Shadow Fallen is a historical romance that focuses on the dynamics of trying to get Ariel and then Valteri’s souls for evil purposes. The story is filled with subterfuge and plenty of threatening conversations. We get to learn Valteri’s back story, which is not as bad as Acheron’s, but he is trying for second best. Of course, there is true love too.

Oddly enough when I was designing this post, I thought this page count was going to equal or come close to Acheron’s page count at 728 pages. This book only came in at 288 pages according to Goodreads (I received a .mobi file). I was shocked because as I was drafting this review in my head, I was thinking that Fallen could have been edited to be shorter and therefore more fun to read. There seemed to be a lot of filler to me, hence why I thought the page count was much higher.

Sadly the sex scenes were not the usual Kenyon style either as they were very tame and with little detail. Maybe it is a by-product of what is happening in her personal life and she is just not feeling sexy, but I really do like a Kenyon sex scene.

There just seemed to be something missing in Shadow Fallen. This is not to say that the overall story isn’t enjoyable - it is. I just wanted more of what I am used to from Kenyon and that is on me - not on her. Please don’t take my own personal greediness as a negative against the story. Read it. Let me know what you think.

I received an ARC of this book and I am writing a review without prejudice and voluntarily.

I was given an advance copy of this book in exchange for a review
I don’t read many books by Sherrilyn Kenyon, she’s usually a little too romance for me.
I will read them from time to time if my wife thinks I’ll like it.
I liked this book well enough. It started out well and ended strong, but somewhere around the middle it started to drift for me. There just didn’t seem like anything of real depth was happening. No character or world building. It was almost like the characters were just going through the motions.
That said, I’m not sorry I read the book. I did have fun with it.
I would recommend it to fans of the series.

I haven't been interested in a Dark Hunter novel in forever but this book brought me right back into the series!! Loved the characters and their story was Amazing!!

She’s Back!!

This is the Sherilyn Kenyon we fell in love with so many years ago.

Arial has been cursed. She wakes up with no memory of who she is. As a human.

There was something ethereal about her. Something not quite natural or of this world.

“I know you don’t understand grief. You’re not capable of it. But you will, little reaper. You will!”

Valteri The Godless has lived a life most people can’t imagine. He’s never known kindness until Arial comes into his life.

Good Against evil. To be hinting don’t know if I would call this a Dream Hunter novel but we do see some of our beloved characters. It’s really more like a mix of one of her earlier historical and Dark Hunters. What I do know is this story was spectacular.

This author has been through some crazy stuff the last few years and I’m so glad she’s overcome the evil in her life.

<b>Note:</b> I received an advanced copy of this book from Macmillan-Tor/Forge via NetGalley.

2.5 Stars

For centuries, Ariel has fought the forces of evil. Her task was to protect the souls of innocent mortals when they die. Captured by a powerful sorceress, she is transformed into a human who has no memory of her real life or calling.

And is plunked into the middle of the Norman invasion of England.

Cursed the moment he was born with a "demonic deformity," Valteri wants nothing of this earth except to depart it and will do his duty to his king until then. When a strange noblewoman is brought before him, Valteri realizes he has met her before…in his dreams. When others come for her, bringing with them preternatural predators, he is faced with a destiny he had no idea was waiting. One he wants no part of.

The truth is that Valteri isn’t just a knight of William the Conqueror. He is the son of one of the deadliest powers in existence, and if he doesn’t restore Ariel to her place, she is not the only one who will be in peril. The world itself hangs in the balance, and he is the necessary key to hold back the powers of evil. But only if he can find a way to work with the woman who stands for everything in the universe he hates.

Sherrilyn Kenyon is one of my favorite authors and I have been enthralled over the years by her web of storytelling revolving around mythology in the Dark Hunter Universe. This book however is my least favorite book in the series to date. My favorite part of the book was concerning the characters that have already appeared in the series but even those characters felt like a forced tie-in to the story. The relationship between Valteri and Ariel was not as steamy as the characters in her previous books.

I absolutely loved this book!
After all that has happened in the private life of this author over the last few years, her work began to dwindle and it suffered greatly because of many things out of her control but I’m absolutely delighted to say that she is back once again on top form. This story kind of reminded me of her earlier Dark Hunter books, from the easy flow of the writing to the spellbinding drama that made me fall in love with her unique storytelling right from the start. This is why I love paranormal romance and Ms Kenyon is a mistress of her craft once again.

Welcome back to Sherrilyn's world. Our Author Goddess has returned to us with a new fantastical tale. This is the first full length book in a three volume story arc. Introducing Valteri, the son of an enigmatic character, whose backstory has been long awaited by many of us fans. Shadow Fallen is a story of love and hate, loyalty and betrayal, rapture and torture, forgiveness and revenge, good, evil and the gray shadows in between. Set in medieval England, it is during the time when the Normans conquered the Saxons.

Lord Valteri is a Norman warrior who is used to a life of constant travel from war to war with no place to call home. He is feared and hated by all, due to a deformity rumored to be proof his unknown father was a demon. All he needs is his sword, horse, armour and a fight. Now he is commanded by his half-brother, King William, to be the lord of an estate in England and is responsible to look after the Saxons who live there. And they hate him.

Ariel is an ethereal beauty who is found in a field, unconscious and is brought to the manor. She wakes up to find she knows her name but remembers nothing else. She is confused as many things are not familiar and some skills, that she begins to discover she knows, do not make any sense for her to know. There is something otherworldly about her.

Ariel and Valteri struggle to break a curse in order to stay together. Their love is strong and true but they need to overcome a self-serving demon who keeps interfering in their journey to HEA. Which, of course, makes it an exciting adventure.

As in Stygian, there is a fun theme within this book that I call "Who's Your Daddy?". The banter between Shadow and Thorn is hilarious as they compare childhoods and argue who had it worse. Is having absent parents better ? Would you want to trade your parents ?

I love the interaction of Ariel and Valteri with the other characters, especially Wace, Edyth and Cecile. Just wait till you meet them.

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
I was rereading the entire Dark-Hunter/ Dream-Hunter/ Were-Hunter series to prepare for the release of Shadow Fallen and was so thrilled to read it early. In fact, I read it twice before writing this review.
I hope you enjoy Shadow Fallen. I highly recommend it.

Valteri has been alone his entire life - abandoned by his mother, disowned by his father, and abused by those who should have cared for him. His odd coloured eyes have singled him out as tainted and sometimes he has used that fearsome reputation to his advantage. Now his half-brother is using him in his plans to capture Saxon England.

Ravenswood Hall is his new abode, something he doesn't want - he'd rather have the money his brother promised him! But an injured woman is found nearby and he finds her a dangerous attraction.

Ariel is an angel, a Valkyrie-like being who takes fallen warriors to their afterlife/ BUt she has been cursed by a mourning mother and crashed to Earth. Now with missing memories and at the mercy of a Norman warrior mercenary, can she recover her memories and make her way back to her own realm? Or will the very real Demons snatch her up?

What a fantastic story! Ariel isn't scared of superstition and fear-mongering. She sees straight into Valteri's heart and sees him for the good man that he hides under that gruff exterior. He saves youngsters from abusive servitude, loves his horse, and tried to help those who do nothing but insult him.

Valteri bears the makes of a life of abuse and war. He has lines that he won't cross, however, and when he thinks he has done something dishonourable he does his best to rectify the situation.

Interfering demons, demi-gods, angels and other beings are all descending on his manor to aid or distract him from his mission. Thorn & Shadow turn up and add a bit of comic relief to the goings-on more than they actually help out LOL. Belial is the minion of Kadar and whilst what he does is reprehensible, you can see that he really does not have a choice!

Awesomesauce!

Thank the publisher and NetGalley for this eArc.

It has been a while since I was in Dream Hunter world, and boy did I miss it. With a fresh idea, yet built on a foundation of this amazing world Sherrylyn has created, this book has all we love and appreciate in her books. I have enjoyed this book so much! Won't bore anyone with the synopsis, but I will tell you to read it. If you love these books and this world, for sure you will enjoy this one as well!

My lack of 5 stars is simply due to the setting, this religion, Saxons vs Normans..., of which I'm not a huge fan in general, but has proved to annoy me a little throughout the book.

beyond brilliant--Kenyon imagines a world peopled by gods and demons, angels and heroes. We need more of this in our "real" world, where people who are hurt internally or judged cruelly can read about those who rise above such concerns and experiences to become more, to heal, The hero is someone judged wanting for physical characteristics he could not control, and the heroine is a being of light, transformed into a human. Interesting, unique premise that is well thought out, and well- plotted.

Ahhhhh this was just such a great read. I just didn't want this book to end and I was sad to turn the last page. I'm so excited to see what's next from this author.

Shadow Fallen is an intriguing story by Sherrilyn Kenyon. Good blend of dialogue and characters make it a page turner. Enjoyed the plot.

Shadow Fallen was a fun read! It was great coming back to this world after so long, even more so since this read mostly like a self-contained story and I was able to follow it without having to worry I was forgetting something important lol

The beginning was super entertaining. I loved the opening chapters and how they worked to introduce the two main characters, Ariel and Valteri, and the way it set up their relationship. Kenyon’s writing captured my attention from the get go and I flew through the first half of the novel.

Things did get a little repetitive as things went on, though. The big “conflict” between Ariel and Valteri kept getting rehashed in the same sort of scenes over and over and I never truly felt like there was any danger. It was pretty obvious everything was going to end up okay? Usually, I’m able to enjoy the journey and the twists along the way, but I felt that they fell a little flat here after a while.

The ending was rather dramatic lol but the epilogue was such a sweet little addition and I loved seeing Ariel and Valteri get to that point themselves. ❤

I cannot explain how much I adore the writing style of Sherrilyn Kenyon. Hence, this book is well written with the narrative and captive style of Sherrilyn. The main characters' chemistry is one of my favourites amongst both the Dream Hunter series and the Shadow Hunter series. I cannot give honest feedback without spoilers, yet, the book touched my heart and fed my craving for a good paranormal romance.

Shadow Fallen is the sixth book in the Dream Hunters series by Sherrilyn Kenyon. This exciting series is a part of the Dark-Hunter Universe. It brings to light new faces and new mythos along with a more in-depth insight into the Dream Hunters. While some of the favorite characters from the Dark-Hunter Universe do make cameos in these books, the focus is on illuminating new mythos with brand new characters and relationships. We gained our first insights into this new world with Phantom Lover, the first book in the series. Since then, each book has opened a new chapter as we explore deeper into their world.

This book introduces Ariel, who is a warrior fighting the forces of evil for untold years. She protects the souls of innocent mortals when they die. However, she is captured by a powerful witch and transformed into a human who has no memory of her purpose.

Valteri is a powerful warrior who fights for his king in the Norman invasion of England. When Ariel comes to his door, destiny also comes knocking.

Together, Valteri and Ariel must work to counter the rising threat of demonic powers both human and supernatural with the fate of the world hanging in the balance.

Thank you to the publisher and author for the ARC

**I received this book from NetGalley for an honest review**
Sherrilyn Kenyon is Back! It’s so great to sink back into the world of Dark Hunters after so long. This book sets the stage beautifully for the stories leading up to Jaden’s tale and then Savitar’s. Anyone who’s been a fan of this series all these years can unequivocally tell you that those are some of the most coveted and speculated stories within the world. Ariel and Valteri’s story is not a contemporary tale by any means. However, I long ago learned not to question Kenyon’s storytelling reasoning. I’m excited to see where this is going!

Fantastic to see Sherrilyn Kenyon back, and back on an impressive form.
Valteri The Godless is the perfect hero- having been abused by monks as a child for having different eyes, he trusts no one, and only has affection for a blind stray kitten
Ariel is an Arel- destined to take souls from the dying and move them to their next destination- until she is cursed by an old woman to live life as a mortal, with no memory of who she was.
And so, Kenyon does what she does best- weaving a love story that overcomes all challenges, all evils and all demons
There are appearances from some of our favourite dark hunters, demons and hell chasers, and overall this is Sherrilyn Kenyon back at her best!

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.0 stars

Ariel is an arel, a winged immortal warrior for the light. When she is cursed by a woman bent on vengeance, she is trapped in a mortal body and damned to watch the person she loves die. She falls under the protection of feared warrior and half-brother to William the Conqueror, Valteri. He has been shunned and hated by others for his “demonic deformity” and lives only to fight, however he has a kind and gentle heart. Valteri is drawn to the angelic beauty who sees only good in him, but he knows they can never stay together. His powerful secret heritage and her true nature puts them in the crosshairs of demonic forces bent on destroying the world.

Shadow Fallen is part of Kenyon’s long-running paranormal series Dream Hunters, yet it has a very different feel. Along with a stirring and emotional love story, the meditations on the cruelty of humans towards those who are different, and what constitutes true faith, spirituality, and goodness are timely and impactful. Valteri will not fail to have an impact on readers who love tragic, tortured heroes. And Ariel’s dual nature, kind and loving, but fierce and protective, makes her the perfect heroine for Valteri. The setting of Norman Conquest Era Medieval England will also appeal to historical romance fans who like a little paranormal thrown in. Well-developed secondary characters add color and texture to an enjoyable, fast moving romance. Shadow Fallen is recommended to long-time fans of Kenyon and readers who enjoy historical paranormal romance.

3.5/5.0

I read and loved Ms. Kenyon/McQueen’s books years ago but haven’t read any the past few years so I was excited to dive back in and discover her again. That smooth as silk writing style that I remember is back in spades and her characters feel just a real as ever (and that is saying something considering most are not even human!) This author is a master at writing characters that make a reader absolutely ache for their pain and cheer for their joy. And the world is just as interesting and complex.

It is the pace of the story, itself, that feels a bit off in this one, though. Valteri is truly a broken soul who has suffered the most extreme and horrific torture throughout his life. He is considered demon spawn because of his heteochromia (one eye is a different color than the other). It is easy to love and feel for his character as we watch him take all the abuse while still doing his best to be a decent man - at least off the battlefield - there he is truly the demon people think him. It is in the constant and extremely repetitive self-flagellation that the story lags. His inner voice repeatedly degrades himself almost constantly throughout the first half of the book and stops any forward movement in the overall story almost completely in places. The growing love Ariel has for him as she helps him learn to live is truly a thing of beauty, however, and almost makes up for the plodding plot-line.

The second half of the book does pick up considerably as all the background players make their moves and the tension and action takes center stage. This is where those who have kept up with the Dark Hunter series will be most happy, as characters from earlier books enter and take part in the unfolding action. Unfortunately those of us who aren’t already familiar with those characters, will feel a bit left out, as there isn’t a lot of depth to help us really understand the nuances behind the actions.

The ending is very abrupt, as well. Man, I wish a little less time had been spent on reiterating the horrors of Valteri’s childhood and more time had been given to allowing us to enjoy and understand what happened AFTER the big climax! As it stands, the ending is happy… we just don’t get to see how it actually happened.

Even so, I still enjoyed the book and am immensely happy this very talented author is at it again! There are just some whose pen can capture the imagination and never let go and Ms. Kenyon/McQueen is definitely one!

This was sadly a DNF for me. I think some might like this but I didn’t wish to continue with the book.