Linnea Sinclair
Shades of Dark
Bantam
ISBN 10: 0553589652
ISBN 13: 978-0553589658
Science fiction
July 29, 2008
*If you’re reading this before Gabriel’s Ghost, stop, turn around and go get Gabriel’s Ghost first. Then come back and get this one. Seriously, folks.
Shades of Dark. In retrospect, after everything Sully and Chaz go through, it’s the perfect descriptor for the evolution their relationship endures. And it does endure. It’s been three months since they infiltrated the jukor-breeding lab on the Marker space station. Now it’s time to go after the big guns, the brains and monetary brawn behind it all and the mobile ship lab coasting across the universe, breeding even more jukors. The continued kidnapping of Takan females to use as breeding machines is quickly escalating a desperate situation towards open war.
Sully and Chaz are adamant as ever in their resolve to stop the bloodthirsty creatures from getting loose as well as annihilating those behind it. Their mission has never been in question. What is though is their relationship. Sully’s powers grow stronger everyday, yet do not become easier to bear. Chaz is his firm support, however he needs it, but when a new crew member comes aboard, another with powers like Sully’s, their love will undergo the ultimate test of wills and survival. No one ever said saving the universe was easy, but no one ever warned them it would demand – and take – so much of them personally either.
Deep, Dark Territory
Sully and Chaz are one of the most passionate couples – and this isn’t even a romance!
That’s right, I didn’t stutter. It’s science fiction, baby.
We learn a lot more about the two in terms of how they came to be a couple. I thought I was already as invested in their relationship as I could get. Wrong, I was so wrong in that regard. This may not be a romance, but a lot of other romance couples could learn a thing or two from Chaz and Sully.
The conflict between these two was HUGE! Again, Sully’s powers are a major contender for foremost villain. But it was stepped up quite a few notches in this sequel to Gabriel’s Ghost, where it seemed as though they’d at least come to an understanding, a compromise in terms of Sully’s powers effecting them as a couple. Wrong again – at least somewhat. Sully, despite a willing and wonderful partner, still feels very much alone as he struggles to control the darker instincts of his Kyi-Ragkiril nature. He’s not had the benefit of growing up learning and adapting to his skills and therefore perfecting them into something usable and at his whim rather than him at the power’s whim. It was heart wrenching at times to read, the uncertainty and self-doubt he goes through.
And here enters the third persona in what came to center stage like three world powers claiming to be in it together, but in fact all are scheming in some way to come out on top, or at the very least alive. One is relentless and will literally stop at nothing to claim their rightful prize. Another is caught in the middle, torn between right and wrong and ultimately driven to the breaking point. The last is a bit lost, the one forced to put on a good show, while secretly having to acknowledge that it was never a deal they should have tolerated.
That third that steps in, takes the scales that are trying to balance and throws them into the outer reaches of space is another Kyi-Ragkiril, one Cordell Delkavra, Captain Regarth – or Del, as he is preferably called. Like Thea and Ana over at The Book Smugglers, it is hard to talk too much about him without giving everything away. He is the core of it all, the igniter to not only Sully and Chaz’s relationship, but the main plot as well. At first, it’s very hard to ascertain his motives and I wanted to know them right away, very much. Something about him fascinated me from the get go, but also a thread of unease crept in and refused to go away. He definitely makes the book more interesting. It had lagged a bit in pace till he shows up. But when he does show up, hold on to whatever you can because he is the engine, the creator behind the roller coaster that engages the moment he steps into the picture.
Sully gains insight into his Kyi nature and finally begins to learn how to fully be who he was meant to be. Where it becomes painful and questionable though is, is it what’s right for him to be. And again, without giving too much away, all I can say is I was on that roller coaster; happy, sad, poignantly awed by love, crushed and gosh dang it all – that roller coaster got put on spin cycle at some point.
It was hard not to be moved by Chaz’s struggles with Sully and Del. She mentions at one point how she has to shove her emotions into these mental duro-hards, equating her efforts to make Sully happy to physical storage crates spacers use to ship goods in. She just shoves pieces of herself, pieces of her love for Sully, pieces of her doubts into these mental holding tanks and I think that’s how she survives what’s to come. In a lot of ways, Shades of Dark deeply explores, this time, Chaz’s inner longings too as she slowly comes to be looking in from the outside. This was indeed a very dark exploration of hers, Sully’s and Del’s strange, twisted relationship.
The Plot Thickens
A lot of what isn’t answered in Gabriel’s Ghost is of course dealt with here.
The subplot with Gregor comes to a head and it’s yet another step in Sully’s journey with his inner struggles. For the first time, we get to see how menacing he can really be as a result.
Ren isn’t as present in this one as he was previously. Honestly, Del steps in and overshadows the less mentally talented Ragkiril. However, Ren is as much the solid friend and mediator when he does appear. It’s too bad though that this talent of his can’t help to sooth the escalating problems between Sully and Chaz.
Dorsie tickled me with her fierce loyalty, which involved choice curse words that had me grinning. Even when she becomes mad at Sully at onepoint, I felt her loyalty and respect coming through. She’s another good one to have on your side, especially when she’s handling a knife back in that galley of hers all the time.
Marsh gets somewhat relegated to the background as well, but when his beliefs are put to the test with Sully, I was impressed with his ability to weight the situation fairly.
And then we have Admiral Phillip Guthrie, who will be getting his own book in the future. He joins the expedition to stop the jukor breeding and adds in just enough solid character development to heighten interest for his own story, but without detracting from the main plot. He happens to be in possession of some detailed Rakiril and Kyi Ragkiril information, so he becomes a valuable asset, as well as a solid friend, to Chaz. There were moments where I had to chuckle or sigh, when he and Chaz clearly show they’ve come to an understanding and forgiven where they ended up with each other. I mentioned this in comments for the previous book, but it’s worth saying again – Phillip’s sporting major whispers of hero duds and I can’t wait to see how he handles his own full length story. I think it’s great too because we’ll be getting the continuation of the war and the results and consequences of some of the happenings in this book. The train will not be stopping here, but will go on for another tour. Stay tuned for more from him in his book, titled Hope’s Folly (Feb.24, 2009).
The ending, or the last three or so chapters, just blew me away. In a lot of ways, even though that dread had begun to creep in long before, I was completely thrown off by the ending and how it was achieved. While loving every griping detail, at the same time I wanted to pound my fist into something. It was painful, so painful to read and took some major emotional upheaval to get through. I wanted to yell at Sully – a lot – and I wanted to go back often and hopefully see something different, something not as hard to deal with. Because it was hard. Very.
This book had me by the throat and more times than I could count, my heart leaped up there too to join in. I really needed time after finishing to come down from the cliff it put me on. A somewhat sad thing for me is I still feel like I’m on that cliff, hoping, heart pounding and dread escalating. But to me, this also speaks powerfully of how well the story engaged me. With Gabriel’s Ghost, I became so enamored of Chaz and Sully and their slightly awkward, painfully wonderful love story and in Shades, I’m so torn for them, literally aching at some points and in tears others. But there were also truly beautiful moments, flickers of romance and passion that could make any reader feel their connection. I was reserved by the ending and wished for a bit longer resolution, but not sad in the least for having read the book. I enjoyed it, I was moved by it and I feel as if I have read something realistic in terms of the situations, complications and the hopes, needs and longings of these characters. Ms. Sinclair definitely gives them their due in a powerful way and I came, ultimately, to respect how far she is willing to take her characters.
Rating: Four and a half scoops
Stay tuned to the author’s site for more info on the upcoming offshoots of this series. I sure will!
February 21, 2012
May 1, 2012
May 1, 2012
February 28, 2012
April 3, 2012
April 3, 2012
May 8, 2012
February 28,2012
May 1,2012
July 3,2012
Sounds fascinating, and I will DEFINITELY be giving these a shot.
I kind of had a crush on Del even though he is bit a perv, if you know what I mean. And I have a new found respect for Philip. As for Sully… sigh le sigh sigh.
Linnea continues to amaze me with her writing and wonderful characters.
“It was painful, so painful to read and took some major emotional upheaval to get through. I wanted to yell at Sully – a lot – and I wanted to go back often and hopefully see something different, something not as hard to deal with. Because it was hard. Very.”
YES Kmont. Exactly how I felt, still feel. It’s been more than a month and still, when I think about it, I feel the angst all over again. That is a powerful love story and the darker tone just speaks of how courageous Linnea Sinclair is for taking her characters that far.
Wonderful review, as always.
Katie-I did too! I was actually hoping at one point before it all got so heavy, that Del was going to fulfill that pervish nature, but in a GOOD way lol. In the end though, it all happened the way it needed to.
Ana-thank you! I’m relieved because I was wondering if the review was making any sense. Because it did instill such enormous emotional responses from me I worried I wouldn’t be able to write a coherent review.
Hils, GOOD! You must let me know what you think of it!
It has to be harder writing a review–and Ana, Thea, Jace, Katie and several others have dealt with this–before the book comes out. It’s the whole spoiler issue. It’s even harder as an author to answer a review that in spite of the required “sitting on of hands”, is so encouraging to me. I thank you muchly, again, for sharing your experience with Chaz and Sully.
I will let you in on this much and perhaps once Shades is out for a while, we can revisit and I can say more with s-p-o-i-l-e-r-s being an issue. But SHADES had a different ending initially. The final chapter was an epilogue 20 or so years hence. The few ending chapters were basically the same but the epilogue was a lot more uplifting.
Then my agent came to me with a two book contract, including one for Philip’s story, HOPE’S FOLLY.
That epilogue had to be deleted or FOLLY wouldn’t work.
Does that make sense?
So know that yes, Chaz and Sully do eventually have a VERY happy resolution But it had to be removed from SHADES in order for me to do the rest of the books.
SHADES is heavily based on karma. GG is based on growth–emotional, spiritual, ethical. As I said in my previous note, I always envisioned them in a much larger story arc. GG was the arising of the problem, the first admission of the “other” and the acceptance of Chaz and Sully of that. The next book was to tear that acceptance apart by strengthening the “other”—come to the dark side, Luke! ;-) It is absolute power corrupts absolutely. It is nature vs nuture.
Had there been a third C&S book, Del would have appeared in that.
Yeah, I really liked Del, for all his smarminess.
Have you all been seeing on the news about Middle Eastern honor killings? We have very divergent “ethical” concepts here on our own planet. It was fun to explore that with Del.
Who’s an historical romance expert here? What is the term that gives the noble or duke or whatever the right to deflower any virgin in his “domain?”
Sometimes right and wrong depend on what side of the border you’re standing on.
That’s why I really enjoyed Del.
But anyway, SHADES is all about karma. It’s all about the basic law of physics, that every action has an equal and opposite reaction–Newton’s 3rd Law of Motion. What you sow, you reap.
I think Sully could be a poster child for The Road To Hell is Paved with Good Intentions.
Q – have you seen the book video? It’s on my site. I’m interested in your reaction.
Philip is…so much fun in HOPE’S FOLLY.
Again, thanks, and I’m open to any questions and I’ll try not to get into spoiler territory. ;-)
~Linnea
SHADES OF DARK, the sequel to Gabriel’s Ghost, coming July 2008 from RITA award-winning author, Linnea Sinclair, and Bantam Books: http://www.linneasinclair.com
‘I love you beyond all measure, Chasidah.’ Sully’s voice in my mind was a husky whisper. The tightness in my chest began to abate. ‘But I am concerned when I no longer know who or what I’m asking you to love in return.’
Linnea, thanks for visiting again! Hope Phillip didn’t give you too much grief. *g*
I have written other ARC reviews before, but this one takes the cake on hard to do before the release date. And you know why-you wrote it lol! So not in a bad way at all. This book was so good and I just wanted to talk and talk and yack away!
I do love how you explain it the way it might have been. I did wonder about an epilogue though that I’m glad to be getting Phillip’s story too, very much so and can understand things coming out the way they did.
The quote you use for Sully is without a doubt the perfect one to tell at a glance who he is, or how he views himself.
It would be lovely if we could revisit this book after its release, so that we can all discuss it. The video looks good!
We should! I would LOVE to discuss Sully, Chaz and Del with some folks. Gab about books?! You are on!
I want this book so bad!! I have it preordered but it can’t get here fast enough!!