Smorgasbord Book Reviews – #Fantasy – Soul Swallowers (The Shattered Sea Book 1) by D.Wallace Peach

This week my review is for D.Wallace Peach and Soul Swallowers (The Shattered Sea Book 1)

About the book

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 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.

My review for Soul Swallowers March 20th 2021

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.

Read the reviews and buy the book: Amazon US – And: Amazon UK

 A small selection of of other books by D.Wallace Peach

Read the reviews and buy the books: Amazon US – And : Amazon UK – Follow Diana: Goodreads – blog: Myths of the Mirror – Twitter: @Dwallacepeach

About Diana Wallace Peach

I didn’t care for reading as a child – I preferred Bonanza and Beverly Hillbillies reruns, Saturday morning cartoons and the Ed Sullivan show. Then one day, I opened a book titled The Hobbit. Tolkien … literally changed my life.

I love writing, and have the privilege to pursue my passion full time. I’m still exploring the fantasy genre, trying out new points of view, creating optimistic works with light-hearted endings, and delving into the grim and gritty what-ifs of a post-apocalyptic world. Forgive me if I seem untethered in my offering of reads. Perhaps one day, I’ll settle into something more reliable. For now, it’s simply an uncharted journey, and I hope you enjoy the adventure as much as I.

 

Thanks very much for dropping in today and I hope you have enjoyed my review for Diana’s book.. Sally