Keeper of Shadows

In 2038 London, the Clan has taken over, killing and enslaving humans and immortals. Born into this world, Psyche Tawton knows little of freedom, happiness and life’s simple pleasures - only endless work, fear, cruelty, and abuse under the vampires’ harsh rule. When a high-ranking master vampire attempts to feed on her, she resists, injures him and barely escapes with her life. Torolf, Viking, turned werewolf, rescues Psyche and they join forces with the rebellion. Psyche experiences life, discovering her true, powerful identity.

Although the characters are nicely developed with an entertaining mix of personalities, both the protagonist's and villain's choices and actions don’t seem to flow naturally from their characters. Rich description draws readers in, but awkward phrasing, editing issues, and verboseness make it a rambling, frustrating read at times. 

Readers may also have difficulty accepting that vampires successfully killed off most of the population, enslaving those remaining, so thoroughly. Instead of exploring the Clan’s background and biology, which apparently makes them a deadly, unbeatable adversary, the Clan’s political undermining is repeatedly discussed, without adding anything new or helpful. There’s no indication of how to kill them or legitimate attempts to discover it, particularly once Psyche’s significance is revealed. While the universe is original, the novel suffers from kitchen sink syndrome with a confusing mix of Norse and Egyptian mythology, dystopian fiction, paranormal romance, political intrigue, magic, and action/adventure that doesn’t gel. Nevertheless, readers may enjoy the action scenes, intriguing story and characters, along with the steamy romance.

Lacy Hill