Review – Taken at Dusk (Shadow Falls, Book 3) by C.C. Hunter (4/5 stars)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Paranormal
Length: 387 pages
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Release Date: April 10, 2012
ISBN-13: 978-0312624699
Stand Alone or Series: 3rd book in the Shadow Falls series
Source: Borrowed from Library
Rating: 4/5 stars
“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.”
This was the third book in the Shadow Falls series. There are 5 books in this series and all have been released. There is also a spin-off series called Shadow Falls: After Dark. I didn’t enjoy this book quite as much as the previous books but still found it to be a compelling read.
Kylie is still struggling to figure out what she is. Additionally she is dealing with another freaky ghost who keeps telling her that “Someone lives and someone dies”. I was happy that Kylie made some progress in discovering what she was and how her powers work.
I continue to enjoy most of the characters in this series. Each book has had a contained mystery as well as the overarching story; I really enjoy this format for urban fantasy/paranormal books. These books are well written, entertaining and make for a quick read.
My only disappointment for this book was that the love triangle between Lucas, Derek, and Kylie is still taking up a lot of page space. I was hoping this would be resolved and we could move on. I don’t really understand why so many YA paranormal books feel it’s necessary to put the heroine in these love triangle situations. Wouldn’t it be enough for the heroine to find one person to respect, relate to, and fall in love with? Is every teen out there dramatically torn between two great loves?
Overall I enjoyed this book and plan on continuing with the series. I like the characters and how all the different races interact (witches, shapeshifters, vampires, etc). I also really enjoyed watching Kylie finally learn more about her past and powers. I would recommend to those looking for a quick and fun YA paranormal read. Hopefully the next book doesn’t spend so much time dwelling on the love triangle aspect.
This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
– You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge
– Paranormal Reading Challenge
– YA Reading Challenge
