A dark, epic fantasy about a girl who must rethink everything she believes after she is betrayed and hunted by the religion that raised her—from Megan Bannen, author of The Bird and the Blade. Perfect for fans of The Winner’s Curse and The Girl of Fire and Thorns. Gelya is a Vessel, a girl who channels the word of the One True God through song. Cloistered with the other Vessels of her faith, … song. Cloistered with the other Vessels of her faith, she believes—as all Ovinists do—that a saint imprisoned Elath the Great Demon centuries ago, saving humanity from earthly temptation.
When Gelya stumbles into a deadly cover-up by the Ovinists’ military, she reluctantly teams up with Tavik, an enemy soldier, to survive. Tavik believes that Elath is actually a mother goddess who must be set free, but while he succeeds in opening Her prison, he inadvertently turns Gelya into Elath’s unwilling human vessel.
Now the church that raised Gelya considers her a threat. In a race against the clock, she and Tavik must find a way to exorcise Elath’s presence from her body. But will this release stop the countdown to the end of the world, or will it be the cause of the earth’s destruction?
And as Tavik and Gelya grow closer, another question lingers between them: What will become of Gelya?
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This is a Stand-Alone book, not part of a series. ‘Soulswift” is full of betrayal and truths revealed as our main character Gelya is thrust into yet another role not of her own making. Gelya is forced to work with Tavik, a soldier of a different faith whose purpose grates against everything she was ‘trained’ to believe. If I say anything more, they will be spoilers.
Soulswift is a remarkable novel, bringing to life a fantastic story that asks the big questions without alienating any reader.
Thought-Provoking
The most powerful aspect of this novel is how it addresses religion and belief. Because that is what Soulswift is about, it is about religion, a sensitive and personal subject. There is that risk of alienating the reader but the structure of the religion and the ideals are incredibly relatable to every religion. That is what makes Soulswift so captivating, how it can bring together readers despite their religious beliefs.
Geyla is a Daughter of Ovin, a Vessel for the One True God, a religion which teaches her to hide her womanness, to keep her head shaven and her breasts bound. Her religion taught her that Mother Elath was a demon that needed to be trapped.
Tavik (rhymes with havoc) is an Elathian, a group of people who believe in both the Father and the Mother as equal deities and seek to release the Mother from her prison. These two characters believe two completely different things, and yet they bond over their discussion of differences. They are also respectful of one another.
There is so much discussion throughout the novel between the characters that envelopes the reader into this compassionate and thought-provoking message about religion and how it should unite us instead of dividing us.
Characterization
The discussion between the characters once again could alienate the readers if not for the strong characterization. Geyla’s internal narration is compelling because of how relatable it is. She questions her beliefs constantly, questions her feelings, and that is something relatable to many people. However, what it comes down to is not the religion but her identity, or lack thereof. Geyla has always felt like a Vessel as if she had no control over herself. She never loses her faith but what she regains is her identity. Geyla regains her sense of belonging, and this adventure she embarks on challenges her; it opens her eyes, enlightens her, and encourages her to find herself.
However, it is not all serious. There are times when her internal narration is quite hilarious. Once again, she is relatable, with all the complexities of any human.
Furthermore, of course, there is Tavik. He balances out Geyla’s seriousness with such a sense of honor and humor. Once again, he is also a character who never loses his faith, but he never loses his humor.
These two characters balance each other perfectly, growing together as they learn more and more about the history of their beliefs. The dynamics that develop between Tavik and Geyla are lovely. Bannen gives readers this wonderful and beautiful friendship making the story fun and enjoyable.
Final Thoughts
Soulswift is a powerful novel that will break the reader’s heart with its bittersweet ending and leave the reader with this uplifting feeling of hope. It is a Book Club novel worthy novel that can relate to all readers and open powerful discussions.
Once again we get a beautifully written story from Megan Bannen. As I read the story I was pulled in by all the vivid descriptions of the people and places and even the different types of wildlife. There were so many different layers to this story. Ones that often made me tear up, or even wonder if the main characters might get a break and be successful. I wondered back and forth, as did the Gelya, about who she could really trust, and who might possibly be double-crossing or hiding something from her. There was even a bit of a twist at the end that fell right into place with how the story was going and brought it to a different level. I feel like you get a lot of info in the synopsis above, and I don’t want to give too much away in a review, because I really feel you have to read it to get the full effect of the story. The cover, like the first book by this author, is the perfect invitation to a picture-perfect story, and it is a work of art like the story inside.