Customer Reviews

Seduced by Shadows: A Novel of the Marked Souls

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Enter the fight against evil, but the battle against demons from hell is fought not by angels but by 'talya' - warriors possessed by the repentant `teshuva' demons- in Seduced by Shadows, the first book in Jessa Slade's Marked Souls series.

Talya Ferris Archer is a loner even among his fellow demon fighters, but his dreams warn him of the rare arrival of another demon from hell. Archer searches to find the demon before it clothes itself in flesh, and is surprised to discover the demon's target is a woman, Sara Littlejohn - Archer and his crew have never heard of a female talya before. Archer tries to warn Sara to refuse the demon, but she flees thinking him a sexy lunatic and dismisses his talk of possession. But when Sara inadvertently accepts the demon's offer, to make her body whole from pain and debilitating injuries and to answer her deepest questions, it is Archer who will help Sara through her transition from human to talya - and should Sara's demon be evil instead of repentant, Archer will be the one to destroy her. But little do Sara and Archer realize that Sara's demon has been drawn from hell for a purpose, and now Sara is the key which their enemy intends to use to release hell on earth.

I really liked Sara as a heroine. Sara's curiosity, her humor - once she is freed from her pain - and Sara's unusual take on life and death as a former hospice-end-of-life counselor, all combine to make her a very unique and intriguing character. And I liked that Sara is not destined to be a lesser member of the male dominated demon fighters - her demon is a powerful force as is her determination to make her possesion count for something. Pairing her with the bleak Archer, a weary immortal warrior in a war which can not be won, but only fought repeatedly until the day his demon looses, is not without hitches - the relationship between the Sara and Archer is hindered by baggage from both of their pasts: Sara fears rejection but courts it from Archer who isolates himself out of fear of loss. But the differences in their views on life make for some very interesting conversations between the pair - I thought Slade's dialog was really good. (The quote in the title of the review is from one of the conversations, and really struck me.)

I did like Seduced by Shadows, but the first few chapters were very difficult for me. Slade introduces her characters, her mythos and their enemy, pretty much all at once. As a series starter, it has to be done, but with the male warriors being alternately referred to by their first or last names and the terminology for the different types of demons and the terms talya and teshuva not sticking in my mind initially, I had to keep flipping back to keep from being confused. Once I got into the swing, though it was all good.

Overall Seduced by Shadows had a nice balance between romance, action and story - with some moments which were sad, but touching. I thought that it was interesting that each of Slade's warriors had a hole in his soul which the demon filled but each still struggled with the psychic wound which was reason that each was actually susceptible to possession and I look forward to returning to Slade's world and her league of demon-ridden demon hunters when the story continues with Liam taking the spotlight in Forged of Shadows coming May 2010.

Her life was never that good especially after her mother committed suicide and her father proved pathetic while her brothers fled the family. However, Sera Littlejohn's life became worse when she is crippled in an accident; now she lives every moment with unbearable pain and a struggle to get around.

Although she had not thought much of possession, the demon entices her with healing her battered body by taking it over, which also denotes damned. However, when she meets also possessed Ferris Archer, she finds her soul mate. He, in turn, has never met a demonic-possessed woman although he knows she is his if he does not have to kill her for what is inside her.

The key to the first marked Souls' romantic urban fantasy is the belief that the demon-angel war fought inside the bodies of humans in places like Chicago is real. Everything else flows from the belief that the Slade realm is genuine with each soul a battlefield. Sera and Archer are a fabulous pairing as each comes into their relationship possessed by demonic baggage. Fans will want to join in the war of souls fought one person at a time except when love brings two souls together.

Harriet Klausner

Sera Littlejohn was in an accident that left her crippled and in constant pain. On the walk home one cold Chicago night, Sera encounters a handsome imposing man who is a bit frighting. Later that evening she dreams of the same man and he promises her a life without pain and answers to her most burning questions. What she doesn't realize is that she has just agreed to let a teshuva (a demon that seeks redemption) posses her. What I really admired about Sera was that she did not just want to hide. All talyan are male and Sera wanted to fight right by their side even though she hasn't been properly trained. She will not settle for being pampered and letting everyone else fight now that she is part of this war against evil. Her humor and the way she takes her new situation in really impressed me. I would be freaking out if I found out I was possessed by a demon but Sera takes it in stride and is prepared to do what she must. Her constant need to ask questions did start to get on my nerves. It was like a child who just kept asking why?

Ferris Archer has been a talyan for over a century. He prefers to hunt demons alone and doesn't expect his side to win the war. He is instantly drawn to Sera and takes it upon himself to see her through her transition and training. His feelings about her are obvious but he fights them every step of the way. He would be affectionate toward her one minute and the next he would come up with another reason why they should not be together. This really started to frustrate me because I think Sera was upfront with him and how she felt but he just kept give excuses. I would have liked his character far more if he would have just admitted what he wanted and went for it instead of playing games. When Sera and Archer were intimately together it was a wonderful read, I just wish there would have been more moments of it.

There is a war going on against the teshuva and djinni (demons who are purely evil). It is up to the talyan to stop the djinni from bring down the veil between worlds and unleashing hell on earth. I found this whole story line very intriguing. There is a lot of information given at once and it was a bit confusing at times. I know that it all needed to be said but it would have been really helpful to have a guide to check so I understood what each demon was and what their abilities are. It was overwhelming at times and I need to go back and reread a few sections to understand it more clearly. Overall, I enjoyed diving into the world that Jessa Scott has created and I look forward to going back and learning more about her characters and the struggles they will face in the war ahead.

"Seduced by Shadows" is an amazing story! Jessa Slade has introduced her Marked Souls with style, wit, and takes the reader into a vibrant tapestry of worlds that compelled me into turning page after page - through meals and late into the night.

The cast of characters is powerful and unique, the burdens they carry and trials they face are intense. The twists and turns as the story unfolds is truly addictive.

Jessa Slade is a master storyteller and it's a thrill to know book 2 in the series "Forged by Shadows" will arrive in May.

I do love a good paranormal read...and this first book of THE MARKED SOULS is a good read!

A PAGE TURNER! Jessa Slade has a way of keeping the reader interested in every page! I LOVED IT and can't wait for the next one!

First things first: this book is exceptionally well written. It's very lyrical and poetic, which might explain why it took me forever to read. I had to stop to look up words or admire a particularly evocative passage. Lovely, lovely prose. Having said that, the same stunning writing confused me numerous times while I was reading. The action became murky at times, and I had a difficult time figuring out what was happening. I also had some issues with the romance between the characters -- it never quite felt believable to me, even at the end. Despite that, the beautiful writing and the intriguing worldbuilding made this a fairly entertaining read. I will look for the next book in the series.

I wasn't sure what to expect from this novel, but I was surprised to find that I enjoyed it. It carries a slightly different premise than other books. In this one, the people are demon possessed. You could be possessed by a demon of evil or one who wants redemption. If you have one of redemption then you pretty much are fighting evil in the hopes that you might have a decent future in the afterlife. All demons in the past seemed enter men, but the lastest unusually enters a woman, Sara, who was recently injured in a car accident. It is up to Archer to meet and determine if Sara's demon is one of evil or redemption and be the one to kill her if it is evil.

I do recommend this book and plan to read the next in the series.

Sera Littlejohn survived a horrific accident that almost killed her. She lives with terrible pain, but is slowly taking control of her life again. When a stranger comes to her and tells her he can take away her pain, Sera has a decision to make - a decision that talya warrior Ferris Archer tries to warn her about except it's too late. Now all Ferris can hope for is that her change from human to talya warrior goes smoothly. If it doesn't, Ferris will be the one to make the decision on whether to keep Sera alive or kill her demon which in turn would harm Sera. The gist of Sera's demon? She is now the unwilling and uninformed, but innocent catalyst needed by the demons from the underworld in order to destroy the world and unleash unspeakable evil upon the earth.

Seduced by Shadows does start out somewhat slow - it has to. Readers have never seen the world being built by the author and she establishes this pretty quickly. Characters needed to be introduced and bad guys needed to be seen. Again, all of this was swiftly done with seemingly effortless precision. I love the world that Ms. Slade has come up with. There is the fight between good and evil where demons called teshuva are fighting with the good guys and referred to as talya warriors. And in the mist of all of this you have a budding relationship that needs to get off the ground.

Sera's characterization is wonderful. She is funny and strong, despite being in pain. I love how she is set to become a talya warrior and is a female to boot. Ferris Archer. What can I say about this prime specimen of a man? His eyes alone were enough to send me into a daydream and when you add in his loyalty and service to Sera, it all just adds up to a winner in my book.

What a fabulous first book! Brand new author Jessa Slade comes through a winner with Seduced by Shadows and I envision many more wonderful stories coming from this obviously talented newcomer.

Talia

Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

I love Jessa Slade's writing style. She creates an interesting world and leaves you wanting to read more. The characters are engaging and complex. The Chicago setting is appealing. I eagerly await the next book.

Seduced by Shadows, a paranormal romance, by Jessa Slade, is excellent. It has the right mix of intrigue, paranormal fantasy, and seductive romance to keep the pages turning. Looking forward to the next novel.