Review: Shadow Reaper

Shadow Reaper by Christine Feehan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Finally the second book is out! I have been thinking of this series for a while after the first book caught my interest and hooked me in. The second book does not disappoint. Whilst it could be read as a standalone, my preference is to read this series in order.

This book features the brother, Ricco. He has a limited time before he needs to find his mate. Ricco suffered during his time training in Japan. It is horrific what happened to him and I'm stunned. What he did to survive and become the kind of guy he is now is pretty amazing. The fear he still lives with is a bit breath taking. So when a girl comes into his life, Mariko, he is obviously suspicious. Especially as he knows she is the girl he saved when he trained in Japan.

Mariko is my kind of girl. She is a lethal assassin with hair sticks. What more do we need? She does meet the stereotypical Asian dragon lady American males seem to fantasy about. I can not lie, her exotic name and physical description is part of her allure and attraction. Is she very Asian or Japanese? Not really. She's kind of white washed to me. Essentially a white girl with a Japanese name and "background". Still, I'm okay with it because she is an interesting character and one I admire. And I'm okay with faux Asian characters. It isn't meant with disrespect but with admiration.

What really sold this story to me are the characters. The pain and suffering Mariko and Ricco have gone through yet they are still honourable. They still are loyal. My heart does go out to Mariko though. What happened to her and her brother was a travesty and the set up for this book. It's interesting how two people can take an event and go in different directions. About half way through the book, I started to figure out the end game and it did not sit well with me. It was a train wreck I could see miles away and I couldn't stop it. With much trepidation, the climax blew up as I expected and it broke my heart. This ending and what happens to Mariko brought the story down a bit for me. It made me mad as the punches just kept coming for Ricco's family and the final hammer down upon Mariko is just soul crushing. I'm a sucker for bittersweet endings. And true to my Asian heritage, it is not a good story unless people die and ones that are least expected. This book sets the stage for the next one and I can't wait to see what Ms. Feehan does with the next brother to be hit by cupid's cruel arrow. This paranormal romance is recommended to readers who enjoy killer females with a painful past.

*provided by NetGalley