Realm of Shadows [NOOK Book]

Realm of Shadows

This book is fourth in the series, but sadly does not measure up to the first three. Still enjoyable, it gives a well written plot and a different look into the world of vampirism.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Heather Graham by any other name can't write any better.

Shannon Drake is, of course, the nom de plume of Heather Graham who under both names seems to have ground out a hundred or so 'novels.' Elmore Leonard she isn't!!!! I almost didn't make it through the 'Prologe.' The author's knowledge of WW-II combat seems to come from watching the final battle in the movie Zulu way too many times. But I attempted to push on. I made it through a few pages of Chapter 2 before boredom and lack of interest overcame me. I could only hope that whatever was 'out there' got the heroine in the end. Glad I got it from the library rather than buying it. For those 'bodice ripper' fans out there who enjoy such gunk, I say enjoy. I'll pass.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Every Nightmare Has Its Beginning

In an ancient churchyard just outside Paris, archeologists uncover an ancient tomb certain they have stumbled onto the find of the century. But something goes very wrong as the tomb is opened. Something too frightening to imagine...and too terrible to utter.

For American visitor Tara Mason, the romantic city of her dreams has suddenly turned sinister. For she has heard the blood-curdling screams in the churchyard and knows that she must run away--from the powerful stranger chasing after her...and from a nightmare she can't be sure is real or imagined.

At the country estate where she has sought refuge, the shadowy man reappears. He calls himself a guardian, sworn to protect the innocent from an evil most never see. And Tara will have to trust him, because that evil has seen her...and won't stop until it claims her. body and soul.

Tara is moving to France for a bit to take care of her ailing Grandpapa, Jacques DeVant, with her cousin, Ann. Yet, on the first day, her Grandpapa talks her into investigating an archeological dig going on within a local church in the village. Her visit turns out tragically when what is inside the discovered coffin of Louisa de Montcrasset disappears and one of the diggers ends up brutally murdered. Now Tara must, begrudgingly, keep her visit to the dig secret from the police but also the public due to the tough advice from a mysterious friend of her Grandpapa, Brent Malone. He's dark, insanely handsome, oddly knows more about all the strange activity going on in the village around Tara's family chateau than anyone else and she cannot stop her attraction to him upon his ever visit. Can Tara accept the truth of what exactly is causing these shadows to emerge throughout her Grandpapa's village while believing in this mythical "Alliance" that began during WWII?

I had high hopes for this book since the back description sounded intriguing, but sadly it lagged to much and I couldn't finish it in full (not just yet!) I got bored quite easy while reading this and had to skip on to something new to spice up my reading habit before I got into a lull. I did get to page 296 out of a 414 page story, so not too shabby. The story wasn't too bad, but it did skip around to a lot of places with too many new characters brought up too infrequently that it made the story flow unsmoothly and just felt choppy overall.

The relationship between Tara & Brent wasn't anything special as well. I didn't feel sparks between them and had hoped their romantic scenes would have added some spice to the story, but nope! Usually Heather Graham's (aka Shannon Drake's) stories don't have too much heat going on in the bedroom department, but this one seemed to lack even less (except for the murdering parts). Plus, I'm not a fan of books involving Police characters (or any other correctional institutional figures) so Inspector Javet didn't really fascinate me at all and he actually took away some of my interest from the tale during his crude interactions with Tara or Brent.

Likes: The historical flashbacks to WWII were interesting!

Dislikes: It just felt like parts of the story were dragged out way past what they were meant to be and that turned me off.

Vampires and Romance?

Through the whole book I was more confused then I feel I should have be. I found the story hard to follow, and with the heroine's wishy washy 'do I or don't I trust this guy?' thoughts, had trouble deciding who the good and bad guys are. The only reason I even finished it was because I hate to put down books without finishing them. But there were several times where I was tempted to toss it in the trash. I'm glad I paided a dollar for it at a garage sale and not full price from a bookstore.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Captive

Shannon Drake writes in this book of a romance that has its own twist and twirls it leaves more the imagination to what is going on. Then when you think you have got it down she throws another curve ball at you sending your mind in a spiral to figure out the plot that takes you from the many different view pionts. From Tara Manson to Brent the stranger who has found Tara a torment and a passion. Tara started this nightmare long ago before Paris changed her mind on what was really out there. Can Brent turn it around before Tara is caught up by this evil that seems to be casing her? Only answer lies within in the book.

SPEECHLESS!!!!!!!!!!!!

I bought this book at Farmer Jacks not exspecting much. Boy was I wrong. This book turned out to be one of my favoriet Vampire Books. It's a must read book. It may seem a little long, but at the end you will respect the number of pages. Realm of Shadows is a fast pace novel that catches the reader with a great plot, great characters, great love conflick and most of all twisted in a good unexpecting way. i sugest this book to book lovers that lover to read about vampires and werewolfs. and believe me i feel stongly about books. i want to be an author. :)

exciting vampire romance

American Tara Mason comes to Paris to visit her ailing grandpapa, but becomes worried about him when he spins a tale that she believes is born of senility. He insists he is a member of the Alliance, a group dedicated to fighting evil including vampires. Grandpapa is upset because he believes that an archeological dig in a churchyard has liberated a deadly vampiress.

On her grandpapa¿s insistence, Tara tries to sneak into the crypts of the church, but runs into Brent Malone. When they hear screams, Brent knows his worse nightmare has occurred as the diggers have freed Louisa on an unsuspecting world. Brent cannot persuade Tara of the existence of vampires, but she wonders why he and grandpapa act like old acquaintances. As Tara and Brent fall in love and he vows to keep her safe, evil approaches, ready to devour anyone in its¿ path including a skeptical American visitor.

The latest tale in Shannon Drake¿s vampire series, REALM OF SHADOWS, is an exciting novel that returns key characters from previous books in significant roles in this story. A vast ensemble tells the tale so that readers will need a scorecard to keep track of whose whom. Still the plot hooks fans wondering if Tara will accept the truth about the evil that stalks her and her family or remain a skeptic in spite of her love for true believers like grandpapa and Brent. Though the ending required a long dissertation to tie loose ends together, paranormal romance readers will relish the appearance of favorites in the latest battle between good and evil as a background to love.

Harriet Klausner

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