The Shadow Aspect: The Harvesting Series Book 2 (Harvesting)

by Melanie Karsak

• ISBN10: 069243383X
• ISBN13: 9780692433836
• Publish Date: 16 July 2015
• Publish Status: Active
• Imprint: Clockpunk Press
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 292
• Language: English

Reviews

[inlibrisveritas]

The Shadow Aspect picks up right where The Harvesting leaves off, with Layla leading her people out of the labyrinth into a new and hopefully safer area. Karsak puts us right back into the fray and doesn’t pull any punches…in fact she damn near ripped my heart out towards the end of this one and that takes some effort.

In this book we have two POV’s to follow: Layla, our main character from the first book, and Cricket, the new character introduced in the novella Midway. While reading Midway is not necessary, I would definitely recommend it because there are some things that you won’t really ‘get’ unless you have…plus it’s a damn good novella. These two women are both badasses but completely unique and approach things in their own way. After the horrific events of The Harvesting Layla is slow to trust again and much more aware of the other world that is threatening their very existence . We get a lot more of her learning about her ability to see the ‘other’ side and I really like the direction it went, it certain sets it apart from the other zombie books out there even more. We see her grow and become a better leader, able to stand up for herself and others..even when it doesn’t necessarily make sense to other people. While Layla has become the backbone of the group, Cricket has become it’s heart of sorts. She works hard to make sure everyone is alright, even putting herself in the line of danger to do so, and she genuinely cares for the people around her. These two make for a great duo!

The world building still continues as we get more info on the other inhabitants of the world and what exactly caused the downfall of humanity. I love what Karsak has done with the mythology to make it stand out despite the same overall idea being used in many other books. I don’t want to go into detail about the new players in this game, but they are pretty cool and I’m really looking forward to seeing how their newly discovered involvement comes to a head in the next two books in the series.

Kirsten James is excellent yet again as the narrator, as she effortlessly switches between all the voices she’s created for the entire cast. I’m thoroughly impressed with her and though I’m sad that this series is coming to I do look forward to listening to her other work. I’ve actually bought an audio I didn’t really intend on buying because she was the narrator…and for me that is enough.

If you enjoy urban fantasy as told by an author who knows how to make you feel but pull no punches then this is definitely a series to get in to. It’s well written and fun, and if you listen to the audio you get the added bonus of KJ reading to you.

[kimbacaffeinate]

I loved the Harvesting, which started out like a typical zombie apocalypse and quickly blew my mind. Midway, a novella in the series gave us Cricket's story and it totally rocked. Shadow Aspect picks up right where the Harvesting left off and we wasted no time diving right back into the action.
Admittedly, I struggled to regain my footing and reconnect with the characters since the story dove straight back into the tale as if I simply flipped to the next page. In fact, I stopped and went back to read my review of Harvesting. I am glad that I did, because the opening scenes were intense as our group suffered losses, and faced danger. After my refresher, I quickly slipped into the story and reconnected with the main characters. In this instance, I think a recap or prologue would have been beneficially.

This time we find ourselves in a different setting as we are introduced to new characters. Layla is uncertain of whom to trust but she is stubbornly determined to keep her group safe. They find themselves at the mercy of another group of humans who have found sanctuary with the walls of a university. Tristan, whom we met towards the end of Midway, is present, as is Cricket. They both will play an integral part in the story as it unfolds. The romance between Layla and James continues, as do other budding relationships showing that even at the end of times, we are capable of happy moments. These are secondary to the main plot, but serve to flesh out our characters and endear them to the reader.

Zombies are still wreaking havoc, as are the vampires but Karsak has hinted at more throughout the series and we finally learn that we are the unwitting victims of a battle that has raged for eons. She weaves a complex tale, with foreshadowing and strong, unique characters. A woman within the group reads tarot cards and her readings are uncanny. A Doctor tries to find a cure, and Layla makes a startling discovery. Tristan shows himself, and oh lordy things are about to get complicated. Brilliant and original I become completely caught up in the story.

The Shadow Aspect was action-packed, with intense battle scenes that will leave you biting your nails. Think Walking Dead with supernatural and paranormal twists. Karsak is a genre bender taking my love of zombie apocalypses and weaving in a surprising fantasy aspect that held me spellbound. Her characters are strong, particularly her female characters who are not afraid to leap into battle and take heads. I loved it, but do not become attached because Karsak will rip your heart out and leave you bawling.

The Shadow Aspect ends with nail-biting cliffhanger. No! No! No! I slammed the book shut and screamed. You best be writing Ms. Karsak..and quickly! Please.

Copy provided by author.

This review was originally posted on Caffeinated Book Reviewer