Book Review - Chasing Shadows

Happy frikkin' Thursday, everyone! Time for another book review here on the blog. With tomorrow being Friday and all, I figured: What better way to prep for the weekend than by snagging a free book and one on sale while hearing the nitty-gritty about the details? If you missed the post from yesterday, go check it out for a couple of chances to win copies of Chasing Shadows. Strap in and let's get going!

As always, a little about the book I'm reviewing today before we get into the fun stuff:

Title: Chasing Shadows (Tala Prophecy - Book Two)
Author: Tia Silverthorne Bach
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal
Length (print): 312 pages
Buy Links: Amazon Kindle $0.99 (for a limited time) Paperback $11.66

Synopsis:
Reagan thought one night changed her life forever, but her fate was written long ago.

Merging creature and white blood,

One of flame, one of night,

At eighteen years it will commence,

Spiritual warrior and power,

Will bring an end to the lawless ones.

A war looms: One that pits brother against brother for werewolf supremacy. Angels and demons will each have a say before a victor is chosen.

With her eighteenth birthday only six months away, time is running out. Reagan must find a way to harness the two powerful, ancient bloodlines coursing through her: Werewolf and Wiccan. Then, she has to figure out her role in the century-old prophecy foretold by her great-grandmother.

However, if Reagan can’t save her family from her most vicious rival, Rafe, the forces of Hell will be unleashed and the war will be over before it starts.

I designed that cover, so I have nothing to say about it except: Isn't it cool? *grin* There are some subtle things on there you may not notice at first glance. They tell a lot about the book inside. Look for them.

So, without lollygagging, I give you my review:

I was the editor from INDIE Books Gone Wild for Chasing Shadows; so, needless to say, I've read it. I wasn't sure what to expect out of this second book in the series, because the first one was unbelievably awesome. Tia still manages to make me gasp with revelations I never see coming (and I see pretty much everything). Anyway, it released yesterday, and I snagged a copy here on Amazon so I'd have it forever in my digital library. Enough about that, let's move on to the meat of the review.

From a Reader's Perspective:
You're gonna get everything you're looking for if you're a fan of teen werewolf stories. There's anger, cool abilities, lots of bacon eating (uh, yum!), and teen crushes run amok. In this book, you're introduced to a prophecy released on humanity by Reagan's great-grandmother. It has to do with the end of the world and two wolves: a red one and a black one (or so we believe from the words - prophecies are shady things). Well, if you read book one in the series, you know Reagan has flaming red hair and shifts into a wolf with a red pelt. You'll also know she has a brother. Both youngsters play key parts in book two. A lot of the dangling questions from book one got answered, while more questions arose in book two that I hope get answered in book three (or four, maybe?).

I'm still a huge fan of Reagan's character. She's tough, but has her emo moments where she breaks down and allows herself a temper-tantrum or two. Those were some of my favorite scenes. Watching a person fall apart after they've been strong for so long makes me root for them harder. Heck, I was even deeply vested in the secondary characters. I can't wait to read more about the other members of the pack in future books. Mom, Susie, redeemed herself in this book, and we see where she was coming from in Chasing Memories.

I adore the love interest (he's a good guy, not a bad boy), and can't wait to see where the tide rolls him and Reagan. There's a big cliffhanger in this book that left me gasping for air and screaming when I couldn't turn the page to read more. It was awesome.

From an Editor's Perspective:
Gosh, I hope we caught all the little errors. If you see something we missed, kindly let us know. There should be very few, if any.

Rating:
+1 Star for answering questions I had about stuff that happened in Chasing Memories
+1 Star for surprising me again and again
+1 Star for showing me so much about werewolf culture and making my jaw drop in the end
+1 Star for giving me likeable characters I could root for
+1 Star for editing. I suppose you could say I'm giving this to myself, but you'll see.
Overall, 5 out of 5 stars. Recommended for fans of YA Paranormal who love twists and turns.

I hope you all enjoyed this review. As a bonus, Chasing Memories is FREE right now over on Amazon in celebration of the release of Chasing Shadows. I do hope you'll all grab one (regularly $2.99!) and see for yourself how amazing this series is.

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo