For her, it’s her late grandma’s legacy. For him, the mother of all black arts spoils, granting one demon the power of a God. Immortality. When occult-magnet Ruby falls victim to Demon Lord Drayvex’s viperous allure, she loses a sentient dark relic to his light fingers and appetite for power. Like calls to like. But when Drayvex himself loses the relic to a traitor to the throne, Ruby coerces him … coerces him – the tyrant king with a soft spot for humanity – into helping her save her pokey old world village from becoming a ground zero of mass demonic carnage.
Both invested in reclaiming the relic, the one thing Ruby and Drayvex agree on is that it’s in the wrong hands. Co-existing in a precarious arrangement between predator and prey, to save the planet they both love for different reasons, they must become a formidable double-team in the face of an apocalyptic takeover. Now, the fate of both human and demon alike rests with a killer that walks between worlds, and a woman with a curse in her bloodline.
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(Actual rating: 4.5 stars)
Shadow-Stained is a unique take on the traditional paranormal romance!
Following Ruby as she meets the demon lord Drayvex, we watch from their alternating POV’s as they struggle with their odd relationship where none should exist. Ruby knows Drayvex is dangerous, and Drayvex knows he shouldn’t care at all for a human, but they keep being pulled back to each other no matter what.
The untraditional elements of this book kept me on my toes. I was never sure what was going to happen next and the ending had me dying for the next book to come out already!
Although Drayvex is a jerk and Ruby has no sense of self-preservation, I fell in love with both of their characters and I am so curious to see where the two of them end up.
I do have to add that there were a decent amount of errors that would jar me out of the story at times which is why I deducted half a star. If this was given another pass through by an editor it would be almost perfect!
But overall I did love this book and I’m genuinely looking forward to whatever Hobbs writes next!
Without spoilers, I must say I loved this book from page one.
Ruby and Drayvex are a delicious mixture of light and dark. If you like a dark and twisty villain you can’t help but love, Shadow Stained is for you. Hobb’s really delivered with this one and I am *patiently* waiting for the sequel.
I’m also a sucker for covers and this one attracted me attention immediately, with Ruby’s bright red hair and amulet!
An excellent dark fantasy story with well developed characters, great world building, and plenty of action. Who would know there were so many ways to kill a demon? or annoy one! Ruby is a stubborn and sassy human who manages to get under the Demon Lord Drayvex’s skin, and causes him all sort of problems. What more could you ask for in a demon riddled fantasy romp with a bit of romance thrown in. And it’s the first book in a series.
A thoroughly enjoyable read that is well written and slowly draws you in as the story unfolds. Thank goodness there is more to come!
I had heard so much about this book and I’m glad I finally got to read it! Ruby is an ordinary girl, but she owns a very special pendant which can offer demons unlimited power and immortality. Of course, she had no idea about that and doesn’t suspect a thing when she meets a random stranger in a bar. He’s in truth a demon, Lord Drayvex, ruler of a demon planet. His first goal is to steal the pendant and forget about the girl, but things get complicated and he slowly starts to grow feelings for her (not very normal for an evil demon!). I loved the descriptions of Drayvex planet, and I’m still thinking about those mountains made of translucent crystal, so beautiful! I’m looking forward to the next in the series, to see what happens with Ruby and Drayvex.
Shadow-Stained is the first book in the Stones of Power series and marks the phenomenal literary debut of new author, Rachel Hobbs. It’s a dark and engrossing fantasy that kept me engaged throughout the story. This is a well deserved 5-star novel for me.
Her style is fluid with an emphasis on show rather than tell (a skill I’m still struggling with), which is remarkable for a first-time author. Beautiful and vivid world-building, interesting and fresh mythology, plenty of mystery, and a healthy dose of sarcasm make for an engrossing read.
The characters she created despite being complete opposites have many layers and depths, and ultimately they meet in the shadows. Ruby is your run-of-the-mill city girl that, at first doesn’t stand out in any way. But when push comes to shove, she doesn’t cower in fear and she does her best to protect the ones she loves. But she’s only human, and sometimes her best is not enough.
Dreywax, on the other hand, is a demon-lord, the ruler of another planet who has no qualms laying waste to the human world if it suits his plan. There’s something about Ruby that he can’t shake that against all odds puts a dent into his evil persona.
Do not even for a moment imagine this is an instant love-story where the bad guy falls for the heroine and turns into a softie. No, the bad guy lies, deceives, and reluctantly saves the heroine after he puts her in mortal danger asking himself all along why he should bother.
For some reason, letting her die for his sins bothers him and he questions his own sanity when he feels the need to save her. Dreyvax remains a badass demon until the end and Ruby learns that deception is sometimes necessary to save herself.
“He was pure darkness, a devouring abyss. And her light would never reach the bottom.”
Ruby is stubborn but also incredibly human and prone to stupid mistakes. That doesn’t make her weak or simple, it makes her a believable character. Feeling empathy for the world-destroyer demon lord (that also saved her life multiple times, albeit she wouldn’t have been in danger if it hadn’t been for him) reminds us (and Dreyvax) that she’s human. The demon lord is impressed and annoyed with her kindness. Having been surrounded by evil for so long he doesn’t understand kindness and it fascinates him.
Read the full review here: https://www.summonfantasy.com/book-reviews/shadow-stained-by-rachell-hobbs-book-review