Shadow Boxer (Alterations #2)

NEW ADULT/FANTASY:  In this fast-paced sequel to “Lightning Rider,” Evy Rivera can’t take a break from her new job. After all, she’s the first female Lightning Rider—and a good one, at that. As a Lightning Rider, she has the ability to harness lightning and travel through time to change history. Picking up directly where “Lightning Rider” ends, Evy must come to terms with leaving Constantine back in pre-historic Spain and learning the parameters of her new powers. But when her latest mission forces her to join ranks with a sworn enemy, Evy must make some hard decisions: can her budding relationship with Constantine stand the test of time (and time travel)? Or will she need to surrender her chance for love with the Roman in the name of science?

Although “Shadow Boxer” is just as well-researched and energetic as its predecessor “Lightning Rider,” in the end, this book was a disappointment: The plot meandered and failed to hook onto a strong narrative arc. Readers who were drawn to the budding relationship between Constantine and Evy in book one are in for a surprise—the main draw of “Lightning Rider” was regrettably absent. The one saving grace of this novel, however, was the strong historical accuracies, as is common with this series. Readers who love historically rich narratives with little distractions from sticky, dramatic romantic entanglements will enjoy this sequel. 

Mia Francis