Book Review of Fathoms Deep (A Blood Shadow Novel) by Dianna Hardy

 

Darkly passionate and intense...

Amid the white-washed houses that decorate the beautiful island of Santorini, Greece, lies an ancient secret that will pull Laura and Roman fathoms deep into an atrocity obscured by mythology, and buried by aristocracy...

Laura is half-werewolf and half-siren, made 'siren' accidentally by the human male who saved her life five years ago with his breath of life – his siren breath.

Roman Dalton is human and the only known male to carry the siren gene. Although he cannot fully form into his aquatic counterpart, he suffers the torturous effects of his compromised DNA every full moon when the tides are high – effects which have been steadily growing worse.

Posing as man and wife, and battling their own villainous shadows from a past best left drowned, the reluctant couple find themselves in Santorini, about to embark on a deadly mission to uncover more about the elusive siren in the hopes of finding a cure. For Roman was never meant to carry the siren gene and certainly never meant to pass it on to a she-wolf.

Their answers might dwell among the vegetation of the monastic Mount Athos...

But there are people – very important people – who would rather some secrets remain hidden forever.

If Laura and Roman make it to Mount Athos, they may never make it back out.

Publisher's Note: This novel continues Laura and Roman's story from Blood Shadow (Blood Never Lies), which should ideally be read first. Despite character origins to the Eye of the Storm series, Fathoms Deep is mostly a separate entity from that series.

REVIEW 5*

Fathoms Deep: A Blood Shadow Novel by Dianna Hardy
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the second book in a new companion novel to the Eye of the Storm series. I loved it! You don't have to have read the Eye of the Storm series. However, I recommend that you have a good grasp of where Selena has been and where Jennifer/Laura is heading.

Laura Dalton (aka Selena Smith and Jennifer Warren) is an extremely complex character. I felt for her as she hasn't had an easy life. This is a woman I loved to hate in the Eye of the Storm series, as she was a real *i*ch. Five years after being given a new name and a new life from her ordeal at the hands of the Tridents, she tried to put her life back together as best she could. Now she has to start a new life with a new name once again after Roman, the human/siren who saved her life, transformed her into a siren.

Roman Dalton has watched over Laura for years, ever since his brother, Bab, accidentally mated with her as a Trident. He has watched her fight for her life at the hands of his brother. When he accidentally turns her into a siren while saving her life, he finds himself falling for this incredible woman. To hide her from those who want retribution, Roman and Laura fly to Santorini, where, unbeknownst to them, a family reunion is planned.

I have waited impatiently for this book for many years, as the first book was published way back in 2018. The first book in this series took me on an emotional roller coaster, so I was expecting this one to do the same. It didn't disappoint. The story is told through several points of view from several characters, including David and Prish from Blood Shadow. This gives the story a more impactful aspect as the tale weaves its way to the conclusion. Several twists took me by surprise. I can't give an example, as that would create a spoiler. Let's just say that I gasped in dread when the scene inside the lighthouse took place.

This is the conclusion (for now, I think, but could be mistaken) of this series. I am glad that Laura finally got the life she needed, if not originally wanted. She has faced so many challenges and survived against the odds. She has got to be one of my favourite fictional characters EVER for character development. Her growth from jealous *itch to a regal woman who knows her worth is *chef's kiss* perfect.

Dianna Hardy is one of my favourite romance authors (she writes both paranormal/urban fantasy and contemporary romance). She has a way of expressing so much emotion through her written words; ripping your heart out with them, but also filling you up with them too. I love her writing style, which is fast-paced and exciting. The flow is fantastic too. Reading her books is a joy, and I will continue to read them for as long as she keeps writing them.

Unlike other books by this author, this book doesn't have any romantic scenes with explicit content. I highly recommend this book (and series) if you love contemporary or paranormal romances, dark fantasy and/or urban fantasy genres. - Lynn Worton

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