Book Review- Shadowspell

By Jenna Black

Published by St Martin's Press

Released on January 4th, 2011

Source- Bought

5 Stars- It's A Great Read

On top of spending most of her time in a bunkerlike safe house and having her dates hijacked by a formidable Fae bodyguard, Faeriewalker Dana Hathaway is in for some more bad news: the Erlking and his pack of murderous minions known as the Wild Hunt have descended upon Avalon. With his homicidal appetite and immortal powers, the Erlking has long been the nightmare of the Fae realm. A fragile treaty with the Faerie Queen, sealed with a mysterious spell, is the one thing that keeps him from hunting unchecked in Avalon, the only place on Earth where humans and Fae live together. Which means Dana’s in trouble, since it’s common knowledge that the Faerie Queen wants her – and her rare Faeriewalker powers – dead. The smoldering, sexy Erlking’s got his sights set on Dana, but does he only seek to kill her, or does he have something much darker in mind? (quoted from Goodreads).

Shadowspell picks up right were Glimmerglass ends, and this time Jenna throws in another fantastic, hot plot twist with Erlking, the leader of the Wild Hunt. Let me just say, he takes bad to a whole new level. As in the kind of guy made of nightmeres, who enjoys a good chase and in the ends enjoys a good kill. I was as drawn to him as Dana was. I don't know if drawn is the right word as he makes Dana want to run away from him, but at the same time she's intrigued by him. He's someone you know is bad, but at the same time he is protective of Dana (even if at times it's for his own desires), but still, there's something about him that makes me wonder if his bad boy ways are an act or if he's grown tired of the chase. I love that he's doesn't hide who he is and is upfront about it, but at the same time, and like all Fae, they're excellent at playing word games and Dana will need to figure out how to out smart a guy who's been around for thousands of years.

One of the many reasons why I love this series is because of Dana. She does not take no for answer nor does she take being bullied. I connect well with her protectiveness of those she loves and cares about. I mean she meets with the essence of evil, the Erlking in his house! Okay, there's more to the story than that, but no one in their right mind goes to his house. Dana knows how to think clearly in situations that she or someone she loves feels threatened in. That's not to say she doesn't have her teenage moments, but that's what makes her relatable.

I really like that all my favorite characters from Glimmerglass were back. I enjoyed seeing more of Dana's relationship with her parents. I liked that she finally releases the anger she's grown up with towards her mom by telling her exactly how she feels about her drinking problem. Her father is as protective as ever with her, that Finn and one other guard are to accompany Dana where ever she goes, that is when she's not grounded. I really liked Keane in Glimmerglass and I like him even more in Shadowspell. He turns up the heat with his self defense classes he teaches Jenna.

There's no shortage of hot Fae guys in this story, and what I admire even more about Dana is that she's not falling at their feet. While she may at times give into teenage urges, she's constantly trying to figure out what the guys' motives are for wanting to be with her. She doesn't see herself as beautiful as the rest of the full blooded Fae, and in saying that, it wouldn't surprise me if Ethan ends up being in love with her and not because of what she can do. Oh Ethan... I really love his character and I like that his play boy reputation causes Dana to really think about their relationship. I'm one who thinks he can change and I think he proves that when he does something to protect Dana.

Aside from my love for the cover, I absolutely love this series. Jenna Black gives her fae series a more edgy feel, mixed with romance and action. Okay, there's a lot more romance in Shadowspell. Talk about turning the heat up in the Fae world! What makes this a fantastic sequel, is it's fast paced read with engaging plot twists. I can't wait to read the next installment in this series, Sirensong which will be out next summer. Shadowspell is one I would recommend for older YA fans, as there's some sexual content, a mild scene, and the attempted rape scene will not be suitable for all readers.