Marked for Vengeance, SJ Pierce (4.5 stars)

About Marked for Vengeance

 

Alyx Rayer’s existence in Atlanta, the eternally bustling capital of Georgia, is one of routine and blending in among the worker bees. But her ‘normal’ life is actually a façade for a higher calling; she's a three hundred year old soul, encased in a human vessel and sent from the darkness between heaven and Earth to capture her Marked when summoned by her superiors.

During the initial, routine stake-out of her Marked, a dream prophet named Isaac Walsh, Alyx is thrown for an emotional loop when his allure captivates her heart from two rooftops away. The event marks the very instance when her sense of what’s right and what’s wrong is brutally challenged as her contact with him is strictly forbidden.

While already trapped between honor and desire, her emotional struggles are further challenged by a man in a black suit who continually pops up when she least expects it, his presence evoking a strange response from the scar she was branded with at birth. The scar tingles like a warning beacon, alerting her that something is amiss. Because her superiors never told her what this would mean, or much of anything except what to do when they summon, she can only conclude to try and keep her sanity, and her life, from completely shattering to pieces.

Author's Note: This engaging first book of the series is a Paranormal Romance novel interlaced with twists, turns, and thrilling suspense that is sure to satisfy readers of any genre. May not be suitable for YA.

Review

This isn't Alyx's first trip to Earth, but it's the first time she's interested in her Marked past her assignment. She can't allow her emotions to get in the way, but she's finding them harder and harder to fight... constantly drawn to the rooftop across the way, one that allows her to watch and admire.

Isaac, an artist who captures the intense and disturbing images that take over, is a widow determined to do the best by his son. And his son is plagued by terrifying dreams--dreams Isaac isn't sure how to interpret or handle. Things quickly go from confusing to horrifying. Will Alyx be able to keep Isaac and his son safe? Can she even protect herself from the evil that lurks?

Early on, the reader is drawn into Alyx's life. Although she is an angel with a mission, she is leading a human life with human choices and mistakes. She tries to fit in, even as she knows she will never be able to. Her human qualities are what made her a more believable angel for me. And Isaac and his son quickly grabbed my heart and interest as well. I'm dying to know what happens to them.

By the end, it's not just about Alyx and Issac, it's really about the entire human race.

If you love a well-told story with interesting characters, one that is as much about the characters as the paranormal element, then pick up a copy of Marked for Vengeance. Just be prepared to pick up Book 2 as soon you're done. I know I did!

Rating: 4.5 stars
 

About S.J. Pierce
(from GoodReads)

Susan James Pierce has a degree in Marketing Management, works for a Fortune 500 company in Atlanta, Georgia, and devotes her precious, spare time to writing Fantasy and Sci-fi novels. Even though her full-time career has nothing to do with books at all, she has always enjoyed complex storytelling with fascinating characters, and has had a penchant for the written word since grade school. As a matter of fact, her first publishing credit was for a poem she wrote at the age of twelve. Why her love for writing never translated into a career, she can only attribute to ‘life happens’, but her wish is that she can redirect her career path into something that satisfies her creative inner-self.

For more information, please visit her website and on Facebook.

Marked for Vengeance is Book 1 in The Alex Rayer Chronicles. I just picked up Book 2, and I wanted to highlight Book 2 and 3 (a novella) here.

 

About Tethered by Fate (Book 2)

 

"Where fate would take the both of them now, Isaac wasn’t sure, but either way their paths were irrevocably tethered." 

 

Hurled into the midst of a holy war between the sinister fallen Angel of War and their beloved Creator, gifted humans, Angels, and Spirit Guides unite to create a formidable, ethereal army. With the imminent battle only days away, continue to follow the story that captivated your hearts as a Protector Angel named Alyx struggles with her own inner conflicts between right and wrong, love and honor.

 

Passionate, engaging, and filled with surprising twists and turns -- see where fate will lead our beloved Angel next in this second book of the Alyx Rayer Chronicles.

About A Race to the Finish (Novella, Book 3)

Alyx wasn't the only Angel of Protection charged with the daunting task of transporting her Marked safely to the gateway when they were summoned on that chaos-filled October day. Get to know the other seven Protectors and their gifted humans more intimately as you follow each of their journeys.

 

(Authors Note: The novella is best tackled after reading Books One and Two of the series.)

Note: I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review. A positive review was not requested or guaranteed; the opinions expressed are my own.