She's back and this book is a fantastic read. I have always loved Sherrilyn's books and this one did not disappoint. The characters, as always, are engaging and fierce. The story is gripping. Can't wait for the next one.

When they say, "Write what you know", McQueen (formerly known as Kenyon) really took that to heart. Her books have always been heavy in the betrayal and being ostracized for being "different", but MAN, was the whole betrayal stuff really heavy in this. Her trauma was dripping all over this book. That said, it wasn't awful. The characters were a bit 2 dimensional for me, but I enjoyed them well enough. It was certainly better than her Dragon trilogy, and as the first book I've read of hers in years it could have been worse. I also remembered about 3 of the characters, but that's on me for trying to dive back in after all this time. I'm not even sure if it moved the plot along, and there's still the fact that her Nick series (RIP) made a mess of the timeline (which was already a shitshow). Still the same ending with marriage and kids, but I kind of looked it over since it was set in the middle ages. All in all, I wasn't mad so it was an improvement for me.

Entertaining series! Enjoy the dreaming of your person before meeting them scenario, and the connection between Ariel and Valteri is sweet. These two have been through it and still have to make it through some difficult scenarios in this book; curses and such. Looking forward to more!

Shadow Fallen by Sherrilyn Kenyon is the latest in the Dream Hunter installments and tells the story of Ariel and Valteri. Valteri is a knight for William and is considered demonic because he happens to have two different colored eyes. Granted as this is an historical novel we must give a past to the ludicrous beliefs of the villagers but the treatments he gets certainly can not get a pass. Valteri the Godless has never known love, is an orphan who believes himself to have been abandoned by his parents. Spoiler, one of his parents is certainly not dead and simply did not know he existed. Valteri had never freely been touched by those he protects and so when Ariel simply appears with no memory or who she is, he extends that same protection and gallantry to her and she's a toucher.
Ariel however is no ordinary lady and the reason she has lost her memory is because it was wiped from her by a witches' curse. Ariel was simply doing her job helping a soul cross over when she incurred the wrath of the fallen male's witch mother. She is told that he is evil but even without her memory, she knows that she certainly knows the difference between those who are evil and who are not. She feels that emotions are rather new to her and that things currently developing in their lives are more complicated than they appear.
Valteri finds himself enthralled by this noblewoman who seems to be nothing but kindness and goodness that is not afraid to touch him and gives of her time and care. As Ariel tries to remember who she is and where she belongs, she and Valteri start to fall in love but it is a dark plan afoot that had been wishing for just that to occur. What can these two do? Shall they let the curse play out, or do all they can to save each other and this fragile thing they have found? I say it will be entirely worth it to grab this book and find out as Kenyon fans will agree she has done it again! This review was given on the ARC copy received from the Publisher via NetGalley in return for my honest opinion.

It had been awhile since reading one of her novels. I quickly realized I had missed her worlds and series. Ariel has quite the dilemma with when she is turned we seem to become her guardians , if we could. Then there is Valteri whom captures our attention. Going with these two through this was a delight. Of course they need each other so turn those pages to see if they agree.

Sherrilyn Kenyon McQueen is one of my favorite authors and I am hooked on the Dark Hunter series. She writes rich and intriguing characters and storyline that keep the reader engaged and eager to find out what comes next. Loved Ariel and Valteri together - coming into his life revealed the sweet and gentle side of the fierce warrior. I can't wait to read the next in the series.

Finally Miss Kenyon is BACK and my heart just can’t contain the excitement for this one. I was overjoyed to be accepted to review this copy. Bonus points because her writing is just as amazing as I remember taking me right back into the wonder world building, along with some of my favorite characters. I’ll be waiting for more to come from this author

4.25 stars--SHADOW FALLEN is the sixth in instalment in Sherrilyn Kenyon’s adult DREAM-HUNTERS paranormal/romance series-a part of the author’s DARK HUNTERS world. This is Valteri the ‘Godless’ and Ariel the Arelim’s story line. SHADOW FALLEN can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.

NOTE: SHADOW FALLEN is a mediaevil story line that takes place several hundred years before modern times, and reveals some of the events leading up to one god’s powerful need for revenge- a deity war between heaven and h*ll- a prequel of sort, in preparation for the author’s QUEEN OF ALL SHADOWS and SHADOWS WITHIN.

Told from third person perspective SHADOW FALLEN follows Ariel, a Arelim, in the wake of a curse against our story line heroine. The Arelim are the guardians of humanity who escort the souls upon the death of the body but an old crone, with the help of demon spawn Belial, has cursed our heroine for taking the soul of the son who died in battle. Having lost her heavenly powers and any memory of the past, Ariel finds herself falling for her would-be rescuer, a warrior known as Valteri the Godless, a man whose true nature has been bound by a seal. As Valteri fights his attraction to Ariel, Ariel will recover her memories, and discover the truth about the curse, and the man with whom she is falling in love. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Ariel and Valteri, and the fall-out as both Ariel and Valteri sacrifice themselves for the love of each other.

Valteri the Godless is thought to be demon born, and has spent his life indebted to his ‘brother’ William, fighting on the fields of battle and war. Cursed from birth for his heterochromia aka different colored eyes, Valteri has always considered himself to be the spawn of the devil, and has suffered at the hands of religious men all of his life. Believing himself unworthy of friendship or love, Valteri is caught off guard with the appearance of our story line heroine, a woman that calls to more than his heart. Ariel can no longer remember who she is or what she had done in the past but as her mind begins to heal, flashes of memory reveal a heavenly connection but also a connection to the man with whom she is falling in love.

There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including several who have been previously introduced in the author’s Dark Hunters series: Thorn, Shadow, Jaden and Acheron, as well as Mildred the old crone; several friars and monks; Belial the prince of all evil, and his father Kadar, the king of all evil.

SHADOW FALLEN is a story of betrayal and vengeance; power and control; retribution and suffering; acceptance and love. The premise is gritty, emotional and captivating; the romance is seductive and tempting; the characters are powerful, broken but healing.



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Can a wounded hero be too depressing?  Yes, yes he can.

Ariel is a Arel, an angel who accompanies warrior cut down in battle and have been chosen to fight a battle against demons.  Her job isn't to select those who die but to simply escort those souls so that demons don't try to grab them while they are vulnerable.  As an Arel, Ariel has no emotions.  She isn't sad for the dead or for those left behind.  Ariel isn't concerned when one of the souls that she takes, was the only son of a witch.  A witch who is willing to sell her soul to a demon who gives her the power to rip Ariel out of the sky and force mortality on her.  Ariel has been cursed to live a human life until she falls in love and has watch her love die in her arms.

Not only is Ariel earthbound, but with the help of the demon, she loses her memory of who she is and the curse placed upon her.

Ariel is then brought to the Norman warrior Valteri, who is now holding claim to the Saxon lands.  Not only is Valteri hated because he is a conquering Norman, but because everyone thinks he is demon spawned.  Why?  Because Valteri has bi-colored eyes...yes, that's it.  He has bi-colored eyes and for this sin, his mother named him Valteri, which mean Godless, and he was raised--read: tortured by--monks as a child, and then feared most of his adult life.  All because of his eye color!   As a warrior, being feared even before you arrive on the battlefield is, well, half the battle, but it also means that Valteri has no friends at all.  Not only does everyone fear him but anyone who had befriended him has been branded a godless, demon and tormented.   So Valteri has lead a sad and brutal life.

Ariel doesn't know who she is, but she instinctively knows that Valteri isn't demon spawn and she knows that somewhere hidden in her memories, she recognizes who Valteri's father is and it is a man she respects.  She just can't remember who it is.

Ariel and Valteri grow closer, but when Ariel finally regains her memory, she realizes her growing feelings for Valteri are going to trigger the curse and she is going to watch him die unless she can figure out how to break the spell.

I love my wounded heroes.  I really do.  When someone finally cares about them, and they are finally soooo happy, or usually they are.  But Valteri takes his lamenting a bit too far.  I understand that this guy has had a bad deal so far.  He is absolutely the nicest person.  He refuses to treats others as he has been treated, and yet his squire is the only one who sees this.  He even rescues a kitten who was tossed in a bag to die for simply being cross-eyed.  But still Ariel is the only one who doesn't look away and cross herself when he passes.  Ariel shows no fear of him and she is drawn to him right away, but all we keep hearing is Valteri's inner monologue about how the monks tortured him and abused him and...mostly, its about the monks and how his mother tossed him away.  Not that you didn't feel bad for Valteri, but after meeting some of the guest appearances in this story, Valteri should have counted himself lucky.

Thorn and Shadow are dispensed to find Ariel and while they can't break the curse, they stay to protect Ariel from the demon who is hanging around her.   Listening about their Thorn and Shadow's parents, Valteri's childhood was no big deal.  In fact, they lament to Ariel about how her parents were simply neglectful and they would have killed to simply be neglected by their parents.

What did bug me most is that the demon was hanging around so he could take  Ariel to hell once she succumbed to human desires and had sex.  Apparently, her having sex would equate to a great fall from grace.  Is that because she is a female?   Ariel's father and mother made her and they are both Arel.  Is it because she had sex with a human?  Is there no loophole where a witch makes you human and a demon steals your memory and you think you are human where she would get a pass on this great sin?  I was very bothered that Ariel had to go to eternal torture for something that most of the men in these stories are doing since there are so many bastard demi-gods on earth I am surprised there is anyone left who is plain human.  Then another big shot demon says "you don't think big enough"  and he doesn't want Ariel's soul.  He wants Ariel brought down to hell so one of the malachai can rape her and create a child of light and dark and bring about a prophecy.   Whoa, whoa, whoa.  That got real dark, real fast.

It has been a number of years since I have read Sherrilyn Kenyon and her Dark Hunter series.  So I was not very familiar with all of the major demons and heavenly beings  who were mentioned although I do remember Thorn from prior stories.   It wasn't that important to remember everyone to keep up with the story.

I definitely would have enjoyed this story so much more if Valteri could have accepted some of the good coming his way without always going right back to his lament that everyone betrays you, just look at what the monks use to do to me.   It took way to long for him to let go of that and start accepting Ariel's kindness.

I have been a Dark-Hunters/Sherrilyn Kenyon fan for the better part of 15-20 years. I have nearly every book in the series, the spin-offs and have traveled from New York to Tennessee for book signings. So I was beyond incredibly thrilled and excited to not only get the chance to read the ARC of Shadow Fallen (via NetGalley, thank you!!) but to also be back in this world of hunters and warriors and some of my favorite characters,

I loved the medieval setting of Shadow Fallen and felt I was transported to this world that SK has built through time and space. Many of her previous books have taken place in more modern times with snippets in the past but this was definitely, solidly in the past. Though there were a number of previously introduced characters, and I really was a little confused here and there, I really loved the new introduction to Valteri and Ariel.

Valteri the Godless is a bloodthirsty warrior chasing death and violence after years of abuse and trauma thanks to his cursed eyes (his heterochromia). Ariel is an Arel, a warrior angel that collects souls of those that die in battle to have them fight against evil in their afterlife. But Ariel is cursed into humanity by a witch with a grudge and doomed to have her heartbroken in order to return to her life in heaven. What proceeds is a awakening for both Valteri - that people are not always cruel - and for Ariel - that she can love and feel.

We're introduced to new characters and new secrets for some well-loved old characters. It was a great ride back into this world that I loved so incredibly much for so long. There were moments that I felt a little lost if I didn't remember who some old characters were and that the pacing was a little off here and there but overall I truly enjoyed this read. I have been a Dark-Hunters/Sherrilyn Kenyon fan for the better part of 15-20 years. I have nearly every book in the series, the spin-offs and have traveled from New York to Tennessee for book signings. So I was beyond incredibly thrilled and excited to not only get the chance to read the ARC of Shadow Fallen (via NetGalley, thank you!!) but to also be back in this world of hunters and warriors and some of my favorite characters,

I loved the medieval setting of Shadow Fallen and felt I was transported to this world that SK has built through time and space. Many of her previous books have taken place in more modern times with snippets in the past but this was definitely, solidly in the past. Though there were a number of previously introduced characters, and I really was a little confused here and there, I really loved the new introduction to Valteri and Ariel.

Valteri the Godless is a bloodthirsty warrior chasing death and violence after years of abuse and trauma thanks to his cursed eyes (his heterochromia). Ariel is an Arel, a warrior angel that collects souls of those that die in battle to have them fight against evil in their afterlife. But Ariel is cursed into humanity by a witch with a grudge and doomed to have her heartbroken in order to return to her life in heaven. What proceeds is a awakening for both Valteri - that people are not always cruel - and for Ariel - that she can love and feel.

We're introduced to new characters and new secrets for some well-loved old characters. It was a great ride back into this world that I loved so incredibly much for so long. There were moments that I felt a little lost if I didn't remember who some old characters were and that the pacing was a little off here and there but overall I truly enjoyed this read.

I have been so excited for a new book to come out from this author! After everything that happened to her, I was always worried that would mean the end to her writing or completely change her style altogether. And it has been a few years since anything new has come out, so I was definitely worried! I am glad that my fears were completely unfounded! It took me a bit to get into the story just because I was slightly confused, but once I was in a little bit-I was completely hooked! Who doesn't love a tortured hero?? This author has so many great stories that feature tortured heroes (Acheron and Styxx are my top of all time!!!) and she does such a fantastic job writing them, this story was no different! Valteri is considered demon born because of his different colored eyes, and as such he is made to be a warrior for his brother. He has suffered so much just because of his eye color. Not only with every day people but with supposed religious men as well. Ariel has been cursed for taking the son of a crone who died in battle. And because of the curse, she can't remember who she is and has been stripped of her powers. When she starts to fall for the man who rescues her, this begins their story of love and sacrifice for each other.

There is so much more to Valteri than even he knows. I loved how they come about their relationship. There isn't any artifice when it comes to their relationship. They just are falling for each other naturally and I loved that. This author always writes in such a way that you can't help but love the characters and feel for the things that they go through in their lives. And I think that is what makes a great author and story. The fact that your emotions are engaged. I can't wait to read more and am so happy that she is back!!

4.5 Stars

The sixth book in the Dream Hunters, Shadow Fallen is the first of several anticipated releases by this author. A well delivered story with many characters we have met through previous books. Valteri the ‘Godless’ and Ariel the Arelim’s are compelling characters and the interaction between all the cast is dynamic and engaging.

Ms. Kenyon is definitely back and I must say I am so glad that she is.

Sherrilyn does it again. Introducing Valteri ,life has been a battle since his first breath, and Ariel, an Arel who has been cursed and has landed here on earth during the Norman invasion. Their story is one that plays out over the pages while giving you some answers from previous books. I wouldn't necessarily call this a Dream Hunter novel but it does start to tie in Dark Hunters, Nick (well his ancestor anyway!), and even the Deadmen. Without giving anything away this book will make you feel like no time has past since the last DH novel.

I was provided an ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I am a long time fan of Sherrilyn's, and I like many of her fans am extremely excited to see her writing again. This is her first book in several years back in the Darkhuner/Dreamhunter world, and it centers on new characters that we haven't see before. As the story progresses, old characters that long time fans are familiar with are introduced and play a part in the storyline. As with all of the books in the Dreamhunter and Darkhunter, you can read this one as a standalone, but as many of the books and characters are so interconnected, I feel like I would have been a bit lost had I not read the previous books in the series. This one does stand pretty well on it's own giving the reader enough information about who people are and enough background to figure out what is happening. Ariel and Valteri's story ties nicely into the already established storyline that many of us have been reading for a very long time and I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next.

This started out a bit slow for my taste, but as things developed and more characters were introduced things started to pick up around the half way mark. This particular installment in the series feels a bit more like historical fiction, whereas many of the other books in the series have a more urban fiction feel. This book felt more like one of her Kinley MacGregor medieval romances, but I expect that has to do with it being more of an origin story for Ariel and Valteri and that we will see them again in future installments. There is also quite the religious overtone present, as Valteri is constantly accused of being demon-spawn. Ariel is an Arel, basically a type of angel, and she isn't the first Arel we've seen between The Chronicles of Nick, The Darkhunters, and the Dreamhunter books. The war between good and evil has been brewing for quite sometime among the interconnected series and I expect our two main characters to resurface as it comes to pass as we get more books.

The worldbuilding wasn't overly complex as this was set in the real world with a few fantasy elements. The "magic" system isn't overly complex in the series to begin with and this particular installment doesn't have the same mythological backing as some of the other books it is more centered around Christianity and the Norman-Saxon conflict.

Overall, I think this is a good comeback for the author. This book gave us valuable information about characters we've wanted to know about for years, and sets the stage for future books. I'm excited that she's back and can't wait for future installments.

Shadow Fallen is the 6th book in Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dream-Hunters series (which is related to her Dark-Hunter series). The Dream-Hunters books stand alone, so no worries if you haven't read them. There is an appearance of a popular character from the Dark-Hunters, but knowledge of that character isn't necessary to read and understand this story. It's nice to see some new work from Ms. Kenyon in connection with these fan-favorite series.

Ariel has been an Arel for centuries, protecting the souls of innocent mortals after death in battle. Captured by a sorceress with an axe to grind, Ariel is cursed to be a human with no memory of her past life; she will not be released from the curse until she falls in love and her beloved dies in her arms. When she awakens, she's in the middle of the Norman invasion of England. Valteri, the strong leader of Norman troops and brother of William the Conqueror, wants nothing more than to die in battle. He is accused of being a demon due to different colored eyes, and everyone is terrified of him. He's been tortured his entire life because of this. When the noblewoman with no memory is brought to him, he realizes he has seen her in his dreams. Others come for Ariel, and Valteri is not aware of the nature of these beings. He knows nothing of his secret destiny, nor does he know of Ariel's. Are both Ariel and Valteri doomed?

So it's been a long time since I've read a book by Sherrilyn Kenyon, and I've fallen behind in her series. I'm a big fan, so I was thrilled to get a copy of this book and become reacquainted with her work. As is typical with Ms. Kenyon's previous books, this one stars a tortured hero, and I don't mean that figuratively. Her poor heroes are put through the ringer and literally tortured physically - and mentally. Poor Valteri has been tortured his entire life, especially by the so-called men of God who believe he's demonborn and needs it beaten and whipped out of him. Maybe because I'm a bit older, but I thought the wrongs to him were a bit overdone. However, I loved his character. Though people were terrified of him, he treated them all decently; he even had a cross-eyed little kitten that he treated as a special pet. Not exactly a monster, is he? He was suspicious of Ariel, but couldn't help falling for her. I loved his mix of light and darkness. Ariel was a strong heroine. She had no idea what happened to her, and this beautiful knight didn't look like a demon to her. She was a caring young woman and was kind to all. When bits and pieces of memory came back to her, she began to realize something really wrong was going on here. I loved the relationship between Valteri and Ariel, which was both hot and tender. There were some great supporting characters, including Shadow, Thorn and Belial. I must admit that the story got confusing to me at times. Okay, lots of times. There was a mixture of angels, demons, gods and goddesses. The demons weren't all bad and the angels weren't always good. The names of the different groups of beings just became confusing to me, and I had trouble keeping up with who was who. The names of the characters were odd and also confused me a bit, trying to sort everyone out. Yet I still greatly enjoyed the book after I gave up trying keeping everything straight and just gave in to the storytelling. I need to catch up on Ms. Kenyon's work, and I look forward to new books.

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.

A fearless knight and a powerful evil fighting immortal. A great combo. Except....neither knows who they are. Can these two who believe they're mortal like those around them fight the evil that seeks to destroy them both and find happiness? Of course, it seems highly unlikely, if not impossible, for most of the story.

Ariel has been cursed and dropped on Valteri's land. Land he has no real desire to occupy but it demanded to by his brother the king. Her memory has been wiped and she's lost her supernatural powers. Valteri is only comfortable in battle. He's seeming unkillable and has no fear when facing the enemy. He's got no time for a lady with no idea who she is or where she belongs. All the same, the two almost instantly realize they're attracted to and admire the other. With unhappy Saxons surrounding them, they have little time to worry about this attraction though. The Saxons want the devil Norman to return the lady. They're angry over their losses in the war and the occupation. Throughout his life, Valteri's mismatched eyes have caused people to believe he is evil. He's used to be shunning for that so adding the war to the mix doesn't really bother him. Or does it...?

I enjoyed the interactions between these two. While they aren't always comfortable and they never seek to be attracted, they just mesh so well. It's absolutely heartwarming to see Ariel with the children or the area and how she makes them realize Valteri is actually a good guy. Maybe she's convincing Valteri a little too.

As you'd expect from Kenyon, the book is a sweeping tale of epic proportions laced with gods, demi-gods, and all manor of paranormal beings. Unlike contemporary romance heroes and heroines, these two must not only fight all the personal relationship mess but so much more, all of which is literally life-threatening. From one scene to the next the seemingly insurmountable problems rise and and eventually conquered. Eventually. Only after Ariel's memory returns completely and Valteri is convinced of his heritage are the two finally able to find their version of a happily ever after. So hard won and so rewarding.

I recommend this book to readers of paranormal romance, paranormal and romance especially if you, like me, like a good ration of mythology in your books.

Thanks to the author, Tor Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

I am a lifetime fan of Sherrilyn Kenyon. Her Dark-Hunter series drew me in and I was hooked from book #1. I loved that this book was set in a different historical era.

As always Sherrilyn knows how to do banter and intrigue and sexual tension like no other.

I highly recommend this new book in her series!

As a fan of Sherrilyn Kenyon I have waited a long time for this book and it was a good book. The problem I had with it that prevents me from saying it was a great book is that it is a rewrite of an earlier story of her’s called Daemon’s Angel. Though the stories have a lot of the same this one fits into the Dark-Hunter world and causes us to learn more about Shadow, Thorn, and Jaden. I want to also say that I’m confused why this book got a Dream Hunter designation. It has nothing to do with the Dream Hunters. If anything it’s closer to a Hellchaser novel than any of them. The book takes place in the distant past of the Norman “invasion” of Saxon England and has all the goodness of a historical romance with a paranormal twist that includes all of the baddies that we love to hate and seeing some of our favorite characters again. I definitely recommend giving this book a read. If you’ve read Daemon’s Angel it might take a bit to get over the similar storylines but once you do you’ll devour this one. Trust me.

SHADOW FALLEN is a fascinating look at medieval history - though some of it has been adapted to fit with author Sherrilyn Kenyon's dream-hunters series. This story takes the reader easily through this nonstop adventure, filled with danger and intrigue and - yes - a happily ever after!

Reviewed by Annetta Sweetko for Fresh Fiction

Complete review may be found at: https://freshfiction.com/review.php?id=77484

I was really excited about this book and I'm glad I finished it, but the first half of the book was a slog. It felt very repetitive, to the point where I was skipping actual pages. In the end I enjoyed the story, and I liked the Easter Eggs of other characters, but oh boy this was a challenge to get through. As always grateful to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this.