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iam_griff's review
2.0
This book was better than the first, but not by much. There's a lot more action in this one than the previous, but the magic system is vague in its description & I can't make much sense of it. Graphic Audio does make it better, but like the previous this would've been a DNF if I tried to read the book.
kodermike's review against another edition
4.0
Shadow's Lure is the second book of Sprunk's Shadow Saga, following the debut of "Shadow's Son" last year (2010). In this volume, we return to Othir immediately after the events of "Shadow's Son" as Caim heads north, looking for answers to his past and the murder of his parents. What he finds is a land under the grip of the Shadow, personified in the witch Sybelle and the hints of shadow born magic that darken the land. Meanwhile, Josey, as Empress, is struggling with the politics of a land that seems beset with chaos, not to mention assassins out to remove her. And then there's the fae Kit, who early in the book is whisked away from Caim as she has to deal with her own troubles.
"Shadow's Lure" needs to be read in sequence with the rest of the series, unfortunately. Sprunk gives the new reader nothing to identify with with the characters, plunging the reader into a world where the three main characters have very little direct interaction with one another. readers coming to this book directly from the end of book one, though, will appreciate that this book picks up within days of the first book.
Sprunk keeps the secrets of his world at bay, giving us only hints and suggestions. For now, this is enough, though the third book, "Shadow's Master," has a lot of promises to deliver on. Sprunk's books will appeal to the sword and sorcery fans - assassins, magic, and action litter the novel, leaving very little room for the doldrums to creep in.
"Shadow's Lure" needs to be read in sequence with the rest of the series, unfortunately. Sprunk gives the new reader nothing to identify with with the characters, plunging the reader into a world where the three main characters have very little direct interaction with one another. readers coming to this book directly from the end of book one, though, will appreciate that this book picks up within days of the first book.
Sprunk keeps the secrets of his world at bay, giving us only hints and suggestions. For now, this is enough, though the third book, "Shadow's Master," has a lot of promises to deliver on. Sprunk's books will appeal to the sword and sorcery fans - assassins, magic, and action litter the novel, leaving very little room for the doldrums to creep in.
leontiy's review
5.0
FULL REVIEW AVAILABLE HERE: http://bit.ly/opRquf
Excellently written, and brimming with dark imagination, monstrous creativity and a deftness for combat, Shadow’s Lure picks up where Shadow’s Son left off and sweeps the reader away on a dark and gritty adventure, where it’s not just the cold that will test a man’s mettle. Displaying a flair for action and pulse-quickening fight-scenes, Sprunk’s second novel is an excellent sword and sorcery yarn that will have you reading for your rapiers and buckling your swash as you follow Caim into the snow-steeped new lands of Eregoth.
The speed and deftness of Caim’s story is countered by the intrigue of Josey’s story, and both POVs are as exciting as one another—never is the reader left longing to return to one over the other. Both characters are excellently portrayed, and we see both of them grow immensely throughout the novel---Josey hardens, whilst Caim yields to his “better nature”, bringing them both closer to one another despite the yawning distance between them.
Quick-pacing and an intriguing plot drive the story forward, toward an exhilarating epic showdown that sets up the story to lead seamlessly into the final book, Shadow’s Master. A brilliantly presented sword and sorcery yarn, laced with romance, humanity, strength and sacrifice, Shadow’s Lure doesn’t fall into the usual trap of “middle novels” in that the excitement dips after the first novel, before returning in the last. Instead, this middle novel is a sheer pleasure to read, and with adventure, revenge and truth at the heart of the story, it becomes a page-turner that will keep you reading through the night.
A wonderful novel and a pleasure to read.
Excellently written, and brimming with dark imagination, monstrous creativity and a deftness for combat, Shadow’s Lure picks up where Shadow’s Son left off and sweeps the reader away on a dark and gritty adventure, where it’s not just the cold that will test a man’s mettle. Displaying a flair for action and pulse-quickening fight-scenes, Sprunk’s second novel is an excellent sword and sorcery yarn that will have you reading for your rapiers and buckling your swash as you follow Caim into the snow-steeped new lands of Eregoth.
The speed and deftness of Caim’s story is countered by the intrigue of Josey’s story, and both POVs are as exciting as one another—never is the reader left longing to return to one over the other. Both characters are excellently portrayed, and we see both of them grow immensely throughout the novel---Josey hardens, whilst Caim yields to his “better nature”, bringing them both closer to one another despite the yawning distance between them.
Quick-pacing and an intriguing plot drive the story forward, toward an exhilarating epic showdown that sets up the story to lead seamlessly into the final book, Shadow’s Master. A brilliantly presented sword and sorcery yarn, laced with romance, humanity, strength and sacrifice, Shadow’s Lure doesn’t fall into the usual trap of “middle novels” in that the excitement dips after the first novel, before returning in the last. Instead, this middle novel is a sheer pleasure to read, and with adventure, revenge and truth at the heart of the story, it becomes a page-turner that will keep you reading through the night.
A wonderful novel and a pleasure to read.
queenterribletimy's review
3.0
It's been a few days since I finished this one. I couldn't quite put my finger on the thing that bothered me. Now I think a know. It's still a good story, fast, full of actions which is good. The characters are not bad but there are a few things I don't understand. First of all why does Caim and Kit fall in love with each other?? Why?? I mean I like both of them, it's just not logical. They were together for more than 20 years, why now? And why did he fall in love with Josey in the first place? It maddens me, really. I still think about reading the third book, but I don't know.
rouver's review
1.0
I thought I'd give the author one more try. Book 2 was even worse 'cause I REALLY didn't care what happened to the main character/assassin. He's wandering up in the war-torn north to sort of figure out who his parents are...maybe? I wasn't ever really sure. I don't think HE knew what the hell he was doing. Oh, and there is a not-at-all-surprise twist of a pregnancy. Look, if you're going to club us over the head with clues, then it's not going to be a shock when you reveal it. And while I personally have never experienced an infection that approached gangrene, I'm pretty sure it's not just itchy & stiff feeling. Gah! I wanted these books to be good. An assassin who can control the shadows & has a ghost-like companion should make for an awesome story. I almost always finish books, even if they suck. Congratulations, I only made it through 5/8ths. You've made it into the extremely small category of books I've given up on. Don't waste your time.
seak's review
4.0
I love assassins! I'll not go into the same discussion from my review of Shadow's Son, but by golly those guys are cool and Jon Sprunk is an assassin master.
Shadow's Lure is the second volume in the Shadow Saga as I mentioned before, beginning with Shadow's Son. It's full of assassins, magic, and tons of action. Did I mention TONS OF ACTION!
Shadow's Lure takes up the story almost directly after Shadow's Son. Caim, our fearless assassin, is headed north to the dangerous northlands, on a mission not even he yet knows about. Josey has taken over the throne in Othir as empress amidst protests of the True Church. In Shadow's Lure, there is also an added point of view, also in third-person limited, in the witch Sybelle who is the right hand man woman of the new Duke of the North who is attempting to unite the north through subjugation.
While I enjoyed Josey's part in Shadow's Son, I really had a good time with her sections in Shadow's Lure. It was filled with political intrigue and dastardly characters trying to take advantage of her naivete, not least among them, members of the True Church.
Some of the minor problems I had, and the reason for a 4 instead of a 5 star rating, was the fact that (***Minor spoiler warning***) Kit, Caim's invisible Fae partner, is absent from Caim for much of the book. Hence, the fun, witty banter isn't as prevalent as in Shadow's Son. But then again, her parts in the book end up giving us a glimpse of what all this world Jon Sprunk's created has to offer.
I mentioned in my last review that I was really interested, after reading Shadow's Son, to find out more about the Shadow realm. There are lots of hints, but not a lot of solid facts. In Shadow's Lure, we find out much more about this mysterious place, although it is still mostly a mystery.
The magic system in this series is really impressive drawing from this shadow realm and actually using shadows as the magic. There are lots of fantasy books/series that involve shadows, but I'd never seen one that actually uses the shadows for anything from healing to torture and even fighting. What a great concept that's used in a really unique way.
Why Read Shadow's Lure?
Shadow's Lure is sword and sorcery at its best. Fast-paced, filled with action and realistic characters, and of course...assassins! If you like Brent Weeks or Paul Kearney, you'll really enjoy this series.
4 out of 5 Stars (Loved it!)
Shadow's Lure is the second volume in the Shadow Saga as I mentioned before, beginning with Shadow's Son. It's full of assassins, magic, and tons of action. Did I mention TONS OF ACTION!
Shadow's Lure takes up the story almost directly after Shadow's Son. Caim, our fearless assassin, is headed north to the dangerous northlands, on a mission not even he yet knows about. Josey has taken over the throne in Othir as empress amidst protests of the True Church. In Shadow's Lure, there is also an added point of view, also in third-person limited, in the witch Sybelle who is the right hand man woman of the new Duke of the North who is attempting to unite the north through subjugation.
While I enjoyed Josey's part in Shadow's Son, I really had a good time with her sections in Shadow's Lure. It was filled with political intrigue and dastardly characters trying to take advantage of her naivete, not least among them, members of the True Church.
Some of the minor problems I had, and the reason for a 4 instead of a 5 star rating, was the fact that (***Minor spoiler warning***) Kit, Caim's invisible Fae partner, is absent from Caim for much of the book. Hence, the fun, witty banter isn't as prevalent as in Shadow's Son. But then again, her parts in the book end up giving us a glimpse of what all this world Jon Sprunk's created has to offer.
I mentioned in my last review that I was really interested, after reading Shadow's Son, to find out more about the Shadow realm. There are lots of hints, but not a lot of solid facts. In Shadow's Lure, we find out much more about this mysterious place, although it is still mostly a mystery.
The magic system in this series is really impressive drawing from this shadow realm and actually using shadows as the magic. There are lots of fantasy books/series that involve shadows, but I'd never seen one that actually uses the shadows for anything from healing to torture and even fighting. What a great concept that's used in a really unique way.
Why Read Shadow's Lure?
Shadow's Lure is sword and sorcery at its best. Fast-paced, filled with action and realistic characters, and of course...assassins! If you like Brent Weeks or Paul Kearney, you'll really enjoy this series.
4 out of 5 Stars (Loved it!)
cyber_spines's review
4.0
Shadow’s Lure was a book I had been waiting for since I sunk my teeth into the excellent Shadow’s Son. Much like Caim, I couldn’t wait to travel North in search of answers to all the questions present in the first book. As Shadow’s Lure is the second book in Jon Sprunk’s trilogy, I didn’t, however, expect to get all answers and I was ready for a long and bloody journey, with a path littered with bloody fights and ever increasing danger.
I wasn’t disappointed.
Caim has left for the North, with Kit in tow, and he is about to walk into more trouble than he ever bargained for. Not only does he find himself involved in a rebellion he is tied to by his origins, but he is about to learn more than he ever wanted to about his family—and himself. [...]
But Caim isn’t the only point-of-view in this story and when the narrative turns back to Othir, we’re reunited with Josey, now Empress, and Hubert, now Lord Chancellor. Josey’s part of the story is all about politics, intrigue, and attempted murder as she battles the True Church in an attempt to put the country she loves and wants to serve back on the right track. As she tries to gain the support of the nobles, Josey receives news that both frightens and strengthens her (I will avoid mentioning here so I don’t spoil the surprise!). On top of it all, she has to survive assassination attempts.
[...]
Overall, the book was exactly what I expected: Sprunk writes classic sword and sorcery, which at times reads like an extract out of a Dragon Age game, with its eerie dungeons and hordes of enemies. Caim goes from one fight to another and the book mostly keeps a breakneck speed. The middle of the book seemed to lose a bit of its own pace, slowing down unnecessarily in the middle of what would have otherwise been a really eerie and action filled part. But it finds its pace again towards the end when Sprunk offers a final confrontation reminiscent of a tough boss fight.
Sprunk’s style has improved since book one and flows even more, making the book a pleasure to read. And with secrets being unveiled here, there, and everywhere, Shadow’s Lure is sure to keep you reading late in the night (unless you do like me and stall at that bit in the middle…).
Overall it was a great, fun, and definitely boyish book that should appeal to all the sword and sorcery fans out there.
FIND FULL REVIEW HERE http://alekcristea.wordpress.com/2011/10/11/shadows-lure-jon-sprunk-shadow-2/
I wasn’t disappointed.
Caim has left for the North, with Kit in tow, and he is about to walk into more trouble than he ever bargained for. Not only does he find himself involved in a rebellion he is tied to by his origins, but he is about to learn more than he ever wanted to about his family—and himself. [...]
But Caim isn’t the only point-of-view in this story and when the narrative turns back to Othir, we’re reunited with Josey, now Empress, and Hubert, now Lord Chancellor. Josey’s part of the story is all about politics, intrigue, and attempted murder as she battles the True Church in an attempt to put the country she loves and wants to serve back on the right track. As she tries to gain the support of the nobles, Josey receives news that both frightens and strengthens her (I will avoid mentioning here so I don’t spoil the surprise!). On top of it all, she has to survive assassination attempts.
[...]
Overall, the book was exactly what I expected: Sprunk writes classic sword and sorcery, which at times reads like an extract out of a Dragon Age game, with its eerie dungeons and hordes of enemies. Caim goes from one fight to another and the book mostly keeps a breakneck speed. The middle of the book seemed to lose a bit of its own pace, slowing down unnecessarily in the middle of what would have otherwise been a really eerie and action filled part. But it finds its pace again towards the end when Sprunk offers a final confrontation reminiscent of a tough boss fight.
Sprunk’s style has improved since book one and flows even more, making the book a pleasure to read. And with secrets being unveiled here, there, and everywhere, Shadow’s Lure is sure to keep you reading late in the night (unless you do like me and stall at that bit in the middle…).
Overall it was a great, fun, and definitely boyish book that should appeal to all the sword and sorcery fans out there.
FIND FULL REVIEW HERE http://alekcristea.wordpress.com/2011/10/11/shadows-lure-jon-sprunk-shadow-2/
jeremybost's review
3.0
I hate the POV switching. Caim's is exciting, but Josey is dumb, spoiled, helpless, and foolish.
dtaylorbooks's review
4.0
I find myself really enjoying this series despite the fact that this particular book was chock full of pain and death at pretty much every turn. I did long for a little bit of a reprieve from it because Caim or Josey always seemed to be some experiencing level of hurt but it didn’t detract me too much from the story. It just became a little much.
I liked how it alternated between the two storylines and kept Josey involved in Caim’s quest to find himself while keeping her story almost wholly separate. I still think her personality wins over Caim’s any day but with their stories separated like they were Caim was able to stand out more on his own and come into his character more without Josey getting in the way. While I felt Caim grew significantly in SHADOW’S LURE I didn’t feel the same about Josey. Sure, she had a little growth but it was mostly clustered at the end when her hand was forced. For most of the book I felt she was kind of stagnant. That’s not to be confused with me not liking her. I still adore her but this book was much more Caim’s story than Josey’s and I was really happy to find out that she was still involved.
While Josey’s coasting along in her castle Caim’s being broken down (sometimes literally) and rebuilt as a warrior and a leader for people seeking justice against a too-power ruling hand. He also finds out more about his history and his family and it’s a lot for him to take in. He plays the act of having a hard time accepting everything but when he’s thrust into a position to make change he takes to it immediately, begrudgingly or not.
I’m still rather unsure about Kit and her purpose in this story. She really still doesn’t do a whole hell of a lot and she arrives with some interesting news for Caim that fuels the next book in the series (I think) but she’s still not much more than a scantily clad, testy character that plays lookout every once in a while. Not a whole lot going on there.
As for Caim and Josey, I totally sail on that ship. To the point where a potential adversary for Josey came into Caim’s life and I was like OH HELL NO. The other chick was dealt with in a rather not nice way (which I wouldn’t wish on a fictional character, even if she were trying to sink my ship) but I don’t think she was all that much of a contender anyway. The whole book I wanted to have Josey and Caim reunite because they obviously still want each other but no. Romantic frustration ensues. And, SPOILER ALERT, it doesn’t get resolved. But where SHADOW’S LURE ends seems promising for where book three could go.
I find the SHADOW SAGA growing on me more and more and while I find myself want my fantasies to be a bit more diverse at this point in my life instead of your standard white, European-esque fantasy I still like this series. The language is still wholly relatable and I find the characters growing on me more and more (except for Kit, really). It’s a good, solid fantasy story that I think deserves more exposure than what it’s had.
4
I liked how it alternated between the two storylines and kept Josey involved in Caim’s quest to find himself while keeping her story almost wholly separate. I still think her personality wins over Caim’s any day but with their stories separated like they were Caim was able to stand out more on his own and come into his character more without Josey getting in the way. While I felt Caim grew significantly in SHADOW’S LURE I didn’t feel the same about Josey. Sure, she had a little growth but it was mostly clustered at the end when her hand was forced. For most of the book I felt she was kind of stagnant. That’s not to be confused with me not liking her. I still adore her but this book was much more Caim’s story than Josey’s and I was really happy to find out that she was still involved.
While Josey’s coasting along in her castle Caim’s being broken down (sometimes literally) and rebuilt as a warrior and a leader for people seeking justice against a too-power ruling hand. He also finds out more about his history and his family and it’s a lot for him to take in. He plays the act of having a hard time accepting everything but when he’s thrust into a position to make change he takes to it immediately, begrudgingly or not.
I’m still rather unsure about Kit and her purpose in this story. She really still doesn’t do a whole hell of a lot and she arrives with some interesting news for Caim that fuels the next book in the series (I think) but she’s still not much more than a scantily clad, testy character that plays lookout every once in a while. Not a whole lot going on there.
As for Caim and Josey, I totally sail on that ship. To the point where a potential adversary for Josey came into Caim’s life and I was like OH HELL NO. The other chick was dealt with in a rather not nice way (which I wouldn’t wish on a fictional character, even if she were trying to sink my ship) but I don’t think she was all that much of a contender anyway. The whole book I wanted to have Josey and Caim reunite because they obviously still want each other but no. Romantic frustration ensues. And, SPOILER ALERT, it doesn’t get resolved. But where SHADOW’S LURE ends seems promising for where book three could go.
I find the SHADOW SAGA growing on me more and more and while I find myself want my fantasies to be a bit more diverse at this point in my life instead of your standard white, European-esque fantasy I still like this series. The language is still wholly relatable and I find the characters growing on me more and more (except for Kit, really). It’s a good, solid fantasy story that I think deserves more exposure than what it’s had.
4
cindyc's review
4.0
I was a big fan of “Shadow’s Son”, Jon Sprunk’s debut assassins novel, so when I got the second book, “Shadow’s Lure” and the last part of the trilogy “Shadow’s Master” in the mail, some neighbors might have seen me do an elaborate happy-dance. After finishing “Shadow’s Lure”, I feel even more lucky to have received these from Pyr, so a big thank you is in order here. The second part of Caim’s story was, just as the first one, a joy to read. And here’s why:
Jon Sprunk is a fabulous writer. The writing is clean and compelling, just as it was in the first book. He paints such a vivid image of his characters and their surroundings, it’s easy to lose yourself in this story. This is the kind of book where you keep flipping the pages without even noticing it. Sprunk knows how to pull his audience in and how to make the readers feel like what he’s writing about is happing around them instead of on mere pages.
This is a story about an assassin, so obviously there are a lot of detailed fighting scenes in this book and they are a real treat. I don’t think it’s easy to write a compelling detailed fighting scene. Describing every move, every sword thrust, every step… I’m pretty sure an author needs a certain talent to write these sort of scenes the right way, to make them compelling and not tiresome. Jon Sprunk definitely has that talent. I could vividly image every move Caim made, how the bodies fell, where he struck or how he got injured. It made for some exhilarating action that got my blood pumping.
Sprunk also knows exactly how to bring his main character alive. Caim is flawed and not always a ray of sunshine (well, actually, most of the time he’s rather grumpy), he’s not the most positive person and he has his struggles, but he’s so easy to love. That may sound weird, but Caim is really a character that pulled me in completely. I can’t help but feel for him and fear for his life when he’s got himself into another battle. Sprunk did an amazing job there, because the connection with a character is very important to me and it’s usually the lacking of said connection that makes a book fall flat for me.
As for the other characters, though good, they weren’t as easy to love as Caim. Josey is someone is mostly felt compassion for throughout the book, I feel for her for the ordeal she has to go through, but she lacked some strength for the most part of the book. Not that she can’t stand her ground when she has to, she just made a vulnerable impression on me in this book, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but I’m more of a “strong-women” fan. She made up for it in the end though.
The story itself was more of a build-up towards the final book, but nonetheless very entertaining to read. The thing that intrigued me most in the first book, was Caim’s past. There’s a veil of mystery there. After “Shadow’s Son” we know some bits and pieces about what happened, but in this installment we discover a lot more about the tragic event when Caim goes back to his roots in the North to find out what happened that night.
Meanwhile, Josey has to struggle through her first weeks as the new Empress of Nimea. Not an easy position, as she almost immediately has to face danger and uprisings.
We also get a glimpse of Kit’s side of the story, which I thought was really great. It was nice getting to know her better and finding out where she came from and how she got where she is now.
The struggle between church and state for authority and power is still an interesting subject and is a well-chosen background for the struggles of one of our main characters. Little mentions of it keep popping up in other storylines too, which weaves them together at some level.
The use of magic and sorcery is rather dark and grim in this trilogy, but that puts it in an interesting light, it’s definitely not a bad thing. It’s also not overwhelming. I like how the author went a bit further in this book and explored Caim’s powers and the possibilities/consequences of it.
“Shadow’s Lure” was definitely on the same high level as the first book was. It’s not better, but equal to it. After reading two books in the trilogy, I wouldn’t put them on my top shelve, but definitely not far below it. These are good, solid Fantasy books, not masterpieces, but they are among the better Fantasy I’ve read so far.
I’m hoping the third book, “Shadow’s Master”, will make a satisfying ending to what has been a magnificent story so far.
Jon Sprunk is a fabulous writer. The writing is clean and compelling, just as it was in the first book. He paints such a vivid image of his characters and their surroundings, it’s easy to lose yourself in this story. This is the kind of book where you keep flipping the pages without even noticing it. Sprunk knows how to pull his audience in and how to make the readers feel like what he’s writing about is happing around them instead of on mere pages.
This is a story about an assassin, so obviously there are a lot of detailed fighting scenes in this book and they are a real treat. I don’t think it’s easy to write a compelling detailed fighting scene. Describing every move, every sword thrust, every step… I’m pretty sure an author needs a certain talent to write these sort of scenes the right way, to make them compelling and not tiresome. Jon Sprunk definitely has that talent. I could vividly image every move Caim made, how the bodies fell, where he struck or how he got injured. It made for some exhilarating action that got my blood pumping.
Sprunk also knows exactly how to bring his main character alive. Caim is flawed and not always a ray of sunshine (well, actually, most of the time he’s rather grumpy), he’s not the most positive person and he has his struggles, but he’s so easy to love. That may sound weird, but Caim is really a character that pulled me in completely. I can’t help but feel for him and fear for his life when he’s got himself into another battle. Sprunk did an amazing job there, because the connection with a character is very important to me and it’s usually the lacking of said connection that makes a book fall flat for me.
As for the other characters, though good, they weren’t as easy to love as Caim. Josey is someone is mostly felt compassion for throughout the book, I feel for her for the ordeal she has to go through, but she lacked some strength for the most part of the book. Not that she can’t stand her ground when she has to, she just made a vulnerable impression on me in this book, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but I’m more of a “strong-women” fan. She made up for it in the end though.
The story itself was more of a build-up towards the final book, but nonetheless very entertaining to read. The thing that intrigued me most in the first book, was Caim’s past. There’s a veil of mystery there. After “Shadow’s Son” we know some bits and pieces about what happened, but in this installment we discover a lot more about the tragic event when Caim goes back to his roots in the North to find out what happened that night.
Meanwhile, Josey has to struggle through her first weeks as the new Empress of Nimea. Not an easy position, as she almost immediately has to face danger and uprisings.
We also get a glimpse of Kit’s side of the story, which I thought was really great. It was nice getting to know her better and finding out where she came from and how she got where she is now.
The struggle between church and state for authority and power is still an interesting subject and is a well-chosen background for the struggles of one of our main characters. Little mentions of it keep popping up in other storylines too, which weaves them together at some level.
The use of magic and sorcery is rather dark and grim in this trilogy, but that puts it in an interesting light, it’s definitely not a bad thing. It’s also not overwhelming. I like how the author went a bit further in this book and explored Caim’s powers and the possibilities/consequences of it.
“Shadow’s Lure” was definitely on the same high level as the first book was. It’s not better, but equal to it. After reading two books in the trilogy, I wouldn’t put them on my top shelve, but definitely not far below it. These are good, solid Fantasy books, not masterpieces, but they are among the better Fantasy I’ve read so far.
I’m hoping the third book, “Shadow’s Master”, will make a satisfying ending to what has been a magnificent story so far.