SBWright reviewed Lady of the Shades by Darren Shan,Darren Shan
Review of 'Lady of the Shades' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
Lady of the Shades is Darren Shan’s return to writing for adults. Shan is more well known for his children's series Cirque Du Freak and Demonata, but has previously written The City trilogy for adults and mature teens.
Lady of the Shades is a standalone title and skirts the edges of a number of genres, making it an interesting and enjoyable piece with wide appeal.
The Times lauded it as “Utterly unputdownble”, an appellation or sentiment much overused in the marketing of books. It was, however, a very quick and enjoyable read for me.
Apart from the prologue, the novel is delivered in the first person. It’s a choice that I think works well if the author is trying to play on the possibility that the ghosts are just a figment of the protagonist’s imagination or an indicator of their state of mind.
I like stories that leave the reader …
Lady of the Shades is Darren Shan’s return to writing for adults. Shan is more well known for his children's series Cirque Du Freak and Demonata, but has previously written The City trilogy for adults and mature teens.
Lady of the Shades is a standalone title and skirts the edges of a number of genres, making it an interesting and enjoyable piece with wide appeal.
The Times lauded it as “Utterly unputdownble”, an appellation or sentiment much overused in the marketing of books. It was, however, a very quick and enjoyable read for me.
Apart from the prologue, the novel is delivered in the first person. It’s a choice that I think works well if the author is trying to play on the possibility that the ghosts are just a figment of the protagonist’s imagination or an indicator of their state of mind.
I like stories that leave the reader unsure of the reality of ghosts and Shan performs a great balancing act with between the mundane and paranormal elements, to keep the reader on edge and guessing right until the last chapter.
I thought I had the mystery figured out about three quarters of the way through the novel but Shan was practised enough to make me doubt myself and keep reading with a keen desire to know the ending.
The action is fast paced and brutal the mystery elements well constructed. Whether you are a fan of crime, mystery or ghost stories it will be a compelling read. On the strength of this work I am inclined to check out Darren’s other novels.
This book was provided by the publisher at no cost to myself.
