Shamara by Catherine Spangler Published by Love Spell on 2001
Genres: Fantasy Romance, Science Fiction Romance
Pages: 360
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9780991497416
In a universe of darkness and depravity, the Shielders battle to stay one step ahead of the powerful, vengeful Controllers, who are determined to destroy the entire Shielder race. The race’s survival depends on the quest of one man—Jarek san Ranul. He has found evidence of a wormhole he believes might offer the Shielders an escape to another galaxy. But he faces daunting challenges to make such a mission possible. When he meets Eirene Kane at a Pleasure Dome and she saves his life, he realizes she might be the key to facilitating his daring plan.
On the run from her cruel uncle and a Leor warlord who wants her as his bride, Eirene must hide her true identity. She’s an Enhancer, with rare powers that could get her sold to the highest bidder if she’s caught. Her flight puts her on a collision course with Jarek, who suspects her secret, and knows he needs her powers to make his plan work. Although Eirene refuses to admit she’s an Enhancer, Jarek believes otherwise and is desperate enough to kidnap her. During their enforced time together, a special bond forms between them, leaving Eirene torn between her attraction to this charismatic Shielder commander and the need to ensure her survival. Despite the danger should her true identity ever be exposed, she finds herself falling in love with Jarek ,and wanting the one thing he claims will free them forever—Shamara.
I have to say that Catherine Spangler has done it again for me, this has to be my favorite book in the series so far! Its the third in the Shielder Series. Its definitely one of those where you wish the story could keep going on and on. At the end it left me wanting more, because it was such a well written and genuine story.
You have Jarek San Ranul, whose father has recently died, who was leader of the Shielders. Now Jarek knows he has to find a way to save his people or they will become extinct. The Controllers are going throughout the sector and trying to eliminate every man, woman or child on the colonies. Somehow they are finding the hidden colonies, and Jarek has a plan. His plan is that he knows that there is a hidden passageway to another sector, unknown to anyone else. His plan is to go and find equipment to map the certain area, and he has to find a Enhancer, which is the only way to get through this passageway. Then he finds Eirene out of pure luck of chance. Eirene Kane is a enhancer, and has hidden it from everyone, apart from a older woman that raised her and the only one that really loved her. Her uncle, plans on selling her to a trader for a lot of money, for sexual favors. Eilene knows she has to find a way to escape because that’s the last thing she wants for her life. Then some woman traders that we see in the previous book ‘Shadower’ come to give this colony a shipment. So Eilene sneaks on their ship. She ends up on Elysia, and she plans on working at the ‘Pleasure Dome’ where she will lose her virginity, so that the plans her uncle has for will fall through. Her first customer is Jarek, who is new at coming to places like this. Eirene is curious about Jarek, for he treats her gently and is shocked to discover that she is a virgin, in a pleasure dome, however before he can ask her about it he is attacked and injured. Knowing the Jarek could die before she could get him proper medical attention, she attempts to heal him enough to stop the bleeding and start the healing process on his wound. At first she is reluctant, because she is afraid of her powers and abilities, since she thinks she has killed the only person that ever loved her. But before she can heal him completely his friends arrive to take him back to their ship where Chase can heal him since he is a medic, a great one at that (His story is Shielder) Jarek wakes up weak but alive, and Chase is shocked to discover that he didn’t need to do much since Jarek was already healed by some unknown force. It leaves a mystery, but Jarek starts to remember that it was Eirene. Jarek knows he has to find her, because he has found a enhancer. But that isn’t the only reason he want to find her, he knows she needs help and goes about showing her that they need one another. Eirene at first is taken prisoner by Jarek, since she knows she can’t tell anyone who she really is. But Jarek keeps insisting that she is a Enhancer and she is too afraid to tell him the truth. Jarek goes about convincing Eirene the importance of his mission, and that hundreds of lives are at stake and that she is the key. They go on a journey of danger, mystery, romance, and love.
This was a thoroughly enjoyable and captivating read. I loved reading Jarek’s story, and is my favorite so far. I found both characters Jarek and Eirene to be deep and emotional ones. Jarek of course, has a duty to his people and has seen what the controllers have done to them. He knows they will be extinct soon if something doesn’t change. Eirene, is a very deep and emotional woman. She has suffered much, she has gifts and powers that she doesn’t know how to control. She believes that she has killed her friend and the only one that was a mother to her. But as she gets to know Jarek, and finds some truths about herself and her ancestry she comes to trust him in the end and in herself. The bond between Jarek and Eirene is a powerful one, and a very emotional one at that. I found myself with tears in my eyes more than once, because the story was portrayed so well as was their emotions. I didn’t have any problems or anything that I didn’t like. Although I found myself wondering why Eirene couldn’t trust Jarek more, but when she does it was worth the wait. It really is at the top of my favorites. At I wont give any spoilers out, but I will say that the ending definitely made me want to a little jig around the room LOL What can I say, I go crazy when I fall in love with a book!!!! This one is no exception! So if you like deep emotional characters, a exciting and thrilling adventure, where danger is there at every turn, and a romance that runs deep and hot (wink) then this one is for you!!! I guarantee you will love it as much as I have
About Catherine Spangler
Catherine Spangler is a bestselling and award winning author of the Shielder series (futuristic romance)and the Sentinel Series (romantic urban fantasy). She is a two-time Golden Heart finalist and a RITA finalist and has received numerous other awards and honorable mentions.
She is an active member of Romance Writers of America and her local chapter, Dallas Area Romance Authors. A frequent speaker at writers' groups and conferences, she has taught workshops on the creative process, writing techniques, writing paranormal romance, and goal setting.
She lives in north Texas with her husband and a menagerie of critters. She loves reading, taking naps on the sofa with a good football game for background noise, eating chocolate, and playing poker.
Catherine's fun fact: I celebrated the sale of my first book, Shielder, by drinking champagne from a plastic cowboy boot mug. My critique partners brought four of them to my house, along with the champagne. Drinking champagne from those cowboy boot mugs every time one of us sold a book became a tradition, which we still honor.
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