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Faltering Souls #3
Contrition
In the end, everyone must pay for their sins. Trial after trial, Nevaeh’s loved-ones have struggled to save her from a dark destiny. The time has finally come for her to return home and join the Earth-bound angels in a war threatening to destroy the Human race. Is it really Nev who’s walking the Earthly plane, though? True, being surrounded by evil for weeks on end would change anyone, but Nev’s friends suspect something is wrong with the Nevaeh they’ve extracted from Hell’s grip. Archard, Arkin, Maggie, and Malach prepare to fight the impending apocalypse brought on by the rebellious Dominions, while trying to accept the new Nevaeh and help her gain control over her powers. Will Nevaeh be able to save the world, or will she make everyone pay with their lives? This novel contains themes that are considered dark in nature. Please, read at your own risk. Book 3, Final book in the Faltering Souls Series (Dark Urban Fantasy) Series Falter (Published May 2016) Severance (Published March 2017) Contrition (Publishing May 30, 2018) Audiobook will be in production Fall of 2018
- GenresFantasy
299 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 30, 2018
14 people are currently reading
36 people want to read
About the author
Haven Cage
9 books75 followersHaven Cage lives in the North Carolina foothills with her wonderfully supportive husband and two temperamental rabbits. She’s rolling into “midlife” while working in the medical field and savoring her favorite things. You can usually find her spending way too much money on coffee, gardening, learning about herbal medicine, progressing her spiritual life, or writing.
She’s always appreciated the Arts and loved drawing and painting in her younger days. However, a few years after becoming a mother, she sought out a different way to express herself. Haven wanted something to cultivate who she was as a woman and as an individual—outside of life as a mother and wife.
Though she wasn’t much of a reader growing up, Haven fell in love with wordsmithing and soon found the love of books she didn’t have in grade school. Writing and reading offered a way to work through dreams, emotions, and trauma, all while allowing her to nurture and develop a newly found piece of herself.
Over a decade has passed since putting her first novel words to paper, and Haven still enjoys creating gritty stories you feel to the bone.
She’s always appreciated the Arts and loved drawing and painting in her younger days. However, a few years after becoming a mother, she sought out a different way to express herself. Haven wanted something to cultivate who she was as a woman and as an individual—outside of life as a mother and wife.
Though she wasn’t much of a reader growing up, Haven fell in love with wordsmithing and soon found the love of books she didn’t have in grade school. Writing and reading offered a way to work through dreams, emotions, and trauma, all while allowing her to nurture and develop a newly found piece of herself.
Over a decade has passed since putting her first novel words to paper, and Haven still enjoys creating gritty stories you feel to the bone.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
May 10, 2018
I received this book from the author for an honest review.
Wao the end of the journey was so intense for me, between heaven, earth and hell I didn't knew what to expect anymore.
At somepoint I thought OMG this is it evil won what will be of the world but as there is shadows there's always light that shine bright.
I have to say that the losses I experienced here with some characters were heartbreaking since I was fond of them, but the hope it shone on other characters made me smile a lot and warmed my heart.
An amazing urban fantasy with a nice touch of spirituality.
Wao the end of the journey was so intense for me, between heaven, earth and hell I didn't knew what to expect anymore.
At somepoint I thought OMG this is it evil won what will be of the world but as there is shadows there's always light that shine bright.
I have to say that the losses I experienced here with some characters were heartbreaking since I was fond of them, but the hope it shone on other characters made me smile a lot and warmed my heart.
An amazing urban fantasy with a nice touch of spirituality.
September 23, 2019
4.5 Stars.
Contrition is the third and final book of the Faltering Souls series. This book is told in multiple POV for several of the characters. This book is shorter than the others from the series but jam packed with action and emotion. Mini spoiler alert- I cried...like actual tears cried...at one part and teared up at another. It is rare for books to make me actually cry so I love it when it happens.
This book picks up right where book two ended, just as book two started right where book one had ended. These books do not standalone. You must start with book 1 and go from there.
In Contrition, we see Nev, or at least Nev's body full of souls that she consumed, in a struggle to save the world or damn it completely. At the end of book 2, Severance, we saw Rhett trick Nev into consuming his soul so he could escape hell, and since he is so powerful, it is unknown which soul, Nev's or Rhett's, will assume control of Nev's body and all of her powers.
There are a lot of twists and turns and even the readers are left to wonder what is going to happen. And maybe it is just me, but I definitely was not expecting it to end the way it did. It was definitely a surprise. Whether it be a good or a bad surprise though, is up to you to determine. No spoilers from me.
Overall, I really enjoyed this series. This series was the first time that I have read this author and I will definitely read more from her in the future. I recommend this series. It is captivating and spans multiple sub-genres so we get a bit of a lot of things, such as mystery, suspense, horror, small amount of romance, and the obvious- Urban Fantasy. Even though this series discusses religion heavily, it is mostly done in a way that even non-believers will enjoy the story because it isn't preachy. The only exception to that was one chapter in Contrition where it stepped over from toeing the line and did feel a bit preachy for a moment there. But besides that, it is totally enjoyable for the fiction that it is.
As for the narration, the second and third books share the same narrator but the first book has a different narrator. I have to say that the narrator of Falter, book 1, knocked it out of the park. She was incredible. The narrator of Severance and Contrition was good but I struggled with her voices for Archard and Gavyn when she was doing straight narration for their POVs. She used almost the same voice as she used for Nevaeh and I occasionally had to stop to figure out whose POV it was. When it was all dialogue with each other, it was totally fine.
Contrition is the third and final book of the Faltering Souls series. This book is told in multiple POV for several of the characters. This book is shorter than the others from the series but jam packed with action and emotion. Mini spoiler alert- I cried...like actual tears cried...at one part and teared up at another. It is rare for books to make me actually cry so I love it when it happens.
This book picks up right where book two ended, just as book two started right where book one had ended. These books do not standalone. You must start with book 1 and go from there.
In Contrition, we see Nev, or at least Nev's body full of souls that she consumed, in a struggle to save the world or damn it completely. At the end of book 2, Severance, we saw Rhett trick Nev into consuming his soul so he could escape hell, and since he is so powerful, it is unknown which soul, Nev's or Rhett's, will assume control of Nev's body and all of her powers.
There are a lot of twists and turns and even the readers are left to wonder what is going to happen. And maybe it is just me, but I definitely was not expecting it to end the way it did. It was definitely a surprise. Whether it be a good or a bad surprise though, is up to you to determine. No spoilers from me.
Overall, I really enjoyed this series. This series was the first time that I have read this author and I will definitely read more from her in the future. I recommend this series. It is captivating and spans multiple sub-genres so we get a bit of a lot of things, such as mystery, suspense, horror, small amount of romance, and the obvious- Urban Fantasy. Even though this series discusses religion heavily, it is mostly done in a way that even non-believers will enjoy the story because it isn't preachy. The only exception to that was one chapter in Contrition where it stepped over from toeing the line and did feel a bit preachy for a moment there. But besides that, it is totally enjoyable for the fiction that it is.
As for the narration, the second and third books share the same narrator but the first book has a different narrator. I have to say that the narrator of Falter, book 1, knocked it out of the park. She was incredible. The narrator of Severance and Contrition was good but I struggled with her voices for Archard and Gavyn when she was doing straight narration for their POVs. She used almost the same voice as she used for Nevaeh and I occasionally had to stop to figure out whose POV it was. When it was all dialogue with each other, it was totally fine.
August 12, 2021
Cage created a dark and twisted story of heaven, hell, sacrifice, love, family, and so much more in the Faltering Souls Trilogy. In the final book, Contrition, There is no happy ending in the battle of good versus evil. Lives are lost. Love is sacrificed. But the end is just and fitting for the story.
July 7, 2018
I purchased this book because I loved the first two so much, and am so happy I did. Remember where we were at the end of book 2? Contrition picks up right there. Rhett has escaped and taken over Nevaeh's body. It takes a while, but the angels do catch on. Satan is out for revenge and left a new guy (reluctantly) in charge of Hell. Nev's gifts are being used for all the wrong reasons by the absolute worst person that could have control of them.
It's really hard to predict where this story will go from one page to the next. I was taken on a full rollercoaster ride of emotions. I found myself at points trying to encourage some of my favorite characters and wanting to kick tail on others. Once the angels figure out who's controlling Nev's body it's game on. From there to the end of the book, just hold on tight to your seat because it doesn't slow down. I wasn't expecting the conclusion I read, but it was definitely the right one.
The depth of each character is richer with each book in the series. This is to be expected from any reasonably good author who is continually honing their craft. Haven Cage is more than reasonably good. All of her books are compelling, and Contrition is no different. I didn't want to put it down. But there comes a point when you have to give in. Sleep is required to function and reading when you're so tired that your vision blurs does not do justice to the story. I do see myself rereading this trilogy again at some point, possibly even purchasing the books in print.
There were two errors in the book, much fewer than I've seen in many books by Indie authors. But for those two, I would have happily given her five stars. As it is, I'm still happy giving her four stars. She definitely earned them. I can't wait to see what she has next for us.
It's really hard to predict where this story will go from one page to the next. I was taken on a full rollercoaster ride of emotions. I found myself at points trying to encourage some of my favorite characters and wanting to kick tail on others. Once the angels figure out who's controlling Nev's body it's game on. From there to the end of the book, just hold on tight to your seat because it doesn't slow down. I wasn't expecting the conclusion I read, but it was definitely the right one.
The depth of each character is richer with each book in the series. This is to be expected from any reasonably good author who is continually honing their craft. Haven Cage is more than reasonably good. All of her books are compelling, and Contrition is no different. I didn't want to put it down. But there comes a point when you have to give in. Sleep is required to function and reading when you're so tired that your vision blurs does not do justice to the story. I do see myself rereading this trilogy again at some point, possibly even purchasing the books in print.
There were two errors in the book, much fewer than I've seen in many books by Indie authors. But for those two, I would have happily given her five stars. As it is, I'm still happy giving her four stars. She definitely earned them. I can't wait to see what she has next for us.
May 31, 2018
Contrition (with its gorgeous cover) picks up where Severance left off and though it remains true in so many ways to the first two books, it shines with a depth of spirit and empowerment in strong contrast to the darkness and depravity of Severance.
For starters, I don't read many alternating first-person POV books. What doesn't always come through is distinction from one character's inner voice to the next. In Cage's books, we get to know her characters from the inside out. They let us know who they are and also give us their own unique perspectives of each other.
I love how Cage ties everything together from the first two books. Characters wrenched from us earlier in the series are taken from us again, for good or not, and others make devastating choices. Again, Cage lets her darlings tell their stories and I found their twists, turns, and heartbreak all the more real because of it.
Finally, Cage brings us home to the places and settings we've come to know. Her reminders and backstory don't leave me feeling like I'm skimming through an overdone rehash or having my face shoved in to a big, self-serving block of text. Ties to the past are light, complete, and extremely balanced with and complementary of the current part of her storyline.
If you like your dark paranormal to quicken your breath, your villains unforgivably rotten and your heroes (and heroines) to wrap your heartstrings around their fist a good half-dozen times before they pull them then I recommend Falter, Severance and Contrition. I'm sad this series is over and I've become a fan of the author.
I received a review copy of Contrition in exchange for my honest review.
For starters, I don't read many alternating first-person POV books. What doesn't always come through is distinction from one character's inner voice to the next. In Cage's books, we get to know her characters from the inside out. They let us know who they are and also give us their own unique perspectives of each other.
I love how Cage ties everything together from the first two books. Characters wrenched from us earlier in the series are taken from us again, for good or not, and others make devastating choices. Again, Cage lets her darlings tell their stories and I found their twists, turns, and heartbreak all the more real because of it.
Finally, Cage brings us home to the places and settings we've come to know. Her reminders and backstory don't leave me feeling like I'm skimming through an overdone rehash or having my face shoved in to a big, self-serving block of text. Ties to the past are light, complete, and extremely balanced with and complementary of the current part of her storyline.
If you like your dark paranormal to quicken your breath, your villains unforgivably rotten and your heroes (and heroines) to wrap your heartstrings around their fist a good half-dozen times before they pull them then I recommend Falter, Severance and Contrition. I'm sad this series is over and I've become a fan of the author.
I received a review copy of Contrition in exchange for my honest review.
September 27, 2019
This is the third and final book in the Faltering Souls series and it picks up right where book 2 ended. I didn't feel like there was any kind of gap, I just rolled right into it, so my advice is to make sure you have all 3 books and just keep right on going through them. Paranormal of any kind is not my usual go to genre but every once in a while, I like to break it up and read something different and am so glad I took a chance on this series. Haven is an amazing writer and brings all of these characters and these different "worlds" to life so vividly you feel like you are there watching everything unfold and experiencing it all right along with them. I have held Nevaeh close to my heart since the first book as there was something about her that just made me love her and want only good things for her. She goes through so many ups and downs in this series and this book amps it up even more while she's trying to decide what is right and what is wrong and what to do. So many characters battle this question in this series, but I feel this final book really puts it all to the test! I was very pleased with how it ended and what Nevaeh ultimately decided for herself as well as every body else.
May 30, 2018
Holly hell what a book! This is an amazing story. It is so well-written and thought out. This is the last book in the series. And it was heart breaking the way it ended. But was all for the best.
This is the conclusion to Nevaeh's story. She is free from hell.And back with Archard. But is it truly her, or is it someone else? Things have gone from bad to hell on earth. They worlds are colliding between heaven, hell and earth. And now they have to figure out how to get her back and fix it. But as this is war some will be lost. And I was sad to see my favorite Angel pass. It just didn't. Seem fair.
Now before I ruin this for you I will leave off here. I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did. If you do like this book, please consider leaving a review. The Authors really like it when you do; they value your opinions too
This is the conclusion to Nevaeh's story. She is free from hell.And back with Archard. But is it truly her, or is it someone else? Things have gone from bad to hell on earth. They worlds are colliding between heaven, hell and earth. And now they have to figure out how to get her back and fix it. But as this is war some will be lost. And I was sad to see my favorite Angel pass. It just didn't. Seem fair.
Now before I ruin this for you I will leave off here. I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did. If you do like this book, please consider leaving a review. The Authors really like it when you do; they value your opinions too
February 3, 2020
Very sad but wonderful
Neveah has lost so many people she loved, those she has know for years and those she met recently who became her everything. Gayven is one of hells pawns, Layla belongs to Saten. Her guardian angel is in love with her, the development wants her body and the human realm is going to hell quickly. It's a lot to take in.
Malick, Archard and the Holy fighters will never give up. Even when it looks like hell has spilt into the very fabric of heaven, they will fight on.
I grew to love this story. Neveah is a strong character, with a crack in her faith, but with love and understanding as well as compassion in her heart.
Read on my friends
Neveah has lost so many people she loved, those she has know for years and those she met recently who became her everything. Gayven is one of hells pawns, Layla belongs to Saten. Her guardian angel is in love with her, the development wants her body and the human realm is going to hell quickly. It's a lot to take in.
Malick, Archard and the Holy fighters will never give up. Even when it looks like hell has spilt into the very fabric of heaven, they will fight on.
I grew to love this story. Neveah is a strong character, with a crack in her faith, but with love and understanding as well as compassion in her heart.
Read on my friends
May 30, 2018
Contrition is the 3rd and final book in the Faltering Souls series.
The story follows Neheah and her trials with good and evil.
She's back from hell, but there's an evil inside her that wants to get out. She has been through so much in her life yet must remain strong. Can her friends help her remain on the side of good or will the evil in her win out?
The story follows Neheah and her trials with good and evil.
She's back from hell, but there's an evil inside her that wants to get out. She has been through so much in her life yet must remain strong. Can her friends help her remain on the side of good or will the evil in her win out?
May 30, 2018
Contrition is action-packed, captivating, & unique. It is truly a must read.
Nevaeh has to figure out how to balance evil and good. But does she figure out how to balance it all within herself and save earth and mankind during all of this?
Haven knows how to put her readers on the edge of their seats and beg for more. This story is spine-tingling, I am sorry to see the story end.
Nevaeh has to figure out how to balance evil and good. But does she figure out how to balance it all within herself and save earth and mankind during all of this?
Haven knows how to put her readers on the edge of their seats and beg for more. This story is spine-tingling, I am sorry to see the story end.
June 19, 2018
5 Stars
A great conclusion to this series. This one is so much lighter than the darkness found in Severance, yet the battle between good and evil throws many twists and turns into the plot. One of the best Haven Cage novels that I have read so far.
July 6, 2018
Heart warming
This book just tugged at my heart. You will need to read the books in order to understand what is going on. It will leave you on an emotional rollercoaster. Take the chance like I did and enjoy.
This book just tugged at my heart. You will need to read the books in order to understand what is going on. It will leave you on an emotional rollercoaster. Take the chance like I did and enjoy.
Want to read
December 29, 2022🎁 The Complete Series is FREE on Amazon today (12/29/2022)! 🎁
August 31, 2019
I am kind of sad while sitting here writing this review. I have followed Nev down her path, from innocent young girl, striving to survive with George day to day. Then to discovering she isn’t just a normal everyday human, she is much more. Watching her struggle with the beast inside and her determination, her mission, her accomplishments, failures, and strength.
Now we have reached the finale, the conclusion, Nev’s final epic battle, with herself, her beast, others wishing to harm her, her friends, family, and the world. Nev has some huge decisions to make, I was proud of her.
I also want to add, at the end of this story the author left a note. I have to agree with her assessment of right, wrong and occasionally we all need to search our souls.
Vanessa Vasquez again did a fantastic job narrating, and bringing these characters to life.
Thanks Haven for allowing me to listen and Nev will always be tucked in my heart.
Now we have reached the finale, the conclusion, Nev’s final epic battle, with herself, her beast, others wishing to harm her, her friends, family, and the world. Nev has some huge decisions to make, I was proud of her.
I also want to add, at the end of this story the author left a note. I have to agree with her assessment of right, wrong and occasionally we all need to search our souls.
Vanessa Vasquez again did a fantastic job narrating, and bringing these characters to life.
Thanks Haven for allowing me to listen and Nev will always be tucked in my heart.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews