The Shadows by J R Ward

The Shadows by J.R. Ward
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 4 days

Pages - 654

Publisher - Piatkus

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads


Trez “Latimer” doesn’t really exist. And not just because the identity was created so that a Shadow could function in the underbelly of the human world. Sold by his parents to the Queen of the S’Hsibe as a child, Trez escaped the Territory and has been a pimp and an enforcer in Caldwell, NY for years- all the while on the run from a destiny of sexual servitude. He’s never had anyone he could totally rely on... except for his brother, iAm.

iAm’s sole goal has always been to keep his brother from self-destructing- and he knows he’s failed. It’s not until the Chosen Serena enters Trez’s life that the male begins to turn things around... but by then it’s too late. The pledge to mate the Queen’s daughter comes due and there is nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, and no negotiating.

Trapped between his heart and a fate he never volunteered for, Trez must decide whether to endanger himself and others- or forever leave behind the female he’s in love with. But then an unimaginable tragedy strikes and changes everything. Staring out over an emotional abyss, Trez must find a reason to go on or risk losing himself and his soul forever. And iAm, in the name of brotherly love, is faced with making the ultimate sacrifice...



My Review


You can read this as a standalone but as it is book thirteen of a series you do miss a lot of the back story however each book focuses on a particular character or handful of characters. Trez and his brother iAm are an accepted part of the brotherhood, welcomed to their home, firm respected friendships. Trez is on the run from his *legacy* he was promised to the queen, for the Princess, Trez has never wanted that. Now time is running out and the Royal promise/agreement will be fulfilled.

Life is never straight forward in these books, Trez finally finds someone he loves, Selena (we met her before) but of course there is a huge something that stands in the way. Then fate intervenes and they are together but he has to fulfil his duties or die. His brother iAm is the oppose of Trez, he has never been with a woman and he looks out for Trez, will do anything for him. The royals have reached out and both men will feel the effects of the promise their parents made all those years ago.

As with the other books there is graphic sex and a ton of body fluids so not for the easy offended or mortified. We see Layla and her dilemma with Xcor, I get she feels she is doing the right thing but the danger she puts herself and her unborn, I was beyond exasperated with her at times. Rhage, I don't really know what happened to him in this book, even after finishing it, clearly something is coming and I feel this is setting the scene but he wasn't our normal Rhage and I don't know why.

For the books having romance throughout this book was a bit sad. Quinn's brother Luchas we see a bit more of him in this but again not a lot so I am wondering if he might get a book of his own coming?

I didn't love this book, I didn't hate it, I was left feeling a wee bit empty, maybe loss - I don't know. Usually you get a happy sigh in amongst a lot of danger and badness, I just felt this book had flashes of a lot of the characters and storylines but no real meat for any of them. Usually the book focuses on one person/couple and then you get scenes and bits with the others. I don't know/feel like we did with this one. There was a lot going on, 3/5 for me this time. The last quarter of the book picked up more for me but yeah not my fave of the series. I have the rest to read, most on my tbrm and I look forward to where the story goes but rooting for Layla to sort her crap out!

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