Custo Santavari has been murdered. After two years in limbo,
he wants to return to Earth because he feels he is
still needed on the mortal plane. His good friend, Adam
Thorne, runs The Segue Institute, a research
facility that focuses on the growing wraith population.
Wraiths are paranormal creatures who have given up their
humanity for immortality. They causes havoc
on Earth and a select group of mortals wages war against
them. Custo makes a dangerous deal with a Shadowmanhas in
order to return to Earth.
When Custo returns sans clothes, the first person he sees is
Annabella, a ballet dancer who has opened a
portal to the Shadowlands through dance. Custo crossed
through using her power. A wolf, that also crossed over,
begins stalking her. The wolf wants Annabella as his mate
and will kill to make that happen. Custo rescues Annabella
from the wolf. Though he is a stranger, she has no choice
but to trust him.
Things become complicated when Adam places them in
his facility. Adam thinks Custo has returned as a wraith and
can't trust him. All Annabella wants to do is dance and live
a normal life, but with the wolf on the prowl and a gift she
doesn't understand, she may have to turn her back on
everything she has known. Fortunately, she is not alone.
Custo is there to protect her, as well as provide comfort
and support.
SHADOW FALL should please readers that are into the mystical
and supernatural. Custo is a borderline alpha hero who, the
moment he sees her, wants to keep Annabella for his own.
Annabella is forced into a situation that should drive her
mad. Not only is she introduced to a world that shouldn't be
a real, she has a crazed animal on the loose who won't stop
until she is his. Annabella's emotions are very unstable.
Only Custo can keep her sane and prevent her from giving
into that part of herself that wants to embrace the
Shadowland realm.
Erin Kellison's writing may appeal to a specific audience
since SHADOW FALL has an intriguing premise. Unfortunately,
I found Erin Kellison's writing to be somewhat inconstant.
The plot is interesting but I found myself distracted by
events that did not clearly move the story forward, and a
little confused by the wolf storyline. I would have
appreciated a more detailed understanding of Custo's and
Annabella's personalities and motivations since, at times, I
did not understand their actions. The story would have
benefited from more action to balance out the dialogue.
Custo Santovari is a fallen hero, a man who sacrificed
himself for his best friend, an angel who's earned himself
a well-deserved place in Heaven. But he risks it all to
rescue a woman from soul-sucking wraiths.