Friday Favorites: Reign of Shadows by Melissa Wright

Friday Favorites is a weekly meme hosted here, that spotlights a favorite author, book, series, publisher, cover, blog, etc. Basically whatever bookish thing that you love, recommend, and want to tell others about. Just pick one and link up to my post each Friday to share. You can use the graphic I used above, the other one here, or your own.

It has been such a busy two weeks with tours and the Tackle Your TBR Read-a-thon. I'm happy that one of the books I read for the RAT (and the author is also participating - check out her giveaway open to everyone here) became an instant favorite. I love it when a story can still surprise you and pull you in so well. Here's my pick this week:

Reign of Shadows

(Descendants #3)

By Melissa Wright
YA/NA Urban Fantasy
Paperback, 220 pages
July 2014 by Createspace

Brianna can see her future, but it’s the past that haunts her. Plans laid in place centuries ago are threatening not only her and her sister, but all of the Seven Lines. As the shadows plot their way to old rule, the visions shift again. Her power has led to some hard choices—and the occasional stab wound—but this set of futures holds nothing but darkness.

Unable to bear the idea of losing the footing they've so recently gained, she turns the soldiers of the Seven. But with shadows hidden among the ranks, can she overcome the path they've set in place, or is she blindly following their lead?

   

Here are my reviews of the other books in the Descendants Series: Bound by Prophecy and Shifting Fate.

My Review

I have been invested and loved the Descendants Series from the first book. I fell in love with the characters and the urban fantasy world they lived in. I got dragged into the magic, danger, friendship, and romance (of course) of the ongoing plots. Reign of Shadows definitely held up to, if not exceeded, my expectations as the third book in this series.

Let me just start off by saying that there were points in this book that I was thinking: "Did the author just do that?" or "Is she going to do that? Really?" and then I would be surprised because obviously she did or because what I thought was going to happen didn't. It isn't very often that I get surprised like that and that when I do that it makes sense and is consistent with the characters and the story. There were also some really intense moments where I just held on as tight as I could for the ride and couldn't read fast enough to find out what would happen.

I just love these characters! Did I say that already? Yes. Well, I don't mind saying it again. :) I liked that it's like meeting up with old friends reading this and that they're the same as you remember them. They've been through a lot and share these deep connections with each other, relying on each other, and fighting together to the end. Logan was so great in this and there for Brianna and I loved the moments they had alone together just trying to be a regular couple.

I also loved that the plot kept moving. No one really knew what exactly was going to happen and that unease carried through the pages so that I felt that and the urgency for the characters to be ready for the fight ahead. Brianna was worried and scared, but she was trying to find a way out alive for all of them. Then you had Callan who saw everything from a different perspective and was trying to play different sides, but for his own gain or for what he saw as the best path to take. So you have these two major players and then those around them. There was plenty of action and it wasn't all pretty, but it made it feel legitimate and more intense.

If you enjoy action, some magic, sweet but intense romance, a good story, and characters and a fight you can get behind, then I'd definitely recommend Reign of Shadows and the entire Descendants Series. It's got a permanent place on my shelves.

Content: There was some pretty intense torture and violence, but otherwise clean.
Source: From the author, which did not affect my review in any way.

About the Author

Melissa Wright is the author of the Frey Saga and the new Descendants series. Melissa spends her time working on novels, but when not writing she can be found on Goodreads and Pinterest.

Website - Blog - Goodreads - Twitter - Pinterest - Google+

Do you have a favorite to share this week?