I don't know if it would have been an easier, more enjoyable read, to have no knowledge of this series. At first I tried to place its place with the other storylines but had no luck. Then to bring in Acheron at the end... it really threw me.

The gods at play in Medieval times!

I’m not sure if this is a Medieval historical romance wrapped in the banner of Fantasy or an historical fantasy novel. The gods at play in the human world with archangels and fallen angels, demons and their ilk running riot, and attempting to change the balance of power.
It’s been sometime since I’ve read a fantasy where the pantheon of gods infect and infiltrate the historical world. The time is that of William the Conqueror. Valteri the Godless, is William’s half brother, a fearsome warrior, more berserker, and a tormented soul. Tormented as a child by the clerics in charge of him who saw his mismatched eyes as a sign of the demonic. Valteri has a dream of a blond woman in a battlefield. Prophetic. Ariel, is a daughter of the archangel Saint Michael and “a Naşāru—a resolute warrior whose calling was to stay far from the mortal realm, where their licentiousness could tempt her, except for those brief moments when she was commanded to find dead warriors to return to life so that they could fight in earthly battles that were denied to her species. Her job was to protect the order of the universe. To defend the primal forces. She was not to know pain. That was for mortals to bear.”
Ariel is tricked by a troublesome demon Belial and a crone with a grudge against her. Ariel is stripped of her powers. She is the key to Belial’s attempts to regain favour of the evil god Kadar. Of course there’s tricksy moments and counter moves but how Ariel will win free and how Valteri will protect and be protected is contested every step of the way.
Things of course take a slightly different tack. My heart goes out to Valteri who is more than he seems, a lonely and abused man with a kind heart whose self protection solution is to isolate himself and move from one battle to another. Only this time William outplays him by gifting Valteri lands and responsibilities Valteri doesn’t want.
A love story filled with heartache, demons, angels and the like.
This is my first Kenyan novel. I don’t think it will be my last.

A Macmillan-Tor/Forge ARC via NetGalley
Please note: Quotes taken from an advanced reading copy maybe subject to change
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

It's been a good long time since I've read anything by Sherrilyn Kenyon. I used to love her books and the second they came out I'd run to read them. Then life got in the way and I found myself farther and farther away from reading them. Since she hasn't written as much in the past few years I'm not too far behind thankfully.

When I saw Shadow Fallen come up for review I knew I had to read it.

I'm glad I gave it a try. I do enjoy her characters and I think Kenyon is a wonderful writer that has a habit of drawing in her readers and keeping them wrapped up in her story. Which happened with Shadow Fallen. Right away I got into the story and enjoyed it. I felt like it was just yesterday that I read her. I loved both Ariel and Valteri.

Right away you can feel the heat that these two have for one another. They mesh perfectly. You want to know their story. I will admit that at times you get slightly tired of their conflict with each other. It's tiresome at times. But when they are working together the story flows perfectly and you enjoy going on the ride with them.

As much as I really enjoyed it the cover didn't work for me at all. It looks homemade. Not the best but thankfully I really enjoyed what was in it.

I am so thrilled that the Queen of Fantasy has returned with a new book to devour and Shadow Fallen was everything I was expected from her and more! Sherrilyn's stories always take me away from this world to a different realm where the gods scheme and fight and live their lives affecting the lives of us lowly humans either for good or for evil.

In Shadow Fallen we are given us something new. We are taken back to an actual time in history in Britain just after William of Normandy has defeated the Saxons to become King of England He has brought his brothers with him to help him to rule his new kingdom. One of these brothers is Valteri who has been shamed, ridiculed and made to suffer at the hands of religious men due to his odd coloured eyes which are thought to be the mark of the devil. Valteri has grown from a tomented child into a warrior unbeatable on the battle field and he is given the Lordship of Ravenswood as a reward from William but this is not going to be an easy task for the Norman who is hated and feared by all.

Ariel is an Arel who collects the souls of men who die on the battlefield to take back to heaven and her bosses to use in the fight against evil. When Ariel takes the soul of one young man she is cursed by his witch mother and she finds herself bound to the earth in human form and the curse will not be lifted until someone she loves dies in her arms.

When Valteri and Ariel meet there is instant attraction between them. Ariel is unafraid of the dark dangerous soldier who never seems to have a good word for anyone except his kitten. Valteri cannot believe that someone as beautiful as Ariel could ever love a beaten and broken man like him and he fights his every instinct that tells him not to fall in love with her. Who knows whether it is the curse of the witch, the workings of the demon Belial or the truth but these two find themselves spending the night together and as custom decrees they must marry so as not to shame Ariel.

This is a love story that is breathtaking and intense in it's slow burning love and passion. These two have found their purpose being with each other but there are so many entities out there in both worlds who are against them and their loyalty to each other is tested especially by the demon Belial who is out to cause trouble between them for his own gains. Sherrilyn introduces us to some new characters who I am sure we will see again in future books including Shadow one of the Dark Hunters and Thorn the leader of the Hell Chasers. Potential world changing secrets are revealed but have to be immediately hidden if people are to remain safe.

Sherrilyn has introduced us to another tormented hero but even though learning Valteri's past was painful butit was nowhere near the pain I felt reading Styx and Archeron's stories but I have a feeling that we may learn more as more of his celestial family history is revealed in future books.

Congratulations to Ms Kenyon (McQueen) bringing your amazing talent and imagination back for us to enjoy. I read 23 of her books in two weeks while at home sick so I am more than excited to have more of her totally captivating stories to read.

I have got to know this author from the books that were published in Poland by Wydawnictwo Mag and Wydawnictwo Amber (publishers), that had amazed me with how big this world of Night Hunters got and it still makes sense! Shadow Fallen begins a new story ARC in the Dream Hunter section, as I may call it.
This time we are in the past - medieval ones, so be ready for old English in talking as this is what makes the story true. Our main hero is Valteri, a man from the Normans tribe that invades Christian Europe. His only aim in the next battle or war, there is nothing in between, as he can't be in one place for a longer time if he's not dealing with enemies. A fight is the call of his soul, his destiny I would even say. We all know how superstitious were people in those days and Valteri due to his strange deformation is called a devil's spawn and feared by everyone, to add above the hate he and his people are receiving. This would be his dream life, but the King, who is his half-brother, made him a lord in the Saxons country that he has conquered - well, can you see what he would be encountering from those people.
Our heroine is Ariel, who has many secrets, to say the least, and she was laying in the fields, completely out - unconscious, and as it was chivalrous times, the ones that found her brought her to the lord of those lands. Her mind was clouded due to past events and she does not know who or what she is, right now she's just a woman with no memories, that knows only her name. In Shadow Fallen, she will be learning what she can do and discovering small parts of her past with each action, and this was the part that I liked the most here when it comes to Ariel, as it was so true and innocent.
I don't want to spoil anything, so I only touched the base of the characters and some events, but I will not go any deeper into it, as I'm keeping it spoiler-free. They will be struggling against outer forces that made them deal with a bunch of unwanted actions that can endanger everything, but can their growing connection and in the end, love go against it? Ariel and Valteri will have a path full of obstacles before they will be able to reach what is there for them. The last chapters and epilogue were what made me teary, to see one of my favorite characters by this author of all times - this is just a tease! Be ready for a well-developed story in case of characters and events that kept me glued to my kindle!
You should know at least the basics of this world before you will start with Shadow Fallen, to make sure you get the references, but even without that you can read it for sure, but no Easter Eggs then for you! I can't wait to see what more we will get to see in this HUGE universe in the future!

This is a Dream Hunter book which is a spin off from the Dark Hunters series. I've been reading both of these series for a long time and I have to say this is the first book of this authors that I didn't love. Not that it will stop me from reading the next books in either series but for the first half of this book, it didn't feel or read like it was from the Dark Hunters universe at all.

Ariel can't remember her life and has been cursed to be a mortal human because of something she did but can't remember. She meets Valteri who was given up by his mother who never wanted him and he was abused and treated badly as a child until his brother found him and tried to help him. His brother has now given him a home, land and title.

Valteri is looked upon by others as something vile because of his mismatched eyes and how many men he's killed on the battlefield but Ariel doesn't look at him in that way. Valteri feels a strong pull towards her but his self loathing won't allow him to make a move on her because he thinks that being with him would ruin her. Plus he's never met a woman who would willingly be with him, not even when he paid for it.

These two end up working closely together when he asks for her help with his books since he isn't good at math and can't make heads or tales of the ledgers. So Ariel helps him and they spend more and more time together, getting closer.

It was bored with the first half of this book but once her "brothers" showed up, it started to pick up because then we start to see what's really going on and who she actually is. Once I understood why she was cursed, who she is and who Valteri actually is, then things started to make more sense and the story started picking up and I enjoyed it more. I really enjoyed the ending when Acheron and Simi made an appearance. It was a good addition to the series but not my favorite.

Disclosure: I was given an e-ARC of this book via NetGalley but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Sherrilyn Kenyon returns to her Dream Hunter / Dark Hunter series with Shadow Fallen. Taking a somewhat new approach, the book has many new faces, with the appearance of some previously known side characters. Kenyon also returns to some of her writing roots having set this particular entry in Medieval times. Ariel is captured and turned mortal by a sorceress having lost any memory of who she is she stumbles into the path of Valteri a fierce warrior who has seemingly live a cursed life himself.
I have long been a Kenyon fan, particular of her flagship series, but I was slightly disappointed by this entry. She often is able to balance serious subjects with quippy dialogue and I found it slightly lacking here. Overall I enjoyed being back in the world, and will continue to follow the series but this return was a little lacklustre for me. I missed the familiar characters that previous held the books together, and after I had taken such a hiatus from the world I was hoping to check in with some old favourites, and be taken in by the new leads.

I've been so excited for 'Shadows Fallen,' the new release by Sherrilyn Kenyon in the Dark Hunter universe.. more specifically a Dream Hunter novel. It's been such a long time coming and the road has been a rough one for her, but she remains one of my favorite novelists and I couldn't be happier with her latest book.

As this is just the first in the trilogy leading up to Jaden's book, I'm already heavily invested. Jaden was one of my favorites already.. and though I did get one glimpse of my absolute #1 Dark Hunter here, I'm hoping for a lot more of that too.

Valteri is wonderful. If anyone wondered if Kenyon would still be able to tug at their heart strings with ease, let me assure you.. she can. Only a handful of pages into the first chapter, I knew he was going to have a horrible backstory and probably an unpleasant immediate future as well. He's gruff on the outside (though not as much as Zarek.. who I also adore) and a squishy soft marshmallow man on the inside. In other words, he's easy to love.

Since life caused me to fall behind on a few books in the latter part of the series, there were some revelations here for me regarding some of the other characters that we'd met earlier on. Though, that has only spurred my need to go back and catch up.

Ariel is a really sweet character and she means well, but man.. if there is something she could have done to make his journey unintentionally any more difficult.. I have no idea what it would have been. In addition to all the scheming from the enemies, she just makes bad decision after bad decision when it comes to Valteri.

I did enjoy my return to the Dark Hunter universe though and I can't wait to see what lies ahead on this path to the Broker we all know and love.

I’ve been a faithful fan of the Dark Hunter series by Sherrilyn Kenyon since back when the books were still being released. 16 years later and I’m amazed at the evolution of the Dark Hunters and Dream Hunters and the connections between all the stories and characters.

Meet our tortured hero, Valteri – deemed terrifying and unlovable and a horrible demon – because of, guess what? The color of his eyes! People can be so cruel. The one thing I’ve always admired about Sherrilyn Kenyon’s stories is her ability to show the worst of humankind. And the best of it.

Stuck in a predicament not of her own choosing, Ariel still saw Valteri for who he truly was. I loved that about her. She didn’t let the prejudice and bigotry of other people stop her from seeing Valteri’s good heart.

And of course we can’t forget all the hidden nuclear secrets, appearance of some favorite characters, a surprising cameo and a satisfying end. The pacing was a bit slower than usual but overall it was a nice addition to both the Dark Hunter and Dream Hunter series.

Sherrilyn is back


Fallen Shadow marks a comeback with everything that I have come to love from Sherrilyn’s writing.

In a medieval setting, the Battle of good and evil continues. Valteri has known nothing from life other than sorrow, pain and battle. Born with different color eyes made him an outcast from the beginning. Some say he was evil, others say he was a demon and some call him as a son of the devil himself. He is brother to the king and undefeated in war. A hardened man who is whispered about behind his back does nothing to change what people think of him. Knowing nothing of the good side of life, the Temptations of a beautiful woman make Valteri think quite differently than he normally does.

Ariel has been a part of the battle of good and evil for as long as she knows. Her job is to collect the souls of the dying on the battlefield for the unknown war of good and evil that’s going on. Ariel finds herself bound to the earth knowing nothing of who she is and with a curse because of the grief of a mother’s loss. Not knowing who or what she is Ariel stumbles onto the lands of a feared man but yet she embraces him. Sewing is not something Ariel knows but skill with a sword can’t be denied. Ariel is about to embark on something she’s never known but yet can’t seem to say no to.


As a long time fan I am very excited to see this wonderful author back in action. From beginning to end this book is classic Sherrilyn everything! Ariel and Valteri are perfect for each other. From the moment they met to the interactions they had there was no lack of chemistry whatsoever. I love the way they talked and interacted with each other. Whether it be funny, protective or sensual they seem so in tune to each other and just wanted the best for one another. A broken hero and a kick butt angelic woman find their happily ever after.
I know some will complain that this is not one of the big name characters that long time fans have been very patiently waiting for. However when a series is this long and has this many characters sometimes we have to be patient longer than we would like. Some wonderful bits of information are discovered within the pages Shadow Fallen And have some nice foreshadowing for one of those big names that we have been waiting for. And we even get treated with an appearance from one of the all-time favorite dark hunters. I very much enjoy the book and look forward to the things to come within the Dream Hunter/ Dark Hunter world.

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Shadow Fallen is the latest book released by Sherrilyn Kenyon which is part of the Dream Hunters/Dark Hunters series. It felt more like a historical paranormal novel set in a time where the Normans fought the Saxons. This could definitely be read as a standalone but fans of the series can see glimpses of characters within the Dark Hunter Universe.

Valteri has been cursed the day the he was born. A visible “deformity” made his life a living hell. With different coloured eyes, people feared him as they thought him to be the devil’s own son. He walks a dark and lonely path.

Ariel protects the souls of those who die. Unfortunately, she is cursed by the mother of a young man’s soul she helped. She is then without memory of who or what she is.

Valteri and Ariel’s love story is one of a tortured hero who is healed by an understanding and loving individual. It was interesting to see it progress as there were various obstacles getting in their way of their happily ever after.

Overall, an enjoyable read that felt a bit like a prelude of what is to come in the next few novels of the series.

Rating: 5/5
I received this book for my honest review

First off I have to say WELCOME BACK SHERRILYN! Oh, how I have missed your book.

This book introduces us to some new characters and others that we have grown to love throughout her series. Valteri is a new character, who is a Norman warrior who has just had the short end of the stick his whole life. He has been feared and hated by all around him, all because of a deformity that is cause “by demon father”. He has been raised to know only hate and war. It wasn’t until Ariel, who was found in a field with no memory of who she is or how she got there, came into his life and changed everything. Ariel, who isn’t human at all but something else, has fought the forces of evil her whole life, never going against the rules or questioning. Her task is to protect the souls of the innocent mortals when they die so they can train and become warriors for a greater war that humans do not know or understand is happening. However, with a witch who is not happy with Ariel, puts a curse on her and now she must fight for her life as well as Valteris too.





OMG!! I have been waiting forever to understand more about characters that I love from Sherrilyn Kenyons series. This book was amazing, I loved how you got to see the new characters with the old ones we have all come to love. Sherrilyn's world building has always been amazing and in this book, she did not disappoint. She has a way with words and details that just brings the world to life and the characters. I loved how well she is able to blend the Dark Hunter series with the Dream Hunters series, yet still make the book its own in that series. The humor between the new characters and the old was one of my favorite parts in this book, I love seeing a different side to the characters. I am so happy and honored that I was able to read this book before it came out because I have been dying to read and understand more about characters that will be having their own book soon. I think the best part is that in every book you read of hers you get clues and answers to questions from previous books, of course now I have even more questions and I can’t wait to read the next book to get more answers. All of her books you will always see some drama, romance (even spicy romance), action and great humor. If you have not picked up one of her books you really should, deep your toes into the world of Chronicles of Nick, it’s a great YA fantasy.

I want to thank Netgalley for allowing me the chance to read and review Shadow Fallen, I also want to thank Macmillan-Tor/Forge and last but never least Thank you to Sherrilyn for delivering another amazing book.

Looking for angsty? Looking for traumatic childhoods? Mix that in with medieval times and this basically describes the story. If you liked Ms. Kenyon (McQueen) and her Kinley MacGregor stories, this is the one for you. As a side note, it is sad that the author cannot change her surname to one that she wants. This book can be read as a standalone. I thought it was going to be more with the dream hunters but this goes a completely different direction.

Ariel is ripped from her world and lands in the lap of the most reviled knight - Valteri. From the first chapter, I knew this was going to be a difficult read for me. Difficult because I knew I was going to be torn apart with sorrow and indignation. How does Ms. McQueen come up with these horrible people torturing children? It's amazing that the child doesn't become a psychopath. What has been done to Valteri because of his name as well as his eyes is reprehensible. He is a match for Ariel who is also being punished for something she is innocent of and has no control.

The first third of the book is learning about all the heinous acts perpetrated upon two people through no fault of their own. As more players are added to this devilish game with souls at stake, it doesn't look like a single person in here is a winner. I'm not sure who in this world is a winner because as far as I can tell, every character is either being punished, tortured, or losing a battle. This is a bleak existence where there is no justice only might and the powerless.

Through all of this grim existence, Ariel and Valteri still somehow find goodness. Of course that must be stamped out. Ms. McQueen cannot let any of her characters have a hint of happiness. This gloom and doom story does end up with a happily for now. This book also implies there are other forces at work and I do not know if we will ever receive all the pieces in this world where everyone is a loser. Sacrifice upon sacrifice is made and yet the end result seems to be the same. There are cameos of characters from the different series in this universe. For those who haven't read those books, this book may be a bit confusing. It took me a little bit to recall the different tie ins.

This paranormal romance is recommended to readers who enjoy angst and love the anti-heroes.

Shadow Fallen
Dark-Hunter Series - Book 53
By Sherrilyn Kenyon

Tor - April 2022


Ariel had simply done her job. She was neither mortal nor human with their associated frailties and emotions. She was an Arel. She simply approached those who had died, and offered them a choice. It had not been her fault or choice that they had died, yet she was being blamed for it. She had been cursed, and now was mortal with mortal feelings and limitations. The only escape from this savage place was to fall in love herself, then watch the one she loved die.

Then with the pain and disorientation of being pulled into the mortal world, Ariel loses her memory. Of what she is, who her enemies are, and the consequence of falling in love.

Valteri had been cursed his whole life, but his was just a chance of birth. He had two different colored eyes. Most were afraid to look at him, others had taken the opportunity to abuse him as a child. Now, he was a feared warrior, half-brother to William, who had just invaded and now ruled England. Valteri wanted to leave, but William had just made him lord at Ravenswood Hall with ever more responsibilities. With the arrival of Ariel, Valteri was shocked by her reaction to him, or rather her lack of reaction. She looked at his face without flinching. She turned to him instinctively.

As pieces of Ariel's memory returns, their love has already grown.

Shadow Fallen is another piece of the Dark Hunter web of interconnected stories. However, it can be read on its own. I enjoyed watching as the relationship between Ariel and Valteri grew and they both overcame their pasts. The various characters were interesting, as were the glimpses into their situations. Overall, this was a historical paranormal romance readers can enjoy.

Kathy Andrico - KathysReviewCorner.com

This is the latest book by bestselling author Sherrilyn Kenyon. It is in the Dream Hunter Series, an off shoot of her Dark Hunter world. This is the story of Valteri (a half-brother of William the Conqueror) and Ariel, an Arel (in essence daughter of Michael and an Angel who takes dying souls to their next place). She does that to a soul and gets cursed by the mother of the soul/man to fall in love and watch him die and feel pain. She is pulled to earth and finds Belial, a demon waiting for her. He messes with her mind making her lose her memory and so she is wandering around. Valteri's people find her and takes her to him. He is attracted to her, but he had a bad life and can't trust her and feels he isn't good enough for her.

I have loved Ms. Kenyon’s Dark Hunter Series. She is a great writer with an amazing imagination, and she has created a complex, world with these series. After a while though I stopped reading her books because they all started to blur together. This is the first book I have picked up in many years. I had hoped the time and distance would pull me back in. Unfortunately, it also meant I am no longer familiar with the various players and characters and was less invested. I felt this book was more of the same by Ms. Kenyon. The tortured hero with a dark past (who has literally been tortured by everyone, including parents) who turns out to be pivotal in the war to save humanity, the involvement of Gods and the deeper underlying mission etc. The woman who works hard to save this man and manages to do so and has a HEA. I just didn't enjoy this book. Why then 3 stars you say? Because this is classic Ms. Kenyon and It's another chapter in the ongoing saga. If you haven't tired of it the series, you will love this book. If you have tired of the series, then this book will not pull you back in. If you have never read Ms. Kenyon, then please do not start with this book as you will be left floundering. I recommend starting at the beginning with Dragonswan.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Sherrilyn Kenyon McQueen is back, and I am so excited about it.

Shadow Fallen is exactly what we expect from Ms. Sherilyn and the Dark Hunter World – detailed world building, complex characters, and a great love story sprinkled with lots of sarcasm, the possibility the world might end, and a glimpse at some of our favorite characters.

A protector of souls, Ariel is cursed by the mother of one of the souls she helped transport. The sorceress turns Ariel human (meaning she now has all the emotions and stuff we have to deal with) who has amnesia (so she doesn’t remember all the nonhuman stuff), and leaves her with a damning curse. Ariel navigates her new life through instincts alone until her memories come back to her, but the one thing she knows is that she is drawn to Valteri and feels safe in his presence.

Valteri is known for his demonic name, his demonic looks, and his demonic fighting skills. He’s been beaten, tortured, and cursed his entire life, but outside of the battlefield he rescues cats and clumsy servants, and he does his best to ignore the talk about him while protecting the very people that curse him.

Ariel recognizes the softness in Valteri immediately, and trusts him more than the relatives and memories that keep showing up. Valteri doesn’t know what to think of the woman who treats him like no other person ever has and he believes that it’s too good to be true. When Ariel gets her memories back, Ariel must convince Valteri that everything he disbelieves is true and the two of them must work together to figure out how to break the curse.

The only downside to this book for me (and this may have just been my mood while reading it) is that some of their behaviors felt a bit too repetitive. My own growling at the characters (you know, like yelling at the tv when the characters are being stupid) pulled me out of the story about 3/4 of the way through, but it quickly redeemed itself. I’m knocking half a star for that so 4.5 stars.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first Sherrilyn Kenyon book that I'm aware of - and what a ride it was! I can understand why this author is so well known and sought after when it comes to new releases and old favorites. I loved the imagery and detail she put into each scene, it helped a new to her series reader see the big picture and all the juicy ongoings between these characters and what I assume are old favorites from the Dark Hunter Series. From what I can tell, you can read this as a standalone which was perfect for me.

Valteri is a character that allows everyone around him to see the darkest side of him and most people tend to take him at face value. He's been the right hand of his ruling king brother who treats him poorly. But finally, he's ready to move on, all he asks for is the money that is his due. What most don't know is that he has a soft inner heart, just talk to his squire or his adorable cross-eyed kitten, Cecile.

Ariel is an immortal sentinel that protects souls as they crossover. However, things change when the mother witch of a soul she crossed curses her to be human and find love only to see that person die. She ends up on Valteri's doorstep, her memory jumbled. She has a fighting spirit however and is determined to figure things out.

Together they find what they need in the other. Valteri, a man who trusts almost no one based on the actions done to him in the past manages to see Ariel's inner spirit. She manages to see his inner good nature that everyone else tends to overlook. As Ariel's memory returns, they start to determine what will be needed to succeed. And they find each other.

This was an excellent read and has opened my eyes to this amazing author that I haven't read before. I've got some catching up to do!

My opinions are my own and freely given.

It was a relief to fall back into this world. I have missed this authors work! Now, I'm not sure why this one falls into the dream hunter line. Honestly it doesn't really slot into any of the series. It is a mashup of characters, old and new, who fans will love. I suspect this is an important build up towards Jaden's book and the importance of this story will become clear then. Regardless I loved this story. Ariel and Valteri will charm you and have you rooting for them. There's plenty of action, a bit of suspense, a big dose of humor and a wonderful romance. Welcome back Ms. Kenyon.

Oh wow, it has been a hot minute since I last read a novel by SK and how have I missed her. I do admit I had a few false start with this book as I have difficulty in following the storyline. However the moment I got into it, I was in for a ride. This book is entertaining and deep in its lore, as usual SK is a Mistress at World Building. I love a tortured Hero and Valteri is one truly full of angst. The book did fall off a bit in the middle but it picked up speed towards the end. Welcome back SK, I look forward to the next book.

Thanks NetGalley for the copy, this is my unbiased review.

Shadow Fallen is a historical romance that focuses on the dynamics of trying to get Ariel and then Valteri’s souls for evil purposes. The story is filled with subterfuge and plenty of threatening conversations. We get to learn Valteri’s back story, which is not as bad as Acheron’s, but he is trying for second best. Of course, there is true love too.

Oddly enough when I was designing this post, I thought this page count was going to equal or come close to Acheron’s page count at 728 pages. This book only came in at 288 pages according to Goodreads (I received a .mobi file). I was shocked because as I was drafting this review in my head, I was thinking that Fallen could have been edited to be shorter and therefore more fun to read. There seemed to be a lot of filler to me, hence why I thought the page count was much higher.

Sadly the sex scenes were not the usual Kenyon style either as they were very tame and with little detail. Maybe it is a by-product of what is happening in her personal life and she is just not feeling sexy, but I really do like a Kenyon sex scene.

There just seemed to be something missing in Shadow Fallen. This is not to say that the overall story isn’t enjoyable - it is. I just wanted more of what I am used to from Kenyon and that is on me - not on her. Please don’t take my own personal greediness as a negative against the story. Read it. Let me know what you think.

I received an ARC of this book and I am writing a review without prejudice and voluntarily.