I can’t decide whether it was meeting a different form of lycanthropy, one I have never read before, a were-snake, or following Lash’s journey to becoming something I feared and cared about. While Hall does a good job of making this seem real, it is a bit unsettling at first. But then that is a common reaction to much of this story, unsettling, ironic, sad, and above all engaging. I had a little problem with some of the relationships and the graphic nature of some of the scenes, but perhaps they were relevant to the series more than this story alone. I also had a few issues with the way the story ended. While it was an ironic plot twist, it also left a bit too much left unanswered, a common element in a series I guess. A good story, some minor issues, and a few editing errors (for example, “there are woman too”) and this still rates 4 stars.

The plot follows the often disturbing path of Lash as we ride along with him on a journey to becoming something terrible and yet likable. A story that takes the reader on a ride they won’t soon forget, Lash falls for a woman and falls into a trap set by the circumstances that surround him. The result is that he becomes a threat to almost everything and everyone around him. This were-snake faces the threat of war and he takes the reader on emotional roller coaster as we cringe at the bloody fights (not for kids) and cheer for him as he faces odds so stacked against him that I had to keep turning the pages. Overall, not bad as a stand-alone, but I think it works better if you read the whole series.

"Shadow Man" is the second installment of the 'Lash series'. Its main character Lash had his fill of dark experiences and is trying to move past that unto something more horrendous. By then, his rank as a dangerous man in his secretive world has increased greatly. Even though he is under the secured wings of a vampire ruler, he still took jobs that required him to kill identified targets. Despite what he was able to accumulate from this life, he still longed for a woman - one who would fulfill his needs as a man without getting overly attached. However, this problem would soon look tame in comparison to what was in store for him. After completing one of his recent missions, things began to crumble. Lash's life was about to take another painful turn.

This book caught my attention the moment I read it. As I dove in further, I came to find out that it has a world of its own and the characters are original as well as very memorable. The author is successful in making this world work and she seamlessly incorporates it with that particular real era of the past. The world is convincing and almost authentic. The characters are raw and human despite being otherwise. Hall has been able to make all of the fictional parts work effectively so that the reader feels as though it all really did happen along with the other historical events of the time. As for the theme, there is a balance. There is sex in the story but it is written in such a way that it wouldn't outshine the other elements. Suspense and drama are also present but they are interwoven with the other themes flawlessly. All in all, this book kept me on the edge of my seat and made me emotional. This is definitely a must read.

It is the depression and most people are suffering hard times, but Lash, once dirt-poor boy from the swamp, is doing well. He has become bodyguard and friend to Abraham, powerful vampire ruler. But his horrific past catches up with him and he still has nightmares every night.

Shadow Man, the second in the Lash series, is a very dark book. It is the study of the evolution of a killer. As the story progresses, Lash becomes more and more cruel and merciless, no longer obeying even his private, admittedly very flexible, moral code. It seems there is nothing he is not prepared to do in order to survive, and he does some dreadful things just for his own pleasure.

Tara Fox Hall's superb writing draws you in, so that even when you are repelled by some of Lash's acts, you cannot help feeling some sympathy for him. And you find yourself gripped by a horrid fascination.
A very disturbing book written by a mistress of horror. Well done, Tara. You creeped me out