33rd out of 73 books
—
100 voters
Shadow Touch (Dirk & Steele #2)
by
Marjorie M. Liu (Goodreads Author)
Elena Baxter can work miracles with her hands. She can coax bones to knit, flesh to heal. She can mend the mind. She has been doing such work for almost all of her twenty-eight years. That is why she will be taken.
The media called it a rampage of terror, the recent murders. But fighting crime is why Artur Loginov joined Dirk & Steele. The international detective agency...more
The media called it a rampage of terror, the recent murders. But fighting crime is why Artur Loginov joined Dirk & Steele. The international detective agency...more
Mass Market Paperback, 354 pages
Published
January 31st 2006
by Love Spell
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Way too dark for me. A serial killer. A mad doctor. Two evil woman. Below are many spoilers, to further justify the low rating I've given this book.
(view spoiler)...more
(view spoiler)...more
Second in Liu's Dirk & Steele series Shadow Touch gives us Artur's story (The enigmatic ex-Russian mobster first introduced in Tiger Eye.)
The story starts off revealing Elena Baxter, a kind woman who has felt like a freak her entire life because she can actually heal people. But little does she know how un-freakish her abilities are- and how far someone will go to steal them.
Working for the Dirk & Steele Agency, Artur is no stranger to the dangerous, nor the paranormal. When he's capture...more
The story starts off revealing Elena Baxter, a kind woman who has felt like a freak her entire life because she can actually heal people. But little does she know how un-freakish her abilities are- and how far someone will go to steal them.
Working for the Dirk & Steele Agency, Artur is no stranger to the dangerous, nor the paranormal. When he's capture...more
How do you write a sex scene for a protagonist who can sense everything about you through touch? Kinda blows the imagination sky high, which is what I like about Liu in general.
I'm loving the Dirk and Steele books for the way they nod to mythology and give me a grown-up fairy tale to lose myself in.
Chances are the whole Ultimate Good vs. Ultimate Evil that she's building up to is going to be a problem, either with delivering to expecations or in figuring out where to go after that... but for me,...more
I'm loving the Dirk and Steele books for the way they nod to mythology and give me a grown-up fairy tale to lose myself in.
Chances are the whole Ultimate Good vs. Ultimate Evil that she's building up to is going to be a problem, either with delivering to expecations or in figuring out where to go after that... but for me,...more
One of the things I love about Liu's stories is that they make you think about things like making the right choice without them turning into a preachy lesson. Instead they're awesome, action-packed romantic adventures.
Take Shadow Touch for example:
(as it's the book I'm reviewing right now :-p)
It's got an intense, disturbing and exciting action storyline, a very satisfying romance and super cool characters. The world building is woven well into the story and set up in a way that makes me want t...more
Take Shadow Touch for example:
(as it's the book I'm reviewing right now :-p)
It's got an intense, disturbing and exciting action storyline, a very satisfying romance and super cool characters. The world building is woven well into the story and set up in a way that makes me want t...more
The second installment of Marjorie Liu's fantastic blend of fantasy and romantic intrigue puts her firmly in the "Touch and Die" space on my bookshelf reserved for those authors who's works I horde like priceless gems. I feel in love with the world she created in her first book and the second installment in the series does a wonderful job of expanding that world and introducing new heros and villians.
Artur Loginov is a heart breaking tortured hero heading down a dark road toward a grim future. H...more
Artur Loginov is a heart breaking tortured hero heading down a dark road toward a grim future. H...more
I'm becoming a big fan of Marjorie M. Liu. This is the second Dirk and Steele novel I've read. The first was Soul Song, number six in the series, and I was pleased both to see that several of the secondary characters in that novel appear in this novel as well and that said secondary characters seem to grow and evolve between the two books.
Liu's skilled in several areas. First, while this is part of a series, it doesn't require previous knowledge of the overarching series story to dig in and enjo...more
Liu's skilled in several areas. First, while this is part of a series, it doesn't require previous knowledge of the overarching series story to dig in and enjo...more
Wow, this book was so intense! I read the first book in the Dirk & Steele series, Tiger Eye, last week and I couldn’t stop thinking about reading this one. I gave in, jumped into it, and was instantly hooked.
This book can be pretty dark. It loosely ties in with Tiger Eye--although it’s a loose tie, I think they’re best if read sequentially--but they are very different in tone. The villains in this book were very creepy and the situation Elena and Artur woke to find themselves had my stomach...more
This book can be pretty dark. It loosely ties in with Tiger Eye--although it’s a loose tie, I think they’re best if read sequentially--but they are very different in tone. The villains in this book were very creepy and the situation Elena and Artur woke to find themselves had my stomach...more
A fun story, but considering the series, the sexism was disappointing.
When the hero gets kidnapped, his magical love interest doesn't get to go on the rescue. Why? Because he would be angry- and apparently his wishes control her behavior, according to others. Her lack of combat experience would have been a non-sexist reason, but instead they ignored her wishes because she was his property, apparently.
Then she pulls a serious dumbass move and can't even protect herself against street thugs. She i...more
When the hero gets kidnapped, his magical love interest doesn't get to go on the rescue. Why? Because he would be angry- and apparently his wishes control her behavior, according to others. Her lack of combat experience would have been a non-sexist reason, but instead they ignored her wishes because she was his property, apparently.
Then she pulls a serious dumbass move and can't even protect herself against street thugs. She i...more
Liu's Dirk and Steele books are quickly becoming my favorite paranormal romance series.
This one in the series focuses on the Consortium, which is the evil equivalent of Dirk & Steele. The Consortium has been capturing people with paranormal abilities and experimenting on them. But when they get their hands on Elena Baxter and Artur Loginov they bit off more than they can chew. Now Elena and Artur are working with two other prisoners and an unlikely accomplice to escape their imprisonment an...more
This one in the series focuses on the Consortium, which is the evil equivalent of Dirk & Steele. The Consortium has been capturing people with paranormal abilities and experimenting on them. But when they get their hands on Elena Baxter and Artur Loginov they bit off more than they can chew. Now Elena and Artur are working with two other prisoners and an unlikely accomplice to escape their imprisonment an...more
Far better than the first book. This book had plenty of action that didn't slow down. I really enjoyed the characters, even the heroine. The book focused more I think on the hero than the heroine, though she played a major part. This was Artur's story. Artur reads things that he touches - their stories and emotions. He ends up being kidnapped by another secret agency who want him for his abilities. This agency is taking "gifted" individuals for study and use to further their nefarious goals. Art...more
This second book in the series is totally interesting, intriguing and intense. It is about Arthur who was captured and brought to The Consortium, a sinister organization. During his capture, he met Elena who formed a connection with him when she saved his life.
This book also introduced a few new characters, Rik and Amiri who are both shape shifters captured by The Consortium. Rictor who is supposedly being controlled by The Consortium but he helped Arthur, Elena and the shape shifters make their...more
This book also introduced a few new characters, Rik and Amiri who are both shape shifters captured by The Consortium. Rictor who is supposedly being controlled by The Consortium but he helped Arthur, Elena and the shape shifters make their...more
I am torn from giving this a five or a four. Marjorie Liu's Shadow Touch is a more plot driven book than romance driven (sub-plot), which is fine; a fast, easy read as well. Shadow Touch have huge revelations that are coherent and sensible. Shadow Touch is unequivocally a must have. I think the ending was rush a bit, but it is okay. However, Elena's history is clearly different from Dela, but her voice was non-discerning from Dela's voice-both witty, smart, sarcastic, extremely gifted women. I l...more
This second book in the series is totally interesting, intriguing and intense. It is about Arthur who was captured and brought to The Consortium, a sinister organization. During his capture, he met Elena who formed a connection with him when she saved his life.
This book also introduced a few new characters, Rik and Amiri who are both shape shifters captured by The Consortium. Rictor who is supposedly being controlled by The Consortium but he helped Arthur, Elena and the shape shifters make their...more
This book also introduced a few new characters, Rik and Amiri who are both shape shifters captured by The Consortium. Rictor who is supposedly being controlled by The Consortium but he helped Arthur, Elena and the shape shifters make their...more
Artur wird entführt. Warum weiß er nicht. Wo er gefangen gehalten wird, weiß er nicht. Es ist nur ersichtlich, dass es sich um ein Laboratorium handelt. Hier begegnet er Elena und nach einem kurzen Zwischenfall, stellt sich heraus, dass ihre Seelen miteinander verwunden sind. Zusammen versuchen sie zu fliehen...
Nach dem ich vom ersten Teil schon nicht so wirklich überzeugt war, bin ich diesem zweiten Teil gegenüber ziemlich skeptisch gewesen. Und ich muss sagen, dass ich auch von diesem Band ent...more
Nach dem ich vom ersten Teil schon nicht so wirklich überzeugt war, bin ich diesem zweiten Teil gegenüber ziemlich skeptisch gewesen. Und ich muss sagen, dass ich auch von diesem Band ent...more
I think this author has balls of steel. She broaches subjects, areas, and different um...plot points you might not normally find in a romance novel and she makes them fit. She somehow makes torture and mind control perfectly normal in this book. The characters in this story are what really makes it unique. I wanted to get to know Artur more after the first book, Tiger Eye, but Ms. Liu teases us by only giving us a little bit. I was so happy his book was next. I instantly adored Elena, she is str...more
Okay I am definetely sucked into the tangled intrigue of this series. I loved the main characters and the non stop mind game. It was great! Darling was a devious villian along with the entire plot...that thickened even more at the end! I thought what it would be like to be in those situations and I got chills. I am seriously drooling over Rictor...mmmm, he seems delicious! I'm very glad that my guy Artur found love with his past and with the difficulty his gift presents with that! But I would st...more
While I wasn't new to the Dirk & Steele romance books when I picked up Shadow Touch, this story shed a new light on the series. I'd been itching to get my hands on Artur's book for quite a while and honest to goodness, I simply cannot say this book was terrible in any way. Artur himself was a Russian dream, and when paired with Elena, I was blown away. He was humorous but, like all of Marjorie's men, held a power that was more dark and painful than helpful. I've read this book many times ove...more
Mar 08, 2013
Ronda Tutt
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
paranormal-romance
Enjoyable Read
I really enjoyed reading about Artur and so glad he got his HEA with Elena. I loved how Artur could read/see things just by the touch of his hand and I also loved how Elena could heal things with just the touch of her hands as she put her heart and soul into everything she did.
I enjoyed the fact that there is now a dolphin shifter, a cheetah shifter, and Rictor - a man who has powers beyond imaginable. This story definitely held my interest and I look forward to reading the next s...more
I really enjoyed reading about Artur and so glad he got his HEA with Elena. I loved how Artur could read/see things just by the touch of his hand and I also loved how Elena could heal things with just the touch of her hands as she put her heart and soul into everything she did.
I enjoyed the fact that there is now a dolphin shifter, a cheetah shifter, and Rictor - a man who has powers beyond imaginable. This story definitely held my interest and I look forward to reading the next s...more
This is the second Dirk & Steele novel by Marjorie M. Liu. It's Artur's story. And what a story it is. Though he becomes isolated from the rest of the agency, the world these characters inhabit is widened further. We get to find out some very interesting things.
Artur can see, feel things with a single touch and Elena can heal people with the touch of her hand. Quite an amazing couple and when they meet, the connection is amazing!
There's just so much more to this story, and I really don't wan...more
Artur can see, feel things with a single touch and Elena can heal people with the touch of her hand. Quite an amazing couple and when they meet, the connection is amazing!
There's just so much more to this story, and I really don't wan...more
This is the first novel I read by Ms. Liu and I have been hooked ever since. This is amazing, so fast-paced I could hardly breathe. The adventure, like the majority of her books, only span a couple of days, but soooo much happens.
I actually met Marjorie Liu at a conference and got to speak a few minutes with her. She was very sweet and patient with a gushing fan. She's also very pretty. In fact the girl on this cover looks a lot like her and I wondered if her cover artist (who was also at the c...more
I actually met Marjorie Liu at a conference and got to speak a few minutes with her. She was very sweet and patient with a gushing fan. She's also very pretty. In fact the girl on this cover looks a lot like her and I wondered if her cover artist (who was also at the c...more
I enjoyed this book, it was a bit hard to read in the beginning because the characters are literally being tortured, but I thought it was a pretty interesting world building book, it expanded on the first one a lot to make the whole "superpowers" thing be more filled out and the central romance was something I really believed. Though there is something a bit lacking that (having read the third one too) I keep missing in these books. I enjoy them but can't put my finger on why I'm not raving abou...more
Thrilling, but ...brutal. I do not know. I stopped after 174 pages. I could have read on. But I think the story is too cruel. No, ... I read a lot of stories with cruel characters in it. But ... well until page 170 there was nothing but experiments and pain inside this strange hospital which captures people with psychic abilities, examines their limits with brutal means and slowly bends and breaks their will. Bleak. I suppose the hope and romance part will start right now, but I feel like wastin...more
(SOS Bingo Round 4, Team 4 & x-post to blog)
Even though I only just started this series, once I read the first book I knew it would become a favorite. In some ways, it reminds me of Nalini Singh's Psy-Changelings. There are shifters and there are psychics. If I had to compare Artur's talent to the Psy, I would say it comes close to the Justice Psy. Elena's actually reminded me of one of Judd's side talents -- also, what saved Katya at the end of Blaze of Memory.
I really liked the characters...more
Even though I only just started this series, once I read the first book I knew it would become a favorite. In some ways, it reminds me of Nalini Singh's Psy-Changelings. There are shifters and there are psychics. If I had to compare Artur's talent to the Psy, I would say it comes close to the Justice Psy. Elena's actually reminded me of one of Judd's side talents -- also, what saved Katya at the end of Blaze of Memory.
I really liked the characters...more
Shadow Touch is the second book in the Dirk & Steele series, following "Tiger Eye". It is a very enjoyable read. The characters are complex and well drawn. The hero of the story, Artur is a very complex and interesting character. He is a former Russian mob hitman who is now basically trying to atone for the life he used to live. When the story begins he is using his gift to try and find the identity of a serial killer. We discover that his use of the gift is becoming very detrimental to his...more
Shadow Touch is my favorite book in Majorie M. Liu's Dirk and Steele Series. It is the second book of the series and I fell in love with Artur and Elena. Elena Baxter is kidnapped one night while she is volunteering in the children's cancer ward. See, Elena has the special ability to heal people's bodies. Apparently, someone knows her secret and they decide to kidnap her and run experiments on her. Meanwhile, Artur Loginov works for a detective agency, Dirk and Steele. This agency employs people...more
I really liked this one but mostly I fell in love with the hero, Artur. What a great man! Clever, strong, decisive, dangerous but also deeply hurt and emotional; my favorite kind of guy! The PNR element is not focused on one ability; there are mind readers, telepaths, shape-shifters, magicians and some people whom we don't even know what they are, except that they're very powerful and dangerous. Both the plot and the persons' characterization was very good: I felt as if I knew them and kept turn...more
Oct 12, 2009
Lady Danielle aka The Book Huntress
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
fans of paranormal romance, fans of russian heroes
I can't say enough good things about this book. It was so unique and very intense. The characters are so real that they jump off the page at you, and their suffering palpable. The first book in the series, Tiger Eye was good enough that I knew I wanted to continue reading, but this book lit me on fire for this series.
Shadow Touch starts with a shot to the heart. You see poor Artur at a crime scene, reliving the suffering of the horribly-murdered woman by using his ability to touch things and see...more
Shadow Touch starts with a shot to the heart. You see poor Artur at a crime scene, reliving the suffering of the horribly-murdered woman by using his ability to touch things and see...more
The first half of the book was quite good; I liked the set-up and the conflict. Unfortunately, the second half wasn’t as intriguing. Also, the events and situations became muddled in the second half of the book. I did like Elena and the development of Artur. I did wonder, though, about the last names of some of the characters; I thought that Russian female last names often ended in “ova” while male last names ended in “ov.” That might be a minor quibble on my part.
Marjorie M. Liu is one excellent writer and her Dirk & Steele novels are always entertaining. Tales of extraordinary people with paranoraml abilities are in all the Dirk & Steele novels. In this one Elena Baxter has the healing touch; Artur Loginov, handsome, powerful & tormented, is able to do wondrous things with a thought and a touch. Both are taken and joined by their capture must fight for their lives.
An excellent and lively read.
An excellent and lively read.
This is the second book in the Dirk and Steele series, and it was a cool continuation, though it took place in Russia except for the very beginning and ending. I thought the first book was slightly better, but it was still wonderful. Action, romance, and paranormal goodness. It was slightly darker than the first book because of the discovery of a lab experimenting on supernatural beings. New characters are introduced that are very intriquing.
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