READ: Flora Reviews… Destined for Shadows by Susan Illene. PDF, EPUB online free reviews.

Flora Reviews… Destined for Shadows (Dark Destiny #1) by Susan Illene

Read: 4th – 6th April 2017 Format: Kindle My Goodreads Rating: 4 Stars

So first off, I want you to know that I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book. I made a request to the publisher, City Owl Press, via Netgally.com and received a digital copy in exchange for an honest review. This review can be seen on Net Galley, my WordPress blog – Flora’s Musings…, Amazon and Goodreads.

…So what’s this book about?

This is an urban fantasy story featuring nephilims, vampires, werewolves and witches, as well as humans and various other paranormal characters and is approximately 92,000 words. Destined for Shadows is the first book in a new series – Dark Destiny – which is a spin off from Ms Illene’s popular Sensor series. I haven’t read any of the books in the Sensor series, and although those that have may have met and already know these characters, I don’t feel that it is necessary to have read them to enjoy this one.

The official blurb says;

The first novel in the Dark Destiny Series (a spin-off from the Sensor books).

Cori Marsh might be a little rough around the edges, but at least she’s human, which is more than she can say for her new neighbor. Bartol is something else—a nephilim who just got out of a century-long sentence in Purgatory that damaged him both inside and out. He’s as intriguing as he is grumpy, and she’s determined to fix him no matter how much he tries to push her away.

But Cori has her own problems. A man from her past has returned to Fairbanks, Alaska to seek revenge. While she can hold her own against the average person, this guy is no longer human, and he’s determined to make her pay for what she did years ago.

If she’s to survive the danger coming for her, Cori will need the help of her supernatural friends—especially Bartol. And if a little romance develops along the way with the nephilim? Well, at least she’ll have gotten his mind on something besides what he went through in Purgatory.

…So, what did I like about it?

Susan Illene is not a new-to-me author, however, I have only read one short story “Tempting the Moon” that featured in The Stroke of Midnight anthology which I really enjoyed (see my review here); I will certainly be reading more of her books from now on!

I found her writing style very easy to read and her world building descriptive enough that I felt as though I was right there in the scenes. The pace of this story had me gripped; the balance between the tension, fight scenes, humour and romantic elements made this a real page turner for me.

I enjoyed the fact that our main characters were complex souls, with both positive and negative character traits; in fact, all of the characters in this tale became real for me very quickly. Oh, and I appreciated the way that Ms Illene wrote the relationship between Cori and Bartol; was a gradual sexual simmer rather than the ‘insta’ stuff so many authors seem to favour.

…So, ummm, was there anything I disliked about it?

No not really. The only reason that it missed out on a 5 star rating from me was because I wish the ending hadn’t been a romantic cliff-hanger between our two main protagonists because I found it frustrating. However, I know that Ms Illene is planning to publish Destined for Dreams (book 2) this summer and Destined for Eternity (book 3) in the autumn so really, I won’t have to wait long.

…So, basically what I’m saying is…

I couldn’t stop reading this book! I liked this, a lot; the back story & information about the world and characters is explained as and when it’s needed. There is a good mix of action, tension, horror, humour and passion within the tale and our two main characters are both stubborn but have strength of character that I love plus both have traumatic pasts they’re running/hiding from and trying to deal with.

Due to some of the topics and scenes in this story, I would say that this is an ‘adults only’ book but if you’re a fan of strong, independent, kickass characters, a story with Hitchcock-esque tension and true to life relationship drama then I suggest this book may be for you!

So, has my review of DESTINED FOR SHADOWS sparked your interest? Just click on any of the links below to check out the book yourself, or to find out more about other books I’ve read, take a look at my profile on Goodreads.