Rating: 4.5/5 stars (Rounded Up)
First things first, let me just say how wonderful Ms. Blair is and give the rest of you a warning. The Nook version of this novel is wonky and hard to read, but I'm sure if you contact Blair, she will email you a PDF (like she did with me). Thank you for letting me be able to enjoy this book without the added headache because it was fantastic!
I stink at reviews because my brain is a mish-mosh of anything and everything I've ever thought about, and I can hardly begin to organize it. So I will quickly go through and say I ABSOLUTELY recommend to paranormal lovers, romance lovers, and people that binge watch all of Supernatural in a week. You will adore this as much as I did.
Characters: Kick. Ass.
Sidney is a BAMF without the added Mary Jane BS of not wanting to be one. She kicks demon butt and takes names, all while owning her sordid past and moving on from it. She's a hell of a protagonist and one I would love to hang out with, even if I'd be a bit afraid of her.
Williams, Sid's partner, is just the most adorable human ever. He's perfect. That's all I can say, really. Other than, it's so refreshing to read about a male and female who are best friends without an ounce of romance. Their relationship is fantastically heartwarming.
Mitch/ AKA The Chief is pretty sexy in his own oldie way. His character felt real, raw, and not some generic, stereotypical, angry police chief. I am so tired of those.
Steamy D/ AKA Dimitrius / AKA STEAMY FREAKING D almost killed me. He's too much. A++++++ male character. 15/10 would sleep with. 18/10 would die for.
My only negative that took this down a half star was the lack of female characters. Other than Sidney and Williams' wife, there were none to be seen. Perhaps the sequel will give way to another female badass or two. I would really like to see that, since Blair is able to write them so well.
PLOT: This shit was bananas (in the best way)
When you start your journey in Darkness Shifting, it's a pretty awesome world. Since Sidney is immersed in the magic elements of our world, it comes across as magical realism almost, which is pretty freaking dope and rare. Once the story unfolds, however, you will be gasping and squealing and applauding Sarah L. Blair's use of mythology and lore. In the beginning, what gripped me was the characters. I liked their relationships and that they seemed like real, 3-dimensional people. About fifty pages in, and I was hooked on the mystery. It's seriously wonderful, and I'm not including any spoilers because I can't put into words how much I LOOOOVVVEEEDDD the backstory to this.
Related Novels: This most reminded me of an adult version of The Raven Boys. Let me explain though. It's way sexier (waaaayyy sexier) and much more paranormal, but the mythology is so well thought out and explained that you don't need to rely on the characters to carry the story. If you're a fan of those books (and 18+), grab this one.
All in all, DARKNESS SHIFTING was a novel that immediately grabbed my attention and held it captive the entire time. The plot was executed to perfection, and the characters were so realistic that I could almost hear them speaking to me from the pages. The descriptions that Blair used were so well done that I thought I was there with them, even during the bloodier parts. Her action sequences contained enough punch and kick assery without going overboard that didn't feel the need to skim or skip pages.
SOOO...
If you need me, I'll be twiddling my thumbs and sopping up my tears as I wait for DARKNESS RISING.
OR
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Reviews with images
X-Files and Castle fans listen up!
Even though I LOVE watching Sci-Fi, I've never really been into reading Sci-Fi... until this book. Darkness Shifting: Tides of Darkness Book One is a PERFECT blend of the X-Files and Castle mixed with a little bit of King Arthur mythology. Sidney is such a great character! Her past consists of the tragedy of her parents' murders and being raised by a heartless grandfather. She struggled and continues to struggle with this past. However, this dark past is what makes her such a great paranormal detective and such a relatable character. The twists and turns in this are mind boggling. It has the perfect balance between action, sci-fi, and romance. I recommend this book to everyone! It had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I even read it while I was vacationing in Disney World...
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