A review by laurenjodi
Shards of Hope by Nalini Singh
3.0
Shards of Hope
3.5 Stars
Despite the rather lackluster romance between Zaira and Aden, the developments in the ongoing story arc makes this a worthwhile addition to the series.
Unfortunately, Zaira and Aden are quite bland both as individuals and as a couple. While Aden's surprise ability is very intriguing, the manner in which it is revealed and then explained reduces its impact on the reader. Likewise, Zaira's constant self-deprecation and possessive attitude toward Aden is not romantic in the least. In fact, her obsessions with him is downright creepy, and undermines what little chemistry does exist between them.
Thankfully, the actual plot revolving around a mysterious cabal bent on destroying the Arrows is very compelling and there are some very intriguing twists. The inclusion of characters from the previous books is also a highlight and the hints at things to come are far more appealing that Aden and Zaira.
On a final note, this book is far too long with unnecessarily repetitive internal musings, repetitious descriptions of character traits and recurring plot points. Singh has definitely written better, and hopefully the next book, Allegiance of Honor, will demonstrate this.
3.5 Stars
Despite the rather lackluster romance between Zaira and Aden, the developments in the ongoing story arc makes this a worthwhile addition to the series.
Unfortunately, Zaira and Aden are quite bland both as individuals and as a couple. While Aden's surprise ability is very intriguing, the manner in which it is revealed and then explained reduces its impact on the reader. Likewise, Zaira's constant self-deprecation and possessive attitude toward Aden is not romantic in the least. In fact, her obsessions with him is downright creepy, and undermines what little chemistry does exist between them.
Thankfully, the actual plot revolving around a mysterious cabal bent on destroying the Arrows is very compelling and there are some very intriguing twists. The inclusion of characters from the previous books is also a highlight and the hints at things to come are far more appealing that Aden and Zaira.
On a final note, this book is far too long with unnecessarily repetitive internal musings, repetitious descriptions of character traits and recurring plot points. Singh has definitely written better, and hopefully the next book, Allegiance of Honor, will demonstrate this.