Title: Blood Before Sunrise
Series: Shaede Assassin #2
Author: Amanda Bonilla
Publisher: NAL/Signet Eclipse
Format: eBook
Published: July 3, 2012
ISBN #: 9780451237460 / 0451237463
Genre: Urban Fantasy
My Copy: review copy
“She needed a bargaining chip and this was it. Raif’s daughter’s life for hers. And he knew damn good and well I was right. Just like he’d assured me the night I’d killed Azriel, this was far from over. His daughter was alive, I knew it. And I was going to find her.”
For months Darian and her Shaede guardian Raif have searched for the Oracle who attempted to overthrow the Shaede Nation—and kill Darian in the bargain. But now that they’ve finally found the half-crazed Oracle, for their efforts they are granted a possibility too painful for Raif to imagine, and too enticing for Darian to ignore.
Darian is determined to reunite Raif and the daughter he thought was dead, but her mission quickly proves dangerous when her lover Tyler is almost killed. And when a brooding and mysterious Fae warrior offers his guidance—at an extraordinary price—Darian finds herself willing to risk everything. As her single-minded hunt turns into an obsession, and she and Tyler grow further apart, Darian finds herself caught between the man she loves like a brother, and the man whose love she can’t live without…
Shaedes of Gray made my top 5 fav books of 2011 list and as a result, I’ve been anxiously awaiting the release of Blood Before Sunrise ever since. In this installment, Bonilla continues to expand upon her Shaede Assassin universe which is an impressive feat in itself considering she already did this the first time around. Apparently, Amanda’s imagination and creativity knows no bounds because Darian is back in full force and the ride is wilder than ever. Aside from the extraordinary world building, this story is uplifting, heartbreaking, eye opening and just plain shocking. As for the ending… don’t even get me started!
The story picks up right where it left off and Darian finds herself in the eye of the storm. There are battles being waged all around her which means that there’s no lack of action but she does have to prioritize in which order to fight them. In Shaedes of Gray Darian’s world gets turned upside down when she learns that she’s not the last of her kind. In Blood Before Sunrise it happens all over again again except this time it’s Faerie that makes its presence known. I really enjoyed watching some of the lose ends left over from the first installment come into play and propel the story forward. It’s rare for me to love an author’s world as much as her characters but in this instance I find myself enamored by both.
Ooh Darian, where do I even begin? I understand that she’s just had the proverbial rug pulled out from under her but talk about frustrating. I just wanted to strangle her! Over and over again! Her decisions are questionable but if you take her past into consideration they then become understandable. As Amanda kindly pointed out to me: “This book is her hitting bottom”. The good thing about bottoming out is the fact that you can only go up from there and Darian does exactly that. She learns from her mistakes (the hard way), grows and then becomes a better person as a result. This is character development at its best.
Darian’s commitment to her friendship with Raif is admirable and her love for Tyler is limitless but when the two men in her life end up at odds all hell breaks lose. This is when a few of her “questionable decisions” really come into play. In my eyes, the right call was obvious from the get-go but Darian likes to do things the hard way. I personally think that she chose wrong but then again, I guess that’s how we learn, from our mistakes. I understand why the book ended the way that it did but that doesn’t mean that I have to like it!
Blood Before Sunrise delivers a one-of-a-kind story with as many highs as there are lows; in other words, it’ll rock your world!
  My Review |
  My Review |
  My Review |
 
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| Recommendation: | Perfect for readers who enjoy lovable characters, heart-stopping action and plots that just keep giving. |
| Like this, like that: | The Half-Light City series by M.J. Scott and the McKenzie Lewis series by Sandy Williams. |
Owner, designer and main blogger behind Rabid Reads. Avid book reader, snowboard bunny, video gamer and Supernatural fan. I love all things paranormal, werewolves especially. Oh, and I’m Canadian, eh!
Oh I love your review! It was the same for me, so heartbreaking, it’s rare for me to be like that when I read a book. I was also a little anxious for the second novel as I was afraid it was very different from the first one, but I was wrong and now I can’t wait the third. great review!
@Melliane Glad you had the chance to read it. It’s a good one, that’s for sure!
Great review, Carmel. I loved this book and the ending was such a punch in the gut. I need book three…. now.
@Jen at Red Hot Books That’s the thing about series. You wait and wait and wait. Then a new book comes out, you read it immediately and are stuck waiting some more! LOL
I need to read the first book still so I skimmed your review. But Shaedes of Grey is in your top 5 favorite of the year then I am super excited. Whats your other 4?
@Amber I @ Awesomesauce WHAT? You haven’t read these yet? Finally, payback for all the Firelight lectures you gave me! 😉
My other 2011 favs are Shadowfever by Karen Marie Moning, Blood Bound by Rachel Vincent, Darkness Unbound by Keri Arthur and The Shadow Reader by Sandy Williams.