Shadow Falling by Rebecca Zanetti

Shadow Falling (The Scorpius Syndrome, #2)

by Rebecca Zanetti

"Sexy, tough, and deftly sprinkled with dark humor.”—New York Times bestselling author Larissa Ione

Before the Scorpius Syndrome tore through North America and nearly wiped out the population, Vivienne Wellington was the FBI’s best profiler. The bacteria got her anyway. But she survived. She recovered. And when she woke up from a drug-nightmare of captivity, her trust in her fellow man had gone from shaky at best to nonexistent. Her mysterious rescuer wants to convince her he’s the exception. But no matter how tempting he is, with his angel’s eyes and devil’s tongue, Vinnie knows she shouldn’t trust him.

If the FBI were still around they would rate Raze Shadow as one of the bad guys. His military training can’t wipe out his association with the Mercenaries, the most feared gang in a thousand miles. His loyalties are compromised. He won’t even tell Vinnie his real name. But there’s no FBI in the new America of fear and firepower, only instinct and risk. And the way his arms wrap around her tells its own story. Whatever else Raze is concealing, he can’t hide his desire . . .

“Thrilling post-apocalyptic romance at its dark, sizzling best!” —Lara Adrian

Reviewed by Linda on

4 of 5 stars

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This review was originally posted on (un)Conventional Bookviews
Shadow Falling was just as tense as Mercury Striking, and the characters and the plot moved the story forward flawlessly. The complexity of this dystopian world keeps getting sharper, and I almost had to hold my breath in places.



Shadow Falling is the perfect follow-up to Mercury Striking, I found myself on the edge of my seat more than once, and at one point, my foot cramped because I was so tense about what was going on. Vinnie had been through hell, and she had the nightmares to prove it! The fact that she was still able to get up in the morning, show empathy, and try to help the people who had saved her said a lot about her character. She is one strong woman, and her resilience is much needed. There are enemies both on the outside and the inside, and some have no qualms about using children to further their goals.

I enjoyed that there was another couple being the main focus in Shadow Falling, especially because Lynne and Jax were still present here as well, and they were important characters still. The overall storyline is mostly about surviving, and trying to find a cure against the mercury virus. However, there are now several factions trying to get the compound out of Jax's hands. And there is also a religious cult on the rise... with a self-proclaimed pastor who thought women should stay inside, in the kitchen, and just be meek servants.

There are so many twists and turns, and the way we get to learn about some characters' secrets just made me already long for book three! I felt invested in both the characters and the story, and I cheered for Lynne and Vinnie possibly being able to figure out a way to either make a vaccine or a cure so that their community can continue to grow and stay as safe as is possible in this bleak, dangerous world.

Written in third person perspective, past tense, with a narrator that knows what the characters think and feel, the action was fast-paced in most places. The pace did slow down in places, though, and I found the quiet times to be necessary just so I could catch my breath.



He jerked his gaze away. He might have fought hand-to-hand with knives and ocean away, he might have been tortured and nearly killed on one tour, but cats freaked him the hell out.

Raze came into view from around a corner, moving in that smooth lope that fascinated her. She had no doubt he'd purposely let her see him just to keep from startling her. If Raze Shadow wanted to sneak up on a person, he'd do so without any warning. 

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 8 August, 2016: Finished reading
  • 8 August, 2016: Reviewed