When swallowed, some souls gift insights, wisdom, a path to understanding. Others unleash power, proficiency with a sword, and indifference to death. One soul assimilates with ease. But swallow a host of the dead and risk a descent into madness. Estranged from his family over the murder of his wife, young Raze Anvrell wields his fists to vent his rage. Then a chance at a new life beckons, and he … beckons, and he retreats to the foothills of the Ravenwood, the haunt of unbound ghosts. He and his mentor build a freehold, a life of physical labor and the satisfaction of realizing a dream. They raise horses and whittle by the fire until the old man dies, and Raze swallows his first soul.
When his brother reaches out, open wounds begin to scar. But the tenuous peace won’t last. While those who rule the Vales yield to the lure of their ambitions, slavers of Ezar roam the countryside, hunting for human chattel. While one man manipulates the law, another heeds the souls of violence howling in his head.
Raze too listens to his soul’s whispers, and as danger intrudes on his quiet life, he has no choice but to return to his father’s world and join the fight.
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In this completed series, epic fantasy blends with the wisdom of old souls to create a unique coming of age story of courage and honor in the midst of evil. Slavery is pitted against freedom, anger against forgiveness, and a desire to live peacefully against the necessity to take up the sword.
It’s a story of bitter estrangement and broken hearts, of deception and unfettered ambition. For Raze Anvrell it’s a journey of violence, redemption, and his soul’s growth as he transforms from a reckless youth into a man with a rich legacy of souls.
Magic, politics, love, and madness collide in this fantasy adventure. For lovers of beauty and battle, and complex characters willing to risk everything in the fight for their souls.
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The title of this book and its series drew my interest: Soul Swallowers, the first in D. Wallace Peach’s The Shattered Sea collection. Though I’m not much of a fantasy reader, the story was intriguing. Would someone swallow a soul for a good or bad reason, perhaps both? How does a sea shatter? After checking out the author’s blog and reading some of her own book reviews, this seemed like a great opportunity, so I purchased the book and read it last week. Now I get to share my thoughts with you…
The first few scenes are amazing. I quickly connected with the characters and the potential for this story. Raze was a fantastic protagonist, and I’m a sucker for love. His father, on the other hand, was definitely not a man to admire–but as a character, he was spot on. Stuck between love and loyalty, he had to make a decision, and Raze unfortunately will suffer the consequences. Immediately, the book grabs your attention and confirms you’re about to embark on a wild ride. From there, the story spans several years of Raze’s life, where he swallows souls, meets new friends and family, and learns how to survive in a world he cannot stand. Life is tough for those struggling in these lands, and the epic battle to win the war has only just begun.
Peach writes thrilling descriptions and settings. I could feel many of the backgrounds surrounding me as I read each chapter. Sometimes they felt realistic, others I knew I’d been transported to some fantastical foreign place. Ultimately, the story is about character relationships and the need to protect the future. While there are elements of fantasy and science-fiction, there is a fine balance so that readers have a solid foundation to ground them. I found myself more interested in the bonds Raze develops, the need and desire to free those around him from servitude. There is something strong in the moral tones and ethics of these characters that is highly admirable.
The writing quality is strong, and it is easy to read and stay connected. I’m curious what will happen in the future books. The cover is brilliant, and I love the imagination Peach brings to each and every scene and character. I got a Game of Thrones feel in the beginning… I’ve watched enough of the tv series to get a feel for its style, though I’ve never read the books. I’m keen to learn more about the true nature of a soul, and how it develops once it becomes part of another human being. A good read, glad I sampled from a different genre, and I would recommend it for most fantasy lovers.
An intricate tale told by a master of the craft.
Will love conquer all? Strong, courageous characters, in a world where deceit, honour and political power have more value than pure desires.
The writing is deep and rich, and the character unfolds before your eyes.
If you enjoy stories by fantasy writers such as Sanderson, you will love this – all her stories, even.
Unforgettable Fantasy!
I didn’t know what to expect when I came across this title on D. Wallace Peach’s website, but the title and the cover drew me and after hesitating far longer than I should have, I decided to make the purchase- and can I just say, WOW!
This is the story of three kingdoms and the men and women who rule them, some with deceit more than honor.
When heir to the throne Raze Anvrell witnesses the murder of his young wife, he blames his father and disowns his family. He leaves to make his own way and learns over time, with the help of his mentor, that anger and hatred is not the answer to a peaceful soul.
The author has a beautiful, poetic way of writing that drew me right into the story- I couldn’t set it down!
Some of my favorite lines:
“What do you believe?”
“That we are children in a corner of the world trying to draw borders around the universe. We study a drop of rain and think we understand the sea. The only thing we can fully understand is ourselves, and even that task is beyond most.”
SOUL SWALLOWERS- D.WALLACE PEACH
The winter rains had abated, and waves of hammered bronze rolled into the cliffs with the rhythm of a heartbeat. The islands of the Shattered Sea crouched like hunchbacked giants tamed by the evening tide.
SOUL SWALLOWERS- D. WALLACE PEACH
Traveling to the sea cities was more than a physical journey for Raze. He returned sharper and dirtier with hard black seeds of malcontent like gravel in his shoes. Except they lodged in his skin and eyes and heart. They grew with weedy hunger.
SOUL SWALLOWERS- D. WALLACE PEACH
Maybe my desires are just poetic dreams pirouetting in the snow.
SOUL SWALLOWERS- D. WALLACE PEACH
Loss, love, war and betrayal- Soul Swallowers is a masterful fantasy novel!
Five+ lovely kisses- A must read!
“Soul Swallowers” follows Raze Anvrell who turns his back on his family and title after his commoner wife was murdered. He finds some peace working alongside a man who befriends him. But around Raze is political plotting, arranged marriages, slave trading, religious beliefs, and a witch. While I was captivated with Raze’s journey, I loved both Bel and Nellea’s stories. I connected with them both immediately and was rooting for their outcome. A unique aspect of this story was the swallowing of a soul stone or bringing a deceased person’s soul into your body. Having another person’s urges come out, such as fighting skills, empathy or cruelty, and blending that with their personality was fascinating. This is a well-written fantasy that’s infused with poetic descriptions, believable characters, and plenty of action. I will definitely be reading the next book in this series!
D. Wallace Peach has the rare distinction of becoming my favorite fantasy author based on the quality of her storytelling methods. I haven’t read a single book by this author that I haven’t loved.
Imagine my glee, when I found out she had begun a new series, called, The Shattered Sea. Book One, The Soul Swallowers, is everything I knew it would be—brilliant, creative, and unforgettable.
When Raze Anvrell leaves the wealth and the safety of his home after his young wife is brutally murdered, he suspects that his family was to blame for her demise. Determined to strike out on his own, he flees to Ravenwood, where the souls of the unbound dwell.
Everyone wears an empty soulstone which is given to all of the people at the Temple of Souls. When people die their soul transfers into the pendant. To die without their soulstone allows a soul to drift forever in the ether. The individual’s skills, aptitudes, and the very essence of their personality would then be lost to future generations.
Raze meets Briyon, the owner of his own freehold, who invites the young man to join him in making a new life. Briyon becomes the father figure in Raze’s life and when he dies, Raze swallows his first soul.
Imagine being who you are and accepting the soul essence of someone else into your existence. New skills and knowledge must integrate, for better or worse. If you swallow too many souls, disaster prevails as the personalities clash for dominion, madness being the end result.
It is in this world where Raze follows the whispers of his soul into unknown territory where only the brave survive.
I felt the magic breathe through the pages of this book with an ancient wisdom that touched my own soul. At the book’s ending, I found myself reluctantly thrust back into my world hating to let the fantasy go.
MY RATING:
Character Believability: 5
Flow and Pace: 5
Reader Engagement: 5
Reader Enrichment: 5
Reader Enjoyment: 5
Overall Rate: 5 out of 5 Stars
Having read The Unraveling of the Veil series, my expectations for Soul Swallowers was high. I knew that there would be immaculate world building and interesting and memorable characters, and I certainly was not disappointed.
We follow the lives of those who are destined to be rulers and others who will always be bonded. The mantle of leadership does not always pass from father to son or daughter and old grievances and rifts threaten the peace of the kingdoms that lay along the shores of the Shattered Sea. Politics and relationships are complicated as characters swallow the souls of those who might enhance their given powers or in some cases add a new edge to advance their agenda. Some souls bring their peaceful intentions but others are far more dangerous. Some are gifted to those they love but most are a commodity and eagerly absorbed in quantities that can bring madness.
As the story develops we follow the central character Raze, noble born but who has chosen to walk away having suffered a devastating loss., We meet his close companions and those who are a threat to his life on the freehold he considers his home and we see the effects of soul swallowing on the innocent and the evil. We are drawn into the intrigue as rivals jostle for power and control over other kingdoms and manipulate their own children for gain. Whilst Raze might wish to remain on the periphery of this turmoil, events and new alliances force him into taking a stand.
Throw in the slavers who bend the law to suit their own purposes and are willing to kidnap and kill to achieve fill their coffers; you have a fast paced adventure that is interlaced with moments of spiritual and thought provoking reflections on the absorption of souls.
I can highly recommend Soul Swallowers to those who enjoy both fantasy and excellently written adventures and look forward to reading the second book Legacy of Souls.
In this book, Ms. Peach has taken a single world-building premise—that people can swallow other people’s souls after they die—and worked it into a fantastic, detailed secondary world. Here, the powerful squabble for ever more influence while the wretches and unlucky are sold into slavery. The main character, Raze, has turned his back on a life of wealth and privilege, and joins another man in building up a small farm, a freehold, assisted by former slaves who soon become an extended family.
But the Byzantine politics of Raze’s former circle soon entangle him again, and he’s forced to re-enter his old world to try to save the members of his new family.
Soul Swallowers transported me to a completely different world, one that I enjoyed exploring and was reluctant to leave. I highly recommend it.
Now here’s the place where you should imagine the radio announcer’s voice saying, “But wait, there’s more…” Because Soul Swallowers is Book One in the Shattered Sea series, which means that when you reach its finale, the story isn’t over. There’s still Book Two, Legacy of Souls.
This book is a very unusual fantasy read an therefore very interesting. I’d recommend to give it a go.
The story
We are following many characters in a very rich world, looking at events from many different perspectives. The depth of the background is fascinating. This isn’t a fantasy world where the details stops wherever the hero doesn’t look. This is a world far more intense. The story takes its time to follow the protagonists in a realistic manner.
The characters
They are well depicted, maybe a bit too many for the reader who needs to keep track of all of them. But still, they are very likable (or not) in the details provided.
The magic
The author looks at the effect brought by swallowing souls. No grand spells here but something more intimate.
Conclusion
If you want to take your time moving in a detailled fantasy world, looking at all its facets, go for this book.
Literary Fiction Meets High Fantasy
Soul Swallowers is the best fantasy novel I’ve read in a long time. It’s set in an area known as the Shattered Sea, and I call it literary fiction because it revolves around the lives of the inhabitants, noble and commoner alike. The people of the area practice a unique custom; when someone dies, their soul can be captured by a magical stone which can be swallowed by another person, so the swallowed soul lives on in the new host and is spared the tragedy of eternal wandering. I’m always leery of fantasy stories that rely on a gimmick, but the author integrates soul swallowing beautifully into the storyline; it doesn’t dominate the plot but augments it in a unique and interesting way. I call this story literary fiction because it deals with people’s lives, their joys and struggles, without relying on hackneyed fantasy tropes. Peach’s characters are well developed and multi-dimensional; the reader comes to know them intimately, perhaps illustrating the point that we are all of us one people, regardless of the environment in which we find ourselves. Slavery and bondage are also an important issues in Peach’s world, and the author relentlessly points out how such evil practices demean everyone, slave and owner alike. If I have one gripe, it’s that the story is unfinished, but Soul Swallowers is clearly labelled as Book 1, and I will certainly have no problem reading Book 2, or however many the author chooses to write in this fascinating setting.
What attracted me to read “Soul Swallowers” by D. Wallace Peach was the premise that a person could absorb other souls to gain insight, strength, and wisdom to a path of understanding. This is an epic fantasy that primarily follows Lord Raze, who is embittered because he believes his father orders the murder of his young wife after he refused to marry a noble girl for a political alliance. Brimming with rage, Raze seeks refuge in the Ravenwood, the haunt of unbound ghosts. After his elderly mentor dies, Raze swallows his soulstone to absorb his wise essence and to assuage his anger. Raze begins a humble life of raising horses and taking in other beleaguered people into his household. His quiet life is disrupted when his brother finds him at Ravenhood and embroils him in the web of political corruption and the dangers of slave traders roaming the countryside. Raze must finally come to terms with his past.
Author D. Wallace Peach creates a fantastical world with the premise that people can swallow the souls of others to continue their legacies. However, there is a downside of swallowing too many souls; it may make you go mad or absorb the evil characteristics of the dead person. The world-building is rich in detail and the sensory description heightens your senses, such as: “The morning had dawned with a sultry sun, the air ripe with humidity, a host of crickets snapping in the dry grass. The tale is told from different points of view so you can understand the underpinnings of political schemes. The switch in points of view sometimes impacts the evenness of the pacing and dampened the tension.
For readers who love unique world-building and a cast of memorable characters, I recommend that you read the first book, Soul Swallowers, in the Shattered Sea series