ARC Review: Veil of Shadows – Shiloh Walker

Author: Shiloh Walker
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-425-23635-2
ARC provided by the author.

With demons running amok throughout the forests and mountains, a rebel army has been established to win back the land—and a new soldier has appeared out of nowhere to join them.

His name is Xan, and his past is a mystery to everyone, including Laisyn Caar—a beautiful captain in the rebel army—who is shocked by the powerful, all-consuming desire she feels in his presence.

But now isn’t the time for distraction. The future of her land—and of her people—is in her hands. On top of that, she’s been stripped of her magic—and without it she feels like part of her soul has been stolen away.

But when she discovers the dark secrets of Xan’s agenda, it will be up to her to determine whether the man she’s starting to love is a friend of her people—or a dreaded enemy . . .

Review:

Bold, unique with an unconventional concept bound by rules for survival, VEIL OF SHADOWS is an open foray in regards to the Paranormal Romance genre.

Constructed in a distinguished and at times darkly blunt tone, the context and issues dominating the written word are amplified by the emotional depth cut from the leading characters – Liasyn “Syn” Caar; witch, third in command of the rebel army and Xan, unknown soldier with an air of mystery.

Chugged against the elemental throes of a preternatural war that appears unending, the brutality and hardships crafted, steal into the paradox of softer feelings, demanding my full, uninterrupted attention for the foreseeable future.

In a reality steeped in hostility and ruins the tactics of evade, capture, kill resound with a fragile victory. Like the burn of brandy downed the reader gets whisked into an eddy of contradictions – the nourishment of emotion in a world that seemingly negates it; the fire rampant beneath hard control – and personalities that immerse the mind into sympathetic corridors, enabling them to dig their heels in and root for selected characters.

Xan had spent much of his life learning to school his emotions, his reactions, everything. In that moment, he was very glad.

He would hate for his reactions to show in just that moment.

He looked at Captain Laisyn Caar and thought only one thing:

Want.

It was a powerful, all-consuming urge that damn near obliterated every other thought in his mind.

The definition of survivor rather than victim is an ingrained undercurrent that ebbs from the mass of characters involved whilst the vulnerabilities and strengths of the protagonists are showcased in a wickedly emerging web of romance.

For someone who savours the flawed and emotionally scarred aspects of a heroine and hero worth investing in, Walker delivers the compact complexity of a relationship that encompasses the antonyms of tame, solely dependent and inequality.

The dimension and vast characteristics carved between Syn and Xan – the qualities that allow us to vie for and love to hate characters – presents something readers can humanely relate to.

Simply put, the tumultuous ride bound with the depiction of a world gone dark – where lust concurs to love – the buried and concealed romantic heart of me was full-content from the sinful pull-push force of the relationship.

A balance between plot and sexual tension is initiated, underscored with a conflict caused by action-reaction. A strong appeal was had in regards to the strife – Walker doesn’t cut corners and therefore dampen the climatic portions to be had, and whilst present in VEIL OF SHADOWS, it is a definite highlight in THROUGH THE VEIL; a more prominent fixture of the plot that graces the pages.

Syn huddled against a tree, Xan’s body pressing into hers.

The earth shuddered, heaved. She caught the stench of wood burning—hot, acrid smoke flooded her head. Distantly, she heard inhuman shrieks. And deep inside, she felt the first wave of death.

Minutes passed.

It could have been hours. Days.

Thunderous cracks echoed through the forest as trees succumbed and went crashing to the earth. Ash choked the air.

After an eternity, all went still. Struggling to breathe, Syn shoved against Xan’s chest and rasped out, “Need air, lover.”

Before submerging myself in VOS, I went in with expectations of “more” in contrast to what transpired. Like an addict looking for my next fix, I was in search of an impact similar to what I found in THROUGH THE VEIL. Instead, something more subtle unravelled and I was as equally satisfied with the outcomes of both.

The plot seduced me – and I was a willing participant who followed blindly in its unfolding.

Blunt, weary and honed with an inner cold, Syn is a leader by circumstance and a warrior by choice. Trapped in a state of powerlessness, her aim unattached to desires: to rid the Roinan territory of demons. Control spread thin, tension and the need for restraint simmering; enter Xan into the equation of her life.

Mysterious in his origins as he is unknown, Xan draws a line that intersects between loyalty, discipline and perception. Feelings concealed and forthright to a deceptive likeness, the stranger keeps a keen eye on all whilst both embody passion beneath the calm of neutral pretences. Xan, undone from their growing relationship, Syn addicted to their every encounter – and a defiance that bleeds into the words and encompasses all within the devastated lands.

Want . . . need.

It dominated Xan’s every thought and he was just a heartbeat away from forgetting everything – himself, where they were – a heartbeat away from forgetting everything and everybody who wasn’t Syn.

Heat.

Once more, touching him flooded her with heat, heat that suffused every fibre of her being, chasing away the chill. For the briefest moment, they were close, close as lovers, and she let herself revel in that heat, let herself feel his strength, feel all of him. But not enough . . . nowhere near enough.

Walker showcases the vulnerability of consuming emotions – blurring clarity, but also strengthening it, whilst achieving the absence of doubts and the fulfilment of trust.

Love and danger colliding with the triggered pull of a fate determined by hard choices, THROUGH THE VEIL is engraved with characters enveloped by a vicious grace.

The leading protagonists – side characters within VOS – make for a unique-worthy, intriguing couple revolving around the familiar setting of the Roinan planes amongst others whilst light is shed on one of its primary focuses: the Veil.

VEIL OF SHADOWS incorporates a foreign world with terms introduced with the first, subjecting this particular reader to an emotional depth that will have her investing in any possible future installments to be had.

Recommended for readers with a craving to flex their muscles within the PR genre and tumble into an upheaval of war and heady romance.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars - for VEIL OF SHADOWS and 4 stars - for THROUGH THE VEIL respectively.

For those worried about spoilers for TTV, Ms. Walker only offers glimpses into Kalen and Lee’s relationship and hints of how they came together. On the subject of worldbuilding, both possess solid, unusual and easily understood worlds.


THROUGH THE VEIL – Shiloh Walker

Genre: Paranormal Romance

He’s been waiting . . .

Found wandering in a field as a child, Lee Ross was given a name by the state and placed in a foster home–without anyone realizing she wasn’t entirely human.

All her life, she’s tried to dismiss the odd dreams that have plagued her, dreams of monsters creeping through the night and a man, fighting demons by her side. But the bruises she wakes up with are all too real to ignore...

Then the man from dreams appears in the flesh. His name is Kalen and he insists that her destiny lies in his world, the world of her dreams.

To save their people, he must convince Lee to give up everything she knows, follow her heart and cross into the Under Realm, even though once she does, she’ll never be able to return . . .

Teaser - Through the Veil:

A sexy little snarl crossed his face and she felt her belly quiver. She was already dazed and hot from that wicked line of thoughts dancing in her mind, and this wasn’t helping. He looked entirely too – biteable.

Yes. That was the word. She wanted to walk over there and catch his face in her hands and sink her teeth into that sullen lower lip, maybe into the tendon in his neck . . . . then the gleaming perfection of his muscled shoulders . . .

“That!”

Her face flushed. No way. He couldn’t possibly . . .

“When you’re a strong projector, anybody can pick up. But I’m a fairly talented receiver, which is how I knew you were here, how I always know you’re here, and damn it, would you stop?” he snarled. “You’ve got enough fucking chaos to deal with right now, trying to figure out what is going on, and you haven’t even grasped the full extent, but if you don’t stop tempting me, I’m going to . . .”

Lee couldn’t help it. Lifting one brow at him, she smiled slightly and asked, “Going to what?” And she really couldn’t help it, no more than she could stop thinking about him, and her, together . . . . Damn, had she really . . . ?

“Not yet,” he growled. “But keep this up and we will. Right here in broad daylight. As to what I’m going to do – bloody hell, I’ll just give you what it is you are dreaming about.”
Lee rolled her eyes. “Male testosterone is obviously on the same high levels here that it is back home,” she drawled. – THROUGH THE VEIL