Mundie Moms

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Book Review- Shadow Of The Sun

By Laura Kreitzer
Published by Obsidian Mountain Publishing
Released on February 22nd, 2010
Source- The Publisher
4.5 Stars

Gabriella's past is a mystery, but that never stopped her from achieving her goals. As a supernatural specialist, and far more intelligent than anyone her age, she has always been ignored by her peers. Because of the isolation she has always felt, she put her life and soul into her job. Being a supernatural specialist hasn't given her the divine intervention she always longed for, until one day a shipment arrives from Italy containing three dead bodies with an uncanny ability to regenerate. Gabriella is frightened and intrigued, but not as scared as she becomes when a dark creature attacks her.

As the bodies come back to life, the plot takes an unexpected twist that you won't see coming. The supernatural world only begins to unfold before her as angels appear, her dreams start to haunt her, and the very past she has forgotten comes back with startling clarity. Romance blooms, escape plans are made, an assassin is out to kill her, and death is only around the corner. But what is more terrifying than all of it is the fact she is the chosen one, the Illuminator, the one who will save them all (quoted from goodreads).

Shadow Of The Sun is a uniquely woven story about Angels, Guardians and Shadows and Soul Catchers. It's vivid and richly detailed history is something I've never read before, and I found myself so taken away with the story, that when I finished it I wanted more. This is far from your typical angel book. There is so many elements, surprises and bits of realism that I really surprised myself and finished this 500+ page book within a few hours.

Aside from some wonderful characters, the story itself has the perfect blend of romance, action, lore, magic and prophecies. Laura has done a brilliant job at keeping the flow of the story evenly paced throughout the book, and she knows when to throw in the element of surprise. Not to mention she has some wonderful characters whom I looking forwarding to learning more about in her sequel.

I really liked Gabriella, the main character, as she is gifted and very bright. At 19 she graduated from yale, and now at twenty four she's working in a lab as a supernatural specialist. It's her normal "human" feelings and tendencies that make her relatable. She's strong, driven and independent, and goes from being some what of a loner to being surrounded by her guardian angel, other angels and a family she didn't know she had.

I really enjoyed Laura's angels. As I said before, I've not read any other book with angels as unique as hers. Laura's characters stand out as they aren't typical angels, and each of them has a strong, rich heritage and I enjoyed getting to know a little more about their back story, which was also well written. The bond that three angels Andrew, Lucia and Ehno have is simply refreshing. They've been through a lot and have a lot more to accomplish together. Where I would normally be a little bothered by how intense the chemistry and connection is between Gabriella and her hot Guardian Angel Andrew, I loved it as it fit the story perfectly.

Shadow of The Sun is a fantastic read, with an underlying story of unconditional love, plenty of action, a lot of powerful emotions and a book that will leave you both thinking about it and wanting more of it when you're done. It's a book who's pages I couldn't turn fast enough as there's so much to discover as Gabriella learns more about herself and the destiny that awaits her. This is definitely my favorite adult book I've read this year, and one I'd recommend to older YA readers. It's fresh, unique, clean and I can't wait to read Soul Stalker.

Be sure to visit visit Laura's site to learn more about her writing and her journey to being self published here http://laurakreitzer.com/

In My Mailbox #51

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren. It's a post where we share thebooks we've received this past week for review, borrowed from friends or the library, received as a gift, bought, or received to giveaway.

For Review:
* Unearthly by Cynthia Hand, published & received by Harper Teen, to be released on January 4th, 2011.
* Human Blend by Lori Pescatore, published & received by Lori Pescatore, released on June 12th, 2010, signed.
* Cryer's Cross by Lisa McMann, published by Simon Pulse, received by Simon and Schuster, to be released on February 8th, 2011.

Bought:
*not pictured* I bought a few collectible books and an awesome collectible version of David McMCullough's 1776. I usually only mention the YA books I buy, but I do have a book addiction and I love a wide range of genres.

Thank you to Harper Teen, Lori Pescatore and Simon and Schuster for this week's fantastic reads!

What goodies did you receive this week?

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