Customer Reviews

Rapture: The Shadowdwellers

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

The Shadowdwellers live underground in a complex metropolis of caves and tunnels underneath the mountains of Alaska. They are the Nightwalkers who avoid the rays of the sun which destroys them with the slightest contact; they thrive in the moonlight. The war is over and the monarchy is restored. There is new hope that the race will become more honorable, tolerant and technologically advanced like the other nightwalker races.

Daenaira has been treated as a slave by her uncle and aunt for eight years, forced to wear a shock collar to enforce her obedience. The day comes when she is sold and before she leaves her aunt's home is shocked into unconsciousness. When she awakens she is in Sanctuary, the church of the Shadowdwellers led by High Priest Magnus who enforces the law and the morals of his people. He informs Dae that the goddess Drenna gave him visions that she was to become his handmaiden. Dae takes awhile but soon trusts Magnus and finds some serenity in Sanctuary even though treachery by unknown people wanting more power has her watching her back. He has enemies who want him dead, but they had not counted on the ferocity of the innocent in love protecting like a lioness her beloved; nor the priest also in love willing to die to keep the former slave safe.

The second Shadowdweller book (see ECSTASY) is more complex and delves deeper into the culture of the Shadowdwellers that is much different than our own. Magnus and Daenaira are a fascinating coupling as he has justifiable doubts about having a hand maiden who has the duties of a wife since the last handmaiden tried to poison him while she fears people after the torture her aunt put her through. .Unlike his former handmaiden who he had for decades and was celibate with, he can't control his desire for the woman the goddess chose for him. Jacquelyn Frank is one of the best paranormal romantic fantasy authors writing today and is a favorite of this reviewer.

Harriet Klausner

Loved Dae - 5 stars for her. The Nightwalkers books dealt with Demons, Vamps and Weres. The Shadowdwellers are actually another 'nightwalker' group, but not sure what fictional race to compare them too (don't really consider them fae). This makes for a very new / unique story line.

Really like the development of this ongoing story, building a basis of good / evil characters and how this race is going to (hopefully) take a bigger role in the Nightwalker landscape. Think that some of the story elements such as a killing disease may lead back to the Demons and their ability to heal & there may also be a bigger plot of baddies going on.

Magnus get a small minus for being a dunce at times, but as Dae would explain - he is just a man, what can you really expect. Would liked to have known what, if anything, Magnus did with Dae's Aunt/Uncle who held her as a slave for the last 8 years. Also concerned that he did not seem to say anything to the King and Queen (also labeled Chancellors) about slaves in their society even though they are good "friends". Think that this portion of the story was lacking. Maybe issues for the next book due out Jan 2010. No title was given at the back of the book, so not sure if it will be about the Queen as the teaser seems to lead you to believe or it will be another character, such as Sagan (would really like to read that story).

Short recap of story lines so far.
Shadowdwellers have been thru a basic civil war, clan fighting. Brother (Tristian) and Sister (Malaya) team unite and unify their race, but of course some people are never happy. The Shadowdwellers are long lived and have some special powers, but mostly it seems centered around jumping and controlling the various realities called Shadowscape, Dreamscape and Realscape. I think of Realscape as 'here', Dreamscape is a place whatever you can think / dream can exist and Shadowscape is like a doorway between the two (mostly I think of it as a flat / shadow of realscape - but could be wrong).

Book one is about Trace getting caught and almost murdered by someone trying to overthrow the government. Trace is the Vizier to the Chancellors. The intriege begins. This book dealt more with the 'government' side of the kingdom.
Book two (this book) is about Magnus (Trace's Foster Father) - top priest in Sanctury. They start to uncover more of the players trying to overthrow the ruling powers which are a combination of Sanctury (which could be considered judges), the Chancellors (head of gov) and the 'Senate'. Several of the top priests are baddies and want to take out Magnus on the road to cleaning out all of the top rulers. Dae turns out to be quite the heroine. 394 pages

Lets start off with how Jacquelyn Frank brings great details to her story writing. Throughout the book Magnus is the epitome of the perfect warrior/man. He has this intimidation about him that makes him incredibly sexy. Daenaira is a strong minded woman with this innocence that seems to be the perfect match for a man like Magnus. She is his warrior woman. This book was hard to put down because it makes you want to get to the next chapter of their steamy love story. If you are looking for a rough, pushed up against the wall, out of control emotions, detailed writing paranormal romance novel, this ones it! Can't wait for the next one.

This is the best book JF has written....maybe 2nd to Jacob but this was great from page one. Great wording,pacing, & tension. Dae is the best kick-ass heroine and I loved every hard edge, foul mouthed, fighting, vulnerable inch of her. A real woman heroine willing to fight for and with her man despite her flaws is such a rarity these days. I LOVED her! Magnus was so conflicted with his desires and his responsibilities and sense of right and wrong it was beautiful to watch him crumble and rebuild himself. No one does fight scenes and tension like Ms Frank. I could envision every scene. She sets up the next book perfectly and I am ASSUMING she will answer some of the unanswered questions. This book is full of heat, heat, heat and perfect ending line EVER. I loved every bit of this book! The perfect ride!

This book had way more action in it not involving the boudoir than the first book in the series. The political espionage, the conspiracies, and the shadowy figures are starting to come into focus as the 'Dweller leaders realize that their way of life is under attack like a cancer from the inside.

Magnus, the High Priest, has been slowly investigating Sanctuary and Temple for threats and systematically eliminating them. His unexpected ally is his new (and somewhat damaged) handmaiden. Trace meanwhile, is trying to keep an eye on the Senate which, unbeknown to him, has been harboring a rather personal threat. To top it all off, the Senate has laid a trap for the Twin Chancellors and they see no way clear of it. The lead in for book 3 with Guin was perfectly set up though. Now that Sanctuary is relatively clean, Magnus has some significant changes to make to ensure that discontent amongst the Handmaidens, abuse of power amongst the Priests, and M'gnone don't take root again.

For those who read Noah from the Nightwalker series will find some striking similarities between Noah/Kestra and Magnus/Dae. Altogether, I liked this book better than the first in the series.

"Rapture" is an amazing read...But it is not for the faint of heart...the book was an emotional rollercoaster plumbing the depths of human strengths, weaknesses, and depravity.

This book stands alone, but it does continue on from where the last book, "Ecstasy", leaves off. "Rapture" has more intrigue and suspense - we see glimpses of Trace, who we met in the last book...and we see a bit of the Twin Regents who rule the Shadowdweller world. But the book truly revolves around Dae - a woman who had lived in slave-like captivity with her Aunt and Uncle, and Magnus - the Shadowdweller's high priest who was betrayed and left for dead in "Ecstasy".

The character development in this novel is the strongest in any of the books from either the Nightwalker or Shadowdweller series so far.

Dae is a funny, witty character with complexities and baggage that make her so real. She'll make you laugh, she'll make you cry, and she'll amaze you with her inner beauty despite all the horrors and wickedness that she lived through.

Magnus is a great match for Dae. He is strong, intelligent, and reliable, and he eventually recognizes the true strengths and inner beauty of his match. Although his occasional traipsing into male chauvinism can be frustrating at times and has you rolling your eyes...these negative qualities are so typical of even the best of men in real life, and makes him a little more believable and genuine.

I think that's the core strength of this book...it feels the most "real" of all of the Nightwalker and Shadowdweller books. There are some scenes in this book that are very disturbing and upsetting...but Ms. Frank delves into the dark evils that exist in every society and every religion...Where innocence is preyed upon by the power hungry and corrupt. You go on a trip through the hell and helplessness that victims suffer, and she makes thirst for justice burn in you as it does in her characters.

Although tried and tested, her heroes emerge stronger and better. We get glimpses of the not so sterling qualities they possess as well as their strengths and triumphs. Just like all of us, these characters are presented with all their best qualities as well as their worst. And they are even more lovable because of their lack of perfection and because of their victories over their less attractive traits.

There is a "Happy ever after" in this book, yet as in life, it is not neat and tidy. So, although they neutralize the current threat, there is still a greater one that is affecting the Royal House, and the siblings that are currently ruling the Shadowdwellers. You know that they'll make it through things together, but that it won't be an easy journey.

If you have been following the series, we do get some answers as to who was behind attacks in "Ecstasy"...but there are more questions that still need answering because the corruption is entrenched much higher up in the food chain. And that leaves you wanting more...and waiting impatiently for the next book.

Ms. Frank's descriptive writing paints amazing pictures and scenes...and her love scenes were truly beautiful and sensual. I generally skim through these parts in other books, but they were so well written, I had to absorb every word and nuance.

She takes you on a journey of beauty and juxtaposes it with evil and depravity...making you all the more appreciative of the goodness in life. And again, taking a paranormal story and grounding it in reality.

I think that Ms. Frank's writing has reached a new maturity and depth. Rapture goes beyond being a great romance, or a great paranormal story, and delves into people's character and their development through the trials and horrors they face in life.

I am excited to see how this series continues on, and to see the talent of this author continue to grow.

What can I say, according to some other reviewers I must be a freak because I REALLY enjoyed this book. I thought it was very well written. My hubby would probably like me to continue reading books like this one.

If you need to get things done around the house, then do not pick this book up and start reading for once you do, it will be hard to be put down. I did not read Frank's "Ecstacy",the first in the The Shadowdwellers. However, I had no problem whatsoever in keeping up with what was going on.

What can I say about Magnus except that he is the very essence of masculinity, a warrior and a lover, if he so allowed it, but is a very kind and compassionate person who would have to be to deal with Dae, his chosen handmaiden. I felt compassion for her for what she had been through as a slave. When Magnus and Dae were finally going to have sexual intercourse, one could see right off why she did not want to go through with it due to she did not want to know if she had been violated during her slave days after being beaten to where she passed out for that was the only way that evil men could have her.

The love scenes where passionate and steamy to the point where it "gave me a fever." After reading several disappointing books and then I started reading "Rapture", I thought..."yes...Jacquelyn Frank....has captured the essence of what kind of book and storyline I love to read." Would I recommend this book to anyone else.....absolutely. Will I re-read it again.....absolutely. It will be placed on my bookshelf as one of my favorites. The only downside of the book is that it had to come to and end.

I would have to say this is the second installment of the new "Shadowdwellers" Series. This was better than the first book. I love this author on anything she writes.

This is the 2nd book of the "Shadowdwellers" series, and a slight improvement over the first in that it gives a more in-depth view of the people. The Shadowdwellers live in a different dimension from ours, a dark version of our world that tolerates no light. The society is a theocracy based on a strict religion with gods that represent dark and light and supervised by warrior priests that punish sinners while still giving them a chance to repent. Sexual behavior is fairly open, but within certain guidelines. The priests supervise sex education classes for young people starting in their teenage years.

The two main characters are Magnus, the head priest and his "handmaiden" (spouse/servant) Dae. Dae has no sex or religious education before coming to the main city, Sanctuary, to be Magnus' handmaiden, so she begins her classes as the book begins. Classes consists of "models" who are volunteers demonstrating sexual activity while a priest explains in clinical detail what they are doing while students take notes and ask questions ("Killian, would you please stop moving for a moment, Henry has a question. Yes, Henry . . ."). People who are respectable citizens apparently do this to get a thrill at the voyeurism (think "Kinsey"). Magnus and Dae participate in some fairly innocuous such activity. I found the idea of a class taking notes of people have sex while a priest explains the action, to be a real turn-off. There are also private classes with an instructor/priest and a teenager who is taught to masturbate. I found the idea of an older priest and a young person in such a situation to be seriously creepy, rather than titillating. To each his own. If this is your cup of tea you should enjoy the book.