The Shadow Reader: An Urban Fantasy Romance (A Shadow Reader Novel Book 1)

The shadows changed McKenzie Lewis's life forever when she was just sixteen-years-old. She started seeing people that nobody else seemed to notice. Beautiful people with lightning under their skin, walking around attracting no attention whatsoever, except from McKenzie. Those people were fae, and in seeing them she discovered something about herself - that she can read their shadows.The shadows are like road maps that the fae leave behind when they travel between worlds - and McKenzie is one of the few people who can `read' those shadows to track them down. When McKenzie's talent was discovered, the fae King thought to use her in a civil war that has been raging between the fae - a war against the Kingdom, instigated by a false-blood pretender to the throne.The fae have been good to McKenzie. They made sense of her `madness', even after her family turned on her and broke off communications. And, best of all, her association with the fae introduced her to Kyol - the King's sword-master, charged with ferrying McKenzie between worlds and keeping her safe from the rebellion, who would use her shadow-reading talents for their cause.For ten years McKenzie has been helping the fae King in his war, and working closely with Kyol. She has loved him since she was sixteen and though secret and forbidden, their love means everything to McKenzie . . . and then one day the rebellion break through. They discover McKenzie's location and kidnap her, killing Kyol's guards and possibly him in the process.McKenzie's kidnapper is none other than Aren, the Butcher of Brykeld; a renowned fae fighter, almost as good with a sword as Kyol. Aren is the half-blood rebel trying to claim the throne. Or is he?McKenzie spends the first half of her imprisonment fighting to escape and bargaining for her life. But as the weeks go by, the rebellion start talking to her - asking questions. They ask why the King forbids humans to learn the fae language, and in the meantime they start teaching McKenzie. They ask her why the King has forbid fae/human relations - when so many humans, McKenzie included, work for him in fighting a war that is not theirs. Aren and the rebellion fae also ask McKenzie to question the brutality of this war, and if all the deaths thus far lay entirely at their feet.But even while imprisoned, McKenzie pines for Kyol; his stoic bravery and the moments when he lets his guard down and reveals how very much he wants her. McKenzie misses him, even as she slowly falls for Aren's impulsive, cocky charm.But what happens when McKenzie is rescued and returns for the Kingdom with questions - about this civil war and her place in it, about Kyol's true intentions and where humans stand in this fae war. And, the biggest question of all, which side is she on?`The Shadow Reader' is the first book in urban fantasy series called `McKenzie Lewis', which was released last year by Sandy Williams.I am so torn about this book. I really liked it, and look forward to second book `The Shattered Dark' coming October this year. But I must admit that I did struggle through quite a bit of the world-building, which is never a good sign in an urban fantasy book.Williams jumps into the action from the get-go. Within the first chapter Kyol has come to whisk McKenzie away from her university exams (her fourth attempt to graduate) only to be ambushed by rebellion fae who kidnap her and jump between worlds to take her to their compound. There is a lot to absorb in a very small amount of introduction time - and normally I love that `sink or swim' mentality in my urban fantasy books; it sort of defines the very genre that is often action-packed and full-throttle. But I don't know that it is done so well in `Shadow Reader', and because I was inundated with a lot of universe-related information early on (but didn't really absorb or understand it) I found myself lagging behind later on in the book, when that universe was further explained.So basically fae exist, but in a different universe to ours (let me quote the Doctor and put this `world leaping' down to "a big ball of wibbly wobbly... time-y wimey... stuff" because that's the only way I could understand it). When fae travel between worlds, or destinations within a world, they leave behind some sort of residue that only shadow-readers like McKenzie can decipher to pinpoint their exact location. Naturally, this is a useful talent to have in a time of war, and when we meet her McKenzie has been working for the fae King for ten years. Now, this is all very interesting, but amidst the helter-skelter opening chapter I kind of lost all the information about the Kingdom, rebellion and exactly what it is that McKenzie does with the shadows. Obviously Williams revisits all these points later on, teasing them out to more thoroughness, but initially I was quite thrown because on top of all this information and McKenzie being abducted, I did lose my footing with the plot's rather intricate back-story.But it wasn't just the universe-building that's important history; Williams also drops plot points about McKenzie's secret ten-year relationship with sword-master Kyol very early on. Though unconsummated, Kyol and McKenzie have been playing out a forbidden romance for a decade - secret because it is against the King's law for fae and humans to have relations (heck, it's even illegal for humans to learn the fae language). Very quickly it becomes apparent to readers that McKenzie's kidnapping is tragic for more than just her safety - it has also torn her and Kyol apart.I had a few small hiccups with the Kyol/McKenzie relationship, and I'm still not 100% sure where I stand with them. First off, I think Williams wrote a hard task for herself by letting readers know all about McKenzie's ten-year relationship with Kyol only through her thinking about it internally. It's a lot of telling not showing with regards to their feelings; with McKenzie musing on how they started with long looks and lingering touches, progressing to kisses and Kyol proclaiming that they can never officially be together because he won't betray the kingdom (but McKenzie lives in hope). McKenzie and Kyol's relationship is also partly explained when rebellion fighter and kidnapper, Aren, guesses at their romance and starts poking and prodding the point. Honestly, I don't know that as readers we were meant to ever be invested in Kyol and the possibility of him and McKenzie - but I just wasn't sure. I actually hope that they are teased out a lot more in the second book, because the triangle that's established is a complicating one with lots of potential, if only we get to know Kyol (and his feelings for McKenzie) a little better with more *showing*.Now, Aren is an entirely different story. I loved him and his instant sparking interactions with McKenzie. Obviously as kidnapped/kidnapper they have a very unusual dynamic, but McKenzie quickly comes to learn that the rebellion is not what she has been taught to be wary of, and Aren is not the same `Butcher of Brykeld' whispered throughout the fae Kingdom. He's roguish and charming, challenging McKenzie and her role in this civil war as innocent, human bystander. That was what worked for me most of all - that he challenges McKenzie, gets under her skin and makes her see beyond everything she has been told. These two were great together, but I really felt like the book's crescendo came when McKenzie had choices to make and two men vying for her affections;Just to highlight how very `on-the-fence' I was about this book; I'm not even sure how I felt about McKenzie not being your typical urban fantasy kick-butt heroine. Contrary to the cover image, which shows a powerful McKenzie (with a super-model figure!?) sword in hand, the McKenzie of the book is far less fearsome. She's actually decidedly, refreshingly human. She is no fighter, and knows her limitations against the far more powerful fae (their aversion to human `tech' aside). She is definitely not the archetypal heroine of other urban fantasy books (a far cry from super-women like Kate Daniels and Mercedes Thompson, that's for sure). She's not a wimp, exactly, but she's not above begging and bargaining for her life and she doesn't mind relying on bigger, stronger fae men to do the protecting for her. On the one hand, it makes sense that a human in a fae world wouldn't be cockily kick-butt; she's far more relatable for flying under the radar. But on the other hand, I do like reading about strong heroines - and while McKenzie by the end of `Shadow Reader' showed a lot of promise and steely determination, a lot of her decisions and actions throughout the book were frustrating to read.I cannot deny that by the end of `The Shadow Reader' I was eager for the second book. The world-building left me somewhat befuddled, Kyol's romance left me cold and McKenzie's decidedly human heroine is not what I have come to expect from the urban fantasy genre . . . but by the end of the book I was invested in the tricky love triangle, and a little bit smitten with Aren. Not a perfect book, sure, but a pretty darn good one that had me racing to read the end and eager for the second.

The Shadow Reader is Sandy Williams' debut novel, which takes place in a modern urban fantasy world. Williams does an awesome job pulling you into the story almost immediately. McKenzie Lewis is our heroine, and when you start the book, McKenzie is taking an exam. She is determined to complete the test, even though she sees people waiting for her and pushing her to leave and go with them. In a classroom filled with students, only McKenzie can see them. Why you ask? They are the Fae, and only McKenzie has the ability to see them. McKenzie gets up to leave, as she is warned by the Fae Warrior Kyol, that the rebels have found her, and her life is in danger. So McKenzie goes with him, as she normally does, and leaves her classroom into a fight to run for her safety against a band of Fae rebels, who want McKenzie.McKenzie is a unique human, she is Shadow Reader, who have the ability to see the Fae, and see their shadows to be able to track them from a distance, as they teleport (fissure) between realms. McKenzie has been helping the Fae court, since she was recruited at sixteen years old, which is now 10 years. Kyol, the swordmaster for the King of the Court, has been her partner, protector and her secret love. A love that is forbidden, and cannot be consummated, by the rules of the court and their King. We learn from the start that there is a war going on between the rebels, who want to oust the King of the Court.As McKenzie runs for her life, the court and rebel faes fight on campus. She is then captured by the rebels and forced to "fissure" wherever they are taking her. This is very painful for McKenzie, as human are not meant to teleport in such manner, but a fae stone helps protect her through the fissure. McKenzie is a tough heroine, as she fights the rebels all the way, putting herself in much danger. The rebels are divided as to whether to kill McKenzie, as she is a danger to them, constantly revealing their whereabouts to the Court warriors. She is hated when brought to the rebel compound, but Aren, who is the rebel leader, wants her alive. He is convinced he can turn her to help them use her ability against the court, not to mention he is somewhat intrigued by her.McKenzie is tough, and a very stubborn heroine. She spent 10 years believing everything the court and Kyol told her about the evil rebels. So her loyalty is totally with the court. But this is a war, and McKenzie is right in the middle of it, without much help from the rebels, who as I noted are openly unfriendly with her. She tries numerous times to escape, injuring herself often. Aren is the one who helps her, and tries to get her to see the other side, that perhaps she has been lied to all these years. But McKenzie, who loves Kyol, believes in him and refuses to listen to Aren.As the court and Kyol are desperately trying to find McKenzie, the rebels are constantly under attack by the court warriors or human fae haters. Slowly, and believe me when I say slowly, as McKenzie is way too stubborn to open her eyes, she begins to see another light, as to maybe she is wrong. We get to meet and know Aren, through all of this, and as nice as Kyol is, I totally fell for Aren. McKenzie begins to feel some attraction, which she fights off, as Aren constantly protects or saves her. At one point, he gives up and her life is at risk. The scenes with a stubborn McKenzie and a frustrated Aren are tense, and very well done. But as the war continues, she learns things that make her question her 10 years with the court & the King, whom the rebels want to replace.Sandy Williams does a wonderful job with this worldbuilding, and giving us a fascinating and intriguing world of the fae. She has also put in a wonderful love triangle, without any sex, but so well done. The story does not leave this open, as so much happens in the last 1/3 of the book to change things, for all concerned. Of course, we do not know if things will change with the next book.The Shadow Reader was a wonderful, action filled book, with many tense moments. The lead characters, such as McKenzie, Aren, Kyol and many other great secondary characters were wonderfully created by Williams. I cared for them all. Williams again does a fantastic job of putting closures to many of the stories, and yet leaving things open to continue with the next book...The Shattered Dark. I cannot wait for the this book to find out more of McKenzie and faes of this wonderful world.

The Fae realm is in the middle of a civil war and McKenzie, a human, has been working for the King for10 long years. This interferes with her human life, but as she loves the King's sword-master, Kyol, she has putup with it. However, she is starting to resent this, when she is kidnapped by the rebel leader, Aren.McKenzie has a unique ability to not only see Fae, even through an "illusion spell", but to track where theygo to when they teleport. Aren wanted to persuade her to help the rebels.To me, both sides in the war were as bad as each other! Both lied, manipulated, fought, killed, and torturedcaptives in a terrible way. McKenzie is in danger from both lots of Fae. She gradually understands that theKing may not be as kind as she'd always thought, but where does that leave her with Kyol who always put hisduty to the King before his feelings for her?I didn't understand all the references to "chaos" (a bit like electricity ??) but it didn't stop my enjoyment ofthe book. I couldn't work out which side I wanted to win, until near the end! A different sort of magic andsome interesting characters.

Stunning!!!The last time I read any Fae books that held me captivated from beginning to end was the Fever series... Don't get me wrong, I am not comparing these novels, I'm simply stating how much I loved this first book in Sandy Williams Shadow Reader series...I absolutely loved the way this book was written, the entirety from McKenzie's POV... we move along from page to page in her time, her zone, her mind and her feelings... I loved how powerful an impact this book had on me, I was literally gripped within the first few chapters and I was devastated that my 'normal' life had to carry on, that I had to go to work, that I had to sleep...I can't describe the story, or maybe I don't want to... I've just finished the final line and all I want to do is soak up all the words and feelings that I'm feeling...No great cliff hanger, no great 'OMG' anywhere near the end but nonetheless, I need that next book...I know I'm only a few books into this new year - I can hazard a guess and say that I doubt there will be a book that I read anytime soon that will wipe these memories away from me... (apart from, hopefully, the next Shadow Reader book)I really can't say what has gripped me apart from the way this book was written. Absolute magic for me!!!

Sandy Williams debut book is a fun, action packed, emotionally charged adventure. I was intrigued when I saw the blurb for this on Goodreads and bought and read it the same day - any book that grips me so much that I stay up half the night reading is a keeper for me.McKenzie is a human woman with a talent that makes her invaluable to the fae. Not only does she have the second sight which enables her to see through Fae glamour, she is a shadow reader, which means that when a fae teleports, she can map where that fae has traveled to. King Atroth recruited her when she was barely sixteen and ten years later she is still called upon.Determined to lead a normal life, which is not possible when Fae are popping in unexpectedly wherever she goes, and it's affecting her life, her family thinks she's crazy, her school is running out of patience with her, and her crush on Kyol Taltrayn-the King's sword-master, is going nowhere. But when McKenzie is abducted everything she thought she knew is turned upside down and she doesn't know who to trust.Mckenzie unlike most urban fantasy heroines isn't strong, brave or amazingly powerful, she's just a normal girl who happens to have a talent for tracking. She relies on her wits to help her escape rather that her powers and manages to keep her head when all around everyone is losing theirs. I'm not normally fond of love triangles but this was so well done and the characters so real that it didn't bother me at all, I found both Kyol and Aren intriguing and the romance was built gradually that it felt natural, though I do admit the end felt a bit 50s love scene. Apart from a few minor niggles which are barely worth mentioning as I was having too much fun reading, I found The Shadow Reader a enjoyable book and look forward to reading more from this author.

An adventure and threesome love story. What more could you ask. The characters are well portrayed and almost believable. Thoroughly well written science fantasy.Recommended

A great premise, well written, and with characters to die for... I loved this book, and didn't want it to end. Just bought book two!