From bestselling author Thea Harrison comes the first in an explosive new trilogy set in the Elder Races world….Her past is a blank, her future uncertain….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 … 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…
Praise for Moonshadow:
“Moonshadow is exactly what I expect of a Thea Harrison story, a stay-up-all-night read. Marvelous characters, lots of action and romance, and just the right touch of humor. This one goes on my keeper shelf. I loved this book.”
~Patricia Briggs—#1 New York Times bestselling author of the Mercy Thompson series
“Moonshadow hits all the right checkmarks on my must-have paranormal romance list: an Alpha hero, a heroine who kicks butt, worldbuilding that just keeps getting better, and a steamy plot that pulls me in from the first page!”
~Carrie Ann Ryan—NYT Bestselling Author of Wolf Betrayed
“I loved this book. Moonshadow is Thea Harrison at her finest. I haven’t been this excited since Dragon Bound!”
~Kristen Callihan—USA Today bestselling author
”…Harrison has vaulted to the top of the paranormal romance genre by showcasing her stunning storytelling ability.”
~RT Book Reviews
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Moonshadow is exactly what I expect of a Thea Harrison story, a stay-up-all-night read. Marvelous characters, lots of action and romance, and just the right touch of humor. This one goes on my keeper shelf. I loved this book.
I’m already addicted to Thea Harrison’s new world of Arthurian alpha warriors — especially after an American kick-ass heroine with serious magic powers teaches them a lesson about 21st century women!
Loved this book! Wonderful alpha male and strong heroine. Action packed and a great story.
When I bought this book, I thought i was buying an urban fantasy. I should have scrolled down farther. It’s a romance. Perhaps because of my expectations, I really enjoyed the UF aspects. The idea of a rambling old manor house that straddles various worlds had enormous possibilities. Her magic is intriguing and could have been fleshed out better. There’s a new take on Fae mythology as well. And Robin is a fascinating character. These are all plusses.
I loved this book. Moonshadow is Thea Harrison at her finest. I haven’t been this excited since Dragon Bound!
The hero is intense, the heroine clever, and the sexual tension sizzling. Can’t wait to find out what happens next!
all the elements you want in a mystery. kept you guessing who the bad guy was. a good read
In book one of the Moonshadow Series (Moonshadow) Morgan la Fae is an extremely powerful Sourcerer and the Light Fae Queen’s loyal servant. He’s responsible for enacting Isabeau’s punishments, ensourcelling the Dark Fae King, and hiding the passages connecting other world lands to Earth. He’s universally hated and feared, and he does a great job antagonizing the good guys.
Book one is interesting, but it was book two that really held my interst, when we find out that not all is not as it seems. Thea Harrison took the villain of book one in the Moonshadow series and turned him into the hero of his own book, Spellbinder. (You don’t need to read book 1 to pick this one up).
In SpellBinder we learn that Morgan has been trapped for centuries by a powerful spell, a Geas* which forces him to do Isabeau’s bidding. After he is critically injured at the end of book one, he returns to the Queen bleeding and bedraggled to report the failure.
Disgusted by his appearance, and frustrated with the turn in the war, Isabeau commands him to get out of her sight until he’s fully healed. Because her commands are literal, Morgan uses the opportunity to escape to Earth for a few weeks rest from Isabeau’s control.
While hiding in Earth, he discovers a wildly popular musician on tour, Sydonie Martel. He enjoys her genre-bending violin music, and attends several of her sold out concerts. He doesn’t realize his casual interest has put her in danger.
When Sydonie is kidnapped and delivered into Isabeau’s hands, she has no idea where she is or how to get home. She’s a ‘dead head’: a human with no magical ability whatsoever. She’s thrown in front of the Queen – filthy and exhausted and loses her temper. Disaster strikes, and Sydonie learns what it means to displease the Queen of the Light Fae. Every finger in Sydonie’s hands is broken and she’s thrown in the dungeon to rot.
Morgan returns too late. He helps her where he can, healing her hands and bringing her food, but he’s limited by his need to hide from Isabeau. And if the Queen discovers someone has been helping Sydonie, or his growing attachment to her, she will surely hurt Sydonie to punish and control Morgan. The intrigues of their situation force Morgan to keep his identity secret from Sydonie, helping her in the shadows of the prison.
This is where I should mention that I listened to this book on Audiobook (narrated by Sophie Eastlake).I think for this particular novel, the audio book is an excellent format. I’m quite picky on narrators. It’s rare for me to listen to a book twice – especially paranormal romance – but this was worth a second listen. The slow burn of the romance, coupled with the accents and whispered conversations in the dark of the dungeon lent itself perfectly to the narrator’s strengths.
The story continues beautifully through Sydonie’s clever escape plan, the growing romance between Morgan and Sydonie, their quest to gain freedom for each of them, and ultimately the final show-down between Morgan and the woman who held him captive against his will for so many lifetimes, and Sydonie and Death.
Thea Harrison took a non-magical human, plopped her into a magical world, and managed to create a strong character who held her own. Sydonie’s wits and passion ultimately get her out of several scrapes, and the building romance with Morgan isn’t a head-over-heels love-at-first-sight trope. She’s not perfect, and he’s not either, but together they really work. The dual perspective book builds both of their feelings at the perfect pace, and the action is spot on. Overall, a fun read (or listen)!
*There seems to be some argument over how the word Geas is pronounced. I always thought it was “gay-us”. The narrator says Geas like “gesh” – rhymes with “fresh”.
Sophie, a consultant with the LAPD who is struggling through some serious PTSD, has a penchant for trouble. She takes a leave of absence from work in order to take a crack at breaking into a magically sealed house sitting on top of a broken doorway between England and the magical land of Lyoness. During the process of going to investigate her potential property, she manages to rescue Robin the Puck, fight some rogue werewolves, and irritate some Dark Fairy Court warriors who are trying to find a way home to Lyoness. If you like the other books in the Elder Races world, this will be a fun look at races other than the Wyr! I really enjoyed Sophie’s no nonsense attitude with Nik and his band of warriors who have been fighting too long alone.
A three book series begins with Moonshadow. The main female character is snarky, the main male character is totally Alpha, and their relationship is a dance of attraction and antagonism. Very strong female character and a good start to a larger story that’s covered across the current three books. I’ve read many of Thea Harrison’s Elder Races books, and this trilogy is in the same universe. All are very mature and entertaining with wonderful characters.
Very entertaining book. I highly recommend it.
This is an Elder Races spin-off book that takes place in the U.K. Ms. Harrison is one of my all time favorite authors. Her imagery delights and inspires her readers. I always feel as if I am right there in the moment as everything is happening. In this particular story we have Sophie Ross, from the U.S., who works as a consultant for the LAPD. She is a half-human/djinn and witch and Nikolas Sevigny a Dark Fae, Elven and Wyr. This makes for an interesting combination. Sophie is a different character, though I admired her strength and the ability that she can take care of herself, it just seemed to me she wavered back and forth too much for my liking. As far as Nik, he is the commander of the Dark Fae army which has dwindled down to a few remaining 8 when they got trapped on Earth’s side and separated from their home, Lyonesse. Sophie & Nik first meet when she is scrying, then the next time is 2 weeks later when she arrives in the U.K. and she goes about protecting a dog, which turns out to be a puck, better known as, Robin. I loved Robin so much and hope to see him in future books. He was wonderful.
Nik & Sophie do fall for each other and as usual, it is scorching hot. The only sad thing for me is that they end up snapping at each constantly throughout the book, which to say the least, was exhausting. Moonshadow is full of action, betrayal, suspense, a great amount of hilarious moments and love. I must admit that though I liked this read, it is not my favorite. Nik and Sophie’s relationship ends in an HFN. Looking forward to the next in this enchanting series.
I was really looking forward to the conclusion of this trilogy. Thea Harrison is one of my favourite authors and I have read most of her books. The story started off well and it was only towards the end that it fell down. The conclusion was too abrupt and seemed as though the author was in a hurry to end the book properly. A pity. I did give the book 4 stars on the basis that 90% was enjoyable.
I own the ebook & audiobook version of this story. Love this book! Reminds me a lot of my own marriage with regards to the relationship dynamics. Great story full of mystery, supernaturals, battle, humor, love, betrayal, & steamy well described intimate moments! The characters are likable and believable. The storyline is attention grabbing and its a story you’ll want to get back to each time you have to pause. The narrator did a an awesome job of providing unique voices for each character and appropriate tone inflections for each scene.
I enjoy this writer’s imagination and style. This story was entertaining to read.
Wonderful book! Loved the plot, loved the characters. Witty banter back and forth, some humor, good vs evil, etc! Thoroughly enjoyed reading this. Will definitely get the others in the series. Couldn’t put it down.
Thea Harrison never disappoints. This spinoff from her Elder Races series brings the same talent and magic as all her previous book and introduces us to a wonderful new cast of characters.
If you love Thea Harrison’s Elder Races series, you will squee with joy over these new characters. If you haven’t given Thea Harrison a try, there is no time like now to grab a copy. These are new characters with no cross-over to the Elder Races series but the same world-building. After you finish, you will kick yourself for waiting so long.
Thea takes us to Europe for this new series and the centuries old battle between the Light and Dark Courts. It appears that the Queen of the Light Court has a screw loose but the leader of her army is a powerful wizard by the name of Morgan and he enforces all her crazy orders to destroy the Dark Court passageways and leave their knights stranded here so he can hunt them down one by one. (We met Morgan very briefly in Pia Goes to Hollywood.)
Almost a century ago as the Light and Dark Court Knights battled, Morgan managed to collapse every crossover passage to the Dark Court kingdom in the otherland, trapping Nikolas Sevigny and his knights here with no way to get home. As the years passed, with no way to get reinforcements, Nikolas’s troops have dwindled down to only nine remaining, and they are currently all in hiding since their magic signature grows the longer they remain together making them an easy target for Morgan and his werewolves. But after all this time, Nikolas might have just found them a safe haven with Sophie Ross.
Sophie has been offered an opportunity of a lifetime to go to the U.K. and claim an English Estate. On the Boarder of England and Wales, there is an estate which was built on a collapsed crossover passage, and if she can get into the Old Weston Manor house, she will inherit the estate, the land, and a trust to take care of the Estate and still give her a livable income. The only catch is she has to get into the house. A feat which no one has been able to accomplish in almost a century.
The house fluctuates between this dimension and the otherland and although you can touch it, it is never entirely in one dimension. Sophie believes that her mixed blood, part human and part other(?), will allow her to get in. When she literally runs into Nik and he learns about Sophie’s interesting property, he plans to use her to give his men the first feeling of safety they have had in decades. Sophie is well aware of Nik’s plan, but the kindhearted person she is, she can’t turn away these men.
Sophie and Nik butt heads constantly in this story. Nik has become so used to not trusting anyone and fighting every day against the Light Court, he doesn’t know diplomacy any more. He makes decisions and gives orders and that doesn’t fly well with a woman like Sophie. She constantly stands up to his pushy ways. That’s what I loved most about her. Where most romances the heroine eventually gives the hero a pass on his domineering way considering it “just his way” or deciding he simply knows better, Sophie never relents in letting Nik know when he is being a pushy jerk. I am currently reading a story from another favorite author of mine and after meeting Sophie, I am getting pissed off that my new heroine keeps jumping every time the hero snaps his fingers. Ugh!
Anyone who reads my reviews knows that I love my wounded heroes and while in this story, it is not Nikolas, there is a small creature from the Dark Court named Robin who is called “the puck” (a type of shape-shifting lesser fae) who can control nature, and he was captured by the Light Court Queen and tortured for a long, long time. And it is Sophie’s kindness that rescued him and nursed him back to health. It is the first kindness he has experienced in such a long time and her fierce protection meant so much to him. His loyalty and love for her shows deeply in this story (<3 love him!). I am certain he will be back for more of this series.
Fans of paranormal/urban fantasy will delight in the new characters introduced in Moonshadow.
This is the first in a fantasy trilogy centered around a struggle between the Light and Dark Courts of the Elder Races world.
While it was a good read, I didn’t feel as invested in its characters/storyline as I have in other fantasies (such as Kate Daniels or Mercy Thompson). The two mains (Nikolaus & Sophie) fell too hard and too fast with a fair amount of sex thrown in throughout. And I was also a bit disappointed in the final battle scene of the book…I found it somewhat anti-climatic.
While I did have some issues with the book, many will find it completely satisfying.
The build up was really good but end was somewhat predictable, but overall it was an enjoyable read.
Wonderful balance of romance and action.
This is my first foray into the land of the Elder Races and I am hooked. Thea’s writing is engrossing, with characters that spark with life and a plot that hooks you in and takes you for fantastic ride. I’m off to buy the other books!