Storm of Shadows (Chosen Ones, Book 2) [Mass Market Paperback]

Christina Dodd (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 3, 2012

Beloved author Christina Dodd gives a series to rival her own brilliant Darkness Chosen in this intoxicating new novel of the Chosen, where an ancient rivalry threatens the balance of the modern world. When the world was young, twins were born. One brought light to a dark world. The other, darkness and danger. They gathered others around them, men and women destined to use their powerful gifts for good or evil. Today, their descendents walk the earth as the Chosen, and the ultimate battle has begun...
 
Brilliant but predictable and proper Rosamund Hall has lived her life buried in universities and libraries, discounting the legend of the Chosen as a myth. Until Aaron Eagle shows up at her door. Aaron both unsettles and enthralls her, but she can't resist his irresistible offers of clandestine visits to private museums, the hunt for a mysterious prophecy, or a makeover that unleashes her untamed soul. With the promise of a love that will defy fate itself, Rosamund is forced to confront the truth about the Chosen...and the man who sweeps her into a dangerous world of dark secrets.

Editorial Reviews

From the Author

Read an excerpt from "Storm of Shadows" on your ereaders and your bookshelves NOW!

"Hello?" Aaron called into the depths of the library basement. "Dr. Hall? It's Aaron Eagle."
 
"Back here!" A voice floated over and through the shelves. A woman's voice.
 
They must have finally dug up the funding to get Dr. Hall an assistant. Good thing. The old guy could croak down here and no one would notice for days. Aaron walked back to the work area where manuscripts, scrolls and a stone tablet covered the tables.
 
A girl leaned over the tablet, brush in hand, studying it. "Put it on the table over there." She waved vaguely toward the corner.
 
Aaron glanced over at the table piled with Styrofoam containers and fast food bags. He looked back at the girl.
 
Her skin was creamy and fine-grained, a good thing, since she did not wear a single drop of make-up. She was perhaps a little skinny, but with what she was wearing, who could tell? Her dress drooped where it should fit and hung unevenly at the hem. She had latex gloves over her hands -- nothing killed a man's interest like latex gloves -- and she wore brown leather clogs. Birkenstocks. As the crowning touch, she wore plastic rimmed tortoise shell glasses that looked like an extension of the frizzy carrot red hair trapped at the back of her neck.
 
Yet for all that she was not in any way attractive, she paid him no heed. "Who do you think I am?" he asked.
 
"Lunch. Or" -- her glasses had slid down her nose -- "did I miss lunch? Is it time for dinner already? What time is it?"
 
"It's three."
 
"Rats. I did miss lunch." Lifting her head, she looked at him.
 
He did a double take violent enough to give him whiplash.
 
Beneath the glasses, dense, dark lashes surrounded the biggest, most emphatically violet eyes he'd ever seen.
 
Like a newly wakened owl, she blinked at him. "Who are you?"
 
"I'm. Aaron. Eagle." He emphasized each word. "Who are you?"
 
"I'm Dr. Rosamund Hall."
 

Read more about the Chosen Ones on Christina's website christinadodd.com

About the Author

Christina Dodd is a New York Times bestselling author whose novels have been translated into twelve languages. She lives in Washington with her husband and two dogs.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Signet (April 3, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451228138
• ISBN-13: 978-0451228130
• Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 4.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #103,934 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #3 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Romance > Authors, A-Z > ( D ) > Dodd, Christina

More About the Author

Chat with Christina via Facebook and Twitter, and even better, join her mailing list to have her news delivered right to your inbox! http://christinadodd.com/lists/?p=subscribe

Readers become writers, and Christina Dodd has always been a reader. She reads everything, but because she loves humor, she likes romance best.

A woman wants things like world peace, a clean house, and a deep and meaningful relationship based on mutual understanding and love. A man wants things like a Craftsman router with attachments, undisputed control of the TV remote, and a red Corvette which will miraculously make his bald spot disappear. So when Christina's first daughter was born, she told her husband she was going to quit work and write a book. It was a good time to start a new career, because how much trouble could one little infant be?

Ha! It took ten years, two children and three completed manuscripts before her first novel, CANDLE IN THE WINDOW, was published. In the twenty-two years since, her novels have been translated into 25 languages, won Romance Writers of America's prestigious Golden Heart and RITA Awards and been called the year's best by Library Journal. Christina Dodd herself has been a clue in the Los Angeles Times crossword puzzle (11/18/05, # 13 Down: Romance Novelist named Christina.) Publishers Weekly praises her style that 'showcases Dodd's easy, addictive charm and steamy storytelling.'

Christina's 2011 releases include TAKEN BY THE PRINCE, #9 in the Governess Brides series, and in the tradition of Nora Roberts, a new romantic suspense series starting with SECRETS OF BELLA TERRA and REVENGE AT BELLA TERRA.

Christina Dodd is married to a man with all his hair and no Corvette, but many Craftsman tools.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Better than the first in the series, but you need to have read the first one, September 15, 2009

By 

Sandy Kay (Twin Cities, Minnesota USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Storm of Shadows (Chosen Ones, Book 2) (Mass Market Paperback)

This wasn't my favorite Christina Dodd romance but it was so much better than Storm of Visions (Chosen Ones, Book 1), it seemed marvelous in comparison. In fairness, part of the problem with the first book is the reason I strongly suggest you read the first book before you read this one: Ms. Dodd put all the background of The Chosen, The Others, how the current group of Chosen were selected and why they are hiding out, etc. into the first book. That didn't leave much space in the first book for a good romance; not repeating it all in the second book meant much more time for Rosamund and Aaron. But it does mean that if you haven't read the first book, you will miss a lot of what's going on in this one.

The other reason I liked this book better was that Aaron was a better "hero" for me than Caleb was in the first book. We learned in the first book that Aaron is a thief; now we learn about his powers so we know what made him such a successful thief. Rosamund is a more difficult heroine to love; she's not the strong and capable woman romance readers love to root for. She's socially inept, clueless about men, doesn't care about her appearance, and is burdened with both guilt over her parents' deaths and the need to protect herself against the pain of loss. If you want a perfect heroine, you aren't going to get her in this book. From looking at some of the other reviews, it appears people love her or hate her. Sometimes it is nice to have flawed characters so she was an OK heroine for me.

Although there is much more time given to the romance in this book, I wished there had been more about emotional development (growing respect/affection for each other, etc.) than just a developing physical relationship. I always want to feel the couple falling in love, not just read about the hots they have for each other. Speaking of the physical, readers who love the steamy stuff will get a very steamy limo ride scene and sex in a closet during a party.

This wasn't the perfect romance but there is a lot of adventure/paranormal fantasy added to the mix and that made it an entertaining reading for me. I'm glad I didn't quit the series after the first book and I am looking forward to the next one in the series.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Horrible. Just horrible, September 5, 2009

By 

J. Blake (Northern, California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Storm of Shadows (Chosen Ones, Book 2) (Mass Market Paperback)

I had recently read an excerpt of Storm of Shadows and liked it enough that rushed right out to buy it, plus book 1. I have read and enjoyed other Christina Dodd books, so I thought, " "WhooHoo! A new series to enjoy!" but, wow.. the only word I can now come up with is "disappointment".

I ended up skimming most of the book after the half way point. I didn't think the characters were developed (plus Rosamund was *annoying*) nor was the plot tight for being written by such a seasoned and successful author. Maybe it was just not my cup of tea, but after reading other great paranormal authors, Illona Andrews, Jeaniene Frost, Patricia Briggs, Richelle Mead and the like, this story was... well... just weak.

I wish Ms. Dodd the best with this series, but I won't be buying anymore.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Pretty bad, September 28, 2009

By 

JJDax (Virginia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Storm of Shadows (Chosen Ones, Book 2) (Mass Market Paperback)

The worst romance novel I've read that's been written this decade. First I must say I never read the first book in the series and have never read Dodd before. Now, why I hated this book: The characters had no depth. I didn't care about any of them. They had no chemistry and I could never figure out why they became attracted to each other aside from Dodd telling them they were. There seemed to be no reason for anything they were doing. It might have been better off as a comic book since that's what the premise seemed to be -- group of super-powered super-heros are to save the world from evil-doers... though what evil they do other than try and burn down the good guys' cover business was not really disclosed. Dodd seemed to be modeling her librarian as more extreme version of Dr. Brennan from Bones for her librarian but instead of quirky she came up with irritatingly dense and naive. There is no limit to the stupid things this woman does. She is like every stupid character in every horror film you've ever thought "NO don't go in the basement!" to all rolled into one. The hero is just plain bland, bland, bland; the most generic alpha-male hero I've ever read in a romance novel. His character is Native American, though why she didn't just make him average suburban white boy since his background doesn't affect anything he thinks or does I couldn't say. Half of the novel is just him thinking about how he doesn't really like yet wants her, and her being oblivious to EVERYTHING while researching a prophesy so that the superheros know something (what I'm not sure, I guess that's in the second half which I don't plan on reading). Anyway, sorry for being so harsh but I feel a little gypped.