Through the Veil (A Veil Novel)

Lee Ross has been terrified to awake from sleep for as long as she can remember; for each morning she is covered with horrific bruises that cannot be explained. Her battle scarred dreams and a gorgeous mystery man, haunt her even when her eyes are open. Then one morning Lee is inexplicably sucked directly into her nightmares. Kalen has loved Lee all his life. Yet he also holds a burning resentment for her as well. Each night Lee comes to aid Kalen in the resistance against the Warlords of Anqar, otherworld beings that raid Ishtan, stealing their magic possessed woman and brutality torturing their men to death. Yet when the sun begins to rise, Lee strangely disappears and leaves Kalen to deal with the death and devastation of his people alone. Kalen knows where Lee goes, yet he has no idea how she can move between the present modern world of Earth and the parallel world of Ishtan. Nor does he know how she came to reside there. All he does know is that Lee is somehow paramount to ending the war with Anqar and he will torment her waking thoughts until she is able to acknowledge the fact that her place is beside him in Ishtan. Suddenly, in the light of day, Lee appears in Ishtan wearing her pajamas and feeling quite disoriented. She believes herself to be crazy and this very real dream has convinced her that she needs to seek professional help the moment she awakes. Unfortunately this dreams turns into dire reality. I thought Lee was a very intriguing and emotionally realistic character. Other reviewers seemed irritated with Lee and grew tiresome of her seemingly constant references to herself as being crazy and her complete denial that her dreams had been real, but I'm in total disagreement. Lee would only go into a state of disbelief after a near death experience, which happened quite a few times. When I placed myself in her shoes, I'd imagine myself to react pretty similar. Here you are in foreign but somehow familiar world, and you've nearly died - countless times. Meanwhile you're trying to come to grips with your newly acquired magical abilities and dealing emotionally with a man who turns your body and mind into mush. So yeah, I'd think I was crazy too. In fact, I thought Lee was incredibly rational throughout the entire book. She was courageous, smart, and above all she was selfless. I really enjoyed Kalen as well. I could sympathize with his resentment toward Lee. She was there for Ishtan and the resistance but he needed her on such a deeper more emotional level. Yet he also knew that Lee was in the midst of discovering who she was and dealing with major internal issues. The fact that he could remain patient and be there for Lee in every possible way without demanding that his own needs be met made him a truly honorable character. `Through the Veil' is mainly about Lee's journey of self discovery. The world building was phenomenal and you found yourself believing there really is a veil dividing worlds. Also

Lee Ross knows there is something different about her. She dreams nightly of a man she longs for and then wakes up with unexplained bruises, bruises that disappear too quickly to be normal. Who is this man of her dreams? Is he friend or foe? And where is this desolate world she keeps remembering? Shiloh Walker is one of the masters at world building. Her words paint vivid pictures that draw the reader into even a world as complex as Ishtan, the world Lee finds herself in. The inhabitants of Ishtan are in a fight for their very lives with Anqar, a world run by Warlords who want to enslave the women. Ms. Walker provides a very helpful glossary to help readers acclimate themselves to the vastness of these other worlds and their residents. Be forewarned, however, as the world Lee finds herself in is a harsh, even brutal, one at times. The characters of THROUGH THE VEIL simply beg for more books so the stories of the secondary characters can be told. Lee and Kalen are very strong main characters and the love that grows between them is a powerful one. But who doesn't want to know more about the secondary characters, particularly after the revelations at the end? THROUGH THE VEIL is a darkly compelling tale. Fans of dark fantasy will appreciate the rich world Shiloh Walker has created, along with the various magics and the caste system that affect her characters. Once again, Shiloh Walker delivers a superb story! COURTESY OF CK2S KWIPS AND KRITIQUES

Lee Ross is certain she's losing her mind. She lives a quiet life of a graphic designer. While her life may seem ordinary and uneventful, she wakes almost daily with memories of wildly bizarre dreams in which she battles hideous creatures in a war-torn land, alongside a silver-eyed man who is the stuff of dreams. As strange as all of this is, Lee could probably pass it off as an overactive imagination presenting itself in her dreams, but she awakes covered in bruises and inexplicable injuries, sometimes very serious injuries. Despite their seriousness, they heal almost miraculously. While Lee is understandably confused, there's a familiarity about this beautiful stranger, almost as if she knows him. When Lee finds herself in this darkly desolate world while she's wide awake for a change, armed with physical defenses that she never knew existed and odd people she doesn't know calling her Lelia, she is more confused than ever. Kalen has never known where Lee goes when she leaves him. She has come and gone between their two worlds for years. Kalen's people and their very world are being destroyed and Lee is the key to their survival. He doesn't understand why she can't see or even feel their desperation. One thing Kalen does know is that he loves Lee; has loved her for what seems like a lifetime. All of his emotions when it comes to Lee are incredibly intense - anger at her repeatedly turning her back on their suffering people, and passion to hold her and never let her go. This is an incredible love story. Not your typical "boy meets girl" romance - thank goodness! It's difficult to come up with the words to describe the deep emotions that Shiloh brings to the surface. Yes, she makes her characters suffer repeatedly, but it serves to make their story that much richer. I highly recommend this book to all lovers of romance. It's darkly delicious and will appeal to everyone, especially those readers who enjoy rich romance with paranormal touches.

I got so caught up in this book that I think I ignored my husband for an evening while reading it. I became so mired in these vivid worlds that after finishing the book, I couldn't talk about anything else for hours. I had to pick up a non-fiction book to read next because I couldn't slip into another fictional realm just yet. I started adding the author's insanely prolific back-catalog to my wishlist. I found myself desperately wishing this to be a part of a trilogy that I had in my hands. The characters are strong and vivid, easy to love, hate, and enjoy. They're complex, such that even the best ones have their flaws and the worst ones their redeeming notes. The world-building is fascinating and intricate, providing a stunning, immersive, and difficult-to-detach-from experience. The plotting is complex and wonderful---Walker doesn't fall back on allowing the romance to be the plot, which tends to result in a story that doesn't have enough conflict or surprises, and to my mind is the most common mistake that some romance authors make. The only thing that even mildly bugged me was the length of time it took for the heroine to come to terms with what was going on with her, but to be honest, that's such an individual judgment (and it was so borderline, and done so well) that I can't even legitimately call that a negative.

I won't say that I thought this book would be fluff, because I didn't - I just didn't know it would be such a well built and involved world. Why? Judging a book by its cover (shame on me) to put it bluntly. The characters Lee and Kalen (and others) are very well planned, complex and amazingly well written. I have read Shiloh's other work - this book, IMO, is the best so far. The world building is just flat out incredible -I want to know more and you are left wanting more. The only thing that really disappointed me about this book? It ended. I was left with questions and I am hoping that this will mean there will be more stories set with these characters and their world. The reader is taken on such an involved journey from the love of a child by a parent (what won't you do for that kid), the losses in life and its complexities, to the learning of who you are (both the lighter side and the darker side) and don't forget love (Lee & Kalen are molten lava). All of this wrapped up in a world that is beyond anywhere you have imagined...yet. This is a book well done.