An Ember of Hope (War of Destiny Series) by Theresa Van Spankeren

 

An Ember of Hope: War of Destiny by Theresa Van Spankeren
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I've enjoyed this series of books and this one did not disappoint either. There are some very dark moments for Matthew in this book but ultimately, he receives the redemption he's been seeking. The writer of this series has put a lot of thought into the character development and storyline and I highly recommend reading these in order. While this book takes place between books 2 and 3, you could read this one out of order but should probably read those books first for better context.

A very challenging series but an enjoyable one!

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Soul Redeemed (War of Destiny Book 5) by Theresa Van Spankeren

 

Soul Redeemed by Theresa Van Spankeren
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have thoroughly enjoyed this series!! Usually by book 5 in a series, the story has started to wane some and the action isn't quite what you expected but that is definitely not true in this saga!!

I highly recommend reading these books in order. Failure to do so will lead to much confusion amongst the characters and the situations. There is a lot of backstory to this saga that is necessary in order to enjoy this series as it's intended.

Julia is just now learning about her powers and the ones she possessess haven't been seen in other vampires in centuries. Not really knowing how to best manifest them, Julia has to rely on her katet to help her hone her skills and use them for the best benefit to everyone. At the same time, Julia is concerned that Valentino is doing his dead level best to destroy her katet and all the humans too.

There is a lot I want to say about this book but I'm not going to ruin it for anyone. There is a lot of action, loose ends tied up, more loose ends created, and emerging storylines for future books in this series. This made for an enjoyable afternoon read!

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Fallen Soul (War of Destiny Book 4) by Theresa Van Spankeren

 

Fallen Soul by Theresa Van Spankeren
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Lane has pretty much been a loner since he was turned. He's been on the run for quite some time after ticking off the Vampire King Valentino. There are orders by the king to kill Lane on sight and many vampires believe him to be insane.

Lane is currently in Rome but is longing to go home to Ireland. However, many factors are preventing him from making the trip. One of those factors is a female vampire who does not shy away from him upon their first meeting. She and her group are unlike any other vampires that Lane has seen. This group pretty much violates every law that Valentino has set up. What a group of rebels!

Will Lane always be alone or has he found allies in Julia's group?

This is book four of a series and this one could technically be read as a stand alone. However, this series is one that every book should be read!! Lane is a character that doesn't come into play really until this book but other characters and their backgrounds are developed in previous books.

Some content may be too intense for younger readers so please bear this in mind when gifting or recommending for a younger reader.

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Between Darkness & Light (War of Destiny Book 3) by Theresa Van Spankeren

 

Between Darkness & Light by Theresa Van Spankeren
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It's been five years since Julia made a horrible choice and betrayed those she loved the most. They aren't getting over it anytime too soon it seems but there are Hunters on the prowl and some of Valentino's minions moving in on them. If this group can't get it together, the ka-tet will fall apart and they will all lose their lives!!

Julia can't seem to apologize enough for what she has done. It's not until a young human comes and encourages Julia to do the hard things to see if she can get back in the good graces of her group. Will they accept her back? What about all these nighttime revelations she's having? These Hunters....they are haunting Julia too. So many questions and not a lot of time for answers!

I enjoyed this book and read it fairly quickly. This one contains a lot of action, more so than the first two books in this series. We learn more about Matthew's background, as well as Samuel's. I'm really hoping to learn more about Mary Anne's abilities....she's got something very special! I'm looking forward to the next book in this series!

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Pursuit into Darkness (War of Destiny Book 2) by Theresa Van Spankeren

 

Pursuit into Darkness by Theresa Van Spankeren
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It's been 70 years since Samuel and Julia met. 70 years since Julia's life and destiny changed for eternity. She's now part of the Resistance and she's building up her strength, honing her skills and abilities through training, and she's gearing up to take on the Vampire King. She's a part of the ka-tet and together they can work to strengthen each other, communicate, and so much more. Things are becoming more heated and there is a lot of unrest happening around them. Julia will also get a fledgling of her own that she's trying to train while still learning herself how to live in this paranormal universe.

I enjoyed the continuation of this story but there were a few parts of it that I felt dragged along. While this book can be read as a stand-alone, I would highly recommend reading in order to keep all the characters straight. It would also be very beneficial to know Julia's back story prior to reading this one.

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Lost Soul (War of Destiny Book 1) by Theresa Van Spankeren

 

Lost Soul by Theresa Van Spankeren
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Imagine you live back in the 1500's and your lifestyle is pretty lavish. Julia is a young, 15 year old girl, who is "living the life" of a girl back then. She's in love with her best friend, Adam, but he's only the son of the household servant. He has no formality about him in the way that Julia's parents expect. One day, Julia's dad informs her that she is to marry Gregory. Julia is crushed! Gregory is not the kindhearted man that one would expect in a husband. He's actually quite the contrary! During a very difficult time in Julia's life, she is rescued by a boy named Samuel. Her life will change...but is it really for the better?

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It has some very deep, dark moments within it that will make you wish you could reach through the book and exact some revenge yourself. It also have some very moving moments. This is just the beginning of Julia's story with much more to come!


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