Shadow Flight

SHADOW FLIGHT is the fifth instalment in Christine Feehan’s contemporary, adult. SHADOW RIDERS erotic, paranormal romance series focusing on the Ferraro family. This is Taviano Ferraro and Nicoletta Gomez’ story line. SHADOW FLIGHT can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.

SOME BACKGROUND: The Shadow Rider male must find his mate –a woman who is capable of riding the shadows-or at the very least with the ability to bear children with the shadow-riding gene. Within the family, the Ferraro siblings are tasked with finding a mate, fated by DNA, who is capable of continuing the family line. People with the ability to ride the shadows are few and far between, and future generations are at risk if no mates are found with the shadow-riding gene. The Ferraro’s are also part of the Chicago Underworld-a crime family linked to both legal and criminal activity.

NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise, there may be some triggers for more sensitive readers. Nicoletta was first introduced to the readers in book one Shadow Rider.

Told from several third person perspectives including Tatiana and Nicoletta, and Ricco and Mariko (Shadow Reaper #2) SHADOW FLIGHT focuses on the building relationship between soon to be twenty-one year old Nicoletta Gomez and Taviano Ferraro. Years earlier, following the death of her parents, Nicoletta found herself in the custody of her step-uncles, who ritually raped and abused our heroine. At the age of eighteen, Nicoletta was rescued by the Ferraro family, and placed in the hands of a loving foster family, where she began to act out against the people in charge. Fast forward to present day wherein, a now almost twenty-one year old Nicoletta, once again, finds herself struggling to survive when her past, in the guise of Benito Valdez, the leader of the gang who call themselves the Demons, specializing in human sexual trafficking, sets a plan into motion to reclaim our heroine, as his personal $ex toy. What ensues is the quick building relationship and romance between Nicoletta and Taviano, and the potential fall-out as the Demons come searching for Nicoletta Gomez, and Taviano’s actions and claiming of Nicoletta are called into question by the family leadership.

Taviano Ferrera has known Nicoletta Gomez to be his mate from the moment of her rescue by the Ferraro family, three years earlier. With their shadows entwined, and continually tightening with each encounter, Taviano knew it was only a matter of time before he claimed Nicoletta as his own but trying to outrun Benito’s men found Taviano pulling Nicoletta into the shadow world, a world she knew very little about, but had begun to experience a few times on her own. Using the shadows to travel causes immense pain and anguish for those not ready and untrained in the world, and for this reason, Taviano is called to task for exposing Nicoletta to potential harm, and revealing the truth about the world in which they lived.

Meanwhile, matriarch Eloisa Ferraro continues to cause problems for the Ferraro family with her ongoing hatred of her sons’ mates. The vitriol and anger directed at the females, who will produce the much needed heirs to the world of the shadows, is called into question as Eloisa struggles with her sons’ choices, and the loss of her power as the Queen of the Chicago Underworld. Secrets will be revealed that will affect everyone involved.

The relationship between Taviano and Nicoletta began as a rescue but Taviano quickly discovered that Nicoletta was a shadow rider when their shadows entwined. Refusing to claim his underage mate, Taviano watched from the sidelines as Nicoletta acted out, all the while, continuing to protect the woman with whom he would fall in love. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

If you are a fan of Christine Feehan, you will notice the many similarities between Taviano and Nicoletta, and Dimitri and Skylar (Dark/Carpathian). Both females had been raped and abused; the heroes bide their time before claiming their under-aged mates; and their treatment of their mate is gentle and loving.

Once again, there is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including all of the Ferraro siblings, their mates, their mother Eloisa Ferraro, numerous cousins from all over the world, as well as Nicoletta’s foster parents Lucia and Amo. The shear number of members of the Demons is overwhelming- naming every member about to face his death was unnecessary and time consuming.

I did have a couple of other issues including the authors need to reveal Taviano’s continuing relationship with other women knowing Nicoletta was his mate-apparently just knowing someone is your mate does not guarantee monogamy or faithfulness in the world of the Shadow Riders ;and Ricco and Mariko’s need to perform Shibari sexual rope play, on the roof of a diner, immediately before and after killing several members of the Demos gang-although the author explains the overwhelming sexual need and excitement over the kill, but on the roof of a dirty diner, in the middle of a killing field, is questionable on so many levels but I suspect added to the story for the titillation factor ;)

SHADOW FLIGHT is a story of family and blood, obsession and determination; retribution, murder and revenge. The slow building premise will captivate your attention; the characters are numerous, colorful and energetic; the romance is seductive and impassioned. If you are a fan of Christine Feehan, sit back and enjoy the world of the Shadow Rider.

Again, another fantastic addition to the shadow rider series.