I still haven’t had a chance to read books 6 or 7 and it’s killing me. I fully intend on staying up and bingeing them while on holiday break from work. That’s only a week and a half out and the waiting is killing me.

I have so many concerns.

I have so many questions I need answers to.

And I have characters I need to see dead.

These reviews won’t be long, since at this point, anything and everything I want to talk about would be a spoiler. So they’re going to be a little more rant-y/stream of consciousness than other reviews.

But anyways – here are my spoiler free reviews for Paths of Malice and Dance of Souls! Make sure you check this series out, because it just gets better and better.

Welcome back to a world where enemies and friends can be difficult to distinguish, where angels are deadly and demons desirable, and shadows of the past loom dark across the future. If you love kick-butt heroines, slow-burn romance, breathtaking action, and stories that leave you with a book hangover for days after you finish . . . you need to discover this dark and deadly series. Prepare to turn pages late into the night!

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Title: Paths of Malice

Author: Sylvia Mercedes

Pub. Date: October 30, 2019

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

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Poisoned. Trapped. At the mercy of a ghost . . .
She can handle this.

A month into her competition with Venator Terryn, Ayleth seems no closer to winning the Golden Prince’s trust. Why else would he call Terryn to serve at the castle on some secret mission, leaving Ayleth to manage the borough on her own?

No matter. She’ll prove her worth to the prince come what may. Plenty of mysteries plague the land under her protection . . . including the mystery of Terryn himself and the strange, dangerous talisman he’s been keeping hidden in his room.

Her search for answers soon finds Ayleth on the trail of her deadliest foe yet. A ghost from the prince’s past has returned to haunt the present, possessed of a powerful phantom shade capable of walking the dark paths of the Haunts. Ayleth is totally outmatched and unprepared to face such an enemy alone.

But when has she ever backed down from a fight?

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This will be a spoiler free review. I listened to the audiobook via Audible.

This book was a little slow to start, but then wham! You get sucked in and the internal conflict that both Ayleth and Terryn struggle with is so good. And that’s on top of their obvious growing attraction to each other. I spent most of this book just wanting to reach into the book and force them to break the ever-growing sexual tension between each other. I think their obvious attraction makes sense, but it’s also a tad hilarious because you can see how uncomfortable it makes Terryn. Like, how dare his body and mind react to her in that way. I do love how Ayleth forces Terryn to see the world differently – that there is more than one way, even if all rules dictate something else. That some things aren’t worth your soul.

Then there’s that whole scene in the witch’s cottage…

So much happened in this book and the characters were tested… and then THE ENDING. Ofmg.

I’m just going to leave it at that, because you should read the book. Just know it was good and it left me with the need for the next one.

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Title: Dance of Souls

Author: Sylvia Mercedes

Pub. Date: January 8, 2020

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Venatrix Ayleth made a vow of loyalty to her Holy Order.
But is the Order loyal to Ayleth?

Still recovering from her deadly encounter with the Phantomwitch, Ayleth finds herself the unwilling guest of the Golden Prince, forced to enjoy his hospitality . . . and the not-so-gentle ministrations of Venator Fendrel du Glaive.

There’s something strange about Fendrel. The way he stares at her is unsettling—as though she’s a monster, as though she’s guilty of some great sin. But didn’t she just defeat one of the worst enemies Perrinion has ever known? Hasn’t she proven her worth?

And then there’s Terryn, who may be lying to her, who may not be the loyal venator everyone believes him to be. He also looks at her strangely . . . but his gaze makes her heart stop and her pulse race in ways she’s never felt before.

As the night of Prince Gerard’s wedding approaches and the kingdom gathers to celebrate new beginnings, dark forces close in on all sides. Certain secrets, long buried deep, are bound to emerge at last.

When they do, will Ayleth have the strength to stand and fight?

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This will be a spoiler free review. I listened to the audiobook via Audible.

This book was good. So good.

Ayleth is brilliant in this book and Terryn is finally figuring out who he is. Between the two of them, they go through a lot. So much is at stake and powers that haven’t been seen for twenty-odd years are back in play and wreaking havoc.

Terryn is seriously trying to figure out his feelings. These books are hella slow burn and it started to drive me nuts, because of the sexual tension. But it’s also super enjoyable seeing Terryn war with his emotions and to see Ayleth try and convince herself that no she isn’t feeling what she’s feeling because that would be absurd.

There is a scene between the two of them – where Ayleth says fuck you to societal standards and Terryn has to keep up and they’re so perfectly matched. He ground her, while she urges him to let go enough to live a little. That whole scene between them was so vivid. It came to life right in my mind and I loved it.

Yeah, things went downhill rather quickly from that moment onward, but that’s okay. I mean, not for the characters, but it made for a book I couldn’t put down.

I loved that Gerard has a much bigger role, and we get POVs from Cerine. I loved getting to know them more and seeing how they interact with each other and how they feel about each other. Truths are shared between them, and if the stakes weren’t already high, they skyrocket with Cerine’s truth.

And then there is the ending of this book. And to say it angered me, is an understatement. There is a character in this book that I cannot wait to see dead. If he’s not dead by the end, I will riot. And having already read book 5…phew. It just gets better.

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If you’re interested, you can check out my reviews for the first two books in the Venatrix Chronicles here.