Succubus Shadows by Richelle Mead
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Tags: succubus, urban-fantasy, romantic-angst, emotional-damage, character-development
ꣁThe Charactersꣂ
Roman. Seth.
I genuinely reached a point where I was so engrossed in the survival and emotional development of these characters that I forgot which love interest I was supposed to be rooting for.
And that’s a compliment.
This isn’t an overt love triangle where the author simply throws two men at the heroine and waits for readers to pick a favorite.
It’s a careful push and pull as we learn more about their histories, relationships, and emotional connections.
Our feelings develop alongside Georgina’s.
And suddenly I’m emotionally invested in EVERYONE.
ꣁThe World Buildingꣂ
By this point, the supernatural world feels familiar, but the larger mythology and the relationships within it continue to give the series room to develop.
I particularly enjoy that the fantasy elements and the personal stories aren’t competing with each other.
The supernatural world provides the setting, but the characters are what make me care about what happens inside it.
ꣁThe Writing Styleꣂ
This is where I really started appreciating Richelle Mead’s emotional writing.
There’s a difference between being told something sad happened and actually feeling sad alongside the character.
I love descriptions that communicate an emotion rather than simply announcing it.
Roman came home, carrying flowers. He took one look at me and offered a small bitter laugh that carried all the woe and resignation in the world. The bouquet sagged in his hands.
And then:
“You’re going to Seth.”
OH.
The emotional weight of that moment!
The writing manages to make these relationships feel tragic and complicated without needing to over-explain everything.
ꣁCece’s Verdictꣂ
This is where my investment in the characters really starts paying off.
I was no longer reading just for the supernatural mysteries or Georgina’s sarcastic commentary.
I was reading because I cared about these people.
And I was increasingly curious about where the story was going.
Previously: Succubus Heat (Georgina Kincaid #4) · Next up: Succubus Revealed (Georgina Kincaid #6) →
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