A MONSTER LIKE ME (Heart of Darkness #2) by PAMELA SPARKMAN

**Spoiler-Free Review**

“A monster like me deserves no mercy.”
‘He had only ever brought pain to those he cared about. He didn’t deserve to be here. He would end this now.’
“I am nowhere…I exist. But I do not live. I am nowhere.”

A Monster Like Me by Pamela Sparkman is a book we’ve been waiting a long time for and it was beyond worth the wait. This second book in her paranormal ‘Heart of Darkness’ duet was everything and more than we could have wished for it to be. This is one of those times where you could feel every bit of the blood, sweat and tears the Author went through when putting her words to paper. As far as we’re concerned this is what books should have – the beating pulse of its creator.

“I am darkness. You are light. That’s what we are. Night and day. You are everything good. And I am everything children are afraid of…I believe that makes us enemies.”

As paranormal book lovers this duet is what it’s all about; the world creation, the folklore, the mystery and intrigue and an abundance of characters that each have their otherworldly cross to bear. Characters have stayed true to themselves and how refreshing for it to be all about the story and the characters. Pamela Sparkman is a brilliant writer with a flawless and compelling flair for fantasy combined with a vivid imaginative prose. We highly recommend reading this in order as the backstory is -in our opinion- an important piece of the full picture. It’ll make you smile, swoon, cry and fall in love with Pamela Sparkman’s words.

“It’s only at night that we can see the stars, Zeph. Darkness doesn’t have to be scary. It can be beautiful. You have just forgotten.”

The Moon Shines Red is the first book -which we loved- and it’s where we first met the ‘evil monstrous’ Zeph who believes himself to be evil incarnate after discovering that his life has been mostly consequence of lies. He’s a truly hated character and what wondrous writing ability to turn a figure of hate into a figure which demands compassion and love which is just what Pamela Sparkman did and achieved. Our hearts broke, bled and cried for him as he fights his internal war whilst trying to convince himself he’s not worthy of the love he receives from the beautiful and compassionate, Arwyn. Whilst theirs is a story of love it’s also a story of battle.

‘Do not fear your darkness, Zeph. You are the space between the stars, the weight under the sun, the canvas of the moon’s glow, stitching the fabric of the sky in place. You are neither man, nor monster, my friend. You are the magic that makes everything else shine.’

We loved being back with the characters we fell in love with from The Moon Shines Red and we were captivated with the continuing character development as well as the fighting for the cause of the realm as well as true happiness and love. But also pain…so much pain, so much emotional tragedy and a tortured soul.

‘Guilt was a monster of its own. It was a wall that trapped him, held him prisoner, too big to go around, too mountainous to climb over. It pressed upon him until he was crushed underneath the weight of it, stealing his air and taking his hope.’

A Monster Like Me is a story of external as well as internal battles. A story of righting wrongs, family loyalties and friendships. It’s a story of love and sacrifice, war and peace. It’s a story of selflessness, choices and redemption. Above all, it’s an addictive, beautiful and exhilarating tale for readers of paranormal romance with the emphasis on the paranormal, the magical and the mystical. What a powerful and almost poetic voice this Author has in the world of Fae.

“If I thought I could run from you, I quickly discovered I was a fool for trying. You’re in my veins, Arwyn. You’re in my thoughts.”