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lazylys's review against another edition
2.0
2.5
I admit I started reading this book without really knowing what it was about: it had a nice blurb and a nice cover and sometimes it's just enough to pick your interest up. And I found out a book that was something I didn't expect it to be.
Despite its name so close to Laini Taylor's ones, Daughters of Shadow and Blood has nothing in common with it. A mix of thriller and historical novel with a heavy dose of vampirism thrown in the midst of it, Mathew Saunders' book is an interesting and original one although, in the end, it didn't do the trick for me.
What I did like:
1. The overall idea and plot. It's original, fast paced and layered.
2. The setting. Well, Buda, that's it. The author did a good job to make me see and feel old Buda. Yasamin's story in Buda is the part of the book I enjoyed the most.
What I think it could have been better:
1. The structure of the story is very fragmentary. The book is a bit more than 300 pages and it has almost 80 chapters. Considering that the story follows different timelines and many different characters, jumping from one to another every three pages makes for a confused reading experience. And it makes almost impossible to get really involved with any of the characters and their misfortunes.
2. Despite being first and foremost a thriller, I felt there was very little mystery to it. A lot of action, yes, but not so much suspense.
3. Being very action packed, it left quite little space to characterizations. At the end I didn't feel like I knew the main characters at all. And while reading I couldn't connect with them either. I would have liked better to see what brought Yasamin to Iksander, what brought her away from even trying with her husband, what kind of relationship she and Selim had (no-one? Then that last warning makes even less sense). Anything, basically, to manage to see her as a person and not just a plot device. And the same it could be said for all the other characters in the novel.
Who could be interested in this book?
Despite my judgement I think this book can be a nice reading for those enjoying a fast reading, action packed book, while it could leave those enjoying a more characters driven plot less satisfied.
I received this book from NetGalley in change of an honest review.
I admit I started reading this book without really knowing what it was about: it had a nice blurb and a nice cover and sometimes it's just enough to pick your interest up. And I found out a book that was something I didn't expect it to be.
Despite its name so close to Laini Taylor's ones, Daughters of Shadow and Blood has nothing in common with it. A mix of thriller and historical novel with a heavy dose of vampirism thrown in the midst of it, Mathew Saunders' book is an interesting and original one although, in the end, it didn't do the trick for me.
What I did like:
1. The overall idea and plot. It's original, fast paced and layered.
2. The setting. Well, Buda, that's it. The author did a good job to make me see and feel old Buda. Yasamin's story in Buda is the part of the book I enjoyed the most.
What I think it could have been better:
1. The structure of the story is very fragmentary. The book is a bit more than 300 pages and it has almost 80 chapters. Considering that the story follows different timelines and many different characters, jumping from one to another every three pages makes for a confused reading experience. And it makes almost impossible to get really involved with any of the characters and their misfortunes.
2. Despite being first and foremost a thriller, I felt there was very little mystery to it. A lot of action, yes, but not so much suspense.
3. Being very action packed, it left quite little space to characterizations. At the end I didn't feel like I knew the main characters at all. And while reading I couldn't connect with them either. I would have liked better to see what brought Yasamin to Iksander, what brought her away from even trying with her husband, what kind of relationship she and Selim had (no-one? Then that last warning makes even less sense). Anything, basically, to manage to see her as a person and not just a plot device. And the same it could be said for all the other characters in the novel.
Who could be interested in this book?
Despite my judgement I think this book can be a nice reading for those enjoying a fast reading, action packed book, while it could leave those enjoying a more characters driven plot less satisfied.
I received this book from NetGalley in change of an honest review.
mandyist's review against another edition
5.0
Three years ago, I was in the most beautiful town on earth and not a day has gone by since that I haven't wanted to return. That place is Mostar in Bosnia & Herzegovina and together with Sarajevo holds a very special place in my heart. If I couldn't return to the place I love, I did the next best thing this week and read a book set there; it took me back to the streets I love and the places I know, to parts that are still in ruins and parts that have been lovingly restored. It felt like coming home.
Reading Daughters of Shadow & Blood, Book II: Elena by J. Matthew Saunders represented a return on a second level too. It is the sequel to Daughters of Shadow & Blood, Book I: Yasamin which I read and adored last year. I loved having the opportunity to dive back into Matthew’s prose again, to drown myself in his epic tale of power, betrayal, lust and pure evil in the Balkans.
In Daughters of Shadow & Blood, Book II: Elena, we return once again to Adam Mire and his determination to rid the world of evil. We meet Adam's former girlfriend Clara who has rushed to the Balkans to track Adam down and we also meet Elena, the second of Dracula's brides. This is a story about vampires and the ‘true’ story behind Dracula’s brides but more than that, this is a story about power and deception in one of the most troubled regions in the world. Through flashbacks, Elena takes us back to life in rural Kosovo at the end of the 17th century, to the stirrings of the Greater Serbia movement and the hope and fear generated by the advancing Hapsburg armies.
This is a book rich in folklore and religious imagery, with vivid references to the devastation of the Balkan region at the end of the 17th century and 300 years later when the area was torn apart by war. It was fascinating to walk down the streets of Sarajevo and Mostar again, to recognise Stari Most, the old bridge in Mostar which was destroyed at the time of the story but has since been rebuilt. I loved visiting Vijecnica again, which was almost completely destroyed in the Siege of Sarajevo and the beautiful Sacred Heart Cathedral which stood across the road from my hostel.
There are simply not enough accolades to deliver in order to judge the work of J. Matthew Saunders. If you love historical fiction and if, like me, you are fascinated with the history of the Balkans, then you will love his novels. I wasn’t sure whether he could surpass his work in Book I: Yasamin for I loved his depiction of the medieval Ottoman haremlik and the power struggles amongst the women, but he has certainly matched it with Daughters of Shadow & Blood, Book II: Elena
I give Daughters of Shadow & Blood, Book II: Elena by J. Matthew Saunders a superb five out of five stars and recommend to fans of supernatural and historical fiction alike. If you're a fan of one genre and haven't tried the other, then this series would be an excellent place to start. The book will especially appeal to you if, like me, you love the Balkans.
Reading Daughters of Shadow & Blood, Book II: Elena by J. Matthew Saunders represented a return on a second level too. It is the sequel to Daughters of Shadow & Blood, Book I: Yasamin which I read and adored last year. I loved having the opportunity to dive back into Matthew’s prose again, to drown myself in his epic tale of power, betrayal, lust and pure evil in the Balkans.
In Daughters of Shadow & Blood, Book II: Elena, we return once again to Adam Mire and his determination to rid the world of evil. We meet Adam's former girlfriend Clara who has rushed to the Balkans to track Adam down and we also meet Elena, the second of Dracula's brides. This is a story about vampires and the ‘true’ story behind Dracula’s brides but more than that, this is a story about power and deception in one of the most troubled regions in the world. Through flashbacks, Elena takes us back to life in rural Kosovo at the end of the 17th century, to the stirrings of the Greater Serbia movement and the hope and fear generated by the advancing Hapsburg armies.
This is a book rich in folklore and religious imagery, with vivid references to the devastation of the Balkan region at the end of the 17th century and 300 years later when the area was torn apart by war. It was fascinating to walk down the streets of Sarajevo and Mostar again, to recognise Stari Most, the old bridge in Mostar which was destroyed at the time of the story but has since been rebuilt. I loved visiting Vijecnica again, which was almost completely destroyed in the Siege of Sarajevo and the beautiful Sacred Heart Cathedral which stood across the road from my hostel.
There are simply not enough accolades to deliver in order to judge the work of J. Matthew Saunders. If you love historical fiction and if, like me, you are fascinated with the history of the Balkans, then you will love his novels. I wasn’t sure whether he could surpass his work in Book I: Yasamin for I loved his depiction of the medieval Ottoman haremlik and the power struggles amongst the women, but he has certainly matched it with Daughters of Shadow & Blood, Book II: Elena
I give Daughters of Shadow & Blood, Book II: Elena by J. Matthew Saunders a superb five out of five stars and recommend to fans of supernatural and historical fiction alike. If you're a fan of one genre and haven't tried the other, then this series would be an excellent place to start. The book will especially appeal to you if, like me, you love the Balkans.
mandyist's review against another edition
5.0
Throughout Europe's bloody and troubled past, there were rumours of nefarious and supernatural forces at play, forces that changed the course of history and brought power and riches to those foolish enough to side with darkness. From the Ottoman wars in medieval Wallachia, Transylvania and Buda to modern Budapest, Banja Luka and Berlin, J. Matthew Saunders’s Daughters of Shadow and Blood - Book 1: Yasamin takes us on a breakneck ride through a millennia of wars, pacts and atrocities and the legend of a creature that remained in the shadows yet influenced every step of the way.
Buda, Ottoman Hungary, 1599: Yasamin is a young orphan from Thessaloniki who is promised to Murad, the son of a powerful leader in the Ottoman Empire. She comes to live at the Haremlik in Buda where she is thrown into a life of politics, gossip and intrigue. There are several attempts on her life and Yasamin must learn who she can trust and who her true enemies are.
Berlin, Germany, 1999: Adam Mire is an American professor and historian. When his friend Mihai Iliescu leaves him some documents shortly before his mysterious death, Adam begins to follow the clues he discovers therein despite great danger to himself. At the heart of his investigations is the legendary medallion of Dracula and the clues lead from Budapest to Novi Sad, Banja Luka, Dubrovnik, Thessaloniki and finally Berlin where Adam catches up with the enigmatic Yasamin Ashrafi.
And so Yasamin and Adam engage in a terse tête-à-tête in which they each offer their stories in exchange for the other’s information. Adam tells of his hair-raising attempts to stay one ahead of assassins as he tracked down the medallion and Yasamin in turn tells her story of intrigue, betrayal and murder.
Daughters of Shadow and Blood - Book 1: Yasamin is a truly magnificent novel rich in colour, atmosphere and culture. I loved reading about life in the Haremlik, could almost feel the steam rising in the bathhouses and shared in the excitement of the Ottoman wedding rituals. Having travelled in the Balkans myself, I thoroughly enjoyed the journey down to Dubrovnik (although I’d have loved to spend more time in Novi Sad). Mostly, I enjoyed the supernatural element of the novel which I’ve only touched on lightly for fear of giving the story away.
I would highly recommend Daughters of Shadow and Blood - Book 1: Yasamin. The author J. Matthew Saunders expertly weaves a tale that combines elements of historical, supernatural and 20th century modern fiction. With the teenage protagonist, this book will delight young adult and mature audiences alike and I am certainly looking forward to the next books in the series.
I give Daughters of Shadow and Blood - Book 1: Yasamin by J. Matthew Saunders a superb five out of five stars and would highly recommend the book to fans of young adult, historical or supernatural fiction alike.
Buda, Ottoman Hungary, 1599: Yasamin is a young orphan from Thessaloniki who is promised to Murad, the son of a powerful leader in the Ottoman Empire. She comes to live at the Haremlik in Buda where she is thrown into a life of politics, gossip and intrigue. There are several attempts on her life and Yasamin must learn who she can trust and who her true enemies are.
Berlin, Germany, 1999: Adam Mire is an American professor and historian. When his friend Mihai Iliescu leaves him some documents shortly before his mysterious death, Adam begins to follow the clues he discovers therein despite great danger to himself. At the heart of his investigations is the legendary medallion of Dracula and the clues lead from Budapest to Novi Sad, Banja Luka, Dubrovnik, Thessaloniki and finally Berlin where Adam catches up with the enigmatic Yasamin Ashrafi.
And so Yasamin and Adam engage in a terse tête-à-tête in which they each offer their stories in exchange for the other’s information. Adam tells of his hair-raising attempts to stay one ahead of assassins as he tracked down the medallion and Yasamin in turn tells her story of intrigue, betrayal and murder.
Daughters of Shadow and Blood - Book 1: Yasamin is a truly magnificent novel rich in colour, atmosphere and culture. I loved reading about life in the Haremlik, could almost feel the steam rising in the bathhouses and shared in the excitement of the Ottoman wedding rituals. Having travelled in the Balkans myself, I thoroughly enjoyed the journey down to Dubrovnik (although I’d have loved to spend more time in Novi Sad). Mostly, I enjoyed the supernatural element of the novel which I’ve only touched on lightly for fear of giving the story away.
I would highly recommend Daughters of Shadow and Blood - Book 1: Yasamin. The author J. Matthew Saunders expertly weaves a tale that combines elements of historical, supernatural and 20th century modern fiction. With the teenage protagonist, this book will delight young adult and mature audiences alike and I am certainly looking forward to the next books in the series.
I give Daughters of Shadow and Blood - Book 1: Yasamin by J. Matthew Saunders a superb five out of five stars and would highly recommend the book to fans of young adult, historical or supernatural fiction alike.
marimoose's review against another edition
3.0
Full review can be found at Story and Somnomancy.
What I Loved
Introductory pacing. It didn’t take long for me to get into the story. Actually, the mention of Dracula’s medallion pretty much perked me up, and the fact that a great portion of the book took place in Ottoman Hungary piqued my interest.
A look at Dracula’s wives. This book, besides being a paranormal outlook of the 16th century, focuses on one of the three relatively unknown wives of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. There isn’t much to be gleaned off of the Stoker novel, but I found that Saunders did well to take a closer look at each of the wives in turn, assuming the next books will delve into the past of the other two wives.
Yasamin’s story. Honestly, I thought Yasamin’s story carried the entire book, and I would have loved more insight into her past and how she managed to survive four hundred years without getting killed off by the numerous groups that seem to be after her.
Historical richness. There was a lot of historical events that were interwoven into the conversation and the story. Because I’m a dork and I had this slight obsession over the time period of Vlad the Impaler, Janos Hunyadi, Matthias Corvinus, and the subsequent Ottoman conquests (and because I may have spent one NaNoWriMo writing a historical fantasy about these said people), it was cool to read someone else’s take on things around the time period.
Love/Hate Relationship
Mixing of cultures. Actually, this is probably more along the stuff I love. Yasamin’s POV largely hinges on Ottoman and Persian myths, with the constant mentions of djinn and occasional ghuls (which may have been mentioned only in passing, and never outwardly said). Adam’s POV focuses on the Eastern European myth of the vampire and the conspiracies revolving around secret European organizations. I liked that these became intertwined within the story. At some point, though, the interconnections kind of got confusing to follow, and I was a little disappointed that the “djinn” portion really didn’t amount to much in the end.
What I Didn’t Like
Too many POVs. For a book that’s around 330 pages, there were too many viewpoints added into the story. Honestly, I thought Adam and Yasamin were great as viewpoints, and I found their sharing of each other’s stories kind of likened itself to the Scheherazade tale. Only, in this case, it’s Adam who’s trying to keep himself alive by having to entertain the Byzantine-Ottoman vampire. Unfortunately, the POVs didn’t stop there, and the book included various one-off accounts as well as written accounts of Michael the Brave and a third viewpoint of “Evil Mystery Man”. There was too many, and I found myself not caring about the introduction of characters that ended up getting killed off the very next scene after they got introduced.
Disjointed narratives. This kind of goes along the same path as too many POVs. The chapters are short, and often frustratingly so, especially when right after a specific scene, the next chapter moves onto a different scene and not altogether related to the previous one. This drove me nuts, especially when all I wanted to do was continue Yasamin’s story, only to be thrown into a conversation between Adam and Yasamin, and then onto a letter from some dude that makes a mention of Yasamin, and then back to Adam’s action-oriented POV. It made no narrative sense to me, and by the time I got back to Yasamin, I was missing the point of what Adam was trying to make several chapters back.
Underwhelming ending. I’m assuming most of the mysteries are carried over to the next books, but is it too much to ask for a bunch of the conflict to get resolved in Book 1? Yasamin is no closer to getting what she wants, Adam is no closer to getting what he wants (minus the little revenge angle), and I’m pretty sure Mr. Evil Mystery Man is not even close to causing the havoc that he wants.
Deus ex machina. I feel like Adam gets saved by random characters that show up at the nick of time whenever he’s about to die. Then on top of that, he gets in one trouble after another. The guy can’t catch a break, he leaves a lot of death behind him (and it seems like the ONLY ones he felt sorry about are the girls he could have had romantic relationships with), and he barely carries his own weight as far as getting himself out of trouble goes. There’s a point where he gets saved by a “mysterious figure” that shows up in the nick of time, and I just. Could. Not. Deal.
What I Loved
Introductory pacing. It didn’t take long for me to get into the story. Actually, the mention of Dracula’s medallion pretty much perked me up, and the fact that a great portion of the book took place in Ottoman Hungary piqued my interest.
A look at Dracula’s wives. This book, besides being a paranormal outlook of the 16th century, focuses on one of the three relatively unknown wives of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. There isn’t much to be gleaned off of the Stoker novel, but I found that Saunders did well to take a closer look at each of the wives in turn, assuming the next books will delve into the past of the other two wives.
Yasamin’s story. Honestly, I thought Yasamin’s story carried the entire book, and I would have loved more insight into her past and how she managed to survive four hundred years without getting killed off by the numerous groups that seem to be after her.
Historical richness. There was a lot of historical events that were interwoven into the conversation and the story. Because I’m a dork and I had this slight obsession over the time period of Vlad the Impaler, Janos Hunyadi, Matthias Corvinus, and the subsequent Ottoman conquests (and because I may have spent one NaNoWriMo writing a historical fantasy about these said people), it was cool to read someone else’s take on things around the time period.
Love/Hate Relationship
Mixing of cultures. Actually, this is probably more along the stuff I love. Yasamin’s POV largely hinges on Ottoman and Persian myths, with the constant mentions of djinn and occasional ghuls (which may have been mentioned only in passing, and never outwardly said). Adam’s POV focuses on the Eastern European myth of the vampire and the conspiracies revolving around secret European organizations. I liked that these became intertwined within the story. At some point, though, the interconnections kind of got confusing to follow, and I was a little disappointed that the “djinn” portion really didn’t amount to much in the end.
What I Didn’t Like
Too many POVs. For a book that’s around 330 pages, there were too many viewpoints added into the story. Honestly, I thought Adam and Yasamin were great as viewpoints, and I found their sharing of each other’s stories kind of likened itself to the Scheherazade tale. Only, in this case, it’s Adam who’s trying to keep himself alive by having to entertain the Byzantine-Ottoman vampire. Unfortunately, the POVs didn’t stop there, and the book included various one-off accounts as well as written accounts of Michael the Brave and a third viewpoint of “Evil Mystery Man”. There was too many, and I found myself not caring about the introduction of characters that ended up getting killed off the very next scene after they got introduced.
Disjointed narratives. This kind of goes along the same path as too many POVs. The chapters are short, and often frustratingly so, especially when right after a specific scene, the next chapter moves onto a different scene and not altogether related to the previous one. This drove me nuts, especially when all I wanted to do was continue Yasamin’s story, only to be thrown into a conversation between Adam and Yasamin, and then onto a letter from some dude that makes a mention of Yasamin, and then back to Adam’s action-oriented POV. It made no narrative sense to me, and by the time I got back to Yasamin, I was missing the point of what Adam was trying to make several chapters back.
Underwhelming ending. I’m assuming most of the mysteries are carried over to the next books, but is it too much to ask for a bunch of the conflict to get resolved in Book 1? Yasamin is no closer to getting what she wants, Adam is no closer to getting what he wants (minus the little revenge angle), and I’m pretty sure Mr. Evil Mystery Man is not even close to causing the havoc that he wants.
Deus ex machina. I feel like Adam gets saved by random characters that show up at the nick of time whenever he’s about to die. Then on top of that, he gets in one trouble after another. The guy can’t catch a break, he leaves a lot of death behind him (and it seems like the ONLY ones he felt sorry about are the girls he could have had romantic relationships with), and he barely carries his own weight as far as getting himself out of trouble goes. There’s a point where he gets saved by a “mysterious figure” that shows up in the nick of time, and I just. Could. Not. Deal.
chigangrel's review against another edition
4.0
Big thanks to NetGalley and St George's Press for an advanced copy.
First off, I wanted to give this book 5 stars. I almost did, until I thought over the one issue I have with it and decided that meant taking away a star-- that problem being some rather confusing time jumps, which while clever, took some getting used to (meaning I really don't recommend reading this when tired or after a few drinks or especially both, cause I wound up having to re-read the same few pages several times when I tried that lol!). And, well, I have one other gripe with the book technically and that's that the ending is rather abrupt. I'm assuming it's the start of a series, which I'm looking forward to since I loved it, but at the same time that abruptness was pretty annoying.
On to the good stuff! I basically loved this book. It's like The Historian (which I loved) written by Steve Berry (whose books I am addicted to). Even with the many time jumps the story moves at a quick pace. Saunders is a capable writer and does well with atmosphere and action, making the reader want to keep reading to find out what happens next. The answers to the readers questions are answered slowly as the story unfolds, and the withholding of them never gets unbearable (until the end when it just, you know, ends -_-). Though his characters can sometimes be confused with their similar voices, some of them shine, Yasamin in particular. I don't want to give too much away but Saunders did well in differentiating her voice then and her voice now, which I think really helped in making her story more emotionally evocative. You can't help but feel some attachment to her, and her parts of the book are easily the best. I would have happily read an entire book just about her and her journey (which is heart-breaking and fascinating).
Speaking of Yasamin, I suppose I should talk about the actual main character. Dr. Adam Mire is at varying times bland, Gary Stu, and annoying. He never felt like a real person, and normally that would annoy me. I almost took away another star just because of him actually, but in the end I decided that his limitations as a character weren't that terrible because he was more just a courier of stories and chase scenes and brawls. He could have been anyone.
I am very much looking forward to future sequels, I just hope Dr. Mire isn't at their focus. I'd also like to read more of Yasamin's story because there is still a lot of mystery there, but I'm pretty sure future stories will be about different women (and you'll understand what I mean by that once you read the story). All in all in a good read!
First off, I wanted to give this book 5 stars. I almost did, until I thought over the one issue I have with it and decided that meant taking away a star-- that problem being some rather confusing time jumps, which while clever, took some getting used to (meaning I really don't recommend reading this when tired or after a few drinks or especially both, cause I wound up having to re-read the same few pages several times when I tried that lol!). And, well, I have one other gripe with the book technically and that's that the ending is rather abrupt. I'm assuming it's the start of a series, which I'm looking forward to since I loved it, but at the same time that abruptness was pretty annoying.
On to the good stuff! I basically loved this book. It's like The Historian (which I loved) written by Steve Berry (whose books I am addicted to). Even with the many time jumps the story moves at a quick pace. Saunders is a capable writer and does well with atmosphere and action, making the reader want to keep reading to find out what happens next. The answers to the readers questions are answered slowly as the story unfolds, and the withholding of them never gets unbearable (until the end when it just, you know, ends -_-). Though his characters can sometimes be confused with their similar voices, some of them shine, Yasamin in particular. I don't want to give too much away but Saunders did well in differentiating her voice then and her voice now, which I think really helped in making her story more emotionally evocative. You can't help but feel some attachment to her, and her parts of the book are easily the best. I would have happily read an entire book just about her and her journey (which is heart-breaking and fascinating).
Speaking of Yasamin, I suppose I should talk about the actual main character. Dr. Adam Mire is at varying times bland, Gary Stu, and annoying. He never felt like a real person, and normally that would annoy me. I almost took away another star just because of him actually, but in the end I decided that his limitations as a character weren't that terrible because he was more just a courier of stories and chase scenes and brawls. He could have been anyone.
I am very much looking forward to future sequels, I just hope Dr. Mire isn't at their focus. I'd also like to read more of Yasamin's story because there is still a lot of mystery there, but I'm pretty sure future stories will be about different women (and you'll understand what I mean by that once you read the story). All in all in a good read!
jenniferntremblay's review against another edition
4.0
I received an ARC copy of Daughters of Shadow & Blood – Book 1: Yasamin from NetGalley and St. George’s Press for an honest review.
I've always been fascinated by vampires. Even when I was a child many of my favourite stories and TV shows involved vampires in some form (Tales from the Crypt Keeper anyone?). So I always find it exciting to read something that has its own twist on the vampire myth. If it is not following the main road and instead it is taking the quieter, less used back road it is always a refreshing change.
Daughters of Shadow and Blood takes place in Eastern Europe spanning over four centuries and contains history, mystery and vampires. So, why wouldn't I be excited about this novel?
I was immediately drawn in by all of the characters that J. Matthew Saunders has given us. Two of our main characters are Yasamin and Dr. Adam Mire (I know, I know, of course Yasamin is a main character, she’s in the title). For most of the novel, I felt like Yasamin and Adam were playing a game of chess. As Adam reveals a part of his journey to Yasamin, and as he questions her he either amuses or angers her. When he finishes one part of his story, they switch and suddenly Yasamin is telling a tale and revealing a bit more of her past. This goes on throughout the novel. Constantly back and forth, revealing a little more about Yasamin’s history to Adam as Adam reveals what he has pieced together and what his last few days have been like.
Did I mention Vlad the Impaler is in this novel? I love J. Matthew Saunders’s take on Dracula!
Now, I honestly wanted to skip past most of what was happening in 1999, and I am thinking that this is probably because of my love of history. I found I only wanted to read the book passages from Adam’s story and Yasamin’s story (For the record I didn't actually skip anything). I did feel as though the story went back and forth a little too much, and I think if it hadn't gone back and forth so often then maybe I wouldn't have wanted to skip past certain passages.
I also felt that sometimes the conversations felt forced and didn't feel genuine.
Despite those two last things, Daughters of Shadow & Blood – Book 1: Yasamin was an entertaining read and an excellent vampire novel!
If you like history and vampires, Daughters of Shadow & Blood is a novel for you.
I've always been fascinated by vampires. Even when I was a child many of my favourite stories and TV shows involved vampires in some form (Tales from the Crypt Keeper anyone?). So I always find it exciting to read something that has its own twist on the vampire myth. If it is not following the main road and instead it is taking the quieter, less used back road it is always a refreshing change.
Daughters of Shadow and Blood takes place in Eastern Europe spanning over four centuries and contains history, mystery and vampires. So, why wouldn't I be excited about this novel?
I was immediately drawn in by all of the characters that J. Matthew Saunders has given us. Two of our main characters are Yasamin and Dr. Adam Mire (I know, I know, of course Yasamin is a main character, she’s in the title). For most of the novel, I felt like Yasamin and Adam were playing a game of chess. As Adam reveals a part of his journey to Yasamin, and as he questions her he either amuses or angers her. When he finishes one part of his story, they switch and suddenly Yasamin is telling a tale and revealing a bit more of her past. This goes on throughout the novel. Constantly back and forth, revealing a little more about Yasamin’s history to Adam as Adam reveals what he has pieced together and what his last few days have been like.
Did I mention Vlad the Impaler is in this novel? I love J. Matthew Saunders’s take on Dracula!
Now, I honestly wanted to skip past most of what was happening in 1999, and I am thinking that this is probably because of my love of history. I found I only wanted to read the book passages from Adam’s story and Yasamin’s story (For the record I didn't actually skip anything). I did feel as though the story went back and forth a little too much, and I think if it hadn't gone back and forth so often then maybe I wouldn't have wanted to skip past certain passages.
I also felt that sometimes the conversations felt forced and didn't feel genuine.
Despite those two last things, Daughters of Shadow & Blood – Book 1: Yasamin was an entertaining read and an excellent vampire novel!
If you like history and vampires, Daughters of Shadow & Blood is a novel for you.
guerrerok's review against another edition
5.0
I received a free copy of this book fromthe bublisher.
I love this series. This book was just as good as the first one, can't wait for the next book.
I love this series. This book was just as good as the first one, can't wait for the next book.
kdotsart's review against another edition
4.0
The only two criticisms I have of this book are that
1) there are a ton of characters, so many that it was sometimes hard to keep up with who is related to whom and what role they have/had in the story.
2) some of the conversations are pretty trite.
Other than that, the action is great. The politics are intricate, as one would expect in 1599 AD and 1999 AD when dealing with vampires. I really enjoyed the historical aspect of the book, especially the male/female roles in 1599. The interweaving of Dracula and Yasamin throughout the book in every major event in history is great.
This would be a good read for people who enjoy urban fantasy, vampire books with a good historical background, and thrillers.
1) there are a ton of characters, so many that it was sometimes hard to keep up with who is related to whom and what role they have/had in the story.
2) some of the conversations are pretty trite.
Other than that, the action is great. The politics are intricate, as one would expect in 1599 AD and 1999 AD when dealing with vampires. I really enjoyed the historical aspect of the book, especially the male/female roles in 1599. The interweaving of Dracula and Yasamin throughout the book in every major event in history is great.
This would be a good read for people who enjoy urban fantasy, vampire books with a good historical background, and thrillers.
jacattack13's review against another edition
3.0
Check out my blog where I review books at My Life as a Bookworm
Before I begin the review I have some backstory first. So I work at a museum and for the past 7 weeks or so I was helping out at a local after school program for middle schoolers. The topic was Vampires, Werewolves and Zombies. One of the other educators came up with this class to discuss about the biology behind those scary monsters. So instead of just a one hour class I had to stretch it out to make it last one hour for 7 weeks. So it's the 2nd to last week of the program and we are finally talking about Vampires. Now, I don't actually know a lot about the origins of them and haven't gotten around to reading Bram Stoker's Dracula. When that same educator gave me an article to read that describes why people thought vampires were real. You can read it HEREt! I highly recommend you reading it just because it's interesting and though you may not read THIS book that I am reviewing it might help explain some things from other vampire books that you have read. So the book that I am reviewing actually took in consideration history and real accounts and I just found that so neat that what I was reading was actually correlating to what I was doing at work.
On to the actual review:
The story follows Dr. Mire an American professor and Yasamin, a vampire and their stories of beginnings and present. It switches back between Dr. Mire and his travels and how he got to Yasamin which is the past and the present where Yasamin talks about how she became who she is and she is telling all of this to Dr. Mire. It's a little confusing now that I'm writing it out but it sorta makes sense...I guess.
The Good
The storytelling was interesting. It was unique to see how they both got to where the story starts off at. You travel back in time to see how Yasamin became a vampire and the decisions she had to make. While you travel back not so far in time to see Dr. Mire and how he got started on his journey.
The history of vampires and how historical fact was told throughout the book but kinda turned into fiction. I loved all the historical aspects of Vlad and Dracula and Fluckinger's account. See above for the article.
The Not So Good
There were a LOT of characters and it was sometimes a little confusing at times. There were bad people chasing Dr. Mire but there were a LOT of bad guys with names. I had some trouble keeping up with who was who.
The cliffhanger at the end left me wanting to read the next book but at the same time it was lacking in something. It wasn't so much a cliffhanger as it just ended abruptly.
The cover is lacking though that didn't really hurt the review I just love covers and this one was ok.
The characters were great but I wish we had more. More personality and more everything. I would have loved to read more about how Yasamin survived all those years and the turmoil that comes with being an immortal being. Maybe in the next book?
Before I begin the review I have some backstory first. So I work at a museum and for the past 7 weeks or so I was helping out at a local after school program for middle schoolers. The topic was Vampires, Werewolves and Zombies. One of the other educators came up with this class to discuss about the biology behind those scary monsters. So instead of just a one hour class I had to stretch it out to make it last one hour for 7 weeks. So it's the 2nd to last week of the program and we are finally talking about Vampires. Now, I don't actually know a lot about the origins of them and haven't gotten around to reading Bram Stoker's Dracula. When that same educator gave me an article to read that describes why people thought vampires were real. You can read it HEREt! I highly recommend you reading it just because it's interesting and though you may not read THIS book that I am reviewing it might help explain some things from other vampire books that you have read. So the book that I am reviewing actually took in consideration history and real accounts and I just found that so neat that what I was reading was actually correlating to what I was doing at work.
On to the actual review:
The story follows Dr. Mire an American professor and Yasamin, a vampire and their stories of beginnings and present. It switches back between Dr. Mire and his travels and how he got to Yasamin which is the past and the present where Yasamin talks about how she became who she is and she is telling all of this to Dr. Mire. It's a little confusing now that I'm writing it out but it sorta makes sense...I guess.
The Good
The storytelling was interesting. It was unique to see how they both got to where the story starts off at. You travel back in time to see how Yasamin became a vampire and the decisions she had to make. While you travel back not so far in time to see Dr. Mire and how he got started on his journey.
The history of vampires and how historical fact was told throughout the book but kinda turned into fiction. I loved all the historical aspects of Vlad and Dracula and Fluckinger's account. See above for the article.
The Not So Good
There were a LOT of characters and it was sometimes a little confusing at times. There were bad people chasing Dr. Mire but there were a LOT of bad guys with names. I had some trouble keeping up with who was who.
The cliffhanger at the end left me wanting to read the next book but at the same time it was lacking in something. It wasn't so much a cliffhanger as it just ended abruptly.
The cover is lacking though that didn't really hurt the review I just love covers and this one was ok.
The characters were great but I wish we had more. More personality and more everything. I would have loved to read more about how Yasamin survived all those years and the turmoil that comes with being an immortal being. Maybe in the next book?
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