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The Sisters of Spirits Trilogy #3
The Deadening
Shade Stewart is a member of the Sisters of Spirits paranormal investigative group and a self-proclaimed necromancer. Renowned for leaving a trail of broken hearts, she walks between darkness and the light, searching to ease the emptiness in her spirit with women and whatever else might ease the pain. After an explosion leaves her in a coma, Shade is trapped in a place between this reality and her nightmares, fighting for her life and her soul.
Raven Sanchez, a fiery generational witch, is the newest member of SOS. Instantly attracted to Shade and the power she possesses, Raven pursues her, ignoring the darkness that surrounds her. Blinded by her desire, she uses her magic in an attempt to win Shade’s heart, setting in motion forces beyond her control.
Third in the Sisters of Spirits Trilogy
Raven Sanchez, a fiery generational witch, is the newest member of SOS. Instantly attracted to Shade and the power she possesses, Raven pursues her, ignoring the darkness that surrounds her. Blinded by her desire, she uses her magic in an attempt to win Shade’s heart, setting in motion forces beyond her control.
Third in the Sisters of Spirits Trilogy
271 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 16, 2015
2 people are currently reading
80 people want to read
About the author
Yvonne Heidt
10 books49 followersYvonne Heidt is a multiple award-winning author of paranormal and modern romance. She would love to tell you she lives in a haunted Victorian house overlooking the ocean where she spends the afternoons writing in the turret, and the evenings sipping wine with her wife while they watch gorgeous sunsets.
She really would.
But - she currently lives in Texas with her beloved wife, four dogs, and a myriad of visiting ghosts.
Her debut novel, Sometime Yesterday, won the 2013 Golden Crown Literary Award for Best Paranormal Romance in addition to being a finalist in the 2013 Lambda Literary Awards. The Awakening: Book One in the Sisters of Spirits Trilogy, won the 2014 Golden Crown Literary award for Best Paranormal. The Quickening: Book Two was a GCLS finalist in 2015, and The Deadening: Book Three won the 2016 GCLS award for best Paranormal.
She really would.
But - she currently lives in Texas with her beloved wife, four dogs, and a myriad of visiting ghosts.
Her debut novel, Sometime Yesterday, won the 2013 Golden Crown Literary Award for Best Paranormal Romance in addition to being a finalist in the 2013 Lambda Literary Awards. The Awakening: Book One in the Sisters of Spirits Trilogy, won the 2014 Golden Crown Literary award for Best Paranormal. The Quickening: Book Two was a GCLS finalist in 2015, and The Deadening: Book Three won the 2016 GCLS award for best Paranormal.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
September 20, 2019
Believer vs Sceptical
Attic vs Basement
Possession vs Disturbance
I See Dead People vs I Think I See Dead People
Indoor Toilet vs Outdoor Toilet
3 Kick-Ass - Not Over The Top Lesbian Paranormal/Supernatural Agents - Incomparable
My earliest memory with the supernatural being was when I was young and innocent at my Nani's house in Penang Island. It was a wooden house with the bathroom and toilet located outside. During the day, they were not far from the house but at night, especially when I really needed to pee, they seemed to move a few kilometers away - the horrifying stories about the spirits haunting my Nani's house and some relatives who were possessed that I listened to during the day came to mind(didn't help whatsoever) The sounds/things I saw/heard during my toilet trips, I still don't know if they were real or just my imagination but they did help me retain the fastest pisser title for years to come.
Yes, I am a believer - I have seen many things since and they were real enough so spending a few days with Sunny, Tiffany and Shade in their sometimes blessed, other times cursed world was entertaining and informative. There were a few rituals that the super trio did in the books that we, Malaysians practiced - different methods but still.
This series dealt with serious subjects so if you're uncomfortable with ghost/vengeful spirits/dark magic/child abandonment/addicts/murders/rapes/
suicides/child prostitution/kidnapping/
abduction/the dead watching and getting off as you were having sex then maybe wait until you are braver. Most of the trigger warnings above were alluded/referred to than seeing them unfold on the page so you don't have to worry about your hair turning white by the end of the series.
Full marks on the entertaining paranormal/supernatural elements but the romance for the Super Trio didn’t work that much for me. I think the combination of high angst, extremely damaged, flawed characters, and turning into chickens and using the classic ‘I’m not good enough’ excuses to step back and create conflict disturbed me the most.
Bugs, thank you. If you are curious, please check out Bugs' review, I think Lex loved these as well so two Lesfic powerhouse - irresistible.
Attic vs Basement
Possession vs Disturbance
I See Dead People vs I Think I See Dead People
Indoor Toilet vs Outdoor Toilet
3 Kick-Ass - Not Over The Top Lesbian Paranormal/Supernatural Agents - Incomparable
My earliest memory with the supernatural being was when I was young and innocent at my Nani's house in Penang Island. It was a wooden house with the bathroom and toilet located outside. During the day, they were not far from the house but at night, especially when I really needed to pee, they seemed to move a few kilometers away - the horrifying stories about the spirits haunting my Nani's house and some relatives who were possessed that I listened to during the day came to mind(didn't help whatsoever) The sounds/things I saw/heard during my toilet trips, I still don't know if they were real or just my imagination but they did help me retain the fastest pisser title for years to come.
Yes, I am a believer - I have seen many things since and they were real enough so spending a few days with Sunny, Tiffany and Shade in their sometimes blessed, other times cursed world was entertaining and informative. There were a few rituals that the super trio did in the books that we, Malaysians practiced - different methods but still.
This series dealt with serious subjects so if you're uncomfortable with ghost/vengeful spirits/dark magic/child abandonment/addicts/murders/rapes/
suicides/child prostitution/kidnapping/
abduction/the dead watching and getting off as you were having sex then maybe wait until you are braver. Most of the trigger warnings above were alluded/referred to than seeing them unfold on the page so you don't have to worry about your hair turning white by the end of the series.
Full marks on the entertaining paranormal/supernatural elements but the romance for the Super Trio didn’t work that much for me. I think the combination of high angst, extremely damaged, flawed characters, and turning into chickens and using the classic ‘I’m not good enough’ excuses to step back and create conflict disturbed me the most.
Bugs, thank you. If you are curious, please check out Bugs' review, I think Lex loved these as well so two Lesfic powerhouse - irresistible.
June 3, 2018
I've been looking forward to Shade's story because of the three sisters she's been the most elusive and mysterious. Also the concept of a necromancer appealed to me. What I didn't expect was to dislike her as much as I did. But then, it is really hard to like an addict. Raven, young and with a crush since childhood on Shade, was a complete surprise. She had all the potential of a starry-eyed doormat but it was quickly apparent that she was nothing of the sort. She's feisty, smart, sexy and powerful and is definitely my favourite character of the entire series.
I loved the way the Shade's demons and past were all tangled up with her addiction and that she wasn't given any easy-outs. A lot of the action takes place on the astral plane and while I'm usually not a fan of dream sequences (you know, because it's not real, lol), I was okay with it in this instance. The more I understood about Shade the less I disliked her.
This was a great series that I thoroughly enjoyed reading.
I loved the way the Shade's demons and past were all tangled up with her addiction and that she wasn't given any easy-outs. A lot of the action takes place on the astral plane and while I'm usually not a fan of dream sequences (you know, because it's not real, lol), I was okay with it in this instance. The more I understood about Shade the less I disliked her.
This was a great series that I thoroughly enjoyed reading.
February 20, 2017
Solid series...
This is the third book in the sister series and this time around it focuses on Shade, the darkest member of the group. She sees dead people as they died and lives in a constant state of morbidity, depression, and chaos.
For the most part, the book is pretty intense the first 60 percent. Unlike the other two books that built in crisis and thrill this is the other way around where it starts off intense and then ebbs to a calmer, lighter feel.
Raven is a fun, new character who is enamored with Shade. She's feisty, hot tempered and impulsive. Good chemistry here...though courting is kind of skipped and it's more of a souls entwined type thing. There is a decent amount of interaction between them, though.
Raven is also Hispanic (thanks for adding diversity to the genre) from a long line of witches, think spells vs dead people...though that comes into play, too.
Where the previous books dealt with ghosts and reincarnation this one more has to do with personal demons. Less woo-woo and more into the realm of fantasy. Seeing the dead, reading life energy from the past, reincarnation, healing, and mind reading somehow stayed within paranormal in the previous books but adding in the ability to cast spells just sent it over the edge to fantasy, I guess. Lol. There's no crime mystery to solve in this third book, either, by the way.
The end felt rushed and a little from out of nowhere but overall a good read.
Definitely read the first two books before this one. This is a stand alone but a lot would be lost on the reader without the back history from the first two books.
A rape trigger and child sexual abuse are present here so if you're sensitive to that be aware.
I liked this book and would recommend.
This is the third book in the sister series and this time around it focuses on Shade, the darkest member of the group. She sees dead people as they died and lives in a constant state of morbidity, depression, and chaos.
For the most part, the book is pretty intense the first 60 percent. Unlike the other two books that built in crisis and thrill this is the other way around where it starts off intense and then ebbs to a calmer, lighter feel.
Raven is a fun, new character who is enamored with Shade. She's feisty, hot tempered and impulsive. Good chemistry here...though courting is kind of skipped and it's more of a souls entwined type thing. There is a decent amount of interaction between them, though.
Raven is also Hispanic (thanks for adding diversity to the genre) from a long line of witches, think spells vs dead people...though that comes into play, too.
Where the previous books dealt with ghosts and reincarnation this one more has to do with personal demons. Less woo-woo and more into the realm of fantasy. Seeing the dead, reading life energy from the past, reincarnation, healing, and mind reading somehow stayed within paranormal in the previous books but adding in the ability to cast spells just sent it over the edge to fantasy, I guess. Lol. There's no crime mystery to solve in this third book, either, by the way.
The end felt rushed and a little from out of nowhere but overall a good read.
Definitely read the first two books before this one. This is a stand alone but a lot would be lost on the reader without the back history from the first two books.
A rape trigger and child sexual abuse are present here so if you're sensitive to that be aware.
I liked this book and would recommend.
February 8, 2015
Oh yes, this is an amazing conclusion to the ‘Sisters in Spirits Trilogy’. I do believe it is important to read the first two installments before this one, to be comfortably familiar with the primary and supporting characters plus the environs within this astoundingly collection. All three parts are lusciously wrapped in wonderfully crafted parapsychological elements. However, this last entry weaves a trip through an inner reality via an astral plane experience that apparently necromancers know intimately and cathartically. Oh my, that astral plane ordeal was spellbinding. For some icing on the cake, there are delightfully heated loving interludes, too. This book as the final piece to the trilogy is scintillating!
Shade is a necromancer. If that were the entirety of her obstacles, then perhaps she wouldn't put the fear of the universe into all those around her and doubly so for herself. Instead, Shade attempts to quiet her demons in ways that would not come with a stamp of approval from practically anyone. Additionally, she engages in carnal pleasures with whomever on an almost nightly basis for added, intense distractions. Her behavior might be chalked up to professional hazards, but there is a strong sense that this less than reputable conduct has a harsh and dark origin. Shade faces some long journeys, some grueling processes, and emotional trials. Nevertheless, it is a challenging, extremely engrossing path to observe and connect with her. There is no doubt in my mind that Shade is a magnificently fascinating woman, character, and challenged psychic. I love her!
Raven comes from a large family and many of them are very talented psychics. She is referred to as a witch, but I think she is way more than that. Raven has diverse talents, energy, plus strength when she puts herself on the line. Furthermore, she projects such an extraordinary loving nature which places her in some rather unique positions. Her backstory, her ultimate confidence, and her passionate savoir faire are continuously tested as she tries to get closer to Shade for a whole host of reasons. In fact, the marvelously hidden elements as to why Raven is so attracted to Shade form a beautiful substory that I found immensely appealing. I love Shade, but I'm completely enchanted and mesmerized by Raven. There are countless subplots that wonderfully enhance the main focus, but I would say the ongoing interaction between Raven and Shade is almost a novel unto itself. Therefore, having it be an integral driving force, places this third installment in a universe all its own. Spectacular!
This is a winner and I assuredly recommend it. Once again, reading the two previous books first, really enhanced my appreciation of this third story. It is such an adventurous, eye-opening, mind-shattering episode that it will certainly stay with me for a very long time. Luminescent!
NOTE: This book was provided by the author for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
Shade is a necromancer. If that were the entirety of her obstacles, then perhaps she wouldn't put the fear of the universe into all those around her and doubly so for herself. Instead, Shade attempts to quiet her demons in ways that would not come with a stamp of approval from practically anyone. Additionally, she engages in carnal pleasures with whomever on an almost nightly basis for added, intense distractions. Her behavior might be chalked up to professional hazards, but there is a strong sense that this less than reputable conduct has a harsh and dark origin. Shade faces some long journeys, some grueling processes, and emotional trials. Nevertheless, it is a challenging, extremely engrossing path to observe and connect with her. There is no doubt in my mind that Shade is a magnificently fascinating woman, character, and challenged psychic. I love her!
Raven comes from a large family and many of them are very talented psychics. She is referred to as a witch, but I think she is way more than that. Raven has diverse talents, energy, plus strength when she puts herself on the line. Furthermore, she projects such an extraordinary loving nature which places her in some rather unique positions. Her backstory, her ultimate confidence, and her passionate savoir faire are continuously tested as she tries to get closer to Shade for a whole host of reasons. In fact, the marvelously hidden elements as to why Raven is so attracted to Shade form a beautiful substory that I found immensely appealing. I love Shade, but I'm completely enchanted and mesmerized by Raven. There are countless subplots that wonderfully enhance the main focus, but I would say the ongoing interaction between Raven and Shade is almost a novel unto itself. Therefore, having it be an integral driving force, places this third installment in a universe all its own. Spectacular!
This is a winner and I assuredly recommend it. Once again, reading the two previous books first, really enhanced my appreciation of this third story. It is such an adventurous, eye-opening, mind-shattering episode that it will certainly stay with me for a very long time. Luminescent!
NOTE: This book was provided by the author for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
February 19, 2015
3.5 stars
Sisters of Spirits is a paranormal investigation group, formed by three friends with different abilities. Shade Stewart is the necromancer, who handles the darker side of the business. A bed-hopping disaster of a human being, Shade doesn’t have a lot to recommend her as a character, so it is a bit of a stretch to see why a younger witch, Raven Sanchez, seems so besotted.
The book really kicks off when an explosion puts Shade in a coma and traps her in her nightmares. Once Shade is in this world between worlds, Heidt has much more freedom to play and this is when both Shade, and Raven, start making sense as individual characters, and also as potential soul mates. The development of the characters is nicely done, and it became a much more interesting book and I was much more invested in the two main characters. A fun read.
Sisters of Spirits is a paranormal investigation group, formed by three friends with different abilities. Shade Stewart is the necromancer, who handles the darker side of the business. A bed-hopping disaster of a human being, Shade doesn’t have a lot to recommend her as a character, so it is a bit of a stretch to see why a younger witch, Raven Sanchez, seems so besotted.
The book really kicks off when an explosion puts Shade in a coma and traps her in her nightmares. Once Shade is in this world between worlds, Heidt has much more freedom to play and this is when both Shade, and Raven, start making sense as individual characters, and also as potential soul mates. The development of the characters is nicely done, and it became a much more interesting book and I was much more invested in the two main characters. A fun read.
February 11, 2015
Shade was always my favorite character in this trilogy and her story was just amazing. I loved the character of Raven, strong, loving and fun, just the right match for Shade with her Latina temper and not letting Shade scare her off. The journey was well worth the wait for this final installment. Awesome.
February 25, 2015
Review of The Deadening by Yvonne Heidt
This is the third part of the 'Sisters of Spirit' Trilogy. Where the first two books focussed on Sunni and Tiffany, it Is now Shade's turn in the spotlight. I have always found Shade the most interesting character - perhaps because she is the darkest and most enigmatic. This book reveals the enigma and it is an emotional journey.
Raven Sanchez has joined Sisters of Spirit as the receptionist now that Aura has retired. She has a connection to Shade and knows that they are destined to be together. But given this is an Yvonne Heidt book, it is never going to be girl meets girl, girls fall in love and they live happy ever after. This book has many twists and turns and painful emotional vignettes before Shade finds a way to accept who she really is and indeed who she can be. The skill in the storytelling is to make all the paranormal elements totally credible... You get lost in the narrative and the dead people and ghosts and witching spells all just fit in to this world populated by these people. That is the success of the book. At no time are you snapped out of the fantasy world, it all flows and seems "real". That's quite an achievement.
Shade is obnoxious and difficult and uses women, alcohol and drugs to hide her pain. She needs people to see her as strong and protective but somehow Raven sees another side of Shade. Given how she has created her persona and worked on the dark black character, Shade is scared of how Raven reaches inside. But Shade will never admit that to anyone - even herself... In this third book, Jordan and Kat step into Shade's problems and that makes sense given the close nature of the three main characters. The way Shade fights through her demons feels real and allows us to sympathise with this initially unsympathetic character.
Although the SOS books are shown as a trilogy, I really hope this isn't the end of the Sisters of Spirit. There is so much yet to be developed with these excellent characters.
This is the third part of the 'Sisters of Spirit' Trilogy. Where the first two books focussed on Sunni and Tiffany, it Is now Shade's turn in the spotlight. I have always found Shade the most interesting character - perhaps because she is the darkest and most enigmatic. This book reveals the enigma and it is an emotional journey.
Raven Sanchez has joined Sisters of Spirit as the receptionist now that Aura has retired. She has a connection to Shade and knows that they are destined to be together. But given this is an Yvonne Heidt book, it is never going to be girl meets girl, girls fall in love and they live happy ever after. This book has many twists and turns and painful emotional vignettes before Shade finds a way to accept who she really is and indeed who she can be. The skill in the storytelling is to make all the paranormal elements totally credible... You get lost in the narrative and the dead people and ghosts and witching spells all just fit in to this world populated by these people. That is the success of the book. At no time are you snapped out of the fantasy world, it all flows and seems "real". That's quite an achievement.
Shade is obnoxious and difficult and uses women, alcohol and drugs to hide her pain. She needs people to see her as strong and protective but somehow Raven sees another side of Shade. Given how she has created her persona and worked on the dark black character, Shade is scared of how Raven reaches inside. But Shade will never admit that to anyone - even herself... In this third book, Jordan and Kat step into Shade's problems and that makes sense given the close nature of the three main characters. The way Shade fights through her demons feels real and allows us to sympathise with this initially unsympathetic character.
Although the SOS books are shown as a trilogy, I really hope this isn't the end of the Sisters of Spirit. There is so much yet to be developed with these excellent characters.
February 11, 2015
I loved the first two books in this series and Yvonne Heidt has done it again. Although this book is a bit darker and a bit more character driven than mystery driven than the other two. While the first two books in this series revolved around a case this book focuses more on Shade, the necromancer of the Sisters of Spirits. I have always found Shade to be the most compelling and mysterious character and this time we get to dive into her head, learn about her childhood and what makes Shade, Shade.
Raven has been in love with Shade since she was small, there is about a 10 year age gap between the two of them but that never stopped Raven from knowing that Shade was the one for her. Despite Shade's desperate attempts to push her away Raven just keeps coming back for more, not deterred in anyway by the dead spirits that seem to lurk around Shade all the time. In fact Raven can see them as well and is not freaked out by them at all.
I really think that this is the best book in the series. Shade fighting her demons from the past and drug addiction will speak to so many and learning how to let go and move through so that you can move on is such an important lesson. The fact that this book delves into these heavy subjects with humor and a bunch of sexy lesbians and some steamy love scenes definitely doesn't hurt and certainly keeps you turning the pages.
Raven has been in love with Shade since she was small, there is about a 10 year age gap between the two of them but that never stopped Raven from knowing that Shade was the one for her. Despite Shade's desperate attempts to push her away Raven just keeps coming back for more, not deterred in anyway by the dead spirits that seem to lurk around Shade all the time. In fact Raven can see them as well and is not freaked out by them at all.
I really think that this is the best book in the series. Shade fighting her demons from the past and drug addiction will speak to so many and learning how to let go and move through so that you can move on is such an important lesson. The fact that this book delves into these heavy subjects with humor and a bunch of sexy lesbians and some steamy love scenes definitely doesn't hurt and certainly keeps you turning the pages.
May 26, 2015
So glad i bought this. The Deadening ties the first two books together and you end up finding out the full history of the three girls. Very amazing book and would highly recommend it.
September 21, 2018
This commentary applies to all 3 books in the “Sisters of Spirits” trilogy – “The Awakening” (Book 1), “The Quickening” (Book 2) and “The Deadening” Book 3).
I lucked out again! Yup, recently stumbled upon yet another lesfic author I knew nothing about before! This time, it’s Yvonne Heidt. And she writes the kind of paranormal stories that I’ve been looking for in lesbian fiction! Yup, the ghost stories, haunting, spiritual, supernatural abilities, kind, that make the hair on the back of your neck stand erect with cold chills as you read the words on the pages! Honestly, being a huge fan of the paranormal genre, I hadn’t been lucky in finding one in lesfic that would grab me interest (perhaps I wasn’t looking at the right place). So I gave up looking for it in lesfic very early on. Until I stumbled upon Heidt’s Sisters of Spirits Trilogy, that is! What got me sold on Heidt’s paranormal trilogy was finding out that she, the author, is actually a real-life empath!!! Now THAT, I never encountered. So, I knew reading her stories would give me a whole different perspective, taking into consideration her own experience and exposure to the subject matter. Totally fascinating!
Anyway….
The Sisters of Spirits trilogy is told around 3 psychic sisters (not blood-related), each one of them featured in each book: Sunny (the Empath) in Book 1 “The Awakening,” Tiffany (the Psychometric) in Book 2 “The Quickening,” and Shade (the Necromancer) in Book 3 “The Deadening.” They form a paranormal society called Sister of Spirits (S.O.S.), with Sunny as the head investigator. These three, with their unique psychic abilities, dedicate their lives to helping people investigate and understand the paranormal world and solve all things spiritual and metaphysical.
“The Awakening,” Book 1 was the FIRST ever book I read by Heidt, obviously. Oh. My God. I honestly wasn’t expecting it. See, the last time a paranormal book gave me the absolutely unforgettable cold chill, hair-raising experience (I STILL shudder when I think about it!) happened eons ago, and that was Henry James’ “The Turn of the Screw” AND Shirley Jackson’s “The Haunting of Hill House.” Yup. Never thought I’d get that similar feeling again…until THIS book. Thank YOU, Ms. Heidt!!
In the 1st installment, we find out Sunny and how she, Tiffany and Shade became friends and later spiritual sisters and co-workers. Sunny’s parents – her father, a parapsychologist, and her mum, a psychic herself, who first formed a paranormal business before Sunny and her sisters took over. Sunny’s folks really reminded me of Ed and Lorraine Warren, the real-life paranormal investigators (made famous by their true investigative cases that inspired the famous Amityville Horror and Conjuring movies). If you know who they are, then you’ll know what I mean when you read this book! This book focuses on Sunny and her team’s work when she meets Jordan, the book’s initial antagonist, a jaded sceptic copper, whom Sunny immediately is drawn to, and vice versa. We see how Jordan’s steadfast refusal to believe in anything unseen slowly but surely turn into a believer herself as unexplained events start occurring around and inside of her! Truly a brilliantly written ghost story that Heidt crafted. I absolutely LOVED it!
Book 2 “The Quickening” is all about…..Reincarnation!! Yup! Another fascinating paranormal/metaphysical/spiritual subject matter that Heidt so cleverly crafted into a truly engaging and captivating love story between Tiffany and Kat. You have to read just how these two are connected in their past lives. Utterly absorbing. Their past lives remind me of Xena and Gabriela! Read how Tiffany finally comes to terms with her past life connection with Kat, her daughter and her ex. So addictive is their story I couldn’t put the book down! Engrossing from start to finish! Murder, violence that kept looping throughout the ages of continued reincarnations threatening Kat and Tiffany’s union was weaved with such depth and emotion it’s one reincarnation story that truly resonates.
And then in Book 3 “The Deadening,” we finally get to the bottom of Shade’s life, her back story, her traumatic, horrifying past. Shade’s me favourite character of the trilogy. Absolutely love her complex, utterly misunderstood character, filled with pain, suffering, darkness that engulf her. Shade is a damaged soul. Being a necromancer (sees the dead people!), Shade’s not afraid to walk in-between dark and light, get in front of whatever dark forces that threaten her and her loved ones, fight evil spirits and demons, but fears the one thing that she dares not believe she deserves – LOVE. After a painful rejection, she’s wary of falling in love and letting herself feel so much again. But Raven, the feisty witch, who’s been attracted to Shade since the start as she joins the S.O.S. team, won’t let Shade off easy. I love how Heidt writes their story that’s full of darkness, violence, trauma, grief and it’s actually through these negative forces that have been holding Shade under capture all her life that Raven rises up to neutralise them with her loyal, steadfast, unceasing and unwavering love for Shade that ultimately saves her.
Book 3, obviously, is me favourite of the trilogy because the journey of Shade’s is deeply complex, dark, psychologically traumatic and emotionally exhausting, with a tremendous weight of grief that she’s been hauling since childhood that’s manifested into a powerful negative force personified into a physical entity, but oh-so rewarding in the end as she climbs her way back up to the light, step by step, tumbling over, falling repeatedly on the way but no retreat, as she strives hard to grab hold of hope, the chance of living in the present with love and happiness and a possibility of a future, with the help of Raven, whom she discovers has always been her soul mate and kindred spirit. Oh, their love story is brilliantly told with a lot of heart and emotionally resonating as their journey toward each other’s heart and soul almost robs them of their own lives! It’s takes an epic level of commitment, dedication, desire, passion and true love between these two souls for Shade to eventually break free of her lifelong demons, with Raven by her side the whole entire time. In essence, their soul-deep emotional attachment and love that they built together is absolutely memorable.
I absolutely love this trilogy which is richly filled with not just the glorious paranormal and supernatural flavour that I adore (yes, I’m a fan of the horror/paranormal/supernatural genre, so there!), but is also splendidly lush with deeply heartfelt and emotion-filled stories about love, friendship and camaraderie, spirituality, desire, commitment and a passion for life filled with positive energy, joy and peace. Sunny and Jordan, Kat and Tiffany, Shade and Raven – three powerful couples with their own unique love story to discover, explore and enjoy as they journey their lives into the future.
All in all, The S.O.S. trilogy is brilliantly crafted and all 3 books must be read as Heidt guides the reader to different parts of the fascinating world of paranormal, parapsychological, spiritual, metaphysical realms. The BEST thing? LESBIANS!! Lesbian Action & Romance! Highly recommended!
I have since read all of Heidt’s books and am very looking forward to her upcoming book, “Paradigm,” that returns to pure paranormal/horror/eerie flavour that I love so much!!!
In Bugs' Own Words
I lucked out again! Yup, recently stumbled upon yet another lesfic author I knew nothing about before! This time, it’s Yvonne Heidt. And she writes the kind of paranormal stories that I’ve been looking for in lesbian fiction! Yup, the ghost stories, haunting, spiritual, supernatural abilities, kind, that make the hair on the back of your neck stand erect with cold chills as you read the words on the pages! Honestly, being a huge fan of the paranormal genre, I hadn’t been lucky in finding one in lesfic that would grab me interest (perhaps I wasn’t looking at the right place). So I gave up looking for it in lesfic very early on. Until I stumbled upon Heidt’s Sisters of Spirits Trilogy, that is! What got me sold on Heidt’s paranormal trilogy was finding out that she, the author, is actually a real-life empath!!! Now THAT, I never encountered. So, I knew reading her stories would give me a whole different perspective, taking into consideration her own experience and exposure to the subject matter. Totally fascinating!
Anyway….
The Sisters of Spirits trilogy is told around 3 psychic sisters (not blood-related), each one of them featured in each book: Sunny (the Empath) in Book 1 “The Awakening,” Tiffany (the Psychometric) in Book 2 “The Quickening,” and Shade (the Necromancer) in Book 3 “The Deadening.” They form a paranormal society called Sister of Spirits (S.O.S.), with Sunny as the head investigator. These three, with their unique psychic abilities, dedicate their lives to helping people investigate and understand the paranormal world and solve all things spiritual and metaphysical.
“The Awakening,” Book 1 was the FIRST ever book I read by Heidt, obviously. Oh. My God. I honestly wasn’t expecting it. See, the last time a paranormal book gave me the absolutely unforgettable cold chill, hair-raising experience (I STILL shudder when I think about it!) happened eons ago, and that was Henry James’ “The Turn of the Screw” AND Shirley Jackson’s “The Haunting of Hill House.” Yup. Never thought I’d get that similar feeling again…until THIS book. Thank YOU, Ms. Heidt!!
In the 1st installment, we find out Sunny and how she, Tiffany and Shade became friends and later spiritual sisters and co-workers. Sunny’s parents – her father, a parapsychologist, and her mum, a psychic herself, who first formed a paranormal business before Sunny and her sisters took over. Sunny’s folks really reminded me of Ed and Lorraine Warren, the real-life paranormal investigators (made famous by their true investigative cases that inspired the famous Amityville Horror and Conjuring movies). If you know who they are, then you’ll know what I mean when you read this book! This book focuses on Sunny and her team’s work when she meets Jordan, the book’s initial antagonist, a jaded sceptic copper, whom Sunny immediately is drawn to, and vice versa. We see how Jordan’s steadfast refusal to believe in anything unseen slowly but surely turn into a believer herself as unexplained events start occurring around and inside of her! Truly a brilliantly written ghost story that Heidt crafted. I absolutely LOVED it!
Book 2 “The Quickening” is all about…..Reincarnation!! Yup! Another fascinating paranormal/metaphysical/spiritual subject matter that Heidt so cleverly crafted into a truly engaging and captivating love story between Tiffany and Kat. You have to read just how these two are connected in their past lives. Utterly absorbing. Their past lives remind me of Xena and Gabriela! Read how Tiffany finally comes to terms with her past life connection with Kat, her daughter and her ex. So addictive is their story I couldn’t put the book down! Engrossing from start to finish! Murder, violence that kept looping throughout the ages of continued reincarnations threatening Kat and Tiffany’s union was weaved with such depth and emotion it’s one reincarnation story that truly resonates.
And then in Book 3 “The Deadening,” we finally get to the bottom of Shade’s life, her back story, her traumatic, horrifying past. Shade’s me favourite character of the trilogy. Absolutely love her complex, utterly misunderstood character, filled with pain, suffering, darkness that engulf her. Shade is a damaged soul. Being a necromancer (sees the dead people!), Shade’s not afraid to walk in-between dark and light, get in front of whatever dark forces that threaten her and her loved ones, fight evil spirits and demons, but fears the one thing that she dares not believe she deserves – LOVE. After a painful rejection, she’s wary of falling in love and letting herself feel so much again. But Raven, the feisty witch, who’s been attracted to Shade since the start as she joins the S.O.S. team, won’t let Shade off easy. I love how Heidt writes their story that’s full of darkness, violence, trauma, grief and it’s actually through these negative forces that have been holding Shade under capture all her life that Raven rises up to neutralise them with her loyal, steadfast, unceasing and unwavering love for Shade that ultimately saves her.
Book 3, obviously, is me favourite of the trilogy because the journey of Shade’s is deeply complex, dark, psychologically traumatic and emotionally exhausting, with a tremendous weight of grief that she’s been hauling since childhood that’s manifested into a powerful negative force personified into a physical entity, but oh-so rewarding in the end as she climbs her way back up to the light, step by step, tumbling over, falling repeatedly on the way but no retreat, as she strives hard to grab hold of hope, the chance of living in the present with love and happiness and a possibility of a future, with the help of Raven, whom she discovers has always been her soul mate and kindred spirit. Oh, their love story is brilliantly told with a lot of heart and emotionally resonating as their journey toward each other’s heart and soul almost robs them of their own lives! It’s takes an epic level of commitment, dedication, desire, passion and true love between these two souls for Shade to eventually break free of her lifelong demons, with Raven by her side the whole entire time. In essence, their soul-deep emotional attachment and love that they built together is absolutely memorable.
I absolutely love this trilogy which is richly filled with not just the glorious paranormal and supernatural flavour that I adore (yes, I’m a fan of the horror/paranormal/supernatural genre, so there!), but is also splendidly lush with deeply heartfelt and emotion-filled stories about love, friendship and camaraderie, spirituality, desire, commitment and a passion for life filled with positive energy, joy and peace. Sunny and Jordan, Kat and Tiffany, Shade and Raven – three powerful couples with their own unique love story to discover, explore and enjoy as they journey their lives into the future.
All in all, The S.O.S. trilogy is brilliantly crafted and all 3 books must be read as Heidt guides the reader to different parts of the fascinating world of paranormal, parapsychological, spiritual, metaphysical realms. The BEST thing? LESBIANS!! Lesbian Action & Romance! Highly recommended!
I have since read all of Heidt’s books and am very looking forward to her upcoming book, “Paradigm,” that returns to pure paranormal/horror/eerie flavour that I love so much!!!
In Bugs' Own Words
May 1, 2021
I really hesitated before putting my foot down but I just had.
I really disliked the crap of the miracle healing. What is the purpose of giving someone a serious injury and waving it away magically ? I understand the impulse to close the book on a happy touch but a writer and editor should really have awareness of disability issue. Those kinds of storyline are insulting and injuring. They deny the truth of fighting our own body every single day and finding happiness despite the crap society pours on those not fitting the usual norm. You can be disabled and have a happy ending. It's not easy because PEOPLE and PUBLIC SPACES and GOVERNMENTS don't make it easy.
Out of that specific point, I overdosed on the emotional darkness.
The self destruction, the addiction, childhood trauma, abuse. There is a lot of similarity between the main character Shade and one of the main of the first Jordan. They both had very shitty childhood. They both were abused. The both feel they don't deserve to be loved. They both have very self-destructive behavior which is understandable.
In the first book, Jordan weapons are anger and distrust. In the third, Shade has addiction and all it entails (denial, lashing out at loved ones, suicidal tendencies)
Though the emotional healing process is more believable than in the first book, I couldn't help but cringe at the timing of some conversations. It felt so wrong
I really disliked the crap of the miracle healing. What is the purpose of giving someone a serious injury and waving it away magically ? I understand the impulse to close the book on a happy touch but a writer and editor should really have awareness of disability issue. Those kinds of storyline are insulting and injuring. They deny the truth of fighting our own body every single day and finding happiness despite the crap society pours on those not fitting the usual norm. You can be disabled and have a happy ending. It's not easy because PEOPLE and PUBLIC SPACES and GOVERNMENTS don't make it easy.
Out of that specific point, I overdosed on the emotional darkness.
The self destruction, the addiction, childhood trauma, abuse. There is a lot of similarity between the main character Shade and one of the main of the first Jordan. They both had very shitty childhood. They both were abused. The both feel they don't deserve to be loved. They both have very self-destructive behavior which is understandable.
In the first book, Jordan weapons are anger and distrust. In the third, Shade has addiction and all it entails (denial, lashing out at loved ones, suicidal tendencies)
Though the emotional healing process is more believable than in the first book, I couldn't help but cringe at the timing of some conversations. It felt so wrong
July 13, 2021
Maybe the best of the three books, this one is dark and hard to read sometimes but so very worth it!
Don’t get me wrong, my favorite couple will always be Kat and Tiffany from the second book in the series but Shade’ story was destined to be darker and here we are, after a true roller coaster full of spirits, demons, drugs and hate for what she is and what she has done.
Raven and Shade’s chemistry is crazy and how sensual they are together kept me mesmerized and enthralled and how Raven decided she wasn’t going to be Share’s doormat was simply delightful as it was the characters’ development. I have to confess I never thought I was going to like Raven, the “outsider”, that much but by half of the book I was a huge fan of her.
A great series full of twists and hidden messages, a must read for sure!
Don’t get me wrong, my favorite couple will always be Kat and Tiffany from the second book in the series but Shade’ story was destined to be darker and here we are, after a true roller coaster full of spirits, demons, drugs and hate for what she is and what she has done.
Raven and Shade’s chemistry is crazy and how sensual they are together kept me mesmerized and enthralled and how Raven decided she wasn’t going to be Share’s doormat was simply delightful as it was the characters’ development. I have to confess I never thought I was going to like Raven, the “outsider”, that much but by half of the book I was a huge fan of her.
A great series full of twists and hidden messages, a must read for sure!
January 26, 2025
Third book in the trilogy. The darker one. Scary dead spirits. Serious issues. Romance. I liked raven.
March 22, 2025
That deliberate cheating was just not it.
Read
March 19, 2016Shade is a member of the Sisters Of Spirits paranormal Investigative group. Shade is also a necromancer. Shade was a very sarcastic person and didn’t really care if she hurt people with her remarks. But she was very lonely and trying to pretend to everyone her life was fine. Most people tended to leave Shade alone and that is how she wanted it. Raven had spent the night with Shade. Shade was then shocked to find out raven was the new receptionist at work. Raven had first seen Shade when she was 12 and never forgot her. Raven had been celebrating her 21st birthday with her cousin Lyric and then they decided to go separate ways. Raven then came up to Shade.
I am so sorry I didn’t realize this was a same sex story. I didn’t finish as is not my type of story. I will however put it did start out interesting other than the sex scene. Also I won’t give a bad review because of my mistake
I am so sorry I didn’t realize this was a same sex story. I didn’t finish as is not my type of story. I will however put it did start out interesting other than the sex scene. Also I won’t give a bad review because of my mistake
April 16, 2015
Much better than the second book.
Even if it was mostly about Shade, I would have liked to see the "demons" of Raven for they were mentioned once but never detailed. So it looks they don't exist and Raven is - except her temper - not as dark as stated.
Even if it was mostly about Shade, I would have liked to see the "demons" of Raven for they were mentioned once but never detailed. So it looks they don't exist and Raven is - except her temper - not as dark as stated.
April 26, 2016
Good story
Shade and Raven's storyline was full of heartache and pain and second chances. It was a good redemption story and it was good that the addiction wasn't just glossed over. It was believable.
Shade and Raven's storyline was full of heartache and pain and second chances. It was a good redemption story and it was good that the addiction wasn't just glossed over. It was believable.
December 16, 2015
The Deadening (Sisters of Spirits Trilogy #3) by Yvonne Heidt: http://reviews-and-ramblings.dreamwid... 2015 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention (5* from at least 1 judge)
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