Tuesday's Treasure: Vowed in Shadows

Vowed in Shadows is an urban fantasy romance where repentant demons are the good guys. Their world is dark, decadent, and dangerous. The plot is fairly straight-forward without any unexpected twists, but it is by no means boring. A few intense action scenes were a bit difficult to follow, forcing me to re-read or skim over those parts. Otherwise, the pacing was good and the story held my interest.

 I love that the hero is a former missionary and that his heroine is an exotic stripper. Their conflict brews and builds from the opening scenes forecasting an explosive relationship. However, for me, I was a little disappointed that their HEA journey was less than stellar. Simply put, the emotional development between the pair didn’t meet my expectation. 

I really liked Nim. Feisty, independent. Selfish at the start, but as she grows to trust and love Jonah, her selfishness turns into fierce selflessness and self-sacrifice. Although I liked Jonah, his emotional revelations and insights were less tangible and shallow; therefore, I wasn’t fully engaged with his character.

There are a slew of secondary characters that fans of the series will recognize. New readers should review the excerpts from the Handbook of Possession at the back of the book that gives insights in to the cast of characters—the good guys and the bad. I would also recommend new reader peruse the Glossary of Terms since the author uses Aramaic and Greek words as well as other terms not used in everyday conversation. Followers of the series should have no problems with the vocabulary.

The plot is complex and the action is fast-pace, if not over the top at times. The setting is gritty and fantastical with a graphic novel feel. 

Jessa Slade Vowed in Shadows is book three in the Marked Souls series. I believe fans of Angela Knights’ Mageverse series and Rhyannon Byrd’s Primal Instinct series may find Vowed in Shadows enjoyable.

GOLD COIN Rating:    3

HEAT LEVEL:                Bonfire