Courtesy of CK2S Kwips and Kritiques

Raven is the most feared vampire of all, known for his unwavering desire to put an end to the Cen Empire. His latest mission has him of on a variation of Earth well behind the scientific advances of Earth Prime (our Earth). When he discovers there is a horde of weapons far advanced for the technology there, the TAU (Technological Activities Unit) is notified.

Enter Valerie Winn... Val is assigned to the job to assist Raven. She is a "by the books" agent, sworn to uphold all of the regulations no matter what. This puts her at odds with Raven, who is known for his flagrant disrespect for authority and laws. But they must work together to get to the bottom of the mystery and in the process find out many more tightly kept secrets about activities on this world - secrets that could affect all the known variations of Earth.

Then there is the nagging problem of Val and Raven's undeniable attraction for each other...

Saje Williams has once again proven his skill at weaving strong stories with plenty of action and adventure with Sword and Shadow. Here, he also proves his ability to tackle a strong romance as well. There could not be two people more at odds with one another than Val and Raven. He represents everything Val cannot accept and she is everything Raven scorns. Watching these two overcome their strong differences to give in to a powerful love is bound to entertain. Sparks fly and passions flare from the moment they meet, though it takes them a while to fully grasp just what caused such a strong reaction.

As always with a book by Williams, readers can expect a complex story with numerous details intertwined to create a very developed world (or worlds, as in this case) with many different threads combined to make a very involved tale. We meet numerous immortals, human-animal hybrids, "regular" people, and even a doppelganger or two. Each one of these beings has their own story to tell and Saje Williams unites them all seamlessly to create quite a captivating adventure. If you are new to the imagination of Saje Williams, this story will seize your interest and make you eager to read more. If you are familiar with previous works by the author, Sword and Shadow expands on his universe while opening new doors to even more far-reaching concepts of The Infinity Project.

© Kelley A. Hartsell, February 2007. All rights reserved.

Sword and Shadow is a unique story and unlike any sci-fi fantasy I've read in a while. I'd compare the author to Tolkien or Terry Brooks, but not because he writes stories like them, but because he's as talented as crafting original work as they are.

I loved the series and enjoyed the plot from beginning to end. I highly recommend this novel. If you like a well crafted story with dynamic characters and creative dialogue, you don't want to miss Sword and Shadows.