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Shadow Blade

(Shadowchasers #1)

Seressia Glass (Goodreads Author)

3.55 · Rating details · 1,288 ratings · 179 reviews

For Kira Solomon, normal was never an option.

Kira’s day job as an antiquities expert, but her true calling is as a Shadowchaser. Trained from youth to be one of the most lethal Chasers in existence, Kira serves the Gilead Commission dispatching the Fallen who sow discord and chaos. Of course, sometimes Gilead bureaucracy is as much a thorn in her side as anything the F ...more

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Mass Market Paperback, 344 pages

Published January 26th 2010 by Pocket Books (first published January 4th 2010)

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Nov 04, 2012 carol. rated it liked it

Recommends it for: fans of female protagonist UF

Recommended to carol. by: MrsJoseph *grouchy*

Shelves: female-lead, urban-fantasy, friend-recommended, multi-culti

First book report card:

Creativity: above average. Ancient Egyptian and general anthropology knowledge is a bonus.
Magical system: above average. Based partly on relationships with Egyptian deities, with nary a werewolf in sight.
Female heroine: above average. Slightly Mary Sue in physical abilities, I suggest meeting with counseling regarding emotional issues.
Pacing: needs focus on balancing action with investigation, flashbacks and information-sharing.
Plotting: acceptable. Light versus Shadow p ...more

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Nov 29, 2021 Madison Warner Fairbanks rated it really liked it

Shelves: ecopy, kindle-ebook, cmcon22-reading-challenge, dark, urban-fantasy, audible, diverse, magic, romance, series

Shadow Blade by Seressia Glass
Shadowchasers book 1. Urban fantasy with minor romance plot line.
Kira is a Shadowchaser with no real knowledge of her personal history. She is also traumatized by not being able to touch anyone without harming them. That all changes when she finds a historically significant dagger that talks to her.

Blended history and Egyptian and African mythology are included in this plot heavy story that starts slow but is soon immersed with gods, magic daggers and a 4000 year ...more

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Jan 30, 2011 Tracy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy

The first thing I did when I finished reading Shadow Blade was make sure that my memory was correct, and that it was the beginning of a series and not a standalone novel. Not because I didn't like how it ended, but because I was so impressed with Seressia Glass' fully developed and vibrant world rich with ancient Egyptian and Africa history, not to mention the three dimensional characters, zippy narrative, and intriguing plot.

I'm thrilled to say that Shadow Blade hit all my happy spots. All of t The first thing I did when I finished reading Shadow Blade was make sure that my memory was correct, and that it was the beginning of a series and not a standalone novel. Not because I didn't like how it ended, but because I was so impressed with Seressia Glass' fully developed and vibrant world rich with ancient Egyptian and Africa history, not to mention the three dimensional characters, zippy narrative, and intriguing plot.

I'm thrilled to say that Shadow Blade hit all my happy spots. All of them. I loved it.

I'm not going to summarize the plot here, as it's been done sufficiently in the product description and can be accessed through several links in this review (and frankly, I'm not totally sure I could do the job justice myself). I need to express, though, what I most enjoyed about it. I loved the setting, Atlanta. I was really impressed with the flawless blend of history and mythology that never - for me - bogged down the story or stuttered the plot. I found the lead character, Kira Solomon, to be a stunning blend of intelligence, confidence, and aptitude with her work (both jobs), devotional commitment to her calling, and refreshing innocence and sense of yearning with everything else. Some reviews have criticized that dichotomy, but for me, it made perfect sense. The poor girl has been able to touch exactly no one in her entire life without it ending in coma or death or pain. Twenty-six years of complete physical solitude unless she's killing. The wounds on a person's psyche under those conditions are unimaginable, horrifying, and entirely well represented by Kira's responses to events in Shadow Blade. I believed it utterly and I sympathized completely with her, as my admiration for her as written grew and grew. And kudos to Glass for the masterful development of Kira through the arc of the story. And for me personally, the development of the relationship between Kira and Khefer not only worked and was realistic and believable, but it was laden with both tenderness, hope, and at one point, one of the most sizzling kisses I've read in any novel this year. Exceptionally well done, I thought.

Also tremendously well done - and refreshing for the very sense it made - was Khefer's reaction to Kira's inquiries and curiosity about his four thousand years on the planet. Brilliant scene and truly...finally addressed one of the most niggling issues I've always had when books include long-lived races or individuals. I've gotten so used to just accepting that a thousand year old vampire has perfect recollection of his time as a human because that's how it almost always seems to be written. But it doesn't make sense if you think about it. A four thousand year old Nubian warrior who didn't even need to learn to read or write prior to the Roman empire?? Excellent! I can't remember what I was doing fifteen years ago on this day. Why should Khefer remember what he was doing fifteen hundred years ago? Brilliant! And I absolutely loved that line about history happening when you're just living your life. There were some real truism gems in that whole scene.

And while I was being impressed by the deft storytelling, the world building, and the character development, I also appreciated that the book included humor. Nansee (Anansi is my favorite secondary character in a book in ages) was a perfect foil in that regard, but even Kira had a sardonic sense of humor that tickled me.

All together, Shadow Blade is definitely standing out as one of the most thoroughly satisfying - on every level, from technical to emotional - books I've had the pleasure to read this year. I had one...not complaint, really, more like an issue. I felt the final conflict with the Avatar was never fully realized. It seemed a bit short and underdeveloped for all the build up. That one issue is not enough to dim my deep appreciation and admiration for Shadow Blade as a whole, however. If you're interested in a genuinely unique and richly pleasurable urban fantasy series, I'd highly recommend you give Seressia Glass' Shadow Blade a try.

~*~*~*~
Reviewed for One Good Book Deserves Another. ...more

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Dec 16, 2014 fleurette rated it liked it

Shelves: paranormal-ability, urban-fantasy

It was nice to read about Egyptian mythology instead of usual Greek or Roman. Still, the book is rather middling. I am not grabbed enough by the story to read the rest of the series.

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Jul 16, 2021 Alex (HEABookNerd) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: couple-mf, continuing-couple, 2021, genre-fantasy, rating-4-stars-really-enjoyable

I had high hopes for SHADOW BLADE and it did not disappoint! Kira Soloman is a Shadowchaser, trained to hunt and kill the Fallen and other agents of Chaos to keep the Balance of Light and Shadow in the world. When an old Egyptian dagger ends up in Kira’s possession she finds herself dealing with it’s owner, a 4000 year old immortal Nubian warrior, Khefar.

- The world building was outstanding for this and I loved all the Egyptian and African mythology that was incorporated. I’ve read a few other I had high hopes for SHADOW BLADE and it did not disappoint! Kira Soloman is a Shadowchaser, trained to hunt and kill the Fallen and other agents of Chaos to keep the Balance of Light and Shadow in the world. When an old Egyptian dagger ends up in Kira’s possession she finds herself dealing with it’s owner, a 4000 year old immortal Nubian warrior, Khefar.

- The world building was outstanding for this and I loved all the Egyptian and African mythology that was incorporated. I’ve read a few other books that tried to use Egyptian history as a reference point but it was always so surface level. SHADOW BLADE really digs into the mythology and brings it to life and as a huge ancient Egypt nerd myself, I loved it! The Balance of Light and Shadow and the different entities that work on both sides created an interesting world to read about.

- Kira was a kick butt heroine and while her life has been anything but easy she’s still strong, compassionate, and determined to remain on the Light side of the scales. In addition to some huge losses in her life, she also has a rare psychic ability that makes it near impossible for anyone to touch her without causing them pain. I found this part of Kira’s story really interesting and I hope it’s origins get explored more in future books.

- We also got some POV chapters from Khefar and I loved his character. He’s not exactly a “good guy” as his history is filled with some pretty terrible things but he’s spent the last 4000 years trying to make up for his crimes. One of the things I appreciated about Khefar is that he has a very modern feel, and I know some readers probably won’t like that, but I did. Khefar hasn’t been in hiding, he lives among humans as he works to save them and it makes sense that he’d adopt and evolve to changing trends, fashion, and culture.

- While this is pretty solidly in the Urban Fantasy genre, there is a small romance between Kira and Khefar that begins to develop in the second half of the book and my romance loving heart was thrilled. Kira deserved someone who could stand beside her and take care of her when she needed someone to lean on and Khefar is the perfect, swoony hero to take on that role. I can’t wait to see where the relationship goes.

Content Warning: brief mention of one instance of child abuse; violence, death, murder ...more

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Jan 14, 2013 Maja (The Nocturnal Library) rated it liked it

Shelves: all-action, urban-fantasy, magic, i-have-superpowers, debut-author

I’m not used to my urban fantasies being written in third person. I realize this is an odd thing to start a review with, but it’s the first thing that really stood out for me. Shadow Blade is told in third person from two perspectives: that of Kira and the Nubian warrior Khefar, and the transitions between them aren't neat or clearly marked, but rather random and messy. This is the second time I’ve come across something similar lately and I enjoyed it both times, although I’m not the biggest fan I’m not used to my urban fantasies being written in third person. I realize this is an odd thing to start a review with, but it’s the first thing that really stood out for me. Shadow Blade is told in third person from two perspectives: that of Kira and the Nubian warrior Khefar, and the transitions between them aren't neat or clearly marked, but rather random and messy. This is the second time I’ve come across something similar lately and I enjoyed it both times, although I’m not the biggest fan of third person narrative in general.

For the most part, Kira Solomon was an admirable heroine. She was strong, decisive and competent, not very trusting, but with good reason. Psychometry is only one of her gifts, but it’s the one that marked her more than all the others combined; it made her weary of people and their secrets. I think my failure to form a proper connection with Kira was mostly due to her story being told in third person, even though, as I already pointed out, it had its advantages. It changed things for me – while I knew what was going on inside her head, I still wanted to see things through her eyes. It’s a subtle difference, but it’s a difference nevertheless.

As far as worldbuilding goes, Shadow Blade is one of the good ones. Rich and imaginative, if a little rough around the edges, Kira’s world of Shadows, Avatars and Chasers pulled me right in. There are many details I needed to remember if I was to follow the story properly, but the abundance of information I had to absorb never weighed on me. I just figured things out as I went and I liked it that way. The worldbuilding was mostly based on the Egyptian myths, and I really loved how it was done. I know very little about ancient Egyptian deities, but urban fantasy in general has already taught me so much, I’ll undoubtedly catch up soon enough.

Ohh, but the love interest was truly something. A four thousand year old Nubian, ancient warrior, worshiper of Isis and accompanied by a demigod on his road to redemption. He only needed to save two more people to earn his place in the afterlife, and Kira Solomon was one of them. She didn’t make it easy, of course, and things that mattered to both of them at the beginning didn’t matter as much by the end. The only thing I didn’t like was that Khefar happened to be the only one in the world able to touch Kira without consequences. Due to her psychometry, she was never able to touch another human being without hurting them in the process, but somehow, she is able to freely touch the Nubian. To me, this somehow belittled their romance. Would she have liked him so much if she had other options?

She laughed, a true laugh of unadorned delight that shook her entire frame. Khefar wasn’t prepared for it – the laugh, the bright mood, his reaction to it. It made him careless.

This is a series I’ll gladly continue. It’s been a long time since I truly enjoyed urban fantasy and I’m so happy I finally found one worth reading. Although by no means perfect, Shadow Blade is a decent enough read that left me eager to find out more about the world and our two heroes.

...more

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Dec 20, 2012 Mike (the Paladin) rated it liked it

Shelves: fantasy, urban-fantasy

I've "read" 3 books fairly closely together this week all of the supposedly action or UF genres. This is the first of the 3 that didn't turn out to a romance with elements of some other genre thrown in to suck in unsuspecting readers. I put "read" in quotes as these have all been "audio reads" it's Christmas season and one can listen to books while doing other things.

This book was not bad, I'd even put it in the pretty good category. If we had the much lamented half star system I'd probably go 3 I've "read" 3 books fairly closely together this week all of the supposedly action or UF genres. This is the first of the 3 that didn't turn out to a romance with elements of some other genre thrown in to suck in unsuspecting readers. I put "read" in quotes as these have all been "audio reads" it's Christmas season and one can listen to books while doing other things.

This book was not bad, I'd even put it in the pretty good category. If we had the much lamented half star system I'd probably go 3.5 stars here. It only misses a 4 star rating because "FOR ME" that's "FOR ME" it seemed to bog down badly in a few places. There were a couple of times when I "laid it aside" that I wasn't really in a hurry to get back to it. There were other books I wanted to start. I did however get back to it, mostly I suppose to see how it tied up. The ending was fairly predictable but okay. We have a bit of action and a bit of magic here while there is a big dollop of romance in the book for you who need that. It just doesn't completely overwhelm the rest of the novel.

Our protagonist is another in the long line of people born with extraordinary talents and totally misunderstood. She doesn't know anything about her parents (the parental mystery...who is she, where does she come from) she had trouble controlling her powers and almost killed someone. She ends up being raised by a mysterious person and ends up part of a mysterious group in which she's known to be a rebel and very powerful. There's concern at times from her allies about which side she'd on..etc., etc., etc.

The book itself is centered very heavily in ancient Egyptian mythology with touches of other older and more pagan religious systems. Our hero/heroine interacts with the deities and the climax of the book leans on a fairly well known part of the Egyptian mythology.

All in all a fairly interesting story with a fairly well done set of characters. I may not run right out and grab the next book but next time I find myself wanting a UF and not having one handy I'll probably pick up the second in this series. Try it for yourself, it's pretty good. ...more

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Aug 24, 2012 Marshall Stephens rated it really liked it

Too many stories about monster hunters are just carbon copies of one another. Shadow Blade, however, does a good job of distinguishing itself from others. Certain familiar elements are here: strong female protagonist, trenchcoats and motorcycles, impossibly sexy immortals and a shadow organization who brings the toys but is never sure if the protagonist is an asset or drawback. That said, these pieces that regular additions to the genre are shuffled together with a great deal of original plot, c ...more

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Sep 05, 2015 Ezinwanyi Chinyere rated it liked it

Shelves: audiobook, magic, urban-fantasy, vampires, demons, interracial-romance, paranormal-romance, witches-wizards-sorcerers

The world building in the story was top notch. The author took her time to set up an interesting world with great detail. The writing was very descriptive and the mystery was well woven. My issue is that I didn't feel drawn to the characters and it lacked that humanizing effect that love adds to these type of UF stories.
There seemed like an emotional attachment was forming between Kira and Khafuer, but it didn't materialize. I will read book 2 because there is great potential here. ...more

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May 11, 2021 Jess rated it liked it

Shelves: recommended-ebook-to-library, 2021-new, fantasy-urban, own-ebook, fantasy, 2021-all

I liked this but it definitely suffered from super plotty/do i want to engage in world building that most first books in PNR/UF suffer from. I think that if someone were more familiar with African mythology (this is my own failing and the book definitely made me more curious), that the onboarding to the world would have been much easier.

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Feb 25, 2010 Michelle rated it liked it

Shelves: 2010, urban-fantasy, fantasy

Kira had never been a normal child, but until the night when she almost killed her beloved adopted-sister after accidentally touching her she had never truly been alone. No ready to deal with a teen with Kira's 'problems' her foster-parents left under under the care of the mysterious Gilead commission who later taught Kira to not only control her 'gift' but to fight in the long-standing battle between Light and Shadow. Years later, Kira has become one of the few deadly ShadowChasers, men and wom Kira had never been a normal child, but until the night when she almost killed her beloved adopted-sister after accidentally touching her she had never truly been alone. No ready to deal with a teen with Kira's 'problems' her foster-parents left under under the care of the mysterious Gilead commission who later taught Kira to not only control her 'gift' but to fight in the long-standing battle between Light and Shadow. Years later, Kira has become one of the few deadly ShadowChasers, men and women who are specifically trained to take out the biggest and baddest of the Shadows. Exceptionally brave men and women who don't tend to make it past age 40. Or 30 even.

Dangerous as her job may be, Kira happens to be quite good at what she does and has carved out a small, happy existence in Atlanta with a few trusted friends to rely on. That is until Kira's world is turned upside-down after learning that her much admired handler and mentor was killed by a vicious Seeker Demon searching for a centuries old blood thirsty knife that her handler had previously passed onto Kira for authentication. Hurting and not sure of whom to trust, Kira is forced to join forces with the dagger's previous owner Khefar - a Nubian warrior almost as old as the dagger itself - who has his own agenda where the knife is concerned. Though the pair constantly but heads, they agree that the demon and its guide must be stopped before it can loose more destruction on the unsuspecting city. And if Kira happens to take a little vengeance in the course of things, so much the better.

Although Shadow Blade started out fairly slow, I quickly fell into the rhythm of Kira's intense narrative. I usually really enjoy it when an author plops me firmly into their story, forcing me to find my way around, but I sort of floundered around until I felt I had a good grasp on Kira's background. Once I began to understand her motives, her history - her thoughts and feelings became much more relate-able and quite believable. Kira and Khefar also had some nice moments together. I've said it before, but I really appreciate an author who knows how to take their time developing relationships. Seressia Glass does an admirable job of slowly building tension between Kira and Khefar without neglecting the story itself. Always a good thing in my book. Additionally, the layered mythology and Kira's fascination for antiquities laid a very solid foundation for Ms. Glass' tough leading lady. Not all of Kira's many secrets were revealed and her relationship with Khefar was far from resolved, leaving Ms. Glass plenty of room for her likable characters to maneuver around in the next ShadowChasers novel, Shadow Chase. ...more

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Jan 26, 2010 Kelly rated it really liked it

(3.5 stars) In Shadow Blade, Seressia Glass creates a compelling urban-fantasy heroine, Kira Solomon, and kicks off what promises to be a distinctive kick-butt series.

For me, Shadow Blade got off to a bumpy start. There’s a lot of “telling” and exposition as Glass familiarizes the reader with her world and with Kira’s backstory. We learn that Kira can drain an ordinary human of vitality by touching them, which means she has to keep people at literal arm’s length. It’s a heartbreaking “gift” to h (3.5 stars) In Shadow Blade, Seressia Glass creates a compelling urban-fantasy heroine, Kira Solomon, and kicks off what promises to be a distinctive kick-butt series.

For me, Shadow Blade got off to a bumpy start. There’s a lot of “telling” and exposition as Glass familiarizes the reader with her world and with Kira’s backstory. We learn that Kira can drain an ordinary human of vitality by touching them, which means she has to keep people at literal arm’s length. It’s a heartbreaking “gift” to have, but it’s mentioned more times than it needs to be. We learn that Kira’s mentor, Bernie Comstock, is like a father to her — and this, too, is repeated several times. Then there are a few random non sequiturs, like a description of the hero’s “honed runner’s build” smack dab in the middle of a sentence and paragraph that otherwise have nothing to do with his physique.

It gets smoother from there, though. Glass immerses the reader in two intertwined plotlines: one externally driven, and one that takes place within Kira’s psyche. The “outer” plot is exciting adventure-story stuff. Comstock gives Kira an ancient Egyptian dagger rumored to possess tremendous occult power. Soon, Kira finds that the dagger is an artifact people would literally kill for. She is pursued by a demonic entity who lusts for the blade’s power, and by Khefar, a millennia-old Nubian warrior, who is the original owner of the dagger and wants it back.

The “inner” story, to me, is even more interesting. Kira has spent most of her life keeping people at a distance, both physically and emotionally. As Shadow Blade progresses, she becomes more trusting and more willing to accept help from her friends and allies. Meanwhile, she is struggling to maintain the balance of Light and Shadow in her soul and stay in the good graces of her patron goddess, Ma’at. Kira’s emotional and spiritual journey takes place alongside her physical battles, and raises the stakes in those battles tremendously.

I also have to commend Seressia Glass for the uniqueness of her mythology. How often do you get to read an urban fantasy based on the Egyptian pantheon, or have breakfast with Anansi the spider-god?

Shadow Blade comes to a satisfying close — no cliffhangers here — but also serves largely to introduce the cast and set the stage for further installments. There are plenty of plot hooks left to explore as the Shadowchasers series continues. ...more

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Oct 31, 2011 Jessica rated it really liked it

Shelves: urban-fantasy

You know what's awesome about this book? Kira, the heroine, seems smart enough and knowledgeable enough that I can totally buy into the idea that she's an archaeologist. (That's sadly rare for me in PNR/UF.) Ms. Glass not only presents elements of Kira's expertise in a way that demonstrates that she knows what things mean, not just details in isolation, but she also puts it together in a way that shows how those elements are important within the overall story.

That eye for detail is evident in pr ...more

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Mar 03, 2021 Brandi (Brandi Janee's Bookshelf) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: romance, read-in-2021, own-ebook, urban-fantasy

I was so excited when I remembered this UF about 2 black leads that I still hadn't read and it didn't disappoint! I already want to reread and dive into the rest of the series. ...more

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Feb 03, 2020 Ian rated it liked it

Recommended to Ian by: Snarktastic Sonja

Shelves: a-audiobook, t-gods-goddesses-angels-demons, a-1st-in-series, g-woc, t-other-monsters, t-myths-legends

Melindaloo said it well.
Good with a lot of potential and I loved the trickster god.

Read her review here.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... ...more

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Oct 22, 2021 Amber Todd rated it it was amazing

I loved that Kira not only had a super cool magical ability, but that she was capable of kicking butt without it. I thought all the Egyptian mythology and history was new and different from the Greek and Roman mythology books I've been reading. As someone who loves the romance, I was instantly intrigued by Kira and Khefars spark and look forward to more of them in future books! ...more

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Feb 16, 2010 All Things Urban Fantasy rated it liked it

Shelves: reviewed-by-abigail

Review courtesy of AllThingsUrbanFantasy.blogspot.com

When I was little I wanted to be Indiana Jones (not his girlfriend, him) and I dabbled a bit with Lara Croft envy in my teens (the video game version more than the movie version) because I was obsessed archaeology, Egyptology in particular. When I heard about a new urban fantasy series featuring an antiquities expert, I got a little giddy. When I saw the cover featuring an Egyptian pyramid in the background I was downright euphoric.

"The dagge Review courtesy of AllThingsUrbanFantasy.blogspot.com

When I was little I wanted to be Indiana Jones (not his girlfriend, him) and I dabbled a bit with Lara Croft envy in my teens (the video game version more than the movie version) because I was obsessed archaeology, Egyptology in particular. When I heard about a new urban fantasy series featuring an antiquities expert, I got a little giddy. When I saw the cover featuring an Egyptian pyramid in the background I was downright euphoric.

"The dagger reeked of ancient magic. Kira Solomon stared down at it, trying not to salivate with longing." -Shadow Blade

Kira Solomon is an antiquities expert who moonlights as a Shadowchaser, a member of the Gilead Commission who hunts down the Fallen from Light (aka Demons). Kira has a unique ability that sets her apart from other Shadowchasers, she can sense the magic and history of an object just by touching it. But that ability that is so invaluable professionally, is deadly personally. Touching people can force them into a coma or even take their life.

One such object that Kira touches is a 4,000 year old Egyptian dagger with a magical bloodlust that has the ability to destroy the soul of whoever is strong enough to wield it. When the equally ancient (though not in terms of appearance) owner of the dagger comes calling, and a formidable Fallen power starts attacking, Kira may have to reach out and touch someone for the first time to save a life rather than take it.

Kira’s personal history and the burdening effects of her gift were fascinating. Everything she touches effects her. Even food that she doesn’t harvest herself can make her physically ill because of all the people who have touched it. Also the inclusion of the Egyptian pantheon of gods was a fresh and unique source of magic in the urban fantasy genre. The concept of Light and Chaos, and the Universe’s need for balance made for an interesting world to play in.

"Guardians are the higher beings of Light: angels, gods, goddesses and spirits who embody good. Shadow beings are the Fallen: spawns of Chaos who fought in the First Battle– the upper echelon demons, gods and goddess who sow discord and chaos. Both use Avatars in this dimension." -Shadowchasers website

I have to say I was a little disappointed by the lack of Indiana Jones/Lara Croft style adventure in this book. Kira didn’t get to raid a single pyramid. I know that antiquities expert doesn’t automatically mean Indiana Jones, but I was hoping.

Overall, the concept and unique world building are the clear strengths of this novel. Kira’s gift/curse was a little to easily overcome in terms of the romantic subplot, and while to the story never dragged, the excitement level never really took off in the way it could have. Shadow Chase (Shadowchasers, book 2) is due out July 27, 2010 and there is enough promise here that I’ll be watching out for it.

Sexual Content: References to sex.

My Rating: 3 out of 5 ...more

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May 04, 2010 Vickie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: booksthatmakemegowow

I found this book thanks to Dark Faerie Tales and the Debut Urban Fantasy Author Challenge that's going on. So very glad I found the challenge and this book. The challenge has led me to some fab UF and this books is definitely in that group.
The premise of SHADOW BLADE was a new one to me, Kira has abilities to read items by placing her bare skin on the object. Sadly, this also means no close contact with people unless she wants them in a coma or dead. She's kept people at a distance all of her I found this book thanks to Dark Faerie Tales and the Debut Urban Fantasy Author Challenge that's going on. So very glad I found the challenge and this book. The challenge has led me to some fab UF and this books is definitely in that group.
The premise of SHADOW BLADE was a new one to me, Kira has abilities to read items by placing her bare skin on the object. Sadly, this also means no close contact with people unless she wants them in a coma or dead. She's kept people at a distance all of her life, except for a trusted few and even they are kept sheltered from her touch and some emotional attachment. Kira has trained herself to be this way, for their sake and hers, but finds herself wanting to see what it would be like to touch one person...the Nubian, Khefar, owner of the ancient dagger she is protecting.
Khefar is tasked with a mission of protecting lives after an early lifetime of being a killing machine. The dagger was given to him by the Pharoah and it's never been out of his sight until now and he will do what it takes to get it back.
Khefar has a 'sidekick', though Nansee would be appalled to find himself called such. I think he was my favorite character in the book. He appeared as needed or as he felt compelled to appear in the guise of an old man, albeit an old man who could kick ass in the kitchen and in the fight.
I enjoyed the parts of the book where Kira has to deal with all of the paperwork after a Shadow attack. Bureaucracy is bureaucracy no matter if it's in the 'real' world or in the UF world and the author does a good job of showing Kira's disgust with that fact.
I am very pleased that this blend of ancient Egyptian mysticism and urban fantasy is the beginning of a series. There is definitely a story that needs telling and finishing. A story of good (Light) versus evil (Shadow). Shadow is definitely truly horrendous and Kira needs her wits and her allies around her to fight the darker side. This dark side also wants Kira to work for them and are doing all they can to make that so. And she is doing all she can to keep on the right side of Light.
Five sparkly Light diamonds.....

...more

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Jul 12, 2018 Imogene rated it really liked it

Shelves: dark, angels-demons-oh-my, frak-yeah-feminism, fantasy, magic, urban-fantasy

It took me about three chapters to immediately order the entire series. YES PLEASE!
I love a tough bad-ass woman, I love her as a woc with a mysterious past and a curse that leaves her unable to touch anyone without harming them.
Not only is the protagonist a woc, but the majority of the main characters are also poc. All of the yes please.
Plus the Bechdel test? Oh, just two women sitting around talking about ancient weapons and stuff!
The research and world building are spot on. The teasers are ...more

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Feb 11, 2010 Lynn Calvin rated it did not like it

Shelves: ebook-fictionwise

I wanted to have this work - heroine of color, antiquities.

Struggled through about chapter seven, and ended up not liking the heroine and finding the incredible mishmash of weird secret organizations and powers thrown together and infodumped at me in a way that left me going "who cares."

I had more sympathy for the supervisor she mouthed off to and it went downhill from there.

And you can only get away with leader/teacher called "Balm" of an organization called Gilead, if you have exactly the righ ...more

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Feb 03, 2010 Rachel- Goodbye Borders rated it liked it

Shelves: read-2016

This stood out because this was built on the Egyptian pantheon. Good world building and world was interesting. Kira was a good heroine, maybe a little too perfect (in terms of her abilities - she's the strongest ever!). Because of all she could do, I think she could have been a little older (she's 25 if I remember currently in the book).
Overall, this was a good entertaining read. It just lacked that certain something for me. ...more

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Apr 14, 2013 ☀Rachael☀ rated it really liked it

I really liked Kira she was snarky and kickass my fave type of heroine!!

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Jun 25, 2020 Harmony Williams rated it it was amazing

From the very beginning, this is a book that really punches home the importance of found family. Kira, unable to touch anyone due to the dangerous nature of her powers, is a character I found myself rooting for from the moment she found the body of her father figure. When the Nubian came into play, the one person she can touch without consequence, I couldn't put the book down. The light vs. chaos/shadow magic makes for such intriguing world building. I can't wait to pick up book 2! ...more

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May 05, 2019 Nicole Luiken rated it really liked it

Shelves: sf-fantasy, ebook

Good world-building: ancient daggers, immortals, Egyptian mythology, Fallen, Avatars, Shadowchasers and the Balm of Gilead. A strong heroine with cool powers who grabbed my sympathy in the prologue and an interesting supporting cast (fave Nansee).

Quibble: I'd really like to know WHY one thing is exempt from Kira's powers. Hoping this is covered in later books. ...more

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Jul 25, 2020 J.S. Hawley rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Easy read, New Fantastic World

The premise is classic boy meets girl and they save the world from dark magic. The author uses Egyptian mythology for the backdrop and her characters are African American. It was refreshing to say the least. The writing is smooth and concise. The first twist hits early in the book. So I was expecting none stop action but I felt lulls when there wasn’t. Right before the final action scene there’s a lull that made me want to fast forward. The fight is well written and ...more

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Jul 05, 2021 Suzanne Bourgeois added it · review of another edition

Shelves: cmc22

If i had read this before the pandemic, i would have really enjoyed this book but on a surface level. After having no human touch for a year, I was able to truly appreciate what Kira's life was like. She is a much stronger person than i would have realized before. I also like the Egyptian angle. That pantheon and magic don't get a lost of page time and having everything sorta be based off that was refreshing. I look forward to reading more, and seeing where Kira's story goes. ...more

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Dec 09, 2017 Layeshia rated it really liked it

Shelves: audiobooks, 2015-ir-romance-a-to-z-challenge, alpha-men, military-men, sci-fi

To mystic blades combine to save the world!

This is my first reading of a book by this author usually I’m not a sci-fi type of reader this wasn’t bad I would’ve liked more romance perhaps in later part of the stor this is my first reading a book by this author usually I’m not a sci-fi type of reader this wasn’t bad I would’ve liked more romance perhaps in the next book that’s part of this story I’ll see more romance between the two primary figures. If you like adventure definitely there’s that an ...more

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Mar 11, 2021 Leigh Kramer rated it really liked it

Shelves: magic, illness-medical-condition-or-injury, urban-fantasy

I read one of Seressia Glass’s erotic romances a few years ago and loved it. I was intrigued when I learned about this series and promptly added it to my TBR. However, between when I bought the ebook and when I read it, I completely forgot it was urban fantasy and thought it was PNR instead so this tinged my expectations and reaction. I figured out my mistake about 75% in since there is very little actual romance in this story, despite the chemistry between Kira and Khefar. It’s more focused on I read one of Seressia Glass’s erotic romances a few years ago and loved it. I was intrigued when I learned about this series and promptly added it to my TBR. However, between when I bought the ebook and when I read it, I completely forgot it was urban fantasy and thought it was PNR instead so this tinged my expectations and reaction. I figured out my mistake about 75% in since there is very little actual romance in this story, despite the chemistry between Kira and Khefar. It’s more focused on Kira avenging her mentor’s murder and deciding whether she can trust Khefar enough to band together. There are a few aspects that didn’t age well, including one unnecessary line that read as transphobic to me (view spoiler). But aside from that, I thought the worldbuilding was quite interesting, especially because Shadowchasers worship Egyptian deities. Ma’at is Kira’s patroness and she’s the goddess of truth, justice, harmony, and balance. I really like how the story played with balance and how Kira’s actions as a Shadowchaser could tip her more toward light or darkness at any time. I can’t speak to the Egyptian representation and would be curious to know how it fared on that front.

Reading this during a pandemic made me super sympathetic to Kira’s inability to touch anyone. Although in her case, she can’t touch without hurting or killing them. She came in to her powers at age 12 and her hands give out a high-voltage shock. She did get a brief reprieve 6 years ago but that turned out very badly. Luckily for her, Khefar is the exception to that rule! The romance reader in me wishes there had been more development on that front but I was just as appreciative that there wasn’t any danger banging. The villain surely would have taken advantage of their distraction. I am curious to find out what happens next for this intrepid pair but I’m not sure if I’ll continue with the series—while I really enjoyed reading this, I never felt super compelled to pick it up and it took me a long time to read as a result. However, that could just as easily be about my reading mood and not the book itself because there was so much I ultimately enjoyed about it.

Character notes: Kira is a 25 year old Black Shadowchaser. Khefar is a 4000 year old Nubian warrior. This is set in Atlanta.

CW: murder of mentor/handler (eviscerated off-page but aftermath is on-page), heroine is kidnapped and drugged, heroine hallucinated bad guys were attacking her and she killed and injured several people trying to help her, knife wound, (view spoiler), hero’s family and village were massacred, hero massacred in retaliation and wound up killing 64,000 people that he has been atoning for ever since, past murder of handler/lover, past mentor-student relationship, heroine accidentally put her adoptive sister in a coma when she was a teen, adoptive family turned heroine over to Gilead, dated language (including transphobic line included in review and phrase “Mexican standoff”), gender essentialist language, ableist language ...more

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Jan 27, 2010 Haley Mathiot rated it liked it

The thing about a book is that it should make you want to keep reading it. At least by halfway though you should feel like you’re halfway through a plot line, you know the characters, and you know what’s going on.

I have no idea what’s going on in Shadow Blade, and I’m more than halfway through it.

Now that’s not to say that I am not following it, it’s just that nothing is happening. Which kind of upsets me because the first few chapters felt great, and they were exciting, and I couldn't put it do The thing about a book is that it should make you want to keep reading it. At least by halfway though you should feel like you’re halfway through a plot line, you know the characters, and you know what’s going on.

I have no idea what’s going on in Shadow Blade, and I’m more than halfway through it.

Now that’s not to say that I am not following it, it’s just that nothing is happening. Which kind of upsets me because the first few chapters felt great, and they were exciting, and I couldn't put it down… and now I’m like, “Ok so what exactly is going on?”

I really get Kira. I really like her. She’s a bad-@$$, “don’t mess with me” kinda girl, and I like that. She reminds me of Charlie in The Better Part of Darkness. She also has more weapons than I could list, and I really like that (guilty pleasure). But I don’t really get the other characters, they’re not important to me, and I don’t really give a rat’s poo about what happens to them.

Again with the whole “not seeing the plot” thing. Halfway though a sci-fi adventure book I should have trouble putting it down, right? No problems here. Now it’s great if I just feel like settling down and going through a few chapters at leisure, but that’s not what I want out of a sci-fi adventure book.

Another weak aspect was the writing. There are a lot of fragments in this book, a lot of lame sentence structure, and the writing in general is just mediocre. Fragments get on my nerves. Hence my hatred of Meg Cabot that I’m sure you all have picked up on by now.

Now, with that in mind, I did enjoy the book, and I’m still enjoying it. I may keep it around at my bedside table so I can finish it, because I’m liking it. But I’m not particularly sure why I like it, especially because I don’t really know what is going to happen at all. Maybe I just really like Kira.

If I do finish it, I’ll post a quickie update on my opinion. But the thing is, why read mediocrity when you could be reading something else? Hence the reason I put this one down.

...more

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Jul 15, 2011 Sara rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 3-5-stars

Plot: 3.5 Stars
The action and the plot were very engaging; the weaponry was very cool, especially the idea of infusing Lightblades with magic. I really enjoyed the Egyptian lore that was interlaced throughout the whole plot. My only complaint is that the idea of Light and Shadow was a little vague. There were so many terms for beings of Light and Shadow, and many weren't explained that in depth.

Pace: 3.5 Stars
The book had a pretty steady pace; I never wanted to take a break because I was gettin ...more

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topics	posts	views	last activity
Urban Fantasy ser...: November BOTM: SHADOW BLADE by Seressia Glass	1	6	Nov 03, 2017 02:02AM
Fantasy Aficionados: January 2013 UF: Shadow Blade	39	85	Mar 21, 2013 11:57AM

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About Seressia Glass

Seressia Glass

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Seressia Glass is an award-winning author of urban fantasy, contemporary romance and paranormal romance. Her current series include the Shadowchasers urban fantasy series and the Sons of Anubis paranormal romance series.

Seressia lives north of Atlanta with her guitar-wielding husband and two attack poodles. When not working on her next story, Seressia is an instructional designer for an internati ...more