Queen of Shadows began as an intense read for me. It was dark and it had a rather traumatic event right at the start of the novel. I actually contemplated setting the book aside and looking for a lighter read. I’m glad I stuck with it because it quickly became a compelling read.Our heroine Miranda Grey is an empath spiraling on the brink of a mental breakdown. One of the few things that keep Miranda grounded is her music. She is known for the ability to elicit emotion from her audience. David Solomon is Austin Texas’ Prime, the head vampire of the area. When he meets Miranda at the grocery store, he is attracted by her abilities and plans to track her down. He finds her after her attack and brings her to Haven to recuperate. The main characters were likeable. Miranda starts off as a fragile, broken girl, tormented by nightmares. It’s easy to sympathize with her situation and the author handled her attack and the aftermath well. I liked watching Miranda learn to use her abilities and defend herself. The training sessions with David and later, Sophie were interesting.David’s character was unexpected. You don’t often see vampires that are techno-geeks and I loved his gadgets and his way with computers. David’s vampire abilities were awesome. I loved him in the battle scenes. I also loved how he took care of Miranda when he first brought her to Haven. I did feel that the story was a little predictable, and there were several niggling little things that were a tad inconsistent, but aside from that, I had difficulty putting the book down. I’m looking forward to reading the next book Shadowflame.
