A Sliver of Shadow

Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy

One of the real strengths of the Abby Sinclair series is the fresh and innovative mythology and worldbuilding. The supernatural species may be familiar (fae, angels, unicorns etc.), but the rules for this world are anything but. Creative, yes, but unfortunately, it’s a little confusing too. Pang has really infused the kind of meticulous and nuanced worldbuilding that I’m more accustomed to reading in epic fantasy series. Most of the terminology is unique to this series, along with the etiquette, politics, and history of the varied creatures that populate this series. As much as I enjoy all the layers and new ideas, it is a little tricky to try and keep everything straight while reading. I show more had hoped that I’d have a better grasp of things since this is my second visit to this series, but I would have killed for a glossary even just after the first few chapters.

A SLIVER OF SHADOW gets a lot less urban and a lot more fantasy when Abby and her group cross over into faerie at about the halfway mark. Lots of corsets, horseback, and sword fights. For my taste, I could have done with a shorter visit to faerie, but the action and romance picked up considerably once we got there. Unfortunately, those weren’t the only things that picked up. There is just a ton of stuff going on. A messy love triangle, half angel/half fae babies, deamonic armies, botched spells, crazy queens, fading fae, shocking family revelations, and on and on. The plot got more complicated as the story progressed, and by the end, I was kind of overwhelmed and not a little confused.

Those complaints aside, there is enough good stuff in this book to make it worth picking up. Abby is a great UF heroine. Tough even when she is scared, gutsy even when the odds aren’t in her favor (and they never are). The best thing by far is Phin, the cat sized unicorn who sleeps in Abby’s underwear drawer. He was even more bawdy and hilarious in A SLIVER OF SHADOW than I remembered from the debut. Lots of urban fantasy series have sidekick type characters, but I’d be hard pressed to find one as flat out entertaining as Phin. I’ll be looking forward to more Phin and Abby (and hopefully a glossary) when the third book in the Abby Sinclair urban fantasy series called A TRACE OF MOONLIGHT is published probably early in 2013.

Sexual Content:
Scenes of sexuality. One graphic sex scene show less

Review Courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: A love triangle, with occasional sexual harassment from a unicorn, in the midst of dealing with a Faery Queen’s decent into madness.

Opening Sentence: “Run, Abby.”

The Review:

Abby Sinclair had thought that things were finally going to settle down in her life. But when the OtherFolk are shut out of the CrossRoads, the only way for them to travel from the mortal realm back to their own world, it’s up to Abby and her friends to make things right. Unfortunately, the only person that can reopen the CrossRoads is the Faery Queen, who is drifting farther and farther into madness. Abby will learn secrets kept from her by her mother and father. Secrets that include a powerful fae relic show more and who her biological father really is.

Even though she is still holding a torch for ex-lover, the very sexy incubus Brystion, she starts to develop feelings for her bodyguard, Prince Taliver. These two men couldn’t be more opposites in every way but one; their feelings toward Abby. I always enjoy a good love triangle. Brystion has started to pursue Abby once again after he learns about her involvement with Taliver. Brystion is distrustful of the fae prince, and not just because he’s a demon and they have a species hatred toward each other. Brystion thinks that problems facing the OtherFolk should be handled by someone else. His heart is in the right place, he doesn’t want Abby to get caught up in something that could hurt her in any way, but he shows it poorly. He can’t handle the fact that Abby might be moving on in her life and he tends to attack her verbally instead of debate his case.

Taliver, on the other hand, really feels like there is a connection between himself and Abby. They both can relate to the physical limitations of their bodies and the emotional scars that define their characters. We get to learn all about his motivations, hopes, and dreams. Talivar’s family, though have hurt him in the past, is still the most important thing to him. And unlike Brystion, instead of demanding that Abby stay out of harm’s way, he accompanies her in an effort to protect her. Brystion is a commitment-phobe and Talivar is bound by his duty to his family and his race. Honestly, Abby’s would-be-suitors are as different as night and day. I am eager to see which she will choose.

Of course, Abby’s love life takes back stage to the larger picture. While Abby tries to convince the Faery Queen to open up the CrossRoads, she learns that her familial connections to the fae court are more of a liability than an asset. The Queen’s madness has left her little in the way of peaceful options. Her only recourse is to seek out a cure for the Queen by going to get answers from a known traitor. But cruising around the Faery Realm is dangerous business these days due to the fact that the daemons and fae are on the brink of war. Does Abby have a snowball’s chance in getting what she needs before a war breaks out? Will her newly discovered family be all that she wanted and more? Or will they end up using her for their own nefarious purposes?

A Sliver of Shadow is a worthy sequel to the first novel. It is still as fast-paced and packed full of intrigue. We learn more about some of the side character’s backgrounds, including Melanie’s Deal with the Devil. But this book seems to be all about family: The family we are born to and the family we make. Ms. Pang emphasizes the importance of each and the choices each of us makes in who we allow within our hearts, be they blood or friend.

Notable Scene:

“You okay?”

“As good as I might expect,” he said dryly. “But we haven’t found Roweena yet.” He paused. “Did you see?”

“See what? Dude, I saw the seizure, but don’t worry about it. Not like you haven’t seen me at my worst, right?”

“I meant the scars, Abby.” There was a world of hurt in that statement, but it didn’t jive with the warrior mind-set if his. I’d always thought scars were signs of manhood, or some shit.

“I don’t think that they’re as bad as you think,” I said slowly.

Maybe it depends on how he got them.

“And maybe it’s none of my business,” I muttered under my breath. I heard a muffled grunt in return. I decided to change the subject. “How’s Phin?”

“He’s fine.” A flutter of amusement tinged the prince’s voice. “I’ve got him in your backpack. He insisted on taking a pair of your panties as a security blanket.”

I rolled my eyes. “Guess he’s earned it.” Although, how someone earned the right to roll around in my underwear I couldn’t say, but he’d been through quite a lot, so I figured I’d give him a pass. Just for now.

The Abby Sinclair Series:

1. A Brush of Darkness

2. A Sliver of Shadow

FTC Advisory: Simon & Schuster/Pocket Books provided me with a copy of A Sliver of Shadow. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review. The only payment received came in the form of hugs and kisses from my little boys. show less

I was very excited when I got a chance to read A Sliver of Shadow early. I've been a huge fan of Allison Pang's ever since I read her debut A Brush of Darkness and I was thrilled to re-immerse myself in Abby's world. (You can read my thoughts on the first Abby Sinclair book here.)

A Sliver of Shadow picks up several months after the events in A Brush of Darkness. You don't need to remember what happened, though, because the author does a wonderful job of filling in the blanks and re-introducing characters as they deal with the aftermath of the first novel. In the relative quiet, Abby has been trying to understand what it means to be a Dreamer and how to use her powers, with marginal success. She's also taking care of Moira's baby, who's show more half fae and half angel, and trying to do her duties as Moira's TouchStone. Of course, things hit the fan pretty early on in the novel, ending Abby and co.'s peace and quiet.

From here, Abby is on quite a rollercoaster, thanks to Allison Pang's willingness to have her characters suffer. Abby has to face off with a new villain, a fae named Tresa, and also learns all sorts of stuff about her family. Specifically, we find out who Abby's father is and it helps explain some of Abby's gifts. Never in a million years would I have expected this type of reveal so early in a series and I was pleasantly surprised to find out who her daddy is. I love that Allison Pang doesn't hold back, with either adventure or big reveals. And there's a lot of both since about half of the book is set in Faerie, giving A Sliver of Shadow a more fantastical feel and a host of new characters. We also learn a lot more about how Faerie society works and where Moira and her brother Taliver figure into things.

Of course, I can't write about an Abby Sinclair book without mentioning Phineas, the pervy miniature unicorn who lives in Abby's underwear drawer. As in A Brush of Darkness, Phineas is my favourite. He's got an incredibly dirty mind and some of the best lines in the book. (He also has his own Twitter feed in case you're interested in following him.) I was also won over by Taliver, who becomes less mysterious and more human in this instalment of the series. Over the course of the novel, Abby and Taliver's relationship becomes more interesting and more meaningful, thanks to some of these revelations, and I look forward to seeing where things go from here.

A Sliver of Shadow ends on a cliffhanger. It's not a crazy cliffhanger that offers no closure but it's definitely setting us up for the next book, which won't be out for months and months. It's going to be a painful wait because I'm sure that Book 3 will be just as enjoyable as its predecessors.

I'm going to sign off by saying that Allison Pang's Abby Sinclair books are epic urban fantasy. They should be on the must-read list of every urban fantasy fan!

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A SLIVER OF SHADOW continues the highly imaginative and fun Abby Sinclair series. In this book you will find a horny unicorn that loves underwear drawers, sexy love interests, a trip to Faery where you will meet all sorts of interesting characters and situations, some good action, suspense and a very big cliffhanger.

A SLIVER OF SHADOW seemed to read a bit different then book one. I think maybe because a large portion of the book took place in Faery. The plot was pretty big and a lot of things happen in a short amount of time, it tending to be a bit confusing. The world building in this series is one of the high points for me. I can totally get lost in picturing the surroundings that Allison creates. I was not crazy about the love show more triangle. I have come to dislike Brystion because of the heartbreak he put Abby through and I'm definitely rooting for Talivar and hope that they end up together. Phin just cracks me up. We actually learn a little bit more about him and the fact that Abby getting him was not a coincidence.

Abby is a really fun character. I had no problems connecting with her in book 1 and the same went for book 2. She has a lot to work out but After the ending in A SLIVER OF SHADOW there is no way that I wont read book 3. show less

You may also read my review here http://www.mybookishways.com/2012/02/early-review-a-sliver-of-shadow-abby-sincla...

Abby Sinclair has her hands full. She’s taking care of Moira’s half angel/half faerie son Benjamin while Moira is off on the Queen’s business, her bodyguard Talivar (also Moira’s brother) is showing more than a passing interest in doing a little more than just guarding Abby’s body, she’s becoming more and more proficient in the Dreaming, while also fielding “Dear Abby” letters from the OtherFolk of Portsmyth. See, Abby is Moira’s TouchStone, which gives Moira the ability to stay in the mortal world without limitations and travel the CrossRoads of Faerie at will. Abby is also a KeyStone, which means that show more she can be TouchStoned to someone without a contract, just by physical contact. Abby’s also still reeling a bit from her breakup with Brystion (incubus and full on hottie.) Full plate! Things start getting really weird when a kidnap attempt is made on Benjamin by a woman claiming to be the new Protectorate of Portsmyth. That’s a big problem, since the current Protectorate is Moira. So, where exactly is Moira?

Unfortunately, that’s not all that’s gone wrong. The Queen is not acting like herself, and some pretty severe steps have been taken, which are taking their toll on Faerie, and war may be brewing between daemons and faeries. I really enjoyed A Brush of Darkness, but Allison Pang really brings the awesome with this one. Still have questions about Abby’s past ( I know I did)? Don’t worry, lots of those will be answered here, and then some. Were you hoping for a sweeter love story for Abby, as well? Talivar certainly fits that bill. I could go on a bit about Talivar…but I digress. I mean, Ion was hot, but fickle, and sometimes a bit of a jerk, but what do you expect from an incubus? If you love Faerie, again, you’ve come to the right place. The author’s world building is nothing short of excellent. Seriously, it was good in the first book, but it’s awesome in this one. Abby will not only have to navigate her new and delicate relationship with Talivar, but she’ll also have to do it while navigating the labyrinthine intrigues of Faerie, including a rather memorable trip through the outskirts of Faerie and some sticky negotiation with the Unseelie. Court intrigue abounds, and the author is expert at weaving in some pretty cool pop culture references while tying together multiple plot strings with some pretty intricate knots. I mean, she references Portal…how cool is that?

Abby is one of my favorite characters in urban fantasy right now, and her supporting cast is almost as awesome. Phin, your favorite wee, ass-biting, panty wallowing unicorn is back in all his glory, and shockingly enough, you get to see a more serious side of that rude little guy in this one. It’s kind of…disconcerting, yet also very cool. Allison Pang actually takes the time to really flesh out her minor characters and you find yourself caring about them almost as much as her major players. How she does it, I don’t know, but she’s captured magic in a bottle twice, and I’m also counting on the third time being a charm. Trust me, at the end of this one, your jaw will drop and you’ll begin the countdown for the next book. Very, very highly recommended! show less

Reviewed by April
Review copy provided by Bewitching Book Tours
Amazing, extraordinary, out of this world! Sliver of Shadow is an amazing follow-up to A Brush of Darkness, the first in the Abby Sinclair series!

I first fell in love with Abby and her friends in the A Brush of Darkness. I loved the spunkiness, uniqueness and sassiness of her, as well as the sexiness of her incubus lover, Brystion. When we begin this latest installment, Brystion has some competition of the very unexpected and elvish kind. This, however, is not the most dire of issues - the fact that the CrossRoads and the Doors which allow the OtherFolk to travel easily between different worlds, has been shut down by the Faery Queen who, as it happens, has gone completely show more mad.

It comes down to Abby, who has the power to save the OtherFolk, hopefully without losing her own life. Full of surprises and endless twists and turns, this story hooked me and never let me go from beginning to end. A Sliver of Shadow tosses Abby and the reader into the thick of the immortal world in which Faeres, Daemons and all things from Fairy Tales are alive and on the brink of war - a war that will destroy all of life as it is known - for everyone. Readers will be shocked at revelations that occur (I know I was!), discoveries made and a love triangle that will leave the heart pounding. Not only is this installment action packed and full of excellent paranormal writing, but the heat and chemistry between Abby and her two suitors is heady and hot.

I love Allison Pang's style of writing. Not only has she become one of my favorite paranormal writers, but she has an amazing way of weaving a story that includes humor, suspense, romance and surprising twists - not to mention her writing is simply beautiful at times. It is not many who can turn a panty-loving, rear-end poking, perverted "pet" unicorn into a character easily endeared by a reader. I do have to admit that the ending had me ready to scream and sob - it did not turn out like I had planned or hoped, lol. However, it does make for the perfect segue into the next book in the series (ok, I also read the expert for the next book that appears at the end of A Sliver of Shadow and I still wanted to cry, lol). Yes, this is a book and a series that I become emotionally involved within.

Needless to say, I cannot wait for the next installment in this series to release and I HIGHLY recommend both A Sliver of Shadow and A Brush of Darkness to anyone looking for an amazing paranormal read. I do want to mention that though A Sliver of Shadow is the second book in the series, it can easily be read as a stand-alone, as it has it's own storyline and there are mentions of bits and pieces from the first book that will cover any questions that may arise.

To end things, A Sliver of Shadow is paranormal perfection!

Favorite Quote (though there are many!): Something hot blurred my vision, scorching down the side of my face. Her gaze become curious as she captured it, turning her fingers to peer at the crystalline softness of my tears. show less

A Sliver of Shadow is the second book in Allison Pang’s Abby Sinclair series, the first book A Brush of Darkness (review here) was fantastic and I could not wait to get my hands on A Sliver of Shadow. Let me warn you though, reading book one is a must in order to read this installment. Allison just dives right back in with A Sliver of Shadow and does not give you any summary whatsoever. It took me a couple chapters to get back in the swing of it because it had been so long since I had read A Brush of Darkness. However, I enjoyed getting right to the heart of the issues Abby faced and not dealing with filler chapters composed of unnecessary retellings of events from book one. So make sure you have read A Brush of Darkness first and show more maybe read the last couple of chapters before starting A Sliver of Shadow.

All the usual suspects are back in this book, my personal favorite being Phin. I don’t think I have found a character that even comes close to matching him in personality. He is hysterical and I laughed every time that unicorn opened his mouth. He keeps the mood light when it is often dire and I always enjoy his comic relief. I also really like Abby’s friend, Mel. She has such an interesting back story that I want to learn more about. Little pieces of her past are reveled in this book, but not nearly enough! I hope we get to see more of her in the next book because I am every interested in how she got that violin and what her future holds.

While this book is labeled urban fantasy it definitely takes on more a fantasy feel once Abby steps into Faerie. There are obstacles at every turn, spells gone wrong, the whole of Faerie on the brink of war and Abby stuck right in the middle of it. Many in the world of Faerie seemed very happy letting Abby solve their problems and all of the pressure started to weigh her down. Allison kept the plot moving at such a rapid pace, so all the characters were kept on their toes and struggling to hold everything together. Faerie is falling apart under a sick queen’s rule and no one seems to do anything about it until Abby comes along and forces them to reevaluate their decisions.

One of the strongest aspects of these books is the amazing mythology. I am not sure how Allison keeps everything that goes on in this world straight, but it has continued to get better with each novel. The world building is amazing and so descriptive I can picture it all in my head perfectly. I want to soak in all the details and just leap right into the book myself.

As for the romance, there is a love triangle going on. If you have read my reviews before you are probably aware that I am not a fan. I am anti love triangle actually, but somehow Allison made it work in this book. After reading A Brush of Darkness, I was certain I was on Brystion’s side and wanted to see him and Abby to end up together. So when I saw her feelings for Talivar start to turn romantic I was upset at first. However, somewhere in the middle of this book I switched sides. I just adored Tavilar and how he acted with Abby. The elven prince is almost broken in a sense. His life has been riddled with pain and heartbreak and while we don’t get the whole story of what has transpired in his lifetime, we know enough to sympathize with him. He won me over completely and I fear for what his future holds with Abby and in Faerie.

While the ending was a little killer because we are left on somewhat of a cliffhanger, I really enjoyed watching Abby take her life into her own hands. She is taking charge of her destiny instead of letting it lead her. Allison has created a fantastic urban fantasy heroine and I love watching Abby try to sort through the mess she always seems to end up in.

Overall, this is another fantastic edition to this series. With a strong, loveable main character, an intense mythology, a little bit of romance and a plot that moves at a rapid pace it is a must read! The next book, A Trace of Moonlight, is due out in October and I cannot wait to get my hands on it. show less