Shaedes of Gray (Shaede Assassin, #1) in SOS: Serious Overload of Series

Dec 09, 2011 AH rated it really liked it

Shelves: urban-fantasy, sylphs, djinn, zzread-apr-2012, assassins

Shaedes of Gray was an enjoyable read for me. This is an urban fantasy without the requisite vampires and werewolves. Instead, the reader is immersed in a dark world full of shaedes, lythans, and other intriguing creatures.

I found the world created by author Amanda Bonilla fascinating. The shaedes were really neat and their abilities were awesome. Imagine a creature that is corporeal during the day and able to mist in and out and through things as a shadow at night. Ever cool. The Lythans were Shaedes of Gray was an enjoyable read for me. This is an urban fantasy without the requisite vampires and werewolves. Instead, the reader is immersed in a dark world full of shaedes, lythans, and other intriguing creatures.

I found the world created by author Amanda Bonilla fascinating. The shaedes were really neat and their abilities were awesome. Imagine a creature that is corporeal during the day and able to mist in and out and through things as a shadow at night. Ever cool. The Lythans were a formidable enemy. They kind of made me want to run out and buy some Raid. Lythans were the opposite of the Shaedes and in their real form were huge, ugly insect-like beings. Their bite was venomous and they sucked out the insides of their prey. Other supernatural creatures round out this world including a tiny, blind oracle, a jinn, a riddling sylph, and some ravenous gargoyles.

Shaedes of Gray follows assassin Darian and her dependable handler Tyler. I liked Darian – I found her to be kickass, lethal, and I liked her moral values. Darian is a survivor and her back story is sad and painful. Darian is told that she is the only one of her kind, a ruse developed by her “maker” and former lover Azriel. Darien does have her annoying side – she is quick to rebuff Tyler’s romantic advances often.

I can’t say enough about Tyler. I’ll use the author’s words here: “Tyler never disappoints.” So true. I loved him. I loved his devotion to Darian. I want a Tyler. I wish I had a Tyler.

A few other characters stood out for me. Anya, one of the King’s guards, was a leather-clad Bond girl lookalike. Darian’s impressions of Anya were hilarious and I enjoyed reading about her different colored suits. I loved Raif the King’s brother and his guard. Raif was a brave warrior and excellent teacher for Darian.

I’m not sure how I felt about Alexander the King of the Shaedes. I felt that he withheld a lot of information from Darian. I also found that he was just a little creepy for my tastes.

Shaedes of Gray kept me on the edge of my seat. It was action packed and an entertaining read. I can’t wait to read the sequel Blood Before Sunrise.

Favorite quote:

"You...are...nothing," he said. "A creature that lives between the realms. You are made of twilight and shadow and move as the wind through the trees. You are Shaede."

...more

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Oct 16, 2011 Mariya rated it liked it

Shelves: urban-fantasy

SHAEDES OF GRAY has such an amazing cover and intriguing synopsis, so I was very surprised that this book just didn't do it for me. I became so frusterated by the characters in SHADES OF GRAY that I just went into one of my angry fangirl moments.

SHADES OF GRAY does however start out incrediably amazing that I was at the point of being sold on the book, but once I got through a few more chapters and a few more after that I wanted to flush this book down the toliet. I thought SHAEDES OF GRAY becam SHAEDES OF GRAY has such an amazing cover and intriguing synopsis, so I was very surprised that this book just didn't do it for me. I became so frusterated by the characters in SHADES OF GRAY that I just went into one of my angry fangirl moments.

SHADES OF GRAY does however start out incrediably amazing that I was at the point of being sold on the book, but once I got through a few more chapters and a few more after that I wanted to flush this book down the toliet. I thought SHAEDES OF GRAY became a bit slow at times and I really just became incrediably frusterated with the characters.

Darian is the heroine of the book and she had this cool attitude I just didn't like. She had this bad-ass heroine attitude which I usually love in my heroines, but Darian just annoyed me to no end. Tyler, her so called love interest seriously made me want to burn this book.

I have rules for my love interests. They must be hot and confident and independant and say things that make you swoon, bad boy things, and okay I can go on and on. Basically Tyler was a needy and whiny little puppy dog that followed Darian around everywhere she went. In my opinion that is a poor excuse for an actual love interest.

Tyler acted like everything that involved her was his business, that Darian was his business. Stalker much? It was too creepy and weird to me. And another thing is I don't get what they see in each other. I don't see anything special about either of them. In the beginning of the book he was likable, but as you got more and more into the book he became such an annoyance.

Xander, the King of Shaedes was sexy as hell, but I'm not sure how I feel about him yet. But I know that to a point I like him more than Tyler, because he is totally my type unlike Tyler. He had a mysterious air to him and was quite secretive. I like that in my men.

SHADES OF GRAY was slow at times, but it picked up some of the time as well, but it most definitely falls into the '2011 Disappointents' list. I expected so much more from SHADES OF GRAY. There were so many flaws in the book, but despite the flaws I still liked the direction the book was headed and would like to give the second book a try, hopefully the second time around I won't be so frusterated with the characters.

More of my reviews at Mystifying Paranormal Reviews ...more

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Oct 28, 2011 Francesca the Fierce (Under the Covers Book Blog) rated it really liked it

Shelves: genre-urban-fantasy, books-read-2011, assassins, dropped-series

This review was posted at Under The Covers

Sometimes when you don't have expectations you are pleasantly surprised. Isn't that always a treat? This book is very unique and the world building is amazing! It didn't suffer from first-book-in-series syndrome, which is already a great thing in itself.

So the shaede can basically melt into the shadows at night, perfect talent to have for an assassin, and a talent that Darian has used for a long time to her benefit in her career. She can pretty much ki This review was posted at Under The Covers

Sometimes when you don't have expectations you are pleasantly surprised. Isn't that always a treat? This book is very unique and the world building is amazing! It didn't suffer from first-book-in-series syndrome, which is already a great thing in itself.

So the shaede can basically melt into the shadows at night, perfect talent to have for an assassin, and a talent that Darian has used for a long time to her benefit in her career. She can pretty much kill anyone but when her, would you call him boss?, Tyler gives her an assignment everything she's believed up to now will be questioned.

See she's hired to kill another shaede. Up until now she thought she was the only one of her kind because that's what her maker wanted her to believe. But as it turns out there's a lot more than just that she didn't know and it's time for her to play her role in the supernatural world.

I know for some people Darian was not the most likeable heroine but I actually liked her! Poor girl had gone through quite a rough childhood and marriage before Azriel finds her and turns her into a shaede. For years all she knew was him and then he disappears. And she's had to live with the knowledge that the man she loved was dead and that she was truly alone in the world with no one of her kind around. So I felt her pain. I thought she had the right amount of kick ass mixed in with vulnerability. And to me she didn't come across as cocky, which is hard to manage just right.

Then there's Tyler. Intriguing and sexy. She's always thought he was her boss, her human boss. But there's so much more to him and its time for him to show her they can be good together. If it takes another shaede coming in and trying to swoop on his girl for him to come out of the supernatural closet, then that's fine with me. I really liked Tyler, sneaky as he was. And speaking of sneaky people, I actually liked the Shaede King, Xander, as well. What a collection of great characters!

So as this story is basically in a big part Darian discovering the truth about the supernatural world while battling a big baddie I thought it was a great setup for the series while still delivering a very interesting story. I really can't wait to see where things will go from here! ...more

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Feb 26, 2012 Dahlia (yadkny) rated it it was amazing

“I am a killer and I answer to no one, I am my own woman, my own kingdom, and I am afraid of nothing.”

She's been marked as a wanted woman. Some want her dead and others alive, but no one asked her what she wanted. Before Darian knew it she'd become embroiled in a war with supernatural races she had no idea existed. Having thought for many years that she was the only one of any kind, Darian struggles to comprehend what a Shaede really is and why she was purposefully left in the dark about it. “I am a killer and I answer to no one, I am my own woman, my own kingdom, and I am afraid of nothing.”

She's been marked as a wanted woman. Some want her dead and others alive, but no one asked her what she wanted. Before Darian knew it she'd become embroiled in a war with supernatural races she had no idea existed. Having thought for many years that she was the only one of any kind, Darian struggles to comprehend what a Shaede really is and why she was purposefully left in the dark about it. Her only ally is a fellow assassin who keeps her scheduled with appointments to do that which must be done with the scum of the earth. Darian believes all bad guys get theirs in the end regardless of if they are the ones hiring her services or on the hit list and she might as well get paid doing it. However, Darian has her standards and will refuse assignments that involve the innocent. Anyone else is fair game, but her next mark might be her last as she discovers the King of Shaedes won't be an easy kill.

“I was too hard, too cynical, and too deadly for soft emotion and affection. I was fire and passion, but not love.”

Darian starts the story with all the confidence of a woman who knows who and what she is if only to guard her vulnerabilities, which makes her a frustrating, but loveable character. Its as the storyline progresses where Darian is forced to change and then eventually comes to terms with it in her own somewhat snarky way. I very much enjoyed the depth of the plotline and how twisted in that “nothing is as it seems” sort of way. The whole Shaedes concept along with all the other fantastical supernaturals we meet along the way is incredibly engrossing. As the series continues I anticipate there to be much more to learn about these otherworldly inhabitants of Seattle and most especially Darian as she grows into her role and truly begins to learn what she is. The two leading men vying for Darian's heart, Tyler and Xander, create lots of romantic tension for Darian to work through and either of them are alpha enough to handle her, but only one can win.

Readers should be prepared for a one of a kind, exciting adventure that kicks off from the first page with a heroine who truly knows how to take the lead and kick-butt while she's at it. Urban Fantasy readers will want to buy this book.

Review soon-to-be posted @ Night Owl Reviews ...more

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