Shadow Boxer

Alterations #2

by Jen Greyson

With the man she loves stuck in ancient Spain, her mentor kidnapped, and her father refusing to embrace their destiny as the only family with the ability to alter history, Evy must go back to work as the lone female lightning rider. She’ll get a chance to see Constantine when she arcs back to Ancient Rome, but this time he won’t know her. And she’ll have no way to warn him that she’s come to save his daughter. Even with a success, there won’t be time for his praise, swept into the biggest part of her mission—befriending the super-genius Nikola Tesla at the request of both Ilif and Penya for very different reasons. Tesla’s world-changing patents are at stake and Evy must keep them out of the wrong hands—but does she know who to trust? Nikola and his work will reveal more questions than answers and force Evy to explore not only her ability as a rider, but as a woman.

Genres: Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, New Adult, Romance, Science Fiction, Time Travel

400 pages, Paperback

First published January 7, 2014

About the author

Badass women and the men who need them.

Jen Greyson is the author of over a dozen books, including the bestselling NA time travel series featuring a Lara Croft heroine. She is co-author of a Da Vinci Code/ Indian Jones action adventure series with NYT bestselling author A.K. Alexander and also ghostwrites for several New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors.

She writes stories about love and life, but one thing is consistent across all her books--her girls never need a guy to save the day... but sometimes the nights.

Visit her website http://jengreyson.com, follow her on Twitter (@JenGreyson), or Facebook http://facebook.com/jengreyson

Reviews

[Leigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shadow Boxer picks up where Lightning Rider left off. Evy Rivera is still the kick-ass, lightning flashing heroine she was in the first book, but both the physical and emotional strain of her new talent, time traveling, has taken a toll on her. Her inner debate of who can she trust, where does she belong, and is she doing this right continues to plague her. Evy's trust will be tested when she is forced to work with the one person she hates most, Ilif, to complete her next alteration. Will Evy be able to carry out her mission despite this complication? Evy will also have to decide to continue or dissolve her relationship with Constantine. Can a long distance relationship with a solider from ancient Rome really work?

Evy and Constantine are both strong warriors in their own respect. Evy can wield lightning as a weapon or time travel. What an awesome talent! Constantine is not only a powerful solider but an intelligent commander who can lead his army to defeat the enemy. Constantine reminds me of Russell Crowe in Gladiator but with blond curly hair. How could you not fall in love with him? This story is an action packed adventure full of twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the end. I will be on pins and needles waiting for the next installment. Please don't make me wait too long!

[Amy Jarecki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Evy Rivera is back with her badass lightning wielding skills and her matching feisty Latino personality. She reunites with the hot alpha-male, Constantine, but her actions have changed the past. He can't remember her...desperately she tries to get through to him before she's catapulted on another mission...One critical to her future world...

This book is rife with conflict and edge-of-your-seat action. Evy is faced with decisions between good and evil...yet it's not clear who's good and who's evil...perhaps they are all bad...Whom can she trust? No one?

[Brianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I’d like to thank the author for providing me a copy of this book, in exchange for my honest review.*

Oh wow, am I ever glad I read this second installment in the Alterations series! Whereas Lightning Rider was all about Evy discovering her abilities, and meeting the people that would play a huge part in her time-traveling life, this book was all about her becoming more confident in herself. It also involved some huge secrets, twists, and some science.

When I read Lightning Rider, I commented on how much I liked Evy. This didn’t change when I read Shadow Boxer. I actually liked her more. She didn’t have any moments where I thought she was being stupid. In fact, there were times when Evy did exactly what I would have done, and I just thought that was really awesome. I appreciate the fact that Evy never made herself less in any of her relationships, whether they were familial or romantic. And from the way this book ended, I can’t wait to seee how her character evolves even more.

The side characters in this book were pretty complicated. I really liked Constantine in this installment, although I did feel sorry for him since he did a lot of waiting for Evy to show up. I still totally loved Evy’s family, and the fact that they play an important part in her life. And then there was Ilif, who changed at the end of this novel, although I won’t say why or how. We also meet Nikola Tesla throughout the course of this story, and I actually really liked him, with all his eccentricities and brilliant ways.

The plot of this book followed Evy through a few alterations. Firstly, she had to save someone’s life who was very close to Constantine. However, the bulk of this novel was about an alteration where Evy had to get patents from Nikola Tesla, although she wasn’t quite sure what to do with them afterwords. There were a lot of secrets, and some characters turned out to be not quite what they always seemed to be. I found the story to be compelling and fast-paced, and I really like the easy way in which this series is told.

Overall, I definitely recommend this book to any fan of Lightning Rider. They won’t want to miss this portion of Evy’s journey, especially because of some of the character development that happens in this installment. My only real complaints about this book would be that the ending is a cliffhanger, and anyone picking it up may want to wait a bit closer to the release date of the third book, whenever that would be. I highly recommend this series to anyone looking for a different type of heroine, as well as a unique type of world-building, and a cool take on time-travel.

[Viking Jam · Rating 3 out of 5]

http://koeur.wordpress.com/2014/09/22...


Publisher: Alexander Cole
Publishing Date:
ISBN: 9780615958255
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 3.3/5

Publisher Description: Fatigued from her latest mission where sleep was fleeting, time traveler, Evy Rivera will see no reprieve. Urgently, she must again travel back to ancient Rome. With one mentor kidnapped and the other threatening to eliminate scientists from the past, Evy must prioritize with the utmost care. But the next girl on the list is one she knows–and daughter of the man who trained her and stole her heart. Evy must push aside her heart-wrenching desire to reconnect with Constantine to focus on her task.

Review: I really like the cover but once again I am a dude.
This was a fairly solid story-line. I am a sucker for time travel as you never know what perspective the author brings to the past. The failings with the novel was the character development. Evy is just plain boring. She is especially boring when her and Constantine get together to spar, talk or hump. The humping scenes, coupled with the dialogue just seem to go on forever and have nothing to do with the overall plot. It is like some relational segue into the past that attempts (and fails) to render the characters in a more personable light. Only it comes off tedious and you start skipping pages to get back to the main story-line/plot. The Tesla sequence was really good and would have been better if maintained without the Papi/Mami worry or the “I am so concerned about my family but am humping Constantine right now…”

This would have been a great novel if the author had limited her romantic femme’ fatale’ interactions with Constantine and focused on Arcing and rendering historical instances. She can get her kicks whenever she wants but who wants to hear her continuous inner ruminative thought process on the whole relationship? I don’t.

[Star · Rating 5 out of 5]

Evy Rivera is a Lightning Rider, with the ability to harness lightning to travel through time and complete alterations. Her current mission is to save her lover’s daughter in ancient Rome. This means more time apart from her lover, Constantine, with whom she longs to spend her life. Once her current alteration is complete, she must work with her fiercest enemy to save Nikola Tesla’s patents from falling into the wrong hands. Yet things are not as black and white as Evy believes…

SHADOW BOXER is the second book in the Alterations series and Evy is determined to make sure Aurelia, Constantine’s daughter, lives. I liked how we (and Evy) learned more about the lightning rider powers and that there may be more riders than originally believed. My favorite parts of the book were when Evy was with Nikola Tesla. His genius is amazing and it was great to see him portrayed in such a positive light. I do wish Evy would learn to trust herself and not what others tell her, especially about her own gift. I was happy to see her experimenting with different types of lightning and what they may do alone and in combination. I really liked the first book in this series, LIGHTNING RIDER, but I enjoyed SHADOW BOXER a lot more as it delved deeper into the rider lore. I almost screamed when I got to the cliffhanger ending and I really really need to know what happens next!!

[Angie Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

**I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for my fair and honest review.**

“Shadow Boxer” by Jen Greyson was an absolutely amazing read. The story had plenty of intrigue and suspense to keep me going, and Evy was a fantastic heroine. I can’t get enough of the action, suspense, time-travel, and (of course) Evy. Her character is rough, tough, and still flawed in that perfect manner that makes her relatable and likeable. That’s exactly how I like my main characters. It continues in the tradition of strong, yet still vulnerable, female leads.

Beyond the story, the book was incredibly well-written and just plain smart. The author kept me in the moment at all times, and kudos to Greyson for accomplishing that with her work. I have not read the first book in the series, but I fully intend to go back and do so. This book is one that I will return to over the years just to enjoy the excitement again and again!

[Jennifer Loiske · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! I’m totally blown away! Shadow Boxer glued me on my couch from the start and made me hungry for more. I have not read the first book in this series but will definitely do so while waiting impatiently for the third installment. The protagonist Evy Rivera is a time traveler and a bit different kind of warrior. She is rough from the edges but has a soft core that makes her even more fascinating and then there’s Constantine…yeah, totally smoking hot and drool worthy guy…I probably don’t have to say more…deep sigh.

I loved the twists and turns in the story, the pace and the badass attitude of Evy. Loved the well-created characters and of course the awesome cliffhanger. Can’t wait to read what happens next!

[Jana Petken · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found a rare gem in this very original story and plot. It was romantic, fast paced, sensual, and erotic at times. The heroine played her part well as shadow boxer and warrior. Taking Evy through time gave the story a unique twist. The story is gripping, mainly due to the writing, which is as smooth as glass, with descriptive blood and bones panoramic scenery and interesting characters. I was unable to put the book down and look forward to this brilliant writer's next instalment, for I'm sure she can't leave this story with so much promise still to come.

[InD'tale Magazine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although “Shadow Boxer” is just as well-researched and energetic as its predecessor “Lightning Rider,” in the end, this book was a disappointment: The plot meandered and failed to hook onto a strong narrative arc.

Read full review in the 2014 November issue of InD’tale Magazine.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved Shadow Boxer!!! Excellent twists!! Can NOT wait for the next one!!!!

[Marjorie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Things really don't get any easier for Evy, indeed she is further away from mastering her Riding in this, the second book of the Lightning Rider series, than she was at the beginning of the first. With no real mentor, she is cast adrift into her first alteration - can she save Constantine's daughter? It's to be hoped she can as Penya has told her that her descendants will be an intrinsic part of the earth's scientific future; more importantly her second alteration hinges on it.

Ilif and Penya are still popping in and out of Evy's life - as is Constantine. The lines between good and bad become ever more blurred and Evy has no idea who trust. All she knows is she has been tasked with getting access to Nikola Tesla's work and getting his notebooks back to the 21st century. This is where the strength of the book lies - not in Evy's emotional issues (of which much is made seemingly without end) but in the science and the eccentricity of genius.

I found as the book went on that Evy's riding is somewhat erratic and the necessity for her to keep going back to Constantine for "training" became a little annoying; actually more than a little if I'm being honest. Rather too much soul searching goes on for this reader I have to admit - the action is frenetic and well written and I found myself wanting to jump sections just to get to back to Tesla; those sections really do make the book for me. Admittedly Tesla is written in a very sympathetic light, much of what I have read about him makes him seem quite an unsavoury character so it was nice to have a different opinion (albeit a fictitious one).

Great plotting and story development and the introduction of another Rider to the mix leaves us on a great cliffhanger. Even more importantly just what are Ilif and Penya up to and who can Evy trust? Sadly, my own opinions formed early in this book seem to be coming to fruition and you can't help wondering how street smart Evy got sucked in.

Guess, I'll have to read book 3 to find out if I was right or not won't I.

[Brandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just as the first I enjoyed the second book in the Alterations series. More time travel, more Constantine, more alterations to figure out. All wrapped up in a nice little package.

[Fangs for the Fantasy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Evy Rivera is trying to embrace her fate as a lightening rider. Evy knows that there is so much that she has to figure out about her power and even more importantly, Evy must figure out the motives behind the two guides who are sending her conflicting messages because the fate of the world is depending on it. Tesla is a figure that history has chosen to largely ignore, though much of what we use on an every day basis is based on his designs. As brilliant as Tesla was, there is so much we don't know about what he created. Evy is tasked to find Tesla and protect his free energy designs. Imagine how the world would change is free energy was available to everyone. Even when power is free though, it just might come at a terrible cost.

Evy is still very new to the time travel business. After saving Aurelia, so that her line can produce a very important scientist, it's time for Evy to move on but she finds herself continually drawn back to ancient Rome to visit with Constantine. This is the ultimate in long distance relationships because not only are they separated by an ocean but centuries in time. Evy cannot put this ancient warrior behind her, yet chafes at his suggestion that she needs to be protected. Can their love affair manage the impossible?

Shadow Boxer at times felt very rush and confused. Evy didn't so much really investigate, as fall into situation after situation. In Lightning Rider, Evy chose to trust Penya over Illya based on his obvious sexism without really learning anything about either of them. In Shadow Boxer, Evy is even more lost and though she knows Penya is withholding information, she chooses to trust her. Evy essentially goes along without questioning, even when it becomes patently obvious that she should and I don't understand that at all. Evy spends much of her time trying to outwit Illya and truth be told, though this was meant to make her seem calculating, it was completely undermined by her absolute trust of Penya.

Even though it is essential that Evy travel through time, this element of the book helped to make it feel as though it had no real cohesion. Evy was absolutely directionless for much of Shadow Boxer and this made it hard to invest in the story. As a reader, I was very well aware of the historical characters in this novel but Evy was largely in ignorance because she didn't take the time to research. This is ridiculous when she had the internet at her fingertips. Why wouldn't she spend more than a few cursory moments on google researching Tesla and his contemporaries? This is especially troubling after Evy realises exactly what is at stake.


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[Stacy Sabala · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book Review- Shadow Boxer by Jen Greyson

Evy is back trying to learn the ropes when it comes to her lightning rider abilities and her time jumps. She is also torn about Constantine. She wants to be with him but needs to be a rider. She knows there is no future for them but can’t stay away. He continues to train her and ask the right questions to make her think.
It’s exactly what she needs as her alternation sends her to Nichola Tesla. Ilif has sent her to get Tesla’s patents. She is to earn his trust enough that he gives them to her. Penya, her mentor, advises her to get Tesla’s patents but keep it away from Ilif. Penya is being held by Ilif and is steering Evy the best she can from her incarceration.
Evy has to play the game. She doesn’t trust Ilif, but is determined to complete the alternation. She is surprised when she truly comes to like Nichola and his feelings are mutual.
However everything goes wrong. She doesn’t know who to trust anymore. Lies are running rampant and what she thought she knew is wrong. Constantine may be her only hope.
I love these characters and the storyline this author has brought to life. This is an excellent continuation of Evy’s journey. The first book introduced her to her abilities. This book has her learning more and fine tuning things. With her mentor in the enemy’s hands, Evy has to find the answers a different way. It is great that Constantine is the one to test her and make her think.
Evy is such an awesome character. She has this tremendous gift and responsibility yet struggles with her very real and human emotions. Guilt assails her on numerous occasions. She has to set it aside to continue doing her job.
She is devastated with she learns of the possible betrayal of one of the people she trusts most. It is definitely going to continue in the next book which I can’t wait to read. I give a 5 out of 5.

[GONZA · Rating 2 out of 5]

I must say that I was expecting something better because I really liked "Lightning rider", mostly because I think it's the first time in a paranormal romance (complete with time travel) where the main protagonist is Spanish-American (or Latina). Problem was that if in the first book Evy seemed like a strong woman, in this second volume seems that she is a victim of all that happens and also her relationship with Constantine is not something that it is precisely set on parity.

Devo dire che mi aspettavo qualcosa di meglio perché "Lightning rider" mi era piaciuto, soprattutto perché credo che sia la prima volta che in un paranormal romance (con tanto di viaggi nel tempo) la protagonista principale sia ispano-americana (o latino). Se nel primo libro Evy mi sembrava una donna forte, in questo secondo volume sembra quasi che tutto quanto le capiti a prescindere dalla sua volontá e anche la sua relazione con Costantine non é che sia proprio impostata su delle basi di paritá.

THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND ALEXANDER COLE PUBLISHING GROUP FOR THE PREVIEW!

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

It has been awhile since I read book 1 (my bad) and I had forgotten how much I enjoy Jen's writing and characters. A great story continues with continuing development of the characters as they encounter problems along the way. My number one criteria for a book rating is if I can't or don't want to put it down, and this was one I could not put down.
I have book 3 in my reading queue and am looking forward to it.

[James Chalk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exciting Fun
Romance and action all wrapped in exquisitely vivid settings. This is the second installment in the adventures of Evy Rivera. Evy is a sexy and smart heroine who travels through time and saves the day, all the while dealing with romantic angst. I love the alternate history nod to Nikola Tesla. This is a fast read that will leave you wanting more.

[Christina Koehler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exciting!

Loved it! The characters and history are wonderfully mixed in this book. I am still on the fence if Evy should trust Penya. Can't wait to read the 3rd book in the series.