Category: Young Adult/Teen Publisher: Strict Publishing International
ISBN-10: B005DS9Z2S
Type: Fiction
Pages: 198
Copyright: July 20 2011
“In The Shadows”, the first of The Shadows trilogy, is an urban fantasy of vampires and the supernatural, and much, much more. In the shadows you will find lust and passion, battles for power and for blood, and death and fear around every corner. In the shadows you are carried away to an unknown future. Your destiny awaits, and you are no longer who you thought you were. You have a thirst, for blood perhaps, but a thirst for very much more than that.
Giselle was a normal girl with an attitude common to most girls of her age. Her family might not have been perfect (whose is?) but she loved them, and her future looked bright. She had an awesome best friend and a steady boyfriend, but how could she possibly have been so wrong about someone she loved? And how could she have been prepared for the darkness and for what she was to become?
Giselle Bergman had always imagined how her life would play out: date the cutest guy at school, drool over each other at prom, attend college together and live happily ever after. Boy was she wrong.
From the moment she found out that Marc (the cutest guy at school), who she had dated for the past four years, had betrayed her in the worst way she knew, she plotted revenge. And with the help of her best friend and ally, Alex, she humiliated Marc in front of the whole faculty, at prom.
However, Giselle is a thinker and more to the point, she's broken hearted and flees from the gazing eyes of her peers, and does the only thing she can; she runs.
Entering Round Lake Park she succumbs to her feelings and breaks down, all the while unaware that she has an audience who are watching and waiting. She becomes very much aware of the stillness of the night and find herself frightened and alone, only to run into Alex, her savior.
Alex of course isn't who she thinks he is and reveals a little too much. Giselle thinks it's her mind playing tricks on her, but when she is faced with a life or death situation, she begins to realise that
Alex has plans for her and there is no way of escape. She makes a choice and that choice introduces her to a world that she had only ever read about in stories.
She awakens in Armenia, surrounded by odd looking strangers and has a desire for blood; her thirst burning her from within. Alex and his family introduce her to her newly found power, and immediately make plans for her to carry the child of their beloved Prince, Alexander.
Giselle can not comprehend what is real and unreal and second guesses every move she makes, however the experiences that she goes through, prove to her more than ever that the world she has been taken to really does exist and soon realises that she has to embrace her newly found lifestyle; there would never be any going back.
But secrets are revealed leaving her life in the balance. She seeks solace away from the mountains and finds her journey taking her back home, if only for a brief reconciliation with Marc.
All the while she lives with the newly found knowledge that her mother is terminally ill and fights
her own guilt for not being there to offer her own support. This guilt slowly gnaws away at her, leaving her on the brink of suicide.
But in the darkness, Shadows surround her, and bide their time, waiting for the perfect moment to take her, and when that time came, Giselle was unprepared. She was not ready for the nightmares that came with the shadow world, and she found herself becoming more depressed and willing death to take her.
Yet, she finds herself free again, back in the mountains of the Utmish Ato-tem, in Armenia, and back in the world that Alex first took her. Unfortunately for her, Alex and his mother Atarah have different plans for the future child and Giselle finds herself on the run from both Alex and Atarah
and the Shadow World.
She finds refuge with unlikely allies and soon finds herself falling in love again, and with the help
of one unsuspecting admirer, they both go on the run, ready to escape the darkness that is willing
to stop at nothing to consume both her and her unborn child.
Excerpt
From the corner of my eye I could see a dark figure standing watching me.
The silhouette was covered by the low hanging branches of the trees and I could
barely make it out.
I froze.
Holding my breath, I looked around me, trying to get my bearings. I knew
I had to make a run for it, but the damn dress was so tight and even in bare
feet I probably would not be able to outrun whoever it was.
Fumbling around me in the darkness, my hand found a lump of wood. I
grabbed a good tight hold of it and got up on my feet.
I frantically tried to control my breathing.
Come on, Giselle, get it together!
I studied my opponent. I could not make out his face but he was
definitely male and he looked so much bigger than me, although the distance
between us was too much for me to be sure. That was when I made the worst
mistake of all: I ran like a scared little child. Hitting the overgrowth of the
trees with my bare arms, I could feel the sting from the cuts, and in error I
looked down to examine the damage, trying to catch my breath.
Big mistake.
He was right there in front of me. He stood like a tower over me. I
could not believe my eyes.
“Alex!” I yelled, flinging myself into his solid chest. His arms wrapped
around me, holding me tight.
Right then, in that moment, I felt completely safe.
“How did you know where to find me?” I cried into his chest, sniffling as
I looked up into his deep green eyes.
Brushing the hair from my chin, he smiled down at me.
His voice was smooth and calm. “Because, I always know where you
are.”
I did not see the need to question him, and instead I closed my eyes
tight and relaxed in the embrace, unable to let go. Alex always had a way of
calming me. In whatever situation, he would come and rescue me. He was what I
needed right now. I wanted to forget about the drama of Marc and Evie. I hated
them both. They had hurt me in a way I did not think was possible; well, not
possible from the guy who claimed to love me.
My heart broke.
“You know, I can take all your pain away.” Alex spoke softly.
“I don’t think even you can do that.”
“Giselle, I can safely say that I can change the course your life
takes.”
“Alex…”
He grabbed a hold of my hands and looked hard into my face.
“If you come willingly, then yes, all the pain and heartache will go.
And in its place you will have peace,” he sighed, looking down at his feet. “I
have waited so long for you. You do not know how many times I wanted to tell
you the truth, to come clean about who I am.”
“What...? What do you mean? Alex, this is all a bit too dramatic, even
for you.” I looked at his face. It was hard and serious.
From behind, I heard whispers and movement. I looked around and saw
three men I had never seen before. They wore black, and each had a mark
tattooed on his face.
“What’s going on, Alex?” There was panic in my voice.
“It is time, Master,” the tallest of the men said as his eyes blazed
red.
Alex smiled down at me. His eyes gleamed in the light of the moon.
“Please, Giselle, come quietly and it will be over quickly.”
“The moon, Master. It will enter the second phase and you will have
failed.”
I had to be dreaming. Jesus, I mean after all I had been through it was
possibly my mind playing tricks on me.
“Quiet!” Alex raised his voice. “Giselle, I have chosen you to be by my
side. It is you who will redeem my bloodline. But you must come willingly. I
cannot force you, but if you decide against me then I will have to destroy you.
We have only a few minutes until the moon changes and our window of opportunity
will have passed. Please, I implore you, oblige and you will feel no pain. I
do not want to harm you.”
“Oh my God, you’re all crazy,” I shouted.
Trying to back away from the edge of the trees, I made a run for it. It
seemed impossible, but Alex moved with stellar speed. I was seriously no match
for him, but I gave it my best shot. I hit him hard in the face. He did not
move, and in a blink of an eye he was behind me with his warm strong hands
around my waist, holding me close to him.
“Why are you doing this?”
“Because I must awaken you. Giselle, you do not have a choice.” His
breath was warm on my neck.
“I don’t understand,” I whimpered.
“Say yes, and all will be revealed. I promise you there will be no
pain.”
“But… I can’t. I don’t want to die.”
“You will not die. You will be reborn.”
“But... Alex, you’re scaring me.”
“Giselle, please. I am running out of time and it is you who must join
me.” His voice became harder.
I did not want to give in, but the power of his grip and the three men
who stood before me told me that I would lose whichever fate I chose.
“Okay... No, I don’t know… Okay,” I whispered, nodding my head in defeat
as tears streamed down my cheeks.
His breath was warm and velvety as he brushed his lips along my neck. He
gently kissed and caressed my throat with his tongue, and the sensation sent my
skin into overdrive. I was completely spellbound. I found it hard to
concentrate and, before long, I was lost in the warmth of his touch. Moving his
mouth over mine, I kissed him back. I never imagined his mouth would be so
electrifying. His breath was sweet and intoxicated every inch of my body.
His lips left my mouth and found their way down my neck. He opened his
mouth wide and bit down into my neck. At first, the pain of the bite burned,
but I soon found myself lost in its burning pleasure.
It was my first experience of ecstasy, and then it was nothing; just
complete blackness.
Professional Reviews
I love, love, love
"Julieanne Lynch's book "In The Shadows" is a must read for anyone who loves urban fantasy. Her writing style is fun and easy to get into character with and you instantly become one with the main character, Giselle. Julieanne writes so eloquently you can feel and picture everything Giselle is going through, with no question as to what role every character in the book plays. Giselle is a young woman, we all can relate to in many situations. Julieanne, paints a bigger picture in the plight of the teenage girl, it is not all just about vampires and the supernatural. She addresses much more and commands your attention with her words to which I happily clung to and sad when they ended. I cannot wait for book two and the many adventures yet to come for Giselle. I recommend this book to everyone!
Amazing New Vampire Read!!
I can not tell you how much I love this book. Julieanne writes an amazing world told by Giselle an 18 year old who gets thrown into a world she doesn't know or understand but if she hopes to survive she needs to learn quickly who she can trust.
Giselle is hurt by her boyfriend and turns to her best friend Alex but he is not what he seems and Giselle learns quickly that he can be mean and spiteful. Alex is a vampire and thinks Giselle would make the perfect wife and mother to his child so he forces her to leave with him and he turns her against her wishes.
Through everything thrown at Giselle she does find love with Leonid and a friend in Antoine. But just as she is staring to understand this new world of hers it gets flip upside down again on her with the death of Leonid who swore to protect her. With nothing left to do she flees with Antoine and her unborn baby to find safety from Alex.
Julieanne's writing flows perfectly and she describes the characters in detail. I feel like I know them and can not wait to see where they go in the next book. With a story line that is filled with twists, turns, and surprises it will have you turning your pages to see what happens next.
Amazing
Giselle's life forever changes when she discovers that her best friend, Alex, is not who he seems. Shocked by the revelations, Giselle has no time to come to terms with what she has just been told, she is immediately thrown in to Alex's world.
Separated from all those she loves and cares about, Giselle has no-one to turn to and no-one she can trust. Her old life is over and in its place is a life surrounded by lies, betrayals and darkness. Who can Giselle trust? Can she even trust herself?
Giselle is about to discover that sometimes it's the ones that you love the most, that cause the most heartbreak.
Wow, what an amazing novel. I was so swept up by the story that I couldn't tear my eyes away from it. I read into the early hours of the morning because I had to know what was going to happen next.
Within the first few chapters of In the Shadows, Giselle is thrown into a supernatural world. She has no-one to support her, no-one she can truly talk to, all she can do is take one step at a time, do what she believes is right and try to survive in her new surroundings. Giselle knows that everyone around her is telling her half-truths and she tries to cope as best she can.
There were so many times throughout In the Shadows, where Giselle was backed into a corner and had to make quick, life-changing decisions. She had so much to deal with, and I felt that throughout the novel, her inner-strength grew and grew and began to shine through.
I loved the way that Julieanne Lynch wrote Giselle's character. As a reader I really cared Giselle and what she went through; at times my heart just broke for her. Julieanne really gets to the heart of Giselle and her emotions, making Giselle a character that the reader can easily form a connection to.
One of the other characters that I really liked was Antoine. I don't know whether I completely trust him or not, but what I do know, is that I can't wait to read more about him. Antoine is mysterious and sarcastic, and I never knew what he was going to say or do next. The banter between Antoine and Giselle is brilliant.
I love it when a novel keeps me guessing and In the Shadows did just that. With twists, turns, shocks and surprises, I was eagerly turning the pages of my kindle, desperate for more. I can't wait to read the sequel.
In the Shadows is absolutely amazing.
5/5
*Recommended for mature readers, 15+, due to some adult content.
Britain 2099: people with disease and disabilities are not tolerated. When Travis is discovered to have epilepsy, he is put away in one of the feared institutions. Then he discovers his seizures are powerful enough to send him back in time, and that'
Britain 2099: people with disease and disabilities are not tolerated. When Travis is discovered to have epilepsy, he is put away in one of the feared institutions. Then he discovers his seizures are powerful enough to send him back in time, and that'
Selkie's lonely heart has finally found a home with Aidan. But sometimes destiny compels us to love, and sometimes it forbids us...suspenseful, romantic, and spellbinding.
