Enshadowed discussion

Okay, so I'm dying to discuss this with people that read the book because the cliffhanger is driving me insane, wondering if Varen really has "turned evil" or if he's just become so brainwashed by this dream world that he can't separate allusion from reality. I'm so confused by his reaction in the epilogue to his own actions. He seems to somewhat think that the Isobel he pushed off the cliff wasn't real, that perhaps she was an allusion created by Lilth? I think this because he doesn't, at first, believe that Isobel's watch is actually real. However, then, he also says that he "doesn't WANT to believe" that she was real because that would mean that he just majorly f*cked up in nearly killing the girl that risked everything to come save him. That would seem to imply that he did know what he was doing when he pushed her off the cliff. Also, Pinfeathers kept telling Isobel something along the lines of, "Why do you keep coming back when we've told you that you shouldn't? That we're not worth it? Why must you force us to show you that we aren't worth it?" And, since he is a part of Varen, that would mean that those are Varen's thoughts as well.

So, I guess my question for everyone is: do you think that Varen was aware of what he was doing when he pushed Isobel over the cliff, or do you think that he thought she wasn't real? Also, if you think he was aware of what he was doing, why do you think he did it when he knew the consequences of such action? I know most people will probably say, "Well, because he's turned evil; duh." However, his actions in the epilogue don't support this evilness that would supposedly have consumed him. If he was truly evil now, why would he feel regret and self-loathing for what he's done?

He thought she wasn't real, just an illusion that Lilith had created to screw with his mind. He didn't realize he'd made a horrible mistake until he picked up her watch. I highly doubt Varen's evil now. He didn't know what he was doing.

@brook @foreverhope21
That doesn't make sense at all he said he didn't want to believe ugh had killed her and besides I don't think varen loved her anymore because I remember pinefeathers had said something about he feels everything varen doesn't want to feel and he proves that when varen drips the ribbon and the one who picks it up is pinefeathers and since it seemed pinefeathers has fallen for isobel then that only means that varen doesn't anymore but what I was wondering is since pinefeathers died does that mean varen gets those feelings back? Idunno anyways I don't understand this either o was also looking for a answer but couldn't be settled with yours brook. All I know is that Kelly creagh better hurry up with this book and better make varen beg for isobel cause she had been through enough also she better not make it like Romeo and julliet where they both die or .. well basically there better be a happy ending ufhhhhhhhhhhh I seriously don't understand ahhhhhhghhghghggh
Enshadowed by Kelly creagh

I've just now come up with a theory that maybe the reason pinefeathers could go into the real world was because since varen kept thinking or maybe still writing about isobel he somehow made her into another link and by killing her he broke off that link but what I want to know is remember when Reynolds told her of she died there then she would become like him what does that mean and is he done kind of immortal since he was Alice with Edgar and if so will isobel become one?

One-Varen is not evil. His reaction in the epilogue should show that. Two-Isobel never died. She almost did. That is a very large and significant difference. Third-Varen loves Isobel. How can anyone doubt that?

Moving on, Enshadowed lived up to my expectations. Typically, the second novel is not as good as the first. And it wasn't-that isn't to say that it wasn't good. I just think she could have done more given that the release date was moved. TWICE.

Now onto the true matter at hand: Isobel and Varen.

I believe that Varen is going insane...no. He is insane. There is no quarrel about that. He, like Poe, was slowly losing his mind in the Dream world. That is obvious between the endings of Nevermore in comparison to Enshadowed. At the end of Nevermore he was hopeful and had a strong faith that she (Isobel) would return and save him. But on-looking the events present (her and Brad and the different moments when Varen saw)coupled with Lilith screwing with his already mentally/emotionally troubled state...would it be so hard to believe that he could have just broken? By the time Isobel finally arrived, Varen had "come in at a bad time" on several occasions, was slowly losing all of his sanity, and was being toyed with by Lilith. It was no wonder that he threw her off the side of a cliff. And let us not forget the "You are just like everybody else" phrase he spat at her. Again-after what he had seen and heard her say (especially to Swanson!) and Lilith doing her evil work, it is very understandable that he would think she had been playing him and that, in truth, she was like the popcorn, cookie cutter cheerleaders.

I've drawn this out enough so I think I should answer the literal questions firstly posed. No, Varen didn't believe that Isobel would have been able to make it back to the Dream World. After what he had seen and heard, I doubt he believed that she would keep her promise and even come. Plus, it's hard to tell how many times Lilith used Isobel to her advantage to cause Varen to lose hope. Which, obviously, succeeded in the end for the most part. Because of that, your second question is null and void. And as prior explained, he is not evil. And he never will be. The most "evil" part of him was Pinfeathers and even then, Pinfeather's had a heart-he loved Isobel.

The Epilogue. What an awfully amazing thing. Varen, devoid of all emotion and relatively shattered did not even flinch when he saw the remains of Pinfeathers. It was a "oh...you're dead...okay then" sort of ideal. But what really strikes the cord is her watch. (And if any of you noticed from the first book that Kelly Creagh is very image oriented, you would have known that the butterfly watch would have been important from the get-go.)But his reaction is enough to dissipate all rumors of any kind. I believe that the moment he sees her watch is the moment that he realizes that she still loves him, he was lied to by Lilith, Isobel kept her promise, and he probably just killed her. The scene of him, trying so hard to destroy the watch that even statues break, is very moving. He desires so much that Isobel was only a figment of imagination and now he is faced with the fact that she wasn't and that he may never see her again.

Imagining what Oblivion will be like is highly exciting. Varen thinks he killed Isobel, Isobel is hurt and confused because Varen thinks she is some cookie cutter cheerleader (for lack of a better term) and the question remains of: Will she go back? Better yet-will Varen try to escape? And what of Reynolds? And of Pinfeathers? Is Pinfeathers REALLY dead? You have to remember-things are not always as they seem. And the title, "Oblivion" can lead to so many different avenues. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

Katherynn wrote: "One-Varen is not evil. His reaction in the epilogue should show that. Two-Isobel never died. She almost did. That is a very large and significant difference. Third-Varen loves Isobel. How can anyon..."

OMG! WHEN DID THIS COVER AND TITLE MAKE AN APPEARANCE?! Lol.

I have been waiting forever to hear something about the final book and just now heard about it on facebook and your post. I love the cover and the title; it really fits with how Isobel and Varen's worlds have shattered after the previous book, and I feel that the cover kind of also hints towards the implications of Isobel having died in the dream world. I remember Reynolds saying that once you die there, you become a "lost one" or something which makes me think that Isobel is going to be very torn between the two worlds (reality and dreams).

I have very similar questions that you have for the third book. I'm really hoping that Pin isn't gone for good. I was extremely fond of him during the second book and some parts of the first book because he really did seem to have good intentions buried deep inside of him, and I found his last scene with Isobel to be especially sweet in a tragic way. I, too, want to know the history of Reynolds and what exactly he is. Just how close were he and Poe? And, what happened to him that led to his being Lilth's servant(?). He said that in order for something like that to happen, you would have to die in the dream world which would mean that he at some point did? I'm very interested to see what Isobel is going to think of Varen in the third book since it's implied that she believes he meant to push her off the cliff at the end of Enshadowed. Lastly, I'm extremely interested to see what Isobel's parents are going to do with her in this last book. I feel like they're going to attempt to put her through some kind of therapy which could lead to trips or visions of the dream world with the use of certain theraputic techniques.

What are your predictions on what may happen in the final book?

I don't like the colorful version of the cover for oblivion - it looks so much more meaningful and haunting in gray!

what's going to happen in the final book? i'm usually a romance seeker and despite the fact that they've kissed only once in two whole books, i'm still so drawn to this story!

I was so disappointed when at 95% of the story, isobel saw varen and he only said 5 words before throwing her off the balcony. I hate Lilith for doing that!

Do you think he really loved lilith? do you think he slept with her before because that would be so disgusting! I think so because isobel says "she promised him so much more"

Danny so sweet!! I love that kid!

Maliha wrote: "I don't like the colorful version of the cover for oblivion - it looks so much more meaningful and haunting in gray!

what's going to happen in the final book? i'm usually a romance seeker and de..."
Omigod, EW. Ew, ew, ew. Ew.

Brooke wrote: "Maliha wrote: "I don't like the colorful version of the cover for oblivion - it looks so much more meaningful and haunting in gray!

what's going to happen in the final book? i'm usually a romance..."

I know right?!!

Maliha wrote: "Brooke wrote: "Maliha wrote: "I don't like the colorful version of the cover for oblivion - it looks so much more meaningful and haunting in gray!

what's going to happen in the final book? i'm us..."
Uh-huh. *pukes*
THE WAIT IS KILLING ME! *tears hair out*

Katherynn wrote: "One-Varen is not evil. His reaction in the epilogue should show that. Two-Isobel never died. She almost did. That is a very large and significant difference. Third-Varen loves Isobel. How can anyon..." I totally agree with you on everything it all makes
sense

Katherynn wrote: "One-Varen is not evil. His reaction in the epilogue should show that. Two-Isobel never died. She almost did. That is a very large and significant difference. Third-Varen loves Isobel. How can anyon..."

But didn't she die even if only for a moment? Because she bodily went into the Dream world. She didn't go there in astral form. So, when Varen pushed her off the cliff, she did actually fall in her real body. And then, when she's in the hospital, they're putting a sheet over her body because they aren't able to revive her; she realizes this, panics, and then puts her astral form back into her physical form and then proceeds to remember everything that just happened beforehand with Varen.

So, didn't she actually die momentarily?