Amanda Bonilla

Reviewed by: Rabid Reads

Any novel that opens with a Dean Winchester reference within the first one hundred pages is a surefire winner in my opinion so let me introduce you to Vengeance Borne, book one in Amanda Bonilla’s brand new Sentry of Evil series. As a long-time fan of her Shaede Assassin novels, I knew that I was in for intriguing world-building, scorching romance and complex characters; this story delivered that and more!

Bonilla’s supes reminded me a bit of Rachel Vincent’s show more “skilled” characters in her Unbound series; the emotional connection between Waerds and Bearers is somewhat similar to the latter’s blood bonds. I enjoyed unraveling the intricate web that links the Sentry’s soldiers to their healers. It certainly added an extra, albeit problematic, element to an already complicated love triangle! I don’t know what the future holds for Jacquelyn, Finn and Micah but its sure going to be fun finding out! My only complaint with the Sentry of Evil universe is that I wish more had been explained. I realize that Bonilla has the rest of this series to do that but that doesn’t stop me from still wanting more now!

The Furies are one of my favourite big bads in Urban Fantasy because their motto is pretty much kill everything in sight which means that Vengeance Borne and action-packed are practically synonymous. I always enjoy a good vendetta driven plot line because emotional killers are the most entertaining kind of psychopaths. Unfortunately, I figured out who the culprit was rather early on which made this novel’s ending somewhat predictable. I think this is one of the reasons behind my complaint about the world-building; I needed something to distract me from the obvious villain. The love triangle was a good start but it just wasn’t enough.

I enjoyed Jacquelyn’s character although she does seem a tad bitter about her lot in life. I’m going to hold off passing judgment for now until I learn more about the Sentry. I have a feeling that I’ll have a lot more sympathy for her once I understand the whole picture. Finn irritated me but I’m not certain whether it was because being an Empath has its own set of challenges or simply because he’s a douche. Micah is also a Bearer and I took an immediate liking to him. He’s broken, conflicted, brave and head-over-heels in love with a demon slayer. Poor boy. Things are definitely going to get a whole lot more interesting in the small town of McCall.

Vengeance Borne hits all the right notes with great writing and promising new mythology; welcome to the Sentry of Evil series! show less

Shaedes of Gray is the first book in the Shaede Assassin series by Amanda Bonilla.

This is one of those reviews in which I just want to tell (scream at) you “this book was great, one of the best of the year, go and get your copy now”. But I know you greedy people won’t have enough with that, so let me try to convince you better.

Darian is a super natural being that can morph into a shadow and slip into darkness, her kind are known as Shaedes.
After suffering years of physical and show more emotional abuse by her husband an acquaintance of them rescued her after a very serious beating that almost ended her life and made her Shaede. This happened over hundred years ago. She lived with her Maker Azriel for twenty five years or so, he taught her little about their kind and their abilities. Azriel told her they were the last of their kind and for that reason they needed to be very careful and don’t allow people to discover them. Azriel promised her daily to be always with her, but one day he left to do something and never came back. The only explanation in Darian’s mind was that he got somehow killed, he would have never left her otherwise.
Years have passed, Darian has become a well-known assassin, but one with a code of honor; she just accepts jobs in which the victim is somebody with a shady past, an abuser or simply a bad person. Darian has been working with the same handler for five years. Tyler has become a friend and somebody she trusts. Since day one there has been an attraction between them but Darian doesn’t want to fall for a human who would age and die while she will continue with her immortal life. For that reason everyday is a struggle for her not to act upon their attraction.
Darian life changes the moment she accepts the job to kill Alexander (Xander) Peck. After failing to kill him, a first for her, she discovers that Xander was not just her mark, he was also the King of the Shaedes who has hired her as a test. She’s not alone, there are not only many Shaedes like her, but many other supernatural beings. She has live in the dark for over a hundred years and now her beliefs and world are crashing down. She is feeling used, lied to and stupid, not a nice combination for somebody with a temper like hers. And to add to her situation Xander, the King of her kind has requested her services and she can’t say no.

I really felt for Darian. When she was human she was abused for years by her husband, then she becomes Shaede, now after many years she discovered her Maker used her and lied to her. Everything she has believed for hundred of years was a lie. I can’t imagine what would be my reaction if I was in her shoes, but I’m pretty sure it’ll be very close to her reaction. It was not only that she was not alone, but all the other things she discovered as well. What else? You have to get your own book and read it to know, I won’t give that much away.

This book is told from Darian's point of view, I loved how Mrs. Bonilla gives us the information we require at a good pace; we are discovering and learning at the same time as Darian is doing it. In my opinion this made it easier to connect and identify with Darian.
I really liked Darian, she is the epitome of a kick ass heroine. I loved how she thought herself the super fighter and soon realizes her skills were completely lacked, another thing to add to her “deal with” pile. But this didn’t stop her, she got the training she needed it and gave her best everyday even though she got her ass kicked more than once.
I also loved how she didn't think much of herself and didn’t understand why she was getting attention from certain persons.

Tyler oh sweet, sweet Tyler! What else can I say. He is not just hot as hell, he is also caring, dedicated and always there when you need it, he is just perfect.
The attraction between Darian and Tyler is of the charts. I’m not exaggerating but my eReader was steaming every time they were together in the same page.

Xander is one of those characters with which you have a love/not like relationship. As he is King he expects everybody to do his bidding, he is used to that, but here comes Darian and her attitude and he can’t get enough of her. Their attraction has a level of creepiness, but at the same time I understand they are a different kind and can’t be judge by human standards, what for us maybe a no-no, in their culture is ok. So this is something I had to look at with an open mind. What am I talking about? You have to get your copy and discover it by yourself.

Another character I loved was Raif, I loved how honest he was with Darian and how in a short time he became a good friend and somebody she could trust to tell her the truth when nobody else was doing it. In a sense he is almost a male version of Darian. I hope to see and learn more about him in books to come. Another character I would love to know more about is Anya, I’m sure there is a lot more of her than what Mrs. Bonilla gave us in Shaedes of Gray.

The world Mrs. Bonilla has created is new and different, the characters are well developed and the plot is not only nicely paced but with many surprises along the way. If I would have to say what I thought of Sheades of Gray in just one word I would say Refreshing.
I love Urban Fantasy, it’s one of my favorite genres, but lately it has been difficult to find a book with a new feeling and this new feeling is what I found in Sheades of Gray. If you love this genre you NEED to read Sheades of Gray, I’m also sure this book would be appealing to paranormal romance lovers. The only “problem” I found with this book was that I couldn’t put it down, since the moment I started it I read it non-stop from page one to the end. My recommendation to you is to get the chinese or pizza menu ready because you will be trapped in Darian’s world and won’t be able to leave until you get to that end-point.
I have to thank Pamela (@SpazP) and Julie from Yummy Men & Kick Ass Chicks for recommending me this book. Now it’s your turn to read it, you don’t have to thank me but I’m pretty sure you will.
Saying I’m looking forward to the next installment Blood Before Sunrise is an understatement, July 3rd of next year can’t come soon enough. show less

You may also read my review here: http://www.mybookishways.com/2011/12/release-day-review-shaedes-of-gray-shaede-a...

Shaedes of Gray was such a pleasant surprise! Everything about this book looked great, but you never know what to expect when trying out a new author. Turns out I had nothing to fear. Darian is a Shaede, able to shift into shadow and has spent her life working as an assassin, until her maker, Azriel, leaves her with no hint at whether he is dead or alive. She has continued her show more work as an assassin (it’s all she knows), and when she is hired by the King of the Shaede Nation (who she’s first hired to assassinate), Alexander, to take out an unknown victim, the you-know-what really hits the fan. Darian didn’t even know there was a King of Shaedes, much less anyone else like her, so the forthcoming events prove to be extremely eye opening for our heroine.

Speaking of our heroine, Darian isn’t your typical kick-ass, leather clad¸ urban fantasy star. Yes, she does kick-ass, but only up to a point. Her only training is as an assassin, and what does an assassin do? Preferably, they sneak up on their mark and kill them quietly, without ever engaging them in battle. Until about halfway through the book, Darian really isn’t up to any serious fighting, but that’s ok, because training from Raif (a fellow Shaede) takes care of that neatly. She begins to learn that not only is she not the only Shaede in existence, but there are all kinds of “others” running around, and her employer, Tyler, who she’s known for 5 years and wants her as more than a friend, may also be more than he seems. The sparks are undeniable between Darian and Tyler, but she’s very reluctant to draw anyone close that can be hurt because of her. It doesn’t help that Alexander is sniffing around too. Shaedes of Gray is told from Darian’s point of view, and I had great fun following her as she discovers her origins and as a whole new world opens in front of her. There’s also a diabolical evil at work that thinks Darian might be even more than she thinks she is, and is willing to do anything for that power. There’s lots of twists and turns in this one and while there is much emotional push and pull between Darian and Tyler, it’s not too heavy on the romance. For me, it was just right. Darian’s story is fascinating and I like her matter-of-fact attitude, although she does eventually soften just a smidge. But just. My only complaint (and it’s not really a complaint), is that I would have loved to explore Darian’s past just a bit more (she’s over 100 years old, after all), but a little birdy told me there’s a novella coming up that will do just that, so I’m looking forward to it. Shaedes of Gray is chock full of supernatural goodness and I love the unique world the author has created! Urban fantasy fans will love this one, and I’ll be anxiously awaiting the next book in the series! show less

Hold onto your hats and glasses, folks. This one’s going to get ugly.

The first-person narrator, Darian, is an assassin. An assassin who only kills evil people. Not that she does the legwork to check whether or not her victims are evil –she explains in one memorable scene, “Thinking wasn’t part of my job,” – so she just trusts her boss, Tyler, to be extra careful about picking evil victims.

She’s also fabulously wealthy because she only takes high dollar jobs, which she mostly show more executes on the seedy side of town. Apparently there’s lots of money in killing poor people of low morals?

Her special talent is that can disappear into the shadows, which is great because good assassins are silent, invisible agents of death, right? And yet Darian likes to dress up before a throat-slitting expedition – as she explains, “I love dramatics. Especially when I’m on a job.” No wonder she earns the big bucks!

You can probably guess what I think about Darian at this point but let’s put it in her own words, because these quotes are priceless. At one point she asks herself, “Was I the most clueless woman on the [bleep bleep] planet – or what?” After reading SHAEDES OF GRAY, I can confidently answer that it’s the former, not the latter. She calls herself stupid and arrogant, describes her own behavior as “unabashedly petulant” and refers without shame to her “overinflated ego.”

At least she’s self-aware.

Though “overinflated ego” doesn’t quite cover it. Check out a couple examples of how she describes her own looks (first person narrator!): “It would only be a matter of time before someone homes in on the faint glow of my eyes or my flawless porcelain skin,” or “He only saw the woman: soft, sleep-tousled, with luminous eyes and a pouty mouth.”

Do you really want to spend a whole book inside the head of a person who drools over her own “flawless porcelain skin”?

There’s a love triangle in SHAEDES OF GRAY and it’s as horrible as everything else about this book. The two men in her life are Taylor and Xander. Xander treats her horribly but she wants him anyhow. She treats Taylor horribly but he wants her anyhow.

In fact, it was Darian’s treatment of Taylor that turned me off of this novel more than anything else. She is really, really mean to him. In any other novel, Darian wouldn’t be the heroine – she’d be the mean girl whose downfall you root for. She often thinks of Tyler in childlike terms; in one case, she’s at a club and he arrives, sits down next to her, and while she’s ignoring him her inner monologue runs, “Like an antsy kid, he fidgeted silently waiting for me to look at him.” I’m sorry, but ugh. Just ugh. What kind of person does that? Makes a guy beg for acknowledgment?

Is it even worth mentioning, after all of that, that Darian is a raging Mary Sue? Inexplicable bizarre name, check. Unearthly beauty, check. Special (glowing green) eyes and special (strawberry red) hair, check. Special destiny and impossible superpowers, check. All the men are in love with her, check. She gets rewarded without having to prove herself, check. All the other women in the book are ugly or evil, check.

I hated Darian. I mean, hate hate hated her. I hated her so much that when the book finally started to get interesting, a little past the halfway point, I didn’t care. I just wanted it to end. The climax of the novel is actually pretty cool, mostly because Darian doesn’t have the time or energy to ruin it with her horrible personality, but, again, I didn’t care.

I want this book to die in a fire.

The end. show less