Legion of Bats [Paperback]

Shadow Stephens (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 19, 2012

Legion of Bats—They were all different, but together they changed the world In a world governed by fear and corruption, a baby, Zoe Masterson, was born and immediately targeted for death. Hidden away in the rural West Virginia town of Tanner, Zoe grows up feeling like an outsider—always just a little bit different from the people around her. As bad becomes worse, she is arrested for arson and a murder she didn’t commit. She is taken to a mental hospital, where she discovers nothings is as it seems and her destiny awaits her. Zoe quickly becomes caught in a web of strange abilities, politics, murder, discrimination, and forbidden love. Will she be able to bring a government to its knees in order to have the one person who matters most to her?the people around her. As bad becomes worse, she is arrested for arson and a murder she didn’t commit. She is taken to a mental hospital, where she discovers nothing is as it seems and her destiny awaits her. Zoe quickly becomes caught in a web of strange abilities, politics, murder, discrimination, and forbidden love. Will she be able to bring a government to its knees in order to have the one person who matters most to her?

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Avid Cleveland Browns fan, animal lover, and paranormal addict are just a few ways to describe Michelle Ferguson. Michelle grew up in Ohio and West Virginia, which gave her a fear of snakes and the ability to fix anything with duct tape. She has been writing since childhood, but wrote her first novel three years ago. She now resides in Utah with a veritable menagerie of pets and a million ideas in her head just waiting to be put on paper. When she isn’t ghost hunting, Michelle can be found writing paranormal romance and urban fantasy novels. This will be her first published book, with many more to follow. You can find her at: Blogger-ShadowStephensbooks Facebook-ShadowStephensbooks Twitter-ShadowStephens1 And at 4 Corners Press

Product Details

• Paperback: 328 pages
• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (January 19, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1466237678
• ISBN-13: 978-1466237674
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,687,650 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Avid Cleveland Browns fan, animal lover, and paranormal addict are just a few ways to describe Shadow Stephens. Shadow grew up in Ohio and West Virginia, which gave her a fear of snakes and the ability to fix anything with duct tape. She has been writing since childhood, but wrote her first novel three years ago. She now resides in Utah with a veritable menagerie of pets and a million ideas in her head just waiting to be put on paper. When she isn't ghost hunting, Shadow can be found writing paranormal romance and urban fantasy novels. This will be her first published book, with many more to follow.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Legion of Bats Review - RIA April 19, 2012

By Mag16

Format:Paperback

Paranormal books are incredibly popular right now, especially with the Twilight craze. The usual topic is vampires or werewolves, and don't get me wrong, I love them. Shadow Stephens took paranormal in a completely different direction, though. She created a secret society of Endowed, hidden from human eyes, and full of powers.

I'm not sure where to begin with the characters. The main character, Zoe, is new to this secret world. She was always considered different and so she learned to be alone. I like Zoe. Sometimes she can be a bit of a mess, but if I suddenly learned I was part of a secret world full of people with amazing powers I might be a little freaked out, too. I actually think she handles things pretty well. There were a few areas of the book that she really frustrated me but I won't say much because I don't want to spoil the book for others.

When Zoe is placed in the mental hospital she meets a group of Endowed who will become her friends. Todd is an interesting guy, and he cares about Zoe a lot. At times I didn't like him though. Stevie is spunky and I really loved her character. Larkin is a sweet girl. I think she is just incredibly strong since her power can be very difficult. Miles is a fun character, and I would love to have his power. All of these characters had depth. We learned about them as people, as well as about their powers which range from telekinesis to speaking with animals.

Then we start to learn about the Guardians, a race of half Spirit and half Endowed. We meet Zoe's Guardian, Icarus, and he is just wow. I loved Icarus. He and Zoe are forever connected because he is bound to her as a Guardian. Their relationship is so much more though. I enjoyed how their relationship grew.

There are so many more characters. I could write for ages about them all. Stephens really made a very diverse world in the Legion of Bats. She gave back story and developed so many characters. She has an amazing imagination and true talent. The plot was a wild ride that I loved. I was pulled in right from the start and just couldn't put it down. At one point I glanced at the clock to realize it was 2am and I had to be up with my kids in a few hours. I would love to read more about the Legion of Bats, and I hope that Stephens will make this a series. Even if she doesn't, she will be an author that I will watch. With this book as her debut I think she will be going very far!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Really 2.5, novel started well, but... June 22, 2012

By Crystal K. Van Meter

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

What I liked:
-The plot & the message. Interesting story line.
-Got into the story right away, (but as story progressed I stopped believing it.)
-It was free & at least interesting enough to finish.

What I did NOT like:
-it read like a teen novel but with scenes inappropriate for teens.(in my opinion). The main character is 26 but acted 16.
-She goes from a "screw the world" attitude to "save the world" like the flip of a switch.
*SPOILERS* from here on*****
-Didn't like how Zoe wants to do Todd on the hood of his car one minute & deciding that Icarus is her 'other half' the next. Bc of this the relationship didn't feel real to me.
- Didn't like how heroine runs out to the woods to have sex with her "hubby" immediately after learning her BFF was being tortured.
- Got tired of hearing about hours of great sex. Told us about their passion, but never felt it.
- Lead us to believe anything Zoe pictured with her mind would happen, on some it worked, and on some it didn't. Never really got clear boundaries on powers. Seemed like she just did whatever fit the scene, and failed bc bad stuff needs to happen sometimes.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Legion of Bats - Xmen Meets Carrie April 17, 2012

By ReadingDiva

Format:Kindle Edition

Legion of Bats is a combination of Urban Fantasy & YA Paranormal. The story is different and engaging. I liked this book; I enjoyed the writing style and the characters.

The plot flows easily, the good vs. evil in a fight to the death. This is Stephen's first book and I am quite surprised. Her ability to create such an enticing and engaging story is amazing. The plot plays around a group of people who are quite different from the rest of the human world. They are called Endowed, people gifted with paranormal ability that ranges from mind control to the control of fire and water.

What differentiates this story from others is the way the plot develops; you have the good guys in one side who fight towards a common goal, to save all endowed from crazy scientific experiments and a fight against racism within their world. Their fight is personal and harsh with a common denominator, kill the power-hungry egocentric king. On the other side, you have an evil being whose only goal is to destroy everything he considers against the "law" and different while forgetting his background and real origins.

When it comes to the characters these can be pretty much divided in two: The good guys are witty, funny and kind with a hint of attitude. Their development and interaction is well thought and detailed. Their dialog flows easily and it is easy to follow. Their ability and power puts them into categories of their own raging from 3 to 5 depending on how powerful they are. I also enjoyed the way the author created these relationships between the characters; it was nicely detailed and thought-out. The bad guys don't fall far behind; they are smart, powerful and evil. These are the perfect ingredients for good drama and amazing fights.

The action is constant, the fight is to death. I love how there is always a chance that something is going to happen, that kept me turning pages after pages. I like stories like that. The main character Zoe can be a bit whiny and childish for her age (25). But that didn't take away her importance and relevance to the story. My favorite characters are Heyyel & Todd. I can see them two being more than just Endowed/Guardian - she kicked ass and he is charming. Looking forward to reading more from Shadow Stephens, this is a great start. This read is fun, action packed and it has everything you would expect in an Urban Fantasy & YA paranormal.