Angie
Written on Aug 7, 2015
Shaedes of Gray has a pretty interesting set up. Normally shaedes and shaede-like creatures are the side characters or bad guys, so it was interesting to read about one as the main character. Sadly though, I never really came to care about Darian. We get a lot of her history, why she is the way she is, how she got into the assassin business, so it's not a matter of never getting to know her. It's just like I felt detached from her. She pushes everyone in her life away and inadvertently pushed me away as well. She's not unlikable, per say, but she never became someone who I wanted to see succeed.
One thing that had me really excited for Shaedes of Gray was the promise of romance from the blurb. Darian refuses to get close to anyone after she was abused and then left by previous lovers, but it's hard now because she's grown close to her boss, Tyler. He makes his feelings known, and there's plenty of kissing even if Darian won't agree to a relationship. Unfortunately, something about this set up rubbed me the wrong way. I didn't feel that tension of Darian warring with her feelings. And in fact, at times, when she'd tell Tyler she doesn't want him, he says that's okay, then proceeds to kiss her deeply and grope her, I got uncomfortable. I mean, Darian's narrative tells us that she does like him and what he's doing, but she's telling him the exact opposite and yet it still happens.
The plot was pretty typical, not bad, but just nothing new. Darian believes she's the last of her kind, discovers that there's actually quite a few of them and a whole supernatural community. She's brought into shaede society, but fights them every step of the way because she's use to being alone and doesn't need anybody. Then it turns out that she is special, and the most special of special shaedes and the only one who can stop the upcoming war. There's even a prophecy of sorts.
Shaedes of Gray was okay. It didn't fully hold my focus, and I never connected with Darian. The romance was uncomfortable, and the plot was cliche. It did have some stuff that I liked, but not enough to want to commit to the series.
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