wyvernfriend
Written on Aug 8, 2017
It's pretty predictable for the romance but the adventure kept me on the edge of my seat. However there were times when my interest waned.
Jack Talent is tormented by the demons of his past. Though Jack loves his position in the SOS, he cannot forget what was done to him. And so he hunts down the remaining demons that tortured him and metes out his own brand of justice as the Bishop of Charing Cross. The only thing that soothes him is his secret visits to fellow agent Mary Chase. But while something about Mary calms him, she is also his greatest torment, for she is a reminder of his worst crime - the night he lost his soul by taking her human life.
Mary Chase is now free. After years of service to the Ghosts in the Machine, she now assists the head of the SOS and is finally enjoying life - except for the one thorn in her side, Jack Talent. The temperamental shifter unsettles her and awakens a need she's never felt before. But when a copycat killer begins to mimic the Bishop's signature and Jack is assigned to the case, Mary volunteers to join him, eager to unravel Jack's mysterious facade. Can Jack protect his secret - and his heart - from the one woman who could be his ultimate ruin?
- ISBN10 1455520810
- ISBN13 9781455520817
- Publish Date 17 December 2013 (first published 1 January 2013)
- Publish Status Active
- Publish Country US
- Imprint Little, Brown & Company
- Format Paperback (US Mass Market)
- Pages 464
- Language English
Reviews
It's pretty predictable for the romance but the adventure kept me on the edge of my seat. However there were times when my interest waned.
celinenyx
Written on Jun 8, 2015
Mary is a Ghost in Machine, someone who has died but is given new life by being given a clockwork heart. She works for the Society for the Suppression of Supernaturals, and is finally given an opportunity to prove herself in the field, rather than being behind a desk all day. She is partnered with Jack, an irritable shifter.
What I enjoy in the Darkest London series is that all pairings have a different background, catering to different tastes. Shadowdance features a hate-to-love couple; not necessarily my favourite, but I was glad with how this one worked out. Enough time was spent between the characters working out their differences and getting to know the person underneath the anger/resentment.
The non-romantic plot introduces some extra lore, again expanding the Darkest London universe. The mystery of Shadowdance wasn't my favourite of the series, mainly because I didn't fully grasp the connection between the villain and our main characters. That being said, it was nice to see Mary kick ass; I honestly enjoyed every scene with her.
Though the Darkest London books never cross over from "great" to "awesome" for me, they're always solid reads that keep me entertained and make me feel good on a dreary day (the first book, Firelight being the exception to this rule). I'm looking forward to the next book, Evernight, which features Holly, the awesome scientist lady.
Amanda
Written on Dec 28, 2013
And Shadowdance doesn't disappoint.
The relationship (or rather, the antagonism) between Jack Talent and Mary Chase has been brewing since Firelight. And while a seasoned romance reader can easily guess that antagonism often equals a future pairing, sometimes you've got to wonder how an author will pull it all together.
What simmers beneath the surface of the characters? We're only offered a brief glimpse of Jack and Mary in previous books, so walking into Shadowdance was an experience that blew the characters into sharp focus. (I don't know if that sentence makes sense, but it feels right, so we'll go with it.) Let it just be said: Kristen Callihan knows how to pull it all together masterfully.
Jack Talent has always been an enigmatic character, but Shadowdance shows us how wrong we really are about him---and how right about things Mary Chase is. (And she has her own secrets too.) Shadowdance addresses what happened to Jack in Firelight and, like each book before it, deepens the world and its secrets.
THINGS HAPPEN, PEOPLE.
And I only want MORE. So you can only imagine my delight when I found out there's a book FIVE and it's out this year. Now if only I can manage the wait...
Angie
Written on Dec 23, 2013
Shadowdance puts the steam in Steampunk! Too cheesy? Sorry. But this series does keep getting better and better, as well as sexier and sexier! This isn't my favorite story plot-wise, but Jack and Mary are definitely my favorite couple so far! Jack Talent has been working on a case involving a string of murders for about a year with no progress. Now he's being paired up with Mary Chase to finally solve it. Jack has always worked alone, so he's not too happy. Plus he and Mary have a past. On top that, Jack is kind of the murderer they're looking for, but there's also a copy cat at play, but why?
I liked how the plot in Shadowdance was directly related to events from Winterblaze. Jack is out for revenge on the demons who kidnapped him and took his blood. He's murdering them all, one by one, and leaving them in the same place each time. Then one night, there's a shifter body there which he didn't kill. This temporarily throws him off, but vengeance has almost entirely consumed Jack, and he's never going to stop until every single one of them is gone. There's lots of twists and turns as the case unfolds, and there's even more supernaturals roaming the streets of London than we knew!
Oddly, the one thing that kept me from loving Shadowdance more was the introduction of one of the supernaturals. I did love the GIM (Ghosts in the Machine), like Mary and Daisy, and the shadow crawlers which are like their zombie cousins, but I wasn't that fond of the angels. The Fallen and Nephilim are pretty important in this book, but I wasn't that impressed with them. They do have some cool powers, but overall, I don't think they're anything special.
The romance. Oh the romance! Enemies to lovers is my favorite, and boy do Jack and Mary butt heads and bicker a lot, to my satisfaction! I loved watching them grudgingly work together and slowly come to care about the others well being. But then, there's a twist! We did get a sneak peek at their meeting four years prior, but it turns out that's not the first time they've met. It wasn't exactly in the most pleasant of circumstances. Actually, it wasn't pleasant at all. It's quite heartbreaking. But, of course, they work past it and are amazing together! Shadowdance contains my favorite scene of the whole series. Let's just call it the "Was it good for you, too?" scene! It's steamy and hilarious!
I love this series, and Shadowdance is no exception. It's dark, twisted, romantic, funny, and just great! I love that the Steampunkness is finally really coming out, and certainly hope that we get more of it in the following books.
Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.