Book Review: Half A Soul by Olivia Atwater
Title: Half a Soul by Olivia Atwater
Publisher: Orbit Books
RRP: $22.99
Rating: 4/5 Stars
Synopsis:
It's difficult to find a husband in Regency England when you're a young lady with only half a soul.
Ever since she was cursed by a faerie, Theodora Ettings has had no sense of fear or embarrassment - a condition which makes her prone to accidental scandal. Dora hopes to be a quiet, sensible wallflower during the London Season - but when the strange, handsome and utterly uncouth Lord Sorcier discovers her condition, she is instead drawn into dangerous and peculiar faerie affairs.
If Dora's reputation can survive both her curse and her sudden connection with the least-liked man in all of high society, then she may yet reclaim her normal place in the world. . . but the longer Dora spends with Elias Wilder, the more she begins to suspect that one may indeed fall in love, even with only half a soul.
Bridgerton meets Howl's Moving Castle in this enchanting historical fantasy, where the only thing more meddlesome than faeries is a marriage-minded mother.
Book Review:
I love the regency setting and the characters. As you'd expect from society of that era, the issues they care for are shallow and selfish. People only care about being married to a wealthy family and having the kind of reputation that is looked up by everyone else. Then we get introduced to Dora, who only has half a soul (the other half was taken from her when she was a child). The people around her can be mean to someone like Dora, as someone with only half a soul can only express so much emotion and personality to attract the attention of an upper class suitor. And yet, she meets the infamous Lord Sorcier, who is grumpy and emotional and unconventional, but is passionate - just like Dora - about issues that are often overlooked by society,.
The writing is brilliantly witty and charming. On the surface it's a lovely story with very little action and drama (on the grand scheme of things), but within it you get so much depth on the more pressing issues. I love the emphasis on emotions, how important it is to express the things that are pressing down on us and to also respect people even if we don't normally agree with them. The romance is so pure and gives me genuine flutters. It's so magical and honey-like and so very lovely! I loved it to bits. I love Dora and Lord Sorcier. Even Dora's relationship with Vanessa makes me smile every time I think of them.
A part of me feels reluctant to continue with the story, because in my opinoin it ended really well! What do you guys think? Let me know if it's worth continuing on with the series!
