3 out of 4 stars
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Blood of My Shadow is an urban fiction novel by Jovon Scott that will please readers who like elaborate plots. The protagonist is the sole proprietor of the Sheridan Syndicate, Mona Moore. She is a dangerous and formidable woman with powerful enemies like the federal government and Carlos Cuadras, who controls the Cuadras Cartel and the Mendoza Cartel. Mona is a born leader who believes only in two things: family and respect. For them, she is ready to put everything in jeopardy – and this will happen soon. With many twists and turns of events, Blood of My Shadow will keep you in suspense till the last page and beyond. In fact, this is just the first installment of a series, and you do not have all the answers you want.
Blood of My Shadow is one of those books where the author never runs out of stories. Apart from Mona and her two sons, there are many other characters, and they interact in the most incredible ways. Some connections are unexpected but not implausible, as in the case of Mona’s relationship with Cynthia Davis, Assistant Director of the CIA. These connections make the story unpredictable and engaging. You never know what to expect, who will be the next character you will meet, and what part he or she will have in the story. Little by little, Scott creates a world where intrigue, conspiracies, murders, and incredible discoveries follow one another uninterruptedly.
The great thing is that Scott leads the reader to the end without trouble. Of course, in books like these, you have to expect a lot of violence. Often, you make your acquaintance with characters who will die a few pages later. However, there is no time to think about casualties. The narrative is fast-paced, and Scott’s essential style avoids long descriptions and focuses on the action. The characters are not fully-rounded, but you understand their reasons because they are part of a well-depicted environment. I do not think that this novel could be equally effective if the author wrote it in any other way.
Mona is an extraordinary character, more complex than what she seemed at the beginning. My first impression was that she was a heartless woman who stops at nothing to have what she wants. Instead, she has two sons and cares for them. She also takes care of Anisa and Kema, who she saved from the Russian Syndicate and then raised them as enforcers. Even though this side of Mona’s character does not prevent her from doing terrible things, it makes her a little more human.
Many aspects of Blood of My Shadow are praiseworthy, but the novel has at least one considerable flaw. I am referring to its typographical errors, which anyway are more significant for their quantity than for their quality.
I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars mainly because of the errors. Otherwise, I would have awarded it 4 stars. On the whole, the story is engaging and brilliantly written, and I am looking forward to the next installment. Considering its content, I recommend this book to adult readers who like stories where the protagonists are criminals and who will not be disturbed by violence.
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Blood of my Shadow
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