A Shadow of Light (A Shade of Vampire #4)
by Bella Forrest
Summary: "A riot among the humans. A siege at the port. A kingdom on the brink of civil war while still facing the threat of an attack from outside forces at any moment."Since the implosion at The Oasis and Derek's stay at Hawk Headquarters, The Shade has fallen into a state of utter chaos. To make matters worse, the citizens of Derek's kingdom have become suspicious of his loyalties and accuse him of siding with the enemy... At a time when Derek desperately needs full cooperation from his subjects, they wish to put their own King on trial.
Meanwhile, Sofia is being held hostage by the hunters. They are determined to rid her of her infatuation with the vampire. She submits to the strict routine and training they impose on her, but the only fuel that keeps her going is the thought of reuniting with Derek - something Reuben is fighting with every fiber of his being to ensure will never happen.
...Until one day, out of the blue, Reuben appears to have a change of heart and comes to Sofia with a proposal; a solution that she never dreamed possible. A solution that would fulfil her heart's deepest desires and secure her and Derek's future together, forever.
But can she really trust this man who is so renowned for his hatred of vampires? Does she even have a choice?
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance
Release Date: July 31, 2013
Where to Buy: Amazon
Source: I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Review:
I can’t get enough of The Shade! A Shadow of Light was yet another amazing installment in A Shade of Vampire series. The stakes were even higher; the conflict was even more impossible. There is never a dull moment, a lull, or a moment of predictability. Bella Forrest is on a roll with her books and this one does not disappoint!
The story began where A Castle of Sand ended. Sofia’s reunion with her mother and father in hunter territory was less than traditional, but having her mother, Ingrid, and her father, Aiden, at the headquarters gave Sofia much needed to time to understand both of them. Each book in the series contains more points of view than the last, which I enjoy. I like getting into the heads of the characters and figure out what their motives are. In A Shadow of Light, added points of view were Ingrid Maslen, Aiden Claremont, Claudia, and even Gregor Novak.
Derek and Sofia were separated yet again in A Shadow of Light. Derek’s conflicts at the Shade were growing exponentially and I had no idea how Sofia would get back to the Shade without Derek’s help. Sofia’s situation at the Hunter Headquarters felt just as hopeless as she tried to convince her father that she wasn’t brainwashed and how her relationship with Derek is real. How would the two of them fight preconceived notions and work together? I thought everything at the end of A Castle of Sand was a mess, but A Shadow of Light proved me wrong. Though the conflicts had no easy resolution, I felt like they were plausible and the story doesn’t just throw them out of nowhere.
As always, I’m incredibly invested in the story and the characters. I never thought I would care about the motivations of Ingrid or Claudia, but their added points of view gave me tons of perspective. I’m always rooting for Sofia and Derek and hoping that the two of them can use what they have to convince others that there’s a balance and a way for there to be peace. How will Derek provide true sanctuary when everything seems hopeless? How will Sofia and Derek find their balance and figure out how to be together? Is there a solution? Is Sofia the key? I have so many questions, even though I got a ton of answers to other ones in this installment.
The series is full of everything I love. The characters become ones I care about, even when I previously hated them. Death, horror, blood, violence are all a part of the story, but there’s also understanding, peace, passion, love, and friendship. Derek frustratingly joked in A Shadow of Light that every time one conflict was resolved, another one popped up even worse than the one before it and that’s basically how the story goes. There’s no black and white solution to the conflicts in the series, which I love. So many YA paranormal romances have me banging my head and screaming at the characters to just get over themselves because the solution is obvious, but that’s now how I feel with The Shade series. I am just as in awe, confused, and motivated to figure out a way to solve all of the problems.
I cannot gush enough about book 4 or the series as a whole and I highly recommend it. It’s fun, passionate, dark, and amazing. A Shade of Vampire series is my guilty pleasure and remains a great example of why I love vampire paranormal romances and the plots within them.
The number of books in the series and that fact that it isn't finished isn't a problem and should stop anyone from starting the series. I started the series in February of this year when only book 1 was released and book 4 is already out. The books come out quickly, but the speed of which they release doesn't mean they are rushed or full of errors.
About Author Bella Forrest:
A Shade of Vampire Books:
A Shade of Vampire: Goodreads . Amazon
A Shade of Blood: Goodreads . Amazon
A Castle of Sand: Goodreads . Amazon
A Shadow of Light: Goodreads . Amazon
A Blaze of Sun: Goodreads
Sign up for Bella Forrest's email list to get notifications and buy links for the next installments in the series! Book #5, A Blaze of Sun, is scheduled for release soon: forrestbooks.com
Labels: 2013, paranormal romance, Review, sequel, YA
