Customer Reviews

Shadowland (The Immortals, Book 3)

5 star:		(33)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(22)
2 star:		(20)
1 star:		(23)

 

 

Again, like at the end of the second book, I felt this book went nowhere. Ever and Damen's relationship has not progressed one bit since the end of the first book. The end of this book leaves them in the exact same place as the end of the second book? I'm growing tired of the cycle of them just trying to find a way to be together without actually being together and someone or something always getting in the way... this is what the first book was about, then the second, and now the third. Ever is also not maturing or growing up at all... she's still seems very immature and impulsive, which is a fine place for a character to start but after three books, I would have liked to see some progression there as well.
Although I did like this book just a tad bit more than the second book, I'm only giving it two stars based on the fact that you can skip it and not really miss anything. This saddens me because I had such high hopes after Evermore, but I've grown bored with it not getting anywhere and think I might give up on this series altogether!

So yes, I still want to slap some sense into Ever. Nothing has really changed there. I feel as if I got nowhere with this book. It just really was put out to fill the space between Blue Moon and whatever comes next. I just can't seem to get into Ever's character. Even Damon I felt was a bit lacking in the character dept. I found myself saying "what is her problem!!" throughout the book more than I paid attention to the plot. Don't even get me started on her so called bff who I can't even remember her name since she is such a forgettable character.

Sorry to say the series ends here for me. I don't really care enough of about these characters to find out what happens next.

I was so excited to read this book because I loved Evermore and Blue Moon, however this booked ended up being a major disappointment. I loved that Evermore and Blue Moon kept you reading and you were dying to find out what was going on and how it would end. This book was nothing like that...I didn't even care how it ended and it actually took me several days to finish it whereas with Evermore, I stayed up until 2 in the morning to finish it in 1 night! As was mentioned in the previous reviews, Ever seems to continue to make poor decisions and isn't really maturing or learning from her mistakes and this gets to be very frustrating. As also mentioned in the other reviews - can you really consider Haven her "best friend"...I think she's the worst best friend ever (no pun intended) and she's even more immature than Ever! So, the ending really doesn't make sense to me given that you don't really feel the connection between Ever and Haven...they should've made the decision at the end be someone like Sabine or even Miles. And what's up with Jude??!! I have to say that the scenes with Jude held my interest because he was a little mysterious and you're always wondering how much he really knows, but dread locks?? Seriously? Anyway, I wouldn't recommend reading this book and I will probably not continue with this series as this book was such a let down.

"Blue Moon" left me desperately wanting for more since the resolution of that book was a rather tainted one. I believe that Noel's passionate writing of this series has not let up with this new installment "Shadowland." I was once again immersed in the author's gorgeous imagery and enchanted by the mystical life of Ever Bloom and her challenging relationship with her fellow immortal boyfriend, Damen Auguste. This one picks up right where the last one left off; not even a week has gone by. We see the couple struggle with the accidental mistake Ever made in the previous book: by adding her blood to the antidote to cure Damen of Roman's spell, she has barred them from ever touching or else he'll go to Shadowland, the afterlife for an immortal's soul. This conflict thus spurs on the plot: both need to find a remedy to fix this rash mistake. So together with their vows of undying love, they embark to find the cure, even though they might fail in the end.

The atmosphere was tense with difficulties. Unforgivable so, I'd think. There's this sorrowful tone of shoulda-coulda-wouldas between the couple as they struggle with finding the antidote to the curse. Then there's this newfound knowledge of what lies in store for an immortal's soul. There's another strife in the relationship: Damen's more concerned with finding a way for Ever to avoid the Shadowland and Ever's abrasively seeking out the cure. The atmosphere of this book is of uncertainty, as well, in the form of "maybes," regrets, and second guessing. Not that enjoyable to read considering there's more problems than remedies, but they have a determination to see through these obstacles.

There's no doubt Noel can cook up a pot of teen angst in this series. What makes it have more depth is the interwoven themes which tie all the books together: whether fate can be meddled with and if undying love can truly withstand opposing forces. Then there's the mystical and supernatural aspects giving it a mesmerizing twist: immortality and all that entails it. Sadly, Noel lacks in the development of her star character, Ever. I can say that the characters are wonderfully flawed: Damen's a bit selfish (which is wonderfully highlighted and probed in this book), yet is warm, loving, and charismatic. Haven's lost in her true identity, but oh how she tries. And Ever is loyal and compassionate, but my goodness she's prone to bouts of abrasiveness in impulsive acts that just deem more problems to go up against. More books to write, sure. But if there is no development in her (who is the narrator) and very little resolution? I wonder how "Dark Flame" will end up??

Side note: there's this new guy, easy-going surfer Jude who for some reason makes Ever blush and feel flustered...yet there actually is a reason. Remember that Noel really does a nice job of creating such nice twists in this series. "Shadowland" delivers one SO BIG that it could be detrimental to the very foundation of Damen and the girl he sought after for for centuries. You'll then rethink certain things and take part in the second guessing of them and all that they've been through. The pacing could have picked up faster for the most part. The plot seemed to waver and fade in the back, but the plus side of that was seeing Damen and Ever reinforce their relationship (in order to bring true justice to the twist that happens later on).

And then the ending was just...ugh! See for yourself. Now I can't wait even more for the NEXT book like how I highly anticipated this one since I think Noel needs to seriously work on her resolutions...It's like this series is leading up to a big one, which I would rather like to see if a resolution occurred in every book rather than see the obstacles pile on up and up...and up.

I was so disappointed with this book for a number of reasons. First, it was 200 pages of the same thing over and over and over and over. It was Damen saying"you can't do certain things and stay away from Roman" blah blah blah. After 3 chapters of that, all I could think of was him as a whiney baby. And what I thought was going to be such a major part of the plot - the no mixing of DNA (besides the fact that I have some questions about the science of the whole thing - simply touching someone's skin will MIX the DNA?) thing - is resolved in about 20 pages. So, what was the conflict besides all of Damen's whining? Nothing really. Except then, with like 20 pages left there's a climax that comes out of nowhere. As for the resolution? Well, noting about anything is resolved. This felt like nothing more then filler that could have been handled in 2 or 3 chapters of the last book. Or the next book. But, by itself it was a waste of a book.

One of the other major complaints I have is that it got very mystical. Too much ooohhhh-you-need-to-worry-about-karma (without any real explanation of it by the way) and stuff - and then pulling in "the book of shadows" (Charmed, anyone?) and the twins and the cryptic warning from them - but NOTHING to show for all that? And we keep getting told about manifesting - how many times do I need to have that explained?

Then, as for where the title came from... so Shadowland was mentioned maybe 3 times. We learned nothing about it really. Except it's supposed to be something bad. I expected this to turn into the conflict, but by then end, it's all but forgotten about really. It's just this thing, that's now out there for presumably the next book to tackle.

Yikes. The dialogue got old fast. The interaction between Ever and Damen was so repetitive that I more then once thought I was re-reading the same chapter. All this self pity on the part of both characters.... And then, don't even get me started on Damen's behavior. For someone who's so mature and old - he acts more like a 5 year old then anything. He can't take advantage of his ability to manifest anymore (hence the part without the car and clothes) but he continues to tell Ever that they can do anything they want? He contradicts himself more then any character I recall ever reading. And then when the twins show up, he can manifest anything they want. And then he goes back to normal without any real explanation (sort of - the whole split with Ever is another issue I have with the plot but I'm not going to get into that one).

We lost virtually all connection to a number of the other characters (Ever's friends primarily) and Roman, who I expected based on the last book and the book jacket to be a major character still is actually present in a very few scenes. As for Ever's new "love interest", even his development is so one-dimensional and thin that I can't even remember his name. I think this book was an epic failure with respect to moving a story along, character development, dialogue writing, and pretty much... well... everything a book should accomplish. I see at the end that there is (at least) one more coming. And I am thinking I am likely to just call it quits on this series. And that says something since I usually stick around even for the bad ones.

I agree with all of the previous reviews. Ever never listens. Which I still find absurd! Her boyfriend has been around the block quite a few time lol and yet she never heeds his advice. Roman is still evil. Although for an antagonist i have to say his performance in this book was definitely lackluster. Jude was an interesting twist, and pretty much the only one. Haven ( the barely ever mentioned best friend) has a ridiculous scene about her cat dying and only comes to ever as a last resort.( miles was busy) The author completely rushed this book. It is very boring! When hearing the title, to me, it sounded like the place they were going to go to find the cure. Sadly even the Shadowland barely gets a mention considering it is the name of the book and all! I'm not sure if i will continue to read the series. It still has so much potential, but obviously the author has no intention of reaching any of it!

I started this book because I was bored. Twilight Series was over and I knew ahead of time that this would be nothing like that. I didn't know that the author of this book was so evil. She just writes and writes and writes so that there's no end in sight, just continuous, dull but pulling plot lines that you can't ignore but want to. Its like reading a lengthy Soap Opera for teenagers. And teenagers have the most dramatic lives, its twice as bad.

I just finished Shadowland recently and, while I wanted to put it down and keep it there forever I couldn't. I had to see the end. And when I finally got there I was mortally wounded with dissappointment. I probably won't get the next book. I will fight my addiction with Soap-Opera books and move on to something else. Something that does not take place in sunny California involving a pretty blond girl with no problems other then that she has a hot, stalking boyfriend. Who can resist a story like that?

And one last thing that I hated about this book, particularly, in the series was that when Damen switched his wardrobe (which he does if you don't know) she put him in flip flops. Can't the boy slip on a pair of cheap old Converse. I hate flip flops- on anyone. That just ruined the whole thing for me. I had to block it out to read on. But now I am finished. Forever.

Reviews get worst with each book and that is never a good sign. Its clear that Noel is not taking reader's advice and making the changes in the series to keep it interesting. I am done with the series and I can only hope that Alyson Noel is done too.

spoilers below...


This book drove me crazy. I kept expecting some resolution to be found, but instead at the end of the book they were right back where they started. Ever has very poor judgment, she doesn't seem to have any sense of who to trust. Instead of listening to Damon she keeps running back to Roman asking him to change what he's done. The characters in this book constantly got on my nerves. Haven is annoying, just forget Damon, and Ever does not learn from her mistakes. Jude was the only character who I wasn't constantly annoyed by. I would have been much happier if Haven had ended up with Jude. I wouldn't recommend reading this book. The ending left me empty and disappointed. Read Evermore and be done with the series.

... but I do. After the disappointing second book, I was still vested in Ever's and Damon's saga and their relationship. However, after a 3rd disappointing story, where the problems inherent in the first two novels are not addressed nor improved upon, I've come to the conclusion that this series is just not going to meet my expectations nor the potential I saw glimmers of in the concept for Evermore. The characters have still barely progressed from their initial introduction, and though the 3rd installment has introduced some new problems and personalities, their addition does not so much inspire the readers as irritate them. Ultimately, I've come to pity Damon- who may just qualify as a flawed, but likable and earnest, tortured hero- and wonder really who it is he's been pining for these last many centuries. Despite the tragedy of losing her immediate family, Ever has not since proven to me that she's a girl worth all this fight. So, I've given it up. I held out hope for the 3rd book and was disappointed again. I might read the 4th novel in the series, but it won't be until the price is drastically reduced or I can find it in the bargain bin. On a positive note, I did think that the quality of the writing improved in Shadowland, even if the quality of the plot did not. Overall, I caution: reader beware... your expectations will (still) not be fulfilled.