Daughters of Shadow and Blood
Book I: Yasamin
by J. Matthew Saunders
Kindle Edition, 312 pages
Expected publication: May 3rd 2015 by Saint George's Press
I read this one a lil' early (thx NetGalley, etc, etc!!)
Initially I was intrigued with the idea of dual stories taking place at the same time, one of which was an arranged marriage 400 years ago.
Reading the first few pages drew me in for the entirety. I read holding my breath and gripping my device during commuting trips. There are multiple story lines, snippets from characters in history, all being drawn towards Yasamin.
The way the story is written, I wasn't lost or confused, but I was often surprised. I felt like I was tracking down the clues and piecing them together in the order Adam uncovered them. My interest mirrored Yasamin's and I couldn't help having a growing concern for Adam's safety (and everyone else!) Each step and word is measured, but... death is accepted as inevitable and the idea of Happily Ever After is tossed out the window early on, lost before the story began. The likelihood of any (all) of the characters I became invested in being found lying in a pool of blood was very high (inevitable.)
The story is gripping and haunting and will linger a long time. I'm thrilled to see "Book I" in the title after reading the last page, acknowledgements and author information (you know, when you still have reading momentum at the end of the book and can't believe it's over so you read everything available). There is more and I cannot wait to read it.
Note: There are adult scenes, romantic & violent. They are brief and matter-of-fact, delivered as parts of the puzzle.
4.75 Stars. 5 Stars for Pace and Readabilty. 5 Stars for the characters, all of which are unique and amazing, even the one(s) that go by different names thru history. *shiver* 5 Stars for the plot, too. It's great and I could read it again. I might when the other two books come out - I hope there are two and I hope I see more of some of those characters who (might've) survived Book I. I'm only dishing 3 Stars for the emotional connections. Repeatedly I wanted to know more of the motivational feelings and I had to guess for myself, not all of which was completely accurate (as I found based on actions later). I'm also quite disturbed about the storylines that are not finished. I seriously have got to read the next book or two and there had better be another book or two. Yasamin's story is complete(ish), but I find myself invested in more characters, as well.
I love this picture from the author's FB:
It makes me want to say "Go ahead and take your time and get the next two books completed just the way you want them. Hurry if you can, but I'll wait."
