Book Review: Shadow of the Sun by Laura Kreitzer

Shadow of the Sun by Laura Kreitzer

Reviewed by Beth Sabatino

With Shadow of the Sun, first-time author, Laura Kreitzer, illuminates us with the first book in her Timeless series. The story starts off as her heroine, Dr. Gabriella Moretti, receives three bodies from an archeological dig in Italy. Dr. Moretti is a supernatural specialist for the Zelko Corporation, and the bodies have been sent to her for investigation. She walks into her lab and looks into the crates to find the supposed two-thousand-year-old bodies to have no decomposition whatsoever. She immediately contacts the dig to make sure she was sent the correct bodies, for these seem minutes dead and not centuries. She is soon emailed pictures of the bodies that were taken just four days prior, and images of three leathery, decayed corpses appear on her screen. Eager to find some answers, Dr. Moretti takes a tissue sample from the arm of one of the bodies, and in the time it takes her to turn around, the flesh has regenerated. For the first time in her tenure with Zelko, her skepticism is rocked to its foundation.

Dr. Moretti sells her lab and rushes to contact her supervisor, both anxious and eager to return to her lab once he arrives to see what they will find there. While waiting in her office, her assistant delivers her dry cleaning and a mysterious box. Wanting to make herself presentable after practically living at her lab as of late, Gabriella puts all thoughts of the box aside. While in the ensuite bathro

om of her office, she begins to hear noises in her office. Peeking out into the room, she sees nothing, until she realizes that the box appears to be punched open. Soon a dark creature overcomes her, a Shadow, and warns her not to wake the mysterious bodies below: angels.

Soon her boss arrives, along with the FBI who wants to take this whole operation under their jurisdiction. Due to her expertise, and Gabriella’s sudden feeling of protectiveness over the angels, she is included in the detail to move the bodies to a government facility. Hidden in the ranks of the FBI agents are a Shadow, Jeff, and an angel, Karen. Gabriella finds herself back in her office with Karen, who reveals herself. She tells Gabriella that she is her guardian angel, sent to keep her and the bodies safe. More importantly, Kreitzer uses Karen’s explanation to convey that angels are immortals who protect humanity, and their depiction in religious texts was written by her self-righteous angel brothers. With this, Kreitzer has given herself creative liberty for her world of angels to not follow the archetype that angels are the messengers of God, and in turn frees the reader to accept Kreitzer’s world as she unfolds it to us.

Karen accompanies Gabriella as she goes home to pack for the trip, and in the process is presented with the angel elders. Gabriella then is told she is the “Darkness Illuminator”. A prophesy was made stating that the Darkness Illuminator would come and be the key to end the war between the angels and the Shadows. Because Gabriella survived her visit from the Shadow, which no human and few angels have survived, they believe she is the one who will save them and bring them peace.

Gabriella finds herself on the run, not knowing who to trust as she discovers more of the lore of this hidden world of guardian immortals. Not only does their history unfold, but her own hidden past is revealed to her as well. Gabriella hides, runs, and fights with the help of a human FBI agent, Joseph, and the three crated angels come-to-life; Andrew, Ehno, and Lucia. Other angels and shadows cross their paths, but as Gabriella learns, people are not always who they seem to be. Kreitzer’s mix of narrative, flashbacks, borrowed memories, and even stored messages in inanimate objects presents the unfolding of this world, and Gabriella’s past and future, in digestible pieces. As complex as this world is, you are able to keep track of who everyone is, and the various layers of lies that mask and complicate the situation Gabriella finds herself in. You can feel her emotion coming off the page, her anxiety in your nerves, and her weariness in your bones.

Along with the larger picture of ending a supernatural war is the slow unfolding of a love story between Gabriella and Andrew. Beginning with him coming to life in time to save her from a plane crash, they find themselves on the run together. They reveal each other’s worlds to each other, and gradually, pieces of themselves. They have an actually physical connection that they ignore at first, but soon there is an emotional connection as well.

Laura Kreitzer has created a world rich with history and intrigue. Just when you think you have it figured out, she throws you for another loop and you are no longer operating in the same reality you thought existed for the story. This is an intriguing start to what promises to be a captivating book series.

Beth Sabatino is a part-time computer programmer and avid reader. She is an active blogger about what she reads and is always looking to turn people on to something new. She is also a veteran characterization participant for the Fictionista Workshop.

To follow Laura Kreitzer’s work, visit her website.