Shadow Born by Jasmine Walt and Rebecca Hamilton is a solid urban fantasy that any fan of the genre should enjoy. It has all the hallmarks of the genre: a spunky heroine, lots of action, incredibly evil bad guys, a touch of sex and lots of supernatural creatures.
Chicago Police Detective Brooke Chandler, has a gift. She can see glimpses of the past when she touches things. She doesn’t know how or why she has such an ability, and she doesn’t tell people—they’d only think her mad. She knows about vampires and hunts them for a hobby, but is ignorant about the rest of the supernatural world. When she goes to Salem to investigate the death of her lover, she comes face to face with the supernatural underworld, a world she is ill prepared for.
It’s hard to fault this book, because it really is an excellent example of the genre. It moves at a fast pace, but not so fast that we can’t catch our breath, and the characters and world are well drawn and believable. The heroine has weaknesses which make her real—despite her supernatural ability—and there are some surprises in the plot. It’s also well written.
5 stars.