Magic, mayhem, an alpha warrior and the strong woman who falls in love with him, these are just some of my favorite things with Thea’s books. The plot was always moving, I was never bored, and the love/hate relationship between Sophia and Nikolas during their courtship was hilarious. Take an anachronistic Fae warrior and pair him with a thoroughly modern witch. I think she yelled back at him as much as he yelled at her when she did something he didn’t agree with . . . i.e. behave like a modern woman. But you could see how much they started to care for each other in such a short time inside and outside the bedroom. I cannot wait for the next 2 books in this trilogy and who those couples will be.
If this is your first Thea book, you’ve picked a great start because there are no spoilers for her main series.

Moonshadow is the first book in an urban fantasy series by Thea Harrison. It is related to previous series by the author, but you can easily jump in here.

Recovering from a shooting, LAPD witch consultant Sophie Ross leaves her job and travels to the U.K. to search for answers about her childhood. When she encounters a Daoine Sidhe knight of the Dark Court, she becomes entangled in an ancient hatred between two arcane forces. He has given his body and soul to fight for his people. Barred from his homeland along with his surviving brother knights, Nikolas Sevigny is embroiled in a conflict that threatens everything he holds dear. Only by uniting his people’s resources can they hope to prevail against Isabeau, the deadly Queen of the Light Court. He will do anything and use anyone to return home to Lyonesse.

When Nikolas encounters Sophie, he sees a tool to be used. The insouciant witch might be the key to unlocking every passageway that has been barred to the knights of the Dark Court, even as a fascination for her takes root in what’s left of his soul.Sophie has no intention of becoming anyone’s pawn, yet the fierce Nikolas is so compelling, she can’t deny the temptation that endangers her guarded heart. As magic threatens Lyonesse, Queen Isabeau unleashes her merciless Hounds, and Nikolas and Sophie become embroiled in a race for survival. Meanwhile, the passion that ignites between them burns too hot to be denied and quickly turns into obsession. Thank goodness they both know better than to fall in love.

Moonshadow is a well built series starter that left me intrigued by what else might await our characters. I loved the world and character building. Sophie is a strong, smart woman with magical gifts and little to no knowledge of her heritage. She has worked had to master her gifts and learn new things over the years. Now, she is recovering form gunshot wounds and has the chance to earn an estate simply by getting inside it. Who could pass that up? I love her independence and intelligence, she talks no nonsense from anyone. Nikolas has been fighting for his people for what seems like forever. Numbers, resources, and moral are all dwindling- but Sophie and her skills might just turn the tables. I found the interactions between Sophie and Nikolas to be fantastic. The snark, sarcasm, and independence made even the darkest moments of the story a little brighter. There were moments that made me laugh out loud, and made me wonder why I had not already read this book ages ago. Nope GIF's will forever make me smile, and proud characters finding the way to be together will always tug my heartstrings.

Moonshadow is a book that wish I had read earlier. I enjoyed the story and character building and look forward to reading more books in this series as time allows.

When I get hooked on a really good series, I have to say that there isn’t much that can pull me away once I get started, even if a dud pops up in the series every now and then. But even better than that is a really GREAT spinoff of that much loved series, as is the case with this new Moonshadow series. Book one begins with a windfall falling into the lap of a young woman that has been a victim of Murphy’s Law for a long time. There’s always that little bit of hope that a person will come into our lives and offer us the home of our dreams and a way to survive without ever having to work another day in our lives. Sophie has found a way to make a living while helping people using her skills and inherent magic, but when a vision almost kills her, she is ready for a break so when she has the chance for an extended vacation there is nothing that will keep her at home. Fans of the Elder races series will recognize some names as well as the types of creatures in the world Sophie and Nikolas inhabit. Nikolas is an immortal warrior that has been fighting against the evil queen of the light fae and the end is coming to his people in one way or another unless he can find a sanctuary to allow his people to rest and regroup. When Sophie finds herself pulled into this war and working with Nikolas the passion between them become undeniable and as her heart gets deeper and deeper entrenched with the winning of the war, Sophie knows the price of salvation for Nikolas and his people might just be her life. I LOVED Sophie; she is such a smart-ass and her wit and sarcasm are sharp enough to cut Nikolas down to size more than once. The danger surrounding Sophie brings her abilities and skills into sharper need, so when she has to put her full trust in those abilities in order to save Nikolas and his people, there is never any doubt in my mind that Sophie will get the job done. Nikolas was…well… he was an asshole. Pretty much the best way to describe him through most of the story. He has spent so many years distrustful of people and unable to trust in anyone except the men he has fought beside for millennia, so watching him push Sophie away while simultaneously pulling her in made me so angry for her. Once he pulled his head out of his ass, Nikolas became a really wonderful character to get to know and seeing him grow was a wonderful experience. I love this new series and am looking forward to seeing more of the group find their loves and continue their battles to become a force to be reckoned with now that they have restored their foothold into the world on this side of the divide. If you love the elder races series by Thea Harrison or are a fan in general of beautifully written paranormal romance, you will enjoy this story if you give it the chance to get through the beginning world building and character introductions. I know I am dying for more of both this series and the original that made Harrison a key member of my favorite authors list.

I was hooked from the beginning with this story.The story line was great but I had trouble getting along with the main characters.
Sophie was a likable character but Nikolas was a complete jerk.

Thea Harrison is f***ing BRILLIANT!

I don’t normally use cuss words in my reviews but I had to here. MOONSHADOW is a masterpiece full of excitement, danger, laughter, loyalty and steamy romance!

The story starts a little slow and you may want to put it aside, but don’t do it! The first time I tried reading the book, it couldn’t capture my interest so I set it aside for a whole month! I can’t believe how much time I wasted! Don’t do it! Don’t set it aside, keep reading! You will not be disappointed!

MOONSHADOW is a part of the Elder Races world but totally different. The characters are functional, yet totally extraordinary. The story building is out-of-this-world amazing! It’s magical! I absolutely LOVED it!

Let’s talk about Nikolas and Sophie. WOW! Both characters are meticulously crafted and just plain brilliant! They were just as amazing apart as they were together. Sophie is everything you hope for in a heroine. She’s tough, smart, too stubborn for her own good and funny as hell! I greatly admired her strength and her optimism. It never mattered that she was less powerful than many of the beings in this story, she was always on the frontlines doing what she could and fighting for what needed to be fought for.

Nikolas is the ideal hero, strong, protective, fiercely loyal and sexy as sin, but he’s so much more! I loved how honorable he was and that he constantly warred with himself, torn between saving his people and claiming happiness that’s long since denied him. Nothing nobler than that!

Nikolas and Sophie together was an explosion! If they weren’t fighting with each other, their passion was burning up the pages, engulfing all of us with them! It was such a hoot to read whenever they were together! There were also some wonderfully diverse secondary characters that made the story that much greater and chalked full of surprises!

MOONSHADOW is in a category all of its own. If you don’t want to read it for all the reasons I mentioned, then read it because it was written by an exceptional writer. Thea Harrison has grown leaps and bounds as an author and I’m just so dang proud of her!

I HIGHLY recommend MOONSHADOW and any books by Ms. Harrison!

***ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All conclusions reached are my own***

Ive been a fan of this series since inception. A few novels waned, however, Harrison is back with a knock out punch with Moonshadow. Sexy, mysterious and I have already re-read my favorite bookmarks!

4.5 of 5 Stars

Thea Harrison’s MOONSHADOW is a thrilling start to the new series of the same name. LAPD witch consultant Sophie Ross is given the opportunity to travel to England to discover information about her childhood. She becomes involved with Nikolas Sevigny and his band of Daoine Sidhe knights of the Dark Court to try to overcome Isabeau, Queen of the Light Court.
MOONSHADOW has a compelling plot that was exciting from start to finish. It was full of creativity and excitement. I like how Thea Harrison included characters from classic mythology, like Robin. I thought it was interesting how Sophie and Nikolas initially encounter one another. I love the concept behind the house and inheritance.

Sophie is a likeable character. She is strong and likes to help those in need. I like how Sophie’s magic benefits the knights. My heart went out to the Knights, and how long they have been fighting to get back home. They are determined and powerful. It is understandable why Nikolas is cautious about outsiders. I like how Sophie’s and Nikolas’ relationship evolves throughout the story.

Thea Harrison does a great job with both her character development and plot. There are numerous twists that make the story exciting. There are deceit and comradery. The story keeps you on your toes I like how MOONSHADOW ended. I look forward to the next book in the series. I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

La serie paranormal romance Elder Races di Thea Harrison era stata per me una vera rivelazione e me ne ero innamorata sin dalle prime pagine di Dragon Bound.
Con questa nuova serie spin-off sto, invece, facendo un po’ più fatica ad adattarmi. L’ambientazione è la stessa di quella della serie precedente: una realtà in cui convivono umani, Wyr, Djinn, Fae e chi più ne ha più ne metta, un mondo veramente fantastico, pieno di magia e immaginazione, che non finirà mai di stupirmi.
Protagonisti di questa storia sono Nikolas, un cavaliere Sidhe, in parte Wyr, e Sophie, una strega, che fino al suo incontro con lui, non ha mai conosciuto le sue reali origini.
Nikolas è un guerriero che fa parte della Corte dei Fae Oscuri e, da tempo immemore, lui e i suoi compagni sono coinvolti in una sanguinosa guerra contro Isabeau, la Regina della Corte dei Fae di Luce, che è riuscita, grazie alla sua magia e ai suoi alleati, a bloccare tutti i passaggi tra la Terra e Lyonesse, il regno fatato da cui provengono Nikolas e i suoi compagni.
A Lyonesse e ai suoi abitanti sono rimaste poche possibilità di sopravvivere e Nikolas e gli altri guerrieri Sidhe sono gli unici a poter tentare di cambiare le cose, ma per farlo ci vorrebbe un miracolo.
Gli otto guerrieri Sidhe sono uniti tra loro da un legame profondo, una vera fratellanza. La solitudine in cui sono costretti a vivere, le atrocità della guerra, la nostalgia di casa, la loro storia e la profonda lealtà dell’uno verso l’altro – nonostante tutto quello che è successo loro e che li ha fatti cambiare, rendendo più dure le loro anime – sono le cose che mi hanno fatto innamorare di questi personaggi.
Nikolas, essendo il protagonista maschile del romanzo, spicca ancora di più nel gruppo. Dedica veramente tutto se stesso a combattere questa battaglia: è la mente e il capo del gruppo e non si dà pace, mentre continua la sua ricerca verso un passaggio che li possa portare a casa. Combatte incessantemente contro i Segugi di Isabeau che gli danno la caccia, tendendogli continue trappole e, quando incontra Sophie, si trova davanti a una cosa del tutto inaspettata: scopre di essere ancora capace di provare altre emozioni oltre all’odio e alla rabbia, sentimenti forti che rischiano di fargli perdere il controllo.
Sophie potrebbe aiutare lui e i suoi uomini a risolvere parte dei problemi più grossi per ritrovare i passaggi d’accesso a Lyonesse, ma tra lei e Nikolas le cose partono da subito con il piede sbagliato e lei non è certo una persona che si lascia manipolare.
Tra tutte le donne poi proprio Sophie… povero Nikolas! Una che non gliene darà mai vinta una e che non ha il minimo filtro tra cervello e bocca quando parla, una donna indipendente e combattiva, che non accetta freni di nessun tipo alla sua libertà di agire. È una strega che usa la sua magia per difendere e attaccare, ma che non si tira mai indietro quando bisogna scendere sul campo di battaglia con le armi spianate, buttandosi nella mischia. Sophie è anche generosa, totalmente disinteressata nell’offrire il suo aiuto alle persone in difficoltà, ma ha un grosso problema: istinto di autoconservazione meno di zero. Si butta nelle sue battaglie d’istinto, sprezzante del pericolo.
Mettete insieme lei e Nikolas, l’attrazione istantanea che nasce tra di loro e… vi troverete davanti alla continua battaglia di volontà tra due personalità molto forti.
È stato proprio questo il mio problema in questa storia: amo Nikolas, Sophie mi è piaciuta molto, l’ho trovata divertente da leggere, ma quando loro due sono insieme mi si “spegne” l’entusiasmo. Ai miei occhi non funzionano proprio come coppia: grande passione tra di loro, gran sesso, ma manca quel legame emotivo profondo che di solito ho sempre trovato nelle coppie di questa autrice. Andavo avanti dicendomi: “beh, adesso smetteranno di punzecchiarsi e litigare, magari adesso…” e invece no.
Un altro personaggio, invece, che ho trovato irresistibile è Robin, una creatura fatata, dotata di poteri straordinari, che potrebbero fare la differenza in questa guerra. Lui è una delle presenze del libro che mi hanno entusiasmato, è un personaggio delizioso da leggere, strano e tenero, come sanno solo essere alcune creature magiche.

Nonostante le mie perplessità questa rimane comunque una serie dalle grosse potenzialità, il mio parere è puramentesoggettivo e come ho detto ci sono molti aspetti del libro che mi sono piaciuti molto e sono curiosa di vedere come andrà avanti la storia di questi guerrieri Sidhe e lo scontro tra le due Corti dei Fae.

Months after she was shot, Sophie Ross is still recovering both physically and emotionally from the event. She needs a change of scenery STAT.

She gets her opportunity when the daughter of the man who rescued Sophie from a human trafficking ring offers her an amazing mansion, tons of land, and an annual stipend... IF she can get in the door.

Upon arriving in the U.K., Sophie meets Nikolas and sparks fly. It's hate at first sight, but Sophie has what Nikolas needs to save his people and get back to those he was separated from years before.

Can they survive each other long enough to get what they both need?

Final thoughts: I was hanging in there pretty well until about 35% of the way through. I'm not sure what happened at that point, but I do know that it was a struggle to finish. Sophie and Nikolas have horrible chemistry, but we're told that they can't keep their hands off each other; it doesn't make sense. Additionally, I know that many say this book can be read separately from Harrison's other series, but I really feel like I was missing something. It felt like I was being left out of half the story. Maybe if I'd read her other series, I would feel more comfortable with this one.

Enjoyed the world building.

Wasn't a fan of the insta love.

Great action.

I had previously enjoyed Thea Harrison's Elder Races series but none of the heroines in the books following Dragon Bound grabbed me the way Pia did. Happily, Moonshadow is an amazing book with a sassy, argumentative heroine who I loved. She had me laughing out loud more than a few times. Sophie finds an excellent foil in Nikolas, an old school Knight of the Dark Court. All Nikolas wants is to be able to return home and save his kingdom and he will use whatever or whoever he has too in order to succeed.

This book, like many of Harrison's others, has a wonderful background cast and I am already taking bets on who the next story will be about. The story itself is fast paced and interesting and the ending is just about perfect.

You really can't beat a book with a spunky heroine, sexy hero and all their quirky friends on an epic quest to save a kingdom!

New to Thea Harrison and will be reading more. I loved her writing/storytelling style and the way she set this world up! The characters weren't as "deep" as I expected but know more will be revealed in subsequent installments. But really loved Sophie and Nik and their chemistry. I've got this series on my watchlist and can't wait to read more. Will also have to check out Harrison's Elder series after this.