VOWED IN SHADOWS by Jessa Slade

A Novel of the Marked Souls, Book Three

Signet Eclipse

April 5^th, 2011

978-0-451-23298-4

Paranormal Romance

Mass Market Paperback

Reviewed by Dawn (love2read28@gmail.com)

Obtained by Publisher

 

For Jonah Walker, being possessed by a demon was the last straw. He lost his humanity, his faith and his wife with that possession, now Jonah deals with immortality, alone, determined to get revenge and feeling like he has nothing to lose. Until he meets the one woman who will give Jonah peace and a second chance at love. Nina Hamlin was shocked to say the least when her wanton ways called a demon and a saint of all people. Drawn to Jonah, feeling like the world as she knows it doesn’t deserve deliverance but whenever Jonah touches her, Nina feels tempted to take what he offers, even if it is for one night. But as darkness gathers in Chicago, the war between good and evil is about to heat up with two souls who need one another even as they try to put the past behind them. For if both fail, the world as we know it is doomed.

VOWED IN SHADOWS is one wild ride from start to finish. I got to admit, I was addicted to this book. It moved at a nice even pace, kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time and the characters were phenomenal. In this latest installment in the Marked Souls series, we got a man who lost everything that mattered to him in one fell swoop. Being possessed by a demon would do that to you and now all Jonah lives for is revenge. He is a hero you can’t help but fall in love with. He is vulnerable yet strong, sexy as sin but humble and he is determined. What a combination in a man. I highly enjoyed his scenes with Nina and their sparks that flew each time they came together upon the pages of VOWED IN SHADOWS. This is an author who really knows this world well and captures the essences of it as well as her characters that populate it. The story flows swiftly, writing is tight and the storyline kept my interest until the very end.

Meet Jonah. A man who is now an immortal, who lost everything he held dear and now just exists for revenge. Until he is injured beyond healing and he finds himself with a woman who has more secrets than he does and is as mysterious as well as gorgeous. These two main characters deliver something explosive within the story. Their connection sizzles, the simmering tension between them keeps you on the edge and you root for them to banish their demons even as they fall in love, regardless of how hard they fight it. This time, Jonah and Nina need to work together to win this next battle between good and evil or else all is lost. These two work really well together as they explore forgiveness, redemption, love and more together. Nina is a heroine who isn’t the cookie cutter in other paranormal books (innocent, naïve, etc). She is vulnerable but tough, hides her heart even as she falls for the wrong guys. This isa character who is like humans as we are all flawed in one way or another and this is an author who took a chance and broke the mold with Nina. She kicked it out of the ball park and I really related to Nina as well as Jonah.

VOWED IN SHADOWS is a dark book, multifaceted and isn’t a clear answer to what is good and evil, which is what had me enthralled. This book makes you think as everyone knows, the world has many shades of grey, that nothing is as black or white as it seems.  Ms. Slade delivers one wickedly good book that will keep you riveted for hours. I do recommend reading this series in order as each book builds on past stories and characters. VOWED IN SHADOWS is one of those keeper books for me and I can’t wait to read more of this fascinating world, Ms. Slade created. Run-Don’t walk-to grab this latest installment in the wonderful marked souls universe.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement

FORGED IN SHADOWS by Jessa Slade

A Novel of the Marked Souls, Book 2

Signet Eclipse

June 1^st, 2010

978-0-451-22977-9

Paranormal Romance

Mass Market Paperback

Reviewed by Dawn (love2read28@gmail.com)

Obtained by Publisher

Liam Niall survived the Irish potato famine and escaped to Chicago where he became a leader of demon-possessed warriors and lost half his soul in the process. He has grown increasingly weary of fighting, of doubting everything and everyone around him and as this growing evil surrounds Liam and his band of warriors, only one thing, one weapon can defeat it…Jilly Chan, a woman who has been facing threats against street kids for years and is independent to boot. Now Liam is asking her to do something far deadlier. To save her demon ridden soul, she needs to be the weapon Liam needs to beat the evil but Jilly won’t be anyone’s weapon or woman but Liam has a plan to win Jilly’s heart and in the process turn Jilly into the weapon he needs. But at what cost will Jilly and Liam have to make in order to have another day together.

FORGED OF SHADOWS is a wonderful, action-packed ride from start to finish. With the right amount of mystery, action-adventure, compelling characters, Ms. Slade delivers one pulse pounding ride from start to finish. With a keen eye in creating a world where demons, warriors and more surround the human race, Ms. Slade delivers a new take in the paranormal genre. A wonderful continuance from book one, this picks up four months later after Seduced by Shadows and introduces the readers to the league of the Tayla, possessed by teshuva and are keeping Chicago’s streets clean of demonic emanations. But the world of the Talya, all who are demon possessed warriors find a new Talya is now here and it’s a woman. What will happen when a take no prisoners woman like Jilly jons the talya’s? That is what the readers will find when they pick up FORGED IN SHADOWS. A strong willed, independent woman, a warrior leader determined to find any way he can to fight and ultimately defeat the morphing evil that haunts Chicago. This world Ms. Slade created continues to expand, grow and new characters pop up from time to time. What intrigues me is that this world is quite explicit and there are dark corners that humans can not see. From page to page, I was drawn into this world where these warriors reside, keeping humanity safe even as they try to find a way to keep their soul as well. Ms. Slade does a wonderful job in keeping the reader enthralled from the start of FORGED OF SHANDOWS and I could not put it down.

Meet Liam. He never meant to become a leader of anything except he got a demon possessed and is now a leader of the same type of warriors, keeping the world safe as they get rid of the evil that seaps into the world from the veil. Now after a century, Liam is weary of fighting the same fight repeatedly, plagued by doubts, he finds himself lost until his world gets shaken to the core when a the first female Talya is found and the woman calls to Liam on many levels but all he wants is her to become the weapon they need to fight this evil that is now more powerful that the Warriors themselves. Liam is a wonderful hero. He is one of those reluctant heroes that you can’t help but fall for even as he rails at the way his life has become. Jilly is strong, tough and a rebel who searches for a cause to fight for. She is determined to be no man’s weapon but there is something about Liam that leaves her breathless. It will take the strength of them both to beat that evil that is slowly taking over Chicago and if they don’t succeed the world as the humans know it will be gone. Jilly and Liam’s chemistry is explosive and very compelling. Their sparks lit the pages and I was rooting for these two to get together in the end. I loved the strong wills of both Liam and Jilly and found myself falling for them both. The secondary characters kept the story moving nicely and were well written as well.

FORGED OF SHADOWS is a fun, entertaining read that kept me entertained for an afternoon. I know I am eager to read the next book and see which warrior is next to fall in love and find the woman who can bring them to their knees as well as steal their heart. Ms. Slade has a great talent for creating characters that make you yearn to know more about them and their world around them. This series alone is engrossing, intense and intriguing. I can’t wait to see what else she has up her sleeve for her readers of the Marked Souls Series.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement