To read an interview with Amy Hale, please see the April issue of Uncaged Book Reviews.
Shadows of Jane
Amy Hale
Paranormal Romance/New Adult
Colt Henderson is a man who lives for the moment. His past has taught him that life is unpredictable and often disappointing. A confirmed bachelor, he believes that love only exists in fairy tales.
She’s lost, scared, and can’t remember a thing about her past or her identity. She senses all is not as it should be, but without her memory, how does she know what to fear and what to trust? Because of her status as a Jane Doe, she names herself Jane and works to put her life back together. In the process she learns that she possesses unique abilities that certain people will kill for.
Fate throws Colt and Jane together, but they both have a lot to learn about forgiveness and acceptance. Colt’s determination and Jane’s remarkable gifts will send them on a journey they never expected. To survive they will need each other, but sometimes facts are scarier than fiction, and the truth is better left unknown.
Excerpt
She ran. She ran as fast and as far as her legs would carry her. Stumbling through the trees, she squinted and wiped the rain from her eyes. Exhaustion had begun to overtake her limbs and she was unsure of how much farther she could go. She stopped, doubled over, and grasped her trembling knees for support. Her breath came in short, shallow gasps as she attempted to recover from the exertion. Her lungs burned and it felt like they would explode if she didn’t slow down. Despite her need for rest, her mind screamed at her to keep going. She needed to get away. She had to put as much distance as possible between herself and them.
The faint sounds of running footsteps from somewhere behind her spurred her into action once again. As she dashed through the dense forest, she frantically searched for somewhere to hide. There was no way she could continue to outrun them. Eventually she would be caught. Her only hope was to hide away and pray they passed her by. The idea of spending the night in the forest was terrifying, but she was even more frightened at the thought of them taking her back. She would never go back. Ever.
Her pace slowed as she noticed a large brush pile. She quietly worked her way past several fallen branches and peered into the mound of limbs and twigs. Hidden behind it was the mouth of what appeared to be a small cave. It didn’t look to be very spacious, but she hoped it would be enough that she could disappear from sight until the hunting party had moved on. With any luck, they’d never notice the modest cavern. To her dismay, luck hadn’t been on her side for years.
She pulled just enough of the pile out of the way that her slight frame could scamper back into the darkness, then she reached forward and did her best to pull the limbs back in place. Scooting further back into the cold, bleak cavity, she settled herself in between an icy dirt wall and a large rock. Her legs drawn to her chest, she pressed her cheek to her knees and closed her eyes. She was soaked to the bone and would probably end up with hypothermia. But if she was going to die, it would at least be her way, and not by the sadistic hands of those hunting her.
Uncaged Review: This is an original storyline, and it kept a pretty good pace. I have to say though, that I did not connect with the characters very well, especially in the first part of the book. I couldn’t picture them in my mind, I had only read brief tidbits of what they looked like – so it was hard to piece together. It’s hard to feel a connection to a book without that for me, so at times I struggled with that aspect.
With that said, the storyline is good and very engaging and keeps a good pace. Colt is a young man who has a commitment issue – mainly due to his own past, but when he runs into a girl that has no idea who she is, he is drawn to her and has problems staying away from her. When they begin to find out that she has some “gifts,” they try to unravel the mystery of who she is.
This is the first in a trilogy, so I’m sure we will get more information soon, but with Jane’s abilities and how they progress and grow in the book, I really have no idea what she is. It reminds me a bit of the TV show Heroes. When Jane is again kidnapped by people who have experimented on her, we get to see more of these gifts emerge.
I think this book wraps up its own arc well enough, and gets ready for book two – without leaving you on a major cliffhanger.
Reviewed by Cyrene
4 Stars
Shadows of Deception
Amy Hale
Paranormal Romance/New Adult
With the head of The Curators removed from power, a new leader has stepped in and relocated those imprisoned within its grasp. They will stop at nothing to get what they want, and they still want Jane and the power her gifts can bring them.
Jane and Colt’s next mission is to free the gifted, but this may be their toughest challenge yet. To win this war, they will put everything on the line. Even with the help of friends, what lies ahead will be difficult. Can Jane and Colt salvage their relationship while making personal sacrifices at the same time?
Uncaged Review: In the second book of this trilogy, Jane and Colt are working on rounding up more gifted people that escaped from The Curators at the end of book one. But their lives are still in danger, trying to stay ahead of the ones that are trying to find them. This book jumps into the fast mode much quicker than the last one and the story caught a hold of me much quicker.
Jane learns more about her gifts, and there is more danger, more betrayal and a lot more action. My one complaint in the book, is the lack of descriptions of the characters. I still am not getting the detail I’d like so I can picture them better, but I did grow a bit more attached to several characters, but still not so much with Colt. For some reason, he doesn’t click with me as much as the others. Toss a few head spinning surprises in at the ending, which actually is what pushed this book up a half a star, and you won’t be able to wait to get to book three. Reviewed by Cyrene
4 1/2 Stars
Shadows of Deliverance
Amy Hale
Paranormal Romance/New Adult
Their leader has been captured and they know not her fate nor how to help her.
In the final book of The Shadows Trilogy, Colt and his friends will face the unknown and battle the unseen. Willing to do whatever it takes to bring Jane and Elana home safely, the gifted and average alike will stop at nothing to see their mission through. Bringing down a horrific and abusive organization in the process will satisfy not only their longing for true freedom, but also their desire for revenge. However, one wrong move could cost them everything.
Jane is within the enemy camp and struggling to keep her sanity. She knows the difference between fiction and reality, but for how long?
The end is near, and the victor will either save the world, or leave it in pieces.
Uncaged Review: The ending to this trilogy is a good one. Jane has been captured by The Curators and is slowly losing her memories of Colt and all that she loves. Colt and the ragtag team of gifted will have to work fast to save her and Elana.
This book wraps up nicely, all questions are answered, the ending is satisfying, and the trip to get to the ending is a page-turner. The best thing about this trilogy? All three books are now out, so you can read without waiting – and you’ll want to. Reviewed by Cyrene
5 Stars
