Reborn by C. C. Hunter - A Shadow Falls After Dark novel

Published: May 20th, 2014

Publisher: St Martin's Griffing

Pages: 400

Copy: Library

Summary: Goodreads

Return to the beloved world of Shadow Falls, a camp that teaches supernatural teens to harness their powers—and where a vampire named Della will discover who she’s meant to be.

For Della Tsang, Shadow Falls isn't just a camp: it's home. As a vampire who's never fit in with her human family, it's the one place she can truly be herself. But when a mysterious new guy arrives at camp, Della’s whole world is thrown into turmoil. Chase is a vampire with secrets, who knows more than he’s telling. But the more time she spends with him, the more she begins to trust this attractive stranger—and feel drawn to him. But romance is the last thing she wants—as she keeps telling Steve, the hunky shapeshifter who won’t stop trying to win her heart. And if Della isn't careful, he just might succeed.　 When a new case puts everyone she cares about in danger, Della’s determined to do everything she can to save them . . . even if it means teaming up with Steve and Chase, who leave her more confused than ever. With their lives on the line, will Della and her friends survive—with their hearts intact?


I have thoroughly enjoyed C C Hunter's  Shadow Falls series and was thrilled when I discovered that she was extending the series - or should I say series spin-off.  Now it's  the Shadow Falls: After Dark series.  This time around our main protagonist is Della, the vampire, and it was lovely to have the same characters I've grown to love seen from a different perspective.

As with previous book, this one was based around a ghostly mystery, but the focus shifts away from Holiday and Kylie as ghost whisperers and lands Della right in the middle of things.  But vampires aren't ghost whisperers, are they?

There are still lots of hot teen guys running around, often shirtless, and the romantic interludes with various characters are lovely.  Steve is crazy about Della and I loved the different ways he tried to capture her interest.  There are some very interesting family dynamics going on here as well, that made me think a bit, which I liked. Lots of supernatural fun and hi-jinx.

All in all a really enjoyable addition to the Shadow Falls series and I'm looking forward to reading another Della mystery - which appears to be 'Eternal' and is due out in the fall.  This makes me wonder if perhaps we might see a couple of books about Miranda and her dyslexic witchy powers.  I'd really like that.

Whispers at Moonrise by C. C. Hunter

Published: October 2nd 2012

Publisher: St Martin Griffin

Pages: 400

Copy: Library

Summary: Goodreads

Shadow Falls Camp is back in session with the most explosive installment yet. A shocking new threat will rock Shadow Falls—changing it forever and altering Kylie’s journey in ways she never imagined.

Even at a camp for supernatural teens, Kylie Galen has never been normal. Not only can she see ghosts, but she doesn’t seem to belong to any one species—she exhibits traits from them all. As Kylie struggles to unlock the secrets of her identity, she begins to worry that Lucas will never be able to accept her for what she is, and what she isn’t…a werewolf. With his pack standing in their way, Kylie finds herself turning more and more to Derek, the only person in her life who’s willing to accept the impossible.

As if life isn’t hard enough, she starts getting visits from the ghost of Holiday, her closest confidante. Trouble is, Holiday isn’t dead…not yet anyway. Now Kylie must race to save one of her own from an unseen danger before it’s too late—all while trying to stop her relationship with Lucas from slipping away forever. In a world of constant confusion, there’s only one thing Kylie knows for sure. Change is inevitable and all things must come to an end…maybe even her time at Shadow Falls.

The breathtaking fourth installment of the New York Times bestselling Shadow Falls series from author C. C. Hunter...Whispers at Moonrise

I just finished the first three books in this series a few weeks ago, read the review here, and I was delighted to be able to get a copy of this one so quickly.  I was not disappointed with Whispers at Moonrise at all.  It kept up the fast pace of the previous three books and was in fact even more amazing.    There was more tension, more romance, more mystery and way more confusion for poor Kylie.

My fervent hope is that one of the larger tv companies will pick up this series and make it into the next Vampire Diaries.  Let me explain - we have a bunch of good looking teens at at school camp.  Each one is a different type of paranormal and they are all expected to get along.  A main character who cannot seem to decide what type of paranormal she is - cue different one for each episode.  The main character is also a ghost whisperer - cue different ghost mystery for each episode.  Secondary characters who have crushes on each other left right and centre - cue different romance each episode.  A steaming triangle between main character, a werewolf and a fae - cue romantic angst each episode. And for a bit of humour each episode - have one of Miranda's witchy spells go wrong.  Then we have two positive influence adults who also have a romantic connection with major sparks - cue adult romance each episode.  Lastly, throw in the shadowy govenment agency that definitely seems to have their own agenda - cue creepy grey-suited guys in the background each episode. 

Sounds amazing doesn't it?  Please, please, please somebody out there see the potential in this series for tv, I really want to see it on the screen.  I'll take a movie if I can't have a series.

At the end of this exciting volume I find out that there is a fifth and final installment coming out in Spring 2013 called Chosen at Nightfall.

 Thank you Ms Hunter, I'm having fun with this series.

Shadow Falls series by C. C. Hunter

 

Don’t miss this spectacular new series that will steal your heart and haunt your dreams, Welcome to Shadow Falls camp, nestled deep in the woods of a town called Fallen…

One night Kylie Galen finds herself at the wrong party, with the wrong people, and it changes her life forever. Her mother ships her off to Shadow Falls—a camp for troubled teens, and within hours of arriving, it becomes painfully clear that her fellow campers aren’t just “troubled.” Here at Shadow Falls, vampires, werewolves, shapshifters, witches and fairies train side by side—learning to harness their powers, control their magic and live in the normal world.

Kylie’s never felt normal, but surely she doesn’t belong here with a bunch of paranormal freaks either. Or does she? They insist Kylie is one of them, and that she was brought here for a reason. As if life wasn’t complicated enough, enter Derek and Lucas. Derek’s a half-fae who’s determined to be her boyfriend, and Lucas is a smokin’ hot werewolf with whom Kylie shares a secret past. Both Derek and Lucas couldn’t be more different, but they both have a powerful hold on her heart.

Even though Kylie feels deeply uncertain about everything, one thing is becoming painfully clear—Shadow Falls is exactly where she belongs…

From the moment Kylie Galen arrived at Shadow Falls Camp, she’s had one burning question: What am I? Surrounded by vampires, werewolves, shape-shifters, fairies and witches, Kylie longs to figure out her own supernatural identity…and what her burgeoning powers mean. And now she’ll need them more than ever, because she’s being haunted by a new spirit who insists that someone Kylie knows—and loves—will die before the end of the summer. If only she only knew who she was supposed to save. And how…

But giving Kylie the most trouble is her aching heart. Gorgeous werewolf Lucas left camp with another girl, but he’s still visiting Kylie in her dreams. And Derek, a sexy half Fae who’s always been there for her when she needed him, is pushing to get more serious—and growing impatient, especially when Lucas returns. Kylie knows she needs to decide between the boys, and it’s tearing her up inside.

Yet romance will have to wait, because something from the dark side of the supernatural world is hiding in Shadow Falls. It’s about to threaten everything she holds dear…and bring her closer to her destiny.

Kylie Galen wants the truth so badly she can taste it. The truth about who her real family is, the truth about which boy she’s meant to be with—and the truth about what her emerging powers mean. But she’s about to discover that some secrets can change your life forever…and not always for the better

Just when she and Lucas are finally getting close, she learns that his pack has forbidden them from being together. Was it a mistake to pick him over Derek? And it’s not just romance troubling Kylie. An amnesia-stricken ghost is haunting her, delivering the frightful warning, someone lives and someone dies. As Kylie races to unravel the mystery and protect those she loves, she finally unlocks the truth about her supernatural identity, which is far different—and more astonishing—than she ever imagined.

Published March 2011; October 2011 and April 2011
Publisher: St Martin's Griffin
Copies: Library\
Summaries: Goodreads

REVIEW

Three days, three books and 1.161 pages.  I could not stop reading.  I had so much fun reading these three books,  I just couldn't stop.  You know when you get that buggy eyed feeling and you know you've read too much, but you only have another 98 pages to go and it's only 1.00 am ........  Yep, that was me. 

This was a series for me that worked in every way.  The setting was wonderful - a camp for supernaturals out in the wilderness, but not entirely secluded, with other camps nearby and a small town. Set in Texas so that the heat was almost oppressive, but that just made the cold from the ghosts even more noticeable.

The characters were superb.  Kylie, Derek, Lucas, Della, Miranda, Perry, Ellie, even bitchy Frederica all played their parts well. Kylie is a ? - well we don't find out what she is until the very end of the third book and I'm not tellin'!  Derek is part fae, Lucas is all werewolf, Della is a vampire, Miranda is a witch, Perry is a shapeshifter, Ellie is another vamp and Frederica another werewolf.  Can you just imagine the tensions with all these different supernatural creatures trying to play nice with each other.  Then there are Holiday and Burnett - they are the adults in the group and their relationship almost deserves a book of its own. As each book progresses we come to see more and more of what makes each character tick. The series is about friendship and acceptance, of being comfortable with yourself and with each other and learning to trust.

One of the things we know about Kylie is that she is a ghost whisperer (amongst other things we won't talk about) and each volume has a ghost mystery running through it that Kylie has to solve.  This is not something that the others can really help her with and she has to struggle with each mystery while trying to solve her own identity crisis.  Of course there are some nasty bad guys who are chasing after Kylie and there is a shadowy government agency that has some major skeletons in its closet, both of which add to the ghostly, creepy factor.

And then there is the love triangle.  I'm not always a fan of the triangle, but this one worked for me.  I was totally unable to decide whose team I was on until about halfway through the third book before that it was Derek, no Lucas, no Derek, no Lucas etc, etc. - I'm not usually so indecisive, but I just couldn't make up my mind.  Which team did I eventually land on - well it was team Derek, but I still don't know if I've made the right choice or not, because guess what, there is at least one more book in the series.  Yep, it's called Whispers at Moonrise and it came out early this October and I'm first on the waiting list for it at work. 

If you enjoy supernatural creatures, camp settings and ghostly mysteries, this series comes highly recommended.