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In the shadowed aftermath of global destruction, humanity’s hope takes flight on the wings of the Evol-humans. River Shaw, secluded in his high-altitude sanctuary, seeks solace after a life scarred by loss. His quiet existence is disrupted when Delene Fairborne, fleeing captivity and a dark past, crashes into his world. Together, they find strength in their unique abilities, resisting the sinister forces that hunt them for a cure only their blood can provide. As love blossoms amidst the chaos, they face a ruthless scientist hell-bent on harnessing their power. Shadowed Skies is a tale of survival, sacrifice, and soaring hope, where two souls, bound by destiny, fight for a world on the brink. Dive into a world where love flies against insurmountable odds.
This is an interesting book and quite suitable for 13+ readers (and maybe some mature tweens). The action begins after the global destruction, a plague that affects all humans. The blood of the evol-humans is found to help.
There is a bit of backstory shared starting out...I actually thought for a bit that this might be the second book of a series (the story of Delene and Lily's parents sounds like it would make a good story.. just sayin'). Told in first person, present tense, alternating chapters, we see the story unfold from River and Delene's points of view. So, at times we get information from each of them that is similar as far as how everything came about.
There's a lot of story-telling, which is fine, but I didn't feel as connected to the characters as I might have...and I missed that in this book. I found River to be the more interesting of the two...I was very impressed with the survival skills his Pops had taught him. There were also a few twists in the book that I didn't see coming. Good job on that.
All in all, it was an interesting take on this trop... I've always enjoyed the idea of modified DNA and flying creatures. There are no loose ends and everything is resolved nicely. I would definitely pick up other books by Ms. Cavanagh. 4 stars
Read an Excerpt
I wake to a muscular, silent figure looming over me, his wings casting unnerving shadows. Intelligent dark eyes scrutinize me from his smooth, brown face framed by cropped black hair and raven quills. He’s been around the block.
My guard shoots up. I’d stand, but my body’s too weak from the climb. “Your nest, huh? Sorry, I didn’t see your name on it.”
“It’s carved right over there.” He points past me to the rockface. My eyes travel over the stone, where he’d etched River in craggy letters. The carved name is so tiny I didn’t notice.
“Now you’re supposed to tell me your name. That’s how this goes.”
I blink. “Delene Fairborne. Listen, would you mind if I–– ow,” I scrape against the wall and suck air through my teeth. I clamp my eyes shut.
“Are you okay?”
I shrug the blanket off, and my injured wing flops lamely near my shoulder. River’s eyebrows lower, and he comes closer.
“Let me look.”
He stows his serrated hunting knife, presents empty hands, and crouches to examine my injury. “Relax. I won’t hurt you. Let’s see the damage.” He’s gentle, avoiding the wound and handling my feathers softly. He lightly touches the bandage.
“Dr. Lytle runs the Stockade, the underground bunker and lab where the humans imprison and experiment on our kind. His men hunted me down and shot me with a crossbow as I tried to escape. The wound is still healing––I changed the bandage earlier, but without a spare set of clothes, I had to tear strips off my pants to re-dress it.”
“Hmm.” He examines the back with a frown. “There’s an exit wound.”
“Yeah, I pulled it out.”
“Well, that was stupid of you. You could have died if those goons pierced a blood feather.”
My temper flares. “Oh, as opposed to leaving it in. I’d rather take my chances, thanks.” My voice is hostile, though I’m grateful for his help. I still don’t know who he is or what he wants, and my mother warned me to be on my guard.
River sits back on his haunches, sighs, and meets my eyes.
“Doesn’t look good. How long have you been here, kid? A day or so?”
“I’m no kid. I’m seventeen.”
“Well, I’m eighteen. So, you’re a kid.”
“By what, a few whole months?” I snicker. “Okay. If a kid free-climbed in the pitch-black up a hundred-foot cliff to get here, I guess I’m a kid.”
After examining the wound, he says, “The damage looks fixable. Let’s clean this well to prevent infection.”
“I’ve cleaned the wound.”
“Clean deeper,” he admonishes. “I don’t have antibiotics, but I’ll try to get some. Or at least honey. Honey heals.”
He hesitates before retrieving water, then takes a rag from his pouch and soaks the cloth. With the knife still in hand, he comes closer.
“Look … You seem all right, but I’m a lone wolf. I operate solo. You have a target with a big ‘X’ on your back. I feel bad for you. I do. But you know how it is with our kind.” He gives me a blatant look, so here’s your cue to leave.
“Gee, I’d kindly vacate the premises, but I can’t fly.”
He rubs the back of his neck, agitated. “The valley’s full of drones. And they’ve got at least a dozen soldiers combing the forest.”
“I’m sorry.” I shift my eyes down. “You never asked for any of this.”
“None of us did,” he waves me off. “The soldiers are here.I’m screwed either way.” He pauses and assesses me. “Stay the night. Then after that, I’m sorry, but you need to find somewhere else to hide.”
The night might be all I need. “Thank you.”
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