Shadow Rider

April 25, 2016
Feehan (Dark Promises) inflicts an aggressively sexist hero on her hapless heroine in this poorly rendered contemporary paranormal series opener. Set in an utterly generic and implausible rendering of Chicago, the story centers on Francesca Capello, a woman fleeing her tragic past, and Stefano Ferraro, the scion of a wealthy family with a secret—they can travel through shadows. Stefano recognizes that Francesca is also a shadow rider and proceeds to take control of her life. Frequently using the excuse that his control is for her safety, Stefano steamrolls Francesca’s weak protests and at one point goes so far as to kidnap her from her apartment and force her to move into his penthouse. The plot’s attempts to justify Stefano’s actions are flimsy, reverting to cartoonish violence so repetitive that the characters comment on it themselves. Even readers interested in an extreme fantasy rendering of a domination/submission relationship are likely to struggle with the unrelenting misogyny thinly cloaked as chivalry. Agent: Steve Axelrod, Axelrod Agency.

Narrator Jim Frangione draws the listener into the world of the Shadow Rider in this new paranormal romance series. Stefano Ferraro was born into a family with the ability to ride shadows by manipulating light and darkness. He never thought he would find another person with the same ability until he encountered Francesca Cappello, who has a troubled past. Frangione keeps the pace moving, building the tension between Francesca and Stefano. Frangione creates a distinctive voice for each member of the extensive Ferraro family, adding to the listener's pleasure. Painting the Ferraros's world, Frangione has listeners on the edge of their seats as the tension escalates. S.B. � AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine