Shadow Fires

by Catherine Spangler

In the relentless heat of the wild Sauran desert, Jenna and Arion wage a battle of wills until they discover that the heart is mightier than any weapon-and that love will forge shadow and fire... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0505525259
• ISBN13: 9780505525253
• Release Date: January 2004
• Publisher: Love Spell
• Length: 326 Pages
• Weight: 0.36 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 4.2" x 6.7"

Customer Reviews

Catherine Spangler Fan!

Some authors write what's safe, Ms. Spangler elevates the bar with an innovative story! I enjoyed Shadow Fires. The Leors were incredibly unique. Jenna a well-drawn heroine. I wait (impatiently) for your next book.

A great addition to the series -

I have read all five books in this series and loved them all, but this one was truly a great read. Love, passion, sacrifice and faith were all there. Jenna was strong, and I disagree with the reader who said she took too long to accept the Leor lifestyle. Jenna and Arion were perfect and Spangler brought them together in just the right way spending just the right amount of time or their differences and on how they come to love each other. This is one of the best series I've read. It is better enjoyed in order, but any way you read these books will prove that Spangler is a great writer. I hope she continues with this series. I can't get enough of the characters and the plot lines.

The books keep getting better and better!

This is a story to reckon with. Jenna is a Shielder rescued from the Dark Galaxy who now lives on Shimera, a haven from annihilation from the Controllers. However, she is isolated from her own people by the visions she sees. So when the Leors demand a bride, or they will not provide passage (only the Leor have ships large enough for transporting a whole colony of people) for two recently discovered Shielder colonies, Jenna steps forward to marry the Leor, which she had seen in a vision. Arion is a Leor Comdar in firm control of all his emotions. The matter of taking a mate is only a necessity to propagate their species. He will not yield to anything, even his non-Leor mate. However, with the interference of Lani "the blue echo bird" and a meddlesome android, he discovers there could be more at stake than just begetting a child.As a Shielder Jenna knows of the Leor and has heard rumors regarding their lifestyle. But nothing prepared her for her new life as the mate to a Leor male; for the actuality of trading the isolated security she had on Shimera for his way of life. Jenna has blindly agreed to live on a hot desert planet where nothing is explained to her. Life for Jenna is one hardship after the other as the Leors expect her to know their ways, while at the same time they treat her worse than a slave and with mistrust. Because of Lani, Arion is worried that stress will hinder her ability to conceive a child. Thus he finds himself getting to know and admire his tiny, fragile, human mate. Although he is clueless on practically every aspect of dealing with her, the tenderness is still there as well as the growing attraction, which leads to desire. Thus leaving the big bald guy at a loss because it is contrary to the nature of a Leor. Arion does make small concessions with Jenna and in their case this more than works. As the couple faces getting broken apart, can Jenna see her husband not for a beast, but someone she would give her life to protect?This is a really well written novel. For starters - yippee!! Lani's back! I love her, she cracks me up and - 'see how the mighty will fall' comes to mind, with her help. SHADOW FIRES is an intense novel that is a little different. It seems most weddings are with other humans, where as now we have a human and humanoid marriage. We get to learn about the Leor, a race of reptilian humanoids that are all in 100% control of everything they do and have a very deep mistrust of outsiders. The relationship between Jenna and Arion is tender, and I was surprised at how gentle he was with her, even though it went against his own nature. Jenna is a remarkable woman. I think if placed in her situation, most people would lack the determination, strength and desire to succeed under the conditions. At the same time this was also an intense novel. I loved the android Maxine who helped to lighten the tone almost as much as Lani. The way the aura is used is ingenious, although embarrassing, also l

Can't wait for more

Ms. Spangler is a new author for me, and when I read a new author I usually get a book with a common storyline, so when I found out about her Shielder's series, it reminded me of Jayne Ann Krentz's Shield's Lady. But Shadow Fires is so much MORE! It was exciting and romantic and funny, I though there were just so moments whrn he was trying to relate to his wife that were sweet and funny. I have already gone out and bought the rest of the series, and I am so excited. I love it when I find a new author! You'll been done with this books in 5 hours, and that's with interupptions.

great romantic science fiction

Ruling Comdar of Saura Arion rejects Shielder Jarek san Ranul offer of irridon. Instead, Arion loathingly barters for a mate among the outsiders. His Leor race is in trouble due to inbreeding among the small population and biologically minuscule fertile cycles of their females that if continues unabated means extinction in the near future. Thus Arion like others seeks a non Leor bride to produce hybrid offspring. He and his clan will rescue two Shielder colonies in trouble in exchange for a wife. This upsets the Shielder who detests the concept of bartering people as goods.Because of her gift to see into the future, Jenna knows that she is destined to be sacrificed as a mate for the barbarous Leor warlord who apparently trades in human flesh. Jenna "volunteers" to mate with the beast. As they become acquainted through squabbling, they fall in love, but Jenna and Arion respectively has prejudicial notions about their mate that could supernova their relationship unless the positive qualities that they observe overcomes their biases.The "Shadow" novels are some of the best romantic science fiction on the market today because the varying races that make up the Spangler universe seems so real. The latest terrific tale, SHADOW FIRES, is a great novel as the lead couple is a delightful dueling duo and the support cast enables the audience to learn more about their respective races. The story line is action packed on the two levels that of a science fiction thriller and an outer space romance with both blending brilliantly together. Catherine Spangler spangles once again with this superb stellar story.Harriet Klausner