Shadow Heir (Dark Swan, #4) in SOS: Serious Overload of Series

Mar 30, 2011 AH rated it liked it

Shelves: fae, fantasy, babr-reviews, own, shifters, zzread-jan-2012

Why do I do this to myself? Kiyo better die in this one!

Finally a cover! Did you read the blurb? The uneasy truce between her and her shape shifter ex-lover Kiyo is endangered by secrets he can't--or won't--reveal. What uneasy truce????

3 - 3.5 stars - Not what I expected after seeing a lot of reviews -

Updated - 1/27/12

Shadow Heir had been staring at me for a few weeks now. It’s pretty pink cover mocked me, dared me to read it. Reviews had started to come in and a lot of the reviews were not ve ...more

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Mar 27, 2012 Daffodil rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy, fae

I was hesitant to read this after the events of Iron Crowned. Eugenie's character was interesting in the first couple books, but then things took a turn for the worse. Book 4 just emphasized everything I found unlikeable about her. I love Dorian, Jasmine & Rurik. I can even understand Roland. But none of it makes up for what I found disagreeable in the book. Eugenie's decision in the final pages is the hardest to stomach. Instead of facing a tough decision head on, she seems to be taking the cow ...more

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Dec 18, 2011 Chelsea rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy, uf-pnr, fae-angels, demons, magic

This review was originally posted at Vampire Book Club.

I was nervous to read Shadow Heir. It’s true. If you read this blog regularly you know a few things about me. Namely, Richelle Mead is one of my favorite authors and I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with the emotional rollercoaster she likes to make me endure in her novels. Also, there was a bit of saying goodbye here as Shadow Heir is the final Dark Swan novel. (Mead closed out her other adult series earlier this year.)

The ending of This review was originally posted at Vampire Book Club.

I was nervous to read Shadow Heir. It’s true. If you read this blog regularly you know a few things about me. Namely, Richelle Mead is one of my favorite authors and I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with the emotional rollercoaster she likes to make me endure in her novels. Also, there was a bit of saying goodbye here as Shadow Heir is the final Dark Swan novel. (Mead closed out her other adult series earlier this year.)

The ending of the third book, Iron Crowned, left me agape. I wasn’t surprised about Eugenie being pregnant, but at Kiyo’s behavior following it and the potential for Dorian to really step up and return to Eugenie’s side. (Don’t worry, I’m not going to spoil anything in Shadow Heir.)

So, I let my copy of Shadow Heir stare me down for a bit. So anxious to read it, but worried my favorite of Mead’s adult series wouldn’t give me the closure I needed. When I finally started reading Shadow Heir, there was no stopping. The pacing is breakneck and the gut-wrenching choices pile up. As usual, Eugenie makes choices that infuriate me, but for the most part my fictional BFF Eugenie makes some of her best life decisions yet.

In addition to dealing with Kiyo and the Willow Queen’s determination to kill Eugenie’s unborn children – she’s having twins, remember? – and her in the process, our girl is having a high-risk pregnancy and dealing with some serious drama in the Otherworld. Dorian remains devoted to helping her children, and throughout the novel their interactions ring true for a couple and allies with so much history.

I promised not to spoil anything, but if you were unsure as to if you were ready for more Dark Swan drama, I can promise Shadow Heir wraps you up and never lets go. While I felt Iron Crowned had some obvious plot points, Mead has avoided those moves with Shadow Heir. Some great resolution would happen, and I’d realize I still had 200 more pages to read. Layer upon layer of excellent conflict – and some kickass magic battles – will sate you.

If I’m singing all this praise, why not a full 5-star rating? Well, one of Eugenie’s choices at the very end irked me. The choice is very Eugenie in that it’s not what I want her to do, but more so it left things a bit more open than I expected. When I finished Mead’s Succubus Revealed, the final Georgina Kincaid novel, in August, I felt done with the series. This time I feel a little less closure, but still finished the book a happy lady.

Sexual content: Non-graphic sex scene, kissing ...more

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Jan 31, 2012 KarenF rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle, urban-fantasy

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

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May 26, 2011 Katie rated it it was ok

It could have been a LOT better. I read the excerpt prior to the actual release because I could hardly contain my excitement. I was let down then. It read like a chapter out of some book on pregnancy. I thought RM might have a little first time mother in her and I threw that out of my mind because - being a first time mom is EXCITING! But, most of us have been there done that and can write our own book... Moving on, I am still uber excited about the release date. I download it and dig in. Dorian It could have been a LOT better. I read the excerpt prior to the actual release because I could hardly contain my excitement. I was let down then. It read like a chapter out of some book on pregnancy. I thought RM might have a little first time mother in her and I threw that out of my mind because - being a first time mom is EXCITING! But, most of us have been there done that and can write our own book... Moving on, I am still uber excited about the release date. I download it and dig in. Dorian refers to Ohio as Ohoho and Eugenie goes into hiding. That takes us through the first half of the book. I am not joking.

This is what really bugs me. Eugenie was raised by Roland - who treated her like she was his own daughter. Roland also took down Eugenie's biological father. So, why (OH, WHY!) wouldn't it be okay for Eugenie to allow Dorian to raise her children and take out that sperm donor of Eugenie's? If only it turned out that way, ladies... (view spoiler) Which changes things in a good way. Because, I didn't expect that Mead would actually allow it to happen. But, it was so boring up to that point, that it wasn't that enjoyable of a reveal for me. Does anyone else feel the same? I feel cheated.(view spoiler) I was crushed when I read that this information was withheld from him. Poor Dorian. No excuses for that.

I mean going into detail about the day/field trips with the random teacher guy could have been swapped out for begging Dorian to stay with her on the final night she spent in the Otherworld and falling asleep with Dorian's hands on the babies. Nope. Couldn't be anything that good, girls... I mean noboby even got felt up until I was 80% complete! Give me a break... The token appearance from Eugenie's weirdo house sitter in Arizona could have been swapped out for more Volutian.

My favorite scene was when the mermaid type things hypnotized everyone, and even that could have been a little more heartfelt and romantic. I felt like in the other books that Eguenie had actual feelings for Dorian, but now I know Dorian is too good for her and Eug actually belongs with the Kitsune. Who treats the people they love like this? I mean Dorian is (view spoiler) and it hardly gets a reaction out of Eugenie. She should have put the Storm King wrath down on those candy Yew people's asses!

And, that is about all I have to say about this book. ...more

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May 07, 2011 Nancy rated it liked it

Well, I am a huge fan of the VA series and unlike other fans was not disappointed with the ending to those. Yes things weren't tied up in a pretty bow but I was ok with that due to the follow up series. Not so much with this one. Here we go again with reading a series that with its ending leaves you with things unanswered. Because this series is only so so for me I'll be ok with it but if these endings continue on with her other series I will stop reading her books. I stopped reading other autho ...more

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Jul 14, 2011 Naomi rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

I thought this was a good final book in this series although I really really wanted Dorian to know the big secret that Eugenie is keeping from him!! GRRRRRR!! Oh well. Loads & loads of non stop action in this story & yes Kiyo is mostly an idiot throughout! I will miss this series a lot.

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