Review Detail

An enjoyable read and a huge change from the YA norm, 8 Rivers of Shadow will resonate with fans of the series. Picking up a few months after 13 Days of Midnight ended, life seems to have returned to normal for Luke Manchett and his girlfriend, Elza. That is, until the arrival of Ash, a strange California girl who just doesn't seem to add up. Luke suspects she knows much more than anyone would ever guess.
When she asks Luke and Elza to help her save her sister, Luke finds himself back in the thick of it, summoning members of his Host after he swore he never would.
After a somewhat slow start, the story picks up and becomes quite a page turner. The unique plot and premise made for a nice change from some of the more typical YA books. Luke's determination and Elza's dry humor are balanced with the tension Ash brings to their lives and to the story. I particularly enjoyed The Widow as well as some of the other more terrifying spectral characters.
The ending came to a satisfying, bittersweet close to Luke's story, but I'm left hoping we will see more of this world and these characters in the future. An older teen audience of both male and female readers will enjoy this series, and I look forward to future works by this author.