Shadow Touch

I've been looking forward to Marjorie M. Liu's Shadow Touch for a while, and I had a chance to read it. I wasn't disappointed.

Elena Baxter can work miracles with her hands. She can coax bones to knit, flesh to heal. She can mend the mind. She has been doing such work for almost all of her twenty-eight years. That is why she will be taken.

The media called it a rampage of terror, the recent murders. But fighting crime is why Artur Loginov joined Dirk & Steele. The international detective agency specializes in the impossible, and their creed is simple: Help those in need, no matter how difficult, and no matter what, keep the secret safe. For the agency helps its employees. Dirk & Steele gave the Russian emigre purpose, protection, community . . . and refuge from his past, for who can trust a man who can start a fire with his mind, or shape-shift, or read others' thoughts as easily as drawing breath? For his similar talent, Artur will be taken.

Into the darkness Elena and Artur will be drawn, into the clutches of evil. Cornered, isolated, caged, they will fight for their very souls. But salvation awaits. It exists in a form least expected: a dream of a face, a brush of a mind, the hind of a kiss, and finally, at long last . . . a shadow touch.

After reading Tiger Eye, I knew I enjoyed Liu's writing. That book is certainly no light tale. Nevertheless, I confess that I was surprised by how dark Shadow Touch is. Artur and Elena are abducted early in the story and they remain imprisoned for more than 100 pages. The two meet in a corridor and develop an instant connection, a connection that becomes the basis for a compelling romance.

The first section of the book is completely riveting, since it's clear that the abductors will stop at nothing to achieve their ends. The most pressing question is whether Elena and Artur will escape. I read this part in one evening, then raced home from work the next day to finish it. The next part of the story shows Artur and Elena on a quest.

Characterization is the best part of the book. The world of Dirk & Steele is intriguing, and the adventure is gripping, but without strong characters, the story wouldn't be as strong as it is. Elena and Artur are complex people I liked, rooted for, and wanted to know more about.

I especially enjoyed the ending. I don't want to give it away, so I won't go into detail, but a certain possibility is suggested early in the story, and I was fascinated when it played out in just that way. I hope this is sufficiently vague, but you'll understand when you read it.

I did wish there had been more sex, but the structure of the story didn't allow for it. There is still physical and emotional connection.

At any rate, I enjoyed the book and definitely recommend it: 4 out of 5. I can't wait until the next installment.