Shades of Dark

I stand corrected on my previous statement that I didn't need to know more about Sully's past/heritage. With the additional of his Kyi-Ragkiril mentor, Regarth, well it all got a whole lot more interesting. Reading the by-play between Sully and Regarth or the interchange between Chaz and Regarth was highly informative. Not just in how well (or little) each new the other, but also in how far they would push back.

Despite the fact I should have seen Philip as an obstacle, or at least a hindrance to Sully/Chaz's relationship (as I did in Gabriel's Ghost), I understood pretty quickly that Philip wasn't really in it to win back Chaz. He understood that even if by some chance Chaz came back to him, for whatever reason, what Chaz and Sully had show more could never be replaced by any feelings he had. So instead he became the protector and devil's advocate that Chaz needed occasionally. Someone who was, for the most part, looking out only for HER best interests. The family Chaz needed with everything that happened with Thad, her brother.

What fascinated me most was the not-so-slow dissolve of the original government and the move to a rebel Alliance. I may not be much of a politician myself, but boy how I enjoy them! Small acts are what topple a body of power moreso then large demonstrations. If you break a people's belief in the system, how can they complain when its replaced right under their noses under the guise of 'making things better'? show less

Captain Chaz Bergren has her hands full - she's one of the leaders of a rebellion against the corrupt Empire, her brother has been arrested for treason and is now facing execution, and her telepath lover, Gabriel Sullivan, is having trouble with his increasingly strong powers. And Chaz is still trying to uncover and destroy the lab breeding jukors. As if the politics weren't difficult enough, Chaz' ex-husband Admiral Philip Guthrie turns up on board and Sully's mentor Del is out to seduce Chaz.

While Sully spent most of the first book doing his best to downplay (or even ignore) his powers, that is increasingly impossible. In Shades of Dark, Sully must learn how to truly control his powers, and also how to accept all of himself. As much show more as Chaz loves and trusts Sully, she is (quite understandably) afraid of some of the things that Sully can and does do in this novel. Angst levels are through the roof.

Things aren't so black and white, and there is a definite struggle as to where to draw the line as to what may be necessary in wartime and what crosses the line into something unforgivable. And this struggle, the fact that moral superiority can't dictate battle tactics but must nonetheless be considered, is a real strength of Shades of Dark and makes for some fascinating reading.

And while I still loved Chaz as a no-nonsense strong heroine - and this was far more her story and how she comes to grips with Sully, I felt a little more out-of-tune with her emotions this time around. I also missed seeing the other side characters. I particularly felt the loss of Chaz' close friendship with Ren that had built up in Gabriel's Ghost. That said, I loved the addition of Philip. While I had thought he was a bit on the pompous straight-laced side, in this instalment of the series, it's easy to see why Chaz and he made such a good team - and also why they simply didn't work out as a romantic couple.

On the whole, everything was kicked up a notch in Shades of Dark - more intrigue, more adventure, more romantic complications. I preferred Gabriel's Ghost, as it was more light-hearted and a bit, well, simpler, but this was a compelling read. And I loved getting to know Philip and am very much excited to read his story in Hope's Folly.

More posted at A Hoyden's Look at Literature. show less

I didn't plow straight into this one from Gaberiel's Ghost, so I spent the first couple chapters being confused because it gets right into the conspiracies. Shades of Dark is not the Sinclair romance formula, there are definitely elements of it there but it's much more plot focused. I enjoyed it, but not as much as others of hers. I'm also wary of books with a main character of almost limitless powers, it's not quite the case here, but the essential problem remains (it's just boring - limitless powers = fewer interesting human problems).

Went straight from finishing the first book into this one - and then on to the next. So in this book...Sully gains a teacher, but with culture clash and (willful?) idiocy, it turns out to be a really bad idea. I hope what he taught Sully is actually useful, aside from the attitudes he was trying to inculcate. Philip Guthrie turns up again, and goes from a stiff and stuffy stereotype to a guy I quite like; it's somewhat amusing how everyone expects him to be up in arms over Sully and he's just not. The greater conflict also goes from black labs and secrets to outright warfare - again, I wish I could see this from a normal person's perspective because everyone here knows all the backstory and Tage's actions are just too blatant. There are show more at least three climaxes, each one providing an obvious peak and end...except the next one takes you up a step. And Chaz actually loses patience with Sully - one step too far - though it turns out it wasn't really his idea, and he redeems himself. Stupidly, but he does. The long-term repercussions may be interesting - if they're not linked any more, what now? Can they link again? Or is it better to stay unlinked, in the hopes of cooling off his runaway reactor of a power? Still a lot of questions at the end of the book, and while there are sequels they don't focus on Chaz and Sully any more. Good story - and I immediately went on to the next book. show less

Captain Chazidah Bergren may have a ship back under the feet Gabriel Sullivan swept her off, but life on board the Boru Karn isn't exactly tranquil. As the Imperial political situation implodes and factions form, Sully and Chaz race against time to locate the gene labs using Taka females as incubators for jukors, the mutant genetic abominations created as near unstoppable killing machines. When their possible contact turns out to possesses Kyi skills that Sully desperately needs, Chaz squelches her unease. But as Sully's skills grow, so does his teacher's fascination with Chaz. As if political intrigue, mutiny, treason, and Imperial assassins weren't enough to worry about.

Fast-paced and finely detailed, an excellent follow-up to show more Gabriel's Ghost. Definitely read this one second, though - coming in cold will leave you wondering what's going on. show less

By the end of Gabriel's Ghost, I was so hooked that I had to go out and buy Shades of Dark so I could start it immediately. That night, I was halfway through this book and finished it about two days later (it would have been much sooner if I didn't have to go to work). I found this one a little slower to get into in the beginning with a few info dumps about happenings from the previous book but overall better (and much darker) than the first book. Dark books are my favorites, and I really loved how Sully had to come to terms with who and what he was in this book.

Full review:
http://fantasycafe.blogspot.com/2008/12/shades-of-dark-review.html

It's 2:30 in the morning. I should have been asleep hours ago, but I couldn't put this book down. And now I'm sad that it's over, because the remaining novels in the Dock Five Universe (at this time) feature other characters - and not my beloved Chaz and Sully.

Wow, what a read. I enjoyed it. I enjoyed it very much. I hope the remaining novels in the D5U tell us what happened to these characters, and I seriously hope this isn't the last we've heard from them.