Review: Shadow Heir by Richelle Mead (Dark Swan #4)

Publisher - Bantam
Publication Date - 2nd February 2012
Paperback - 400 pages
Genre -  Urban Fantasy

Source - Purchased

Rating - 2 out of 5: It was ok

Book Info - Shaman-for-hire Eugenie Markham strives to keep the mortal realm safe from trespassing entities. But as the Thorn Land's prophecy-haunted queen, there's no refuge for her and her soon-to-be-born children when a mysterious blight begins to devastate the Otherworld...

The spell-driven source of the blight isn't the only challenge to Eugenie's instincts. Fairy king Dorian is sacrificing everything to help, but Eugenie can't trust the synergy drawing them back together. The uneasy truce between her and her shape shifter ex-lover Kiyo is endangered by secrets he can't - or won't - reveal. And as a formidable force rises to also threaten the human world, Eugenie must use her own cursed fate as a weapon - and risk the ultimate sacrifice...

My Thoughts - Please note, there are some HUGE spoilers for previous books in the series so only read this review if you have already read them. Consider yourselves warned :)

I am a big fan of Richelle Mead and I rate her Dark Swan books as my favourite of all her series'. I have been looking forward to Shadow Heir for a long time to find out how things would end for Eugenie. However, I fear I may have been hyping it up a bit too much in my head as when I finally got to read it, I found myself feeling pretty disappointed.

The first problem I had was the pacing. The other books in the series have all been full of action and moved so along quickly that it was pretty much impossible to put them down. The same could definitely not be said for Shadow Heir. For the first half of the book, Eugenie is hiding in the human world awaiting the birth of her twins. Nothing really happened during this part of the story and I found myself breathing a sigh of relief when the babies were born early as I had hopes that the pacing would finally pick up again. And to a certain extent it does, but not in the way that I have come to expect from previous books in the series, and it still dragged in places.

The second problem I had was that the plot just was not what I wanted it to be. At the end of Iron Crowned, Eugenie is pregnant with Kiyo's children - one of whom will apparently lead the gentry into an invasion of the human world according to a prophecy. Kiyo is dead set that this can't happen and even goes so far as to try and kill Eugenie to prevent the prophecy from coming true. The whole of the Otherworld either wants to see Eugenie dead or will support her whole-heartedly to lead the invasion. I thought that this would be the focus of Shadow Heir. I expected there to be a big showdown between the two factions and I expected something big to happen. As it turned out, this part of the plot just seemed to be brushed over at the end rather than being the main focus. And I felt as though the author only did that to tie up loose ends.

I also found the ending to be disappointing. The author sets it up near the end so that there is an opportunity for a perfect happy ending. However, right at the last second that happy ending is snatched away and I felt very frustrated by that. Don't get me wrong, the ending is a semi-happy one, but it could have been so much better.

The redeeming feature of this book for me was the romance between Eugenie and Dorian. They have been on again/off again during most of the series but in Shadow Heir they are working hard to resolve their issues and what follows is a very sweet and tender romance that leaves no doubt about how they really feel about each other.

Summary - Shadow Heir is a disappointing ending to what has been up until now an amazing series. But the first three books are so amazing that I would still definitely recommend the series to fans of Urban Fantasy.

Other books in the series:
1. Storm Born
2. Thorn Queen
3. Iron Crowned
4. Shadow Heir

Other reviews of this book:
Caught in a FAB Romance / Parajunkee's View / Wicked Lil Pixie

This book counts towards the following challenges:
Book #1 for 2012 Finish the Series Reading Challenge
Book #21 for 2012 Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge

Waiting on Wednesday: Shadow Heir

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week my "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Shadow Heir by Richelle Mead

Shaman-for-hire Eugenie Markham strives to keep the mortal realm safe from trespassing entities. But as the Thorn Land's prophecy-haunted queen, there's no refuge for her and her soon-to-be-born-children when a mysterious blight begins to devastate the Otherworld...

The spell-driven source of the blight isn't the only challenge to Eugenie's instincts. Fairy king Dorian is sacrificing everything to help, but Eugenie can't trust the synergy drawing them back together. The uneasy truce between her and her shape shifter ex-lover Kiyo is endangered by secrets he can't - or won't - reveal. And as a formidable force rises to also threaten the human world, Eugenie must use her own cursed fate as a weapon - and risk the ultimate sacrifice...

Review: Iron Crowned by Richelle Mead (Dark Swan #3)

Publisher - Bantam Books
Publication Date - 31st March 2011
Paperback - 384 pages
Genre - Urban Fantasy

Source - Purchased

Rating - 5 out of 5: It was amazing!

Book Info - Shaman-for-hire Eugenie Markham is the best at banishing entities trespassing in the mortal realm. But as the Thorn Land’s queen, she’s fast running out of ways to end the brutal war devastating her kingdom. Her only hope: the Iron Crown, a legendary object even the most powerful fear...

But who can she trust to help her? Fairy king Dorian has his own agenda. And Kiyo, her shape-shifter ex-boyfriend, has every reason to betray her. To control the Crown’s all-consuming powers, Eugenie must confront an unimaginable temptation – one which puts her soul and the fate of two worlds in mortal danger...

My Thoughts - Once again Richelle Mead has written an action-packed, attention-grabbing novel that I just could not put down. The descriptions of the worlds that Eugenie inhabits are so vivid that you can imagine yourself standing right next to her. And the pages are so full of action that I had to keep reading late into the night.

During the second half of the book there were many twists and turns that left me breathless. The storyline was engaging and I was dragged into Eugenie's world and I didn't want to leave there until the last page had been turned.

However, there was just one minor point that irritated me a bit about Iron Crowned. Eugenie's attitude to relationships and sex is pretty distracting and draws you away from the storyline. She is constantly going backwards and forwards between Kiyo and Dorian, even though both of them prove unworthy of her attention in this book. They both treat her badly yet she can't seem to stay away from them. The fact that Eugenie is so unwilling to be without a boyfriend is a complete contradiction to the strong front that she puts on to the world. I hope that in the next book Eugenie sees the error of her ways and kicks them both to the curb!

Summary - Iron Crowned is one of the best Urban Fantasy novels I have read and, after the huge cliffhanger at the end, I can't wait for the next book in the series.

Other books in the series:
1. Storm Born
2. Thorn Queen
3. Iron Crowned

Other reviews of this book:
Book Chick City / Feeling Fictional / Vampire Book Club
(If you would like your review of Iron Crowned included here, please leave a link to your review in the comments and I will be sure to add it)

Review: Thorn Queen by Richelle Mead (Dark Swan #2)

Publisher - Bantam Books
Publication Date - 13th August 2009
Paperback - 480 pages
Genre - Urban Fantasy

Source - Library

Rating - 4 out of 5: I really liked it!

Book Info - Eugenie Markham is a shaman for hire, paid to bind and banish creatures from the Otherworld. But after her last battle, she’s also become queen of the Thorn Land. It’s hardly an envious life, not with her kingdom in tatters, her love life in chaos, and Eugenie eager to avoid the prophecy about her firstborn destroying mankind. And now young girls are disappearing from the Otherworld, and no one - except Eugenie - seems willing to find out why.

Eugenie has spilled plenty of fey blood in her time, but this enemy is shrewd, subtle, and nursing a very personal grudge. And the men in her life aren’t making things any easier. Her boyfriend Kiyo is preoccupied with his pregnant ex, and sexy fey king Dorian always poses a dangerous distraction. With or without their help, Eugenie must venture deep into the Otherworld and trust in an unpredictable power she can barely control. Reluctant queen or not, Eugenie has sworn to do her duty - even if it means facing the darkest - and deadliest - side of her nature...

My Thoughts - Eugenie is coming to grips with being the Thorn Queen whilst also trying to maintain her life in the human world. Watching the struggle between her human side and her gentry side certainly made for interesting reading. She has been brought up as a human shaman who has been taught that all gentry was bad and it was her job to banish any gentry who tried to enter the human world. So it is understandable that she has trouble coming to terms with the fact that she is the daughter of one of the strongest gentry monarchs that ever lived and that she is now a gentry queen in her own right. The way that the author describes Eugenie's feelings means that you can really feel the fear, indecision and loneliness that her situation brings about.

I love Eugenie's character - I love her strength, compassion and loyalty. When she finally starts taking some responsibility for her people, the compassion and care that she shows for them really endeared her to me. But Eugenie is put through some absolutely horrifying things near the end of the book that I found difficult to read because of the author's descriptions of the events and Eugenie's emotions. But these events seem to change Eugenie and she loses a lot of the qualities that I love about her. Part of me is eager to read the next book in the series because of how the story ended, but another part of me is feeling nervous about it as I don't want to start disliking a character that I have come to love so much if she continues to develop in the way that she currently is.

The love triangle between Eugenie, Kiyo and Dorian continues in this story. When reading Storm Born I prefered Dorian over Kiyo and this is even more the case after reading Thorn Queen. Dorian completely understands Eugenie and loves her for the person that she is, while Kiyo is completely selfish and asks for a lot from Eugenie whilst he causes her nothing but trouble. At times I felt a lot of frustration at Eugenie for not seeinng Kiyo for what he really is.

Summary - I just love Richelle Mead's style of writing, from her descriptions of the Otherworld, the action and pace of the story to her descriptions of the emotions that Eugenie feels. She has managed to completely absorb me into this story from the very first page of Storm Born and I am really hoping that this will still be the case with the thrid book - Iron Crowned. This series is a must-read for any Urban Fantasy fan.

Other books in the series:
1. Storm Born
2. Thorn Queen
3. Iron Crowned

Other reviews of this book:
Bitten by Books / Book Chick City / Feeling Fictional / Vampire Book Club
(If you would like your review of Thorn Queen included here, please leave a link to your review in the comments and I will be sure to add it)

Review: Storm Born by Richelle Mead (Dark Swan #1)

Publisher - Bantam Books
Publication Date - 14th August 2008
Paperback - 512 pages
Genre - Urban Fantasy

Source - Library

Rating - 5 out of 5: It was amazing!

Book Info - Just typical. No love life to speak of for months, then all at once, every horny creature in the Otherworld wants to get in your pants...

Eugenie Markham is a powerful shaman who does a brisk trade banishing spirits and fey who cross into the mortal world. Mercenary, yes, but a girl's got to eat. Her most recent case, however, is enough to ruin her appetite. Hired to find a teenager who has been taken to the Otherworld, Eugenie comes face to face with a startling prophecy - one that uncovers dark secrets about her past and claims that Eugenie's first-born will threaten the future of the world as she knows it.

Now Eugenie is a hot target for every ambitious demon and Otherworldy ne'er-do-well, and the ones who don't want to knock her up want her dead. Eugenie handles a Glock as smoothly as she wields a wand, but she needs some formidable allies for a job like this. She finds them in Dorian, a seductive fairy king with a taste for bondage, and Kiyo, a gorgeous shape-shifter who redefines animal attraction. But with enemies growing bolder and time running out, Eugenie realizes that the greatest danger is yet to come, and it lies in the dark powers that are stirring to life within her....

My Thoughts - The main character, Eugenie Markham, is just great. She is strong, independent and so, so funny. I found myself laughing out loud during many parts of the book as she is brilliant at the witty one-liner. But what I liked most about her was the journey that she went on through the book. She starts off hating the gentry and is incredibly prejudiced against them, after all she has been told constantly by her parents about how evil they are ever since she was a little girl. However, through her interactions with Kiyo; a gorgeous kitsune (shapeshifter) who she feels an incredible attraction towards; and Dorian, Eugenie realises that the gentry are actually not as bad as she had been lead to believe. These men teach her that, although there are some gentry who do deserve to be hated, not all of them behave in such a way. When she realises that she is half-gentry herself, Eugenie has to do a lot of soul searching as she is now part of what she once hated.

I loved the Otherworld that the author created. The book is full of description of this magical world and I found that really interesting to read. I also enjoyed reading about the character of Dorian. He comes across as incredibly easy going and very funny and he doesn’t seem to take much seriously in life. It is from the interactions between Eugenie and Dorian that some of the funniest scenes occur. I would love to see Eugenie and Dorian getting together at some point during the series as there is a huge amount of chemistry between the two of them. Although I liked the character of Kiyo, he just seemed to be too much of a goody goody to be a serious part of Eugenie’s life for too long.

There is a part near the end of  the book that just didn't work for me. I can't really go into any detail about it without giving too much away, but it feels very out of keeping with the rest of the story, I had trouble understanding what was happening and it didn't  really add anything to Eugenie's story. But this is my only complaint about Storm Born and it didn't interfere with my enjoyment of the book.

Summary - I really enjoyed the storyline of the book and it is full of action, humour, romance and magic. It moves along at a fast pace and ended with lots of unanswered questions, making me really want to read the next book in the series. I would definitely recommend this book to any fans of Richelle Mead or urban fantasy.

Other books in the series:
1. Storm Born
2. Thorn Queen
3. Iron Crowned

Other reviews of this book:
Bitten by Books / Book Chick City / Diary of a Bibliophile / Feeling Fictional / Vampire Book Club
(If you would like your review of Storm Born included here, please leave a link to your review in the comments and I will be sure to add it)