Sci-Fi, Fantasy & Horror Reviews

Book Review: A Council of Shadows

By Sandy Amazeen Jun 7, 2011, 3:05 GMT

New from the New York Times bestselling author of A Taint in the Blood. Adrian Brézé defied his own dark heritage as a near-purebred Shadowspawn for years, until his power-hungry sister Adrienne kidnapped his human lover Ellen. Now, Adrienne is dead, and the Council of Shadows is gathering its strength. To stop the Council from launching an apocalypse, Adrian and Ellen must ally with the Brotherhood, a ...more

Adrian Breze is one of the Shadowspawn, a race humanity considers mythical as they are capable shape shifting, using powerful magic and drinking blood but in truth, centuries earlier they ruled mankind. Now the Council of Shadows is preparing to flex their muscle and rule humanity once again beginning by decimating the human population using a highly contagious bug in Operation Trimback.

Using Adrian’s human lover Ellen as bait, his sister Adrienne lured him out of hiding and filled him in on the Council’s plans. After defeating Adrienne, the two lovers were married and now work together with the Brotherhood to thwart the Council but it is no easy task as the Shadowspawn, even when united in a cause don’t always see eye to eye or work well together. As humans have a secret society dedicated to eradicating all Shadowspawn, the Council is not the only challenge facing the Brotherhood, especially with traitors in their midst.

Sterling mixes the vampire mythology with black noir to create a twisting, turning urban fantasy with broad appeal. Dark villains, romps through Paris and Adrian treating Ellen as a trusted equal although she is unable to draw upon the energies that power the Shadowspawn all add to this inventive, engaging tale that shows no signs of slowing down.