Title: Extinguishing Shadows: A New Adult Paranormal Fantasy
Author: Heather Beal
Publisher: Black Rose Writing
ISBN: 978-1685132828
Pages: 312
Genre: Adult / Young Adult Paranormal / Fantasy
Reviewed by: Michaela Gordoni
Pacific Book Review
Mara grew up in a world shrouded in mystery and enchantment as a Viajante, a rare breed of immortals blessed with extraordinary abilities. With telepathy and other supernatural gifts at her disposal, she is definitely unique. However, beneath her extraordinary existence, Mara carries the weight of a tragic backstory that sets her apart from her fellow immortals. Viajantes and vampires have always been known to be natural enemies, but despite their inherent hostility, Mara repeatedly puts herself in danger by consorting with the enemy. She seeks information and doesn’t mind the risks involved to get it. But when a persistent, drop-dead gorgeous vampire (who happens to be somewhere over 300 years old) comes across her path, an intense plot starts to unravel. An ancient prophecy and malicious motives start to emerge from the shadows. Mara thought she knew the main details of her extraordinary past, but she discovers more surprises and eventually finds out that her life and the lives of those she loves are at risk.
Author Heather Beal writes well. Her strengths are in her plot-writing and character choices. She wisely strays away from the typical vampire tropes. Rather than making the story about a mortal girl who meets a vampire and ends up being submerged in their world, which is the basic premise of countless vampire fantasies, Heather Beal starts off with her own creative ideas. Unlike others, her story contains very little mortal involvement and no mortal protagonists whatsoever. This gives her book a strong feel of paranormal fantasy from the very start. Her idea to create a new class of immortals, Viajantes, is also very unique. It is a refreshing aspect when combined with familiar mythical creatures such as vampires, offering readers an appealing blend of the known and the unknown. Readers might also be interested to know that Extinguishing Shadows has some serious, but brief, content involving rape and some semi-explicit sex scenes.
Overall, Extinguishing Shadows is an interesting paranormal fantasy which does not follow the typical premise of a normal mortal’s life mixing with that of immortal creatures. From ancient prophecies to the mental bonding of two souls, Extinguishing Shadows is an interesting work of fiction which will likely appeal to those with an affinity for vampire stories and paranormal romance.
