Unchained by Shayne Silvers – A Book Review

Posted January 13, 2020 by Booksandblurbs in Reviews, Urban Fantasy / 0 Comments

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Unchained

(Feathers and Fire – Book 1)

by Shayne Silvers
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Urban Fantasy
Available on Kindle and Kindle Unlimited

Down and Dirty

A spin off of the Nate Temple series, packed with action, mystery and some Biblical Lore. Free on Kindle Unlimited.

What is it about?

(Blurb from GoodReads)

Meet Callie Penrose. Is she Heaven’s Devil, or Hell’s Angel?

Callie is a middle-class, Midwest American girl. And a wizard in training. She works for Roland, a member of the Vatican Shepherds – an elite group of twelve warrior priests who travel the world smiting whatever offends them or their Good Lord.

One problem. Callie isn’t a huge fan of churches… Not even a minor fan, really.

She trains with Roland only to learn how to use those strange magical powers inside her. And because Roland had once saved her and her friend from monsters in a dark alley.

But when a Heavenly spear enters an auction in Kansas City, and Roland is gravely wounded, Callie finds herself forced to step up as an interim Shepherd, and her first night on the job puts her in a bidding war against the infamous Nate Temple – the billionaire wizard from St. Louis. And when demons, shifter bears, vampires, and Nephilim attack the auction for the spear, Nate and Callie are forced to join teams, and one-time foes become hesitant allies.

Callie must learn where she stands as a wizard. Will she hide behind a man, or light Kansas City afire with a name of her own? And will she finally come to appreciate God? Or will the demons and monsters in the shadows take her for themselves?

Because Callie soon learns she isn’t just a wizard, and it was never just about the spear. Monsters have evidently been hunting Callie her entire life, and now, they’ve finally found her…

Thoughts on Unchained

I adore finding an author I have never read with an extensive backlist! I saw this book in my recommendations, took a bite and found a new writer to fill my queue. The writing is smooth and the characters intriguing, and even though this novel features faces seen in other books, this one can be read without previous experience (like me!). I’m going back now to see Nate’s beginnings, if I can hold off on Callie’s story, that is.

Favorite Lines

Refusing to accept the truth does not change the truth. (15%)

Bad day? Juice box. Great day? Juice box. Sad? Juice box. Happy? Juice box. Bored? Juice box. My reward system wasn’t very complicated. (29%)

“It’s a tough journey, but each step — difficult or simple — gets you closer. You just have to start fucking walking, not looking around at others.” (43%)

Pros:

Smoothly written.
UF perfection.
The meta plot is obviously large.
Honestly, I’m not exactly sure who to trust here.
I knew that guy was up to no good.

Cons:

Callie is fascinating, but after 10 years of training, she seems a little…. too scared?

Perspective

First Person, Single POV

Ending Type

Episodic

Rating

R for violence

Romantic Dynamic

M/F

Character Age Range

28+

Final Verdict on Unchained

4 out of 5 Stars

This is fun, fast and perfectly magical. Great for fans of all kinds of Urban Fantasy. Free on KU!

If you enjoyed this review of Unchained, please consider checking out a few of my other articles.

Your Turn

What are you reading today? Have you read this book? How about other books by Shayne Silvers? Seems his backlist is HUGE! Leave a comment, I would love to chat!