Reading Write Now: The Lost Souls by Madeline Sheehan with Giveaway

The Lost Souls is book 2.5 in The Holy Trinity Series

My first and only Madeline Sheehan reading experience was Undeniable. So when the chance came to join the tour for something of Madeline’s I was super keen. This tale is so different to Undeniable, but at the same time, it is perfect Madeline Sheehan.

As you will tell from the blurb, this story is a paranormal. I love a good paranormal – so I was cool with that! Madeline has an ability to tell a story in ways that makes you believe almost anything – so with as far fetched as the action of this tale is – hell I was there, along for the ride!

If you have read any of my reviews – I am not a fan of including spoilers, so try everything to avoid them, sometimes this comes at the expense of detail within my review. This is the case with the Holy Trinity series unfortunately, but keep reading for my reviews of The Lost Souls (Book 2.5), The Soul Mate (Book 1) and My Soul to Take (Book 2).

Goodreads Blurb

Tahyra Petros tried desperately to save herself and her sister, and instead ended up forever changed.

Shandor Asenov battled with death, and lost.

Hockey Sava, in a valiant attempt at saving his friends, vanished.

Caroline Andrews lost her brother during a violent attempt at survival and was subsequently left alone in the hands of an unknown fate.

And, Marko Siwak disappeared in the middle of the night and was never heard from again.

These are the stories of their journeys lost in a world where devastation knows no boundaries, where enemies await them at every turn, and where heartache, loss, and death supersede happiness, peace, and love...and the destiny that awaits them.

Prologue

"Not all those who wander are lost…
- J. R. R. Tolkien

What is fate? Or destiny?

Do we each have a predestined plan? A path to follow on our journey, mapped out long before us?

Does someone, something, somewhere, already know what hasn’t yet come to pass?Are words such as chance, fortune and luck, just words?Are we all just pawns in a game being played by a force of power, so much bigger than us, a force so great, so unfathomably paramount that we, as mere humans, simply do not have the ability to comprehend it?

What if the answer was yes?

What if every step we’ve taken, every choice, every mistake we’ve make, every success, every sad or happy moment in our lives, every person we’ve met, every feeling, every emotion we’d ever experienced, every single breath we’ve taken, our first and our last…

What if every single moment of our lives was, is, will be --no matter who you are, poor or wealthy, famous, criminal, loved or hated – what if it was all an inevitability, a foreordination, utterly uncontrollable by us?

Would it still be worth it?

Review

The Lost Souls is a novella that is aptly named… This story is about all of characters who we have previously met, whose souls have a story to tell.

This book is action packed to say the least, it is heart in your mouth kind of stuff. It also answers any previously unanswered questions.

The relationships in this story are perfect, even in their unpredictability. Having met the characters, learned about these characters, and come to love these characters, the Lost Souls has done nothing but ignite my desire to reach the ultimate climax in the Holy Trinity Series.

So i hear there are going to be 3 books in this series, however many there are – I know it is going to be a bloody, action packed, emotionally and sexually charged journey that takes us to the end. I was a late comer to this party – and I am hanging in until it’s shut down for good!

This story is brutal, in true Madeline style. As I turned the final page in this story, my jaw dropped, I screamed…. FUCK OFF… No way Madeline… I need more!…then ripped my anticipating heart out of my throat.

I rate this a 4.5 hearts!
As my ratings increase, so are my expectations
but I am confident Madeline will deliver.

Blurb

Trinity had an ordinary life. That is, until she barely escaped a worldwide apocalyptic plague that took her loved ones from her and transformed most of humanity into flesh-eating monsters.

Gerik, her savior, a six-foot-four-inch Scandinavian Gypsy, takes her back to his magically protected Gypsy camp where she discovers a whole new way of life that she never knew existed – as well as a whole new set of problems.

Gerik has power over her that she cannot begin to understand, and she is convinced he is using his magic on her. Through her journey of trying to understand her feelings and this new magic-filled life she’s been brought into, she begins an unlikely friendship that grows into having potential to be something more.

While the remaining humans are fighting for their survival, Trinity is fighting a battle of her very own – the right to choose her own destiny.

Is Gerik’s hold on her too strong? Or can new love set her free?

Review

The Soul Mate is the journey of Trinity, as she overcomes her loss of life as she knew it, while trying to find her feet in this new Gypsy world. Trinity is a Gaje (non Gypsy) and while the clan take her in – she is an outsider, so the Gypsy secrets are not hers for the knowing.

The Romani Clan that Trinity has been welcomed into rules by a mix of old and newer Gypsy Law. The old elements that still exist predominantly relate to the clan hierarchy, and the claiming (relationship status) of the females to a particular male. With that in mind, Gerik’s interest in Trinity is more than fleeting.

Trinity is a strong young woman who uses her time to try and understand as much as she can about her new situation, the apocalyptic situation outside of the camp, and the relationship dynamics of the clan. There are a number of situations that occur to and around Trinity that cause her to buck the expectations upon her, and in doing this she forms a bond with Xan. Xan is best described as the Rebel Gypsy. As time goes on, Xan and Trinity become really tight, and this creates its own issues within the clan, and not only with Gerik.

The world that Madeline has created is an interesting one. One that I have struggled to grasp the origins of. I can picture the world as Madeline describes it, and I can see the fear that the apocalypse has created. The relationship dynamics that are born in these circumstances are well developed and the character traits are very buyable. However, I think the complexities of the story got lost a little in the plot. For my personal pleasure if I could I would have asked for more detail in the scene setting around the apocalypse and Trinity’s arrival at camp. If I had this, I may have been able to go with the flow more during the read.

I enjoyed this story, but I was a little overwhelmed trying to understand it all. The characters are great, and the relationship dynamics are on the money! It’s a read that if you start – you have to see where it ends up, and the climax is intense!

I rate this 3.5 Hearts

Blurb

When Trinity escaped a worldwide apocalyptic plague in the arms of Gerik, a Scandinavian Gypsy, she never imagined they would be soul mates . . . or what that even meant. Xan showed Trinity that love could save her from the seemingly unbreakable ties she had to Gerik . . . or so she thought.

After a brutal attack on camp and being abandoned outside of the wards, Trinity, now possessing her own - and very unstable - magical powers, is left to her own devices surrounded by Skin Eaters and all other dangers of the unknown.

Now, Trinity is alone. Having no idea where her husband, her soul mate, or the Popa Clan are, Trinity is forced to discover her powers on her own.

On a journey full of self-discovery, chance encounters, unwelcome news, and enlightenment, Trinity is fighting for survival in a world where the only thing certain is death

Review

My Soul to Take is book 2 in the Holy Trinity Series, and the game has seriously changed for Trinity. Left to survive away from the Gypsy camp, we see Trinity’s own self discovery. She is strong, resourceful, compassionate, but cold blooded when she has to be.

Trinity’s relationships with Gerik and Xan take on their own paths – for a number of reasons, the emotion behind this is heartbreaking.

This book also gives us some time with Xan’s point of view. To see such a hard ass, self destruct is another emotional experience.

For me, this book flowed so much smoother, it was gripping from start to finish, and the journey that Trinity goes on makes completely perfect sense.

The challenges the she faces are faced with integrity and a strength that is unexpected from someone with her experiences. You cannot help but cheer for Trinity in every situation.

The ending of this story grabs you by the heart, and throws a little twist in, and ends…… I cannot wait to see where it picks up, and how this series resolves itself. The seeds have been planted for an amazing climax of the Holy Trinity – whenever and however that may be!!