Prince of Shadows

Val Cache #3

by Susan Krinard

A rising star in the fantasy romance firmament, Susan Krinard returns to the land of the bestselling "Prince of Wolves" in this mesmerizing new love story.The legend of the werewolf is reborn in this thrilling tale from the author who "set(s) the standard for fantasy romance" ( "Affaire de Coeur" ). Wolf researcher Alexandra tries to help a gorgeous wolf she discovered in the wild, only to discover the unimaginable: that the animal has vanished and a man has taken its place. Following a grisly murder, the weight of suspicion falls heavily on Alexandra's mysterious companion who wields legendary powers--and soon both are scrambling to escape.Author of "Star-Crossed"

"Susan Krinard was born to write romance." --Amanda Quick

"Susan Krinard has set the standard for today's fantasy romance."-- "Affaire de Coeur"

Genres: Romance, Paranormal, Paranormal Romance, Fantasy, Shapeshifters, Werewolves, Urban Fantasy

384 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published July 1, 1996

About the author

Trained as an artist with a BFA in Illustration from the California College of Arts and Crafts, Susan Krinard became a writer in 1992 when a friend read a short story she'd written and suggested she try writing a romance novel. A long-time fan of science fiction and fantasy, Susan began reading romance -- and realized what she wanted to do was combine the two genres. Prince of Wolves, her first romance novel and one of the earliest to feature a werewolf hero, was the result. Within a year Susan had sold the manuscript to Bantam as part of a three-book contract, and the novel went on to make several bestseller lists.

Since then, she's written and published over fourteen paranormal and fantasy novels, and written stories for a number of anthologies, both fantasy and romance. Both the anthology Out of This World (which included Susan's "Kinsman") and the novel Lord of the Beasts appeared on the New York Times Bestseller List.

Susan makes her home in New Mexico, the "Land of Enchantment", with her husband Serge, their dogs Freya, Nahla and Cagney, and their cat Jefferson. In addition to writing, Susan's interests include music of almost every kind, old movies, reading, nature, baking, and collecting unique handmade jewelry and decorative crafts.

Reviews

[Tilly Slaton · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wow. The profund difference in Krinard's writing style in comparison to Prince of Wolves is...astounding! And more of a disappointment that I have had in quite some time. :( Bummer!

After reading Prince of Wolves, one of the best romance stories I have read in years, I found myself suffering through Prince of Shadows.

The writing style is completely different. It's like drinking a very cold beer and then drinking a room temperature beer. I was left with a disgusted .. what-are-you-serious look on my face. Prince of Shadows is positively boring :( I really dislike writing negative reviews. I would like to say the reasoning behind my opinion of this book is due to the expectations and standards set by Prince of Wolves. But even then, I am confident that I would have disliked this novel.

Prince of Shadows is the werewolf story of Kieran and Alexandra. During a summer from their childhood, Kieran met with Alexandra everyday as a wolf. Becoming best friends, and Alex unknowing of what he was, they had an intimate and innocent relationship. That is, until his parents were murdered by some psycho wolf hunter.

Alexandra was forced to return home after her summer visit with her grandfather and Kieran mysteriously disappeared.

Years later, he finds her at the cabin from their childhood. He was in wolf form and poisoned. After taking him in and helping him heal, he revealed himself to her. Suffering from amnesia, they work together to unlock his past that was clearly traumatic.

That is what this book is about. A werewolf who cannot remember who he was and believes wholeheartedly that he is a monster. A beast.

Murders. Wolf hunters. Rejected lust. This book is nothing compared to Prince of Wolves and I would almost recommend not reading it. :(

I do not recommend this book. (I think that is the first time I've ever typed that)

If you must read this book, I would recommend it to mature adults only. Mild descriptive violence as well as sexual content.


~Happy reading!

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable werewolf / shapeshifter story, sometimes richly tender and poignant, other times grim and gruesome. It's a hefty, gritty story. There are some sex scenes, but not till later in the book, after the sexual tension climbs.

This is a sequel. I liked this story better than the prequel, Prince of Wolves. A tighter story line, with better pacing and about 100 fewer pages. Luke, the hero from Prince of Wolves, plays a fairly solid role in this book, but his mate, Joelle (Joey) is only a reference. There is no strict need to read book 1 first.

Relationship: It was lovely to see the childhood bond between the wolf pup (Shadow) and the young girl (Alex) develop into a deep and lasting intimate bond, years later. I hated to see them torn apart, early in the book. Fast forward a decade or two and Shadow (aka Kiernan) is a grown wolf, finally finding his Alex again. Their first meeting as adults was entertaining! He is very likable, and so is Alex -- now a scientist, a wolf expert. I wanted to see them both get a HEA, because Kiernan had paid a heavy toll as a caged young adult, and beautiful little Alex is now scarred, and has been rejected by father and fiancé. Together, Kiernan and Alex grow stronger in mind and spirit, overcoming every obstacle...just not easily. Eventually they make love.

Characterization: Solid. Actions seemed to flow authentically from the characters, aligning with their past experiences, thoughts, and values. Even the psychopathic character was believable and somewhat sympathetic. Secondary characters were well-drawn, too, especially the two Ojibwe women, Julie and her grandmother.

Plot & Suspense: Find the real killer, because he's on a rampage and everyone believes it's Kiernan -- he's been framed. Nicely plotted, with only a few contrivances. Fairly suspenseful, especially towards the end. The killer kept me guessing at first, but I figured out who it was -- yet I had no idea he was such a psycho. Lots of tension and some horror. Several times, Alex risked much for her lover. She's no shrinking violet when the chips are down. Likewise, Kiernan was ready to die for Alex. The final battle scene was vivid and descriptive.

Pacing: Good. There was plenty of ACTION to keep the pages turning. And it started off with a bang, right from the prologue. The setting changed, adding more movement, as Alex and Kiernan took a road trip, hunting for clues. Shadow and Alex engaged in some inner dialogue (thinking, fearing, wishing) but not too much, and their internal battles did not feel self-obsessed. They each had reasons to dwell on their issues, but neither wasted time in so much reflection that it distracted from the action (as occurs in too many romances). For Alex, it was overcoming her low self-worth and abandonment issues, and revealing her facial scars. For Kiernan, it was overcoming his dreadful imprisonment, where he was taught -- conditioned like a dog -- to believe himself a vile monster. He also had to overcome his loss of memory.

A good story. Why not 5 stars? I didn't get that warm wonderful dreamy feeling from it.

[Maura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this one back when I was still in college, some 12 years ago. IIRC, this was the first shapeshifting book I had ever read and I loved it. It stuck with me so much that I had to go back and find it, having no memory of the title and author and I was thrilled to have rediscovered this book. While I can honestly say, it's not a 5-star read for me anymore, it is still a solid 4 and I keep this to re-read whenever I want.

Alex loves wolves and has since she was a little girl and befriended a wolf cub she named Shadow one summer at her grandfather's place. A series of tragedies and years later, Alex has returned and is surprised to find a wolf that looks like a grown Shadow...only that can't be possible. As it turns out, Shadow is a shapeshifting wolf named Kieran who is in some serious trouble. Someone or something has been killing animals and now people and Kieran thinks it might be him. Together they need to figure things out...while dealing with their attraction and the love they felt blossoming when they were kids.

This would definitely have been a 5-star read for me if not for how tense and strange things got when the two of them went on the run in the 2nd half of the book. I understand that this is a Val Cache novel, but I almost would have preferred if this hadn't gone there...if it had only been a visiting "tribe" member that had explained things. The traveling kind of changed the pace and feel of the book and I didn't care for it so much. Nevertheless, this is a great book and the hero is worlds better than the alpha jackasses in the first and second novels.

[Tiblu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three stars only because I feel a lot of work into this.

Alex felt like such an big awkward B! Itch
I don’t know what all A
Alexandra when thru the change her from a sweet caring to a strange,cold reserved know it all B but she is.
And a really ungrateful one at that.
Here’s Kiernan her bestie her Boo “Shadow “.
Ok,ok, yeah,she knew him better as a wolf,but that wolf and her memories of him has been the only bright spot and constant in her life but does she act as grateful to know that not only are wolves ,the most amazing and perfect creatures in the universe as she sees it and her bestie boo one and the same,she’s acting like so,e itchy put out teacher out to save abs educate the “wolf boy”.
Maybe because she mentioned it sarcastically ,but she seems like what Tarzan might have been stuck w/if it hadn’t been lust at first sight for Jane and Jane had been some up tight spinster teacher there to help save the heathen man raised by gorilla’s.
“You mustn’t touch me Tarzan.” “Your just a heathen gorilla man.” What do you think your doing?”
Deep,sigh
That’s what Alex felt like at 37%. I couldn’t take it any more.
Alex feels brittle and rigid and sharp like a piece of ice and about as warm and friendly . Alex has like a million hang ups and issues and yet, it’s Kiernan with the problems.
This B has been pining over and wanting Shadow/Kiernan for almost 20 years but you can’t tell it.
I know shapes been hurt and hurt badly by life but her hot/cold/warm treatment of Kier was ticking me off .
The way she’s scolding him and using his issues ? Shortcomings ? Problems? As a way to keep him at a distance ,to almost hurt him at times.
Here’s a guy who’s been thru hell and instinctively knows she’s his mate,while she treats her long lost supposedly treasured friend like a science experiment one minute and like he’s got less sense than “Forrest Gump” the next.
It was painful to read.
She wants him in a lot of the sane ways he wants her and she seems in awe of what he can do/be and yet wants to keep a distant and remote distance between them and like I say treats him like he’s not the brightest bulb in the box and he’s partly a experiment to be observed than a friend to be treasured .
And definitely nothing more than a friend.
How dare he kiss her!As she starts to rant like she’s suddenly a virgin in regency England .
Weird,clunky,awkward and pain and that was hurt the two MC’s together.
The hateful townies and farmers, the crazy old B astard that once held and tortured Kier and what ever is on with Native Americans on the nearby reservation just added too much crazy to the mix for me.
There needed to be some calm in the story here. Some place that made sense or felt safe. There everyone felt at odds with each other. There were farmers and townies who hated the wolves and treated the Natives like poo, there’s the crazy old B who’s tortured Kier and is stalking him and determined to get him back and someone killed a Native woman and that’s mixed into it as well. All those complications might not be soo bad if our two MC’s journey back to each other felt more natural and organic , instead of harsh and stilted and awkward.
Sadly more of the pain and awkwardness isn’t from a man who has spent most of his life lost to his animal or tortured and is now haunted and confused .
I wanted to B slap Alex,one minute she’s acting like she’d give anything to be one of her perfect wolves s f the next she’s a haughty B act king all superior and snotty.
Hated Alex and wish Kier had found his way to somewhere safer abs to someone who’d appreciate him more.
Appreciate the hard work,but I had a miserable time with what I could stand.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, I admit it: this one's getting by on the nostalgia.

While I was in college I worked at a hole-in-the-wall used bookstore where I was frequently the only person in the building for hours at a time. As there's only so much alphabetizing and dusting to be done in a store the size of a postage stamp, I wound up killing time in between customers by reading my way through the romance aisle. Susan Krinard's Prince of Shadows was one of the diversions I found there, and one of (if not the) first shifter romance I ever read.

Somewhat unusually, Prince starts with an extended flashback to 1979, when a young Alexandra Warrington is spending an idyllic summer at her grandparents' home in the wilds of Minnesota. In the forest for hours at a time, Alex befriends a young wolf she calls Shadow, and the two soon become inseparable. On the eve of her departure, Alex goes to the woods to bid farewell to Shadow - but finds instead a boy named Kieran Holt. Their meeting is interrupted by tragedy, and it isn't until years later that Alex returns to Minnesota as a wolf-researcher literally and figuratively scarred by her past. When a wolf who looks like Shadow begins appearing in the woods near her cabin, Alex is stunned - but not nearly so much as when a naked and confused man appears in her home claiming to be the mysterious Kieran Holt.

For a novel published in 1996, Prince of Shadows holds up pretty well. I've obviously got a soft spot for this one, but aside from some moderately cringe Magical Native American plot device stuff there's nothing to really put your hackles up. The pacing of the reveal and Alex's acceptance that Shifter Weirdness is Afoot feels right, as does the slow ratcheting up of chemistry between Alex and Kieran. There's a bit of eye-rolly I've Been Hurt Before So I Must Never Open Myself to Love Again going on with Alex, but that's a pretty standard bit of trope nonsense, and while it's a touch overplayed I was able to get past it because the threat from the actual antagonist, an obsessed wolf-hunter, kept things moving along.

All in all, I've liked many a stupider book, and Prince of Shadows is a solid throwback read which doesn't make me want to throw the book at the wall.

[Heres hoping 2023 brings me good books, good times and good wine but especially wine. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well welcome to guilty pleasure vintage romance from cover to last page. Shape shifter meets heroine when child, heroine has some trouble they meet up later on when they are adults ..there is miscommunication and bad memories .....sex scene...sex scene.....resolved issues...they live happily ever after.


Nothing fantastically new and some of the obstacles and hurt feelings could have been resolved with a five minute talk....but then what conflict would there be?

This was like a nice aRm plate of nachos extra cheese ,and extra jalapenos ........should you eat it everyday? No, but sometimes, every once in a while you just need that cheesy hot goodness.

[Kay Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I usually love a series that follows the same characters throughout a series. However, sometimes I need a break and this series was a great choice. I’ve read #1 & #3 in the series and I loved the difference in the writing style and that it wasn’t the same story with just different characters. Highly suggest… now to read #2

I know out of order .. don’t judge me, they are stand alones.

[Wordsworth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solidly meh, with many cliché characters and an icky backstory. I haven't read the others in the series, but I'm guessing this only loosely ties in.

For werewolf enthusiasts, Gévaudan is a bit of a giveaway. I assume he features in other books in the series?

[Knight Of · Rating 4 out of 5]

This the second book I've read about werewolves this year. I enjoyed the slow build and emotional rollercoaster.

[Jeanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read. Weres still in the closet.

[SALLY · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very disappointed. Constant running away and the heroine was annoying and lied a lot. This could have been a great book but it just seemed to wander around avoiding the truth.

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting.

So cool. Very detailed. You get drawn in and sucked in until the end. Loved Alex. How we were given that beginning intro to see how she was and the magic of childhood and her love of wolves. Kieran is awesome both as a make and wolf. So giving and protective. Always needing Alex.

[Paranormal Romance · Rating 2 out of 5]

Alex has returned to her childhood haven in the woods of her grandparent’s cabin, searching solitude and peace while she focuses on her one true passion, wolves. She’s dealt with a lot of torment and trials in her 27 years and has secluded herself from the human population, preferring to keep to her own company. Yet is doesn’t take long at all for the hope of peace and quiet to be dashed when the beautiful black wolf of her childhood turns into the equally beautiful raven haired stranger. She went to bed with an injured wolf in her living room and awoke to a naked man sleeping in her bed. The yellow eyes, intense and oh so familiar, convinces her that this man is the wolf, and the young boy, whom she played with as a child. He’s in a daze, without memories or the ability to cope with this new world he finds himself in, he desperately needs Alex’s help. He has lived in his wolf form for many years and now has no comprehension on how to function as a man. His only lifeline is Alex and he intends to keep her close.
In a small town, the locals already have a hatred for wolves and they certainly don’t trust the heroine nor her love for the animals. Now there has been a murder, making tensions even higher. To make matters worse, the hero fears that his control over what he calls the monster within is lacking. He believes he may have been responsible even though he can’t remember one way or another. When the cops come calling, the hero and heroine flee to Canada. Its there that lies the answer to the hero’s past and his memories of his imprisonment.
I found this story lacked passion. There were things I certainly enjoyed about it. For instance, the heroine has lived her life in torment. Believing she was responsible for her mother’s death and her father’s subsequent hatred for her, she denies herself most human contact. She believes herself to be hideously disfigured yet she’s barely scarred. She is selfless, sacrificing everything for the hero yet she is very standoffish when it comes to him expressing any feelings towards her. However, other than that, I felt no connection to either characters, as they seemed to lack any true connection between themselves. It didn’t feel like love to me. Only companionship based on necessity. The plot was also extremely slow and drawn out.

[Rosemarie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I came across this book while searching under "Beauty & the Beast." I've also know Sue Krinard to be an excellent writer, so I had high hopes that, unfortunately, were not realized.

I'd say one problem overall is that you really need to have an all-consuming passion for wolves to truly relate to these characters - the author clearly does - and I really don't share that. Wolves, in my opinion, are okay - but not the totally awesome, most-magnificent-creatures-in-the- wild that they are constantly portrayed as here.

I was also confused as to what exactly was going on with Kieran. There seemed to be no rhyme or reason to what/who he is. He is not a true werewolf, in my opinion, but someone who is triggered by strong emotion to turn into a wolf. It was more like an Incredible Hulk-like situation that first he could not control but then eventually became able to do so. He had also been in the form of a wolf for YEARS when we first meet him and I found that really odd. Eventually, a group of "his kind" are found but there is hardly any explanation given about this mysterious group of people and I was left wanting to understand more.

The romance did have a lot of potential. I saw a lot of similarities to the "Beauty and the Beast" TV show from the 1980s which I am a huge fan of. But I was thrown way off the romance trail by the many times Kieran is totally and unapologetically naked for long periods of time. I found it very awkward, to say the least. Especially when one of these scenes was the very first time Alex sees Kieran as a man. For me that reduced the "romance" to something cheaper. I think there needs to be a kinder, gentler period of getting to know each other before such intense sexual tension is introduced. At least for me, it made buying an emotional/spiritual connection between these to extremely difficult. And that's a shame - because it could have been so much better! If she was aiming for a Vincent/Catherine type relationship - it seems obvious that that was the wrong way to go so early on.

There may very well be many others out there who would not feel this way and love the naked scenes and that's fine. But as for me, I don't think I will be reading any other books in the series.

[Deborah Vespo · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a young girl Alexandra spends a summer befriending a young wolf she calls Shadow. On the last day of her summer vacation before she has to leave a young boy appears to her, causing a lot of questions to come out because he acts as if they are friends and he knows about her. While talking with the young man they hear gun shots and discover that two adult wolves have been shot by a poacher causing the young man much despair. Alexandra promises the young man that she will some how return and help him. Years later she returns to the cabin in the woods, remembering her promise to the young man, her friend the wolf, and researching wolves and their packs. She however is scarred and very different from the young carefree woman she used to be. In comes Kiernan, a man that she wakes up with one morning, not knowing where he had come from... she had let her friend Shadow in when he came to her the night before, but not a man. Kiernan himself is confused. He has no memory of his past, where he came from, who he is. And Alexandra takes it upon herself to help him find out those answers. While Alex is trying to help him with that, murders are taking place and around them and Kiernan is the one who gets blamed for it. The two of them work together to battle their pasts, deal with their own scars, and find out the truth as to who is behind the murder.

[Jodi · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first half of this book is in 4 star territory. Alexandra had met Kieran as a child. The summer she played with a wolf, Shadow. She didn't connect the boy with the wolf. That was a fairy tale. It's been 17 years and she's back in Minnesota. Wolf research is her life. Which is why when Shadow turns into Kieran in front of her eyes, she believes. And that belief is true to her character. Kieran doesn't remember much about his life but he is drawn to her. Unfortunately, a series of murders, which appear to be done by an animal, make Kieran a suspect in his own mind. The second half of the book is a little murkier. Not because of the mystery, but because Alex doesn't remain true to character. I didn't mind that she was torn between her own past and Kieran's but she was boring about it. These are not your typical werewolf stories and that's a good thing.

[Jo Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty decent read, with Native Americans, wolves, murder and the typical romance novel sex scenes. You know, I feel kind of dumb saying this, but the cover art really bugged me. The main character is, of course, impossibly handsome and sexy, but the cover art makes him look like a steroid freak. Yeah, I know the picture needs to draw in the reader to make the sale, but the guy on the cover is rather laughable. Kind of a black-haired Fabio. Anyway, look past the cover and read the book, it's a fun romp.

[Tricia (McAllister) Houseman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book. Comes down to healing oneself from the issues they have over the past, recovering memories of the shifter ... add in a direct Mediciane Woman & her off-springs, murders, an individual who makes your skin crawl (when he's in the story). All that makes for a good story.
Yes, there is romanance involved but it is not the entire focus of the story.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good read if yu like fantasy

[Annette · Rating 1 out of 5]

I tried really hard to like this book but after 200 pages I JUST give up. This book is boring.

[Marilyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

You will enjoy the story of the couple as the deal with past and present and find love and acceptence.

[Claudia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book. I found the plot twists and the characters interesting.

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars

[Sheri · Rating 3 out of 5]

easy light read, perfect for a rainy day

[Julie · Rating 1 out of 5]

not a great book have tried several of her books and not my cup of tea