Review: Shadow's Bane

Shadow's Bane by Karen Chance
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Returning to this series after a several years hiatus reminds me of how much I adore and missed out on Dory 's life. As the dhampir and threat to all vampires alive, Dory lives through a very rough life. Full disclosure, I read the first two books and I skipped the third book. It is recommended to read this series in order. After reading this book I immediately went out and got the 3rd book and read it. It was glorious.

In Shadow's Bane, it takes place not long after book 3, Fury's Kiss ends. Dory is now in a position of relative power which flummoxes her. Being treated as the unwanted and dirty secret all her life, to suddenly be front and center is a hard adjustment. It isn't that Dory lacks class or social graces. It is that she's never been given a chance to learn them properly and use them. As we learn how she's been brought up and the whys of it, her entire history is suddenly re-written. Whilst she's trying to reconcile her memories and her "other", enemies of her best friend and the Senate push forward.

I loved the action in this story and how it combines with a bit of mystery. Dory is the ultimate troubleshooter. When she is the one to go to for help, we know that things are pretty bad. Because Dory is not going to use finesse and words to negotiate. She is ruthlessly physical with her body language and I revel in her expressive nonverbal communication. This does not mean Dory is all brawn and no brains. She's the best of both worlds, when she allows herself to be whole. She figures out why fey are missing and better yet, she does something about it. This is why she is a character I love. She lives by a code of conduct and when she sees injustice, she does everything in her power to make it right. She fights the for the underdog. She fights for the ones no one wants to see or cares about. She cares about the ones who are left behind or ignored.

This urban fantasy is recommended to readers who enjoy the darker side of justice.

*provided by NetGalley