Lost Soul by Theresa Van Spankeren
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Lost Soul is Book One in the War of Destiny Series. In it we are introduced to young Julia, the daughter of a wealthy family living in 16th Century London. Julia falls head over heels in love with Adam, one of her servant’s sons, which makes her father angry. Julia’s father feels that Adam is not good enough or rich enough for his daughter, so he arranges for her to marry a wealthy man named Gregory. Despite Julia’s protests her father forces her into marriage and forbids her from seeing Adam. At the tender age of 15 Julia finds herself in a loveless marriage with a man who is cold, cruel, and controlling.

When Julia’s husband does the unthinkable and tragedy befalls Julia, she feels helpless with nowhere to turn for help. Suddenly she is presented with an opportunity to escape her miserable existence when she meets a stranger named Samuel. He offers her a deal that will forever alter her destiny and will grant her freedom as well as a reunion with her true love Adam. The only catch is that it would mean that Julia would have to join the Vampire Resistance to fight the King. Will Julia take the deal to gain freedom and be with Adam?

I found this book hard to put down as I read to see what would become of Julia. My heart broke for her as she endured so much mistreatment from those that were supposed to love her. Finding herself married at such a young age to a man who abused her as well as having a father that only cared about his own needs would have been hard to endure. The author did a good job of delving into the topics of depression and anxiety that ultimately stems from trauma and abuse. As a survivor of abuse, I found the book was a hard read at many points but a compelling one as well. I found Julia’s journey intriguing as she fought to gain her strength and independence. I cannot wait to read Book Two in the Series.

View all my reviews@Tara Johnson Barnes