Product Description

Among the Shadow dwellers, Trace holds power that some as willing to kill for. Without a stranger's aid, one rival would surely have succeeded, but Trace's brush with death is less surprising to him than his reaction to the beautiful, fragile human who heals him. By rights, Trace should hardly even register Ashla's existence within the realms of Shadow scape, but instead he is drawn to everything about her - her innocence, her courage, and her lush, sensual heat.After a terrifying car crash, Ashla Townsend wakes up to find that the bustling New York she knew is now eerie and desolate. Just when she's convinced she's alone, Ashla is confronted by a dark warrior who draws her deeper into a world she never knew existed. The bond between Ashla and Trace is a mystery to both, but searching for answers will mean confronting long-hidden secrets, and uncovering a threat that could destroy everything Trace holds precious.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #68953 in Books
• Published on: 2009-01-02
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• 352 pages

Customer Reviews

New direction for this paranormal series
Jacquelyn Frank's 'Nightwalker' series has focused on various Nightwalkers ('Elijah', 'Noah', 'Damien' etc) and their search for mates. In the last couple of books there has been mention of the 'Shadowdwellers', another race of beings not really mixing with the rest of the things-that-go-bump-in-the-night. 'Ecstasy' is apparenly the start of a new series which focuses on the Shadowdwellers with just a few references to the Nightwalkers (and a brief appearance by one of the heroes of the previous series). This means that Ecstasy works very well as a standalone book and that there's no important information carried over from the previous series.

The world of the Shadowdwellers is very interesting; they have reality ('realscape') but also a sort-of alternative reality ('shadowscape') which is a version of reality but without people and light. The Shadowdwellers can visit Shadowscape but not for longer than a few days as it tends to give them a euphoric effect which can significantly harm them. As the book starts Trace, a very important political figure in the Shadowdweller world, is visiting Shadowscape in order to battle a traitor. As he fights this traitor he sees a woman, one of the 'Lost', kind of spirit-beings with no consciousness who are remnants of people in comas in the real world. However this 'Lost' person is clearly able to see and hear Trace, something that has never happened before. Not only that, when Trace is mortally wounded, this woman, Ashla, is able to heal him.

Trace knows that Ashla can only exist in Shadowscape and that he can't safely stay there very long. However he is intrigued by Ashla, and when he is forcibly dragged back to reality, the world in which his political expertise is required to maintain the safety of the twin regents of the Shadowdwellers, he fears he won't see Ashla again. But Ashla is rather unique - she may be an important figure in Trace's life, as well as someone who can keep Trace and those he love safe in other ways.

Jacquelyn Frank has a very lyrical writing style, her prose is far more interesting than one often finds in this genre of book. Her descriptions of Shadowscape were particularly effective, and of Ashla's confusion as she finds herself in this grey and lonely world. Slightly less successful for this reader was the characterisation of Ashla and Trace who both felt a little one-dimensional to me. However I very much enjoyed reading this book and although it didn't tie up all the loose ends, presumably as a springboard to the next in the series, it was a really interesting and often original read.

Originally published for Curled Up With A Good Book © Helen Hancox 2008

Original, Different, a good read
Ive never read one of Jacquelyn Franks books before, i had to get my head around differnt "scapes" that these people lived in, some lived in shadow, others in light, there are some meanings that take a bit of thinking about,but i found once i got into the story and figured out what was what it is a very clever and well written book. The main characters are well written and likable, a real love comes out against all odds. i would recommend this book, just to say its very explicit in the bedroom! if you dont mind it very detailed you will enjoy a very off the wall book.I will look out for her next chapter in the series.

Disappointed
I have read several of the earlier Nightwalker books, but stopped because I was not enjoying them (Elijah, especially, was dire, and I won that in a competition!). I had hopes for this story, and the actual plot and characters were very good; interesting and engaging - or at least they would be if the author didn't feel the need to interject banal and obvious character realisations every now and then. Failing that, at least keep it in the characters voice - it was as if, every few pages, the author popped in to make sure sure we got the point. Very, very jarring, and it made the book quite easy to put down.

Also, I found the male character in particular too American, considering he was the Grand Vizer of an entirely different culture. Replying, "Yeah, sugar" is just sloppy.

Generally, I found that the writing, sadly, does not match the imagination - it could have been SO good.