Chloe Burke has nightmares of a world burned to ash and the strange boy who saves them both. Underneath the dreams lurks a deeply buried reality; Chloe and a handful of others are survivors of a decade old apocalypse that burned their home world to the ground.
Now their ancient enemies hunt them again. To keep their adopted world safe, Chloe must undergo a ritual of blood sacrifice that will have life-long consequences if she survives. Her lethal protector, Eliot Gray, must keep her alive long enough to do it.
Together they will uncover even more dangerous secrets buried in the past’s deepest, darkest ashes.
You know when your kid is napping and you and your spouse decide it’s prime time for “cuddle” time and just as things are getting to the good stuff your kid wakes up and starts crying and saying “momma” and “dadee” through hiccupping sobs and even if you were some kind of monster who could ignore your own crying child you won’t because the moment has totally been ruined?
THAT’S WHAT THE END OF THIS “BOOK” IS LIKE. And I use the term “book” loosely, because this half a novel was really an *expletive deleted* prequel and that pisses me the *expletive deleted* off. Almost as much as the knowledge that they’re charging $1.99 so that you can get sucked into the story and get left high and *expletive deleted* dry until God knows when because the next installment doesn’t have a *expletive deleted* release date.
What really pisses me off? The book is good. Really*expletive deleted* good. It’s got engaging characters, an interesting world, and a compelling plot. Or potential plot since it gets cut woefully short. There’s action, magic, adventure and the potential for romance. Not only amongst the two “old” people (eww, I know, right?) but also what I can already tell is shaping up to be a bitching love triangle. It’s there, I can smell it.
You know how many books I’ve read that could’ve been 100 pages and been all the better for it? And this one is what, 75 and should’ve been 300? It’s like being promised a hot fudge sundae only to be told “oops, we’re out of ice cream, here have a popsicle.” WHO THE *expletive deleted* WANT’S A POPSICLE ONCE THEY’VE BEEN PROMISED HOT *expletive deleted* FUDGE.
I’m giving this book 3 stars, because I’m petty enough to remove stars for being a prequel masquerading as a book, but not petty enough to call the book bad.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go find someone to punch in the face.
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According to Netgalley, Shadowed Ground comes out March 8th. So we’re back to being friends on a trial basis.