Beyond Strange New Words

Note: The book reviewed contains themes only appropriate for those over the age of 18.

So, this book was one of the two I got for my birthday, and, darn, this was a great birthday present. Even if it took me 2 months to get to it.

All the things I loved about it:

• the main paring, of course, and the fact that for a change, they didn't get to the sex part until late into the story
  
  
• many of the side characters; the phantom/sylph is one of my new favourites, together with Morgana, the Queen of the Sorceri (and I really wouldn't mind if Cole decides to dedicate any or both of these their own book(s))
  
  
• appearances of some already familiar characters, including Lothaire, who isn't as mad as he appears to be, right ;)
  
  
• learning more about the Dacians and the Sorceri, as well as getting to know a new setting in IAD universe, Abbadon
  
  
• yet again, the way the story was connected to the past instalments and the allusions and set-up for the future ones
  
  
• and lastly, the manner Bettina's anxiety was presented, which I could relate to very much, and I loved that Kresley incorporated such an everyday human thing many people have to live with into the story.

There was hardly anything I didn't like. I only took away half a star for slightly exaggerated sex parts, although this goes with the genre, and classic miscommunication issues causing relationship troubles, which is also typical of the genre. But since neither of those affected my overall enjoyment of the book, I can easily let them pass.

All in all, Shadow's Claim is yet another fantastic story of Cole's and I can never recommend it and the entire IAD series enough to those of you who happen to like paranormal romance.