Shadow Kin (Early Review)

Shadow Kin by M.J. Scott

The Half-Light City #1

On one side, the Night World, rules by the Blood Lords and the Beast Kind. On the other, the elusive Fae and the humans, protected by their steadfast mages... 

Born a wraith, Lily is a shadow who slips between worlds. Brought up by a Blood Lord and raised to be his assassin, she is little more than a slave. But when Lily meets her match in target Simon DuCaine, the unlikely bond that develops between them threatens to disrupt an already stretched peace in a city on the verge of being torn apart... 



 

In Lily's world, the many different species are ruled by a treaty that has granted a fragile peace. Of course, that treaty cannot help her as she really doesn't have a kind. She's a wraith and can fade herself into nothingness. She was abandoned by the fae and called soulless, left to be raised by the leader of the Blood, to become his personal assassin. He rules with an iron fist and mistakes carry grave punishments. She's made sure to never fail him and fall subject to his torments, yet all that changes when she meets her match in Simon. His unique powers cancel hers, making her powerless, in more ways than one. She finds herself inexplicably drawn to him, but knows she must keep her distance as her master would terrorize and destroy anything that stands in his way of keeping her. Yet her feelings cannot be denied and she will have to face the hard consequences of her actions, and hope for survival.

I've always been partial to books told in first person perspective as they just seem to suck you further into the story. However there is something to be said about a book with multiple perspectives, especially when it pertains to both sides of a couple. I love being able to see how either side is feeling, and it keeps the reader from becoming biased in their opinions of the events because of a limited perspective. Shadow Kin combines the best of both these aspects as it is told in dual perspectives, yet still in first person. I loved this! The transitions were very easy to follow as each time they changed either a moon or a sun image would break the text depending on whose turn it was. I was really impressed with how well the book flowed as typically books with multiple perspectives can be a little jarring or confusing to follow. That definitely wasn't the case with Shadow Kin, making for a very enjoyable read.

Lily and Simon because of their background and their completely different worlds, were a very unlikely couple, and yet they just seemed to work by bringing the best out of each other. To be honest, I think unlikely couples make for the best reads as the tension seems to suck me in more than a love that just comes too easy, and trust me, nothing was easy for Lily and Simon. Even though Simon felt he needed to save her, I think in part Lily saved him as well. He has some dark skeletons in his closet, and she helped him to confront them. Of course, they both have a long way to go, but at least they are heading in the right direction.

The world behind this book was really interesting. It felt similar to a steampunk book, yet not quite. There weren't any gears and goggles, however, they did have gaslights and similar items. Also, the book nor world really revolves around the "tech" like the steampunk books I have read in the past. Shadow Kin's gaslights and other "tech" were more of a subtle background to the story rather than an integral part, being just enough to enhance without overwhelming the story. So, I recommend this book quite highly to anyone who enjoys an action packed read full of danger as well as the potential for love on the side. M.J. Scott is definitely one author I will be watching out for!

(Received a copy from the publisher)

Rating:

Pre-order from Amazon:
Shadow Kin: A Novel of the Half-Light City

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