Nobody can resist his call…. not even her… Hundred after witnessing something she should never have seen. She’s fighting for survival; she doesn’t have time for distractions. That is, until she meets a man nobody but her can see. When he speaks, her body does what the Piper commands, but she’s not going to accept that. Not at all.
A new song has begun…
He’s played his tune for a hundred years, but no living human has ever seen him. Until Autumn. His music is only supposed to control those destined to leave this world, but to make Autumn stay with him, he might have to change the rules. Forever.
Set in the same world as the Catnip Assassins urban fantasy series, this Pied Piper retelling will sing to fans of Laura Thalassa and C.N.Crawford. Part of the Once Upon A Fairy Tale Night Series, a collection of multi-author fairy tale romance retellings.
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I love twisted fairy tales and this one takes it to a whole new level. The Grimm Brothers have nothing on Skye MacKinnon.
Autumn is running for her life, traveling only at night to prevent capture. Her bicycle Pegasus is old and in need of repairs but it’s better than walking. The Cult of the Hundred want her dead and avoiding them has become harder as they build their ranks throughout the country. As she loses herself in her thoughts, she flies off Pegasus and lands in a ditch.
The Piper has been a tool for the Song via the flute he carries for at least a hundred years. While he does what the Song wants sometimes under protest, he can travel in the blink of an eye and also wish things into existence. When he was bored with the way he traveled he wished for a horse, the horse is now his companion. As he’s traveling through a storm the horse stops and he finds a woman in a ditch. She’s beautiful and in pain, he contemplates sending her on but finds he can’t. Instead he takes her home and wishes her injuries away.
When Autumn wakes she hears music and is drawn to it, the piper is playing, not for the Song but for himself. Their encounter goes well as he gets her fed and then it all goes wrong.
He does follow her, the weather in the mountains can be harsh and the village a good three days away on foot. Things get very interesting once they return to his home.
Of course the business of the Song intrudes. The call leads the piper to discover what the Church of the Hundred is up to. The Song isn’t pleased, and everything takes shape in a very interesting way.
I really loved the way Skye twists this tale into something both intriguing and romantic.
Autumn is on the run from her home town to get away from the Cult that is taking over. She knows if they catch her they will kill her. She is riding her bicycle trying to find shelter to rest. Autumn ended up being really hurt from the fall.
The Piper is on his way to another job for the song. His horse is nudging him in a direction, he is not sure what he wants. The piper keeps going, he feels a human near by. He is going to leave her but takes a look at her. He is torn between leaving her or ending her suffering. The Piper world changing when she opens her eyes and sees him. He knows he can’t let her go. He takes her home to help her.
Autumn wakes up feeling good, her clothing is clean and looks new. She doesn’t know who took her, she thinks it might be the cult. She is able to leave the room. She slowly makes her way to where she hears the music. She slowly enters the room where she sees a man playing a pipe.
Autumn is suspicous of this man, he will not tell her anything. He doesn’t seem sane. She leaves the house and doesn’t look back. The man shows up later to get her to come back. Autumn goes back because she is curious about this man, she feels strangely drawn to him. Autumn is going to learn things that will terrify her but make her a completely different person
This book just draws you in as soon as you start reading it. The book starts off in action slowly builds the backstory of both characters. I didn’t want to give any spoilers, I highly recommend you reading this. Truly enjoyable read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
[02:28, 19/07/2020] Laura Greenwood: that’s a beautiful way of putting it
[19:27, 19/07/2020] Laura Greenwood: Skye MacKinnon has created a magical and engaging tale in Song Of Souls, which has a lyrical quality that perfectly captures the Pied Piper fairy tale. The folklore is woven into the story in such a way that it fits naturally and enhances the richness of the plot. A highly recommended read for anyone who is a fan of fantasy romance or fairy tale retellings.