My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
GENRE: Paranormal
THEME: Romance, Immortal, Witches
RECEIVED: Author
AUTHORS BLOG: Sherry Soules' Site
BLURB:
A devoted fashionata and practical New Yorker, Skylar Blackwell doesn’t believe in the supernatural—until she inherits Summerwind Mansion. . . .
When her uncle is brutally murdered, and the cops seem uninterested in following up the case, Skylar journeys to California to seek answers. Her search for clues is soon overshadowed by haunting nightmares of a young woman also murdered in the house.
Now the inhabitants of Summerwind are mysteriously dying, leaving no evidence as to how or why, and Skylar finds herself in a deadly race against time to expose the killer—before they strike again.
The problem is . . . whoever it is may not be human.
Armed with only wit and Pradas, Skylar begins questioning the servants, but the growing list of suspects includes the sexy and brooding caretaker, Dorian, a man desperately trying to forget his tragic past. And a major distraction for Skylar.
Determined to play detective—instead of the fashion police—and unravel the dark history of the mansion, Skylar is plunged into an otherworldly mystery that not even she can explain away. As the boundaries between reality and dreams blur, Skylar’s greatest challenge is to stay alive long enough to learn the truth.
When her uncle is brutally murdered, and the cops seem uninterested in following up the case, Skylar journeys to California to seek answers. Her search for clues is soon overshadowed by haunting nightmares of a young woman also murdered in the house.
Now the inhabitants of Summerwind are mysteriously dying, leaving no evidence as to how or why, and Skylar finds herself in a deadly race against time to expose the killer—before they strike again.
The problem is . . . whoever it is may not be human.
Armed with only wit and Pradas, Skylar begins questioning the servants, but the growing list of suspects includes the sexy and brooding caretaker, Dorian, a man desperately trying to forget his tragic past. And a major distraction for Skylar.
Determined to play detective—instead of the fashion police—and unravel the dark history of the mansion, Skylar is plunged into an otherworldly mystery that not even she can explain away. As the boundaries between reality and dreams blur, Skylar’s greatest challenge is to stay alive long enough to learn the truth.
REVIEW:
After finishing this book I felt it reminded me so much of one my old favorite shows my dad and I use to watch called Dark Shadows (And I don’t mean that horrible remake). The twisted plot lines, the creepy mysterious characters, the confusing secrets and the romance. Soule created a unique storyline that was not only spooky but also had me trying to figure out which characters were innocent in all the unusual deaths that occur. I would say this novel felt like going back in time to the classic mystery horror stories that give you the chills.
Immortal Eclipse follows Skylar a young fashion photographer that seems to have hit a snag when it comes to her career. She decides to head to California after the loss of her favorite uncle who left her his estate. But with his mysterious death comes more questionable occurrences once she arrives. The staff is unusual and she doesn’t feel welcomed. She will stop at nothing to find out what happened to her uncle, but at what cost?
Skylar is an interesting character; she is portrayed as a fashionista type girl, who loves Photography. I really felt bad for this girl in the beginning with the many losses in her life; Soule created this lonely sad character that needed a little happiness. I liked her determination to unfold the mystery behind her uncle’s death, as the story moves forward I try to put the pieces together along with her. I did find it a bit hard to connect to her, the answers were in front of her constantly and she just ignored them. Plus the whole fashion obsession was a little too over detailed in the story, it could have been left out. Even though that part frustrated me, I still liked the mystery of what the real reason for her being there was. Which once you read it you’ll find out. Her family has an interesting history as well as the family that once lived at the estate.
Dorian is the tall dark and handsome guy with lots of charm, secrets and mood swings. He of course was my favorite; I figured out his character pretty quickly and enjoyed watching him frustrate the heck out of Skylar. I however wished he would of opened up a little more because I feel that the plot would of moved a little quicker. Ever scene with Skylar and him were great, I loved the chemistry and the banter.
Overall I feel the best part of this story was the creepy vibes of the estate. The details Soule illustrated with the spooky noises, unusual staff and overall just how mysterious everything was is what made me enjoy the plot. The side characters and villains will definitely creep up on the readers, each have an importance to the plot and I loved how it unfolded. The whole back-story was well done and everything came together in the end nicely.
RECOMMENDATION:
This is an adult paranormal novel that you may need to leave the lights on when reading, as there are many scary bits that will sneak up on you. Fans of Dark Companion by Marta Acosta and Silence by Michele Sagara will enjoy Immortal Eclipse by Sherry Soule.
ReplyDeleteThank you for taking the time to read and review my novel. The review is fantastic and well written. I hope your followers are interested in reading my new book, too. :-D
Happy reading,
~Sherry
Hey! Check out My Books
Great review.
ReplyDeleteThis book was so good that I couldn't put it down. Love creepy and scary stories mixed with a bit of chick-lit. So yummy!