Customer Reviews

Seduce Me In Shadow (The Doomsday Brethren, Book 2)

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Seduce Me In Shadow (The Doomsday Brethren, Book 2) by Shayla Black
Paranormal Romance- Sept. 29th, 2009
4 ½ stars

Seduce Me In Shadow is the 2nd book in the bold new series of the Doomsday Brethren, but it can be easily read by itself. Let me start by saying this is a fantastic series that you DO NOT want to MISS!! I think the best part of this series is that it also includes several side stories that include an incredible cast that are captivating to read. I can only hope this author plans to continue her series past 3 books!! But although this is a complicated series, Seduce Me in Shadow can actually be read easily by itself. (Although I would highly recommend reading Tempt Me with Darkness first to make the experience more satisfying.)

In Seduce Me In Shadows we meet Caden and Sydney.

Caden has hated magic ever since he was young and in rebellion left to America. But now he's back in England on a mission to save his brother Lucan. Lucan is part of a powerful and elite group of magical men called the Doomsday Brethren with a mission to save the world. Lucan's mate is a witch who was kidnapped violently. Without her to stabilize him, Lucan is slowly going insane. Despondent and desperate Caden finally catches a break when he discovers a tabloid that is printing stories exposing the Doomsday Brethren and their magical world to humans. He wonders if the informant is a lead to Lucan's mate, Anka. Either way Caden knows he must investigate if only to quell the dangerous leak from spreading. To infiltrate the tabloid he poses as a photographer. However he doesn't count on being attracted to Sydney Blair, the reporter and main lead to Anka. Even as Caden tries to persuade Sydney to tell him her source she befuddles his mind and shatters his already shaky control. Something he doesn't need as he realizes he is undergoing the traumatic change into a wizard. (The same transformation where all wizards also undergo a frenzied sexual marathon!)

Sydney Blair knows she is onto a powerful story. And the tempting and sexy Caden doesn't fool her. She knows he is after her source but she isn't about to jeopardize her informant and compromise her budding career. But magical and mysterious things occur when she is around Caden and soon she finds her fantastic story might be not only be true but that knowing the truth may lead to her death.

Who are the real allies? The plot twists and turns as new and unexpected revelations unfold. Shayla Black is not afraid to go against normal stereotypes in her story line which makes it: grittier, real and very compelling. We see the darker side of our heroes and what their vulnerabilities can make them do. I also enjoyed the clever interplay between all the characters. I especially loved the section where Caden is trying to seduce Sydney without actually seducing her to find her informant. In this scene, Sydney tries to drive Caden crazy and lose his cool control. Go, Sydney!

Shayla Black is an extremely strong writer, while writing secondary characters most authors often loose the intensity and focus of the story. But in this case the secondary characters drove the story enriching it to even higher levels of tension. I really felt the characters had known each other for a long time and had an intricate history that I wanted to unravel. In fact, I found I enjoyed the complex cast of secondary characters even more intriguing than the main ones! I am particularly interested in Bram and his mysterious mate who disappeared and is slowly driving him insane. The incredible love triangle between: Shock , Lucan and Anka. And the unrelieved sexual tension between Sabelle and Ice. I felt deeply attached to her characters even the villains. Shalya Black leaves tantalizing glimpses that kept me in delicious suspense as I eagerly await her next installment!

Shayla Black's combination of intricate storytelling adds to the drama and tension of this dazzling series. And will make you long for the next book as soon as you finish the prior one. I cannot stress how amazing this book is, so do not miss it!


Reviewed by Steph from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club

Caden MacTavish hates magic and all things magical because his two year old brother was killed by magic gone awry. He left England at eighteen, moved to Texas to become a photographer and forget that one day he will transition into a wizard. He is brought home abruptly when his other brother collapses in mate mourning and is about to die. Plus there is an evil wizard, Mathias, who is raping and killing and generally inducing mayhem among magickind in a bid for ultimate power. His latest battle left corpses behind that Sydney Blair has photographic evidence of and is ready to publish a story in the tabloid she works for. A story that will prove that magic truly exists and hopefully win her a Pulitzer and the approval of her parents. Sounds interesting? It should be. It ought to be. But it isn't. It was just... boring.

Worst of all, the characters are flat, one-dimensional, and irritating. The story never comes alive because the characters aren't vivid and real. Or even likable. Caden knows that Sydney is his mate but he not only doesn't want a mate, he doesn't want to be drug into any part of the magic kingdom. And who can blame him? In Black's world a wizard and witch mate and if they lose their mate they can't function at all. They must have sex with each other to get energy. Without it they die. So Caden runs around dithering all the time because he is transitioning so needs to have lots of sex with Sydney but he can't kiss her or he'll mate with her but he wants to kiss her but he can't, but he really really wants to.....Yes, it's just that irritating. And so is he. He comes off as weak, fearful, and pathetic.

Sydney is even worse. She is the Queen of Too Stupid To Live. Everyone keeps telling her that she is in danger but all she cares about is getting the story so she can be a big success. Even after she finds out that magic is real and is told that nothing she has seen can be revealed to the human world or she puts all magickind in jeopardy she doesn't care. She just wants the story and that Pulitzer no matter what. She bulls her way into one danger after another because she refuses to listen to anyone. About anything. I found myself wishing someone would kill her because she really deserved it.

There was a lot of wand waving and teleporting and battles that no one really won. There was a magic book that you could write your sexual fantasy in and it would come true in a couple of days. Unfortunately the bad guy wants to write the end of the world in it but that's another story. This should have been a good book. It wasn't. Included was a chapter of the next book in the series. I won't be reading it.

Devastatingly sexy magic is back big time in Book #2, SEDUCE ME IN SHADOW, of Shayla Black's Doomsday Brethren series for Pocket (Oct. 2009) In the second thrilling installment,
ex-Marine, Caden MacTavish has renounced his English family's magic and is living far away in Dallas, Texas. However, Caden is forced to return to England because his older brother, Lucan is crazed with mate mourning from losing his beloved, Anka to the evil wizard, Mathias, the immortal Brethren's sworn enemy. Caden just can't lose another brother and agrees to go undercover as a photographer for paranormal tabloid, Out Of This Realm, whose latest scoop on the battle brewing between magickind could destroy the Doomsday Brethren. When Caden arrives at the newspaper's headquarters, he is instantly taken with the feisty, red-haired reporter, Sydney Blair, who has just received an unusual old book for a birthday present from a co-worker. A book Caden recognizes as the powerful Doomsday Diary that head wizard, Bram Rion has reported missing from his home and holds the key to all of magickind! At first, Caden is all business, helping Sydney with her investigative reporting even though he also desperately wants her in his bed. Sydney has never had much luck with men and doesn't think the super sexy Caden is interested in her. However, one night she decides to make a wish on the Doomsday Diary for Caden to desire her. Be careful what you wish for because after these two make passionate love, Sydney discovers Caden's real motives for helping her with her latest story and believes he is just using her. It will take some mighty powerful convincing by Caden to persuade Sydney he might have started their relationship to help his brother and the Doomsday Brethren but now he has fallen in love with her. Caden is also fighting his upcoming magical powers but when Sydney finds out, she wants him to stay in England and use them to help the Doomsday Brethren win the war against Mathias' minions, the Anarki. Shayla Black has another winner on her hands with SEDUCE ME IN SHADOWS as she seduces readers with her sexy Doomsday Brethren and the women that are destined to be their mates. Readers will be breathlessly waiting for the magic to continue in Book #3, POSSESS ME AT MIDNIGHT (Nov. 2009) featuring hardened wizard, Ice Rykard and witch princess, Sabelle Rion.

*May Contain Spoilers*

I really like this series so far. The sex scenes are steamy and I love the alpha males although I thought that the sex scenes might be a little more aggressive in a 'bodice ripper - throw her around - he'll die if he doesn't have her now' kind of way, especially since that is the fantasy that Sydney wrote about in the magic diary. Shayla Black also does a good job of setting up the next story line. I look forward to more from this author! Seduce Me in Shadow is my least favorite of the three so far. It's good, but but not five stars good.

I kind of thought one part of the plot-line was a bit weak, which accounts for only four stars. Specifically, Caden wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed. All he had to do was keep Syndey from publishing stuff about magic. Instead, he leaves her alone half the time to go sulk, and can't seem to be able to communicate except on a basal level. Second, the reasoning behind why Caden didn't want to use magic was lame. I mean, come on. The world may end if bad guy gets the book, and Caden can't/won't figure out a few basic tricks to save himself and his beloved mate? Weird. I also felt like he was a bit wimpy for a marine with all kinds of combat training. Case-in-point, his girlfriend constantly out-strategized (is that a word?) him in there plight to escape the bad guys.

Overall, very good.

Caden MacTavish wants nothing to do with his magic. He is only in merry ole' England long enough to find his brother's missing mate. He knows that unless he finds Anka, Lucan will continue to suffer from mate mourning. Caden wants no part of the magic and wizardry that is such a huge part of his family's life. His only purpose is finding Lucan's lost mate. Caden's priorities change when he is told that information concerning the Book of Doomsday has surfaced and he is given the task of retrieving it. This task leads him directly to hotshot reporter Sydney Blair.

Sydney Blair doesn't have any idea about the importance of the information she is striving to uncover and comprehend. When a friend gives her an antique book as a gift, she doesn't think anything of it. She has more to worry about than a book - she has a new partner at work, and he is hiding something. What he is hiding, Sydney has no idea - but she aims to find out. After all, Sydney isn't a tabloid reporter for nothing. Little does she know, what she learns, and experiences, from Caden, all in a matter of days, will change her entire outlook on the magical and mystical world.

With Mathias d'Arc on the Doomsday brethrens' tails, Caden knows that there is only a limited amount of time to find Anka and somehow keep Sydney out of the brethrens' business. Or so he thinks. With his warlock capabilities becoming clearer every day, Caden must also accept the fact that while Sydney started out as a mission, she has quickly become his entire reason for being. And his love for her alone just might be enough to destroy her.

SEDUCE ME IN SHADOW picks up where TEMPT ME WITH DARKNESS ends. All of the previous players are present and accounted for - except for Anka. What could have possibly happened to her? While this question is a primary focus of SEDUCE ME IN SHADOW's storyline, there are bigger things happening in this world of magic.

I am dying to finds out what happens to several characters in further novels. Shock and Ice are two of my favorites and I can't wait to see what happens. SEDUCE ME IN SHADOW is highly addicting and emotionally gripping. The plot sizzles with twists and turns that kept me engrossed long after I finished reading. I highly recommend SEDUCE ME IN SHADOW - this is an amazing second installment!

Natalie S.

Shayla Black continues her Doomsday Brethren with the second full length novel, "Seduce Me in Shadow." This story picks up where "Tempt Me with Darkness (The Doomsday Brethren, Book 1)" left off. We have a band of wizards who call themselves the Doomsday Brethren. Their mission is to defeat a powerful evil wizard named Matthias and keep him away from a powerful book called the Doomsday Diary.

Caden MacTavish is still human, but has reached the age of transitioning into a wizard. He rejects magic and wants no part of the wizard community. He has lived in the US for a dozen years and has served as a Marine. But his brother Lucien has gone mad, since Matthias kidnapped his mate Anka. So Caden came back to England to try to help. Brethren leader Bram sends him undercover to a local Enquirer-type magazine, where a woman has been writing stories about magickind. She has an unnamed witch source that may be Anka.

This reporter, Sydney, is Caden's mate. He fights it. But their attraction can't be denied... especially when Sydney's friend gives her the Doomsday Diary. She tells Sydney to write her sexual fantasies in the book and, of course, they come true. Her articles quickly attract the attention of the bad guys too, so Caden is working to protect her, find Anka, and get his hands on the book... while keeping the truth about his magical knowledge and their potential as a mated couple, to himself.

I wanted to shake some sense into Caden more than once. And while I appreciate Sydney's honor and directness, she was not always smart about her safety. Their chemistry was great. But I found myself just as interested in the side stories surrounding Lucian. I was shocked with Sabelle's sacrifice and even more blown away with what eventually happened with Anka. And what the heck is really going on with Shock?

I can't wait to read Ice & Sabelle's story next. 4 stars.

Due to a mishap in his childhood, Caden hated magic and decided to live among humans. However, he went back when his brother Lucan needed his help, only to find himself embroiled in a war among magickind as Matthias, an evil wizard, has come back from his exile, more powerful than before.

A powerful artifact called the Doomsday Diary has been stolen from Bram, the leader of the Doomsday Brethren, an underground force dedicated to battling against Matthias. Moreover, a human, Sydney Blair, was seen reporting about magickind's battle and Caden was sent to find out more about how she knew about these things and to stop her from continuing. The attraction that sprang up between them was a complication Caden didn't need, nor did he welcome the instinctive urge to take her as his mate. But when Sydney found herself in trouble, he couldn't deny the need to rescue and protect her.

As I was reading, I thought some elements of the story sounded familiar. And I realize what they reminded me of: Harry Potter. The arch enemy, evil wizard Matthias back from his exile (Voldemort coming back after being defeated ages ago), but the Council, a group of elderly wizards, wouldn't believe the rumors and even wanted Bram to squash them (Ministry of Magic [?] doing much the same thing in HP book 5, I believe). A rogue group of wizards banded together and called themselves the Doomsday Brethren to fight against this evil (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix), a pitiful few against Matthias and his Anarki (Voldemort and his Death Eaters). The only thing not in Harry Potter is the matter of the wizards and witches needing sexual energy to recharge their magic.

It's best to clarify that I haven't read book 1, so I don't know if I'd have the same impressions if I'd started the series in sequence. That aside, Shayla Black made this series her own with her unique characters and the particular adult dilemma the characters faced in their fight against evil and their own internal struggles.

Sydney, for all that she's human, is fascinated by magic. When she stumbled into magickind, she takes to it like fish to water, despite the dangers the Brethren are facing just then. I like that she's smart and ethical, that despite being a reporter, she knows the danger to magickind if she reported certain news ahead of time, so she didn't and had no intention of doing so. However, her zeal to help the Brethren overcame her common sense at times and thus, she unwittingly put herself and others in danger.

Caden MacTavish is the typical guy who denies his feelings for Sydney to the death, in part because of his brother's experiences. That I can empathize with, though he comes across as a man who isn't willing to risk his heart. But then, what man or woman is? Only someone who hasn't loved before or one who has witnessed terrible tragedy in a person close to him.

However, there is one thing that made me want me to wallop Caden over the head with something hard. His irrational fear and denial of magic. I understand the childhood trauma he has witnessed, and this might have a bearing on his definitive stand against magic. However, when he instinctively called magic to save Sydney, he should've realized that magic can also be harnessed for good. Accidents do happen, but magic in the hands of an untrained wizard like him would do more harm than good. If nothing else, I think he would've wanted to learn to use and control his magic to protect Sydney. I think this part of his denial went on a bit too long.

Still, action and adventure abound in this story, making for an exciting read. In my opinion, it isn't necessary to read the first book in the series, as past important events were highlighted in the story without info dumping.

Reviewed by Silver
for The Romance Reviews

Caden MacTavish left magic behind when he left his native home of England for the States 12 years ago. He wants nothing to do with magic and the troubles it brings but he is called home after his brother's mate is kidnapped ends their bond and sends him spiraling towards his death. He will do everything to find his brother's missing mate. He is sent undercover to find out who the source is for the fiery reporter Sydney Blair's recent articles on the brewing war taking place in the magic world. While attempting to seduce Sydney for her information he finds that she is in possession of the Doomsday Diary. The battle against the evil wizard Mathias gets bloodier each day and if Caden doesn't stop Sydney from telling the world about the Diary, it will put the lives of all magickind in jeopardy and make her capture Mathias' number one priority. The only way to save his fated mate and his fellow Brethren is to embrace and use the very magic he has spent so many years running from.

Caden witnessed a tragic event when he was younger that made him shun his magical heritage. He sees no use for it and refuses to embrace his transformation into becoming a wizard. He only returns to England because his brother Lucan has fallen gravely ill after a forceful mate bond brake. Caden has no intention or desire for joining the Doomsday Brethren that fights the evil wizard Mathias. Bram is the leader of the Brethren and Lucan's best friend. He has been taking care of his sick friend and Caden has agreed to help Bram quiet reporter Sydney Blair and her stories of the fighting as a way to repay Bram for helping to take care of his brother. He takes a job as a photographer to work with Sydney to learn the source of her stories and to get her to stop writing her articles. As soon as he learns that Sydney is also in possession of the Doomsday Diary, a diary that grants the wishes of those who write in it, he is also tasked with relieving her of it. Things get complicated when Caden feels that Sydney is his destined mate.

Caden really does not like magic. He wants to hurry and find his brother's mate so she can heal his brother and then leave as soon as it's all done. He is a man of honor so he helps out Bram because of all he has done for his brother. He thinks that Sydney's source is his brother's mate and sets out to find out who exactly is supplying her with all the details. It isn't long after he starts to work with Sydney that he becomes attracted to her and is not happy to realize that she is suppose to be his mate. He doesn't like the magic world and does not want to drag Sydney into it but it becomes more and more difficult not to make her his.

Sydney is an intelligent strong headed woman who wants to bed Caden but is weary about his intentions with her story. He is constantly asking her about her source and she won't budge on giving him any information. When she finds out the truth she actually takes to the knowledge of magic better than Caden. She wants to do all she can to stop Mathias while Caden can't get out of England fast enough. Their biggest obstacle in being together is Caden and him being afraid of what magic and a mate bond could do to him or Sydney. He is a strong, handsome, caring male with good values but all his reasons for not wanting magic or to mate with Sydney were just excuses and I started to tire of them. Sydney was a good fit for him because she was caring to his situation but at the same time she wasn't going to baby him and let him just bury his head in the sand.

The story from Tempt Me With Darkness continues in Seduce Me In Shadow. Mathias has risen from the dead and is creating an army of undead soldiers to fight. He is going after the Privileged (Magickind is segregated into the rich Privileged and the oppressed Deprived) and the Doomsday Brethren is all that stands in between him and mass murder. The Brethren's numbers are very small and with Lucan down, it is even more difficult. Lucan's story is very sad. I've learned his book won't be out until February 2012 and I know it is going to be an emotional one. The second installment in the Doomsday Brethren series is even darker and more addicting than the first. Shayla Black's characters have a way of getting under your skin and make you want to know more.

I remember liking the first book in the series more, but this one was not a flop. Caden was introduced in the previous book as the American soldier brother of Lucan. He was called in to help when Lucan's wife was kidnapped. Although, his magic had not come in, he had hand-to-hand and arms experience that the other wizard's lacked. In this book, he is on the cusp of transitioning and determined to save is brother by finding his sister-in-law. A lead takes him to a reporter who has an unknown source that knows too much. Caden's instincts tells him the source is who he is looking for, but he's not willing to hurt Sydney, the reporter, to get what he wants. Although there are many other things he would like to do with her.

I enjoyed the book, but I found some points a bit lame. Like the fact that Caden refused to give Sydney any information about wizardkind. She obviously already knew about much of it from her source and believed it to be true, yet he kept pussyfooting around the issue. The excuse, I assume was to build tension and drama, but I think it fell flat. It would have been better if he would have just told her, and Black could have found something more realistic to build drama.

One of a series, this is an awesome read. I've read them all and seriously hope more will follow. Shayla is a master at creating fascinating characters, especially the evil one - truely a person you love to hate. The reader is on edge from the first word to the last. Keep 'em coming Shayla.
Dianne Gibbens, Louisiana