I was lucky enough to receive an Advanced Review Copy of Soulless in exchange for an honest review. And honestly, Soulless is EVEN BETTER than Moonless (if that's possible). I know sometimes sequels fall short of their destination, but not this one. It is a truly captivating read! To see my full review, click HERE.
And now, here's SOULLESS! And don't forget to enter the awesome Giveaway hosted by Crystal and several other authors.
Title: SOULLESSSeries: Maiden of Time
Author: Crystal Collier
Pages: 263
Pub Date: October 13, 2014
Publisher: Raybourne Publishing
ISBN: 9781629830032
The Soulless are coming.
Alexia manipulated time to save the man of her dreams, and lost her best friend to red-eyed wraiths. Still grieving, she struggles to reconcile her loss with what was gained: her impending marriage. But when her wedding is destroyed by the Soulless—who then steal the only protection her people have—she’s forced to unleash her true power.
And risk losing everything.
What reviewers are saying:
"5 Stars." - Invincible Love of Reading Book Blog
"I LOVED it! So good. Seriously...exceeded my expectations." -Kristin Smith, advanced reviewer
"Entirely unique and chilling." Gabby @ What’s Beyond Forks
"Unputdownable." T.C. Mckee, BookFish Books
Excerpt:
John offered Alexia a chair. “Perhaps you would hate me less if you knew my story?”
She scowled but took a seat, gratefully. Mae bustled about the kitchen, a comforting presence to counter his.
“Before all this,” he motioned down his form, “I was like you—raised among humans, oblivious to our differences. I had a family—a wife, sons, even a daughter, all human, or mostly so.” He rubbed a hand over his mouth. “He did not find me until well after I came of age, for I did not possess enough of the blood to be noticed. What I did have was a gift for healing—not as strong as his, mind you. It started as a talent for seeing what was wrong, and thus an ability to prescribe the correct treatment.” He dropped into a chair across from her, elbows landing on his knees. “I served a small community as their doctor.” A sad smile tugged at his cheeks, eyes far away. “In Wilhamshire.”
She closed her eyes. The bustling town reared up in her mind, the winding streets and shop fronts, the tavern where she’d once weathered a night after Miles saved her and Sarah from the Soulless, the house on the hill where Kiren had imprisoned Bellezza—Haunted House of Stark.
“My given name is John Stark, after my father, and after his father.”
Alexia gasped and sat back.
His brows scrunched down. “I met him over a patient one day. He observed my treatment and informed me I had rare gifts. I belonged to a secret race. To prove his point, he healed the child I had been treating, and proceeded over the next many weeks to teach me how.
“His home had been discovered by the Soulless, and he had been forced to vacate. While passing through Wilhamshire, he heard stories of my successes, and came to investigate. For a time, he resided in my home, until he was able to establish a new residence I have yet to discover. He became my…my children’s godparent.”
His fingers clasped into his knees. “But one day, after spending the night at a patient’s sickbed, I returned home to find my wife and children murdered in a most brutal manner.” His eyes darted from one wall to the other, cheek twitching. “The Soulless had come in search of him.” He met Alexia’s gaze. “My entire life was gone.”
She shivered. It couldn’t be true. John’s family had not been massacred because of Kiren, had they?
“I went after them. He told me not to,” his head shook, “but I was determined to have my revenge.”
She straightened up, but couldn’t look at the man, the person who had lost everything because he showed kindness to a vagabond.
John mimicked her. “He spared my life even after I became one of the Soulless, and we have danced the dance ever since.”
Giveaway:
Author Bio:
Crystal Collier is a young adult author who pens dark fantasy, historical, and romance hybrids. She can be found practicing her brother-induced ninja skills while teaching children or madly typing about fantastic and impossible creatures. She has lived from coast to coast and now calls Florida home with her creative husband, four littles, and “friend” (a.k.a. the zombie locked in her closet). Secretly, she dreams of world domination and a bottomless supply of cheese.You can find her on her Blog, Facebook, Goodreads, or follow her on Twitter.
