A review by momwithareadingproblem
Shades of Wicked by Jeaniene Frost

adventurous funny fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

Where do I even begin?! Shades of Wicked by Jeaniene Frost is the first book in Ian’s and Veritas’ story. I freaking LOVED this book! The action, the drama, the romance, the BANTER (sorry there may be a lot of all caps in this one), ALL OF IT. If you are familiar with the Night Huntress series, you will be very familiar with Ian and Veritas who are finally getting their own story in this world. Ian was already one of my favorite characters for his comedic relief, but y’all, he straight up stole my heart in this book. If you are a fan of the world or enjoy paranormal romance/urban fantasy, I highly recommend it. 

Told exclusively from the law guardian’s POV, Shades of Wicked begins with Veritas seeking out and finding Ian in the middle of a circus themed orgy. Did that surprise me? Not in the least, it’s perfectly fitting for the Ian we know at this point. Veritas is the surprise. She is a force to be reckoned with. She seeks out Ian to strike a bargain in destroying a demon, Dagon. In Into the Fire, Ian barters his soul away to Dagon to save Mencheres who actually didn’t need to be saved (check out that book for more info). Now he is living up the last remaining years he has until he must hand over his soul to the demon. Veritas offers a way out for him. 

Neither trust each other in the beginning, but they do have mutual respect for their given talents and strengths. Ian knows that Veritas is hiding something, and he also knows she played a role in Katie’s “death.” What he doesn’t know is everything she has done behind the scenes in her role as law guardian to protect who she finds innocent. All these secrets between them bubble over and create some fantastic tension. 

I’ve been trying to put my finger on why I loved this book so much more than the others in the series, and Brandee, one of the bloggers I buddy read this with, pointed out that this is the first spin off where the characters were already established. We met Ian in book 2 of the series (and had already heard Bones talk about him in book 1), and while he started off on shaky ground with Cat, he quickly became a favorite of mine. Veritas was introduced early as well as a friend of Mencheres and pops up frequently throughout the series. I loved getting to know both of them better, seeing how they worked together, and the explosive chemistry that resulted from it. 

Overall, if you haven’t already guessed, I LOVED this book. There wasn’t a single thing I could ding on it, even the narration which as you know from my reviews of the previous book I struggled with. Tavia Gilbert’s narration for Ian and Veritas is perfection. I loved every minute of it. I know this review isn’t much of a review and more me being a rambling fangirl, but seriously it was great. The series plot set up here is intriguing, and I cannot wait to read more. Again highly recommend, even if you haven’t read the other books of the series, it is quite enjoyable. 

*I buddy read this one with Berls @ Because Reading, Anne @ Books of My Heart, and Brandee @ (un)Conventional Bookworms. We were all in agreement….5 stars!