Title: Souls for Sale
Authors: Asta Idonea and Nicki J. Markus
Publisher: NineStar Press (2nd Edition)
Length: 139 Pages
Category: Paranormal
At a Glance: Souls for Sale could have used a bit more focus on establishing who these characters were, what their backstories involved, and should have spent a bit more time on developing their relationship. The story was a great idea that simply needed a bit more meat to make it a fully fleshed out novel.
Reviewed By: Sammy
Blurb: When demon Saul persuades comic book artist Tom to sign over his soul in exchange for a night of passion, little does he know what lies in store. Demons can’t fall in love—or so he’s been told—but he finds himself smitten and attempts to destroy the contract, desperate to save Tom from an eternity of torture.
With Saul and Tom forced to run, a showdown between Heaven and Hell ensues as the angels and demons argue over who owns Tom’s soul. But does either party have a stronger claim than Saul?
Review: Tom sits in the local pub, day after day, eyeballing the gorgeous waiter that he is fairly sure is straight and way out of his league. Even if the guy was gay, Tom is far too shy to approach him. However, when a fellow customer accidentally bumps Tom’s drink and offers a fresh one, Tom agrees, setting off what will be a life-changing series of events Tom could never have expected to happen to him in a million years.
Saul is a successful demon who is in the business of signing up souls for hell. Tom is his latest mark, and an eager one at that. For a relatively shy albeit lonely guy, Tom surprises even himself when he agrees to hand over his immortal soul for a night of sex with the handsome demon. As one night turns to more, Saul does the unthinkable and tears up the contract Tom has signed, causing Hell to rock on its heels and a price to be placed on both Tom and Saul’s heads.
But, there is more to Tom than meets the eye and when Heaven gets involved in the rescue mission for Tom’s soul, Hell will be forced to pay attention. If they lose Tom, they certainly won’t hesitate to chop Saul down to size, and that means no more trips topside, no freedom to move among the humans, and no Tom. Poor Saul is about to realize just what love is and how much it can hurt.
Authors Asta Idonea and Nicki J. Markus set up a cute paranormal romance story in their latest release, Souls for Sale. Told in alternating points of view, the novel tries its best to show how love can change the most jaded of hearts. Saul is sarcastic, a bit unfeeling, and definitely full of himself—just as a demon should be, particularly one that tempts men and women into selling their souls to the devil. When he sees Tom across the pub, he sees another mark—a dorky, kind of cute but run-of-the-mill patsy who he will charm into signing. No big deal. Then, after a few nights of incredible sex, Saul has a change of heart—if he actually has one at all. Suddenly he doesn’t want to give Tom away. His “angel” should never have been coerced into the contract. At least, that’s what Saul tells himself. In reality, the demon is experiencing love for the very first time—maybe. Saul isn’t exactly sure what love is, but Tom is certain enough for both of them, so they go on the lam, fleeing demons sent to retrieve both of them. You see, Hell is not happy that Saul has flaunted the rules by keeping this human, and they are determined to not only have Tom’s soul but to punish Saul as well.
At first, I wasn’t a huge fan of Saul or of the alternating chapters told by both characters. Saul’s personality was more grating than humorous for me, and while the change that took place for him personally was quite sweet, the story never really offered much up in the way of addressing the growing affection between Tom and Saul. It felt as though Tom’s narration was considerably weaker than Saul’s, his character a bit washed out, and the love he develops for Saul came off as rather limp. I felt we never got to know Tom; his back story was non-existent. Why was he so lonely? Why didn’t he date? Why was he so blasé about selling his soul for a night of sex? So many unanswered questions.
The chase, the trial in Hell, and even Heaven’s intervention was quite good, but the idea that Saul and Tom could be in love was a bit far-fetched simply because their character development was so shallow. I would have much preferred to have this story done with just one character’s point of view and learned more about that main character and, through him, his love interest as well. Instead, we got bits and pieces of both men and not nearly enough to convincingly establish them as a couple. To be frank, the last third of this book was the best part. Unfortunately, this rapidly evolving climactic section was overshadowed by the fact that it felt like there was little or no buildup to that point. It felt so rushed and choppy as we swung from Saul to Tom and back again—I had a hard time getting a real bead on either man, to be honest.
I think that Asta Idonea and Nicki J. Markus have some real potential as authors of the paranormal. I just felt that Souls for Sale could have used a bit more focus on establishing who these characters were, what their backstories involved, and should have spent a bit more time on developing their relationship. The story was a great idea that simply needed a bit more meat to make it a fully fleshed out novel.
You can buy Souls for Sale here:
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