Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Shadow Angel #1

Shadow Angel: Book One

Rate this book
From the moment I saw the shadows come to life, I knew my world would never be the same.

Yesterday I was a teenager waiting tables in Manhattan, and today, monsters exist and I can see them.

Overnight I’m thrown into the realm of the Watchers, a society of earthbound angels split into two factions: The Shades, whose powerful dark magic is given to them by the fallen angels, and the Lumens, whose abilities are bestowed on them by the archangels of Avalon.

They’re on opposite sides of a brutal war, and I only have a few days to pick which side I want to join. I’m ready to choose when the Shades force my hand by cursing someone I love.

The only hope I have of saving them rests on the broad shoulders of the prickliest Shade alive, Gage Alston. He’s cold, arrogant, and quite possibly the most attractive guy I’ve ever laid eyes on.

Do I trust him? No.
Do I need him? Yes.
Do I want to kiss him? Maybe.

Perhaps I’ll choose darkness after all.

368 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 21, 2022

Loading interface...
Loading interface...

About the author

Leia Stone

85 books5,621 followers
Leia Stone is the USA Today bestselling author of multiple bestselling series including Matefinder and Wolf Girl. She's sold over two million books and her Fallen Academy series has been optioned for film. Her novels have been translated into five languages and she even dabbles in script writing. Leia writes urban fantasy and paranormal romance with sassy kick-butt heroines and irresistible love interests. She lives in Spokane, WA with her husband and two children.


Follow her on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/leia.stone

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
3,006 (54%)
4 stars
1,476 (26%)
3 stars
736 (13%)
2 stars
213 (3%)
1 star
112 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 381 reviews
Profile Image for Mikky.
870 reviews233 followers
January 20, 2022
I think I was expecting something else because this book was just an okay read for me. The story was okay, the characters were somewhat interesting but I wanted things to be less straightforward (if that makes sense?). It felt like I was reading a story where the author was connecting the dots right in front of me and I could see so much of it coming from very far away. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I wanted the heroine to feel more uncertain about what was happening and how to "fix" things. I wanted her powers to be a challenge for her to use/learn. While we're on the subject of what I wanted to see, I also wanted Gage to be less of an *ss and respect Tatum more. I know he's going to have his redeeming arc but I'm not sure I'll be rooting for him all things considered. His sad background story and player ways do not negate what he continuously does to Tatum on purpose.
Profile Image for Victoria.
541 reviews13 followers
January 23, 2022
4,5*

I rarely insta buy a book after only reading a chapter, but no regrets! It was a great book!

Worldbuilding:
The supernatural world is hidden from the humans, where the two factions, Lumens and Shades, fight a neverending war against each other. Angels vs Demons aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand FIGHT! :D We learn about the world alongside Tatum, so there is no information dump; nope, we're just as bewildered as her. Okay, maybe not since we have a blurb ;) but you know what I mean!
Scenes and environments were clear and well described.

Character development:
Tatum is working hard to take care of her grandmother, whose dementia is gradually getting worse :( She gets thrown into a world she finds hard to believe when she starts seeing monsters and people with red eyes. I mean, who wouldn't freak out!
I liked her pretty much from the get-go. She has a good head on her shoulders and goes for what she believes in.
Without spoiling anything, I really liked that she found people from both sides that she connected with.
Gage, our broody (of course) Shade, is still so much a mystery for us. But, we know a bit about his past and how he became the person he is. I hope we get to know him more in the next instalment.
The characters, main and side, all felt real and believable. I enjoyed reading about them!

Pacing and flow:
There was an outstanding balance between all the action and conversation. Nowhere in the book did I feel it dragged too long or that I wasn't entertained. Nope, it grabbed me at the first chapter and didn't release me till the end. It kept my attention throughout without any issues :D

The book:
The book is well written with no (noticeable) errors. There is no sex described (if that is important to you).
It was 368 pages, spread over 19 chapters and told from Tatum's point of view.

Final thoughts:
I really enjoyed the book from start to finish and was so sad when I saw the next wasn't out yet.
Pick this one up if you like angels vs demons books with some romance on the side!
Profile Image for Sarah Ryder.
785 reviews161 followers
Read
October 21, 2022
****DNF at 21%****

I was excited for this book as it is co-written by one of my favorite authors (Julie Hall) and it has a killer cover, but there were just a couple things I couldn’t get past and ultimately why I DNFed it.

First the highly sexual comments and hints that bordered on uncomfortable for me. I know supernatural and paranormal/urban fantasy books tend to have higher angst and sexual comments, but when a guy’s butt cheek is shown AND he’s only in a towel just after meeting our main girl…that was too much for me and possibly how Leia Stone writes as in Julie Hall’s Life After series this was never an issue.

But I was willing to overlook it until I hit on my second and ultimate reason for stopping which is the whole Shades serve demons. This series is not written from a Christian viewpoint (despite Julie being a Christian) with angels and demons are real, so when this popped up that Shades get their powers from and serve demons, that was too discomforting for me. I’m sure this is resolved in the series that Shades become good and break away from the demons or something by the end, but for my own comfort and peace of mind I’m stopping which I’m super disappointed by as I was looking forward to reading this series.

I won’t be trying any more books by Leia Stone, but I’m still going to read Julie Hall’s works and highly recommend her Life After series if you want a romantic, action packed, supernatural story from a Christian perspective. ☺️


‼️Content (up to the 21% mark)‼️

Language: screw you; douchebag; crap; what the heck; what the hell; ass; hell; geez; what the; dang; holy mother; pissing; bastard; F-you

Violence: a guy hassles a woman; a girl sprays a guy with pepper spray; fighting with supernatural powers and weapons,(not detailed); two guys brawl; girl hits a demon with a frying pan; injuries and blood (not detailed)

Sexual: a guy is called hot and sexy; a shirtless guy; a guy wears only a towel around a girl; a mention that a girl sees a guy’s butt cheek

Other: a demon like creature is attached to peoples backs making their eyes glow red; a character’s grandmother has dementia; demons; supernatural powers and abilities from both an archangel and a fallen angel; a group of people are employed by/work for demons
Profile Image for Daisy Delfin.
1,199 reviews158 followers
February 6, 2022

BASIC INFORMATION:
Pages: 270
My rating: 3.5 rounded up to 4
Genre: urban fantasy, Not RH
Themes: Angels, Demons, Shades, Lumen, the good fighting against the bad
Protagonist Ages: FMC is 3 weeks short of 18
Pacing: Medium
Plot: rating: 4 stars, story is plot driven, with a little attraction between the FMC and one guy.

First of all THANK YOU Amara D. for your idea with the basic facts. I kind of took your idea and changed it to my preferences. I hope you don’t mind. I will try it out and see if it’s a good addition.

This is my first book of Julie Hall (one of the two authors) but I have read a lot of Leia Stones book and I like her books a lot. I loved this book. It was entertaining and it kept my attention.

It’s the old story of good against bad. The FMC is actually the medium between both sides. And she is a good person who stand up for her believes. The MMC is raised as a shade but even though Shades try to corrupt people who join them, they never succeeded with the MMC. I also like the side character. I like that some characters are good or bad but there are also some characters who are in between and they seem worth of redemption.

The Characters: Names and descriptions of the persons



Summery: detailed, lot’s of spoiler
Profile Image for Rachel Smith.
109 reviews
January 10, 2022
If you liked Fallen Academy you will like Shadow Angel!
This book is full of world building (as you’d expect with it being the first one). Tatum is learning about the world as it goes meaning the story doesn’t break pace to teach the reader. There were several twist and turns I didn’t see coming including the ending. Even prepared for a cliffy I didn’t guess what would happen… this is a slow burn and had a more YA feel than I expected.
Profile Image for Alicia.
2,005 reviews74 followers
February 11, 2022
Rounding up for this one.
This has a new world with angels and demons and Watchers that have to pick a side on their 18th birthday on which way they'll stand. . There are lots of clues throughout the book, so I don't think there were any surprises in here for anyone (you can pretty much guess the rest of the books too, but of course I'll read them anyway). Kind of wanted some training in there, instead of instinctual instant fighting prowess, but that's just because those parts are a personal favourite after Vampire Academy got me addicted years back.
It does end on a cliff hanger, but thankfully there isn't long until book two is released.
Profile Image for Artemissia G.
1,133 reviews26 followers
July 30, 2024
Le résumé m’avait bien donné envie de me lancer dans ce premier tome. J’admets que le début de l’histoire m’a beaucoup plu avec sa tension latente et notre héroïne, Tatum qui ne sait plus si elle hallucine ou si ce qu’elle voit est réel. Cependant, dès qu’on entre dans le vif du sujet, j’ai trouvé que ça perdait en intensité et que la suite était assez convenue. L’idée de base était sympa, mais pour moi c’était assez fade même l’intrigue et la romance… Je m’attendais à quelque chose de plus intense de plus approfondie aussi.
Après, la plume des deux autrices est très sympa, seulement, je ne pense pas poursuivre cette série.
Profile Image for Bas ☆.
34 reviews5 followers
June 6, 2023
not bad but not good.
the writing at times was cringe and the amount of the times men in here growled was too much for me .
There wasn't any "twist" that got me wanting more it was all to predictable besides one thing.
But i did find it to be easy to read which made want to finish it.
Profile Image for Kim - Inside the Wong Mind.
369 reviews30 followers
January 10, 2022
Shadow Angel
by Leia Stone and Julie Hall
Book 1 in the Shadow Angel series
Rating: 4.5/5

When two of your favorite authors start a series together, you can't help but squeal with glee and rush to read the ARC when available. I finished this book in a few hours. I could not and did not want to put the book down. It is a great start to a series and I cannot wait to read more.

First off, that cover is gorgeous and definitely makes a prospective reader go, "I need to read that!". Second, the authors are great by themselves but they definitely play off of each other's strengths. Third, the world building is well done but not overwhelming. There's a 3D map of the Lumen Compound at the beginning and then an educational graphic from the school. I love any and all visuals that the authors wants to include. The world seems somewhat familiar but different so it's still relatable and begs to be explored. Fourth, the main characters were memorable and made you, as the reader, want to root for them. Who hasn't at some point in their life crushed on a bad boy? The supporting characters are also a blast and I would love to learn more about them and their stories. Fifth, the story is just beginning and deserves to be read.

Highly recommend if you enjoy YA urban fantasy with angel and demons, humor and romance!

PG-13.

My thanks to the authors for providing me with an ARC of the book. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own. No positive review was expected and no compensation received.
Profile Image for Brandy Barber.
930 reviews20 followers
January 30, 2022
Great start

I love getting a new series from this author. I know I'm in for a treat. This book was a great read. I found the story interesting. Can't wait to see how this is going to unfold. Apparently burritos are an Easter egg. I look for them in all of Leia's books.
961 reviews5 followers
February 3, 2022
Shadow Angel

Wow what an epic read!! Kick ass take no question heroine! What a freaking cliffhanger though!!! Can't wait for the next book in this series!!
Profile Image for Dawn McClure.
424 reviews5 followers
January 16, 2022
I received an ARC for this book. What a great start to a new series! This was so good. I couldn't put the book down. I loved Tatum. She was smart, caring, tough, and had a great heart. Gage tried hard to not show his good side. He learned from an early age not to show emotions. I loved all the supporting characters as well. This was a book I never have read anything like before. It sucks you in. I can't wait for the next book!
Profile Image for Amanda.
195 reviews
February 15, 2022
3 stars.
Don’t really have much to say except I didn’t love it. Too insta-lovey and just overall so fast paced. Everything literally happened in the span of a week but it felt like it should have been way longer than that with the power discovery, best friends found, love interest established, and wow, most special demon daughter, heir to Hell. So much plot, so little time lol.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Heather Rainwater-Alvarado.
399 reviews15 followers
January 22, 2022
Similar to Mortal Instruments – But Better!

If you enjoyed the Mortal Instruments series, you’ll enjoy this one. I hate when people compare one book series to another, yet these have some resemblances to each other. And no, I wouldn’t go so far as to say similarities, because they’re definitely not the same. Somehow, this feels darker; but still young-adult. There’s some swearing, but nothing past teenage attraction. Yet.

I’ve always enjoyed Stone’s writing, and will have to now check out Hall’s books. Their writing was very cohesive which is always something you look for in a co-authored book. This one really sets the stage with some great potential for a popular series. There’s plenty of mystery and intrigue to keep you hooked to the end where they do throw a cliffhanger at you (kind of typical for Stone lately). I really loved reading about Gage with his tender side yet harsh unforgiving exterior that everyone else sees. Tatum was a little too innocent, naïve, and tender-hearted for me at times; but I’m giving her time to grow into her own powers and abilities. I know Stone doesn’t write weak female characters; so I’m not concerned.

My only other criticism is how the cover spoils the end of the book in a way by showing Tatum’s powers she inherits as she chooses a side for or against the demons. I did see that Stone explained in her reader group that cover artwork that features angels though will help the series gain more traction and sell more, so I guess the price we pay is a few spoilers by viewing the cover in its entirety.

After that cliffhanger though, I definitely want to know what will happen to Gage and Tatum in the next book in the series. Thankfully it’ll be a quick release back to back too!
Profile Image for Grimoire of a Bookish Queen.
647 reviews6 followers
May 10, 2022
Wow 😍

What a first book 😲 I read it in one sitting i just couldn't put it down. I've read most of Leia's books and I've read some of Julie's books but these two together created gold I can't wait to devour the rest of this trilogy...

Tatum is just trying to keep her head above water after she dropped out of school to work at a dinner to support her and her grandmother. Burning the candle a both ends is the explanation she tells herself for the scary things she's started seeing around the city. When she sees a bunch of teens on a train one who literally sprouts wings and the mysterious guy who turns up in her diner asking weird questions she waves it all of and questions if she's losing it but when the diner she works at is attacked by the same creatures she's been seeing over the city she can't deny that there's more to the world than she thought.
When the teens on the train and Mr mysterious are the ones to aid her she has no other option but to trust their help. With only days until she turns 18 she must pick a side in the war she never knew existed either join the Shade side with Mr mysterious those who work for the bad side or join the teens from Lumen who protect humans from the bad side. It seems like an easy choice but she can't deny the pull she has towards Gage especially after he saves her more than a couple times.
Tatum will unravel some hidden family secrets that'll make her question who she really is but with the clock running out she'll have to follow her heart.
Profile Image for booknuts_.
808 reviews1,821 followers
August 15, 2022
more like 3.5 but I rounded up because I'm nice that way.

This was super cute, clean fun.

The characters were easy to like, the world building understandable-probably because it's our today world- honestly the overall story was fine.

My biggest issue was the writing. The writing choppy and lacking but not bad. Some things were too fast and at times felt forced. Not sure if it's because you've got 2 different writers writing the book or what but the pace was at times off but mainly the writing just seemed choppy.

I did however immediately grab for book 2 as book 1 left you on a Terrible cliffhanger. It was ended so abruptly it felt like the book was ripped the book in half and declared book 1 & 2.

I do recommend this book though. It's fun and I'll keep my eye out for more on these 2 authors!

Sexual Content: mild
Language: mild
Drugs/Alcohol: mild/none
Violence: moderate
LGBTQ+: none
Profile Image for Kira.
1,031 reviews33 followers
December 10, 2022
I am not usually the one to read such fantasy books especially anything with angels or demons sorts of thing but I picked this up for a specific prompt and am surprised to have liked this for the most part.

The book was quite well written imo and the whole world building was neither painstakingly slow nor the non existent kind I have seen in a few books. The two factions though not at war had enough animosity between them that it made the book a whole lot interesting plus the curse on gran forcing her to choose between Shades and Lumens was epic.

I did not expect for such a great twist towards the end and am curious about what more is in store for Tatum.

The only thing I am disappointed about is the romance. Gage is not really the kind of brooding man I'd like for myself or anyone for that matter.
Profile Image for Jeannie.
74 reviews9 followers
January 22, 2022
"Shadow Angel"... A book I would recommend over and over. As the first in a series, I cannot wait for the next installment!
I don't know why these two authors waited so long to write together. Separately, Julie Hall and Leia Stone are both amazing authors. Together though, they write a breathtaking and stunning tale. I devoured "Shadow Angel" in one sitting. I was seriously wowed and couldn't pick up another book for at least a week. I couldn't stop thinking about the characters and the spectacular journey they go on. To say I'm excited to find out what happens next is an understatement.
Profile Image for chev (hiatus).
481 reviews275 followers
July 8, 2022
the summary
It is fast-paced and action packed. I really like how fast and revelations unravel easily. This is recommended for anyone who likes faster-paced novels.
the rating
5/5 Chev's reads.

Like this review for a mention :p
Find me on:
Instagram: @chevreads
Wattpad: @writerthursday
Pinterest: @thursdayfrappe
Youtube: @chevreads
P.S. Add me as a friend :) I like to read romance novels and mystery stories!!
May 1, 2022
Action-packed and butterflies all wrapped in one! I am not really surprised that I liked this. Leia Stone is one of my go-to's nowadays. I love how the story unfolded. I just hate how I was able to predict her biggest dilemma quickly. I wish it weren't that obvious. Anyhoo, I'm now on the second book and I'm eating it all. up! 😍
Profile Image for Monikat.
1,140 reviews8 followers
May 7, 2022
I'm sure it's a fun read but I DNF at 45%, it felt way out of my age group.
Its not the book, it's my tastes.
Profile Image for Kimberly.
53 reviews
July 8, 2022
Wish I would've bought the 2nd book same time as I did the 1st one. Love Leia stones writing
Profile Image for Italy.
283 reviews2 followers
January 26, 2022
.

It was okay.

Ignoring the star count and latter half of this review, there were things I enjoyed while reading this. I think the plot is interesting and the next book has potential.

I really looked forward to this release, especially it being a collaboration between these two authors specifically, but I really felt like the plot wasn’t really consistent and things jumped around too much for me to really enjoy it.

I personally feel like there was a lack of connection to the book. And when I say that, I mean a connection to the book and it’s readers, and between it’s characters. The characters “clicked instantly” but there was no emotion to back that, so I was supposed to blindly believe it (not too sure if that makes complete sense but it does to me). It’s like a PowerPoint, stating facts rather than a story.

Tatum was constantly going back and forth and doing something she said she wouldn’t do. It’s that whole, “I hate you, but I love you”, and instead of it being a guy that it’s said to, it’s all of her actions, thoughts, etc. There was also quite a bit of stuff added or mentioned in that I felt just didn’t need to be, because it either would randomly be brought back up, or never mentioned.

As for the love interest, I’ve got mixed feelings. With that being said, I know some was for Tatum’s protection and his own father issues and that he was sweet and thoughtful at some points. I’m all for a bad boy and can usually tolerate the whole jerk attitude until they pull their act together for the sake of love. But the mix of that whole bad attitude and the lack of connection I stated beforehand I’m not exactly cheering but am open-minded for the future.
Profile Image for Sandi.
670 reviews42 followers
February 11, 2022
4.5 stars! This is one of those great books that jumps right in the action in chapter one, grabs on, and doesn’t let you go, all the way to the end of the book! Tatum is thrust from her ordinary world of a waitress job, finishing high school, and taking care of her grandma, whose health is deteriorating, into one of angels, demons, and magic. A world of rival Watchers, those who slay the demons, the Lumens, and those who protect the demon portals, the Shades, where Tatum has to decide which side she wants to be on. And while her choice seems clear, when she learns the real reason for her grandma’s declining health, things are quite so easy. But she is determined to help her grandma, and forge the path she wants to choose.

This is a great upper YA urban fantasy, with cool magic (tattoos that turn into real weapons!), terrifying demons, and some great secondary characters - like her new ride or die Watcher friends, and the broody, sexy Gage, who keeps showing up to rescue her from demon attacks. The story moves at a great pace and still manages some excellent world building and character development. If you enjoyed Julie Hall’s Fallen Legacies series, this will definitely be right up your alley, and something you’re not gonna want to miss!
Profile Image for Jay.
97 reviews
March 27, 2022
It's alright I guess.

It's kind of just your run of the mill "girl finds out she's got a superduper powerful lineage and gets whisked off to a magical academy society" type beat. She instantly finds a group, love interest is pretty insta-love with a quick-burn, has a bestfriend who knows everything about the world, etc, etc. All the usual tropes are there and such. I enjoyed the premise, I suppose. But nonetheless Tatum's personality kind of bothered me.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 381 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.