4.5 Sniffs Review: RISING SHADOWS by Bridget Blackwood #Giveaway #Excerpt

Title: Rising Shadows

Series: World in Shadows #1

Author: Bridget Blackwood

Genre: Adult, Paranormal, Romance

Publisher: Bridget Blackwood

ASIN: B00I6U2ARW

Release Date: February 1, 2014

Source: Bewitching Book Tours ☆ Tour Schedule

Links: Goodreads ☆ Amazon ☆ Barnes and Noble ☆ Kobo ☆ iTunes

Rachel Ryan wakes up with no knowledge of where she is or how she got there. Thrown into a world she thought only existed in myths, she finds more questions than answers.

Shape shifters, faeries, and vampires hide in plain sight among humans. There’s a war quietly brewing in the shadows. Rachel stands between mankind and those creatures that live in the darkness.

Enhanced with power she doesn’t understand, she’ll tip the scales, but who is the real enemy?

THE GIST: Rachel Ryan wakes up in a colorless room with no memory of where she is, how she got there, or why she's there. The doctors tell her that she's at the Richland Institute, a place that encourages certain people to develop latent abilities to advance human evolution. When she's taken to the testing tank she realizes the true horror of the place she's being held prisoner. She learns that there are preternatural beings in the world - werewolves, vampires, dragons, and the like. They injected her with a virus called Arcana, which enhanced her natural psychic abilities to use as a weapon to destroy these beings. On a forced mission to a night club called Lune Rouge that's owned and operated by shapeshifters, they use a young girl named Livia as insurance to get Rachel to do as they want. But they don't realize just how powerful Rachel has become, and she's not going to be their weapon anymore. It's at Lune Rouge that Rachel meets Bastien, son of the Therian alpha , who promises to protect her and Livia. Secrets are revealed and sides are taken, as the preternatural community head to war with the Richland Institute.

WHAT I LIKED: I liked how mysteriously RISING SHADOWS started. Nothing is really known until Rachel's memory starts returning. The world and structure of the Therian community is really interesting and I really liked learning more about them as the story progressed. I loved how protective Rachel was of Livia. She only just met the young girl, and their bond is as strong as that of a mother and child. I also loved Rachel and Bastien together, they are a great couple and I just really loved how they supported one another and were just there for each other.

WHAT I DISLIKED: I did want to know a bit more about the other preternatural beings. RISING SHADOWS focuses more on the shapeshifters, with just a little bit about the vampires and fae. I'm hoping that the future books will tell us more about the others in the preternatural community.

Rachel: 24 years old. Kidnapped and experimented on by the Richland Institute. Her natural psychic gift has been enhanced by the Arcana virus they injected her with. Very protective of Livia and she sees her as her own. Feels drawn to Bastien, son of the Therian alpha. She's stronger than anyone realizes.

Bastien: Son of the Therian alpha. Has been searching for his older brother Athan since he went missing years ago. He claims Rachel at the Tribunal to protect her, making her his mate. His wolf has white fur, which is a rarity.

Stewart Richland and the Richland Institute are run and backed by shadowy figures. Their goal is to wipe out all preternaturals. They kidnap and experiment on them and use others as their weapons. Losing Rachel was a huge blow and left them weakened. The scientists of the Institute commit atrocities and inhumanities that make them the true monsters.

These people completely disgusted me. That testing tank that Rachel was first taken to was so disturbing. My heart broke for all those who were forced to kill others to survive themselves. There was so much hopelessness within those walls - the prisoners were glad to finally be able to leave through death. By the end, I wanted that place raized to the ground and all those evil people - those who knew what they were doing - to be destroyed.

I loved Rachel and Bastien together! They completed each other so well. Their relationship starts pretty quickly with Bastien claiming her at the Tribunal - even before that, in Rachel's holding cell after the Lune Rouge event, where they start making out - but that's not unusual with shapeshifter relationships. But once they mated, it all seems to fall into place.

Their passion is sizzling ans some scenes even had me blushing. Once scene that I thought was really sweet and funny was the first time Bastien shifted into his wolf in front of Rachel. And of course, who doesn't love an alpha male who will do anything to protect his other half? I hope there's more of these two in the next book.

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“The bitch has to die. She murdered my son!” The mother of the werewolf Rachel killed in self-defense. “I will avenge my child!”

Behind her is Alonzo’s brother. He puts his arm around his mother to comfort her. “Don't cry Mama. I will get justice for Alonzo.” He turns towards the council and yells, “I demand Weregild from Rachel Ryan!”

Out of nowhere, Bastien is beside Rachel. His hand on her arm, and whispers in her ear.

“Uh, I want Bastien as my champion!” Rachel blurts out as Bastien starts to unbutton his shirt.

Miguel just bit off a lot more than he can chew. Bastien is a fun loving kind of guy. He’s easy to laugh, and always joking, but he’s also the son of the Alpha Prime. He was taught to fight brutally from the cradle.

“Bastien, son, you are familiar with the law. She’s not our kin, nor mate to our kin. We have no ties to this woman. You cannot champion a stranger.” Claude reminds him.

Claude is a slick one. Every word he says is carefully measured. There was something in there meant for Bastien to grasp. Father and son stare at one another. Bastien snakes a hand around Rachel’s waist and leans her backwards until she’s flush against him. His right palm is flat on her abdomen. He tilts her head to the side with his left.

“Then I claim her.” His teeth sink into the flesh of Rachel’s neck.

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