Vowed In Shadows (Marked Souls #3) by Jessa Slade
Paranormal Romance
April 5, 2011
Paperback
Signet

Reviewed by Tori

Favorite Quote: “When I was alone, I prayed for you-the notion of you-even though I don’t believe anymore. I dreamed of you, even when I was afraid to sleep.”

Blurb: Once a righteous missionary man, Jonah Walker now endures immortality with nothing but a body built for battle and a heart set on retribution. But his last devastating fight left him wounded beyond healing—and his only chance for redemption lies with a fallen woman whose passion burns through the shadows… (Goodreads)

Jonah Walker is an immortal, warrior, fighting against evil for the past 80 years. When he was possessed by his demon he thought he lost everything that mattered to him. During a recent battle he lost a vital part of himself and now questions his position as a warrior and as a man. When he is called to his female Tayla, he’s afraid he will fail her as he has everyone else.

Naughty Nymphette (Nim) is a stripper who has lost all faith in humanity. Accepting of her failings, she feels the world would be better off gone. When Jonah appears to her, claiming she is demon possessed and his “right hand” she thinks he is insane. While Nim is attracted to Jonah, she wraps herself in sarcasm and refuses to surrender her heart. As these two begin the intricate dance towards love and redemption, they will both have to learn to trust themselves and each other if they are to survive what is coming for them.

Vowed In Shadows is the third book in the Marked Souls series and the best so far. Ms. Slade’s demons and angels makes for a fascinating complex world when combined with the idea of repentant demons allying with human men and women to fight evil and keep it from crossing into our world. In here we are introduced to a pair of protagonists who’s extreme opposite natures produces a volatile relationship filled with passion, humor, and anger. Ms. Slade starts this story out with a bang and we ride that speeding bullet until the very end.

I love the premise of an unrepentant stripper paired with a righteous man. Ms. Slade plays with the idea that there is no concrete good and evil but rather shades of gray that depend entirely upon the one who is contemplating it. Our stripper isn’t a paragon of good living or faith. She is flawed and has issues that have warped her views of the world and men in general. She comes into Jonah life and blows it wide open. Jonah’s own morality and misgivings has left him in a rigid a shell. He is torn between wanting Nim and feeling betrayed by that very want. Watching them open their wounds is both painful and enlightening. I loved the sharp world play they engage in. It’s as much humorous as it is telling. They chemistry explodes from page one and only gets more intense as the story progresses.

Engaging word play combined with explosive action and suspense creates a world you cannot put down. The supporting characters are intense, well developed, and intertwine with our protagonists to give us a rich, full bodied story. I like that we get more one on one interaction and dialogue between the members of the league in here. Ms. Slade introduces some new characters that promises some interesting developments for the future of the league.

The villain is a study in contrasts. Condemned to a life he had no choice in you cannot help but pity him; knowing that his defeat will only prolong his agony.

The ending is fraught with tension and suspense. Ms. Slade does a wonderful job of slowly building up to the ending for a tense suspenseful finale that leaves you breathless. I truly enjoyed this story and I recommend this series to everyone who enjoys a noir PNR centering around life, death, love, and redemption. I will certainly be looking forward to the 4th Marked Souls story- to be announced at a later date.

Be sure to read the back. Ms. Slade thoughtfully provides a glossary to terms used in the book and a small amusing exchange between Archer and Sera (Seduced In Shadows).

Rating: B +

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