Nascent Shadow (Temporal Armistice #1)

Book ONE of the Temporal Armistice

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Pub Date 31 Aug 2017 | Archive Date 29 Aug 2017

Description

Brooklyn Amari knew not to get in car with a stranger; when a man tried to lure her―she killed him.

As if taking a man’s life at the tender age of ten wasn’t bad enough, her childhood home burned to the ground two years later. She doesn’t remember how she survived, but she’s felt a pull toward the conflagration ever since. After a troubled patch in her teens, she’s become a respectable firefighter, rushing again and again into the inferno that almost killed her. A routine sweep-and-clear during a hotel blaze takes a deadly turn, but also explains how she escaped death eleven years ago: she’s probably a demon.

Brooklyn had always enjoyed having psychic abilities, but wings?

She’s still trying to come to terms with what she might be when she gets a vision of an arsonist planting a magic bomb. The Fire Marshal’s office is ill-equipped to handle magic, and since she’s the most paranormal thing they’ve got, they offer her a temporary promotion.

Unfortunately, she soon finds herself neck deep in an investigation that goes straight over her head. 

And oh yeah―she’s supposed to destroy the world.

Brooklyn Amari knew not to get in car with a stranger; when a man tried to lure her―she killed him.

As if taking a man’s life at the tender age of ten wasn’t bad enough, her childhood home burned to...


Available Editions

EDITION Paperback
ISBN 9781974281251
PRICE $14.99 (USD)

Average rating from 22 members


Featured Reviews

There was some doubts going into this book. A lot of novels like this sound like they will be amazing, but end up flat. I decided to try and read it anyways, thanks to netgalley for the arc for an honest review.

It was absolutely great. I was in love with Brooklyn and it was such an intersting read. So much different from a lot of supernatural novels where it is the "same book, different characters" kind of novel, but it WASN'T. It was so different and fantastic!

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Brooklyn Amari has issues! There's probably not a crime she hadn't committed by 16, and probably have her mother numerous heart attacks. Becoming a respectable firefighter is maybe not what anyone would have expected, but she's still got some fiesty attitude.
Magic exists in abundance in this book. Made me laugh at Brooklyn's humour and want a best friend just like hers.
Do angels and demons exist? Or is that just a strange story humans tell?
Love this book and desperately looking forward to another!

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* Review will be posted on my blog one week prior to publication*

'Nascent Shadow' is a fantasy book with both a supernatural and crime element set in a world where magic is present but not fully accepted. Brooklyn Amari is a firefighter for the Philadelphia Fire Department and knows she is a little strange- killing a man when she was ten and developing a fascination with fire after surviving a fire that destroyed her childhood home are the tip of the iceberg. A routine call out at a hotel turns deadly as the fire spreads quicker then normal putting not only herself but one of her fellow firefighters in danger. As she turns to instinct to save them both, somehow she changes into a demon with enhanced strength, immunity to fire and the ability to fly- which explains a lot of the prior strangeness in her life. While Brooklyn works on accepting that she is not fully human and explores the range of her abilities, a major fire at a restaurant has supernatural undertones, prompting her to be asked to assist in the investigation. Little did she know how dangerous the investigation would go, how incredible her powers are and that her mother and father are not who she thought they were.

What I Liked 

The magical world- I love books that are set in worlds where magic is present and acknowledged but not fully accepted. 'Nascent Shadows' is set in the modern world but it is widely know that supernatural creatures and people with supernatural abilities exist-but still some parts of society haven't embraced magic or just don't care to integrate it into their lives. It reminds me a little of 'The Dresden Files' and I really want to explore the setting more, especially the hints of a battle between two opposing supernatural races that somewhat resemble angels and demons.

Brooklyn's Character- Brooklyn was one of the reasons I loved this book. Her narration is on point throughout the story and she provides a humorous yet serious view on the events that unfold. She is extremely confident in herself (her demon like nature gives her weak impulse control among other things) and despite being treated differently at her workplace as she is a female in a predominantly male workplace, she holds her ground and gets the respect of her fellow firefighters and her superiors. She is also a badass demon that protects children and assists in arson investigations too-how could you not like her?

The Storyline- Matthew Cox does a great job at writing such an in depth and enthralling story. I really enjoyed how the arson investigation plot line was introduced and developed, along with the minor plot arcs involving her father and her growing relationship with one of her coworkers. The pacing is also perfect and not once did I get bored while reading or feel like a scene was unnecessary or too long. 

What I  Didn't Like

Writing-This may be a personal preference, but I felt the writing at some points of the book was a little weak and I got confused trying to follow along some sentences. Some of the descriptions were a little weird too, but this was nothing that got in the way of me reading and loving the book. 

The Ending-The ending was so anti-climactic! It was fitting for the story in a way, but I wanted a little more closure or set-up for the the next book in the series. After all of the action and supernatural 'coolness' of the book, I was yearning for a slightly more interesting ending. 

Overall I really enjoyed this book and read it in just over a day as I was so enthralled by the setting and the story. It is part of a series and I will be keeping my eyes out for the next book in the future :)

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This cliff hanger is killing me. This was a very interesting read. Very original and different from what I am use to. The concept of Angels and Demons have been around forever but the slight twist in this book makes it even more interesting. Seeing Brooklyn navigate her anger and empathy for humans while trying to find her place in the world is endearing. I can't wait to see what the outcome of the possible coming war may entail and how she plans to save man kind.

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Nascent Shadow (Temporal Armistice #1) by Matthew S. Cox is an awesome fantasy book I requested from NetGalley and the book publishers and the review is voluntary. This is another wonderful book from one of my favorite authors! I love everything he writes and it is another winner. This is so unique and such great fantasy! This is a world where runes and magic are not uncommon. You can buy spells, enchantments, and have special divisions in the fire department for investigations for this.
Our gal of the story, Brook, survived somehow a fire when she was young and now that she is older, she is a firefighter. One day while fighting on one of the higher floors, the building started to collapse and her wings, yes wings, came out and she saved herself and a co-worker. It became their secret. She knew she was different. She could sense people's intentions, she was stronger than most, and she was very pale when her mother was hispanic. She didn't know her father. This is such a fun story. Full of great fantasy and as the story develops, Brook develops more and more gifts and meets trouble. Great dialogue, humor, plot, and wonderful character development. Cox has a way of writing a book that puts the reader in the action, feeling the suspense, enjoying the ride, and begging for more! Already I can't wait for book 2. I have read many of his books and I think this will be my favorite series, at least I hope he makes it into a series!

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The whole story is written from Brooklyn's point of view, which is... something else. Why? Because she's a demon and it shows in the way she thinks. She has a detached manner of looking back on her actions that make you wonder whether or not she really feels.
Apart from that, I had to laugh out loud quite often while reading. The comments she makes, the puns she comes up with - Okay, okay. The puns Matthew comes up with. - are simply hilarious at times. It also gives the novel a lighter feeling when things are getting more tough.
In a way it even makes the grosser bits... Simply put, not gross. I was distracted by the things Brooklyn was thinking every single time.

Another element of Matthew's writing are the geeky additions he makes. Brooklyn is practically a bit of a tomboy who loves to game, as does Matthew himself. Honestly, it felt like a fitting way to incorporate a piece of himself and his interest into his work. I absolutely loved that.

When it comes to the world-building, it's pretty much done in a way that I'm not used to. Instead of dedicating the first chapters of the novel to explaining the world, Matthew does this through the entire story. Bits and pieces keep being added whenever something needs explaining. In a way it may seem as if he just comes up with things whenever he needs something, but it never felt that way. It just felt like something that hadn't been mentioned because it wasn't necessary up until that point.

I loved this story, I loved Matthew's writing and I was satisfied by the ending, which was wrapped up as much as could be with a cute touch to it on top.

I'm giving Nascent Shadow a solid 5 / 5!

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I want more! This was such a relaxing read and I loved the world, it is both fantasy and the hint of realism. Let me explain. The book has features of a fantasy novel but it is set in regular places; Philadelphia. There was so much world building and I loved all the descriptions of it. The ending was a little abrupt but I stil enjoyed it. There are a lot of questions that still need to be answered and I can't wait for the next one to come out. There were so many funny aspects in this book which I loved because who doesn't want a good humorous scene? This book also has a hint of romance which I loved because who doesn't love love? There are certainly some ships to be made!

The fantasy novel is a definite read, if you are new or want to try out fantasy you should definitely pick this book up because it has many attributes of the real world but it has the hint of fantasy which is tasteful. 

This is a definite must read so go check it out! Overall I recommend this to people new to fantasy and 13+ as it does have some detailed parts that are a little gory.

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Nascent Shadow is a very fun and engaging read. Armed with inventive items and awesome action sequences, it got the captivating goodness of a fantastical story set in a contemporary world. The protagonist, Brooklyn, was a genuine ass-kicking character who knows how to hold her own, not because she's half-demon (let's just put it at that) but because she's a fiesty lass with a heart.

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I tried to write a summary for this book but I don’t know how. I’d advise to just jump in.

I seriously loved this. The main character, Brooklyn, is a fucking badass and I loved her so much, I can’t even begin to explain how much. She was fierce and just all over awesome.
I really liked the side characters too, especially Brooklyn’s neighbor Ashley and her best friend, Max.
I liked the world it was set in, I liked how it was described. It could have been more thorough but I didn’t really mind. I can’t wait to learn more in the next books tbh.
I read this super fast too. I could not stop reading.
All in all, great intrigue, great characters; I can’t wait for more!

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Even from the first couple of chapters, you can't help but become mesmerized by Brooklyn Amari. She starts out by appearing like an average girl but as the story progresses you quickly learn that she is far from average even in regards to the magical world she lives in. Detached yet emphatic, she dedicates her life to saving others - as long as they are good-hearted. In a way, she seems to mimic the angels described in the beginning of Christianity. What might come as a slight shock to readers is the occupation that Brooklyn decides to take on - a firefighter. Even in this world where magic coexists with mundane, this is still not a typical profession for women. However, Brook does a stellar job, and her demonesque - or I should say Shaar’Naath abilities do lend her a helping hand. However, Brooklyn soon finds herself in the middle of an ancient war between two ancient civilizations. Will she help save the world or destroy it? Matthew Cox seems to pull from different supernatural series to create a character and a world that is easy to get lost in. My only issue with the book is the ending, I have so many unanswered questions. Hopefully, in the next book The Shadow Collector, Cox is able to answer them.

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Excellent first book in a series: great story, characters and humor

I loved this book. Matthew Cox created a great story about magic and demons without falling into clichés. Character development is excellent and the action scenes are great. Although there is a little graphic violence, it doesn’t interrupt the flow of the story and I am not sure how Cox did it, but he was able to incorporate humor. Some scenes had me laughing out loud. I look forward to reading more books in this series.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book via Netgalley for review purposes.

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