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Shadows: The Rephaim    by Paula Weston Amazon.com order for
Shadows
by Paula Weston
Order:  USA  Can
Tundra, 2014 (2013)
Hardcover, Softcover, e-Book
* * *   Reviewed by Hilary Williamson

Gaby Winters still grieves deeply over her twin brother Jude's death the year before. After recovering from the accident, she has settled in Australia's Pandanus Beach, 'bordered by the oceans and closed in by mountains and rainforest.'

There she shares a bungalow with a new friend, Maggie. Gaby works in the library and is fairly content. But she suffers from horrific nightmares in which she cuts the head of a hell-beast, a guy with vivid green eyes by her side. She has posted some of her dreams in a short story competition on a Dark Thoughts website, a posting that soon attracts attention.

Rafa shows up in town and he's the image of the green-eyed dude in her nightmares; he even has the same smell of sandalwood. He talks to her as if she should know him but Gaby has no knowledge of him outside her dreams. Gradually she learns that her memories of the past year are false and that she is one of the Rephaim (offspring of fallen angels), as was her brother Jude. Rafa was Jude's best friend and wants to know what happened to him.

In fact, it seems that Gaby and Jude belonged to Rephaim groups in opposition to each other - and each group wants answers as to what the twins were doing before disaster struck them. She's kidnapped by her old associates who have no scruples about how to force her memories back. After she escapes, they take Maggie to force Gaby to return. Gaby, Rafa and Maggie's new boyfriend Jason (who is more than he seems) are determined to get her back.

Australian author Paula Weston has a winner in this Rephaim series, which has angst and action a 'plenty, mysticism, mystery and romance. Shadows laid solid groundwork for what's ahead, along with tantalizing hints about the Fallen. Does Jude still live? We'll just have to keep reading to find out.

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