Me and My Shadow [Paperback]

I don't think it's Katie MacAlister's fault. I don't think it's Laura Leigh's fault, I don't think it's any of the authors' faults for putting out greyed out books. I think it's the publishers pushing these in demand, best selling authors too hard and too fast. I find that Alexandra Ivy's new book was just like Heat Seeker, and now like Me and My Shadow. The books are good, they are decent, but unfortunately fans have come to expect that moment of awe, that first time opening You Slay Me or Dangerous Games. We just demand that fresh, plot filled, character developed book.

Me and My Shadow was about May and Gabriel. Aisling is also about to give birth so she gives May full 'custody' over Jim (you know sixth level demon dog). Magoth is still hanging around trying to seduce May, though it's pointless because of the curse, and generally getting in everyone's way. May now has a shard of the Dragon's Heart in her which apparently is giving her grief. First she finds herself attracted to Magoth... no no! not Magoth! Just the dark power he represents! It's odd it's like May has changed her personality a bit. I mean the first book Playing with Fire was hilarious. Gabriel couldn't mate with her, May's got all these cool doppelganger powers, and her twin is causing grief with out her common sense. The interactions between all the characters were fresh and sarcastic. Now however if feels like all the characters are just playing a role. The way they bicker back and forth has lost some of it's glow and has begun to dull down.

Besides that there are part of the plot that drags on, where other times it is glossed over. However the book is paperback price and does retain some of MacAlister's old sarcastic charm. Drake's mother was a little too sarcastic in the fact that she tried too hard. May was no longer a calm influence, the Shard made her act all 'dragony' (her words not mine) and Drake was more than overprotective, it was like they were all acting. I Must confess though that there were parts of the book that did have me laughing and almost resurrected (haha Catlina) the old spark back. We are left with another cliff hanger that MacAlister so loves, and an excerpt from a new Dragon series.... The Light Dragons.... It's worth paperback price.. worth your time? Only you can deduce that.

Silver dragons fighting blue dragons with black, red and green dragons! It's
dragon-palooza. But while Drake could barely shift 20% (and only if Aisling put on the chase), and we never saw Pal or Istvan shift at all, it seems the rest of the dragons in other septs can fully shift to dragon. And May, with the dragon heart shard embedded in her chest, also has the ability now. She continues to struggle to keep herself and keep the shard from consuming her.

So Baltic, resurrected with the von Enders light sword, ability to use arcane
magic, and enter the shadow world is throwing folks into turmoil. He wants to
unite the shards and take over the weyr. He also wants his mate Ysolde the last
holder of the shard May keeps. In his mind, that is the last connection to
Ysolde and if May has it, he must have May.

In the midst of this, Magoth is causing his usual brand of ex-demon lord mayhem,
Bael hands Magoth's power to an unlikely person who hands it off to an even more
unlikely person, Sally shows her true colors which aren't as evil as one might
think, Kostya and Cyrene continue to hash out their personal issues in public and Drake's going nuts since Aisling is close to delivering (which she does during the major battle). The best part was Jim in human form...ha!

I really enjoyed the green dragon story with Aisling's voice. The silver dragon
tale wasn't as great since I never really found that I liked May too much. Where Aisling slowly warmed up to Drake and gave us the opportunity to fall in love with him too, May and Gabriel were too immediate. May's feelings for Gabriel were an anvil to the head too often. And of course, the cliff-hanger at the end was unlikely...you'd think that someone other than Kaawa would've recognized Tully as a dragon let alone THAT dragon. The next series is the Light Dragons...which didn't seemingly exist but perhaps it explains Baltic's strange powers.

this one did not hit it out of the park for me. was it rushed? *shrug* was not enough time devoted because Ms. MacAlister has another new series (highlander travel//or futuristic something-or-other)? *no idea* was every book before this character development of May and we finally see her true being, (as suggested)and was i annoyed at the huge change in May? *seems like*

will I buy the next. Not every author can wow us readers every single time. Previsously all the books in this series were greatly enjoyed. Yes, I will be purchasing the next book in the series.