Shadowcry (The Secrets of Wintercraft)

From the inside flap: The Night of Souls -- when the veil between the living and the dead is thinnest -- is only days away.

Albion is at war . . . and losing.

The wardens have descended, kidnapping innocent citizesn for their army, but looking for one in particular.

And fifteen year old Kate Winters has just raised a blackbird from the dead.

As her home is torn apart by the wardens, Kate's discovery that she is one of the Skilled -- the rare people who can cross the veil between life and death -- makes her the most hunted person in all of Albion. Only she can unlock the secrets of Wintercraft, the ancient book of dangerous knowledge. Captured and taken to the graveyard city of Fume -- with its secret tunnels and underground villages, and show more where her own parents met their death years ago -- Kate must harness her extraordinary powers to save herself, her country, and the two men she cares for most. And she'll make a packet with a murder to do it.

Those who wish to see the dark, be ready to pay the price.

What I liked about the book: It's an intriguing story with a lot of potential. People who can travel the veil between life and death is a refreshing alternative in the paranormal genre. Kate is a likable character and so is Silas, though it takes a while before the reader can allow themselves to think they might even remotely like Silas. Kate is a little immature for a fifteen year old, but as the book nears the end, she seems to mature rather quickly.

What I didn't like about the book: The pacing was not as fast as I would have liked. The story had the potential to be quite a thriller, but just seemed to drag in places. The characters tend to fall flat, even Silas and Kate. The plot is intriguing, but without well developed characters to support it, the story tends to fall a little flat as well.

Even though the book didn't live up to my expectations, I am still intrigued. While I might not recommend it to my readers who are searching for a great read, I will probably read the next book in the series. Burtenshaw did hook me at the end of the story. I'm curious to see what happens next. show less

Jenna Burtenshaw's Shadowcry has been on my radar for quite some time, ever since a friend read it and loved it. With a review copy of book three in hand, I've embarked on the full series, always a risky venture, yet one that I can't resist. Obviously, I have will power issues. Shadowcry stands unique from the bulk of young adult fiction, but, thus far, isn't the ideal read for me personally.

As I say over and over again, what really makes me interested in a book are the characters. Whether I love them or not, I almost always need to connect to them in some way, to feel that they're in some measure real to really get involved in the book. World building and writing for their own sake get me only so far. Shadowcry definitely focuses more show more on those aspects than on character, so I had a lot of trouble maintaining interest, even though, objectively, I can appreciate a lot of what Burtenshaw has done here.

Shadowcry starts dramatically with Kate and her uncle Artemis preparing to flee before the Wardens, the men who killed her mother and father, arrive in town. They do not make it out of the bookshop Artemis owns in time however. Blackbirds, the precursors to the Wardens, have arrived, pecking madly and dying on the streets. The scene is eerie and horrifying.

The Wardens are looking for the Skilled, people with the ability to bridge the veil, the space between life and death. If one of these dead birds is touched by someone Skilled, the bird will return to life. In the process of rescuing Ethan, who works for Artemis, from the barrage of dying birds, Kate touches one and it comes back to life in her hands. The blackbird flaps up the chimney, alerting Silas, the head collector of the Skilled to her existence.

Kate and Ethan are on the run, pursued by Silas. They don't know who to trust, and have no idea what they can do. The concept of the Skilled is fascinating, and I like the complex nature of Silas' character. He is not entirely good or evil, and not entirely human either. Kate is a great heroine, too, full of fire and strength. She never crumples in the face of adversity, and constantly tries to rescue Ethan and Artemis. There's a definite sense in the book that the female characters are the strongest ones and that's awesome. Also, I know some folks are really sick of books dominated by romance, so, just fyi, there's absolutely no romance in Shadowcry.

Despite all that good stuff, my main reaction to Shadowcry was boredom. Since there wasn't any focus on character development really, I just wasn't all that engaged. Before I can care much about the world or the dramatic events, I need to care about the characters.

So far, the Wintercraft series has not proved the ideal read for me, but I have hoped for Blackwatch. I do think Shadowcry is a good book, but just not what I was hoping for or what works for me personally. show less

Background: Kate Winters’ parents were killed when she was very young, all because of what they were and a book they were hiding. Kate is now fifteen and learning more about her parent’s legacy and …that she can heal the dead. While working at her uncle’s bookstore the High Council’s Wardens storm into her town looking for anyone with Kate’s special gifts and she is soon plunged into a world of deceit, secrecy, death, and corruption.

Review: I picked up this book because I won a giveaway from Pitch Dark/ Epic Reads a site run by HarperCollins. I won Blackwatch, book two of the Wintercraft series, so I had to grab this one to read first. I am SO SO glad I entered and won this contest because this series is surely an awesome show more adventure!

Shadowcry, book one of the Wintercraft series, is very dark, twisted, and macabre. Kate is a strong and determined character who makes a wonderful lead, and she remains so, even through the worst. The story revolves around a city called Fume, which was once the city of the dead, where they went to peacefully pass on to their new existence. Now, it has been taken over by the High Council because of their corruption and need for a lavish lifestyle. Another thing the High Council wants are the Skilled, a group of people who have extraordinary powers to work with the veil, the clocking between the realm of life and death, and they will stop at nothing to gain these individuals as slaves and workers to do their bidding.

Burtenshaw writes in an epic fashion, drawing in all things you need in a great adventure and battle. There is mystery and secrecy, and slowly told tales about how things used to be, and the protagonist, Kate, is a determined person to follow as she learns about herself and her powers.
I am very glad I read this book, and I am even more excited to read Blackwatch, because the ending of Shadowcry was amazing and I cannot wait to jump back into the story. show less

Wilma's Review:
The story telling quality was compelling enough but just short of a masterpiece. The world building was good and I could clearly see in my mind's eye the streets of Albion. The character development is very, very good. Silas felt like a person to me instead of just a character from the pages, whom I can sympathize with. This is a fast-paced read which left me wanting more. I hope Ms. Burtenshaw would write the second book quickly :) Fans of Harry Potter would love this book! I would definitely recommend this book to fantasy readers!

Story telling quality = 4
Character building = 4
World building = 4
The story itself = 4
Pace = fast

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5

Cherry's Review:
This book was a slow starter for me but it show more picked up around about chapter three or so. I would say this book has a moderate pace. The best thing about the book that I liked best is the character development. Ms. Burtenshaw paints us characters so vivid that they feel like people I could touch and talk with. Characters I relate with. The thing I didn't like about this book is that the main female protagonist is kind of stupid and gullible. It's so flippin' obvious but she just doesn't get it! It's irritating to read at times. Those scenes where the female protagonist was being really stupid and acting out of character looks to me like an obvious attempt by the author to create a dilemma for the story so that the heroes could save the world. *sigh* Story telling quality? A 3 out of 5. The ending closed the book nicely while pointing to the next book in the series without being a cliffhanger. A 4 out of 5.

I enjoyed this book, stupid protagonist and all. And would give it a 3.5 out of 5. show less

The cover on this drew me in, and had me more curious than ever after I'd read the book synopsis. What you can't see clearly from the Amazon cover above, is that there's also symbols around the outside of the dome.

I couldn't wait to read this, so it didn't. There's not many books that I've jumped up my reading list yet...but this one did :) From the start, the pages grabbed me, urging me to read more....I couldn't put it down. It's unlike any book I'd read to date...mingling those not really dead, with other who have special, sought after powers....

Kate lives with her Uncle, Artemis, in their bookshop, after her parents were taken away when she was younger. Kate's life as she knows it is about to be turned upside down. Everything she show more thought she knew comes into question, her friendships, her family, and even more than that - herself.

The characters in Wintercraft are so vivid. Silas is a chillingly evil character. I'm surprised I've got any hair left on the back of my neck after Silas' menacing theatrics put the fear of god into the whole village, including Kate. The evil characters in this book are simply outstanding. From the moment Silas stepped into the book, I could feel the palpable, heavy air in his words. With it, Siras gives the story a sense of death and foreboding, although he's mostly doing his master's bidding (and he's not dead)....he's downright scary...and oh, so good at it! Kalen is also scary, in a nails-down-the-chalkboard way.

There was an Alfred Hitchcock moment with black birds that had me squirming in my seat, trying to read all hunched up and with half my eyes closed...I can't stand birds flying low!!!! Wintercraft would make a fantastic film, I would *love* to have this on dvd or even better, see it on the cinema. (The book trailer will have to suffice for now!)

I could babble about this most of the afternoon, but it would come out as gushing, and then you'd know all the book's secrets! So...this one is awarded a rating of 5/5 with merits. If you haven't read it, you really should. I can't wait for the next in the series, Wintercraft: Blackwatch to come out. US readers - Wintercraft is titled Shadowcry,and due out Summer 2011 in the US - one for your diary! show less

Background: Kate Winters’ parents were killed when she was very young, all because of what they were and a book they were hiding. Kate is now fifteen and learning more about her parent’s legacy and …that she can heal the dead. While working at her uncle’s bookstore the High Council’s Wardens storm into her town looking for anyone with Kate’s special gifts and she is soon plunged into a world of deceit, secrecy, death, and corruption.

Review: I picked up this book because I won a giveaway from Pitch Dark/ Epic Reads a site run by HarperCollins. I won Blackwatch, book two of the Wintercraft series, so I had to grab this one to read first. I am SO SO glad I entered and won this contest because this series is surely an awesome show more adventure!

Shadowcry, book one of the Wintercraft series, is very dark, twisted, and macabre. Kate is a strong and determined character who makes a wonderful lead, and she remains so, even through the worst. The story revolves around a city called Fume, which was once the city of the dead, where they went to peacefully pass on to their new existence. Now, it has been taken over by the High Council because of their corruption and need for a lavish lifestyle. Another thing the High Council wants are the Skilled, a group of people who have extraordinary powers to work with the veil, the clocking between the realm of life and death, and they will stop at nothing to gain these individuals as slaves and workers to do their bidding.

Burtenshaw writes in an epic fashion, drawing in all things you need in a great adventure and battle. There is mystery and secrecy, and slowly told tales about how things used to be, and the protagonist, Kate, is a determined person to follow as she learns about herself and her powers.
I am very glad I read this book, and I am even more excited to read Blackwatch, because the ending of Shadowcry was amazing and I cannot wait to jump back into the story. show less

Albion was a country at war. It was a war that had been going for so long that no one knew why it had started and few alive could remember a life without it. But war wasn't the only threat. Kate had always been taught to be prepared for the wardens, but it had been ten years since they had come to her town of Morvane and too many had become complacent. So no one was prepared when the wardens returned.

But with the wardens came another threat, Silas Dane, a deadly killer and a man determined to hunt down Kate for her Skill. Silas has been sent to capture Kate for the Albion council and retrieve the book Wintercraft, a powerful tool that is deadly in the wrong hands. However, Silas has his own plans for Kate and Wintercraft.

Silas destroyed show more Kate's home, sold her uncle into slavery and kidnapped her. But he also saved her life several times over, never once broke his word to her and from the beginning was always truthful with her. Unlike Edgar, her best friend who along with her uncle she considered her only family. Kate soon learns that Edgar has been keeping secrets from her, BIG secrets, and not just about his past. Is she really any safer with her best friend Edgar then she is with the deadly killer Silas?

Wintercraft is a powerful object and deadly in the wrong hands. Kate was just an ordinary girl with a quiet life until the day her Skill showed itself, and her magical heritage was revealed. A dark twist onto the magical girl genre where a unique and ancient world is created full of dangers and the dead with a mystery to unfold. A fast-paced adventure across country into a deadly city and across the veil into death. show less