Of Shadow Born by Dianne Sylvan

⇧ switch to KingsRiverLife.com for the full issue ⇧

Terrance McArthur

---

Details on how to win a copy of this book at the end of this post.

In Dianne Sylvan’s Shadow World series, the vampires of each territory are ruled by a Prime and his Consort (his female—or male—companion). When a Prime dies, the strength of the link between them is so great that the Consort gets sick and dies/goes crazy/commits suicide/all of the above.

In Of Shadow Born, David Solomon, the Southern Prime, has been ritually killed in Austin, Texas, but his body is missing. Miranda, his pop-star/Consort, the vampire Queen of the South, is expected to fold up and die, but she starts pulling things together and getting on with business, even though the local Second/security chief (her best friend) is also gone. So, is David really dead (Well, he’s a vampire, so he was dead in the first place, but you know what I mean, right?)?

Things are getting crazy in the Shadow World—Primes are turning against Primes, a human secret society called Morningstar (very anti-bloodsucker) is gathering artifacts and laying plots, the police chief’s witch daughter is in vampire protective custody (with Dad’s approval), and a local tattoo artist turns out to be a disgraced former Second with a great body. On top of all that, changes are happening to the nature of vampires and the structure of the vampire world, with Gods, Goddesses, New Generations, New Primes, and rumors of Elves!

Image source: Penguin

Sylvan has created a complex geopolitical society for her paranormal denizens. You’ll find action, plots, counterplots, references to Doctor Who, betrayals, and loyalty. She has a diverse world, ethnically and sexually (David is a former lover of Devon, an aging Prime from the West Coast). Miranda does her share of grieving and moping around while waiting to die/go crazy/etc., but she manages to get back that kick-undead spunk that has made the series so popular. There is sex, but there is also ice cream.

This is Dianne Sylvan’s fourth book in the series, and the fifth won’t be out until March (according to Sylvan’s website), so Miranda’s fans will have a long and lonely vigil. It wouldn’t hurt to start with the first tome, Queen of Shadows. Come to the Shadow World. It’s fun.

To enter to win a copy of Of Shadow Born, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “Shadow”, or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen July 6, 2013. U.S. residents only.

Terrance V. Mc Arthur is a California-born, Valley-raised librarian/entertainer/writer. He lives in Sanger, four blocks from the library, with his wife, his daughter, and a spinster cat.