Here is my review for Shades of the Stars. I am giving this book 5 Erlenmeyer flasks. The review will later be posted in the Paranormal tab with the rest of my reviews for books by David James.

Another amazing read by author David James. At the risk of totally sounding like a geeky fan girl I have to say that I love reading the works of David James. The man is amazing! I am always moved by his beautiful and poetic words. His stories are a beautiful blend of reality and magic. The characters have real struggles with life,love,and acceptance set in a magical world. I love so much about the stories that it is hard to sum it up in a review. All of his characters long to be loved and accepted(whether they want to admit it or not). In shades of the Stars we get the shorts The Witch's Curse, The Warrior's Code, and The Enchanter's Fire as well as a sneak peek at the upcoming novel Shadow of the Sun. These powerful short stories give some background of characters in Light of the Moon. Each short is a combination of heartbreak and hope that leaves you hoping and willing the characters to find the love and acceptance that they crave. In many cases the characters need to learn to love and accept themselves as well. Aside from the passionate and artful words of David, I love that the characters are diverse and have their own strengths and weaknesses that help give them great believability. And then there is the wonderful insight into the creative genius that is David James. Shades of the Stars has many looks into David's thoughts and how the characters came to be so to speak. He also gives some definitions and explanations of the magical aspect of the book. He also includes playlists and an interview. I was absolutely entranced by this book from start to finish and cannot wait for Shadow of the Sun. I would like to include some of my favorite quotes that I found moving from each of the shorts in the book. But before I do I need to say read this book, and if you haven't read Light of the Moon read it, seriously do it.

"We are the same, Magda. You are my star, and I am yours. There might be a piece of our forever that we cannot see, but we must believe it’s there, waiting at the end.”
He breathed, “Our love is infinite.” -- The Witch's Curse

"Momma was right. We do not need love to live, but without love life seems impossible."-- The Witch's Curse

"Each of you has a past you are ashamed
of; whether you were abandoned, left alone, or simply lost, we have rescued you and given you the possibility of a new fate within the great legacy of the Order.”-- The Warrior's Code

"There is nothing unnatural about loving, no matter who it is we love. Nothing unnatural at all,"--The Warrior's Code

I was told that fire burned.It destroyed.
It was too much for anyone to handle.
But this fire wasn’t like that.
This fire was strength.
Breaking through the cold prison of death-
This fire was life." --The Enchanter's Fire

I felt like nothing without my heart.Without Shane. -- The Enchanter's Fire

And a peek into Shadow of the Sun........



Calum.
His name was life to me, hope.
I would keep that memory forever, and until I saw
him again, until I felt his lips brush softly against mine, I would dream of his arms around me. I would dream of flying, warm even as the cold of night touched close.
I would dream of Calum. Always.

See absolutely beautiful. <3

 

As you can tell by my other reviews, I LOVE David James. The man has some serious talent. And I got to read the ARC of Shades of the Stars. It was amazing!

--Tamra