Shadowshaper (Shadowshaper Cypher #1)
Summary:
Sierra Santiago was looking forward to a fun summer of making art, hanging out with her friends, and skating around Brooklyn. But then a weird zombie guy crashes the first party of the season. Sierra's near-comatose abuelo begins to say "Lo siento" over and over. And when the graffiti murals in Bed-Stuy start to weep.... Well, something stranger than the usual New York mayhem is going on.
Sierra soon discovers a supernatural order called the Shadowshapers, who connect with spirits via paintings, music, and stories. Her grandfather once shared the order's secrets with an anthropologist, Dr. Jonathan Wick, who turned the Caribbean magic to his own foul ends. Now Wick wants to become the ultimate Shadowshaper by killing all the others, one by one. With the help of her friends and the hot graffiti artist Robbie, Sierra must dodge Wick's supernatural creations, harness her own Shadowshaping abilities, and save her family's past, present, and future. (Summary and cover courtesy of goodreads.com)
Review:
This was a unique premise that became a book I really enjoyed. I was a little confused at first as I got the sense of how the magic worked, but once I did I was all in and couldn’t wait to see how it developed. Sierra is a teen just starting to become the strong, fierce, and independent woman she can be. She is challenged both by society and her family to find the truth of what’s going on and not defer to pressure.
The other aspect that I really love is her group of friends and how pull together to support each other. All in all, this is a book that uses interesting characters and family stories to blend into a well-paced entertaining read. I definitely will be continuing the series once I get off the hold at the library!
Warning: Contains some repeated violence.
Rating: 4 stars!
Who should read it? Urban fantasy fans and anyone looking for some diversity of characters without making it the main focus of the read.
Want to read the whole series?
Ghost Girl in the Corner (Shadowshaper #1.5)
Dead Light March (Shadowshaper #1.6)
Shadowhouse Fall (Shadowshaper #2)
Shadowshaper Legacy (Shadowshaper #3)