Phantom Shadows (Dianne Duvall)
Title: Phantom Shadows
Author: Dianne Duvall
Copyright: 2012 (Zebra); 390 pgs.
ISBN: 978-1-4201-1863-6
Series: Immortal Guardians #3
Genre: Paranormal Romance
**** Spoilers for 1st book ****
Summary: The third book in this series features Sebastien Newcombe, the Immortal Guardian who spent the last two hundred years believing he was a vampire. He raised an army to go against Roland Warbrook, another Immortal Guardian, and was defeated (Darkness Dawns).
Though he was defeated, Seth and David, the two oldest Immortal Guardians, decided to spare him and give him a chance to prove himself. Seth has seen Bastien’s thoughts and knows the circumstances that led to the younger immortal into thinking he was a vampire, and why Bastien killed an Immortal Guardian all those years ago. He is worth redeeming.
Regardless of the support of the two respected leaders, the other Immortal Guardians in North Carolina don’t like him. Bastien is certain none of the other immortals would mourn his loss, and several wouldn’t mind being the one to hasten his end. Bastien doesn’t care what they think, nor is he inclined to explain his past to the others. Even after two years among the Immortal Guardians, he doesn’t consider himself one of them.
There are only three things that Sebastien cares about among the Guardians and their network: the vampires who supported him and voluntarily agreed to be studied, in the hopes that the network’s doctors can find a cure to the madness that inflict humans who are turned; Ami, the mysterious young woman Seth and David rescued, who he befriended during his stay at Seth’s castle; and Dr. Melanie Lipton, a member of the network’s medical staff and the one who works directly with the vampires in their care, the one who’s desire to find a cure matches his own.
Dr. Lipton is one of the very few people who sees the good in Bastien, who believes in him. His ability to see and treat vampires as people, to care about their welfare, sets him apart from the others. This is a more telling hint of the person he truly is than the attitude he presents to the rest of the world. Despite his faults and the mess his life has been, Melanie can’t help falling in love with him.
Comments: I really enjoyed this book. I did love Bastien, though he was stubborn and didn’t make things easy. There is gradual acceptance of him among the Immortal Guardians, aided by Melanie’s determination to defend and support him.
I’m looking forward to see where a couple story lines go: Zach, what’s going on with Ami, whether or not Melanie is any closer to finding a cure, and what the next threat will be.
Start: 14 October 2012
Finished: 20 October 2012
Rating:
Loved It!
2012 Favorite
