Coming home from Afghanistan was supposed to be something great. That ended when I met tall, dark and handsome in a bar and wound up in a dumpster sporting a nice set of fangs and my life flipped on its head.Now I’m a messenger for Hermes Courier Service trying to make enough to support my ice cream habit while staying below vampire radar. When this newest job of mine goes disastrously awry, it … awry, it puts me on the hook to be indentured to a sorcerer for the next fifty years unless I can find a way to fix things.
What’s hidden can’t stay in the shadow’s forever and my life will never be the same.
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I’m ashamed to say it, but I judged a book by its cover and synopsis. Don’t worry, I’ve paid my penance because I missed out on reading another T.A. White masterpiece. Anyways, I finally told myself, after my like eighth re-read of Rules of Redemption and the publication of the 5th Aileen book, that I might as well read the series. And oh my gosh, I never will doubt T.A. White’s ability to create compelling and magical stories again. Literally so ashamed to have ever doubted her and I will never make the same mistake again.
Aileen Travers hits all the paranormal romance vibes: magical creatures, intriguing secrets, hot alpha men, and a snarky heroine. Literal perfection. Couple all of these with a compelling plot and complex characters creates a story that leaves you hooked and ready to devour. White introduces Aileen, our secret vampire heroine, in the middle of a run for Hermes Courier Service, an interesting paranormal messenger service. From there, the story begins rolling with murder, werewolves, vampires, and sorcerers. Aileen finds herself dangerously out of her own depth and is just beginning to discover how much she has to learn about the world she found herself thrust into.
Shadow’s Messenger begins Aileen’s story with a bang. The complexity of the vampire world and the connection between the other supernatural powers leaves readers desiring to know more. Honestly, White could spend an entire book describing the interplay between the different paranormal factions and I would eagerly read it. As always, her thought and details into her writing sets her stories apart. Her characters are relatable, more-than-life, but also flawed. What really sets Aileen apart is the interactions between White’s characters. White constructs secondary characters that are extremely dynamic and introduce new depths to her already complex story. Aileen’s vampire experience shares commonalities with other vampire tales: asleep during daylight hours, must drink blood, and made not born. However, the interwoven coven nature of White’s vampire takes a different approach to other vampire tales. Aileen’s struggle to remain outside of the vampire’s periphery adds to the uniqueness of White’s story. All in all, White spins a tale that resembles other vampire stories, but her intriguing plot, detailed worldbuilding, and well-thought out characters vaults Shadow’s Messenger into the category of greatness.
Writing this review was honestly hard because I simply want to tell you to READ THIS BOOK because it is so hard to put into words my adoration for Aileen and her story, but that doesn’t convince you to really put forth effort. Hopefully something of this review makes you pick up Shadow’s Messenger. While The Firebird Chronicles remains my favorite T.A. White series, Aileen Travers runs as a very close second. So if you are wanting paranormal romance that drags you into and refuses to let you go until you are caught up and waiting for more, dive into Shadow’s Messenger and get ready to be amazed. Just remember the cardinal rule: never doubt T.A. White.
This was pretty entertaining. It was slow to start as the story built, but once the action started I was enjoying it. There is no romance in this first book. I’m not sure if the whole series is that way or not. I will find out since I plan on reading the rest of the books.
It’s mainly following our heroine who is only a 2 year old vampire. She has little knowledge of her world and you get to see her learn bits and pieces as she investigates a recent rash of killings of humans, vampires and werewolves.
I like Aileen’s guts. She stood her ground no matter how much more powerful a being was she encountered. That’s a big part of what made this so entertaining. I’m off to read book 2.
As a courier, Aileen works on a very precise schedule to deliver the packages she’s entrusted with. Being late is not an option. When one particular item is undeliverable, she finds herself caught up in a world she has been trying to avoid, and learning things about herself along the way.
Aileen is a tough heroine but one that has no real working knowledge of the life she’s now embroiled in. However, she works pretty well off the cuff, even if it does occasionally get her into deeper water. She’s smart and savvy, capable of wriggling her way out of some of the most desperate of situations.
The world building here was not consuming as it’s still in today’s world with a hidden world beneath it. While the story begins a bit slow, it doesn’t take long before it gains speed and then there’s no slowing down. I was expecting a bit of romance and there was none to be found, but I enjoyed it all the same and look forward to reading more about Aileen and the motley cast of characters that she’s stumbled into.