Shadow and Bone: 3.75/5

This is my first Gena Showalter book. I was really excited about reading her work she comes highly recommended by a lot of my friends who are into the PNR genre like myself. I enjoyed the world building and action scenes. This is truly an adult PNR and I thank Ms. Showalter for this story. A lot happens in this book, there’s an All War that’s has been going on for ages. The details about the reasons, while explained in the book, are somewhat hazy. I lay this at the feet of having a ridiculous amount of characters to try and keep up with throughout the story so important stuff is lost in the text. There’s a lot of rulers that want to occupy as many realms as they can so they have slaves that fight the wars for them. Whomevers victor wins that ruler occupies the new realm. It’s important to note that all the participants have special weapons or powers and they are motivated to win because if they don’t not only do they die but their entire family and whoever else is close to them dies as well. Also, there can be only ONE winner.

Knox, our hero, is a slave. He’s powerful, alpha, sexy, a warrior and winner of four All Wars. Vale, a human woman and our heroine (sigh, not in a good way), was hiking with her sister, Nola. They lose their guide and somehow stumble upon Knox and his fellow combatants which are frozen. Yep the ice breaks apart and Knox and Vale meet. They are instantly drawn to each other but this isn’t insta-love. This reads enemies to lovers. So Vale becomes part of the All-War because she kills a participant so she takes her place and fights for earth. There’s not an enormous amount of dialogue, it’s there but it’s mostly narration from Knox or Vale. The dialogue that’s there is them bickering and lusting for one another. They spend a majority of the books ultra angst constantly talking about not wanting to kill the other and it gets boring.

Knox is great, his character grows immensely emotionally. Vale is troublesome. I wanted to like her but she came across as a horny female that constantly wanted in Knox’s pants and challenged an ancient warrior on combat and winning a war that he’s clearly achieved four times. Toward the end of the book they have a falling out. She basically says she wants nothing to do with him and won’t take him back but then the next page she’s telling him to undress and have sex with her. I didn’t like it at all.

The end of the book is a cliffhanger, Knox has been castrated (figuratively) by the author and Vale is just Vale. And we know book two is Bane and Nola’s book.

This book ended up reading like an adult Hunger Games meets Lord of the Rings with sex, and no where near as good.

Do I recommend this book? If you are a Showalter fan, sure. Will I read book 2? Yes, I want to know more about Bane and Zion.

Dying!!! It was so great I finished in One Sitting!!! I LOVE Knox and Vale and I can’t wait to read Nola’s story!! Cliffhanger much?!?!? Please let the next book come soon!! Show alter fans will NOT be disappointed!!

While I did enjoy this book I found it a little rough around the edges. I do enjoy her stronger female characters.