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Deal with the Demon #2

Mark of the Maiden

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Sage Blackwood is finally back in her own world after fighting her way through Demons and human alike. But her homecoming is short lived- she and her best friend Minx must return to Neviah, and find the Demon Prince, Kade. He is the only one who can help them learn magic, so she can reclaim the part of her soul he tore from her.
But Neviah has become even more dangerous since she left. The Hands now know a Maiden still lives, and is on the hunt for her. The Demons want to claim her power and use it to free their trapped King.
Sage will have to trust the very Demon who stole her soul even more now, and find allies to help them in their quest to mend what he broke.
But a strange new girl appears and Sage is tasked with a new quest.
Find the other Maidens, once thought to be dead.

336 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 30, 2023

11 people are currently reading
89 people want to read

About the author

C.M. Tillman

11 books130 followers

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
Profile Image for Tiffany aka Chai Tea And Books.
1,024 reviews51 followers
March 1, 2024
As much as I loved the first book in this series, I absolutely flew through this second one. The tension between the two love interests and Sage were worth every second of the slow burn of the first book. And the quest had all of the adventure that I need in a romantasy book. I wish I could conjure up a mouth hugging lily to shut someone up! #jealous I devoured every scrap CM Tillman threw my way, and oh my gosh I need more. I wasn’t prepared for that plot twist and cliffhanger ending. Can the next one be out yet? 😅

❤️ Tropes ❤️
💋 slow burn
💋 enemies to lovers
💋 two love interests
💋 dark romantasy

Sage arrives back in her realm just in time to save her best friend from the same ritual where her family tried to sacrifice her to a demon for power. They escape back into Neaviah and go about trying to get the other half of Sage’s soul back. When they try to track the demon that splits her soul, they get attacked by harpies. When Sage wakes up, she realizes that Minx and herself aren’t the only Maidens, and they need all of them to put her soul back together.

Thank you to Sunny Babe PR for the copy, all thoughts are my own.
Profile Image for Sumbul Arsalan.
56 reviews15 followers
July 3, 2023
I particularly enjoyed the chemistry between Sage and Kade, and Alec was a standout character.

Additionally, the unexpected cliffhanger left me intrigued for what's to come.

I can't help but feel concerned for the fate of Naru, who may be left alone in the story.


But the story was slow paced and it took me quite a while to read, and unfortunately, it struggled to grab my attention. It's a sweet nice story but not for my taste who likes mostly fast paced stories..

Thank you to the author and the Book Sirens for the ARC against an honest review.
Profile Image for TreeFlower.
222 reviews9 followers
July 12, 2023
** I was given an ARC of this book for free in exchange for an honest review on my social media platforms.**

“Let me be their monster.”

This book was the follow up I needed for “Deal With The Demon”. This follows the continuing story of Sage, a magic wielding Maiden, trying to recover the half of her soul that’s been lost to a demon (nevermind that she may be in love with this demon.) This second novel introduced more character’s POV’s and gave it a depth that the first one bordered on having.
I enjoyed this book and found it to be quite the page turner. I loved all the magical races that are present, I loved the history behind the lore and I loved the cliffhanger ending I was left with. It was one plot twist I truly did NOT see coming.
Profile Image for Rudrashree Makwana.
Author 1 book71 followers
May 31, 2023
The world building and intricate mysteries in plot will keep you glued till the end. The characters are so good while some have evil intentions and hidden facade too. It has dark fantasy theme with blood and gore. It has alternate POV.

The horrific ritual and ceremony will be performed by Minx’s family too. Now Sage is doubting Minx’s family intentions for her, what if they will sacrifice her too? She must go and save her. The two of them are friends since birth and know each other so well. While danger is lurking upon her as her family invoked the sacrificial ceremony and her soul has become bound to demon. To free her soul from Demon, she needs the help of other Maidens. Their odyssey is filled with dangers, secrets, twists and lies. So many unexpected things happens in the book. And the sudden or unexpected turn of events keeps at edge. It’s a dark fantasy with blood and gore, sacrificing ritual, blood oath, regaining power, family secrets, hidden facades, twists and turns and betrayal.

Will Sage be able to free her soul from Kade? Will she be able to save Minx? Will her soul get forever lost? The book has spicy scenes too. I adored Sage and Kade and Minx and Alec. I loved the other characters too

Tropes:
•Enemies to Lovers
•Blood and Gore
•Sacrificing Ritual
•Family secrets
•Lies and Betrayal
•Twists and Turns
•Hidden Powers
•Morally Grey MC’s
•A hint of spice

Genres:
•Slowburn Romance
•Dark Fantasy

Thank you for the ARC. I have shared my honest thoughts.
Profile Image for Mariette De kock.
140 reviews13 followers
February 20, 2024
Mark of the Maiden by CM Tillman is the second book in the Deal with the Demon series and I love it.

This is a slow burn, dark fantasy with enemies to lovers, morally grey MMC and duel POV.

This book starts off right where the first book ended. We still follow Sage as she continues her search but we also get to see from Minx's POV. I love how we get to see how Minx feels and expenses everything. This books follows them together as well as them going off on their own adventure. This was done so well.

There is also a few chapters from Kade's POV. I still miss Naru but it makes sense for the storyline. I don't know why I always fall for the side character.

This book ended in a cliffhanger I did not see coming. I can't wait to read the third book.

Thank you Sunny babe PR and C.M. Tillma for sending me this ARC for a honest review
Profile Image for Miriam.
249 reviews
February 29, 2024
“I more than tolerate you.”

What a ride!! I was absolutely not expecting that ending, and now I’m in desperate need of book three 😩💙

I loved of the new character additions in this book. Each one had a unique and interesting story and personality. I thought Minx was a great counterpart for Sage! I’m also completely in love with Alec and if anything ever happens to him I’ll be UPSET.

I’m really looking forward to book three. The slow burn might just kill me, but I know it’ll be worth it in the end! 😂

Read this if you like:
✨Slow Burn
✨Magical Worlds
✨Strong FMCs
✨Enemies to Lovers
✨Forced Proximity

Thank you so much to Sunny Babe PR and CM Tillman for letting me read this for an honest review. 💙
Profile Image for Elle.
199 reviews3 followers
January 3, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️

“Let me be their monster.”
This line has me screaming!

This was the exact follow up I needed after Deal with a Demon! We find out that the sacrificial ceremony Sage's mother tried to complete, will also be do to Minx her best friend. Sage, fearing for her best friends life, she rushes to save her from the human world, and attempts to bring her to their homeland. As it turns out, the ceremony Sage suffered through linked her to a demon, Kade, so he now actually has half her soul. The only way to fix it? Maidens. The very families that were banished from the lands many years ago.

Sage and Minx (maidens themselves) find themselves journeying through their homeland to find the other 5 maidens so they can help Sage fix her soul. Their journey is brimmed with horror, danger and what if's. It takes a dark turn with blood, gore and blood oaths. This was an excellent book as we got more in-depth information on our demon Kade, as well as lore on their homeland itself. The character and world building again was phenomenal, we meet some really interesting and fun characters that I hope stick around! Also that cliffhanger..... phew hurry up book 3!!!

What to expect:
• enemies to lovers
• slow burn
• family secrets
• loss and betrayal
• morally grey MC's
Profile Image for Juanita.
21 reviews8 followers
February 26, 2024
•Mark of the Maiden•
•C.M. Tillman•
••••••
🍄🍄🍄🍄.🌱/5
••••••
Mark of the Maiden in the second book in The Deal with the Demon trilogy! It takes off a little time after the first book left us, as Sage is set to save her friend from her same fate, back in their own world.
From there they travel once again to the original world where they can work on their magic. As they journey on they discover there might be more maidens like them, who they can unite with and ask for help to restore Sage’s soul.
••••••
This sequel was really good! I enjoyed reading this one even more than the first book, and felt a little closer to the characters. I felt more for them and truly loved the interactions amongst them.

We get to see our ensamble of characters from the first book, all as sarcastic as usual, and are joined by a new gang complete with half demons and maidens that range from adorable to terrifying.
••••••
I felt like the pacing of the book was pretty good! A lot happened without going into an awful lot of details for some scenes but without us actually missing anything important, so I enjoyed it a lot. It was a quick read for me, and definitely very fun. I also loved being able to read from multiple character’s perspectives, and how this drove the plot with two parallel stories. As usual, I liked some POV’s more than others, my favorite in this case was definitely Sage.
I liked that the romance subthemes in the book were highlighted a lot more in this one! For both Sage and Minx, which also gave a cool peek into the story’s demons.
••••••
Overall it was a pretty great book! In true @c.mtillman fashion, we were left in a cliff hanger (amazing cliff hanger at that, I did not see that coming). So I can’t wait to read the next (and last) book in the series. Coming out in May!!
Profile Image for JaywhyGee Reads.
202 reviews15 followers
January 1, 2024
Gahhhhh I need book 3 immediately!!
This book gets one 🌶️ lol
Fun YA Bestie Questie continuation from where we leave off in book 1.
New POV unlocked
Team Demon Boyfriends 😈😈
Magic and magical world politics - no one is free until we’re all 🙌
free full review to come
Profile Image for Samantha.
84 reviews35 followers
February 18, 2024
Kade and Sage❤️

Wow!
Thrilling sequel to deal with the demon!
This was action packed as they all went on an adventure to restore Sages soul, only now they have to defeat an unlikely enemy, looking forward to reading book 3 to see how this all ends!
Profile Image for Tylinn Houy.
74 reviews22 followers
June 30, 2023
More magic, darkness, betrayal and another cliffhanger.

It’s no secret I have a thing for sequels and always love them more than the first book. This sequel was no exception.

I LOVED the dual POV with Sage and Minx. It was perfectly used in this book.
I love the complexity of the characters. I love the romances, the internal fighting with the feelings. I need more Kade & Sage and I’m sad I have to wait for the next book.

Thank you CM Tillman for giving me the chance to read this ARC. I’m simply obsessed and cannot wait for the next book to come out.
64 reviews1 follower
January 10, 2024
4.5 🌟

I am reallllly enjoying this series. And I didn't realize that the series was unfinished. And now I want to cry.
Profile Image for Hannah Johnson.
202 reviews3 followers
June 3, 2023
I managed to get my hands on an ARC copy of this after having also got the ARC of the first one and I am even more in love with this series after reading this one!

I love the way it is written from Sage and Minx's viewpoints in different chapters, it really gives another level to the story to see things from both girls!

There were so many moments where I audibly gasped like oh no way did that just happen! And as always there were funny parts too!

I absolutely adore the way things from the human world completely confuse Kade and Naru 😂 the "who pissed in your cereal" reference had me belly laughing 🤣




(The only gripe I have is the same as last time, a few what I am guessing are auto correct issues with some names, Alec is sometimes referred to as Alex and there was one part where Minx's name was used instead of Sage's in the alleyway with the Halifax Maiden but with this being an ARC it is to be expected, it doesn't take away from the story I was still HOOKED on it!!)

This fully deserves its 5 ⭐ I LOVED IT and I cannot wait for the next one!!
Profile Image for Brenda Hansen.
58 reviews2 followers
June 3, 2023
Oh my goodness. This is exactly what I wanted when I saw the drop date for this book. I read the first book like it was gold then was pining after this one.

The 2nd book of this trilogy shows Sage and Minx running around Neaviah looking for the other Maidens. What I completely didn't expect was the massive cliff hanger at the end of this book. I will be counting down the days till the release date on the final book.

I received an advanced reader copy and am leaving this review voluntarily.
Profile Image for Michelle.
21 reviews
June 5, 2023
I love following the story of Sage and Kade. Now adding in Minx and Alex, this series is one that I had a hard time putting down. Definitely love the new romance developing. I’m extremely excited to be able to see what happens in the next book!!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Profile Image for Lia ☾.
237 reviews31 followers
February 28, 2024
" You are always in trouble. Stubborn, arrogant, hot-headed Blackwood that you are, you always find a way to get yourself caught up in something. And I always come running to you. "

----------------------—

Story rating: 4.5⭐️
Romance lvl: 3.5⭐️
Spice lvl: 1.0 🌶️ 

----------------------—

Tropes:
▵ love triangle
🫶🏽 allies to lovers
🔗 forced proximity
❓ oblivious to love
✨ going on a quest
🌳 action-packed adventure
🕯️ slow burn romance

TW: gore, violence, blood, murder
----------------------—

~ STORY & PLOT 📝 ~

I loved this book as much as I loved the first one, but in this one, the romance begins so I was giggling and blushing like I'm not a grown-ass woman over here!! 🤣❤️‍🔥

Again we follow Sage and Kade in their travel in that fantastic world, along with Minx, Alec, and Naru to go on their quest to find the other maiden.

I just love the world-building in this series. The lore is big and the writing is excellent to immerse us into this fantasy world full of magic and dark power at play.

The story finished on a big cliffhanger that got me feeling a lot of things and now I NEED BOOK 3, I NEED TO KNOW! 😭



~ ROMANCE & MAIN CHARACTERS 💖 ~

Again, the banters between Kades and Sage are funny, and Sage has such a great depth to her personality. She can't be described with one word or one trope and I love that about her. 😄

I like a broody hero, but I love Kade. He's broody but also witty, and when Sage's involved, quick to lose his temper 😂 (also I can imagine the smirk on him, and each time I just 🫠).

They're adorable and their tension IS KILLING ME, and so again I NEED BOOK 3, I NEED TO KNOW! 🤣

The book is written with a POV for Minx too, and so we now have a new couple to follow and I think this relationship will maybe lead to some discoveries for the link between Sage and Kade? We'll see 😎


~ SPICE 🌶️ ~

Spice is very very light, this series is a real slow burn but some begins in this book with a lot of tension between different MCs. Only one explicit scene, not many details. The spice in this book is more in the feels than in the deeds. 😉✨



---------------------—

This is an arc review. Thanks to the author for the advanced ebook copy 🙏💖

---------------------—
Profile Image for lex (samkiel’s version ⚡︎).
305 reviews34 followers
February 27, 2024
I love Kade so freaking much 🤭🥵 there’s just something about a handsome, brooding and slightly territorial Demon Prince that does it for me lol.

I personally felt that this second installment in the series began at a significantly slower pace, but I still really enjoyed the story! picking up right where we left off, with Sage returning to rescue Minx, the author uses this new character to almost recap the events of book one, which wasn’t necessary imo and slightly detract from the reunion of our young Maidens. once Minx is up to speed, things start occurring pretty quickly and definitely heat up around the 35-40% mark. once you’re in the action, you’re IN IT & I’m not complaining.

the introduction of new POV’s does add an interesting dynamic to the journey, allowing us the opportunity to explore different parts of this mysterious & dangerous realm at the same time, while also providing a deeper look into the history and uniquely individual magic that the Maiden’s possess. not only do we get to see more of Sage’s raw power, but through Minx’s POV, we start to understand her strengths and Goddess given gifts. the world building and lore are fascinating in this world.

ugh and back Kade.. I really do love him. the romantic elements in this book aren’t necessarily the cornerstone of the plot, but it definitely has me blushing & obsessing over some thiiiick & juicy tension 😏 Sage is still caught between her Demon Prince, Kade, and the Hunter, Naru. I’m not usually a love triangle girl, but boy they’re so hunky I find myself torn between the two at times. ultimately, Kade has my heart. but who has Sage’s, if anyone? 😏🤔 the banter, the glances, the subtle touches. eating it UP. and don’t y’all worry, because Minx may have a little fun here too with her own broody, but smart mouthed companion.

I would have loved to see just a little more from this story, because I thoroughly enjoyed the first. we end on an intense cliffhanger for our motley crew, and I’m soooo excited to see what comes next for our formidable women.

Thank you to Sunny Babe PR and C. M. Tillman for providing an ARC of this book for me to give my honest review.
Profile Image for Moonburst.
444 reviews7 followers
June 10, 2023
Mark of the Maiden is the second book in the Deal with the Demon trilogy. It picks up shortly after the conclusion of Deal with the Demon. Sage has returned to the human world to save her friend and fellow Maiden, Minx. As they return to Neviah, Sage struggles to reunite with her friends, Kade and Naru. When they finally are reunited, Sage discovers that her only hope for healing her soul is to find the other Maidens, who have long been thought to be dead.

I have two main complaints about this book. First, the book takes until about halfway through to really pick up steam and get interesting. Up until that point, Sage and Minx are traveling and it's fairly repetitive to the first book when Sage first is traveling through and experiencing Neviah. Unlike Sage, though, Minx takes to her powers quickly and intuitively. Threats are present, but largely far enough away to minimize tension. After the halfway point, the characters have clear goals and clear threats to deal with.

The second complaint I have is that there is very little character growth that occurs in this book. While Sage struggles with impulse control, she is more scared of her power and does little to practice or work on it. However, when she is challenged, she does take efforts to minimize losing control. Emotionally, she is largely doubting her thoughts about Kade, which severely undermines the work done in the first book with Sage's prejudices. Minx, meanwhile, apparently has nothing to work on. While Sage worries about Minx's lack of experience with magic, it never seems to hold Minx back or cause any major issues. If the first half of the book had more for Sage and Minx to work on and mature on, the lack of action would have been more tolerable.

The second half of the book is much more enjoyable with interesting characters, world building, magic, and twists. As such it is worth pushing through to the end, even though it lands on yet another mild cliffhanger.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Profile Image for Josmely.
658 reviews27 followers
February 26, 2024
THAT ENDING 😭😭😭 Yoo when I tell ya I'm crying my eyes out right now. I need to have words with the author bc WHY WOULD THEY DO THIS TO ME.

I was ready to get my hands on this book since the moment I finished book 1 and I was not disappointed. This book had me all over the place. It had me laughing, it had me screaming, it got me mad, sad I went through it with this one. There was action from the very beginning and every fight had me on the edge of my seat.

We got to meet a lot of new characters and I truly liked them all. Some of them stole my heart more than others and I need a miracle to happen bc I need them to be back AND HEALTHY. It was cool seeing all the different girls work their magic and how completely different all the powers were.

The romantic aspect of the book was still a background story compared to everything going on. Even though it was slow and very far in between moments the little bit that we got had me so giddy. Minx got a lot interested and they are so adorable.

Sage built a better connection with Kade AND Naru. I would love for this not to be a love triangle but if it is im lowkey team Kade.

“Because I am not satisfied unless I am close to you, knowing you are safe. When we are apart, I feel an ache in my soul that has nothing to do with this bond between us.” HE IS SO 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰😍

I was waiting the entire book for a betrayal that I didn't trust a single person and it literally came from the one person I didn't even think about. Definitely left me shocked and I NEED MORE.
23 reviews1 follower
February 2, 2024
Tropes:
1. Enemies to lovers
2. Slowburn
3. Forced Proximity
4. Family Betrayal
5. Morally Grey MMC
6. Touch her and Die
7. Multiple POVs

Review:
I received an ARC copy of this from SunnyBabesPr and C.M.Tillman. This is the second book in the series, and I have already gushed about how I feel about Book 1.

Sage fears that her best friend Minx awaits the same fate as her, and to save her, she travels back to her world after a lot of struggles. Her goal is to hide from her family and to save her best friend.
Sage travels back to Neaviah with Minx, only to find out that Kade is in danger. She then makes it her mission to find Kade; during the journey, the two maidens are introduced to Alex, a half-demon who is providing shelter to Naru. Kade had decided to use himself as bait to drag The Hand away from Naru.

When Sage finally reunites with her demon prince, she learns that Minx and her are not the last Maidens, and there are 7 of them alive. Both the Maidens undertake the journey to find the remaining Maidens so that they can help Sage fix her soul.

The bond between Sage and Kade keeps becoming deeper, and it will give you butterflies.
What will happen when she faces betrayal from someone she thought was on her side? Can she fix her soul, or will it get lost? Will Kade be able to fix his curse? To get all the answers, we need to wait for Book 3 to come out in late May.
Profile Image for De_Boekenplank_van_Floor.
95 reviews1 follower
February 28, 2024
Summary:
Sage Blackwood is finally back in her own world after fighting her way through Demons and human alike. But her homecoming is short lived- she and her best friend Minx must return to Neviah, and find the Demon Prince, Kade. He is the only one who can help them learn magic, so she can reclaim the part of her soul he tore from her. But Neviah, you almost couldn’t imagine, has become even more dangerous since she left. The Hands now know a Maiden still lives, and are on the hunt for her. The Demons want to claim her power and use it to free their trapped King. Sage will have to trust the very Demon who stole her soul even more now, and find allies to help them in their quest to mend what he broke. But a strange new girl appears and Sage is tasked with a new quest. Find the other Maidens, once thought to be dead.

Review:
Though not as fast paced and action packed as the first book in this series, (which is honestly, the only reason I gave this 4 and not 5 stars) Sage and Minx’s story still pulls you in with magnetic force. Next to another thrilling adventure, we get more of the romance/intense triangle between Kade, Sage and Naru and we get a whole new romance, will they won’t they between Minx and Alec, the interesting halfdemon helping her, when she and Sage have to split up. The tension between all these characters is officially of the charts. And that ending…….has part of my soul.
Profile Image for Rebecca.
604 reviews18 followers
July 23, 2023
The adventure continues! Mark of the Maiden is the second book in this series and is just as good, if not better than the first.

The characters just continue to develop and the relationships are getting interesting. Sage is still coming to grips with her powers, although fearful of them and I love how Kade is helping her to keep a lid on it. Sage and Minx are finally reunited, although their friendship is tested more than once. I love Sage and Kade’s dynamic and how it’s clear he cares for her and isn’t just using her to save his own skin. He makes my little heart melt.

The story continues to be fast paced with lots happening all at once and that twist!! I did not see that coming.

Despite this one becoming slightly more intense, the author still managed to make me laugh out loud in parts. The cereal. IYKYK!

My only criticism is that there are a lot of typos in this. A lot more than I would expect from a second book in the series, especially with names of characters. I also didn’t like the one chapter where it switched to first person. But it was an ARC and if that is all the criticism I have to say then it’s a pretty darn good book!

I’m also extremely mad that I binged these and now have to wait until next year to find out what happens next.

Thank you to book sirens and the author for the ARC.
Profile Image for Ashley Knight.
206 reviews9 followers
July 31, 2023
Title: Mark of the Maiden
Author: CM Tillman
Series: Deal with the Demon #2
Rating: ☆☆☆☆

Mark of the Maiden picks up where Deal with the Demon ends, following Sage on her journey to break this bond with the demon, Kade. Again this story is quite a page turner that just pulls you in and before you know it you are completely captivated by the characters and their story.

Sage and Minx must travel back to Neviah to find Kade so he can teach them how to use their magic. If Sage can learn to control her magic, she can reclaim the part of her soul Kade took from her. But going back to Neviah might not have been such a great idea since Neviah is a dangerous place and people are hunting her for her power. Once again Kade and Sage must work together in their journey to fix what was broken.

This story keeps getting better and better as well as starting to see quite a bit of character growth and complexity. There's plenty of twists and turns in this book. Mark of the Maiden does end in a cliffhanger like book one. I also enjoyed the dual POV of Kade and sage. I really have enjoyed this series so far and I look forward to seeing what Tillman comes up with next.
Profile Image for Ashley Z.
85 reviews2 followers
March 1, 2024
Mark of the Maiden picks up right where Deal with the Demon left off. Sage sets off to find Minx, rescue her, bring her back to Neviah, master their magic together, and try to save at least one of the worlds. Twists and turns make this task far from simple, but this dynamic duo is up for the challenge. Joined by a ragtag group of misfits, Sage and Mynx set off on their journey...

I really enjoyed all of the new characters that we added in this book. Alternating POVs specifically did a nice job of rounding out our main characters. Getting a few peeks at Kade's POV was also a particular treat. The plot twists in this kept me guessing the whole time and the ending was a cliffhanger that has me desperate for the next book! Overall I love this world and these characters.

I was absolutely shocked at the smidge of spice we got in this book! I'm not sure why I assumed this was YA, but it is not. I would have like the tone to shift more to make this more obvious (like to make the tone/maturity level line up a bit better), but overall I still loved this book. Just definitely something for readers to know!

If you like demons, witches, found family, and betrayal this series is for you!
Profile Image for Melissa Clark.
307 reviews15 followers
March 9, 2024
Mark of the Maiden is the thrilling sequel to Deal with the Demon. I absolutely adore this series. The second book focuses on Sage and the newly rescued Minx finding the other lost Maidens in the hope that they will be able to get the other half of Sages soul back from Kade.

I like that this installment in the trilogy had different view points. I enjoyed seeing Minx's view on what is happening around her and her budding relationship with Alec. I would like to see view points of the other maiden in next book in the series.

When I read this book had spice I was super excited for Sage and Kade but the spice wasn't between them. They are still having their little bit of slow burn will they or wont they. Sage is a bit thick when it comes to her feelings for Kade. The girl needs to get out of her own way.

Like the first book in the series Mark of the Maiden ends on a cliffhanger. So if thats not your thing please be advised.

Overall I really enjoyed Mark of the Maiden and can't wait to read the last book in the trilogy.

Thank you Sunny babe PR and C.M. Tillman for sending me this ARC for a honest review
4 reviews
Read
February 23, 2024
Mark of the Maiden is the sequel to a book I have read and written about recently, Deal with the Demon, and it is actually the second installment of a trilogy. First, I would like to thank SunnyBabePR and CM Tillman for sending me this ARC and giving me a chance to continue reading this story.
I must say I liked this book more than the first one. Whereas the first book was an introduction to the world and the characters, this one is a development of the story, and it is more action and character packed. I really enjoyed the side characters in this one, and while at the beginning some of them were just briefly introduced, here we get to spend more time with them. This book is even written in three different POVs, which made it quite fun to read. The romance was quite interesting to me, and without any spoilers, I must say that I like the suspense on who the main romantic interest will be. I especially enjoyed the side character romance. This ends on a cliffhanger so I look forward to reading the last installment, and seeing what happens.

Profile Image for Kennedy Franklin.
26 reviews
February 29, 2024
Another good book in the Deal with the Demon series by C.M. Tillman! I was so excited to pick this one up after the cliffhanger we were left with at the end of the first book, and I was so happy to see that we picked up right where we left off!

I thoroughly enjoyed getting to spend more time with the crew we came to know and love in the first book, as well as some new additions in this one! Much like the first one, I would've enjoyed more world building and history exploration of the lore in the world of Neaviah, but it's not something you have to have.

Oh, and the banter and witty comebacks don't stop in this one, and I think I fell in love with the characters even more. We get to see some of the complexities in the relationships between characters, and the slow burn just keeps burning. As slow and steady as ever (and I'm not even mad about it).

If you're looking for a new fantasy series to jump into, you should pick this one up so that you're caught up by the time the third one comes out later this year!
Profile Image for Savannah Lee.
Author 9 books165 followers
May 9, 2023
I received an ARC copy of this book.

HOLY MOLY. If I thought I loved the first one then I need to propose to this one. Usually the 2nd in a series is not the better book, but in this case it is. We get a deep dive into Minx and her character and she immediately has become my favorite. We get to see some romance with her in this book and its everything I wanted it to be.

And don't even get me started on Sage and Kade. I have no words for how into this couple I am. My only regret in reading this book is that I have to wait for the next one. I need them to get together so bad and I can't wait for that moment for them. (hopefully...don't let me down CM Tillman)

There is also a ton of world expanding in this book. The side characters CM introduces in this book are my favorite part. They are so interesting with such a rich backstory that I cannot wait to read the rest of it.

Please, hurry up.
Profile Image for Mai.
185 reviews10 followers
June 18, 2023
I have been so excited for this since finishing Deal with the Demon months ago! This picks up right where the first book left off. We get more of Minx in this story, and we get to see more of her dynamic with Sage.

While Sage still has some insecurities about her powers, she begins to come into herself and embrace what it means to be The Maiden. She becomes a leader as she embarks on a journey to restore the other half of her soul.

But let's not forget about Kade and Naru. While Naru has Golden Retriever energy, Kade's broody and grumpy demeanor is where it's at! There is a definite slow burn that has been simmering since the end of the first book.

C.M. Tillman masterfully delivers this story and is able to draw us into this world with relentless action and world-building. This does end in a cliffhanger; however, I was able to predict the twist that led to the cliffhanger. I can't wait for the next book!!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Profile Image for Kristie Wagner.
985 reviews32 followers
June 22, 2023
I really liked the back and forth of how Sage feels about both Naru and Kade. I can't decide who to root for, they're both a good match for her in such different ways. I also liked that Alec and Minx are spending more time together in this one, too.

The mystery of the maidens and needing to find them was a really interesting way to take the characters to new areas and throw them into some pretty intense situations.

I'm so glad that Minx and Sage are able to be together again, their friendship makes all of this so much better. I loved the layers of complexity that were revealed with the discovery of each remaining Maiden, and I did not expect the twist that happened!

I would have liked to have seen more info on the city where the final two were, and more about Railor's history. That would have made it a 5 for me.

I was warned about spice and sexy scenes, but there really wasn't anything beyond some implied situations.
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