Review: Shadows & Dreams

Shadows & Dreams by Alexis Hall

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars


How many ex-girlfriends does Kate have who are not on the best of terms with her? And how many strong females in this story want to tie Kate down and have their wicked way with her? This second book in the series is a decent read. The first one made a bigger favourable impression upon me. This one, there are a few repetitions which became old after a bit.

First, Kate is in trouble. She seems to always be in trouble. Her life is exhausting to read about because something is always going wrong. She's attracts trouble and it's the worst kind. Kate's unresolved relationships with her previous lovers is also exhausting. At first it is amusing, but after the fourth or fifth one (who's counting?) I'm done with it. I get that Kate must be this awesome sex goddess in bed. But really, why are all her exlovers crazy? And why are the current ones a bit crazy too? I comes across as over the top drama which is not my favourite kind of story to read. The only female who seems stable in this story appears to be made of stone. What does that say? Basically all the women in this book are fucked up beyond belief.

Second, I do like the monsters in this story. I love how the vampires are written. They are creatures with no morals and they feel they are above the law. The werewolves are territorial passionate animals. Yes, this is a bit stereotypical. Still, Mr. Hall does a great job of creating his vampires, werewolves, fae and witches. I like how they are all different factions with similar political issues. None of them are perfect and the way they hamstring each other when trying to fight one common enemy is hilarious and realistic. Makes me think of all the alphabet soup agencies in the States trying to work together.

Third, I love the location. Set in London, it's good for me because I lived there for a while and I miss it. This story brings up a feeling of nostalgia so I can relate better to it. Mr. Hall does a stand up job of describing the locations and buildings. I can see everything clearly and this story plays like a kinky lesbian Underworld movie in my mind. For this, I give it props.

So why did I end up giving this a 3.5 star? I became tired of Kate. She came across more whiny in this story which I'm not fond of. In addition, she kept visualizing and changing the saying on her gravestone. The first couple of times it was funny. After that, it became eye rolling for me. This is a matter of personal preference. The other thing is that I felt the main female villain got the shaft. There is so much build up for this villain and when it came to a head, it fizzled out which disappointed me. Still, Mr. Hall drops hints for a reveal of an enemy which no one is aware of yet. This intrigues me and makes me want to read the next book.

I'd like to learn more about Kate's mother and her Fae powers. What does Kate do to the Fae land she now owns it? She claimed it in the last book and there is nothing but maybe a two sentence mention of it in this book. Is there anyway there can be a grudge gang bang with Kate bound and abused by all her previous, current and possible future lovers? It may finally ease the tension and let Kate do her job. (Or maybe not and that's just my own deviant girl on girl fantasy.) This f/f paranormal mystery is recommended to those who understand and appreciate the relationship status "it's complicated".


*provided by NetGalley


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