Synopsis:
Idd wakes imprisoned in the institution that once forged him, forced to confront what he’s become. His past won’t stay buried. His present won’t hold still. And the voice that kept him alive might be the thing that destroys him.
Korthe discovers her crusade was built on lies—but the lies go deeper than betrayal. Armed with a dead man’s ring and a blade that whispers secrets, she pursues an impossible target toward an answer that should not exist.
Conspiracy brought them together. Trauma binds them. But in a world where histories contradict themselves and Moon-Gods forget their own stories, the most dangerous revelation is the one neither of them is ready to accept:
Nothing was ever what it seemed. Perhaps, not even them.
The pattern is breaking. Some will see it. Most won’t—not yet.
Review:
How do you write a review of this book? So many places to start, yet I think none will ever do it justice. if you haven’t read book one, Cryosurge, find my review here.
So let’s get the ‘indie author’ out of the room.
EP Soulless is a talent.
There is something about this grimdark author’s writing, be it within the rich, evocative prose, the interweaving of tales, or the vision he is trying to betray, that calls to me about what he does. I strongly believe he has a great future when his vision and talent collide.
However, for me, the whole of this book is less than the sum of its parts. We delve behind Idd, the frost-shaman, and his past as we return to the place where his talent was nurtured. When I say nurtured, I mean torn from within him with as much viciousness as could be mustered, which he subsequently witnesses dealt upon the remaining acolytes in waiting. We peer behind the curtain of his past, and find a depth that we knew was there but hidden beneath what we saw in book 1.
And of course, we cut beneath the skin of Korthe, to discover the melding of her into the weapon she has become, and how far she is willing to go to expose those upon whom she seeks vengeance. However, she is from the outset untouchable. And for that, she is lessened somewhat, for where is the danger? Ah, within the final battle, except. Well, you’ll see. As a character, she has many more depths to explore, and I have high hopes for her in the next book of the series.
We do get some insight into the Moon-Gods and their ilk, and in a similar style to the rest of the book. And that’s where the pieces collapse in on themselves. Soulless has a vision, a concept, and due to this there is not enough signalling for this reader. For me the episodes become vignettes and feel disconnected, and thus are unable to completely maintain the narrative as a whole.
Did I enjoy it? Damn right I did. But it could be more.
Do I think you should read it? Yes, I do. If you enjoyed book one, you know what’s coming.
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