Review of Shadow Hunter by BR Kingsolver

Shadow Hunter by BR Kingsolver

Rosie O'Grady's Paranormal Bar and Grill #1

Published 7 April 2019

When my magic manifested at puberty, my parents sold me to the Illuminati. They trained me as an assassin, spy, and thief. But when they sent me to steal a magical artifact that reveals Truth in all things, I discovered that I was working for the Dark and not the Light. The Illuminati trained me well, and paid the ultimate price for their deception.
Thousands of miles away, I landed a job in a quirky little bar. But the scattered remnants of the Order still strive for world domination, and no one leaves the Illuminati alive.

* At the time of the publishing of this post, this book was available on Kindle Unlimited

Amazon|Kindle

Shadow Hunter was a lovely read for me. I downloaded it on a whim when I had to buy a replacement kindle (that's right, I killed my first one after 18 months, bow before me, mortals!) and I received three months of free Kindle Unlimited. Because I really need yet another procrastination facilitator, right? I have no self-control. BR Kingsolver's name caught my eye, how wicked does that name sound?

The presence of the Illuminati in Shadow Hunter was one of the deciding factors that drew me to renting the book through Kindle Unlimited. Seriously, who doesn't love a secret society bent on world domination?

The Illuminati bought Erin from her parents at the start of her puberty when her powers started appearing. They trained her to become an assassin for 'good' when in actuality, they were an evil organisation taking out anybody who got in their way. Erin 'accidentally' destroys the main hub of the Illuminati after an assignment opens her eyes to the truth. Afterwards, she stumbles across their presence in her new city and that's all I'm telling on that front. The Big Bad Evil wasn't as looming as I had hoped for when I started the book, but the manner in which we were given a mystery and an evil brotherhood was entertaining.

Especially when you factor in the way Erin navigates becoming a relatively normal paranormal throughout the story. There is no textbook for creating and maintaining real-life friendships and there are no field guide manuals to relationships, so she's basically flying by the seat of her pants. Her new boss, Sam O'Grady, takes on a fatherly role and watches out for her from the very beginning of their meeting. Erin also gains a best friend and maybe a boyfriend? At least, I know who I'm cheering for in all their awkward glory.

Also, I give bonus points for slipping Liam the autistic bartender into the mix! Liam reminds me of my brother, smart as all get-out but needs step by step instructions half the time for other things. I hope Liam gets developed more along the way, because yay autistic rep that isn't  a carbon copy of freaking Sheldon Cooper.

With Erin's arrival in Westport, a paranormal serial killer is revealed and among the victims is the area's reigning vampire lord which launches the entire city into a widespread power struggle. Vamps against Shifters, Vamp faction against Vamp faction, and Erin's pulled into it by the local constabulary. So much for a normal life, right?

Overall, I'm giving Shadow Hunter 4 out of 5 stars. This was an entertaining read for me, it did a good job of keeping my mind off of everything going on outside of Booklandia. If you like paranormal reads with a smidgen of possible romance and a lot of funny verbal sparring, you should give Shadow Hunter a chance!

BR Kingsolver, author of romance, paranormal thrillers and the Telepathic Clans series, grew up surrounded by writers, artists, myths, and folklore in Santa Fe, The City Different, in the Land of Enchantment.

After living all over the US and exploring the world--from Amsterdam to the Romanian Alps, and Russia to the Rocky Mountains--Kingsolver trades time between Baltimore and Albuquerque. With an education in nursing and biology and a Master's degree in business, Kingsolver has done everything from construction to newspaper editor and jewelry to computers.

Kingsolver, a passionate lifetime skier, currently spends time writing and working with computers while living nine blocks from the harbor in Baltimore as servant in residence to a very demanding cat. 

You can follow BR Kingsolver on social media at

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Today's review is posted with the RAICES foundation in mind for a charity to consider donating to if you're of the mind.

Well, you can tell that hurricane season has officially started in Florida, all the temperamental weather has my technology going haywire. My wifi is more off than on right now as all the thunderstorms hit us and the tropical depression offshore isn't helping matters either. Blech to the weather gods and the technology gods. Also, I've learned that neither Alpha Lipoic Acid nor Tryptophan are helpful with the treatment of peripheral neuropathy. If you have migraines, don't take tryptophan supplements. That path only leads to sheer agony and that's with a monthly anti-CGRP subcutaneous injection (aimovig is amazing and I love it) and preventative medications.

That's all for me. Have you read Shadow Hunter or any of Kingsolver's other books? If so, what did you think? Are you planning to check Shadow Hunter out? Do you deal with migraines and/or peripheral neuropathy? Let me know in the DISQUS comment space! Until next time, have a happily ever after!