Shadow Fallen is true Sherrilyn Kenyon. It's fast paced, full of humorous banter, and dark, political intrigue. Ariel, a member of the angelic Arel, has been cursed to become human and die as she watches her true love die a horrible death. Valteri, a mighty warrior cursed by his mortal brother to run an estate and deal with court politics wants nothing more than to be alone or fighting in battle. When a beautiful woman is found unconscious on his lands, Valteri feels pulled, and obligated, to care for her and discover her origins. As the two try to discover the cause of Ariel's memory loss and uncover her past, mysterious strangers begin showing up, bringing chaos and upsetting the precarious balance Valteri has worked so hard for her on his estate.
In true Kenyon fashion, we are given a tale of overcoming past trauma, the healing power of love, and found family.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read and review this title. All opinions and mistakes are my own.

Shadow fallen is mysterious, dark and makes me want to shout from the rooftops they literally everyone needs to read this book!

Set in the time of the Norman invasion of England, Ariel finds herself under the protection of Valteri, a Norman lord and warrior. Valteri is a respected warrior but feared as demon spawn and discarded by many throughout his life. Ariel has a case of amnesia and doesn’t realize she is an immortal cursed in a human body. Ariel & Valteri are drawn to each other both naturally and under the influence of a crone and actual demon who have nefarious motives.

I enjoyed this read. Both Ariel and Valteri are working with the bad hand of cards that were dealt to them. Valteri is unable to open up and trust anyone due to a lifetime of mistreatment and Ariel is just trying to piece together who she is - her mind conflicting with her gut feelings. Their brokenness fits together perfectly. This novel is a nice snippet in what is a much larger world of warring demons mixing with humankind. A light romance with a hand of immortal drama in the mix. 3 stars.

Review based on an uncorrected digital galley provided by Macmillan-Tor/Forge and NetGalley. Thank you!

The Author Goddess is back!

Sherri is a master storyteller. She has ways of making you care about the characters and praying for that HEA (even when you already know you're going to get it!). She weaves her worlds in the most intricate ways with twists and turns that keep you invested and eager for more.

I was surprised to find out this is one of her older short stories that had been reworked into a novel. I haven't read the original, so it was all very new to me, however, the first half of the book read like it was being stretched. It was very wordy, less actiony. I was beginning to wonder how she was going to turn things around to keep me intrigued.

Then, BAM!

Around the halfway mark we start getting the bigger picture, introducing characters that, if you're familiar with the D-H books, you already know and love. These characters tie in not just for the sake of being there for long time fans, but actually serving a purpose of furthering the main series arc. And judging by events and conversations that happened, the series is going to get even better!

While I cared about Ariel and Valteri and wanted them to have a happy ending, without the presence of the others (Thorn, Shadow, Jaden, and Acheron), I don't think I would've rated this four stars. It probably would've been three. I just didn't care AS MUCH for them as I do others in the series. While this can be read as a standalone, I don't recommend it. It's much better knowing the bigger picture.

Ever since I first picked up a copy of “Dance with the devil” as a teenager I have loved and read every Dark hunter & dream hunter book. By this point it feel like home to read a new title in this series but I am sad to admit the quality has dropped. I don’t feel as connected to these characters as I did the original gang - Kyrian, Zarek, Talon, Valerius & Wulf etc but I’m too far into this series now to quit.
Shadow Fallen follows Saxon warrior Valteri, cursed to be shunned & hated because of his feared “devil mark” - Heterochromia. Valteri follows the classic Kenyon tread of dark & moody protagonist who hides a soft and caring heart beneath. This is shown by his care of his squire and adoption of adorable little ball of fluff Cecile the cat. I didn’t hate Valteri, he’s not going to rewrite the narrative but he was as sweet & as attractive as any romantic lead. Valteris life changes when he meets Ariel, an angel type creature cursed to live as a human until she sees the man she lives for in her arms. It was clear from the offset where the story was going but by this point you know what your getting when you read this series so I was happy to go along for the ride.
In my opinion the three most interesting characters were side characters - Shadow, Thorn & Belial. I would happily read a shadow book & and I really hope we discover more.
I wouldn’t recommend reading this if you had no previous knowledge of the universe because some of the terminology used can be very heavy & confusing but if you’re happy to handle this or have read the others you can go wrong with this straight forward supernatural romance.

It's been awhile since I read a Sherrilyn Kenyon book, but I have read quite a few. This one centered around Ariel who was an Arel who helped dying mortals. A grieving mother curses her and makes her mortal and puts her in the middle of the battle between Saxons and Normans. She has forgotten who she was and has no memories at all, but at times, she knows how to do odd things, like with swords or knives. She meets Valteri, who is feared by almost all as he is a ruthless fighter and because of his mismatched eyes thought to be evil or cursed by the devil. They have an odd beginning and he is quite confused that she is not afraid of him like everyone else. I really liked how their relationship grew . I love how gental she is with the kitten and what she does at the end of the book him. It was a good Sherriyn book and we got to visit with old friends from previous books. I always loved Archeron and Simi stories.
I got this book from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review

With our hero and heroine both stubborn and strong. Taking us back to castles and swords. As our couple fights for their love as well as their lives. With new friends and old. If you have read any dark hunter books the tie ins from past stories keep you on the edge of your seat! While the story is just fine on its own I am ready to go back and read all the books again. It’s filled with evil plots and smart ass demons. Because who doesn’t love a little dark humor. It wouldn’t be a DH novel without a dark past to over come. And what better to help you but love. I really have missed the dark hunter world. This book didn’t disappoint.

Received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review. I was excited to get back into this series. I enjoyed Shadow Fallen and think it setting up for the next few books. We get to see a few familiar faces and of course some new ones. I found it interesting that this book was set in Medieval England. It gives it a little different feel than most the other stories in the series.

I'm excited to read the upcoming stories in this series (see her website if you want to know who the next 3 books are about).

“Shadow Fallen” by Sherrilyn Kenyon is a Dream Hunter novel set during the first Norman king of England’s reign. A little history with paranormal fantasy-romance makes this next installment a good book to relax with after a long day.
The hero, Valteri “the godless”, has lived a brutal, cursed life in a world where if you are born different you are labeled as evil and a demon. He has no trust in anyone until Ariel, the heroine, is dropped into his life. He believes Ariel is the one he sees in his battlefield dreams.
Ariel is vengefully cursed to live as a human with no memory of her other worldly life as a warrior protecting the souls of the battle fallen from being taken by evil. Only until the one she loves dies in her arms will the curse be broken. From the first, she looks at Valteri as if he is her savior.
Valteri and Ariel are each more than what they seem and so much a like. Both warriors in their own rights. Each wanting to do what they feel is right to protect the other, almost to the extreme.
Both must find a way to help the other to overcome the evil that wants to tear them apart before the world they are living in is turned to darkness.
New supporting characters, good and evil, and old friends from previous stories make this story a fun read for Kenyon fans, but the story can be read as a standalone for someone new to her series.

Nothing I say will ever give this book justice. Reading this book felt like coming home. Ive been waiting to have a new book in this series for years. And I am so beyond excited I was fortunate to read this book so early. I have follow Kenyon for years though all of her trials and I am happy that she came out the other side. I can not wait for more Dark Hunter, Dream Hunter, Were Hunter and more! If you are a die hard fan you will fall for this book within the first page!

Shadow Fallen by Sherrilyn Kenyon caught my attention. I enjoyed this book; it was not what I expected. It was, however, engaging, interesting, and a good read. It is part of a series, but it can be read as a stand-alone.
This tale started back in the days of the Norman Conquest with superstition running amuck and causing havoc in human lives, along with a war that began when Harold seized the throne. This particular tale revolved around Ariel, one of the Daughters of the Arch Angel Michael, and a Norman warrior named Valteri, a half-brother to William the Conquer. Ariel was an Arel who had been cursed for doing her job. She was an immortal that took dying humans from battlefields to join the fight between good and evil, and now with the help of an angry old woman and a demon named Belial, she was cursed to live out her life as a mortal until someone she loved died in her arms. Valteri was believed to be cursed and was given to the priest to be raised as a child because he bore what was believed to be a demon's mark; he had one brown eye and one green eye. He had many scars on his body and his heart due to the not so tender mercies of those who were raising him. When the Arel was found wandering, knowing only her name, she was brought to Ravenwood's Hall, where Valteri was the reluctant lord. This book was both a look at the superstition of the time, the pains of war, and a romance that took you through an entire array of feelings. It was a great book as the author brought in characters from her Dark-Hunter Series that tied in with this story.

Loved all the mythology that was brought into this book. I'm a big Sherrilyn Kenyon fan and have read numerous novels of hers. This was another well written, thought out thriller/romance/fantasy. My only critique would be that things seemed to move too fast between the love interests in the beginning. I'm guessing because this has not gone through much editing yet. Once I got past the first few chapters and fell into the rythm of the story I was completely drawn in.

I would recommend this to anyone that loves paranormal romance with a side of pretty delicious plot!

I am so happy that Sherrilyn Kenyon is back, and so excited to jump back into this ever evolving and intertwined world!!
We have a warrior who is hated by everyone, and is contantly being used by his brother for his own gain.. He has a tragic backstory,I mean TRAGIC... and all he secretly wants and hopes for is someone to love him. When Ariel appears and seems to actual like him, and doesn't run away he has no idea what to do... I loved watching them fall in love, and when some of my other favorite characters make an appearance it was just icing on the cake..

Voltari is a man hated by pretty much everyone except his squire. He has spent his days conquering the English for his brother William, and now all he wants to do is be given the money is was promised and leave England behind forever.. Well fate has other plans..
Ariel is an immortal being that escorts the souls of the dead to their final destination, when an old woman curses her to be human for taking her sons soul, and she ends up with no memory well things are going from bad to worse.

Thankfully Ariel ends up at Ravenswood, Voltaris home, and while she is struggling with her memory she can tell that Voltari is actually has a marshmellow center. He has adopted a little cross-eyed kitten and named her Cecile (which will now be the name of my next kitty) and even though he suspects betrayal around every corner (he has good reasons for that) he starts to trust Ariel... When the truth of how Ariel ended up earthbound and the truth of the curse come out, Ariel and Voltari have to work extra hard to figure out a way to stop it..

Sherrilyn Kenyon/McQueen is one of my all time favorite authors and I can't wait to see whats going to happen next for out dark/dream hunters!!

I was over the moon excited when I found out Sherrilyn was coming back! I have been a huge fan of her and her books for years now and have been eagerly awaiting this next book in the Dark-Hunter/Dream-Hunter universe.

I had a bit of trouble getting into this one as I needed time to adjust to all of the characters and terms and the settings but once I was in, it was a great ride. We follow Valteri who has accepted the fact that people think he’s nothing but a demon bred for war and Ariel who has been cursed and now doesn’t remember who she is.

I’m not the biggest fan of the amnesia trope so it was a relief once that was finally gone, it had my enjoyment skyrocketing. As well as some appearances by some of my favourite characters that I have so dearly missed! I liked the romance, I think they could have done with a bit more chemistry and moments together but overall they stole my heart by the end and I do think they were perfect fits for each other.

This was a solid book in the series and a great reintroduction to everything going on!

I cannot wait to see what else Sherrilyn gives us in future books! I definitely recommend this one, especially if you’re a fan of hers and have already read the Dark-Hunter/Dream-Hunter books!

3.5/5⭐️

Three and a half
I am a long time fan of this author and indeed my first paranormal romance was her Night Pleasures which opened my eyes to a world of fabulous stories that blew me away. This sadly wasn’t the book I’d hoped for but hear me describe why before you judge too harshly.
Ariel is I suppose an angelic reaper who escorts souls who are meant to help fight in the eternal war between good and evil. At least she should be but she’s been cursed by an embittered parent to become mortal and doomed to watch whoever she falls in love with die in her arms. Ok so far that’s making sense but the man who finds her is not the run of the mill hero as he’s angry and embittered by all the evil acts that have dogged his life. You see Valteri has heterochromia, or mismatched eyes that in these more primitive times many view as demonic. To further confuse things he’s the half brother of William the Conqueror who took the English crown from Harold which to my mind didn’t really add anything to this story. So here’s Ariel not remembering who she really is and she’s offered protection by a rather horny Valteri who seems obsessed with his loins and how he could never approach Ariel as he would taint her by association. I really found this part of the book somewhat tedious as I do prefer the heroes that this author used to write about. Now add in a Demon who is desperate to claim Ariels soul when the curse springs into action and I don’t know it just felt too full of words and intent and just not enough action.
So does anything save this book ? That’s a resounding yes because we get characters from the Dark Hunter series appearing and whilst initially if I’m blunt they don’t actually do a lot it allows the author to fill in gaps satisfying regular readers and hopefully enticing new ones. I don’t know of any author who makes her characters suffer as much as Ms. Kenyon because trust me that’s definitely a theme in her stories. Like many others I want to see those characters who have previously been in the background and here with Thorn, Shadow and a glimpse of Jaden and even the wonderful Acheron appearing I really do look forward to more and hope that next time I can rate even higher!
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

Ariel is an Arel - a being that escorts souls to the afterlife. The time is the 11th century and William the Conqueror has vanquished the Saxons, After a battle, Ariel takes the soul of a fallen warrior. Unfortunately, the warrior's mother sees her and is so furious she curses Ariel to watch her own loved one die. Valteri is William's bastard brother and his trusted general He is also the survivor of a hellish childhood in which the monks who raised him tortured him for supposedly being a son of the devil. He has lived a life of an outsider who is feared by all and trusts no one. When he and Ariel meet, they develop feelings for each other and Ariel has to find some way to break the curse. This is the same universe as Kenyon's Dream Hunter/Dark Hunter series but you don't see the connection to that universe or any of those characters until halfway through the book. The worldbuilding of the supernatural background to the story was a bit confusing. I didn't get the hierarchy and relationships between all the different beings, even though I'm a big Dark Hunter fan and read all the other books. Once I let go of trying to figure it out and just dealt with the relationship between Ariel and Valteri, it got better. Truthfully though, I didn't think some of it made sense. I did enjoy the story and characters of Valteri and Ariel but wish there was more supernatural action and battles between the factions shown. Ariel loses her powers for most of the book, and the other supernaturals mostly trash talked each other. Without giving away the plot, an actual battle among the supernaturals would have supplied more excitement and clarity about relationships.,

Shadow Fallen is a rewrite of Daemon’s Angel, originally issued in 1995. While Shadow Fallen is not directly connected in time to any of the previous novels in the Dark-Hunter universe, it does bring into play (or references) characters from previous novels, including some of the original gods in the Primus Bellum as well as Thorn, Shadow, Grim, the Malachai, and various demons and demi-demons.

There is a lot of repetitious inner dialogue or actions on the part of Valteri and Ariel which slows down the flow of the plot. Much is made of the fact that Valteri doesn’t know who his father is. The theme of fatherhood is also raised by Thorn and Shadow as they commiserate on the negative aspects of their fathers. The Epilogue addresses some of these issues.

While Shadow Fallen is the first in a trilogy, the second one (Queen of All Shadows) isn’t expected to be published until December 2024 and the third one (Shadows Within) not until December 2025. It’s going to be a long time before we find out what happens next (although Sherrilyn’s website provides a hint under Shadows Within.)

Thank you to Sherrilyn, Penguin & NetGalley for the ARC of this book! Never in my life could I have been happier to receive the next in this series. I've been waiting for years!

I've never been happier to slip back into the world of the Dark-Hunters / Dream-Hunters. I've truly missed Sherrilyn McQueen's writing. I feel like this book was a perfect Sherrilyn / Kinley mashup. I felt like I was back with the McAllister's but still in the world where Thorn exists...or are they the same *side glance*

Shadow Fallen definitely brought back all my love for these characters, I would literally kill for an extensive family tree, because you know what, your girl is trying to keep it straight! It feels like all the information we've learned over the years through the Dark-Hunter / Dream-Hunter books, but also The Chronicles of Nick. I'm loving that we are seeing more of a cross over between all the books. The questions I have for years will finally be answered.

I've been lucky enough to read this series from the age of 16, 31 now, but I'll never lose love for this series or the author!

This is the long awaited and asked for re-write of the previously published "Daemon's Angel".
The main characters and a few others have changed names. A few new characters * but not new to fans of the author* have been added. The overall plot arc and story line are pretty much the same as the original. The changes and additions have brought the revised story ,"Shadow Fallen" , fully into the "Dark-Hunters" realm. "Shadow Fallen" could be read as a standalone. The reader may get more out of it if they have previously read the "Dream Hunters" or "Chronicles of Nick". It is my impression that "Shadow Fallen" may be a lead in to an upcoming book. The Four star rating is due to the fact that I have read the original story and therefore it was a re-read in my opinion, but be sure to pick it up for the new changes. I think it will be worth it,especially if you never read the original.

It took me a bit to get into the rhythm of this book, but once I did I felt it took off really well. The writing style is fantastic, the storyline was intriguing, and the characters were interesting. I did feel a little lost at times while reading it, though I feel that's more of a me issue than the books issue since I had never read anything by this author before and I didn't have all of that background world building that the author has clearly done in her previous books. All in all it was a very enjoyable book, I loved Ariel (though some of her decisions left me frustrated), she was badass and full of moxie. Valteri was a tad annoying at times, quite frustrating & unwilling to bend or see the better path at times, but I grew to enjoy his character growth throughout the novel. All in all an enjoyable read and I definitely want to go back and read the other books by this author set in this world.