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Through Shade and Shadow
Mason Jerah is a Shade, a mythical healer, living in secret in Northern California. Alaric Lambrecht is a Shadow, an empath and psychic, working alongside his family in the suburbs of Sacramento.After a serial killer is caught, and discovered to be a Shade, it sets in motion an unexpected tidal wave that affects them both.As the United States begins to tear itself apart with violence and xenophobia, Mason and Alaric are yanked out of their comfortable lives and cast into the turbulent waters of political intrigue and conspiracies, setting them on a collision course with each other and civil war."Through Shade and Shadow is a realistic paranormal fantasy that speaks volumes on hate and fear." -Liz Konkel, Readers' Favorite-
241 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 1, 2017
71 people are currently reading
723 people want to read
About the author
Natalie J. Case
22 books43 followersNatalie lives and works in Stockton, CA.
Words were her first love and she grew up finding new ways to put words together to tell stories. Known to occasionally commit random acts of poetry, Natalie primarily dabbles in worlds where magic exists, where vampires and shape-shifters share page time with gods and demons, and characters that are born inside her head find themselves struggling in a world made real through the magic of words.
Refusing to be confined to a single genre, Natalie's current works in progress span, and sometimes combine, horror, fantasy, sci-fi, urban fantasy and more.
Words were her first love and she grew up finding new ways to put words together to tell stories. Known to occasionally commit random acts of poetry, Natalie primarily dabbles in worlds where magic exists, where vampires and shape-shifters share page time with gods and demons, and characters that are born inside her head find themselves struggling in a world made real through the magic of words.
Refusing to be confined to a single genre, Natalie's current works in progress span, and sometimes combine, horror, fantasy, sci-fi, urban fantasy and more.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
June 18, 2023
I couldn't put it down once I'd started. It felt chillingly real and you could imagine it happening, especially the way the world is right now. I really felt for the characters, especially Mason, and can't wait to find out what happens next... although I'm also sort of afraid to!
April 23, 2017
A Near Future Dystopian Urban Fantasy
"And once we have dealt with the Shades, we can turn our eyes to other evil, to the things God tells us we must eliminate."
Mason and Alaric are very different young men growing up in very different circumstances. Mason grew up isolated from society cared for by his grandmother who feared the world so much she did not prepare her grandson to meet it alone when she died. Alaric belongs to a large, interconnected and caring community and has a good grounding and education in all he needs to know about himself, his heritage and his place in the world. But the one thing they have in common is they are both supernatural beings and not fully human.
When bigotry and hatred break out big time in the USA, Shades are up in the firing line along with Muslims, LGBT people and anyone who does not fit the 8th Battalions idea of moral, religious and racial purity. Alaric and his kin find themselves increasingly under attack and Mason, travelling alone in a world he has not fully grasped, is totally vulnerable. This book tracks their stories and paints a very bleak but convincing view of how drawing a line between 'us' and 'them' always leads to irrational and needless horror.
'Cool, but not cold, the water was like a companion he had left behind, embracing him like a blanket.'
This is a fairly well-written book which draws the reader quickly into its premise and makes the acceptance of the supernatural 'humans' very easy and natural. The writing flows along with no outbursts of unwanted purple prose or grim patches of bad grammar. The scene-setting is plausible and the author makes it seem convincing that the shift in social prejudices can moves from verbal and condemned by the majority to violent and condoned by those in power. The pace is well considered and whilst not being 'edge-of-your-seat' very often, has a good way of piling on the tension when it is suitable and keeping the forward momentum rolling with character interactions and self-discovery.
'The blackness was punctuated by flashes of images and the quiet roar of silence in his head was shattered with the sound of screaming.'
The characters are written convincingly - real people with real issues, struggling to make sense of a crazy world that has erupted all around them. Unlike your average human, they have both the advantages and the drawbacks that come from their respective supernatural heritages, but these only add to the intriguing mix and lead the reader to want to find out more.
A book for those who enjoy dark urban fantasy or who are looking for something more profound about supernatural beings than the classic vampire and shifter fare.
"And once we have dealt with the Shades, we can turn our eyes to other evil, to the things God tells us we must eliminate."
Mason and Alaric are very different young men growing up in very different circumstances. Mason grew up isolated from society cared for by his grandmother who feared the world so much she did not prepare her grandson to meet it alone when she died. Alaric belongs to a large, interconnected and caring community and has a good grounding and education in all he needs to know about himself, his heritage and his place in the world. But the one thing they have in common is they are both supernatural beings and not fully human.
When bigotry and hatred break out big time in the USA, Shades are up in the firing line along with Muslims, LGBT people and anyone who does not fit the 8th Battalions idea of moral, religious and racial purity. Alaric and his kin find themselves increasingly under attack and Mason, travelling alone in a world he has not fully grasped, is totally vulnerable. This book tracks their stories and paints a very bleak but convincing view of how drawing a line between 'us' and 'them' always leads to irrational and needless horror.
'Cool, but not cold, the water was like a companion he had left behind, embracing him like a blanket.'
This is a fairly well-written book which draws the reader quickly into its premise and makes the acceptance of the supernatural 'humans' very easy and natural. The writing flows along with no outbursts of unwanted purple prose or grim patches of bad grammar. The scene-setting is plausible and the author makes it seem convincing that the shift in social prejudices can moves from verbal and condemned by the majority to violent and condoned by those in power. The pace is well considered and whilst not being 'edge-of-your-seat' very often, has a good way of piling on the tension when it is suitable and keeping the forward momentum rolling with character interactions and self-discovery.
'The blackness was punctuated by flashes of images and the quiet roar of silence in his head was shattered with the sound of screaming.'
The characters are written convincingly - real people with real issues, struggling to make sense of a crazy world that has erupted all around them. Unlike your average human, they have both the advantages and the drawbacks that come from their respective supernatural heritages, but these only add to the intriguing mix and lead the reader to want to find out more.
A book for those who enjoy dark urban fantasy or who are looking for something more profound about supernatural beings than the classic vampire and shifter fare.
April 30, 2020
Through Shade and Shadow (Book one) by Natalie J. Case
Mason Jerah has lived a sheltered life and after the death of his grandmother, this inexperienced healer (or Shade) leaves the security of his secluded mountain home and goes out into the big wide world – a place where a serial killer has been outed as a blood drinking Shade, no-one can be trusted and small minorities are attacked and despised.
Mason eventually crosses paths with Alaric, an empath and a psychic (or a Shadow) and together they attempt to bring their lost clans of talented supernatural beings together once more, in order to protect family legacies and hopefully bring an end to their suffering.
The book is dark and haunting and I enjoyed reading about the different talents and abilities of each character. There is no obvious conclusion to the story as this is a series., but it´s well worth a read and I look forward to the second part.
Mason Jerah has lived a sheltered life and after the death of his grandmother, this inexperienced healer (or Shade) leaves the security of his secluded mountain home and goes out into the big wide world – a place where a serial killer has been outed as a blood drinking Shade, no-one can be trusted and small minorities are attacked and despised.
Mason eventually crosses paths with Alaric, an empath and a psychic (or a Shadow) and together they attempt to bring their lost clans of talented supernatural beings together once more, in order to protect family legacies and hopefully bring an end to their suffering.
The book is dark and haunting and I enjoyed reading about the different talents and abilities of each character. There is no obvious conclusion to the story as this is a series., but it´s well worth a read and I look forward to the second part.
November 5, 2022
There are those with special abilities hiding in this world. For some reason, a group has decided those with the abilities must die. The Shades keep their memories of the family line in a Book that must be updated. They can also give their memories by mouth before dying. One young man living in the mountains with his grandmother receives her memories and then sets off to find their book and update it. They are totally dependent on water and staying out of the sunshine. Another large group are the Sages. The Shifters and Shadows are fewer. For some reason the author also included Christians as wanting to destroy them and all black citizens. Unfortunately, that part simply means the author has no idea what the main Christian religions teach. It almost ruined the start of a good read as the excitement and danger builds as the groups look for hiding and for a leader. There is one exciting scene after another as the different groups come together. The ending is such that you must read the next to know whether the young man lives or dies.
May 11, 2017
Stage Setting, with a Fair Dose of Action
Through Shade and Shadow felt very much like setting the stage – that is, establishing the characters and building parts of the fantasy world before the protagonists become engaged in the main conflict. But as stage setting goes, this book did pretty well as the action was fast, although it was not always as immersive as I might have liked.
The violence in Through Shade and Shadow was the result of bigotry and intolerance, after a mass murderer was identified as a Shade. Shades were previously considered a mythical species with supernatural healing capabilities, so the hatred that erupted was from a fear of those who are different. To reinforce that idea, the author had the persecution extend well beyond the Shades and the other fantasy species (Shadows, Shifters, Sages) to many other groups and organizations. Over the course of the story, blacks, immigrants, synagogues, gays, Planned Parenthood, and others were attacked, often with horrific results. While the use of these examples brings to mind real world events, the breadth of the persecution seemed generally unrealistic. Even the story’s references to extreme religious close-mindedness, hatemongering on the political front, and violent military stereotypes did little to make these events seem more than a listing of historical intolerance.
The book spends some considerable time developing the lifestyle and gifts of the two primary characters, Mason Jerah, a Shade, and Alaric Lambrecht, who is a Shadow. Both are being thrust into roles much greater than anything they had experienced before and it is easy to feel their growing pains. Beyond these two individuals, the author expounds on a variety of other fantasy species and their gifts – the ability to feel another’s emotions, to see another’s thoughts, to plant thoughts, to create false appearances, to control fire, to control light, and so on. While variety may generally add interest to a story, when so many supernatural capabilities are available in a fantasy world, creating obstacles becomes a matter of explaining why a gift doesn’t work and eliminating problems just takes the right gift at the right time. The creation of tension and its resolution starts to feel artificial, subject completely to the stage of the story.
So, while the plight described in Through Shade and Shadow will, unfortunately, bring to mind many real-world events, the breadth of the persecution and the lack of boundaries on supernatural gifts tends to render the story somewhat strained.
Through Shade and Shadow felt very much like setting the stage – that is, establishing the characters and building parts of the fantasy world before the protagonists become engaged in the main conflict. But as stage setting goes, this book did pretty well as the action was fast, although it was not always as immersive as I might have liked.
The violence in Through Shade and Shadow was the result of bigotry and intolerance, after a mass murderer was identified as a Shade. Shades were previously considered a mythical species with supernatural healing capabilities, so the hatred that erupted was from a fear of those who are different. To reinforce that idea, the author had the persecution extend well beyond the Shades and the other fantasy species (Shadows, Shifters, Sages) to many other groups and organizations. Over the course of the story, blacks, immigrants, synagogues, gays, Planned Parenthood, and others were attacked, often with horrific results. While the use of these examples brings to mind real world events, the breadth of the persecution seemed generally unrealistic. Even the story’s references to extreme religious close-mindedness, hatemongering on the political front, and violent military stereotypes did little to make these events seem more than a listing of historical intolerance.
The book spends some considerable time developing the lifestyle and gifts of the two primary characters, Mason Jerah, a Shade, and Alaric Lambrecht, who is a Shadow. Both are being thrust into roles much greater than anything they had experienced before and it is easy to feel their growing pains. Beyond these two individuals, the author expounds on a variety of other fantasy species and their gifts – the ability to feel another’s emotions, to see another’s thoughts, to plant thoughts, to create false appearances, to control fire, to control light, and so on. While variety may generally add interest to a story, when so many supernatural capabilities are available in a fantasy world, creating obstacles becomes a matter of explaining why a gift doesn’t work and eliminating problems just takes the right gift at the right time. The creation of tension and its resolution starts to feel artificial, subject completely to the stage of the story.
So, while the plight described in Through Shade and Shadow will, unfortunately, bring to mind many real-world events, the breadth of the persecution and the lack of boundaries on supernatural gifts tends to render the story somewhat strained.
December 6, 2017
Through Shade and Shadow by Natalie J. Case is a realistic paranormal fantasy that speaks volumes on hate and fear. The novel is split between two perspectives: Mason Jerah and Alaric Lambrecht. Mason is a Shade who's kept from the world and his powers by his grandma. When she dies, he receives her final breath and sees the memories of his past. He lives in fear when a Shade is caught on a serial killing spree, drinking people's blood. This sparks a chain reaction of fear and hate which leads to violence and persecution. Alaric is a Shadow, an empath and psychic working alongside his family. As the wrong person comes into power and the wrong voices are being heard, everyone he knows and loves is in danger. Mason's and Alaric's lives are flipped around as the hate and violence spreads, getting closer and closer to home.
A cautionary tale with a supernatural essence, Through Shade and Shadow tells the story of two people who are trying to make a difference, to do good and save people from hatred. So much truth is in this novel. There may be Shades, Shadows, and Shifters, but it's so realistic that it's eerie. All it took was a Shade being caught murdering people, and then everyone is afraid of Shades, not taking the time to see that at their core they're healers. The Shade sparks a chain reaction from fear to hate to violence. People turn on anyone who's a different race, religion, and orientation. Suddenly everyone is powered by fear and hate. It's not hard to see a parallel between the story and what you see on the news. Natalie J. Case shows the repercussions of being ruled by the fear of differences. There are several scenes of pointless violence and attacks. Mason is beaten by three men just because he took a kid to the bathroom because the parents asked him to. Compelling and tragic, but Through Shade and Shadow also tells a story of a desperate hope that these people can change the world.
A cautionary tale with a supernatural essence, Through Shade and Shadow tells the story of two people who are trying to make a difference, to do good and save people from hatred. So much truth is in this novel. There may be Shades, Shadows, and Shifters, but it's so realistic that it's eerie. All it took was a Shade being caught murdering people, and then everyone is afraid of Shades, not taking the time to see that at their core they're healers. The Shade sparks a chain reaction from fear to hate to violence. People turn on anyone who's a different race, religion, and orientation. Suddenly everyone is powered by fear and hate. It's not hard to see a parallel between the story and what you see on the news. Natalie J. Case shows the repercussions of being ruled by the fear of differences. There are several scenes of pointless violence and attacks. Mason is beaten by three men just because he took a kid to the bathroom because the parents asked him to. Compelling and tragic, but Through Shade and Shadow also tells a story of a desperate hope that these people can change the world.
January 20, 2018
Fans of Kelley Armstrong would probably enjoy this book as it is in a similar genre. Mason is a Shade, a mythical healers who have to stay out of sunlight and use fresh water to replenish their strength. Alaric is a Shadow, an empath. Already living in the shadows of society, their world changes when a serial killer is caught and discovered to be a Shade, setting off a tidal wave of xenophobia in the US, and Mason and Alaric are caught up in it. I felt that this book is a total allegory to what seems to be brewing in the US at the moment. It is also just the beginning of the story and finished leaving the reader wanting more. I won a copy of this book from the author as part of the Goodreads Giveaways program.
December 9, 2017
I'm excited to get exposed to Natalie's writing, as I've known she wrote for a while. I enjoyed the parallel stories, and the developments of relationships between characters. I also liked the magic, and twists on traditional tropes.
It was a little hard to read while home sick, as it's so reflective of some people of the paranoid judgmental groups in our country. When I'm healthier, I look forward to reading the sequel.
It was a little hard to read while home sick, as it's so reflective of some people of the paranoid judgmental groups in our country. When I'm healthier, I look forward to reading the sequel.
September 5, 2023
Too much political BS
The concept for the characters and story are good. But the execution shows a need to write about the author's political beliefs and force them into the storyline. I get that racism of any kind is wrong but one doesn't need to beat that to death in a book. Then the book just moves so slowly. It's as if there was no sense of urgency to move the characters further into the story.
The concept for the characters and story are good. But the execution shows a need to write about the author's political beliefs and force them into the storyline. I get that racism of any kind is wrong but one doesn't need to beat that to death in a book. Then the book just moves so slowly. It's as if there was no sense of urgency to move the characters further into the story.
May 19, 2025
Started out a bit slow, but became very interesting. 3.5 stars, will read the next one in the series.
February 24, 2017
The author has captured an intriguing, if somewhat dark story in the pages of this intriguing novel. Mason is a young man who is also a shade and the keeper of the family's legacy. Not all shades are created equal and in another state a shade has committed viscous murders. Follow Mason as he discovers secrets, prejudice and mystery in this supernatural thriller.
May 14, 2023
You just have to get over the repeated words (she stepped down the steps then he stepped) the wrong homonyms, and the typos. (I do so miss the age of "real" editors.) The story is exciting, and this version of the non-humans or extra-humans is a slightly different take on the genre; it is also fits the apocalyptic genre. This is absolutely not the right book for conservatives/republicans/trumpsters, but everyone else will recognize their own fears of what hate is doing to the US.
April 30, 2017
This book was a dark tale that runs along several themes that are current in the world today. Zealots gaining power, us vs. them, hate mongering to gain power, lost souls trying to find a safe haven and gather strength by banding together. Reading this was draining for me since the same scenes are playing on the evening news today. If you are looking for an escape this probably won't hit the spot. The concepts of the different paranormal abilities were well constructed and the slow burn of the stories themes does get you to quite a cressendo by the last page. The story really doesn't have an end though. There is no hard resolution to the plot. It may be because the story continues in another book but to call this a cliff hanger would be an understatment. I actually thought my kindle glitched and restarted it to see if the next page would come up. The author has some great descriptions. Her world building while dark struck a nerve because it was well done. I am curious what will happen in the next book.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews