Thanks to the author for gifting me an ARC from a giveaway!
I need this book injected straight into my veins so it stays with me always!
Picking up where “The Scarlet Veil” left off, “The Shadow Bride” follows Célie and Michal as they set aside their searing attraction to mend the veil and right the balance.
Célie Tremblay has a special place in my heart. While soft and more sensitive than Mahurin’s other characters, Célie is strong in her own right as she navigates life as a newly turned vampire and uses her abilities as a Shadow Bride to mend the veil. She faces many trials and tribulations in this book—including the loss of her sister and her former self—making the transformation she underwent as she discovers her own self-worth that much more powerful.
After Michal turns Célie, their relationship becomes strained. Célie has trouble coming to terms with her new existence and Michal grapples with the guilt he feels for cursing her to it. Their bond strengthens, however, after darker forces push them to work together. I loved watching both of them open up and give in to their feelings so they could become something more…something eternal. The tension and sheer intensity of their yearning is heart palpitating. The spicy scenes even more so! Their banter is also endlessly entertaining. Even when all hope seemed lost, they still managed to make light of it by playing games with each other. Célie and Michal’s chemistry in this book seriously had me kicking my feet and smiling!
Mahurin’s world-building, as always, is fantastic! I really enjoyed getting to explore the realm of the dead. Her depiction of it is eerie, yet peaceful. I felt wholly immersed as Célie ventured into Death’s domain and put her Shadow Bride abilities to the test.
This thrilling conclusion is everything I wanted it to be and more! I adore Mahurin’s characters and the family they formed.
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