Book Review: Shadows Rising
Shadows Rising. Amanda Berthault, EdenEcho Publishing, 5 July 2022, Paperback and eBook, 295 pages.
Reviewed by Lisa Lickel.
Shadow McKinley has never known love or acceptance for who he is. A touch feels like fire; meeting someone’s eyes is a struggle, and talking to strangers is physically painful. So how can he figure out how to handle love when it runs into him like a tidal wave?
Something strange and brutally frightening overwhelms Shadow, a heavy metal rock star. He’s returned to his career after a brief hiatus on the run and serving time for a past mistake. His fans have forgiven him, and now he must forgive himself. With the help of his best friends and bandmates, he works out his extreme fear of crowds to accept an invitation to perform with heavy metal stars from around the world at a concert in the Netherlands. The overwhelming part comes in when he’s paired with a stunning Dutch singer. Waves of emotion cause him to make an unusual gaffe during rehearsals. It takes Shadow’s friend Tommy to talk him down from his strange euphoria and help him navigate this strange landscape of not only accepting romantic love, but learning how to return it. Trouble is, the stunning Dutch singer Nica comes with more baggage than Shadow in the form of a lovely young daughter and a savage ex-husband out for more than revenge.
Once again, Berthault explores unusual relationships and the concept of family and the devastation of abuse, set across continents at concert venues, hotels, and the sanctity of home. Once Nica’s ex learns of her budding romance with Shadow and his daughter’s adoration of Shadow, he goes berserk and schemes to take back by any means what is his and remove any obstacle in his way. As Shadow’s bandmates surround him with encouragement, advice, and support, Shadow begins to enjoy his music and his life in a way he’d never imagined possible—all because of a special woman and her daughter.
The threat escalates with each move until mortal danger becomes a terrifying reality. Shadow takes control of his life by working out his fear and anger through physical fitness, worrying Nica further that he’ll put himself in harm’s way to protect her should her ex grow more violent. But Shadow needs to do something to channel his rage at the thought of the danger Nica is in and continues to build physical strength as well as self-esteem. As their relationship deepens, Shadow and Nica must learn to trust each other even during the worst moments of their lives.
This second installment of a planned trilogy is well-paced and page-turning. Berthault, a native Chicagoan with a passion for music, gives readers of contemporary romantic suspense and action a thought-provoking novel about self-acceptance, sacrifice, and the depth of passion. I have one wish: that the f-bombs be cut back and used as shockers rather than part of everyday speech.
Told through Shadow’s viewpoint, the story unfolds in crisp and honest real time as he begins to come to terms with his self-worth. Hopefully, Berthault will get her wish that Heavy Metal Fiction will become a shelf label.