Ashlyn Woods just transferred to one of the most beautiful campuses on the west coast, where she can’t wait to start her life over as a normal college student. But her plans take an unexpected turn when she discovers that she is a Soterian: a person who develops amazing powers when the balance of good and evil shifts too far in evil’s favor.
Soon she and the other Soterians are studying martial arts and learning to use their powers to prevent California from being plunged into chaos. But they quickly discover that they’re up against a much more dangerous enemy than they anticipated.
And when Ashlyn meets Kai, a devastatingly gorgeous guitar player, she realizes she must sacrifice more than she ever imagined.
From Goodreads
Cover Inspection:
Simple, but eyecatching. A good combination!
First Thoughts:
This book opens with a scene that just wows you!
***
My Review:
I went into Rising Shadow completely blind, all I knew about the story was that there was a race called Soterians that are created when evil begins to outweigh good in the world. Interesting premise! After reading so many books in a row about paranormals, and people with special powers, I was looking for a different take on the subject. My hope was that the Soterians would sate my need for some superhero goodness with a bit of a twist.
The story starts with a flash forward look at the ending, and therefore begins with a big bang! As I opened the first page, I was immersed. Jacquelyn definitely picked the perfect opening to the book. It pulls you in and makes you want to keep reading. Sadly, this pace doesn’t continue throughout the book. As I was getting to know the characters and their friends, the story was getting slower and slower paced. There were pages I found my eyes glued to every word, and then other pages where it seemed as though nothing was going on.
One thing that I did love about this book was the cast of characters and their diversity. From the hot headed Michael, to the sweet and patient Rebecca, I found myself adoring the way they interacted with one another. It was refreshing to see romance present in the book without it overpowering the overall story line. However my one gripe was that Ashlyn was often extremely selfish when it came to the team. I kept trying to remind myself that it made her more human and realistic, but honestly it was a bit frustrating to read.
Overall I enjoyed Rising Shadow enough to finish it and I did love the ending! If the pacing had been a bit better, I truthfully would have loved the story even more. Jacquelyn Wheeler has created a new world, complete with the superhero twist that I was looking for! I’m looking forward to diving into her new book, Merger and finding out what happens to Ashlyn and her crew.
Book Details
Title: Rising Shadow
Author: Jacquelyn Wheeler
Publisher: CreateSpace
Pages: Paperback; 378
Source: La Femme Readers Blog Tour
Final Rating: 3 Keys to My Heart
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