The Mephisto Mark

by Trinity Faegen

[Angie]

I received an ARC through NetGalley.

There is something oddly addicting about this series! I'm not quite sure what it is, but I can't stop reading these books. The storylines may not be the most unique, but I adore the mythology that the author has created. I also like how the books feel a bit more mature, since sex is a very prominent and important topic for the Mephisto. The Mephisto Mark is no different, but I think it may be my favorite of the series so far. This time the focus is on Phoenix and his Anabo, Mariah, who happens to be Jordan's long lost sister. Mariah has had a very rough life, and her story was very hard for me to read. I was definitely rooting for her to overcome the past damage, but I was also nervous for what challenges the author would throw at her.

While this may be my favorite Mephisto book so far, The Mephisto Mark is also the one that confused me the most. I had this overwhelming feeling of déjà vu the entire time I was reading, and it only got worse the further I read. Maybe my memory is misleading me, but I'm certain that a particular event towards the end happened in The Mephisto Kiss. I may be wrong, since it's been nearly a year, but I feel like it did. I can't say what event, since it is a major spoiler for both books, but it does involve a kiss. I'm also positive that we already met Mariah and visited her apartment in the previous book, too. Do these two books take place simultaneous? I have no idea, but it nagged me for the entire book!

I liked Mariah. She's very different from Jordan and Sasha. She was sexually abused for two years as a teen, and her years before that weren't any more pleasant. She essentially saved Jordan's life, and took all of the negativity of their aunt and her husband for herself. She survived though, even if her spirit may have been a bit fractured. She struggles with her self esteem and her feelings towards sex for most of the book, and it was horrible to witness. I do think the author handled this topic respectfully, even if I did cringe a lot since it was so graphic at times. However, my one complaint is that Mariah seems to make a miraculous recovery after just one conversation with Phoenix. While I was happy for her, it definitely doesn't happen like that in real life.

My favorite part of The Mephisto Mark was the use of romance novels! Mariah discovers these racy reads when she moves into the mansion, and she can't get enough. They were also a huge help to her during her recovery, since she could begin to see sex as something positive. Reading about women who want to have sex was mind boggling to her at first, but soon she got into, and that definitely was a factor in moving her relationship with Phoenix forward. Those two have some adorable and hilarious scenes together involving reading some of these books together.

In the end, I really liked The Mephisto Mark. It's quite different than the previous two books, even though the plot is essentially identical. The characters definitely drove it to be something unique. I fully enjoyed getting to know the other brothers better as well, particularly Zee and Denys. There's some very interesting insights into the whole Jane situation that was brought up in book two, and it most definitely did not pan out how I was expecting at all! Fans of the series are certain to love this one, but regular readers of paranormal romances aren't likely to find anything new here. The mythology is probably the most interesting part about this series.

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.