The Wounded Shadow
4.6
5
5
1
Paperback
USD
14.39
$14.39
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780764213489 |
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| Publisher: | Baker Publishing Group |
| Publication date: | 04/03/2018 |
| Series: | Darkwater Saga Series |
| Pages: | 496 |
| Sales rank: | 279,670 |
| Product dimensions: | 5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x (d) |
About the Author
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
The Wounded Shadow
4.6 out of 5
based on
0 ratings.
8 reviews.
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What I love most about Patrick Carr’s writing is that I can escape for a brief period into the worlds he creates. I love his hero Willet who makes difficult choices with a caring heart. I laughed out loud a couple of times, but I also chewed my nails. Brilliantly crafted. A great read.
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This is the third and last book in Patrick W. Carr’s ‘Darkwater Saga’, but the second that I have read.
‘The Wounded Shadow’ jumps right in where ‘The Shattered Vigil’ left off. Literally. In the middle of a scene. This technique can be both a positive and a negative one to use in a book series. For a reader who just finished one book and has immediate access to the next one, it creates a wonderful feeling of expectance. But it can also be very disjointing and confusing, causing an unfamiliar reader to have to read whole chapters before gaining any kind of idea about what’s going on.
Overall, this was an intriguing and enjoyable read. It was a well-crafted story (complex characters, intricate world-building), quite a page-turner, with many interlocking parts and weaving details that the author was able to keep straight admirably! However, there were a few aspects I found unpleasant.
One of the most irritating aspects of the story itself was the shameless way that the character Gael presented herself in several situations. It seemed that she possessed very little dignity, decorum, or self-respect in her provocative mannerisms, as well as little respect towards her fiancé’s desire for decency and honor in their relationship, or compassion toward his struggles. Though supposedly one of the ‘heroes’ of the story, she seemed to have a lot to learn about being a real one.
A couple of other negatives I found were the many women in religious leadership positions, the vaguely nagging ‘danglers’ left at the end (What ever happened to Lelwin? Why did Ealdor reach out to Willet in the first place, and were Willet’s unanswered questions to him ever answered? Was Modrie’s ‘mind’ ever restored and the sentinel race reestablished?), and – at the risk of sounding like I’m splitting hairs - the font size was small and painful to try to read, as in the previous book (I would rather be able to read the words without squinting, even if it means a thicker book).
All of the above aside, there were quite a few positive points. Allegorical tints to the story were much more evident in this book than in the previous one. Also, the development of young Mark’s character and Elieve’s redemption were probably my favorite aspects of the story. Their interaction was a fascinating and well-written situation. Mark’s determination that Elieve be rescued, his honorable conduct, and his unwavering dedication to her recovery in the face of huge odds, represent some of the most lacking (and yet most desirable) character traits in young people today. Perhaps we would see more ‘miracles’ happen now, if there were more people willing to sacrifice for others, work hard, and stay committed until the goal is accomplished, as Mark did.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher. No review, positive or otherwise, was required—all opinions are my own.
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To say that I was excited for the third and final book of the Darkwater saga by Patick Carr is an understatement. I practically kept my eyes peeled on my inbox for the email from Bethany House listing the book up for review, then hoping I’d make it on the list. And we’ll skip the part with me doing a victory dance once it did. :P
Anyway….
Though the series has had its rough spots, overall, it’s been a great adventure. The world-building, the characters…. Honestly, I need to read it over again because I miss it. I’d highly recommend reading the first two books in the series, so you have a proper grasp of what is going on.
The story starts with Willet and the other members of the vigil racing to halt the evil of the Darkwater forest that is sweeping over the continent. With people lured by rumors of gold and precious aurium in the forest’s depths, Cesla is building a powerful army with abilities to rival even the gifted. The solution to their defeat? Locked in a vault within the tortured mind of Willet Dura.
So where to start? The plot, despite some lags in places, is awesome. The tension, the emotional journey of the characters, keeps you riveted to the pages. And I must admit, Patrick Carr went deeper with the characters than I was expecting. Anne Elisabeth Stengl is one of my favorite authors because she knows how to bring to life a character’s dark side and still show the redeeming power of love that bring a person back from the edge of the abyss. To my utter surprise, Patrick Carr went this route and succeeded! Mark, the former urchin and thief now Pellin’s apprentice, who shows more heart and depth than a priest in his desire to bring back the mind of a girl who was twisted into becoming a mindless dwimor, capable only of killing; Pellin, who saw how Cesla was snared into exploring the Darkwater. He recognized the man’s pride that could have been his own and led him into destruction. And in spite of all Cesla’s evil, still loved the man that was once his brother and mentor, and strove to remind him of that in the end. These were perhaps a couple of the most moving areas in the story that touched me.
Toria Deel has been a journey in progress. Originally, she was more of a pompous twit than anything else. And definitely willing do whatever it took to further the Vigil’s goal. The end justifying the means, regardless of who was hurt. Losing the man she loved and being teamed up with a former urchin causes her to soften.
Bolt, honestly, you gotta love. The man is like an older version of Batman and Wolverine thrown in there (DC/Marvel reference, I know :P). He always expects something bad to happen, and rarely shows much emotion. But he has such a dry sense of humor, you can’t help smiling as you read.
Willet...Willet has been an off and on character for me. While I like him, he’s not one of my favorite characters, which is odd since he is the MAIN character in the story. But I think the problem lies with the fact that Patrick Carr tried too hard at times to make the character flawed, and a bit of a wise-mouth. But he’s capable and does try to keep his head in tight situations, so he still works.
The gift of domere changed his life. Some might argue it wasn’t for the better, as it grants to Willet an unnaturally long lifespan that will see him still hale and hearty while the woman he loves grows old. But he learns to accept both it and Gael’s love, and acknowledge that he must leave everything in Aer’s hands.
I came across one rev
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I have thoroughly enjoyed every book of this series. I found this series to be as good if not better than the sword and the staff series by Carr.
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I did receive this book at no charge for my unbiased, honest opinion.
Let me start by saying this is part of a series, which I did not realize when I ordered the book. However, even though this is part of a series, it was easily read even without the context of the other books in the series. It is definitely a story in the same fantasy genre as LOTR, Narnia, or Harry Potter. Very well written with great detail, it easily allows you to imagine the journey on which the characters embark.
There are only 2 real complaints I have: 1] that the story line jumped around a bit; I feel like the author could have made it a bit easier to realize when the story jumps to another character's leg of the journey as it was a little hard to follow from one jump in the story at times. And 2] while the story isn't numbered or if (like me) you miss the small note in the upper corner of the cover indicating that it is part of a series, as the reader, you have no idea there are books before it; this could easily be the editor/publisher that didn't see the need for a list of books in the series or to better display that it is in fact part of a series more prominently, BUT I always feel it is important to include a list of all books in the series that way the reader understands that some aspects of the story that were not explained in this book may have been explained in a previous book, along with affording the reader the opportunity to read the prequels to that book in order BEFORE undertaking the new book.
Again, while it is a huge pet peeve of mine to read books in a series out of order, in this case, it posed no great issues. The story was EXTREMELY well written. It got its hooks in early on and the intrigue of figuring out the mission and how different aspects of the characters' journeys would affect the outcome of the mission was enthralling! I greatly enjoyed this book. The characters were relatable and complex. The story line kept you guessing. And considering that 99% of the books I've read are pretty formulaic and I can tell you the ending after reading the first couple of chapters, this one was not in that same group.
I don't want to give any spoilers away as I truly feel this should be read rather than have my feeble attempt to retell it would never be able to come even remotely close to doing it justice. My best advice: even if your primary love is not fantasy, still give this one a try.
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Patrick Carr's Darkwater Saga ends with this third book, The Wounded Shadow. This trilogy needs to be read in order for the reader to understand the more complex details of the plot and characters, but all three books are so good, so that is no problem. I have been waiting for this book to come out since I finished the last one, and I was not disappointed. I stayed up entirely too late to finish this book. I love the character development, and not just in the main characters, but so many of the characters showed growth and subtle change throughout the story. The fantasy world was a wonderful setting for the story, and the religious aspect was well-done, with characters doubting, growing, and questioning throughout. There is plenty of action. I am going to have to check out some other books by this author, because this trilogy was excellent. I feel that he brought the story to a close in a satisfying way (although he could go on to tell more tales with some of the characters, if he chose to revisit either the Northern or the Southern continents in future novels). The author's treatment of the characters reminds me of Aleksandr Solzhenitsy's famous words, "But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being." I highly recommend this novel.
I received a copy of the book from the publisher, Bethany House, for the purpose of writing a review, but all opinions are my own.
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Disclaimer Notice: I received a free copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for a fair and honest review. I have no other affiliation with them.
There are many positive things that can be said about this last book in the series, and those who have posted before me covered them quite well. For me, my biggest issue was with the handling of shifts in points of view (POVs). I have a hard time staying with a story that shifts between first and third person POVs. The Wounded Shadow did this often, with the series main character (Willet Dura) in first person and everyone else's in third. I'm not fond of the convention, so it took me much longer to get into the story than I would have otherwise - which is a shame, because I found it compelling by the end. I would have liked to feel that way the entire book.
On a much more positive note, though, I felt like the characters in this story are generally well-developed and grounded in who they are. Even without backstory from previous parts of the series, they moved around in the world in ways that made sense for what I was able to pick up on about them. This includes Toria Deel (one of the lead figures in the Vigil) and Gael (Dura's fiancée). Both are strong, smart, and very self-aware. They know their strengths and their weaknesses, and they don't let their weaknesses hamper their ability to act when they need to.
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The Wounded Shadow Is a heart pounding book. It has secrets revealed and don't you want to know what they are? Mr. Carr has created a fantasy world that is so vivid and exciting but you also get what he is trying to get across as a Christian which is why you get it for isn't it? A fantasy book that is clean in thought word and come out well so on. The storyline is so fascinating and Am I sorry to know that it is over. Busiest fun, action filled and so totally enjoyable. I received a copy of this book from the Publisher and Netgalley; all of the opinions expressed in this review are all my own.
if you would like to read more of my Christian book reviews go to christianlybookreviewers.blogspot.com
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