World of the Vampires.

Miranada Grey (Mira) had a gift for the guitar, other instruments and music as soon as she picked them up. She was able to lull the crowd around her, and they would only be there to see her, to listen to her. This is when she discovered she had the power over people's emotions. Through her music she could make the crowd feel anything she wanted them too, but this has also hurt her life as well. She has secluded herself from human contact, afraid that she would influence the people around her thoughts and feelings that they would never have an honest thought. Her only escape was her music, but even that was getting harder and harder to control, she was on a downward spiral, with insanity approaching quickly.
The only thing that can save her is to learn how to control her power. Enter David Soloman, who sees a person in pain, and in need of help. David is the Prime (leader) of the Vampire in this area and though his world is slowly crashing around him with old enemies coming forth to take back the throne, he wants to help Mira have a normal life, even if he will not have his for that much longer.

One of the Best debut novels that I have read in a long time. I have been shying away from the vampire part of the paranormal genre for a few months now, just for lack of imagination and redundancy that seemed to be occurring. This book was a nice surprise when I decided to revisit the genre. It was more than just, what has become typical in the vampire paranormal genre, is Hot Vampire, sexy female protagonist who falls for Hot Vampire. This book had more depth, it had political and self finding thrown in, but not in a way that was cheesy or felt out of place, it was part of the natural flow of the story.
The characters that Sylvan develops within the book are amazing. Once again the non-kickass protagonist is what holds my attention. Mira may have whit and humorous comments now and then, but she knows when she is out matched and that she has weaknesses. She is scarred, emotionally, psychologically and physically and has to work through all of these aspects on a day to day basis in order to survive and grow through out the book. Additionally, I like how Sylvan related what Mira was going to like an addition that she could not control, and how it was slowly bringing her down and was going to get her killed. Also how this addition had lead her to becoming an alcoholic, in order for her to be able to sleep at night. It really showed the downward spiral that Mira was heading in.

I also really liked the character Faith, she was dark, silent and deadly warrior that make me think of the kickass protagonist from other novels, who the story would normally be about. As I have stated I like the change in direction but it is still nice to have the kickass woman in the story, but she is better as a secondary character. I think if Sylvan was trying to go more with the flow of the books published right now in the paranormal genre, then Faith would have been the protagonist in this story.

Overall this is just a well written and thought out story and story line. It had everything that fans of the paranormal genre could want, it was dark and gritty at times, had action, suspense and some romance (though not with the multiple over the top sex scene, it is really more about true romance...hope that makes sense). To me to seemed like Sylvan has been writing books for years as her writing and style had depth of someone who was more experienced than her debut. Her story drew me in so much that I did not want to put the books down.

I do have a few slight criticism is why do so many authors in the paranormal genre use rape as part of what changes an individual's life. I understand that this is a traumatic event that would really shape a life, just seems that is a common theme, (to check out more what I mean visit Scooper Speaks). Also, as much as I loved this book and everything about Mira and her growth within the book, I wonder if she has grown too much and the sequel will be lacking because of it, I can really only speculate on that front. However, I still think this is a great read and even if it is only good as a one off, it is still worth checking out. I know I will be checking out the sequel.

So I recommend this book, for those who love the paranormal genre, I think this should be one of the books that you read this year by a debut author.

Enjoy!!!(less)

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Jul 06, 2011 Bell Curran rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: vampires

This was a compelling read, and worth picking up if you're a vampire book addict and need your fix, but there were 3 reasons I only gave it 3 stars:

1. Slow and depressing. I suppose this is inevitable when the premise of your book is that a musician whose empathic abilities are slowly turning her mad gets gang raped in an alley. Lashing out, Miranda uses her psychic abilities to kill all her attackers, but not until they've repeatedly raped and beaten her and are planning on killing her. Somehow...more

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May 18, 2011 Steph rated it 5 of 5 stars

Thoroughly addictive. I could not put this book down until I finished midnight Sunday; which I'm now paying back for Ain spades this early morning Monday. Yes, yet another vampire book. But, I have to say what drew me in most, was Sylvan's carefully crafted world, the heroine's compelling original storyline, and the couple's captivating, yet unmushy, love story. The only negative that I saw was the book's abrupt ending & a bit by a few things that were not addressed in the beginning & en...more

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Apr 08, 2011 Tracy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy

~* 4.5 Stars *~
Fantastic Urban Fantasy Debut
She is an incredibly strong empath who can use music to manipulate others' emotions - and get relief from the press of them, but the stress of her combined talents are quickly tearing Miranda Grey apart. Her psyche can't handle the strain. She's cut herself off from people, unable to meet anyone's eyes for fear of seeing too much of the darkness in their hearts, unable to touch anyone for fear of being bombarded by all their dirty little secrets. She k...more

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Feb 22, 2011 Paradoxical rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-reading-list, books-otherwise

The start of the book was Very Dramatic. I was probably not in the right headspace when I began reading this book, but for the first few pages I was frowning and sighing and very close to rolling my eyes. Then I got over it and went, "Hey, self? You just began, stop being so critical" and it seemed to move a little better after that. But only a tiny bit. Still, the beginning suffers from information dump and bad melodrama. Sure, the info dump is needed, but at the same time it's laid out for the...more

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Jan 21, 2011 Vinaya rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy, pnr, books-i-liked

This came as a bit of a shock to me, but I actually liked Queen of Shadows! Well, mostly. It's not some fabulously original storytelling, but unlike a lot of authors out there today, Dianne Sylvan at least knows her job well enough to keep her reader reading till the very end.

Queen of Shadows is about Miranda Grey, a musician and an empath who has the ability to influence the emotions of people through her music. But this ability escalates until she begins to hear the emotions and memories of a...more

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Dec 15, 2010 Sharon rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror-antihero-sleuth, paranormal-fantasy

Well I was really sceptical, especially when I saw the generic must have tough girl cover, I thought, here we go same old same old - how wrong I was. . Won't go in to the storyline too much as the gist has already been covered & I don't want to give any spoilers, but what I will say, it draws you in, intelligently written & our two main protagonists Miranda & David, have a fragile chemistry that takes a natural progression through the book. Yes this is a love story, but also has an i...more

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Oct 29, 2010 Lady Rogue rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Can you imagine hearing every thought and feeling every emotion of people you came in contact with? I know I could handle it. I would go crazy. I couldn't even imagine what it felt like to Miranda. Usually, she had been able to find relief in her music, but lately, the music wasn't enough, and her control was slipping. Then one night, she was attacked and gang raped and it was the catalyst for her power to manifest into something powerful and dangerous. Filled with power and the desperate need t...more Can you imagine hearing every thought and feeling every emotion of people you came in contact with? I know I could handle it. I would go crazy. I couldn't even imagine what it felt like to Miranda. Usually, she had been able to find relief in her music, but lately, the music wasn't enough, and her control was slipping. Then one night, she was attacked and gang raped and it was the catalyst for her power to manifest into something powerful and dangerous. Filled with power and the desperate need to live, her power lashed out, taking vengence on her attackers. Unfortunately, the amount of power she used, drained her and with her injuries, she fell to the alley ground dying.

I really liked Miranda's character, but more than that, I appreciated her inner strength. She struggled with her abilities, but she remained determined to get control of them. She didn't know all the answers or even many of the questions, but she seeked the knowledge to understand. She didn't search for love, but she found it in David. I was very pleased that Miranda wasn't the sterotypical kick ass heroine right off the back. She earned her skill and knowledge, just as her character grew. Miranda endured hardships and overcame them. I thought the author did a great job in that regard.

David Soloman was a man that would appeal to most woman. He was sexy, honorable, and intelligent. Not to mention he was a vampire and the Prime of the south. He shouldn't have brought Miranda back to Haven, a sanctuary for his kind. But, finding her dying in the alley after such a brutal attack...he didn't have it in him not to. Along with his second, Faith, he taught Miranda to gain control of her powers.

The chemistry between Miranda and David was believable. These two... are one of those couples, that I couldn't help but root for and wish them well. Thier personalities balanced each other and thier dialogue was crediable. They fell in love with each other, but both believed that it could never work out between them. For Miranda, she was human and didn't fit into his world. For David, a rogue group were challenging him and placing his people and those he cared about in danger. In an attempt to protect Miranda, he sent her back to her home, until the situation was resolved and she was safe. But, little did he know...that the rogues were aware of who she was...and that neither of them were safe.

I wasn't so much impressed with the world building, as I had limited access to that world. Also, the plot was pretty standard for an urban fantasy. Basically, it was good vampires who protected the humans versus evil vampires who thought of humans as cattle. I did however, enjoy the vampiric infrastructure. I have always been fascinated with the politics that happen in different cultures, at least those with paranormal elements. I was pleased, the author added a bit of human technology into the enviroment. I also enjoyedthe mythology of the Signet...and faith the vampires had for it.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It is the first book in the Shadow World series. I will say, there were a couple of dark and disturbing moments, but like the phoenix rising from the ashes, Miranda rose above her tribulations, became stronger, and triumphed. Dianne Sylvan's Queen Of Shadows was suspensful, sexy, and smartly amusing.

(less)

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Oct 19, 2010 Dawn rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: vampires, urban-fantasy

I saw this book in B&N and after flipping through I decided to pick it up. I was not disappointed.

Miranda is a psychic/empath who can manipulate people feeling through music and feels other people emotions. As such she is emotionally bombarded, lives like a recluse and drinks for comfort...in short she is loosing her mind.

David is a Prime or King of the vampires in the south. He is a very powerful vampire who is also a computer hardware engineer. Meanwhile there is a coming war in his terri...more

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Oct 12, 2010 Kim rated it 4 of 5 stars

Queen of Shadows is the first novel in Dianne Sylvan's new Shadow World series. Set in contemporary times in Austin, Texas, the story opens with the heroine, Miranda Grey, a tortured musician convinced that she is on the brink of insanity. The recent onset of strong empathic abilities has left her overwhelmed and feeling isolated. Seemingly overnight, her life has turned upside down. In the midst of personal tragedy, she meets David Soloman, a computer geek,... and vampire Prime of the South. He...more

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Sep 17, 2010 Jane Litte rated it 4 of 5 stars

My friend Angela James recommended this to me. Thank goodness for book friends!

Miranda Grey is a musician and one day she figured out that she could project a particular emotion and affect those around her. One day she played a sad song and made everyone within listening distance weep. The next day she went to another coffee shop and played a happy song but thought sad thoughts and everyone weeped.

She began to influence crowds with her music and at first that was really, really cool. As she open...more My friend Angela James recommended this to me. Thank goodness for book friends!

Miranda Grey is a musician and one day she figured out that she could project a particular emotion and affect those around her. One day she played a sad song and made everyone within listening distance weep. The next day she went to another coffee shop and played a happy song but thought sad thoughts and everyone weeped.

She began to influence crowds with her music and at first that was really, really cool. As she opened herself up more, however she began to be a receptor and the emotions and thoughts of those around her began to drive her crazy. She could barely function anymore and other than playing 3 gigs a week, she hid out in her home, away from everyone. When she went out, she never looked in their eyes.

At a convenience store, someone swept up behind her and she didn't even sense him. This startles her and she turns to look at him and finds him to be deafeningly silent. He's intrigued by her because he senses she is very gifted but she runs away. After a gig, he follows her home but is called away to attend to an emergency and she is gang banged. Toward of the end of the gang bang she begins to get angry and pushes her emotions out and kills the men with her mind. She's badly injured though and when David Solomon returns he finds her lying there.

(I did think to myself, why didn't she cast out fear and unease and make those men afraid of her, but whatever)

David Solomon is Prime, one of the 27 rulers of the shadow world comprised of vampires. He wears a Signet, a jewel that signifies his position as Prime. The Signet was created by some power stronger than the vampires and it accepts only certain people as Prime. If the Signet doesn't light up for you, you can't be Prime. Most Primes have a Queen, a partner that is picked for them by the Signet. (Cue fated mate music). David has been prime for 15 years and has no Queen. Some Primes never find their Queen and the burden of being Prime with no balance can lead to a precarious situation so everyone around him hopes he finds a Queen, or a least a lover.

He takes her to Haven, the Austen vampire home, and begins to nurse her back to health. He also tells her about the vampires, her gift, and helps her to learn to shield. Over time, they begin to fall in love with each other but she's not a vampire and his rule over the Southern territories is being challenged by a rogue group who are killing humans, his own people, and tying Miranda to him would place her in danger.

When she is sufficiently healed, David returns Miranda to the city hoping that this will keep her safe and they long for each other from a distance.

David is a bit of a MarySue. He's brilliant, powerful, makes all sorts of cool techie gadgets for the underworld. I liked Miranda quite a bit. I think that the story could have had the same effect without the rape because she was broken from her own inability to control her gift and the fact that her mother probably was gifted like her and died in a mental hospital. I'm not sure why Sylvan went there. I can't recall the last UF heroine I've read who hasn't been sexually assaulted. Is surviving rape a predicate to being a UF heroine?

But more than anything this is a romance. Fated mates and all.(less)

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Jul 27, 2011 Deepthy rated it 2 of 5 stars

I started this book with great expectations, I mean really "Queen of Shadows" !! I was in UF heaven! The starting was promising, the middle was encouraging and the ending was... Meh. Yes, that's EXACTLY what I said when I finished this because

1. Where the HELL (pardon my language) was the Queen of Shadows?? Because, all I saw was the Queen of Uncertainty and moaning and well.... confusion and
2. The Prime? Didn't sound so prime to me. I mean, here's a vampire (a badass mind you, no pushover) wh...more

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About Dianne Sylvan

Dianne Sylvan, author of the Shadow World novels (Queen of Shadows, Shadowflame, Shadow’s Fall, the forthcoming Of Shadow Born, and at least one more) as well as two books on NeoPagan spirituality (The Circle Within: Creating a Wiccan Spiritual Tradition and The Body Sacred), lives in Austin, Texas, the only sane part of the entire state.

She is an unabashed Mac enthusiast, a froofy iced coffee bev...more

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Quotes from Queen of Shadows

“ I am in love with you, miranda Grey. I've fallen so far into you that I can't eve see the stars anymore, but it doesn't matter- you're all the light I need."

" Cheesy.” — 21 people liked it

“It’s okay. I’m just in a weird mood. Have you ever had a feeling like something was about to happen?”
“Of course,” Kat replied. “It’s called PMS.” — 19 people liked it

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Queen of Shadows (Shadow World #1)

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