Book Review: Shadow Sight

Shadow Sight (Ivy Granger #1)

By: E.J. Stevens

Published By: Sacred Oaks Press

Publication Date: July 24, 2012

eBook

Source: ARC Kindly Provided by Author

Audience: Adult - Urban Fantasy

I was so excited to see that E.J. Stevens was branching out from her YA writing to try out a new series for adults. She has become one of my favorite Indie authors and I have come to expect creativity and intriguing characters from her work. She didn't let me down with Shadow Sight. This novel is the first in Stevens' new Urban Fantasy series for adults. The plot is pretty PG - the worst thing is some cursing here and there (and that's pretty tame) - so I can also see some teens enjoying this book as well. 

I love the world of Harborsmouth. It is full of interesting and intriguing supernatural beings who live amongst humans. The human population can often sense that their town isn't ordinary, but they aren't quite sure what makes them feel that way. The supernaturals do a good job of covering their tracks and wish to keep the humans in the dark. The town is littered with the traditional figures one would expect such as witches, vampires, and fey. I was intrigued by the variety of fey that made appearances in this book. I also really enjoyed Stevens' spin on some of them - particularly the kelpies, merrows, and pookas. The pookas cracked me up! I loved any time they made an appearance. 

Also, Stevens has again managed to create characters that I loved. She has this knack for making quirky, endearing characters. Ivy, Jinx, Kaye, Marvin, and Hob are perhaps more addicting than the characters from the Spirit Guide series. Ivy resonates with me for a variety of reasons. She is strong, but doesn't always see herself clearly. I like characters that aren't super confident until they work through the issues that are holding them back. Ivy also is hilarious. That girl has some major wit that will keep you giggling even as she faces impossible odds. I also really liked her because she has issues. She's not a sweet, perfect female lead. Ivy's gift of psychometry is also fascinating; she has the ability to touch an item and see visions from its past existence. In addition, the supporting cast of characters is also a lot of fun and the main hottie is intriguing. I hope we get to see him more in book #2. 

As entertained as I was by this novel, I did have some issues with it. One, Ivy is constantly cursing by saying "Mab's Bones" and "Oberon's eyes". It was a constant refrain from her and it soon grew to be quite annoying. By the end, I rolled my eyes every time she got angry because I knew those phrases were going to make yet another appearance. You do find out why those are her go-to phrases as you read, but it didn't lessen my annoyance. Second, I was somewhat frustrated that anytime a new "being" would come on the scene it was like a supernatural encyclopedia info dump. I wasn't able to learn about the beings and their societies gradually through the plot - Ivy told me everything I needed to know about them as soon as she came in contact with them. While I found these "beings" to be fascinating, I would have preferred to learn about them in a more authentic way. All in all, these were minor frustrations that didn't keep me from liking the book.

Overall, I loved spending time in Ivy Granger's world and I can tell that this series has a vast amount of potential. I'm eager to see where Ivy and crew find themselves next. It also should be noted that E.J. Stevens' writing just keeps getting better and better. This book is so much more polished than some of her previous works and the plot travels a much smoother path. The action scenes in this one are phenomenal. I am so impressed with Stevens' debut into the adult urban fantasy world. 

One Last Gripe: I found one of the major twists to be a little too predictable

My Favorite Thing About The Book: The world Stevens has created - I particularly enjoyed the kelpies' lore

First Sentence: Welcome to Harborsmouth, where monsters walk the streets unseen by humans ... except those with second sight.

Favorite Character: Ivy

Least Favorite Character: Delilah

Summary:

Some things are best left unseen...

Ivy Granger's second sight is finally giving her life purpose. Ivy and her best friend Jinx may not be raking in the dough, but their psychic detective agency pays the bills--most of the time. Their only worry is the boredom of a slow day and the occasional crazy client--until a demon walks through their door.

Demons are never a good sign...

A demon attorney representing the water fae? Stranger things have happened. And things are about to get very, very strange as a bloodthirsty nightmare hunts the city of Harborsmouth.

There's blood in the water...

Kelpies have a reputation for eating humans. Unfortunately, Kelpies are the clients. When an Unseelie faerie this evil stalks the waterways of your city, you have to make hard choices.

The lesser of two evils...