Review: Shadow Heir by Richelle Mead

2.5 Feathers

Shadow Heir

by Richelle Mead

(Dark Swan # 4)

It is with great sadness that I write this review.  Richelle Mead has beeen and, the events in this book aside, still is one of my favorite authors.  I have seen her end two wonderful series now and she has done so masterfully.  When I picked up Shadow Heir I was under the impression that this was the last Dark Swan novel, so I was expecting nothing less from her.

I was already going in with bitterness about certain things.  #1 Kiyo - Throughout the series Ms. Mead has managed to get me to actually hate the Kitsune with a passion *pulls out her Kiyo voodoo doll and stabs his head repeatedly* and I was prepared to only hate him more in this book, there was no going back for me on that.  Well, I wasn't disappointed on that!  He's still a slimy piece of crap, a rat bastard, and it's infuriating to see Eugenie having to work with him when all I want is for her to stand up to him and get some retribution for all he's done to her.  That didn't happen.  Until the end, he still sticks it to her and she just stands there with her mouth open in shock.  Oh by the way, I am writing this as a spoiler free review so maybe some of the things I say may sound a bit weird, you'll understand when you read the book.

Bitterness# 2 - Eugenie.  Yes I went in already feeling sort of hate for the heroine.  This has been slowly developing throughout the series and well, she didn't get any better in this book.  She sits around moping and doing the whole woe-is-me routine.  Get a grip, stop being so selfish and so stupid!  Stop listening to the dumb Kitsune and start appreciating the REAL man you have by your side!!  If not, I'll help Volusian kill you myself! *which I felt like doing repeatedly throughout this book*.

Now onto a better review of this book.

I wish the whole first 50% of this book would've been written in two chapters!  Seriously I considered putting this as one of my few ever DNF books.  Why? It is tediously boring, nothing happens, there's hardly any supernatural activity, nothing!  Eugenie goes on fishing dates and I felt like I was reading a depressing women's fiction book instead of an urban fantasy.

Once there's something that starts happening, it is not to follow the storyline that we were dealing with from the beginning but a completely randomly thrown in storyline that takes over the rest of the book and really doesn't do anything to close the series, this was more like another adventure of Eugenie, the moron Queen!  So I thought, perhaps, this could've been resolved faster so we would've seen something more in respect to an ending to the series.

Volusian - this storyline does deal in a small way with Volusian.  I have to say I love the little guy!  He is my favorite character in this series, apart from the all-perfect Dorian.  We learn about his past, Eugenie has to go to his homeland and she couldn't accomplish what she needs without his help.  So he gets closure and I really liked that part!

Dorian - I can't tell you enough how much Eugenie doesn't deserve this man.  First of all, with Dorian what you see is what you get.  You know he's sneaky and that he wants also what's in his best interest, but in this book he put Eugenie above anything and everything.  My heart breaks thinking of the fact that for the most part, she only uses him when it's convenient and this didn't change.

What wouldn't I do for you? *tear*

And I think this pretty much brings me to the ending.  OK, let me back up for the last 15%.  Everything you thought, was wrong, everything that we believed should've been one way was another.  In the last 15% of this book seems like all the loose ends that should've been tied throughout the series started rapidly weaving together.  That's all I can say about that without giving stuff away.  Just shock after shock.

Now for the actual ending.  What.The.Hell.Was.That?????  How can Ms. Mead end a series like that?  Actually, it doesn't surprise me just because I've known all along that Eugenie is a selfish bitch!  So we couldn't really expect more from her right?  But I don't see how that can be an ending.  No I cannot.  Sorry.  Very disappointing.

So why the 2.5 feathers if this is still very well written?  50% of the book was too slow, then from 60% on it was just ok.  Too many issues where left unanswered.  And you cannot end a series with those last few pages without expecting the reader to want to ring Eugenie's stupid neck! It is with great sadness I write this.











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