ARC Review: Shaedes of Gray by Amanda Bonilla

Shaedes of Gray

by Amanda Bonilla

(Shaede Assassin # 1)

Sometimes when you don't have expectations you are pleasantly surprised.  Isn't that always a treat?  This book is very unique and the world building is amazing!  It didn't suffer from first-book-in-series syndrome, which is already a great thing in itself. 

So the shaede can basically melt into the shadows at night, perfect talent to have for an assassin, and a talent that Darian has used for a long time to her benefit in her career.  She can pretty much kill anyone but when her, would you call him boss?, Tyler gives her an assignment everything she's believed up to now will be questioned.

See she's hired to kill another shaede.  Up until now she thought she was the only one of her kind because that's what her maker wanted her to believe.  But as it turns out there's a lot more than just that she didn't know and it's time for her to play her role in the supernatural world.

I know for some people Darian was not the most likeable heroine but I actually liked her!  Poor girl had gone through quite a rough childhood and marriage before Azriel finds her and turns her into a shaede.  For years all she knew was him and then he disappears.  And she's had to live with the knowledge that the man she loved was dead and that she was truly alone in the world with no one of her kind around.  So I felt her pain.  I thought she had the right amount of kick ass mixed in with vulnerability.  And to me she didn't come across as cocky, which is hard to manage just right.

Then there's Tyler.  Intriguing and sexy.  She's always thought he was her boss, her human boss.  But there's so much more to him and its time for him to show her they can be good together.  If it takes another shaede coming in and trying to swoop on his girl for him to come out of the supernatural closet, then that's fine with me.  I really liked Tyler, sneaky as he was.  And speaking of sneaky people, I actually liked the Shaede King, Xander, as well.  What a collection of great characters!

So as this story is basically in a big part Darian discovering the truth about the supernatural world while battling a big baddie I thought it was a great setup for the series while still delivering a very interesting story.  I really can't wait to see where things will go from here!

* ARC provided by author

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