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Shadowguard Academy #2
Demon Marked
They say keep your friends close and your enemies closer… but my enemies might be a little too close for comfort.
My first semester at Shadowguard Academy has not gone how I expected. Half of my classmates think I’m cursed with bad luck, my mentor and I have a tenuous alliance at best, and I recently learned demons are abducting Guardians, but our leader refuses to tell the rest of our society the truth.
So yeah… it’s not going great.
Logan and I have devised a plan to reveal the demons’ crimes to the rest of the Guardians. The only problem? I have to interact with one of the most powerful and frightening enemies I could ever face.
Belial visits me in my dreams, teasing me with snippets of information, but never enough to act on. And while I hate to admit it, the more time I spend in his presence, the more I wonder if there’s something other than malicious evil behind the original demon's actions. And something more behind his infatuation with me...
Continue Aspen’s story in Demon Marked: The Shadowguard Academy Book 2.
230 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 24, 2020
238 people are currently reading
128 people want to read
About the author
Samantha Britt
49 books300 followersLover of all things romantasy, USAT bestselling author Samantha Britt enjoys binge reading and writing new adult fantasy and paranormal romances. Her favorite protagonists are women in the middle of discovering just what they have to offer the world, often drawn to complicated, dreamy guys in the process.
When not swooning over devastatingly handsome Fae, Samantha spends her days raising two rambunctious toddlers, snuggling her fur babies, and enjoying a date night every Friday with the man who gave her the happily ever after she always dreamed of.
Subscribe to Samantha’s newsletter at SamanthaBrittBooks . com to claim a free book and dive into a new fantasy world today!
When not swooning over devastatingly handsome Fae, Samantha spends her days raising two rambunctious toddlers, snuggling her fur babies, and enjoying a date night every Friday with the man who gave her the happily ever after she always dreamed of.
Subscribe to Samantha’s newsletter at SamanthaBrittBooks . com to claim a free book and dive into a new fantasy world today!
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
July 13, 2021
“You are so much more, my little mountain. So much more.” - Belial
In the previous instalment, Aspen and Logan discovered that members of the Shadowguard had gone missing - abducted by demons intent on creating a formidable force of fighters by turning them into themselves. Logan and Aspen were ordered to stay silent over their findings by Head Minister Hendricks, (Logan’s father) who threatened to pull Logan from the field and block Aspen from ever becoming a Guardian if they failed to comply. Logan and Aspen vowed to find undeniable proof so that the Head Minister would have no choice but to publicly acknowledge what was happening.
Present day
On the cusp of turning 18, Aspen is hours away from activating her dormant Guardian powers which will bring her one step closer to becoming a full fledged Guardian. When the clock strikes midnight however, Aspen is devastated when her powers fail to materialise.
While dream jumping with Belial, Aspen is apprised that a powerful block has been placed on her to prevent her powers from manifesting - the question is by who and why? Belial advises her to research her lineage for the answers she seeks…
When Logan asks Aspen to accompany him to a gala held by Victor Bloodbane, the leader of a vampire coven, they learn that vampires are also being abducted by demons. Victor’s attempts to reach out to the Shadowguard have been ignored and Logan hopes that by working with the Vampire Leader they can expose the demons and their agenda.
During the gala, Aspen is led away by Victor and Prince Gage of the Woodland Lycans who reveal that they knew her mother. Aspen is left reeling when she learns not only her mother’s true name, but how she eventually became disillusioned with the Shadowguard and saved the lives of countless innocent lesser demons in the bargain. The gala is interrupted by the appearance of Guardians (led by Andrew) who are surprised to see Logan and Aspen. Before they can question them, Azazel and a group of mundane demons appear, intent on killing the Guardians. During their explosive confrontation, Aspen captures the interest of Azazel and can’t help feeling a sense of foreboding following their encounter.
Later, when the shocking truth comes to light regarding her lineage as well as her true identity, Aspen is totally unprepared..
Demon Marked is the second explosive instalment of the Shadowguard series and is every bit as compelling as its predecessor. While the first book briefly set up the world building and introduced the characters, we are given more insight into their backgrounds in this instalment. Several jaw dropping bombshells are revealed concerning Aspen’s mother and her reasons for hiding her daughter are made apparent. Belial’s origins are also touched upon as well as the history of the original Guardians. Most importantly we learn who Aspen truly is.
The scenes between Belial and Aspen continue to be my favourite aspects of the series. For once I’m definitely rooting for the demon 😉 The vampire, Victor Bloodbane was a welcome addition to the plot and I hope he’ll feature more In the next instalment.
This was an exciting continuation of the series and judging from the jaw dropping cliffhanger, the author has paved the way nicely for the next exciting instalment.
Highly recommended for fans of urban fantasy, paranormal romance, academy books, demons, guardians, vampires, werewolves, strong female leads, mysteries etc
In the previous instalment, Aspen and Logan discovered that members of the Shadowguard had gone missing - abducted by demons intent on creating a formidable force of fighters by turning them into themselves. Logan and Aspen were ordered to stay silent over their findings by Head Minister Hendricks, (Logan’s father) who threatened to pull Logan from the field and block Aspen from ever becoming a Guardian if they failed to comply. Logan and Aspen vowed to find undeniable proof so that the Head Minister would have no choice but to publicly acknowledge what was happening.
Present day
On the cusp of turning 18, Aspen is hours away from activating her dormant Guardian powers which will bring her one step closer to becoming a full fledged Guardian. When the clock strikes midnight however, Aspen is devastated when her powers fail to materialise.
While dream jumping with Belial, Aspen is apprised that a powerful block has been placed on her to prevent her powers from manifesting - the question is by who and why? Belial advises her to research her lineage for the answers she seeks…
When Logan asks Aspen to accompany him to a gala held by Victor Bloodbane, the leader of a vampire coven, they learn that vampires are also being abducted by demons. Victor’s attempts to reach out to the Shadowguard have been ignored and Logan hopes that by working with the Vampire Leader they can expose the demons and their agenda.
During the gala, Aspen is led away by Victor and Prince Gage of the Woodland Lycans who reveal that they knew her mother. Aspen is left reeling when she learns not only her mother’s true name, but how she eventually became disillusioned with the Shadowguard and saved the lives of countless innocent lesser demons in the bargain. The gala is interrupted by the appearance of Guardians (led by Andrew) who are surprised to see Logan and Aspen. Before they can question them, Azazel and a group of mundane demons appear, intent on killing the Guardians. During their explosive confrontation, Aspen captures the interest of Azazel and can’t help feeling a sense of foreboding following their encounter.
Later, when the shocking truth comes to light regarding her lineage as well as her true identity, Aspen is totally unprepared..
Demon Marked is the second explosive instalment of the Shadowguard series and is every bit as compelling as its predecessor. While the first book briefly set up the world building and introduced the characters, we are given more insight into their backgrounds in this instalment. Several jaw dropping bombshells are revealed concerning Aspen’s mother and her reasons for hiding her daughter are made apparent. Belial’s origins are also touched upon as well as the history of the original Guardians. Most importantly we learn who Aspen truly is.
The scenes between Belial and Aspen continue to be my favourite aspects of the series. For once I’m definitely rooting for the demon 😉 The vampire, Victor Bloodbane was a welcome addition to the plot and I hope he’ll feature more In the next instalment.
This was an exciting continuation of the series and judging from the jaw dropping cliffhanger, the author has paved the way nicely for the next exciting instalment.
Highly recommended for fans of urban fantasy, paranormal romance, academy books, demons, guardians, vampires, werewolves, strong female leads, mysteries etc
September 15, 2024
Belial remains the only shining light in this tunnel of questions from the main character.
January 24, 2020
Wow...absolutely loved it!
Aspen hasn't made too many friends at the academy....she has a strained relationship with her mentor and now she has discovered that guardians are disappearing.
Aspen is about to turn 18 and her magic should reveal itself....does it? Or is she like someone else in the Shadowguards past?
Still being visited by Belial in her dreams....he has some kind of ulterior motive...but what?
Action packed and some very surprising outcomes....
I find with Samantha Britt's books once I start reading I can't stop...only sleep won out or I would have finished this the same day...
I can't wait for the third book in the series...Demon Hunted...
Thank you to Samantha Britt for allowing me to read a digital ARC of Demon Marked....this review is my honest opinion of the book ...
Highly recommend all of Samantha's books!
Aspen hasn't made too many friends at the academy....she has a strained relationship with her mentor and now she has discovered that guardians are disappearing.
Aspen is about to turn 18 and her magic should reveal itself....does it? Or is she like someone else in the Shadowguards past?
Still being visited by Belial in her dreams....he has some kind of ulterior motive...but what?
Action packed and some very surprising outcomes....
I find with Samantha Britt's books once I start reading I can't stop...only sleep won out or I would have finished this the same day...
I can't wait for the third book in the series...Demon Hunted...
Thank you to Samantha Britt for allowing me to read a digital ARC of Demon Marked....this review is my honest opinion of the book ...
Highly recommend all of Samantha's books!
February 24, 2020
I’m so torn with this!
This was such a quick read. We continue to follow Aspen training to be a Guardian, learn more about her mother and follow the trouble brewing with the demons. There was a lot happening which I think is why this felt so quick.
That being said the love triangle is what’s keeping me hooked. If you’ve read book one you know about Logan and about Belial. For the record I’m team Belial but certain things that happened in this book are making me question everything!
Once again, I’m excited to see what the next book brings.
This was such a quick read. We continue to follow Aspen training to be a Guardian, learn more about her mother and follow the trouble brewing with the demons. There was a lot happening which I think is why this felt so quick.
That being said the love triangle is what’s keeping me hooked. If you’ve read book one you know about Logan and about Belial. For the record I’m team Belial but certain things that happened in this book are making me question everything!
Once again, I’m excited to see what the next book brings.
August 7, 2022
Interesting developments.
With Belial visiting in Aspen's dreams at least once a week and Guardians disappearing things are not looking good. Enter
Victor Bloodbane, the most powerful vampire in the United States and Canada, and Isabella, his second with the news that vampires are missing. Aspen turns eighteen - no magic! This is not a good thing. Aspen meets Gage, a werewolf shifter, the Prince of the Lycans.
There are more twists in this than New York City has corners which makes it so important to get to the end and find out what happens in 'Demon Hunted'.
With Belial visiting in Aspen's dreams at least once a week and Guardians disappearing things are not looking good. Enter
Victor Bloodbane, the most powerful vampire in the United States and Canada, and Isabella, his second with the news that vampires are missing. Aspen turns eighteen - no magic! This is not a good thing. Aspen meets Gage, a werewolf shifter, the Prince of the Lycans.
There are more twists in this than New York City has corners which makes it so important to get to the end and find out what happens in 'Demon Hunted'.
April 25, 2023
So much drama and action
Finally Aspen is getting good at being a Shadowgaurd. But as time ticks buy, she thinks she will never learn who she is or why her mom hid her away. As the story goes on, she finally starts to get answers. It's just not what she thought it was going to be. Now she has to decide if she's going to believe it or not. Can't wait for the rest of the story, on to the next book!
Finally Aspen is getting good at being a Shadowgaurd. But as time ticks buy, she thinks she will never learn who she is or why her mom hid her away. As the story goes on, she finally starts to get answers. It's just not what she thought it was going to be. Now she has to decide if she's going to believe it or not. Can't wait for the rest of the story, on to the next book!
July 9, 2022
Wow. And I thought book one was unputdownable. This book had me hooked and glued to the pages from beginning to end. There’s so much going on and so many ‘holy cow’ revelations happening, I couldn’t put this book down. I had to know what the fallout would be. And after that ending, let’s just say it’s going to be another sleepless night for me because I’ll be up reading book 3.
January 24, 2020
So freaking good. Finally Logan gets his head together, hooray! I wish the book was longer, I felt like I was just getting settled into the story and it’s the last page.
So freaking good, I read it in 3 hours which is a record with my dyslexia.
So freaking good, I read it in 3 hours which is a record with my dyslexia.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 28, 2020
Is it wrong to root for the demon?
During this book I had no idea who Aspen could trust. Everyone has been keeping secrets from her and once her powers came she was a force to be reckoned with! There are so many twists and turns that I was hanging onto every word!
During this book I had no idea who Aspen could trust. Everyone has been keeping secrets from her and once her powers came she was a force to be reckoned with! There are so many twists and turns that I was hanging onto every word!
May 28, 2020
Exciting second book
This book has more action than the first and is much more intense. The only bad part is how Aspen is portrayed. She comes across as really dense, instead of innocent. Otherwise, great book!
This book has more action than the first and is much more intense. The only bad part is how Aspen is portrayed. She comes across as really dense, instead of innocent. Otherwise, great book!
February 9, 2020
Okay You got me!
This is getting much to good to ignore now. At this point, I’m dying to see what happens next. The conclusion had best coming out soon!
This is getting much to good to ignore now. At this point, I’m dying to see what happens next. The conclusion had best coming out soon!
February 12, 2020
Another winner
Action packed with intrigue and Romance. Clean and clever. Felt short, but maybe I was just really enjoying the read.
Action packed with intrigue and Romance. Clean and clever. Felt short, but maybe I was just really enjoying the read.
April 12, 2020
Even better than the first one
Got some answers. But also more questions. Lol. I can't wait to see what happens next. I'm not sure which team I'm on. Logan or Belial??
Got some answers. But also more questions. Lol. I can't wait to see what happens next. I'm not sure which team I'm on. Logan or Belial??
June 12, 2020
We FINALLY learn what the drama is about Aspen and then the book freaking ENDS! You play dirty, Britt...
June 27, 2020
I love the main character
December 10, 2020
Wow this series just got better. Everything is unfolding now and it’s certainly thrilling and exciting. I was hooked. Characters are changing and her powers are incredible. Fab book
April 6, 2021
Ahh did I miss the part where Logan realizes Aspen is who he saved as a young teen? Someone please tell me the chapter so I can read it!
August 18, 2021
Belial, or Logan? 😱 I don’t know yet.
November 21, 2021
The suspense. Is. Killing. Me.
November 11, 2022
urban
Many secrets revealed and still need digestion. A romantic interest of two and highly desired by others for other reasons.
Many secrets revealed and still need digestion. A romantic interest of two and highly desired by others for other reasons.
May 20, 2022
4 Stars. I'm enjoying this series. Light, quick reads.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews