Review: imaginative storytelling, talented writer
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 05 27, 2012
It is no secret I love Erin Kellison's writing and adore the world she built in her Shadow series, so I will try to keep the fangirl moments to a minimum. Shadow Play is the second novella in her Shadow Touch series, which is a spin-off of her Shadow novels. And for our readers not yet introduced to Kellison's books, you don't have to read the novels to enjoy the novellas. Kellison does a great job of catching the reader up on the important world building elements, so you haven't tried a novella yet or not impressed with them, then give Kellison a try. She has perfected the art of the novella, giving the reader a whole novel experience in a small package.In the first novella, Shadow Touch (my 5 Sheep review), we meet Cam, a researcher working for the Segue Institute. Segue is an organization that was created to study Shadow, the magic that is slowly spilling into our world from a place called Twilight and the subject of Kellison's novels. Twilight is home to the Fae and the barrier between our realm and theirs is thinning. Ellie comes to Segue looking for help, her shadow can separate from her and acts on primal urges like sex and rage. Ellie can't control her shadow and wants to be free of it before something bad happens. Ellie starts out as a subject to be studied, but Cam soon starts to have feeling for her and good romance stuff happens <G>.Shadow Play takes place a few months after the events of Shadow Touch. Cam and Ellie are working to control her shadow and trying to make their relationship work. Ellie is resentful of her shadow self and sees it as an obstacle to her happiness. While I enjoy the romance developing between Cam and Ellie, it is the imaginative world building and storytelling I love most. The main plot focuses around a waterfall from Twilight which has appeared and spills from midair in a desert. Segue is called in to help rescue a young boy who was lured into it and turned with a Fae changeling. The story is full of action and suspense and a new faction has been added, Mages. At this point I am not sure if they are good or evil, but I love the direction the story is headed.The Shadow Touch series is a perfect way to check out Erin's writing and get a taste for her Shadow world as well as a great introduction to the Urban Fantasy genre if you have been curious. You can get an ecopy of the first novella Shadow Touch for $1.49 and Shadow Play for $1.99.5 Shadow Sheepfind this and other reviews:[...]