Shattered Bonds

4.5 Stars

After the epic and devastating battle in the last book, DARK QUEEN, between Leo and the Euro vamps where things did not go according to plan, Jane has retreated to the Appalachian Mountains brought low by grief and a magically induced disease. Her own trusty Clan Yellowrock army is with her including Bruiser, her brothers of the heart, Eli and Alex plus others of her extended family who show up to help out when trouble once again stalks Jane. The most seriously evil younger Son of Darkness brings a new and deadly fight right to Janes front door. As usual, Jane is fighting battles on several fronts including the magic created illness that is sapping her strength and causing major depression for our warrior woman.

Once the enemy is identified, Jane ends up with a full house on her new property to help out including BFF Molly along with her extended witchy and human family. Someone dear to Jane has been taken and is being brutally tortured by the SOD #2 who wants to own Jane, her Dark Queens crown, and all the power that implies. To make matters worse, another enemy is attacking them so that adds to the chaos and stress. Jane is trying to get her sometimes magical allies including Gee and Soul to help out, but they are having their own issues. Ayatas shows up to annoy and pester Jane as only a brother can without necessarily being helpful though they have some interesting conversations. Jane spends a fair amount of time in half form as it helps her deal with her ever increasing weaknesses which also means Beast is at the forefront for much of the story. There is a hint given about the status of Leo, but I would say it is not definitive.

This book, Jane Yellowrock #13, has an amped up intensity which will leave readers thoroughly worked over emotionally. Jane gets little to no break from the extreme pressure of rescuing some of her people, dealing with illness, keeping tabs on what is going on back in NOLA at vamp HQ, and the major fight with the horrific evil that is the SOD. The pace of this story goes roller coaster ride fast moving from one battle to the next along with Clan Yellowrock family dynamics which will keep readers glued to the page wondering how it will all work out for Jane and company.

Now that I have devoured this new book, I will go back and reread slowly, so I can really absorb the little details I missed on the first quick read. You will not be disappointed in this new episode of Jane’s/Beast’s life story. There are places you will laugh out loud… and places you will cry (actual tears). Most of all you will be desperate for each new chapter to see what happens next (it is never what you expect). Old friends, new friends… old enemies combine into an amazing story. You will be in awe (as I am) of the talent of Faith Hunter… I am so thankful to have found her and this world of adventure.

Jane’s human body is dying of cancer, and she spends as much time as possible in Beast mode, where she is healthy and painfree. Her friends are seeking a cure, but she’s running out of time. She’s retreated to a new home in North Carolina, a rural winery, and she can accommodate many of her friends in the main house and cottages. That’s a good thing because evil is coming to visit, and she’s going to need to protect those friends as well as use their abilities to thwart the brother of the Son of Darkness.

Her illness has caused her to put aside some of her responsibilities as Dark Queen and clan leader, and a lot of loose ends have dangled, ready for those with bad intentions to snatch.

The intensity and drama of this book are incredible. I am enthralled with this one, and find myself thinking of all the characters are family, friends, and of course, a few enemies. It’s hard to remember it’s fiction…

Overall: 4.5/5 Stars
Characters: 5/5 Stars
Series Continuity/Expectations: 4/5 Stars
Personal Opinion: 5/5 Stars

So much happened and changed by the end of Dark Queen, I really wasnt certain what to expect with this book, especially with the not quite a cliffhanger you got at the end of that one. I did expect that issue to be addressed or at least mentioned pretty quickly in this one, but it takes a bit for it to come up, which left me wondering if that event was somehow getting changed.

This felt different than most any of the other JY books. You still get some great shift scenes. You get a good amount of Beast time. You still get a few battle scenes. You still get a few scenes of Jane connecting with her people. But those all seem to have the edges dulled a bit because, to a large extent, she has to take more of a backseat in this one. She doesnt get to be the full on badass all the time which shifts the overall tone and feel of this book.

This does tie off a couple of the loose threads introduced in the last book, but you are again left wondering where the series is going to go next. One big thread is glanced across and cannot possibly be all we see for the end of that thread. A whole lot happens along the side of what happens in this book. Things that are introduced through brief conversations, but are left wide open by the last page. You are definitely left with the feeling that there is a lot more yet to come.

As always, the biggest downside is that there is a last page and too big of a time gap in which I have to wait for the next book.

Holy crap… I don’t even know where to start! First off I absolutely love Jane in this book!!!! She has come so far and I’m so proud of her and happy for her!!!! I don’t want to spoil anything, but as always with this series stuff gets crazy! Highly recommend you buy this book. Faith has done an amazing job creating this world and it’s characters, you will not regret buying this book.

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