[Archive] LITERAL ADDICTION's Review of Soul Kissed

Erin Kellison stories have always been a central part of Erin's life. She attempted her first book in the 6th grade, a dark fantasy adventure, and still has those early hand-written chapters. She graduated summa cum laude with a degree in English Language and Literature, and went on for a masters in Cultural Anthropology, focusing on oral storytelling. When she had children, nothing scared her anymore, so her focus shifted to writing fiction. She lives in Arizona with her two beloved daughters and husband, and she will have a dog (breed undetermined) when her youngest turns five. 

You can keep up with Erin online at her Website, on Facebook, on Twitter, and on GoodReads.

Soul Kissed, SHADOW KISSED Book #2, SHADOW #5

by Erin Kellison

Buy from Amazon | B&N

Synopsis:

While the world slumbers in Shadow, a fatal plague has swept through magekind. No one is immune to its ravages, and now that her father is dead, Cari Dolan must wield the fearful magic of her House to save innocent lives.

At the mage Council's bidding, dangerous outsider Mason Stray joins forces with Cari to hunt down the fiend responsible. But can he trust the daughter of wealth and privilege, especially when his own son is at risk?

The princess will always welcome to her bed the warrior, even if one must pay the ultimate price...

Our Review, by LITERAL ADDICTION's Pack Alpha - Michelle L. Olson:
*eARC received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Just wow... I've been drawn in by the captivating magic of Erin's darkly poetic prose since day one, but this is definitely my favorite book of the series. Erin somehow managed to mesh dark urban fantasy with sweet paranormal romance in a heartfelt, dangerous, sexy miasma of literary goodness. Fan-freaking-tastic!

Now that the 'Shadow People' are out and humans are aware things aren't as quiet as they used to be. Not only are the mages at war with themselves and the Order, but now they have yet another group to be worried about. When a magickal plague starts targeting magekind, things get even more intense and unlikely alliances must be formed to try and catch the murderer.

Cari Dolan, new head of one of the most established and powerful mage houses must pair with childhood crush Mason Stray (an unaffiliated mage) to catch the culprit. This in itself was exciting. Not only do you have the dynamic of a shared past, but the whole Romeo and Juliet 'forbidden love' vibe as well, but when Mason's son is added to the mix you get even more intensity from the parent vibe, wherein a parent would do just about anything to keep their child safe. If that wasn't enough, Erin added some super heavy-duty antagonists to the mix to make things even more exciting and suspenseful.

In short, because I can't tell you more without seriously spoiling the story, Soul Kissed was wonderful and I highly recommend it. I do, however, recommend reading the entire series before taking the plunge. The book is able to be read alone, but there are characters re-introduced from earlier books of the series and some things referenced that make the novel so much more meaningful when you understand the history.

Soul Kissed