This is the second book in the Soul Collectors series, but you can find the whole series: here.
Customary warning: This is a reminder that these reviews are my personal opinions. My thoughts and feelings are not your thoughts and feelings. I may not always be the target audience for a book; sometimes I am. If I do not like a book, that doesn’t mean you’ll dislike it. If I love a book or simply like a book, you may hate it. Take everything I say with this in mind. If it sounds interesting to you despite what I’ve said, then go ahead and read it. You’ll only know you like something if you read it yourself.
Spoilers ahead!
That being said…
Impact by Tara Benham
Synopsis From The Book
The mission has been completed, and the earthquake has happened.
Bayla wakes up in the last place she ever thought she’d find herself after Mephistopheles takes her away. She is unsure if she has successfully completed her mission until Meph wake her to share the truth with her.
Secrets that were long kept from her are revealed, and the impact of them is life-changing. Those secrets will challenge everything she has ever believed about herself and her purpose.
Not only does Bayla have to discover who – or what -she is, but she must also decide what she believes. Will she stick to seeing decisions as only a choice between black and white, or will she learn that the truth come in many shades in-between.
Short Synopsis By Me
Immediately after the events of Falling, Bayla wakes in Hell to discover the truths that led her there. She discovers more about herself and the world she once knew, than many Angels dream of knowing. She is then given a choice, to remain as she had or to become something more.
Initial Thoughts Before Reading:
This is the second book in the series. I was planning to read this series in one go, so we will see if I am able to pull it off or not.
Edit after reading first: I really hope this one answers my questions. Truly.
Initial Thoughts After Reading:
It’s like the author heard my rant for Falling and answered all questions within the first few chapters. Who is Declan and what is his mission? Answered. Why is Gray important? Answered. What is Balya’s importance? Answered. For an Angel who is trained in combat there is a ton of combat training in this book.
The plot doesn’t deviate much. After learning the answers we are given a glimpse: make sure Heaven wins the impending war between Heaven and Hell. Bayla is the daughter of a high ranking angel and Lucifer. Excellent, great, awesome.
I’m not sure anything really happened.
What I Liked:
The demons. I still really like them. I really like Meph, Cain and the others. I realize I didn’t say this in the first, but Meph is Mephistopheles.
Declan is still pretty great.
What I Would Have Liked or Changed:
Bayla is still a big inconsistent but at least she realizes it. She internalizes how she was perfect until the last mission — even if I can’t justify it. Her back story is the bulk of this plot and it makes sense to me, but the reveal wasn’t much of a shock.
There are journal entires of her mother within the plot that at the time of their writing, the language would have been different. I suppose I am just stricter when it comes to historical writing, and I do not believe that an angel from the early ADs or BCs would write the way she did. In fact if we look at the timing, Bayla was 19 Heaven years. This means she was born 9,300+ years ago. There would not be bars, or waitresses with pens if we are going with this time line. Just saying.
Love Triangles. Nothing irks me more than love triangles. Have I been involved in plots with them? Yes? Do I particularly like them? Not so much, but I do understand the appeal to them. I think what irritates me the most for this one is the whole “fall in love with me to save him” premise given by Meph to Bayla about Declan. I also can’t really accept the time line of the falling in love. Bayla knew Declan for perhaps two maybe three weeks, and was certain she was in love with him and that he was The One. Then after a few short weeks of being with Meph, she likes Meph too but still is certain about Declan? I know some people fall in love fast but for her to fall for a presumed demon, a sworn enemy, in three weeks? That’s not love, angel, that’s lust.
Bayla gets told to learn to deal with the consequences of her actions, as if she shouldn’t already know that.
Some how this Earthly drama applied to angels is extremely off putting to me. I don’t know but the idea of romance and such human teenager problems is just… far too human.
Why You Should Read:
It answers the questions left in the first. I do think this is better than the first, perhaps because of the emphasis on the demons and the Heaven vs Hell politics.
Time Taken To Read
1hr 10min
Rating: 2.5/5
Notable Quotes:
“It’s nice to be with you on your side this time.” – Meph to Bayla
Marlena Marie 
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