A failed mage learns that just because he’s not the chosen one it doesn’t mean he can’t be a hero in the fourth book of an exciting adventure fantasy series from Sebastien de Castell.
For an outlaw spellslinger, the only way to survive is to hide.
Kellen’s curse is growing stronger, promising a future of madness and murder. And now that the bounty hunter sworn to kill ever last shadow black have … murder. And now that the bounty hunter sworn to kill ever last shadow black have caught his trail, he knows his days are numbered
Desperate, Kellen braves a barren desert to find a mysterious order of monks rumored to posses a cure. But there are secrets darker and more dangerous than Kellen expected, and the price of his salvation may be more than he’s willing to pay.
Fantastic from the first sentence to the last. Combining old-school swashbuckling action with contemporary characters and a good dose of grit, these books are the rarest of things, great rollicking fun combined with an emotional punch… Sebastien, write faster!
My (38 yo) husband and I (too old to mention) have been listening to these audiobooks and have thus far been in agreement with our assessments and ratings and if you knew us, you’d know how incredibly rare that is. SO, I won’t separate who said what in this review due to the fact that we both felt the same way and honestly… the undertone wasn’t new here therefore, if you’ve read/listened to any of the previous books in the series, you’ll already have the main gist of things. If you haven’t read/listened to the prior books in this series then you will be lost in the proverbial sauce so my two cents suggest that you should first head on over to book#1 (Spellslinger).
Now, in this addition to the series we were introduced to a slew of new characters… all were grey and multifaceted and most were duplicitous but for their own reasons which made them even more intriguing. This installment was likeable enough… especially for the new characters alone. THOUGH Kellen had very little to no character growth… his squirrel-cat, on the otherhand, had a little bit more personal development BUT when a (charming) ferral creature has more personal growth than the main (human) character = no bueno. It feels lazy and I was bored… a lot. I was hoping Kellen would learn to be more than a scared, apt to bolt at any sign of trouble, 1 trick pony but alas, it was not meant to be. However, there were some (PG) twisty, nail-biting bits… “Is he/isn’t he dead?” “Are they/are they not on Kellen’s side?” “Where is Ferius?” “Is she even alive?” etc…
So be aware… as the series meanders along, the books are getting more dark and dire for our reluctant hero and company.
Overall:
The writing has been consistent throughout the series. The new characters are (almost) always fleshed out well and morally ambivalent the way I like them. Our MC has had zero character growth so far throughout his journey although his business partner/ squirrel-cat did have some quasi-evolution this time around so there’s that at least.
Onto the Awesomeness and MVP of the whole series… it’s the audiobook’s narrator of course… he is totally carrying this series!! If it weren’t for him and his impressive vocal dexterity, I’d have thrown in the towel halfway through the last book. BUT he’s here and therefore so are we. I’m not quite sure where this series is heading but I’m pretty sure it isn’t in a PG direction SO I can no longer reccomend it for all ages. BUT my husband and I are invested enough to see what happens next so make of that what you will.
~ Enjoy
Original review: https://myshelfbooks.wordpress.com/2020/08/03/review-soulbinder-by-sebastien-de-castell/
Frenzy: once again the author delivers a fast story with lovely short chapters that make the reading pretty fast.
Boom: this book is packed with WTF moments for some of the characters we love. The author took a huge risk and the result is a less enjoyable experience than in previous stories due to that. Reichis is such a scene stealer…
Great worldbuilding: the lore surrounding the shadow world explodes in plentiful of black tones. I wasn’t expecting something so complex and with so many possibilities. I wouldn’t mind more sagas taking place in that world. There is plenty of room.
Great cover: I fell utterly in love with these covers. It is my main reason for starting this saga. The art is amazing.
A gripping read with genuine emotion and excitement.