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Potentate of Atlanta #1
Shadow of Doubt
Hadley Whitaker is a liar, a killer, and a chocoholic, but she’s getting better about the first two. Or maybe she’s just getting better at them.
Some days it’s hard for her to tell fact from fiction, but only one truth matters. Goddess willing, she’s going to be the next Potentate of Atlanta. Even if it means playing nice with Midas Kinase, a shifter whose mysterious past might just be grimmer than her own.
When a bloodthirsty rogue begins hunting the city’s paranormals, Hadley ropes Midas into letting her work the case. But that rope starts to feel more like a noose as they come closer to discovering not only the rogue’s identity, but each other’s darkest secrets.
Some days it’s hard for her to tell fact from fiction, but only one truth matters. Goddess willing, she’s going to be the next Potentate of Atlanta. Even if it means playing nice with Midas Kinase, a shifter whose mysterious past might just be grimmer than her own.
When a bloodthirsty rogue begins hunting the city’s paranormals, Hadley ropes Midas into letting her work the case. But that rope starts to feel more like a noose as they come closer to discovering not only the rogue’s identity, but each other’s darkest secrets.
259 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 7, 2019
About the author
Hailey Edwards
79 books2,637 followersHailey Edwards writes about questionable applications of otherwise perfectly good magic, the transformative power of love, the family you choose for yourself, and blowing stuff up. Not necessarily all at once. That could get messy.
Hailey isn't on Goodreads.
Please email her via her website:
https://haileyedwards.net/contact-form/
Hailey isn't on Goodreads.
Please email her via her website:
https://haileyedwards.net/contact-form/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 323 reviews
April 13, 2020
A 3 ★ on the Quarantine Brain reads. Or not; I mean, some of the typical PNR problems are all here: a fascination with describing hair, MCs that are always nibbling/chewing at their lips (their own); beautiful characters; a complete absence of the word 'said'; and lots of 'swallowing pleas' for various reasons. Despite that, it entertained me and lured me into book two, so I consider that a win.
Shadow of Doubt is the start of a new series about the Potentiate of Atlanta-in Training, Amelie, formerly of the Necomancer series. It picks maybe a year after that series ended, and takes place entirely in Atlanta. Strictly speaking, it isn't necessary to have read the Necromancer books before starting this one, but book 2 of that series will certainly help. Amelie, now known as Hadley, is on her own in Atlanta, enforcing supernatural law. She gets a call that a gwyllgi has been murdered. At the scene, she crosses official paths with Midas Kinase, the beta of the local gwyllgi pack. During a staring contest with him, their fates are sealed, at least according to romance lore. PNR lore means it'll be one of those push-me-pull-you kind of relationships, and certainly, the remainder of the book bears that out.
Hadley and Midas are both deeply scarred people. I feel like there was some serious ret-conning here that wasn't mentioned at all in the Necromancer series; had Hadley been an entirely new character, I would have found it much easier to go with the flow. Because of their challenges, although there is Insta-attraction, there is no Insta-Consummation, which may frustrate the average PNR reader. I'd call it a very slow burn, I suppose, which means much like earlier Kate Daniels, this book is more about the plot and Hadley finding her professional footing.
There's a couple of points where Hadley sounds a lot like Grier in the Necromancer series... it could be because that's just a twenty-one year-old voice. Or it could be because Edwards is pushing out her books fast and with ingredients from the standard pantry. In fact, given the apparent serial-killer nature of the opposition, the book feels a lot like the first Kate Daniels, Magic Bites. Take that for what you will. I will say the second was a nice improvement in all fronts, but the third isn't released yet. If you like a completed arc, you may want to wait.
Two and a half shadows, rounding up because it's just not a 2 star read.
Shadow of Doubt is the start of a new series about the Potentiate of Atlanta-in Training, Amelie, formerly of the Necomancer series. It picks maybe a year after that series ended, and takes place entirely in Atlanta. Strictly speaking, it isn't necessary to have read the Necromancer books before starting this one, but book 2 of that series will certainly help. Amelie, now known as Hadley, is on her own in Atlanta, enforcing supernatural law. She gets a call that a gwyllgi has been murdered. At the scene, she crosses official paths with Midas Kinase, the beta of the local gwyllgi pack. During a staring contest with him, their fates are sealed, at least according to romance lore. PNR lore means it'll be one of those push-me-pull-you kind of relationships, and certainly, the remainder of the book bears that out.
Hadley and Midas are both deeply scarred people. I feel like there was some serious ret-conning here that wasn't mentioned at all in the Necromancer series; had Hadley been an entirely new character, I would have found it much easier to go with the flow. Because of their challenges, although there is Insta-attraction, there is no Insta-Consummation, which may frustrate the average PNR reader. I'd call it a very slow burn, I suppose, which means much like earlier Kate Daniels, this book is more about the plot and Hadley finding her professional footing.
There's a couple of points where Hadley sounds a lot like Grier in the Necromancer series... it could be because that's just a twenty-one year-old voice. Or it could be because Edwards is pushing out her books fast and with ingredients from the standard pantry. In fact, given the apparent serial-killer nature of the opposition, the book feels a lot like the first Kate Daniels, Magic Bites. Take that for what you will. I will say the second was a nice improvement in all fronts, but the third isn't released yet. If you like a completed arc, you may want to wait.
Two and a half shadows, rounding up because it's just not a 2 star read.
January 19, 2022
Well wasn't this book an unexpected delight!!!!
My first book from Ms Edwards but definitely not my last! I thoroughly enjoyed the first story in this series, it was easy to read, captivating, great world building and quite unique with the various characters, especially Ambrose!
I am so excited to get to book 2, I have it ready and I'll be picking it up very soon!!
My first book from Ms Edwards but definitely not my last! I thoroughly enjoyed the first story in this series, it was easy to read, captivating, great world building and quite unique with the various characters, especially Ambrose!
I am so excited to get to book 2, I have it ready and I'll be picking it up very soon!!
August 22, 2019
WOW! I wasn’t expecting to like this as much as I did; because I know Hadley’s story, but I have to say I like where the author is going in redeeming this character, giving use more on her background, & introducing use to the gwyllgi and a possible romance.
The action and mystery on who the killer is and what their goal is was great and well done. I didn’t see that someone was playing all the other characters.
Do you need to read The Beginners Guide to Necromancy series before reading this spin-off? No!
Would I recommend reading The Beginners Guide to Necromancy? Yes!
This series can stand on its own and Edwards does a great job giving newbies to the series a run down of important events and connections. For me thou I’m glad I read The Beginners Guide to Necromancy first. I had the pleasure of knowing Hadley's flaws and seeing connections; then if I started with this series.
Shadow of Doubt was a wonderful debut to Hadley, Atlanta, and all it's characters. I had a blast and can't wait to see what's next.
Rated: 4.5 Stars
The action and mystery on who the killer is and what their goal is was great and well done. I didn’t see that someone was playing all the other characters.
Do you need to read The Beginners Guide to Necromancy series before reading this spin-off? No!
Would I recommend reading The Beginners Guide to Necromancy? Yes!
This series can stand on its own and Edwards does a great job giving newbies to the series a run down of important events and connections. For me thou I’m glad I read The Beginners Guide to Necromancy first. I had the pleasure of knowing Hadley's flaws and seeing connections; then if I started with this series.
Shadow of Doubt was a wonderful debut to Hadley, Atlanta, and all it's characters. I had a blast and can't wait to see what's next.
Rated: 4.5 Stars
April 30, 2022
While this is first in a new series, it has strong ties to The Beginners Guide to Necromancy. Linus is a big presence in this, even if (mostly) remote. And Hadley is a reformed Amelie under cover to give her a new start in life. I recommend reading that series first. You won't regret it.
I never much liked Amelie and was worried/hoped that Hadley would be a weird break of a new start. I'm gratified to find that this has her with the right amount of baggage and hope to be better. I particularly like that she's not running from who she was. I mean, she can't really, with Linus right there supporting her reformation and fully aware of who she was (and who she wants to be). I ended up appreciating that backdrop when I thought it'd be something I had to get over or ignore.
I liked this as the setup for a new series, too. The mystery was good and it had a twist I hadn't seen coming but appreciated. That's always nice. The pace is slow-ish, though I'm coming to see that as a feature of the author. It gives all the interpersonal stuff time and attention and since she's pretty good with that stuff, I find that a strength.
This is the first time I've seen the author do multiple PoVs and I found that jarring. It doesn't help that she puts Midas's sections in third-person and it's a jarring shift. On the one hand, this helps resolve the signaling for love triangle and that Ford isn't going to be something the author is going to tease endlessly (because she has already shown that Midas has primacy). And that's good. I get the feeling, though, that it was necessary because Midas otherwise comes off as rather distant and that really couldn't be ameliorated without getting inside his head a bit. I'm not sure if this solution is a good one or not. We'll see as the series progresses, I suppose.
I ended up liking Hadley more than I expected and that let me sink into the story better than expected. This ends up with four stars and a lot more hope than I thought I'd have for the new stories.
A note about Chaste: Hadley is more interested in succeeding at her new job than in any kind of complicating romance. And romance with Midas would be particularly complicating. So there's not much romance, let alone any steam, in the story. So this is very chaste and we'll see how the foreshadowed slow-burn goes.
I never much liked Amelie and was worried/hoped that Hadley would be a weird break of a new start. I'm gratified to find that this has her with the right amount of baggage and hope to be better. I particularly like that she's not running from who she was. I mean, she can't really, with Linus right there supporting her reformation and fully aware of who she was (and who she wants to be). I ended up appreciating that backdrop when I thought it'd be something I had to get over or ignore.
I liked this as the setup for a new series, too. The mystery was good and it had a twist I hadn't seen coming but appreciated. That's always nice. The pace is slow-ish, though I'm coming to see that as a feature of the author. It gives all the interpersonal stuff time and attention and since she's pretty good with that stuff, I find that a strength.
This is the first time I've seen the author do multiple PoVs and I found that jarring. It doesn't help that she puts Midas's sections in third-person and it's a jarring shift. On the one hand, this helps resolve the signaling for love triangle and that Ford isn't going to be something the author is going to tease endlessly (because she has already shown that Midas has primacy). And that's good. I get the feeling, though, that it was necessary because Midas otherwise comes off as rather distant and that really couldn't be ameliorated without getting inside his head a bit. I'm not sure if this solution is a good one or not. We'll see as the series progresses, I suppose.
I ended up liking Hadley more than I expected and that let me sink into the story better than expected. This ends up with four stars and a lot more hope than I thought I'd have for the new stories.
A note about Chaste: Hadley is more interested in succeeding at her new job than in any kind of complicating romance. And romance with Midas would be particularly complicating. So there's not much romance, let alone any steam, in the story. So this is very chaste and we'll see how the foreshadowed slow-burn goes.
January 19, 2020
Shadow of Doubt by Hailey Edwards
First book in The Potentate of Atlanta series. Urban fantasy. A spin off from The Beginners Guide to Necromancy series.
I wasn’t aware this book was connected and while I didn’t have a problem following the story, I did have a feeling occasionally that I was missing background or depth from the conversations.
Turns out not only is it a spin off, the main character, Hadley, is directly pulled from prior books, but renamed here so she can reinvent herself.
I did enjoy the power Hadley employed as an influencer as well as her ability to investigate and solve the mystery. Her draw to Midas spoke of a future romance and while my vote was for Ford, he has secrets and an underhanded reason for befriending Hadley.
Overall I enjoyed the mystery and the world building and that while the specific case was solved, as an urban fantasy series, there a plenty of situations and questions remaining to be solved and developed.
I will go back and read the prior series before continuing this one for the background. Specially because I have questions on her shadow and it’s powers.
I listened to the Audio narrated by Rebecca Mitchell who did a great job with emotion and the cadence of the various voices.
First book in The Potentate of Atlanta series. Urban fantasy. A spin off from The Beginners Guide to Necromancy series.
I wasn’t aware this book was connected and while I didn’t have a problem following the story, I did have a feeling occasionally that I was missing background or depth from the conversations.
Turns out not only is it a spin off, the main character, Hadley, is directly pulled from prior books, but renamed here so she can reinvent herself.
I did enjoy the power Hadley employed as an influencer as well as her ability to investigate and solve the mystery. Her draw to Midas spoke of a future romance and while my vote was for Ford, he has secrets and an underhanded reason for befriending Hadley.
Overall I enjoyed the mystery and the world building and that while the specific case was solved, as an urban fantasy series, there a plenty of situations and questions remaining to be solved and developed.
I will go back and read the prior series before continuing this one for the background. Specially because I have questions on her shadow and it’s powers.
I listened to the Audio narrated by Rebecca Mitchell who did a great job with emotion and the cadence of the various voices.
October 4, 2019
I’ve really come to enjoy Edwards brand of urban fantasy. Her storylines, characters and world is refreshing, filled with a little snark and action-packed and in this case a mystery to solve.
Hadley Whitaker is the new POA in training and she comes with baggage, lots of it. While it’s not necessary to read Edwards’ previous series, it gives you some insight into Hadley’s previous identity and issues.
I was worried I wouldn’t connect with Hadley, but this didn’t turn out to be the case, and I am finding I want this chocolate loving, crafty gal to succeed. The case of the dead females supernaturals turned out to be an interesting one with plenty of twists. It allowed us to me characters, some old, but most new and I am already excited at potential alliances, romances and more. I adored Ford and Midas and hope Hadley’s secrets don’t come back to bite her in the arse!
An interesting threat has presented itself and I am curious to see how it develops. While this book wrapped up the current investigation I am looking forward to diving into the Hadley’s next adventure in the Potentate of Atlanta series.
This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer
Hadley Whitaker is the new POA in training and she comes with baggage, lots of it. While it’s not necessary to read Edwards’ previous series, it gives you some insight into Hadley’s previous identity and issues.
I was worried I wouldn’t connect with Hadley, but this didn’t turn out to be the case, and I am finding I want this chocolate loving, crafty gal to succeed. The case of the dead females supernaturals turned out to be an interesting one with plenty of twists. It allowed us to me characters, some old, but most new and I am already excited at potential alliances, romances and more. I adored Ford and Midas and hope Hadley’s secrets don’t come back to bite her in the arse!
An interesting threat has presented itself and I am curious to see how it develops. While this book wrapped up the current investigation I am looking forward to diving into the Hadley’s next adventure in the Potentate of Atlanta series.
This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer
August 13, 2019
Great start to a new series. I will admit I did not think I would like Hadley given her former incarnation as Boaz's sister and all the baggage she carried (from Edwards other series). But she does carry that remorse with her and I hope she uses those feelings to give her second chance a REAL second chance. My only misgivings are that Midas has a gut feeling there's more to Hadley than she's telling, and while I understand her reasons, it may come back to haunt her down the line. 4.5 stars
December 4, 2021
3.75
I had a few false starts trying to read this book, but after I got a bit into the story I couldn't really put it down.
I enjoyed Hadley as a character, and it was nice to see how she was growing into her own as an apprentice POA. I remember enough of the details from the last series to not be overwhelmed by the magic system and world building- or the large smattering of characters.
I also feel the potential for Midas to step up in the romance department- and I'm glad we got some POV from his point of view
Looking forward to the next one!
"Territorial males. They’re so cute. Except not."
I had a few false starts trying to read this book, but after I got a bit into the story I couldn't really put it down.
I enjoyed Hadley as a character, and it was nice to see how she was growing into her own as an apprentice POA. I remember enough of the details from the last series to not be overwhelmed by the magic system and world building- or the large smattering of characters.
I also feel the potential for Midas to step up in the romance department- and I'm glad we got some POV from his point of view
Looking forward to the next one!
August 20, 2019
3.5/5.0
I absolutely adore the books this series spins off of but Hadley (Amelie in the last series) was NOT a sympathetic character in those so I was wary of diving into a whole new series with her as the main character. I absolutely loved Midas, however, and from the minute he stepped foot the the page books ago he intrigued me so I decided to give it a try.
While I enjoyed the story and loved visiting the amazing world Ms. Edwards has set up again, the plot was really slow moving . Hadley’s world, job and character relationships were established, though, so that was good. It does promise some awesome possibilities for the future!
SO..... at the end of this story - Jury’s still out on Hadley but there is enough spark between her and Midas that I will definately keep reading.
I absolutely adore the books this series spins off of but Hadley (Amelie in the last series) was NOT a sympathetic character in those so I was wary of diving into a whole new series with her as the main character. I absolutely loved Midas, however, and from the minute he stepped foot the the page books ago he intrigued me so I decided to give it a try.
While I enjoyed the story and loved visiting the amazing world Ms. Edwards has set up again, the plot was really slow moving . Hadley’s world, job and character relationships were established, though, so that was good. It does promise some awesome possibilities for the future!
SO..... at the end of this story - Jury’s still out on Hadley but there is enough spark between her and Midas that I will definately keep reading.
August 12, 2019
No lie, I did NOT think I'd like Hadley nearly as much as I did. I mean, I assumed I'd eventually like her, but I didn't expect to come out of the gate rooting for the lady. Mostly because she did some extremely questionable things that had wide reaching effects and she ended up hurting a certain someone badly with her actions. Which I didn't like.
BUT...I liked her. She's genuinely remorseful about what she did and the fallout it caused. We're also getting into her head which gives us glimpses as to why she went to the extremes she went to.
Those glimpses are making me very eager to see her reach a point where she and Midas can talk openly. Because, GUESS WHAT? Midas is a bit of a mess, too. After becoming his mother's second when his sister broke off to start her own pack, Midas is...well, he's not too comfortable in his skin right now. Why? We don't yet know, but it looks like it's going to be a doozy when we do find out and I'm just ITCHING for Hadley and Midas to hit that point in their weird relationship.
Will there be road blocks? OF COURSE. A woman who has to lie about pretty much everything and a man who holds his cards VERY close to the vest. Things are bound to get sticky. And messy, if the end up working on any more cases like this one.
Plus, there's a certain amplification issue that needs to be resolved. I don't expect things will be easy in any way, shape, or form, but I'm 100% here for the ride. Because WOW. This was a good book.
-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal
BUT...I liked her. She's genuinely remorseful about what she did and the fallout it caused. We're also getting into her head which gives us glimpses as to why she went to the extremes she went to.
Those glimpses are making me very eager to see her reach a point where she and Midas can talk openly. Because, GUESS WHAT? Midas is a bit of a mess, too. After becoming his mother's second when his sister broke off to start her own pack, Midas is...well, he's not too comfortable in his skin right now. Why? We don't yet know, but it looks like it's going to be a doozy when we do find out and I'm just ITCHING for Hadley and Midas to hit that point in their weird relationship.
Will there be road blocks? OF COURSE. A woman who has to lie about pretty much everything and a man who holds his cards VERY close to the vest. Things are bound to get sticky. And messy, if the end up working on any more cases like this one.
Plus, there's a certain amplification issue that needs to be resolved. I don't expect things will be easy in any way, shape, or form, but I'm 100% here for the ride. Because WOW. This was a good book.
-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal
October 28, 2019
I enjoyed this one more than I did Grier's books. I liked Hadley and Midas. I can't wait to read about their backstory.
May 12, 2020
Good banter, interesting twist on the shifter set-up.
Looking forward to the next but I may go read the original series first.
Looking forward to the next but I may go read the original series first.
August 9, 2019
Great start to what promises to be a fun series. 😊 I look forward to book 2
November 27, 2019
This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
3.5 hearts
I loved the Beginner's Guide to Necromancy series. They are all on Kindle Unlimited as well as this new series, The Potentate of Atlanta . It is with some characters from the original series.
Hadley, ie. Amelie, is now living in Atlanta training to be the POA. We don't really know her all that well and now we begin to learn about her. Her childhood is not really an excuse but it certainly played into her bad choices. Atlanta is a fresh start, but not an easy choice.
I enjoyed getting to know her and loved her little business with its sewing aspects. I find her interactions with the pack to be a little odd. I don't think I'm on board with any of her romantic prospects at this point.
The murder mystery was her first case in charge. It felt bumbly, even if it wasn't. Hadley checked for all the forensic type information, interviewed those who might know something, and she did make reasonable deductions. It just felt like all reaction, rather than smart investigating. The visit by Linus was great and she did do a good job of working things out in the end.
I'll be interested to see how things progress. Hadley is an advocate for women / girls and so is Midas. The pack has ripples of unease from Lethe moving to Savannah. Shadow of Doubt is an apt title and a good beginning.
Narration:
Rebecca Mitchell is Grier for me and also Linus. I barely distinguished her Hadley from her Grier voice. Ford sounded too much like Boaz for me. She did perform both male and female voices well. I listened at my normal 1.5x speed.
Listen to a clip: HERE
Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
3.5 hearts
I loved the Beginner's Guide to Necromancy series. They are all on Kindle Unlimited as well as this new series, The Potentate of Atlanta . It is with some characters from the original series.
Hadley, ie. Amelie, is now living in Atlanta training to be the POA. We don't really know her all that well and now we begin to learn about her. Her childhood is not really an excuse but it certainly played into her bad choices. Atlanta is a fresh start, but not an easy choice.
I enjoyed getting to know her and loved her little business with its sewing aspects. I find her interactions with the pack to be a little odd. I don't think I'm on board with any of her romantic prospects at this point.
The murder mystery was her first case in charge. It felt bumbly, even if it wasn't. Hadley checked for all the forensic type information, interviewed those who might know something, and she did make reasonable deductions. It just felt like all reaction, rather than smart investigating. The visit by Linus was great and she did do a good job of working things out in the end.
I'll be interested to see how things progress. Hadley is an advocate for women / girls and so is Midas. The pack has ripples of unease from Lethe moving to Savannah. Shadow of Doubt is an apt title and a good beginning.
Narration:
Rebecca Mitchell is Grier for me and also Linus. I barely distinguished her Hadley from her Grier voice. Ford sounded too much like Boaz for me. She did perform both male and female voices well. I listened at my normal 1.5x speed.
Listen to a clip: HERE
March 1, 2022
First off please beware of Spoilers in my reviews. I can’t read books or watch films without reading all the spoilers first, (and then skimming through the books back to front), and I figure you have to be what you seek, so I make a point of including as many spoilers as I can for like minded fellow readers.
Also this is my review for the volumes 1-5 in this series:
This series is a spin-off from HE’s “beginner’s guide to necromancy” (I think? I can’t remember the exact title of the series) which I HATED with the passion of a thousand suns. I’m not eloquent enough to describe why I took offense with that series, perhaps it was all the gimmicky fillers, exhausted tropes, writing by number, cardboard characters, and deus-ex-machinas. The heroine in that series Grier, had been childhood best friends with the heroine in this one, and in love/lust/crush with this heroine’s brother. Her love interest in that book, or the Hero, is this heroine’s mentor here. Suffice it to say I hated all the characters in there: Grier was a petulant, self-righteous, one dimensional, undeveloped character, who had undergone unbelievable hardships, but remained immature and unlikeable throughout that series. I reached the conclusion that HE couldn’t write anything that I would ever like.
The thing is that while skimming back to front I had accidentally read a few pages of the sneak peak to this Spinoff, which was was at the end of one of those books, first, and had liked it enough that I committed to reading the series, thinking that series was this one. By he time I realised my mistake I had to skim that series to make heads and tails of it and then o begun on this one, expecting the worst. Imagine my surprise when I couldn’t stop myself from turning the pages. Hadley is the name our present heroine is bearing in Atlanta, her character is alive, she’s growing, she’s likeable, her hero is charming, damaged and fleshed out, the plot is fast paced and entertaining, yes the details get too gory, especially in the second book, but the secondary characters are all very entertaining too, I Loved her mentor in this book, (the hero in the original series), whereas I had been indifferent and irritated by him in his own stories.
I don’t know what happened, this series is consistently good until the fifth book which is the last one I’ve read so far, and even when Grier (the BGTN heroine) and her new best friend (who is the hero in this book’s sister!) put an appearance down the road it still holds up, granted with a few near misses but overall it was fine. So either the editors upped their game or HE took more interest and made more of an effort. But I highly recommend this series for a fun, entertaining read. I’m afraid there are aspects of it which would be lost on you if you haven’t read BGTN first so that’s a con. Okay, so basically the only things which would be confusing to you in that case is SPOILER ALERT: Hadley’s family situation, she was disowned by her family upon it being discovered that she had illegally bonded with a shadow, and then later on her brother negotiated an arranged marriage whereby in return for his hand his sister who used to be called Amelie could take on the identity of his future bride’s recently deceased sister, Hadley, and start a new life. (Hadley/Amelie and her brother boaz were from low society and Grier belonged to high society, boaz and Grier couldn’t have wed and he tried to make the best of the cards handed to him to which Grier took offense and broke her lifelong friendship with Hadley/Amelie) you can easily skip the inner workings of the Society and all the politics, customs and schemings in this series and can pick up enough to get you through the story.
Also this is my review for the volumes 1-5 in this series:
This series is a spin-off from HE’s “beginner’s guide to necromancy” (I think? I can’t remember the exact title of the series) which I HATED with the passion of a thousand suns. I’m not eloquent enough to describe why I took offense with that series, perhaps it was all the gimmicky fillers, exhausted tropes, writing by number, cardboard characters, and deus-ex-machinas. The heroine in that series Grier, had been childhood best friends with the heroine in this one, and in love/lust/crush with this heroine’s brother. Her love interest in that book, or the Hero, is this heroine’s mentor here. Suffice it to say I hated all the characters in there: Grier was a petulant, self-righteous, one dimensional, undeveloped character, who had undergone unbelievable hardships, but remained immature and unlikeable throughout that series. I reached the conclusion that HE couldn’t write anything that I would ever like.
The thing is that while skimming back to front I had accidentally read a few pages of the sneak peak to this Spinoff, which was was at the end of one of those books, first, and had liked it enough that I committed to reading the series, thinking that series was this one. By he time I realised my mistake I had to skim that series to make heads and tails of it and then o begun on this one, expecting the worst. Imagine my surprise when I couldn’t stop myself from turning the pages. Hadley is the name our present heroine is bearing in Atlanta, her character is alive, she’s growing, she’s likeable, her hero is charming, damaged and fleshed out, the plot is fast paced and entertaining, yes the details get too gory, especially in the second book, but the secondary characters are all very entertaining too, I Loved her mentor in this book, (the hero in the original series), whereas I had been indifferent and irritated by him in his own stories.
I don’t know what happened, this series is consistently good until the fifth book which is the last one I’ve read so far, and even when Grier (the BGTN heroine) and her new best friend (who is the hero in this book’s sister!) put an appearance down the road it still holds up, granted with a few near misses but overall it was fine. So either the editors upped their game or HE took more interest and made more of an effort. But I highly recommend this series for a fun, entertaining read. I’m afraid there are aspects of it which would be lost on you if you haven’t read BGTN first so that’s a con. Okay, so basically the only things which would be confusing to you in that case is SPOILER ALERT: Hadley’s family situation, she was disowned by her family upon it being discovered that she had illegally bonded with a shadow, and then later on her brother negotiated an arranged marriage whereby in return for his hand his sister who used to be called Amelie could take on the identity of his future bride’s recently deceased sister, Hadley, and start a new life. (Hadley/Amelie and her brother boaz were from low society and Grier belonged to high society, boaz and Grier couldn’t have wed and he tried to make the best of the cards handed to him to which Grier took offense and broke her lifelong friendship with Hadley/Amelie) you can easily skip the inner workings of the Society and all the politics, customs and schemings in this series and can pick up enough to get you through the story.
August 9, 2022
It took me a really long time to pick this book up, even though the series it is spun off from is one of my favorites.
The reason for that is because I hated the character of Amelie, who becomes Hadley to give her a chance at a new life in this series. I didn't think I would like this book, because Amelie did some shit, awful things - hurting people who cared about her and killing people - but never really (imo) took responsibility for it. She likes to hold herself up as a victim, as if she isn't responsible for her choices. She was bitter and envious towards Grier - who had her whole life ripped away and spent years being tortured in a hellhole prison - and even when Grier bent over backwards to help
Amelie/Hadley, she was still a bitter, whiny bitch about it.
I also didn't like that she did all the shitty things to gain power, and now she had it and was being rewarded with a powerful position. That was repugnant to me.
So I didn't think I would like this at all. And for the first 20% or so, she was still that same whiny "my life has been so hard, it sucks, why are things so unfairly hard for me" asshole ... bitching about people watching her like parole officers, her having a small apartment (for free), etc. This bitch should be in jail or dead. The whining was not impressive.
Fortunately, after that, the murders and her need to do work took prominence ... and we got a lot less whining. The story was awesome, and I like Midas and Ford. And when Hadley had something to focus on, she stopped wallowing in bullshit and I liked her quite a bit. And by the end, I was fully invested - I liked the new her, the one trying to work for justice. I liked the rest of the characters in this book. And I'm interested to see where this goes.
Plus, the glimpses of Linus are always welcome... I love Linus and Greer forever.
The reason for that is because I hated the character of Amelie, who becomes Hadley to give her a chance at a new life in this series. I didn't think I would like this book, because Amelie did some shit, awful things - hurting people who cared about her and killing people - but never really (imo) took responsibility for it. She likes to hold herself up as a victim, as if she isn't responsible for her choices. She was bitter and envious towards Grier - who had her whole life ripped away and spent years being tortured in a hellhole prison - and even when Grier bent over backwards to help
Amelie/Hadley, she was still a bitter, whiny bitch about it.
I also didn't like that she did all the shitty things to gain power, and now she had it and was being rewarded with a powerful position. That was repugnant to me.
So I didn't think I would like this at all. And for the first 20% or so, she was still that same whiny "my life has been so hard, it sucks, why are things so unfairly hard for me" asshole ... bitching about people watching her like parole officers, her having a small apartment (for free), etc. This bitch should be in jail or dead. The whining was not impressive.
Fortunately, after that, the murders and her need to do work took prominence ... and we got a lot less whining. The story was awesome, and I like Midas and Ford. And when Hadley had something to focus on, she stopped wallowing in bullshit and I liked her quite a bit. And by the end, I was fully invested - I liked the new her, the one trying to work for justice. I liked the rest of the characters in this book. And I'm interested to see where this goes.
Plus, the glimpses of Linus are always welcome... I love Linus and Greer forever.
September 3, 2019
Review originally posted at https://smexybooks.com/2019/08/angela...
I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about this book being that the main character was kind of a bad guy in the previous series. For those of you who aren’t familiar, Shadow of Doubt is the first book in the Beginners Guide to Necromancy spinoff series. Hadley (Amelie) featured prominently in that series and not in a good way. But she’s looking for redemption and Linus wants to be with his new fiancée in Savannah, so she’s in Atlanta, learning to become its new protector.
But in true Hailey Edwards fashion, she reeled me in right from the beginning and had me rooting for Hadley. Add in the delicious broodiness of Midas Kinase and the chemistry brewing between him and Hadley and woooo boy am I hooked.
Hadley is creating a new life in an environment that readers will find familiar. She’s living at the Faraday and working closely with Linus’s allies in the city, all while under the supervision of Linus himself. When a series of murders takes place Hadley is called upon as Potentate to investigate. This brings her in contact with the local gywlligi pack and its beta and heir, Midas Kinase. Suddenly she finds herself with a new partner, and knee deep in blood, body parts, and warg/fae/gywlligi politics.
I enjoyed being reintroduced to Linus’s colleagues in Atlanta and the greater look into the gywlligi pack. The mystery was solid and the romance between Midas and Hadley intriguing. I wonder if it will be as addicting as Grier and Linus. All in all this was a fabulous first book in a series and I am more than ready for what comes next.
Final Grade- B
Favorite Quote:
I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about this book being that the main character was kind of a bad guy in the previous series. For those of you who aren’t familiar, Shadow of Doubt is the first book in the Beginners Guide to Necromancy spinoff series. Hadley (Amelie) featured prominently in that series and not in a good way. But she’s looking for redemption and Linus wants to be with his new fiancée in Savannah, so she’s in Atlanta, learning to become its new protector.
But in true Hailey Edwards fashion, she reeled me in right from the beginning and had me rooting for Hadley. Add in the delicious broodiness of Midas Kinase and the chemistry brewing between him and Hadley and woooo boy am I hooked.
Hadley is creating a new life in an environment that readers will find familiar. She’s living at the Faraday and working closely with Linus’s allies in the city, all while under the supervision of Linus himself. When a series of murders takes place Hadley is called upon as Potentate to investigate. This brings her in contact with the local gywlligi pack and its beta and heir, Midas Kinase. Suddenly she finds herself with a new partner, and knee deep in blood, body parts, and warg/fae/gywlligi politics.
I enjoyed being reintroduced to Linus’s colleagues in Atlanta and the greater look into the gywlligi pack. The mystery was solid and the romance between Midas and Hadley intriguing. I wonder if it will be as addicting as Grier and Linus. All in all this was a fabulous first book in a series and I am more than ready for what comes next.
Final Grade- B
Favorite Quote:
Bent, not broken. That was me. I hoped it was me. I wanted it to be.
August 20, 2019
"Shadow of Doubt" reminds me of the enjoyment I found in Ms. Edwards' Gemini series, which was a spin-off of another series. SoD has a serial killer, a super-sleuthing heroine with a secret, and a handsome shifter. The Potente of Atlanta series is wrapped different. While the goodies inside bear similarities to the Gemini series it also had some new twists to the characters.
SoD is a spin-off of another series. While reading characters are mentioned as if the reader should know them. After research, it turns out that How to Save an Undead Life is book 1 of the series that started this necromancer, gwyllgi (similar to wargs), vampire, fae, and human, world. It was slightly underwhelming to me so I didn't continue reading the original series. The Potentate of Atlanta, #1 is very enjoyable! The mystery, the detective work, the pacing, the characters are twisty and engaging. I'm looking forward to the next book in this series!
SoD is a spin-off of another series. While reading characters are mentioned as if the reader should know them. After research, it turns out that How to Save an Undead Life is book 1 of the series that started this necromancer, gwyllgi (similar to wargs), vampire, fae, and human, world. It was slightly underwhelming to me so I didn't continue reading the original series. The Potentate of Atlanta, #1 is very enjoyable! The mystery, the detective work, the pacing, the characters are twisty and engaging. I'm looking forward to the next book in this series!
August 12, 2019
When I heard about this book I was very interested to see how it would go. How Hadley would take her second chance at things. I have to say, I think she is doing great! I didn't like how isolated she was at the start, but that seemed to be self imposed. I sort of get why she would make that choice, but a person has to have some sort of friends to fall back on. During the book I think she found some, but with those friends come all sorts of complications, ones that are fun for us readers, but for Hadley not so much.
I really liked the chat between Linus and Hadley at the end. I thought he gave her some good advice and let her know how much faith he had in her.
I look forward to reading more in this series, to see where Hadley's life takes her.
I really liked the chat between Linus and Hadley at the end. I thought he gave her some good advice and let her know how much faith he had in her.
I look forward to reading more in this series, to see where Hadley's life takes her.
December 29, 2019
I thought it would be similar to an ilona andrews book but that fell through. It should've been stated that this book was a spinoff/continuation of another series - was difficult to read because of random names and facts thrown around without explanation. The story didn't hook me in as much as I thought it would.
🤷🏻♀️
🤷🏻♀️
January 13, 2021
2.5 or 3 stars
It needs worldbuilding.
I didnt know that this series was a spin-off, it feels like something is missing, like this is a second book in a series or that I should read the previous series.
It needs worldbuilding.
I didnt know that this series was a spin-off, it feels like something is missing, like this is a second book in a series or that I should read the previous series.
September 15, 2019
Review posted on Got Fiction? book blog
This is book 1 in the spin-off series of the Beginner's Guide to Necromancy and if you’ve followed that story, this features Amelie.
If you haven’t, you’re missing out! But joking aside, you won’t be confused, but you’ll be missing why Hadley was Amelie, and why she’s atoning for something huge.
At the end of the last book, Hadley told Linus and Grier that she wanted to take over the position of Potentate of Atlanta (Linus’ job). It’s not just a job, though, since the person has to bond with the city itself. Hadley wants out of Savannah and wants away from her family and her mistakes.
She has a year to learn. She isn’t super magical like Grier, but she’s not powerless either. In fact she has something completely different. She has Ambrose. (not spoiling that in case you don’t know yet)
The local gwyllegi (a sort of cross between a fae creature from faerie and a werewolf) have a murder on their hands. Normally they’d take care of their own, but the beta is Midas (beta here means second in command, heir to be next alpha). Midas is trying to work things differently than his mother, so he’s involving the office of the Potentate of Atlanta, and trying to work together. But he senses something about her. Something both familiar and intriguing. He sends one of his pack to partner with her for this case, and doesn’t realize it, but creates a love triangle.
This book is slower than I expected, since it relies on the previous series so the world-building is already there. But interestingly enough, I don’t feel there’s any repetition, so people coming in new to this series might not be confused, but they won’t be caught up on past acts either.
I’d have liked more action at the end, with all that build-up, but other than that, it’s a solid book and an intriguing new direction to take. I’m excited for more of Hadley, and I’m loving watching her grow into her potential.
***I got the book through Kindle Unlimited
This is book 1 in the spin-off series of the Beginner's Guide to Necromancy and if you’ve followed that story, this features Amelie.
If you haven’t, you’re missing out! But joking aside, you won’t be confused, but you’ll be missing why Hadley was Amelie, and why she’s atoning for something huge.
At the end of the last book, Hadley told Linus and Grier that she wanted to take over the position of Potentate of Atlanta (Linus’ job). It’s not just a job, though, since the person has to bond with the city itself. Hadley wants out of Savannah and wants away from her family and her mistakes.
She has a year to learn. She isn’t super magical like Grier, but she’s not powerless either. In fact she has something completely different. She has Ambrose. (not spoiling that in case you don’t know yet)
The local gwyllegi (a sort of cross between a fae creature from faerie and a werewolf) have a murder on their hands. Normally they’d take care of their own, but the beta is Midas (beta here means second in command, heir to be next alpha). Midas is trying to work things differently than his mother, so he’s involving the office of the Potentate of Atlanta, and trying to work together. But he senses something about her. Something both familiar and intriguing. He sends one of his pack to partner with her for this case, and doesn’t realize it, but creates a love triangle.
This book is slower than I expected, since it relies on the previous series so the world-building is already there. But interestingly enough, I don’t feel there’s any repetition, so people coming in new to this series might not be confused, but they won’t be caught up on past acts either.
I’d have liked more action at the end, with all that build-up, but other than that, it’s a solid book and an intriguing new direction to take. I’m excited for more of Hadley, and I’m loving watching her grow into her potential.
***I got the book through Kindle Unlimited
February 18, 2020
4 Stars... I will preface this review by stating that this series is a spin-off of the "Beginner's Guide to Necromancy" series... I strongly encourage readers to read that series first before reading this one... That being said, I really enjoyed this book and the characters that we get to continue observing… Hadley is smart, strong, witty, and independent yet maintains a sense of vulnerability and continued grief over her past choices... We see a more mature side of her; a woman who has learned some hard life lessons and grown as a result... We also get a more in depth look at Midas and are given hints to his tortured past; we also hear his POV which allows us to understand some of his inner turmoil with becoming the heir to the pack... These characters are set in an intriguing storyline with a fascinating supernatural mystery that takes some interesting twists at the end... I look forward to continuing this series and watching these characters overcome their personal obstacles:)
August 8, 2019
I’ve just finished the second book by this author in a row, and both books speak so much to how versatile this author is. But, I will concentrate on this book which is the first in a spinoff of the author’s Beginner’s Guide series. I like how this is similar to that and yet different enough to feel like a brand new series. Hadley is a flawed character who is trying to atone for her sins and become a better person, and by the end I think she’ll make it; I’ve forgiven her. I adored Ford and Midas as her love interests for very different reasons, but I do have a definite favorite. With an interesting plot and a devious villain, I was hooked from beginning to end. I believe fans of TBGTN will enjoy this series starter very much. Highly recommend!
April 12, 2021
I realized pretty early on in reading this book that it's a spinoff, but I finished it anyway. It's a fun book with a really interesting world, so I'm reading the other series before continuing this one. But I will continue.
I love the main characters in this story and the vulnerability they show. They're also incredibly tough, rising above their damage just to get along day to day. It makes for a really engrossing read.
Looking forward to reading more of this new-to-me author.
I love the main characters in this story and the vulnerability they show. They're also incredibly tough, rising above their damage just to get along day to day. It makes for a really engrossing read.
Looking forward to reading more of this new-to-me author.
September 26, 2019
I took me a while to actually read this, I didn't think that it was possible to redeem Amelie, but she is on her way here. The mystery was interesting and I am glad to also see more of Midas Kinase - so growly and broken. I look forward to more.
August 7, 2019
Loved it!Also love the new interesting characters.
October 25, 2019
Midas Kinase
Hadley Whitaker
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
4 stars
Read 3/10/19
Hadley Whitaker
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
4 stars
Read 3/10/19
January 4, 2021
Enjoyable book.
I feel like the back story has been re-written a little. Amelia (now Hadley) didn’t have an awesome life growing up, but this makes it seem even harder, more abuse.
Liking the triangle of Hadley, Midas and Ford.
You kind of need to have read the Necromancer series for this book to make complete sense, the writer left a lot out that was necessary for the story of this book, but necessary for the over all story of Hadley.
I feel like the back story has been re-written a little. Amelia (now Hadley) didn’t have an awesome life growing up, but this makes it seem even harder, more abuse.
Liking the triangle of Hadley, Midas and Ford.
You kind of need to have read the Necromancer series for this book to make complete sense, the writer left a lot out that was necessary for the story of this book, but necessary for the over all story of Hadley.
May 6, 2022
This was mildly interesting. Feels like one of those books it was good to read before the main series it spins off from so it's less lite and unsatisfying. It feels like it can improve as the series continues.
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