Title: Shades of Wicked
Author: Jeaniene Frost
Series: Night Rebel #1; Night Huntress Universe #14
Pages: 326
Master vampire Ian has been on a shameless and unrepentant rampage of wickedness since he now has less than two years before a demon claims his soul. But Veritas is determined to use him to bring down Dagon, but she also finds her passion again in Ian’s arms.
This was not what I was expecting for Ian’s book but man did I enjoy it. Veritas was a surprise. I really enjoyed her and her determination to save the marginalized while destroying evil. I liked Veritas in the previous book but never expected how complex of a woman she was. She is hiding so much of herself that no one truly knows her, except Ian now. Also, she is such a badass heroine, I loved it.
“You’re beauty, you’re grace, you’ll shoot them in the face.”
Ian was the same flirty, slutty, and unrepentant vampire that he always has been but we get to finally get to see the true him. His backstory is heartbreaking and I hate that while he truly loves his friends, he keeps them at arm’s length. Ian really surprised me in this and I really can’t wait to see him open up more in the next book.
Veritas and Ian’s relationship was hot! I loved how much they opened up with each other and learned how to trust again. They truly bonded in just a few days and I loved it all. I also wasn’t surprised by how determined Ian was to uncover all of Veritas secrets.
I really enjoyed the plot to this one. The hunt for the demon was very fascinating and action packed. These two were just a great, and very deadly, team that I couldn’t get enough of. I was surprised by the lack of support that Bones and Spade showed but I also understood their concern about the abrupt marriage to a Law Guardian. The ending was very unexpected and I hate that it was a cliffhanger, but I am glad I waited until this series was finished to read this series because I would have gone crazy waiting for book two.
Overall, this was a great start for this series. I loved every minute of it and really can’t get enough of Veritas. I was a bit disappointed that we only got one chapter from Ian’s POV though but I really enjoyed Veritas’ side of things so far. I can’t wait to see what is going to happen next.
Trigger warnings: References to rape and abuse. Violence. Gore.
Red-Haired Ash Reads 