It’s difficult to find a husband in Regency England when you’re a young lady with only half a soul.Ever since a faerie cursed her, Theodora Ettings has had no sense of fear, embarrassment, or even happiness—a condition which makes her sadly prone to accidental scandal. Dora’s only goal for the London Season this year is to stay quiet and avoid upsetting her cousin’s chances at a husband… but when … husband… but when the Lord Sorcier of England learns of her condition, she finds herself drawn ever more deeply into the tumultuous concerns of magicians and faeries.
Lord Elias Wilder is handsome, strange, and utterly uncouth—but gossip says that he regularly performs three impossible things before breakfast, and he is willing to help Dora restore her missing half. If Dora’s reputation can survive both her ongoing curse and her sudden connection with the least-liked man in all of high society, then she may yet reclaim her normal place in the world… but the longer Dora spends with Elias Wilder, the more she begins to suspect that one may indeed fall in love, even with only half a soul.
Pride and Prejudice meets Howl’s Moving Castle in this enthralling historical fantasy romance, where the only thing more meddlesome than faeries is a marriage-minded mama. Pick up Half a Soul, and be stolen away into debut author Olivia Atwater’s charming, magical version of Regency England!
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I read this book in a single day. I LOVED it. It’s such a different Regency book. I would put this at a PG rating for language. But it was absolutely fantastic – melding the world of Jane Austen, ballrooms, and the London world with the treacherous land of Faerie.
I absolutely have to share my favorite paragraph:
“There is such a thing as evil in this world,” Elias told her quietly. “It does not help to look away from it. It does not even help, necessarily, to look at it. […] But sometimes, when you cannot force the world to come to its senses, you must settle only for wiping away some of the small evils in front of you.”
That, I think, is one of the themes of this book. What to do when you’re confronted with the darkness in the world.
Everything about this book was enchanting. I highly recommend it, if you don’t mind mixing a little fantasy in with your Regency reading.
“You humans always miss the most important details,” he said. It’s not your fault of course.
Where to begin.. about this lovely story.
‘Half a Soul’ is book one in the ‘Regency Faerie Tale’ series by Olivia Atwater, a historical fantasy about a young woman who has been cursed with the loss of intense feelings like fear, embarrassment, and happiness. Along with that, she’s also lost the ability in most cases to read the room, so to speak. Her actions are rarely based on societal expectations, though she can manage to behave in what is considered an appropriate manner much of the time.. it’s through practice and memorized responses. Not instinct.
“Indeed, you should address me as Your Lordship or Lord Hollowvale, for I am the marquess of that realm. You can tell that I am important, for I am wearing many expensive jackets.”
While the loss of some feelings like great joy and excitement.. would certainly be kind of sad having experienced them, her reactions are just rather muted. And arguably, lacking any real fear of speaking her mind, makes the main character.. Dora, much stronger than many. In fact, she’s logical and wickedly clever. A force to be reckoned with at times.
Those who know me well would likely realize quite quickly that I love this character, as well as exactly why. As a woman who isn’t particularly emotional in most scenarios, though I am quite adept at reading the room, I rarely let it influence my own behaviors. I know when it’s prudent of course.. professionally for example.. but occasionally I still don’t care enough to offer false niceties. I say what I mean.
“If we are being politely dishonest with one another, then you may assure the Lord Sorcier that I am charmed to meet him too.”
So, to come across a character like Dora, was incredibly refreshing. I find her extremely likeable and funny. Her humor is usually biting and sometimes a bit dark. She can stand up for herself and others, but doesn’t have to do so in some contrived way to show us she’s strong. She simply, doesn’t really mind making the hard choices.. because for her, they mostly come easily.
Along the way, of course, she meets the Lord Sorcier of England, Lord Elias Wilder. A handsome young man who is quite likely her equal, both in oddness and directness, yet without her affliction. He’s a magician who.. and I love the Wonderland reference.. is said to “regularly perform three impossible things before breakfast.”
“Pleasant-mannered people are simply the worst sort of people. Decent people become properly angry when presented with miserable injustice, but pleasant-mannered people never do.”
There are plenty of other great characters too, Albert.. Elias’ friend, Vanessa.. Dora’s incredibly loyal.. if somewhat pampered cousin, and the mysterious Lord Hollowvale.. who is quite the alluring fiend.
Atwater does a beautiful job of creating a pair of sibling worlds, where the parallels are visible, but the differences extreme. Sometimes brutal. And often strange, but in a fantastic way.
Admittedly, I have always wanted to read a good historical fiction novel. I know many who love the genre and I hate missing out on something, but in my case.. the overdone use of the period’s language always loses me. I just can’t handle all the proper b.s. I understand that it was often how things were in certain social circles, but it’s not for me. The entire population of those countries didn’t speak in the same tones. There have always been variances between the people, either by class or by region.. or something else.
“There is such a thing as evil in this world…”
“It does not help to look away from it. It does not even help, necessarily, to look at it…”
“But sometimes, when you cannot force the world to come to its senses, you must settle only for wiping away some of the small evils in front of you.”
Some of the characters here speak in the formal tongue of Regency England, but others don’t. There’s plenty of varied British dialect to go around. Honestly, my favorite moments of dialogue were usually between Dora and Elias. They held a sense of familiar, relatable banter that I see amongst my own social circles and I loved them.
If you’re looking for a traditional Austen title here, this isn’t it. ‘Half a Soul’ is billed as ‘Pride and Prejudice’ meets ‘Howl’s Moving Castle’.. and to a degree, I can see that. But to assume that’s all it is would be doing it a tremendous disservice.
Do yourself a favor, add ‘Half a Soul’ to your list of must read books. Olivia Atwater is a sleeping giant of fantasy fiction.
(I received this title as an ARC. All opinions are mine and freely given.)
Loved this book! If you are a fan of Mr. Norrell and Jonathan Strange you will like this more romantic, but still interesting well-told tale of fairies in Regency England. The heroine is unusual and interesting, especially for a romance. While some of the tropes (hero wants to save the poor) is often seen, I still enjoyed every minute of this delicious book.
Half a Soul (Regency Faerie Tales Book 1) by Olivia Atwater is a wonderful story to read. This is book number one in this wonderful start to a brand new series writen by a brand new author for me to read. I highly recommend this story to everyone who loves reading about fantasy , historical and paranormal romance.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
A sweet, whimsical Regency fantasy romance (with capricious fairies). The story elegantly manages to keep a light, hopeful tone overall without shying away from some of the darker elements of this historical time period. The half-souled heroine’s observations on Regency society are delightful, as are her interactions with the grumpy Lord Sorcier (who of course turns out to have a heart of gold).
The best way to describe this book is a cross between Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell and Jane Austen. In the best way possible. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, more than I even expected (for I love a good Regency book). It has faerie bargains, a mysterious magical sleeping plague, and a delightful cast of characters. The romance aspects are not rushed, and I loved how the heroine, Dora, was written with soul, despite only having half of one. Also, I thought the ending was quite clever. Plus, while it is a lighter read, the book has a bit of depth with some subtle societal commentary woven into the storyline. Overall I’d give it a high recommendation.
What does it mean to have half a soul, and does that make you half a person? This was a delightfully different #Regency romance set in a fantasy England where the border between Faerie and Human lands is permeable, and magic is one of the weapons used in the war against Napoleon.
The conventions of Regency romance are upended when a young woman joins forces with the Royal Sorcier to fight a plague, bring relief to children in poorhouses, and help her cousin find a titled husband (or better yet, a man who would love and respect her.) Very entertaining, and I look forward to reading more Regency era novels by this author.
This is just such a lovely Regency fantasy novel with a strong romantic thread. Cruel fairy aristocrats, outspoken young ladies, earnest war-damaged men trying to make a difference… and a sleeping plague that only affects the most impoverished and vulnerable children in the city.
Half a Soul is a polished, elegant story with the tone of a Diana Wynne Jones or an Eva Ibbotson.
With the whimsical and eerie faerie feeling of Susanna Clarke and the scathing social indictment of Jane Austen, this book is another that feels it was written just for me. It does three things: fairy tale, regency romance, and social commentary, and it does all of them well. I loved the world, the characters, the witty dialogue, everything. I will definitely read this one again.
If you want to escape into a book, this is the one! Tricksy fairies, a gorgeous love interest, quirky historical details. Loved it!
Delightfully whimsical and heartwarming with a stellar theme. This was a balm for my heart and mind.
LOVE this book and series. This book is charming and whimsical while still having deep things to say. I quite enjoyed how unique the romance felt with Dora not feeling emotions like other people and Elias being bitter about England’s social problems. The story did a great job of developing both of their characters and romance that left me a huge Elias fan. I’d recommend this to fantasy romance fans who love a romance.
A little simple, but interesting mythic elements
I enjoyed the unique concept of half a soul and liked the characters. In fact, I liked the book until I read the epilogue. The book would be much better without it.
4.5 Stars
This was such a fun historical fantasy. I loved it! The world building was so great and the characters were incredibly likable and multidimensional. It takes place in an alternate Regency-era England where encountering magic and faeries is the norm.
Dora was such an awesome leading lady. She had quite a few amusing forays in society. She didn’t really have a filter, so most of the time she said exactly what she was thinking which led to some awkward, yet entertaining, encounters. Because she was missing part of her soul, she was missing some of her emotions too. This led her to react to things in a different way than what was expected of her. She tried her best to act “normal”, but what is normal anyways? She was at her best when she was just being herself.
There were also a couple of intriguing mysteries to solve. First was the case of Dora’s missing half of her soul and trying to figure out how to retrieve it. And then a peculiar sleeping plague popped up that affected children from the workhouses.
All in all, this was a well-rounded and entertaining novel that I wholeheartedly enjoyed. It was a charming pick-me-up that I highly recommend. I’m very much looking forward to the next one.
I have recently fallen in love with her work. I adored all the characters in this book, and loved the premise of the story. Faerie stories are usually hit or miss for me, and Ms. Atwood knows her stuff when it comes to faeries and curses. Set in Regency times was the icing on the cake.
Such an original plot! Not another “remake”
Loved it. See my full review here: https://www.cgockelwrites.com/2020/10/09/book-review-half-a-soul-by-olivia-atwater/
Thoroughly enjoyed this Regency Romantic Fantasy. Witty banter, social issues, and problematic faeries. Comforting enough to enjoy in the 2020 hellscape and bust through your latest reading block.
This book is simply wonderful and everything I could have ever wished for this summer. Imagine Pride and Prejudice, faery lords, balls and a young woman whose choices will surprise you. The ending, although I had almost lost hope, was a special kind of happy one. Half a Soul will stay with you a long time after reading that last sentence.
P.S.: My favourite character is getting his own book.