Of Shadow Born
PRAISE FOR
SHADOW’S FALL
“Dianne Sylvan is truly a remarkable storyteller. With the ability to bring her characters to life and make their hearts pound with action, readers will salivate for the next installment of the Shadow World series . . . Sylvan presents readers with yet another fantastically compelling story.”
—
Nocturne Romance Reads
“The third Shadow World urban fantasy is a great, exhilarating entry with several stunning twists, including a fabulous, shocking cliff-hanging climax. Fans will believe in the Sylvan mythos thriving in a modern technological world . . . Fast-paced with backstabbing and betrayal,
Shadow’s Fall
is superb.”
—
Alternative Worlds
“
Shadow’s Fall
is an exciting, well-executed third installment to Ms. Sylvan’s wonderful Shadow World, and I now wait impatiently for the fourth installment.”
—
Smexy Books
“It’s the true talent of a writer who can have her readers feeling the same things as her characters along with them, and Sylvan’s highly developed characters do just that.”
—
SF Site
PRAISE FOR
SHADOWFLAME
“I absolutely loved this book! . . . Fans of vampire books everywhere, I have found the next big thing, and it is the Shadow World series by Dianne Sylvan. The twists and turns that Sylvan placed in this book kept me flying through the pages . . . Queen Miranda is one of the strongest female characters I have come across, and hands down this series is going to be sensational! I cannot rave enough over this one.”
—
Fresh Fiction
“Dianne Sylvan’s writing is captivating. She creates a world that will suck you in from the get-go. Her writing style is fluid and unrelenting.
Shadowflame
follows the same near-flawless writing style that book one did . . . I enjoyed the suspense and Dianne Sylvan’s creative way of keeping readers on their toes.”
—
Nocturne Romance Reads
“If you thought
Queen of Shadows
was fantastic, you are going to be blown away by
Shadowflame
. . . Dianne really knows how to rip your heart out and get you feeling everything the characters are feeling as you read. Go out and buy it now; if you have not read
Queen of Shadows
yet, go out and buy that one, too, because you won’t want to miss them.”
—
Urban Fantasy Investigations
“
Shadowflame
succeeds the previous
Queen of Shadows
in so many ways, and you are left wondering if it is even possible to turn the pages fast enough. Dianne Sylvan has truly created a vampire world that I would want to be a part of for years to come . . . A phenomenal book from beginning to end.”
—
Mystifying Paranormal Reviews
“Dianne Sylvan is the queen of emotional storytelling . . . I loved it. Even the gritty, hard parts. Sylvan goes where other authors don’t dare. And I praise her for it.”
—
The Spinecracker
PRAISE FOR
QUEEN OF SHADOWS
“Sylvan’s powerful debut is packed with startling action, sensual romance, and delightfully nerdy vampires . . . [Her] compelling take on vampirism, her endearing characters, and a complex, unabashedly feminist plot will have readers hungry for a sequel.”
—
Publishers Weekly
(starred review)
“
Queen of Shadows
pulled me in . . . Dianne Sylvan’s rich, dark, sexy reimagined Austin is filled with people I want to visit again and again . . . Sylvan’s got voice, doesn’t miss a beat, and rocks it all the way to the last note. Sit down. Shut up. And enjoy the show. It’s intense, dark, sexy, with just the right touch of humor. Looking for a new addiction? Go no further.”
—Devon Monk, author of
Magic for a Price
“Grabbed me on the first page and didn’t let go. Miranda, the heroine, is vulnerable and gutsy, with magical abilities even she doesn’t suspect. Vampire David Solomon is as powerful and heroic as he is deliciously seductive. Dianne Sylvan has created an original take on vampires that I thoroughly enjoyed, and I’ll be looking for her next book with great anticipation. She’s a skilled and talented storyteller who definitively knows how to deliver one hell of a book!”
—Angela Knight,
New York Times
bestselling author of
Master of Darkness
“Dianne Sylvan is an incredibly talented writer. She draws the reader not only into the story but into the very marrow of someone who is starting to question their grip on reality.”
—
Sacramento Book Review
“My favorite book of 2010 so far . . . Moving, well written, suspenseful, and sensual, this is a novel you won’t want to miss.”
—
Fantasy Literature
“Miranda’s character is a treat as she moves from victim to self-possessed, capable heroine . . . The supporting characters are equally well developed, providing a sense of weight and history to this thoroughly entertaining take on paranormal romance.”
—
Monsters and Critics
“Plucked at my heartstrings in a smooth rhythm of fear, mistrust, and love . . . Watching the romance between Miranda and David develop was a treat. Watching Miranda become a true warrior woman was the icing on the cake.”
—
Bitten by Books
Ace Books by Dianne Sylvan
QUEEN OF SHADOWS
SHADOWFLAME
SHADOW’S FALL
OF SHADOW BORN
OF SHADOW BORN
DIANNE SYLVAN
THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP
Published by the Penguin Group
Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA
USA / Canada / UK / Ireland / Australia / New Zealand / India / South Africa / China
Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England
For more information about the Penguin Group, visit penguin.com.
OF SHADOW BORN
An Ace Book / published by arrangement with the author
Copyright © 2013 by Dianne Sylvan.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.
Ace Books are published by The Berkley Publishing Group.
ACE and the “A” design are trademarks of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
For information, address: The Berkley Publishing Group,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.
eBook ISBN: 978-1-101-62205-6
PUBLISHING HISTORY
Ace mass-market edition / April 2013
Cover art by Gene Mollica.
Cover design by Annette Fiore DeFex.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.
To Mom and Dad,
who gave me a home, love, and room in which to dream
Contents
PART ONE
On Dark Wings
One
“Brave new world, friends! Brave new world!”
Bill raised his glass to the entire bar, or at least the half-dozen vampires that were out tonight. This was the only place he’d found open, but tonight was a night for a party.
The bartender looked nervous at his toast. “Keep it down, Bill . . . Somebody might hear you.”
“Screw ’em,” Bill replied with a laugh. “We’re free, man. No more rules, no more looking over your shoulder.” He turned back to the bar, but nobody was making eye contact; in fact, they looked scared. “Oh, come on—eighteen years we’ve been too afraid to piss in this territory without permission. Now it’s back to the good old days—the Auren days. Remember when we could eat whoever we wanted and live like real vampires, not some pussy-whipped hippies?”
He looked over at the guy two stools down. “How about you, friend? Have a drink with me to celebrate.”
Eyes a strange shade of lavender fixed on his. “Why not?”
Bill motioned to the bartender, who let out an exasperated breath and poured out two shots. The other vampire, a slender, sort of girly-looking fellow with pierced eyebrows and a black leather coat buttoned up to his neck, clinked glasses with him, then knocked back the shot smoothly.
“Are you a native of this territory?” the pale-eyed vampire asked over the rim of his shot glass. He looked at Bill as if he were studying him in a zoo, and if Bill hadn’t already had most of a bottle, he might have been uneasy.
“Ninety-eight years,” Bill said. “Long enough to have seen Primes come and go and know we’re better off without this one.”
“And what about the next one?” he asked. “What if he’s as bad as Solomon?”
Bill laughed again. “Nobody’s as bad as Solomon. Bastard was tracking all of us like criminals, making us live like slaves.”
“Oh? I heard that the population here nearly doubled in his tenure—why would that happen if everyone was so miserable?”