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Death Warden #1
Soulless
THIS BOOK IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE!
*********************************************************************************
When it comes to death and love…only one is guaranteed.
Four decades ago Nora died. A tragic event for someone so young; however, four decades ago Nora was also given a second chance to walk among the living.
A Death Warden with a mysterious past, her job is to escort the newly expired towards the light, battling with the Soul Hunters who want the freshly dead to help with their own evil purposes buried in the dark.
When Nora’s charges suddenly become targets, she realizes that the hunters are after far more than just souls. A shift in power between good and evil threatens to change everything, risking the lives of the only family Nora has ever known.
Devastated and angry, she’s forced to face the man she once loved - a man who chose darkness over her - in order to find the answers she needs to stop the horror from escalating. Yet, while a lost relationship still haunts her broken heart, a new Warden with secrets of his own will enter the mix and quickly alter everything Nora believed to be true.
Death is unavoidable…but sometimes, so is love.
*********************************************************************************
When it comes to death and love…only one is guaranteed.
Four decades ago Nora died. A tragic event for someone so young; however, four decades ago Nora was also given a second chance to walk among the living.
A Death Warden with a mysterious past, her job is to escort the newly expired towards the light, battling with the Soul Hunters who want the freshly dead to help with their own evil purposes buried in the dark.
When Nora’s charges suddenly become targets, she realizes that the hunters are after far more than just souls. A shift in power between good and evil threatens to change everything, risking the lives of the only family Nora has ever known.
Devastated and angry, she’s forced to face the man she once loved - a man who chose darkness over her - in order to find the answers she needs to stop the horror from escalating. Yet, while a lost relationship still haunts her broken heart, a new Warden with secrets of his own will enter the mix and quickly alter everything Nora believed to be true.
Death is unavoidable…but sometimes, so is love.
180 pages
First published August 12, 2014
About the author
Amber Garr
36 books455 followersAmber Garr spends her days as a scientist and nights writing about other worlds. Her childhood imaginary friend was a witch, Halloween is sacred, and she is certain she has a supernatural sense of smell. Amber is a multiple Royal Palm Literary Award winner, author of the bestselling The Syrenka Series, The Leila Marx Novels, the award-winning The Water Crisis Chronicles, and the The Second Rising Series. When not obsessing over the unknown, she can be found dancing, reading, or enjoying a good movie. Find out more at www.ambergarr.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
January 5, 2024
A great beginning, but where's the other half of the book?
My ‘the good and the bad’ were already in order in my notes, because while this book had a great start, the ending wasn't as good. (If that can be called an ending.) Soulless had such potential, good characters and a cool world, but it had issues and felt like it needed another round of editing.
The Good:
Interesting beginning, (though I hate when a book starts on a downer.) I liked the world building, the wardens and the hunters. The Hunters blue veins and black eyes are so creepy! Talk about vampires, except eating souls not blood. The magic was simple, mostly magically changing clothes, and teleporting, but I liked it.
Talk about fast paced! Can a book this exciting be called light?
Most of the characters are okay, I didn’t hate them, but I didn’t love them either. Except for Charles, I enjoyed his humor and his relationship with Nora. Though it was towards the beginning and I didn’t really know Nora and Theron yet, I was surprised and impressed at how emotional their parting was!
I didn’t expect the shaman Native American aspect. (1/16th Indian here)
The romance, sigh how do I describe the love. There’s sort of a love triangle, and one of them is sort of instant love, but don’t judge this book based on that. The other love isn’t instant, just complicated, forbidden love. Okay, I just lost the rest of you now. It’s good honest! (At least for the first 3/4 of the book it was.)
There’s a complicated plot, people keeping secrets, and a war brewing. Two of the characters of this book are special, but they aren’t the only ones. I feared a ‘chosen one’ for a while, but thankfully that was avoided.
The Bad:
This book does suffer from perfect man syndrome. Jason is perfect in every way, looks, nice, sense of humor, southern twang, gentleman, warrior, doctor, leader, ect, ect. BORING!
I wanted Nora to kick butt and sometimes she didn’t do too badly, but she usually panics and has to be rescued, which is totally the opposite of her character.
Inconsistencies: At the beginning she said that wardens don’t sleep and she only had a bed because her and her ex-boyfriend used it for *ahem* other purposes. Then later in the book she’s wonders how someone even sleeps since his bed was covered with stuff. There’s also an inconsistency with Theron at the end where he totally changes his previous attitude. (Sorry can’t say more without spoilers.)
Nora’s so fickle when it comes to men! (Yes the romance goes in the good and the bad, it was good at first, but got to be too much.) She loves Theron still, no she loves Jason. One minute she just wants Jason as a friend then the next moment she’s snogging him all over the place. (For no particular reason I prefer snogging to making out.) And I really wish they wouldn’t talk about her being sixty. I know she’s dead so she’s not really, but it’s just weird that she’s attracted to a 20? year old.
It’s like the story was cut in half! At least before it ended (got cut off) we got one answer, but there are so many more left unanswered.
Will I read the next one? Yes, since I want to find out what happens in the other half of the story! Would I recommend it? Yes, I think so. As long as you know it’s really only half a book.
Point of View: First (Nora)
Predictability: 3 out of 5 (Where 1 is George RR Martin (If the characters make a plan or think about the future I know it isn’t going to go that way.) And 5 is Cinder (where I guessed what was going to happen long before it did, but it was still a great book.)
Source: Netgalley
My Rating: 6/10 Stars
My ‘the good and the bad’ were already in order in my notes, because while this book had a great start, the ending wasn't as good. (If that can be called an ending.) Soulless had such potential, good characters and a cool world, but it had issues and felt like it needed another round of editing.
The Good:
Interesting beginning, (though I hate when a book starts on a downer.) I liked the world building, the wardens and the hunters. The Hunters blue veins and black eyes are so creepy! Talk about vampires, except eating souls not blood. The magic was simple, mostly magically changing clothes, and teleporting, but I liked it.
Talk about fast paced! Can a book this exciting be called light?
Most of the characters are okay, I didn’t hate them, but I didn’t love them either. Except for Charles, I enjoyed his humor and his relationship with Nora. Though it was towards the beginning and I didn’t really know Nora and Theron yet, I was surprised and impressed at how emotional their parting was!
I didn’t expect the shaman Native American aspect. (1/16th Indian here)
The romance, sigh how do I describe the love. There’s sort of a love triangle, and one of them is sort of instant love, but don’t judge this book based on that. The other love isn’t instant, just complicated, forbidden love. Okay, I just lost the rest of you now. It’s good honest! (At least for the first 3/4 of the book it was.)
There’s a complicated plot, people keeping secrets, and a war brewing. Two of the characters of this book are special, but they aren’t the only ones. I feared a ‘chosen one’ for a while, but thankfully that was avoided.
The Bad:
This book does suffer from perfect man syndrome. Jason is perfect in every way, looks, nice, sense of humor, southern twang, gentleman, warrior, doctor, leader, ect, ect. BORING!
I wanted Nora to kick butt and sometimes she didn’t do too badly, but she usually panics and has to be rescued, which is totally the opposite of her character.
Inconsistencies: At the beginning she said that wardens don’t sleep and she only had a bed because her and her ex-boyfriend used it for *ahem* other purposes. Then later in the book she’s wonders how someone even sleeps since his bed was covered with stuff. There’s also an inconsistency with Theron at the end where he totally changes his previous attitude. (Sorry can’t say more without spoilers.)
Nora’s so fickle when it comes to men! (Yes the romance goes in the good and the bad, it was good at first, but got to be too much.) She loves Theron still, no she loves Jason. One minute she just wants Jason as a friend then the next moment she’s snogging him all over the place. (For no particular reason I prefer snogging to making out.) And I really wish they wouldn’t talk about her being sixty. I know she’s dead so she’s not really, but it’s just weird that she’s attracted to a 20? year old.
It’s like the story was cut in half! At least before it ended (got cut off) we got one answer, but there are so many more left unanswered.
Will I read the next one? Yes, since I want to find out what happens in the other half of the story! Would I recommend it? Yes, I think so. As long as you know it’s really only half a book.
Point of View: First (Nora)
Predictability: 3 out of 5 (Where 1 is George RR Martin (If the characters make a plan or think about the future I know it isn’t going to go that way.) And 5 is Cinder (where I guessed what was going to happen long before it did, but it was still a great book.)
Source: Netgalley
My Rating: 6/10 Stars
September 18, 2014
ARC courtesy of Net Galley and Hallowed Ink Press
Bell, Book & Candle | Soulless Review
I have no idea what it is about the afterlife that interests me: perhaps the idea of the unknown? Although I'm not that interested in finding out anytime soon lol. But seriously, I am liking the twist Ms Garr puts on her idea of the afterlife...it makes for a very interesting plot.
EXCELLENT! LOL
I just loved the so called "competition" between the Hunters and Wardens for souls. But not as much as Nora, our heroine, and Theron, the maybe antagonist, being on opposing sides! Especially with the two being former lovers; where else can you get drama this juicy? As I was saying, the rivalry almost seems better; at least you can decide to enter Heaven or Hell rather than the choice being taken from you (that's never fun).
The characters were alright: not extraordinary, but not horrible either. Charles was my favorite, though. He has the perfect timing for humor. Nora was a bit annoying when it came to Theron. I mean, he's the bad guy for the moment, so why are you meeting with him secretly? I get that she was with Theron for twenty-plus years, but your with Jason now, so stop stringing him along. Then again, I might do the same thing if I were in her shoes. Jason was adorable from the very first time he spoke with his southern twang. He and Nora are ridiculously cute!
My biggest complaint would be the length of this book: it's way too short. I wanted to see more of the plot and its development. It felt a bit too rushed for my liking. Also, I wanted more character development and romance build up. Other than that, it was a good paranormal read.
Bell, Book & Candle | Soulless Review
I have no idea what it is about the afterlife that interests me: perhaps the idea of the unknown? Although I'm not that interested in finding out anytime soon lol. But seriously, I am liking the twist Ms Garr puts on her idea of the afterlife...it makes for a very interesting plot.
EXCELLENT! LOL
I just loved the so called "competition" between the Hunters and Wardens for souls. But not as much as Nora, our heroine, and Theron, the maybe antagonist, being on opposing sides! Especially with the two being former lovers; where else can you get drama this juicy? As I was saying, the rivalry almost seems better; at least you can decide to enter Heaven or Hell rather than the choice being taken from you (that's never fun).
The characters were alright: not extraordinary, but not horrible either. Charles was my favorite, though. He has the perfect timing for humor. Nora was a bit annoying when it came to Theron. I mean, he's the bad guy for the moment, so why are you meeting with him secretly? I get that she was with Theron for twenty-plus years, but your with Jason now, so stop stringing him along. Then again, I might do the same thing if I were in her shoes. Jason was adorable from the very first time he spoke with his southern twang. He and Nora are ridiculously cute!
My biggest complaint would be the length of this book: it's way too short. I wanted to see more of the plot and its development. It felt a bit too rushed for my liking. Also, I wanted more character development and romance build up. Other than that, it was a good paranormal read.
October 13, 2014
(I got a copy courtesy of NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.)
Interesting premise and world (Death Wardens vs. Soul Hunters), but characters that turned out too difficult to stand, at least for me.
The story reads fast, and getting into it was quite easy. We're quickly introduced to what being a Warden entails, and to what Soul Hunters do. Granted, their names kind of make it obvious; still, it's good to see such things explained through active scenes, and not just in passing. Even though this could have become an info-dump, it didn't (or if it did, not in a way that felt like I was having tons of information dumped on me).
However, I had the constant, nagging feeling that something was off. I suspected that the "something" was the characters. Some two thirds in, it just didn't work anymore at all.
Nora is almost sixty: she died at eighteen, then spent fourty years as a Warden. Despite her long experience, though, she behaves like a teenager in more than one way, from moping about her mysterious death (understandable if it's just happened, less interesting if it was ages ago) to letting her "hormones" lead the ball (she's dead, by the way, so why would she still have hormones anyway?). That's a specific pet peeve of mine, but I think it's a justified one: when using characters that are older than they look, they must also act older, otherwise we might as well be shown a regular 18-year-old heroine.
While it seems that she's going to be a leading character, the one with experience, compared to the younger one she has to teach, she actually becomes rather passive. Sure, she trains to fight. Sure, she's given a charge of her own. Then she turns into the girl who has to be protected. You'd think that fourty years later, she wouldn't need that so much. I wanted to see her actually teaching things to Jason; I got Jason jumping in front of her to save her.
Jason: nice character at first sight, a soldier who actually enlisted because he wanted to become a medic and thought he'd learn useful things in that regard in the army. Yet also a cliché (cowboy, ranch, manly man of manliness).
Then came the testosterone and jealousy contests. Apart from a couple of Elders, the few other female characters are, of course, girls who intend on seducing Jason:
Ensue staring, dark glares, fighting in as revealing clothing as possible to grab the guy's attention, and bodies getting too close to each other during training. Slut shaming wasn't 100% in the open, but it definitely kept swimming under the surface. (Also dangling participles here and there, as you can see from the quote.)
This is one of those instances in which the romance clearly ruined the game for me. I'm not fond of love triangles in general, but that's because they're usually cliché, and tend to take over the actual plot. While the stakes could have been alluring here, after a while, it was very difficult for me to go past the typical "bad guy in black vs. manly soldier ex-cowboy"—complete with jealous, passive-aggressive domineering attitude:
Guys, there's a bigger problem looming on the horizon, and actually the horizon is getting very, very close because the book's ending soon. Can we focus?
Add a bit of ain't-telling-you-nothing (as in, some characters definitely know a lot more, yet refuse to spit the information out until, obviously, it's much too late for that). I just don't like that, since it creates an artificial delay in readers getting said information, while we all know we won't get it anyway due to the character-rendered-unable-to-speak trope. (I swear, I can feel that one coming from miles away.)
In short: a good idea for a story, with themes that usually grab my interest (death, reapers), yet characters that grated on my nerves too much for me to enjoy it, and probably also a plot dealt with too quickly (there would have been more room for it without the girls competing over the guy, for sure). 1.5 stars.
Interesting premise and world (Death Wardens vs. Soul Hunters), but characters that turned out too difficult to stand, at least for me.
The story reads fast, and getting into it was quite easy. We're quickly introduced to what being a Warden entails, and to what Soul Hunters do. Granted, their names kind of make it obvious; still, it's good to see such things explained through active scenes, and not just in passing. Even though this could have become an info-dump, it didn't (or if it did, not in a way that felt like I was having tons of information dumped on me).
However, I had the constant, nagging feeling that something was off. I suspected that the "something" was the characters. Some two thirds in, it just didn't work anymore at all.
Nora is almost sixty: she died at eighteen, then spent fourty years as a Warden. Despite her long experience, though, she behaves like a teenager in more than one way, from moping about her mysterious death (understandable if it's just happened, less interesting if it was ages ago) to letting her "hormones" lead the ball (she's dead, by the way, so why would she still have hormones anyway?). That's a specific pet peeve of mine, but I think it's a justified one: when using characters that are older than they look, they must also act older, otherwise we might as well be shown a regular 18-year-old heroine.
While it seems that she's going to be a leading character, the one with experience, compared to the younger one she has to teach, she actually becomes rather passive. Sure, she trains to fight. Sure, she's given a charge of her own. Then she turns into the girl who has to be protected. You'd think that fourty years later, she wouldn't need that so much. I wanted to see her actually teaching things to Jason; I got Jason jumping in front of her to save her.
Jason: nice character at first sight, a soldier who actually enlisted because he wanted to become a medic and thought he'd learn useful things in that regard in the army. Yet also a cliché (cowboy, ranch, manly man of manliness).
Then came the testosterone and jealousy contests. Apart from a couple of Elders, the few other female characters are, of course, girls who intend on seducing Jason:
A pretty, young girl with bright red hair and matching lips jumped forward. Her eagerness irritated me even though it shouldn’t. She stepped into the circle, eyeing Jason like a piece of chocolate cake with whipped cream and a cherry on top. Biting her bottom lip seductively, I rolled my eyes.
Ensue staring, dark glares, fighting in as revealing clothing as possible to grab the guy's attention, and bodies getting too close to each other during training. Slut shaming wasn't 100% in the open, but it definitely kept swimming under the surface. (Also dangling participles here and there, as you can see from the quote.)
This is one of those instances in which the romance clearly ruined the game for me. I'm not fond of love triangles in general, but that's because they're usually cliché, and tend to take over the actual plot. While the stakes could have been alluring here, after a while, it was very difficult for me to go past the typical "bad guy in black vs. manly soldier ex-cowboy"—complete with jealous, passive-aggressive domineering attitude:
He paused, something else balancing on the tip of his tongue. “Did you say Sani and Theron saved you?”
I shivered with the memory, and Jason held me tighter. His heavy arm felt like an iron clamp, gluing me to his side forever.
Guys, there's a bigger problem looming on the horizon, and actually the horizon is getting very, very close because the book's ending soon. Can we focus?
Add a bit of ain't-telling-you-nothing (as in, some characters definitely know a lot more, yet refuse to spit the information out until, obviously, it's much too late for that). I just don't like that, since it creates an artificial delay in readers getting said information, while we all know we won't get it anyway due to the character-rendered-unable-to-speak trope. (I swear, I can feel that one coming from miles away.)
In short: a good idea for a story, with themes that usually grab my interest (death, reapers), yet characters that grated on my nerves too much for me to enjoy it, and probably also a plot dealt with too quickly (there would have been more room for it without the girls competing over the guy, for sure). 1.5 stars.
September 10, 2014
(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to Hallowed Ink Press and NetGalley.)
This was an interesting story, and certain parts were really intriguing!
I liked Nora, her heart seemed to be in the right place and I felt quite sorry for her and the way Theron kept stealing her souls!
The storyline in this was good, but I did find certain parts of the story more engaging than others. I have to say that I was really intrigued by Nora and Theron’s prior relationship and what the heck was going on between them! The whole thing was so mysterious and I really could not wait to find out what was going on there!
There was some romance in this one, but I felt like it was turning into a bit of a love triangle; with Theron not 100% Nora’s past, and then Jason popping up in her present.
The ending to this was also pretty intriguing, and we ended with a bit of a cliff-hanger. It will certainly be interesting to find out what happens next to Nora, Theron and Jason!
Overall; interesting take on angels/reapers, with an intriguing past relationship,
6.75 out of 10.
This was an interesting story, and certain parts were really intriguing!
I liked Nora, her heart seemed to be in the right place and I felt quite sorry for her and the way Theron kept stealing her souls!
The storyline in this was good, but I did find certain parts of the story more engaging than others. I have to say that I was really intrigued by Nora and Theron’s prior relationship and what the heck was going on between them! The whole thing was so mysterious and I really could not wait to find out what was going on there!
There was some romance in this one, but I felt like it was turning into a bit of a love triangle; with Theron not 100% Nora’s past, and then Jason popping up in her present.
The ending to this was also pretty intriguing, and we ended with a bit of a cliff-hanger. It will certainly be interesting to find out what happens next to Nora, Theron and Jason!
Overall; interesting take on angels/reapers, with an intriguing past relationship,
6.75 out of 10.
October 25, 2014
Have you ever read a book that wasn't great but wasn't terrible and wasn't good but wasn't bad? It was just a book that was there and words that were there and all you do is shrug and pick up the next book?
That's Soulless.
The characters weren't great. The plot was old news. The love triangle was there, which is an offense all to itself. And the world building was questionable.
But the writing was solid, if lacking style. So I can't say it's a terrible book because the author has the ability to write well. But I think that's all this book has going for it.
Nora is a good reaper who was once romantically involved with Theron who turned into a bad reaper. Theron was her mentor sort of thing, which makes it a slightly forbidden romance. Theron is also our bad boy side of the love triangle.
The elders of the good reapers think Nora needs to move on and makes her a mentor of Jason, our obligatory good side of the love triangle. Jason is a southern army boy cowboy because we can't get enough politeness in one character.
Well, long story short, the bad reapers have figured out a way to kill the good reapers, which shouldn't be possible. It has something to do with Nora and Jason but the book ends without going into too much detail.
Now, my problem with the characters are many but one major one is that Nora died at eighteen, but she's existed for 60 years. Now, there's a BIG mental difference between someone who is eighteen and someone who is sixty who just looks like she's eighteen.
Nora acts like she is eighteen. There's just a certain disconnecting in these people's real ages. You know that there will be eighteen year olds running around who think swearing by God's nails is the most offensive and cutting edge thing you can do. So I wanted to see a bit more about when these characters came from.
Also, fuck love triangles.
The world building is rather shoddy. I mean, why do people become bad reapers? Why would you want to? What's the benefit? You become weak and dependent on killing innocent people for....nothing? I want something in that exchange. If I am going to be killing people, I better get something for essentially damning myself.
Also, there was some Navajo spiritualism here which was nice, but seemingly out of nowhere. I would have liked it integrated more into the actual plot than just left there to dangle in front of us.
Speaking of, don't make Nora appear to be strong in the first piece of the book and then make her passive. Fuck that. I want women who want things other than men! There are more important things in life!
Which brings me to the most offensive thing about this book; the ending.
First, there's a lot of random near sex scenes that are held off because of one reason or another. Fine, but we should probably not be doing that a few days after it's discovered that a war just started and that oops, you can actually die.
Second, pretty much every decision in the end that Nora makes is because of her lust over a guy. Not because of any ideals or anything that would develop her as a character. Nope. Men.
Because penises are super awesome and should be the only thing women think about.
2 stars out of five. I won't be reading the sequel.
August 25, 2014
Review taken from Elysian Fields Book Reviews
Rated 4.1 out of 5 Stars
*This is an ARC from Hallowed Ink Press
Synopsis:
*When it comes to death and love, only one is guaranteed..
Nora died over forty years ago. Instead of her death being the end, it was a new beginning. She was given the chance of a lifetime, literally. To become one of the elite Death Wardens. The Wardens escort newly dead souls to their place in the light. As always, there are two sides to everything; the Shadow Hunters try to sway the souls to the dark side. Nora's souls are becoming targets, and she realizes there is a power at force beyond anything she could have imagined. The balance between dark and light is precariously held in the hands of her shamanic powers, as well as her new ward, Jason. He is a healer, one with amazing powers that she has never seen before. But will he stay on the right side when the approaching battle is imminent? Nora's connection with him is instant, as is the attraction she feels for him. When she is forced to face her ex, Theron, now on the side of the Hunters, can she forget her feelings for him with the help of Jason and her friends?
My Thoughts:
This is a wonderful start to a new, promising series. Death Wardens is original, fast paced, and addicting. Nora is a well written protagonist; she's not whiny about everything wrong in her life, even though her heart was shattered by the man she is still in love with. Jason is a wonderful character.. I fell in love with him instantly. As far as love triangles go, the one between Nora, the jerk- Theron, and Jason is typical 'girl can't make up her mind' drama. I'm team Jason all the way. He's a sweetheart; sexy and confident, yet mysterious and powerful. The world building in this book is just alright in my opinion, and hopefully it will get more intricate with future books in this series. The only complaint I really have is that it was way too short for an introduction to a new series. I felt like I didn't have time to get to know the characters and the world before the final page. It was a great book though, and definitely worth a read for the urban fantasy junkie in all of us.. :)
Excerpt from book:
Rated 4.1 out of 5 Stars
*This is an ARC from Hallowed Ink Press
Synopsis:
*When it comes to death and love, only one is guaranteed..
Nora died over forty years ago. Instead of her death being the end, it was a new beginning. She was given the chance of a lifetime, literally. To become one of the elite Death Wardens. The Wardens escort newly dead souls to their place in the light. As always, there are two sides to everything; the Shadow Hunters try to sway the souls to the dark side. Nora's souls are becoming targets, and she realizes there is a power at force beyond anything she could have imagined. The balance between dark and light is precariously held in the hands of her shamanic powers, as well as her new ward, Jason. He is a healer, one with amazing powers that she has never seen before. But will he stay on the right side when the approaching battle is imminent? Nora's connection with him is instant, as is the attraction she feels for him. When she is forced to face her ex, Theron, now on the side of the Hunters, can she forget her feelings for him with the help of Jason and her friends?
My Thoughts:
This is a wonderful start to a new, promising series. Death Wardens is original, fast paced, and addicting. Nora is a well written protagonist; she's not whiny about everything wrong in her life, even though her heart was shattered by the man she is still in love with. Jason is a wonderful character.. I fell in love with him instantly. As far as love triangles go, the one between Nora, the jerk- Theron, and Jason is typical 'girl can't make up her mind' drama. I'm team Jason all the way. He's a sweetheart; sexy and confident, yet mysterious and powerful. The world building in this book is just alright in my opinion, and hopefully it will get more intricate with future books in this series. The only complaint I really have is that it was way too short for an introduction to a new series. I felt like I didn't have time to get to know the characters and the world before the final page. It was a great book though, and definitely worth a read for the urban fantasy junkie in all of us.. :)
Excerpt from book:
"No one invites Death to a party. Luckily, I wore a disguise... and I wasn't Death, exactly. It's true I might linger around humans on their way out of this world, but I wasn't the one who decided their fate. I just had to explain it all." - Nora by Amber Garr
"I wasn't expecting a fight over this one, but any chance I get to wrestle with you is an experience worth treasuring. The glint in his eyes represented a threat, just as it did his longing for our past physical relationship." -Theron and Nora by Amber Garr
June 1, 2015
I tried extremely hard to like Soulless. I started reading it last year, and because we didn’t hit it off from the beginning, I put it down and decided to read it some other time in the hopes of being more in the mood for it. It didn’t work. Soulless and I just did not click with each other and I’m terribly disappointed about it.
Soulless starts off with Nora just doing her job of walking a newly dead guy towards the “light,” but then he is robbed from her by her ex-boyfriend Theron, who is now a soul hunter (a.k.a one of the “bad guys”). This is like the fifth time Theron steals a soul from her and it’s getting on her nerves, especially since the elders aren’t quite pleased with her about it. As she gets called to a meeting with them, she learns that she has been assigned to be an advisor to a new warden, Jason, who seems to be more than meets the eye and the target of the soul hunters.
The concept of this book was interesting and in a way, I’m still curious about it because I’ve always had a thing for good vs evil battles, but the storyline often dragged and it was a bit painful to keep reading since I was bored. It’s just that I couldn’t bring myself to care about the characters. Nora was an okay character, she has potential and she’s funny at times in a sarcastic way, but other than that, nothing extraordinary about her. The one guy I liked was Jason, who was interesting, funny, and charming. He was the only thing that kept me going yet it still wasn’t enough because I didn’t get enough of him.
My problem with Soulless is that some events that take place didn’t make any sense or weren’t intriguing enough. There were several things that in my opinion weren’t relevant to the storyline though maybe they will get explained later on in the next books.
There’s some action, a little bit of romance (that part I liked), but that’s just about it. Like I said before, I’m curious to see what happens next, specifically curious to know what happens to Jason, but, unfortunately, it’s not enough to make me want to pick up the sequel.
*Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion. This review can also be read at Kate Tilton, Connceting Authors & Readers.*
Soulless starts off with Nora just doing her job of walking a newly dead guy towards the “light,” but then he is robbed from her by her ex-boyfriend Theron, who is now a soul hunter (a.k.a one of the “bad guys”). This is like the fifth time Theron steals a soul from her and it’s getting on her nerves, especially since the elders aren’t quite pleased with her about it. As she gets called to a meeting with them, she learns that she has been assigned to be an advisor to a new warden, Jason, who seems to be more than meets the eye and the target of the soul hunters.
The concept of this book was interesting and in a way, I’m still curious about it because I’ve always had a thing for good vs evil battles, but the storyline often dragged and it was a bit painful to keep reading since I was bored. It’s just that I couldn’t bring myself to care about the characters. Nora was an okay character, she has potential and she’s funny at times in a sarcastic way, but other than that, nothing extraordinary about her. The one guy I liked was Jason, who was interesting, funny, and charming. He was the only thing that kept me going yet it still wasn’t enough because I didn’t get enough of him.
My problem with Soulless is that some events that take place didn’t make any sense or weren’t intriguing enough. There were several things that in my opinion weren’t relevant to the storyline though maybe they will get explained later on in the next books.
There’s some action, a little bit of romance (that part I liked), but that’s just about it. Like I said before, I’m curious to see what happens next, specifically curious to know what happens to Jason, but, unfortunately, it’s not enough to make me want to pick up the sequel.
*Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion. This review can also be read at Kate Tilton, Connceting Authors & Readers.*
September 1, 2014
This book is one you simply should not let pass by. The story of Nora who is a death warden, also known as Grim Reapers, is one which will grab you by the seat of your pants. Theron who once was the love of her second life, and has now gone over to the dark side to become a soul hunter.
Now unlike other books of this category, you know reaper stories. This book doesn't dwell much on the actual reaping of souls, it is more about Nora and how her life as a warden is affected by Theron's move to the dark side, and how her life is changing.
This is a very short story and it didn't take me long to completely read it, and as I turned the last page, shout NO YOU CAN'T LEAVE ME LIKE THAT! Yes it ends on one heck of a cliff hanger. Will she, Won't she? Well we'll have to wait to find out in the next book I suppose. I am not known for my patience and hanging on a cliff tends to aggravate me!
I think this is a wonderful start to a series and a very quick read. If you like angels, reapers, life altering changes then this is definitely the book for you! I give it 5 stars for the fast pace and the easy to read and enjoyable story. I can't wait to see what the next book in the series will bring.
Now unlike other books of this category, you know reaper stories. This book doesn't dwell much on the actual reaping of souls, it is more about Nora and how her life as a warden is affected by Theron's move to the dark side, and how her life is changing.
This is a very short story and it didn't take me long to completely read it, and as I turned the last page, shout NO YOU CAN'T LEAVE ME LIKE THAT! Yes it ends on one heck of a cliff hanger. Will she, Won't she? Well we'll have to wait to find out in the next book I suppose. I am not known for my patience and hanging on a cliff tends to aggravate me!
I think this is a wonderful start to a series and a very quick read. If you like angels, reapers, life altering changes then this is definitely the book for you! I give it 5 stars for the fast pace and the easy to read and enjoyable story. I can't wait to see what the next book in the series will bring.
August 28, 2014
There is just something about reapers that appeals to me. Maybe it is a morbid fascination with the after life or maybe it is my love of all things Charley Davidson and ghosts, either way, when I find a book about them, it is hard for me to resist.
This was a little bit different than what I had expected. Instead of focusing on the actual reaping part of the theme, this instead, focused on Nora and what it meant to be a Warden. I have to say, it was a rather unique take on the whole angel of death myth.
Right from the start we are thrown right into the very heart of the story and into Nora's life and even though this was a pretty quick read, (just under 200 pages), it did a very good job of explaining Nora's world and her role in it as well as the role of the Elders and the Soul Hunters.
While not exactly action packed, it was fast paced and that made it easy to fall into the story. There is quite a lot that was involved in the story and I can only imagine what the next two books will bring.
I think this is a very promising start to a series and it will be fun to see where it goes from here.
This was a little bit different than what I had expected. Instead of focusing on the actual reaping part of the theme, this instead, focused on Nora and what it meant to be a Warden. I have to say, it was a rather unique take on the whole angel of death myth.
Right from the start we are thrown right into the very heart of the story and into Nora's life and even though this was a pretty quick read, (just under 200 pages), it did a very good job of explaining Nora's world and her role in it as well as the role of the Elders and the Soul Hunters.
While not exactly action packed, it was fast paced and that made it easy to fall into the story. There is quite a lot that was involved in the story and I can only imagine what the next two books will bring.
I think this is a very promising start to a series and it will be fun to see where it goes from here.
September 1, 2014
I received this book from Netgallery in exchange for an honest review. May contain mild spoilers!!
I really enjoyed this book. It was a quick but very pleasant read. The writing was superb, the characters were interesting and I loved the premise. I found myself caught between the two male leads. I loved Jason, his gentle, caring nature was beautifully shown by the author. But I absolutely adored the dark, tortured Theron. His character was brilliantly complex. Nora was a great protagonist. I enjoyed her witty, strong personality but my heart broke at her painful and still lingering love for the 'enemy' Theron.
Despite being a short book, there was a lot of world building which was great. It was fast-paced and full of action. I really enjoyed it and can't wait to see where this fun series takes us!
I really enjoyed this book. It was a quick but very pleasant read. The writing was superb, the characters were interesting and I loved the premise. I found myself caught between the two male leads. I loved Jason, his gentle, caring nature was beautifully shown by the author. But I absolutely adored the dark, tortured Theron. His character was brilliantly complex. Nora was a great protagonist. I enjoyed her witty, strong personality but my heart broke at her painful and still lingering love for the 'enemy' Theron.
Despite being a short book, there was a lot of world building which was great. It was fast-paced and full of action. I really enjoyed it and can't wait to see where this fun series takes us!
October 23, 2014
4.5 Stars ~ Nora is older than she looks, but she still remembers how to live and how to love. But that’s the problem. The one she gave her heart to tore it from her chest in a horrid betrayal, and just when she starts putting her life back together, the facade of her world shatters like thin ice.
Soulless is a promising start to a YA Paranormal. It’s mysteries will keep you guessing and turning pages. There is non-stop action and plenty of hormone-charged romance. Overall it’s a fun read that builds an interesting world of Wardens and Hunters who battle each other in our realm while living in their own worlds. The author does a good job of keeping things simple and is a gentle guide through this multi-dimensional dark fantasy. Consider making this one your next read!
Soulless is a promising start to a YA Paranormal. It’s mysteries will keep you guessing and turning pages. There is non-stop action and plenty of hormone-charged romance. Overall it’s a fun read that builds an interesting world of Wardens and Hunters who battle each other in our realm while living in their own worlds. The author does a good job of keeping things simple and is a gentle guide through this multi-dimensional dark fantasy. Consider making this one your next read!
September 11, 2014
(I received a copy from Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.)
Soulless was an okay read, but the middle dragged.
I liked Nora, and i found her past interesting. I really liked the mystery surrounding her past relationship with Theron!
This started out quite good, and even though it reminded me of a few other books, i was enjoying it. It started to drag in the middle though, and i felt quite bored because of it. It picked up again near the end, thankfully, but i couldn't get interested enough to love it.
Overall, An okay read with interesting characters, but was a bit too slow.
Soulless was an okay read, but the middle dragged.
I liked Nora, and i found her past interesting. I really liked the mystery surrounding her past relationship with Theron!
This started out quite good, and even though it reminded me of a few other books, i was enjoying it. It started to drag in the middle though, and i felt quite bored because of it. It picked up again near the end, thankfully, but i couldn't get interested enough to love it.
Overall, An okay read with interesting characters, but was a bit too slow.
August 24, 2014
I actually didn't mind this book. While it was not perfect and while I still thought the book could have been a much longer read (since the book was pretty short for your regular YA paranormal book), but all in all, I ended up not minding this book. Even its characters and storyline got me intrigued. So overall, I thought this book was a decent read, though it will be interesting to see what happens next, assuming there is other books coming.
* Thanks to the publisher on netgalley for providing me with a review copy of this book!
* Thanks to the publisher on netgalley for providing me with a review copy of this book!
August 26, 2014
Nora is a death warden.Theron is a soul hunter. Theron and Nora have a history. He used to be her adviser and her lover. Now he is her enemy. Nora gets her own ward, Jason. I liked the concept of this story a lot. It was really interesting. It is a fast read. The writing is good. The characters are interesting. Things get exciting as good and evil face off. 4 stars
August 30, 2014
Soulless was a quick enjoyable read. I always enjoy new books that have a different take on the reaper world and this book is one of them. With interesting characters and storyline this is a great book to pick up if your looking for a quick fast paced read that pulls you into the story. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
June 24, 2014
The first book of my new YA paranormal trilogy! Multiple realms, good mixed with evil, and of course hot boys. Can't wait to share it with you all!
September 5, 2014
*BORROW*
Review coming soon.
Review coming soon.
December 24, 2014
Review to come.
September 6, 2014
This the first book in a new young adult paranormal. It follows Nora and the battle between the Death Wardens and the Soul Hunters, another words, good versus evil. And all I can say is, I loved it…
Nora was a pretty kickass girl. She takes her job seriously, even if she is having a hard time right now. I liked that she had some spunk to her. Jason is her new Nora’s ward (trainee), and adored him, he’s so sweet and caring and takes right to Nora. But I have to say, I am kinda going back and forth with whether I want Nora to be Jason or Theron. Theron is a tortured soul, which is kinda ironic with the whole hunting souls and all. Yes, he turned to the dark side but he had his reason and as the story progressed some of those reasons came to light and the more I did find out about him, the more I liked him too. Now there is two guys, and there is a connection between Nora and both of them, but the connection is just as different as Jason and Theron are. So, it wasn’t necessarily a love triangle, if that makes sense.
Anyhoo, I loved getting to know about the other characters along with Nora that will be playing big roles in the books to come. And I guess we’ll see what happens Nora and these two very different guys.
The concept of reapers ins’t new, but the way these reapers come to be was and I liked it! This is more or less about the journey that Nora has had so far. The tension between Nora and Theron was palpable, I wanted to know what would possibly make him turn against her when it was so clear he loved her. And there is so much to learn about, the Elders, the Soul Hunters and the Death Wardens and the intricate balance of good and evil between them. I do wish this was a little longer but, I am sure we will get even more information as the series continues. Now onto the setting, the realms were described amazingly, and they were so fascinating. The pacing was fairly quick, with action in the all right places and no big cliffie at end either.
Soulless is a great set up for the Death Warden series. Fans of ya paranormal will like this one for sure and I am looking forward to more of Nora, Theron and Jason too. Come on book 2…
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December 12, 2014
Nora collects souls when they die, escorting them to the afterlife. But recently her souls have been stolen by a hunter for the other side, a man who broke her heart. When Nora is given a brand new soul collector to protect and guide, she feels she may finally be up to the task. But is seems war is coming and she may be the only one who can stop it.
I really did not care for this book. It sounded like it would be a great read with a very different premise, but it was just blah for me. I felt like the plot was all over the place, not at all transitioning smoothly as a cohesive book. The story was all jumbled and time was very relative. A week would pass in a blink of an eye, a relationship formed while I was turning the page it seemed. I really felt like I was missing parts of the story, be it some important action or just basic character development. I finished the book, as I do every book regardless of my feelings towards it, and I was happy to have it be over.
Nora is not really a likable character. She for the most part existed, floating through her life (afterlife?) in despair, not really caring for anything. Except her clothes. She spent quite a bit of time obsessing over her outfit, whether it was flattering and what others would think of it. When the world around you is fracturing, is what you are wearing really that crucial? I mean really, Arthur Dent from Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy tried to save the world in a bathrobe. Sorry for the tangent. She had slightly skewed priorities and was very mopey. I really did not root for Nora, I did not care one way or another what she did.
Also, there is a love triangle here. Nora must pick between her past mentor who betrayed her and is a dark brooding mess and her new mentee the young resourceful soldier. I don’t like triangles, and I really did not like this one. I understand her relationship with her advisor because they had years to develop feelings and trust, so I totally get the reasoning behind her angst here. Let me just point out that when he turned bad he wore black, a giveaway something was up. Cliché much? Nora and her new guy are together for what seems like a few days when they have bonded and she can barely resist him. Sounds more like lust, but who am I to judge. I don’t care who she picks.
The book ended with a cliffhanger, but I will not be reading the next book to find out what happens. There were some interesting parts to the story and I felt like the plot had a lot of potential, the book just did not work out for me. I am sure others will really like it.
I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
I really did not care for this book. It sounded like it would be a great read with a very different premise, but it was just blah for me. I felt like the plot was all over the place, not at all transitioning smoothly as a cohesive book. The story was all jumbled and time was very relative. A week would pass in a blink of an eye, a relationship formed while I was turning the page it seemed. I really felt like I was missing parts of the story, be it some important action or just basic character development. I finished the book, as I do every book regardless of my feelings towards it, and I was happy to have it be over.
Nora is not really a likable character. She for the most part existed, floating through her life (afterlife?) in despair, not really caring for anything. Except her clothes. She spent quite a bit of time obsessing over her outfit, whether it was flattering and what others would think of it. When the world around you is fracturing, is what you are wearing really that crucial? I mean really, Arthur Dent from Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy tried to save the world in a bathrobe. Sorry for the tangent. She had slightly skewed priorities and was very mopey. I really did not root for Nora, I did not care one way or another what she did.
Also, there is a love triangle here. Nora must pick between her past mentor who betrayed her and is a dark brooding mess and her new mentee the young resourceful soldier. I don’t like triangles, and I really did not like this one. I understand her relationship with her advisor because they had years to develop feelings and trust, so I totally get the reasoning behind her angst here. Let me just point out that when he turned bad he wore black, a giveaway something was up. Cliché much? Nora and her new guy are together for what seems like a few days when they have bonded and she can barely resist him. Sounds more like lust, but who am I to judge. I don’t care who she picks.
The book ended with a cliffhanger, but I will not be reading the next book to find out what happens. There were some interesting parts to the story and I felt like the plot had a lot of potential, the book just did not work out for me. I am sure others will really like it.
I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
February 21, 2015
I had received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Doing so does not sway my review in any way.
There seems to be a recurring theme lately, those that handle the dead. That's okay with me, as long as there is something different brought to the table, which Ms. Garr has done. Death Wardens and Soul Hunters. For those that have not read this book, they sound pretty much like one another, but with different names. That couldn't be further from the truth. Nora, a Death Warden who's advisor, ie teacher, went from friend and lover to the enemy, a Soul Hunter. Add mystery and conspiracy on top of that and wrap it all up in Soulless.
This book finds Nora in a tough situation. Basically betrayed by someone she loved, she is now dealing with him stealing her charges, ie her jobs. Reading this, it was quite evident at the time of him telling Nora that he was leaving and wanted her to join, that there was an alternative motive behind it all. Why Nora didn't pick up on the obvious really frustrated me. Personally, if it was me, and I was getting the vibes, I would have questioned him more. Yes, he pretty much disappeared on her, but he reappeared plenty of other times that she could have tried to get some answers from him.
I wasn't a fan on how Jason was introduced. He was pretty much just left to his own vices for a bit and got through everything way more than he should have. Again, a red flag was waving frantically when I was reading this part and Nora had picked up on some unusual things during this time. Something was up and I wanted more info. I also wanted more depth from that character. He just seemed to be, with not enough characterization to make me more vested in him as a whole.
"He's a part of this. I don't know how exactly, but it's all connected."
There are twists and turns throughout this book and it sets up quite nicely for the second book in the series. There are multiple layers to this story that you will pick up pretty quickly and little things will jump out at you as you read, making you go hmm. This is a great time to use the highlighter feature of your ereader.
I did have some issues while reading. The story lagged in some areas and rushed into other parts too quickly. The flow and beat just weren't in sync and this caused some disruption to my ready style. Having said that, again, this story has unique qualities that separate it from so many others out there. Anyone who likes to read paranormal stories and stories of the afterlife, will enjoy this book.
There seems to be a recurring theme lately, those that handle the dead. That's okay with me, as long as there is something different brought to the table, which Ms. Garr has done. Death Wardens and Soul Hunters. For those that have not read this book, they sound pretty much like one another, but with different names. That couldn't be further from the truth. Nora, a Death Warden who's advisor, ie teacher, went from friend and lover to the enemy, a Soul Hunter. Add mystery and conspiracy on top of that and wrap it all up in Soulless.
This book finds Nora in a tough situation. Basically betrayed by someone she loved, she is now dealing with him stealing her charges, ie her jobs. Reading this, it was quite evident at the time of him telling Nora that he was leaving and wanted her to join, that there was an alternative motive behind it all. Why Nora didn't pick up on the obvious really frustrated me. Personally, if it was me, and I was getting the vibes, I would have questioned him more. Yes, he pretty much disappeared on her, but he reappeared plenty of other times that she could have tried to get some answers from him.
I wasn't a fan on how Jason was introduced. He was pretty much just left to his own vices for a bit and got through everything way more than he should have. Again, a red flag was waving frantically when I was reading this part and Nora had picked up on some unusual things during this time. Something was up and I wanted more info. I also wanted more depth from that character. He just seemed to be, with not enough characterization to make me more vested in him as a whole.
"He's a part of this. I don't know how exactly, but it's all connected."
There are twists and turns throughout this book and it sets up quite nicely for the second book in the series. There are multiple layers to this story that you will pick up pretty quickly and little things will jump out at you as you read, making you go hmm. This is a great time to use the highlighter feature of your ereader.
I did have some issues while reading. The story lagged in some areas and rushed into other parts too quickly. The flow and beat just weren't in sync and this caused some disruption to my ready style. Having said that, again, this story has unique qualities that separate it from so many others out there. Anyone who likes to read paranormal stories and stories of the afterlife, will enjoy this book.
March 21, 2015
This review can also be found on: http://bbf-book-boyfriends.blogspot.de/
I was playing book roulette with my Netgalley books because I still have so many to get through, and this one came up. And let me tell you, I'm NOT disappointed it did.
From the first page on I was sucked into the story and the characters. There was just something about this story and the way Amber Garr writes it that doesn't give you the chance of stopping. I wanted, no I needed to keep on reading to know what's gonna happen. Plus, it didn't hurt that when Theron showed up I was all over the moon and in love in two seconds flat. And yes, he's the bad guy.
Nora, a Death Warden who helps souls pass onto the afterlife, is feeling lost after Theron, her mentor and the boy she gave her heart to, chose Darkness over her. Having no luck in doing an excellent job with him always standing in the way, she starts to question her own ability. When things begin to unravel and the solid lines between good and evil don't seem to solid anymore, that's when Nora knows that she needs all the help she can get. Even if it's from the one person she has sworn to hate.
Nora is a likeable character. She still hurts from the loss of Theron but knows that her broken heart is only clouding her ability to think straight and see things for what they are. She is a fighter, and she has a good heart that is always looking for the right path, no matter how hard it may seem.
Now, there's Theron...oh boy...that....oh...wow....HOT!! I mean, it's really funny cause you don't get to see him a lot, but you just can't help but know that there is something amiss the first time you meet him. Yes, he's the bad guy and choose the Darkness over Nora, but maybe it's the romantic in me, but I knew there was more to that story than Amber Garr wanted you to believe! So I held onto that! And this guy makes it so easy to fall for him, no matter if he's the bad guy or not. I mean, he's the brooding, I'll save the day- kind after all! Who wouldn't like that??
Overall the story was something new to me and I liked that a whole lot. I also knew fairly quickly that this book wouldn't be enough for me, that I would want the next story right away...sadly, it seems I still have to wait a while for them!
It's a great adventure story filled with love, betrayal and people having to face the fact that only because you think you know, doesn't mean you actually KNOW.
I loved this story from front to back and am giving it 5-book-boyfriends for sure!! Can't wait for more!!
Always yours,
Yvi
I was playing book roulette with my Netgalley books because I still have so many to get through, and this one came up. And let me tell you, I'm NOT disappointed it did.
From the first page on I was sucked into the story and the characters. There was just something about this story and the way Amber Garr writes it that doesn't give you the chance of stopping. I wanted, no I needed to keep on reading to know what's gonna happen. Plus, it didn't hurt that when Theron showed up I was all over the moon and in love in two seconds flat. And yes, he's the bad guy.
Nora, a Death Warden who helps souls pass onto the afterlife, is feeling lost after Theron, her mentor and the boy she gave her heart to, chose Darkness over her. Having no luck in doing an excellent job with him always standing in the way, she starts to question her own ability. When things begin to unravel and the solid lines between good and evil don't seem to solid anymore, that's when Nora knows that she needs all the help she can get. Even if it's from the one person she has sworn to hate.
Nora is a likeable character. She still hurts from the loss of Theron but knows that her broken heart is only clouding her ability to think straight and see things for what they are. She is a fighter, and she has a good heart that is always looking for the right path, no matter how hard it may seem.
Now, there's Theron...oh boy...that....oh...wow....HOT!! I mean, it's really funny cause you don't get to see him a lot, but you just can't help but know that there is something amiss the first time you meet him. Yes, he's the bad guy and choose the Darkness over Nora, but maybe it's the romantic in me, but I knew there was more to that story than Amber Garr wanted you to believe! So I held onto that! And this guy makes it so easy to fall for him, no matter if he's the bad guy or not. I mean, he's the brooding, I'll save the day- kind after all! Who wouldn't like that??
Overall the story was something new to me and I liked that a whole lot. I also knew fairly quickly that this book wouldn't be enough for me, that I would want the next story right away...sadly, it seems I still have to wait a while for them!
It's a great adventure story filled with love, betrayal and people having to face the fact that only because you think you know, doesn't mean you actually KNOW.
I loved this story from front to back and am giving it 5-book-boyfriends for sure!! Can't wait for more!!
Always yours,
Yvi
September 3, 2014
I requested this book because I thought it sounded amazing. The current trends right now are witches, vampires and angels and don't get me wrong, I love reading about the paranormal, but it's also refreshing to read something new and I haven't read a lot of books about dead people collecting souls.
I loved reading this book. Like I said, it was refreshing to finally read something without the usual paranormal creatures. I thought that the author did an amazing job on her characters and I'm a little torn between Theron and Jason. Theron was Nora's advisor when she became a warden. He told her all about her new life and what it means to be a death warden. Then he turned to the dark side and became a soul hunter and started targeting the very souls that Nora was supposed to be helping cross over. It's the kind of thing that can complicate a relationship. Nora has a hard time moving on and then Jason shows up. He becomes Nora's ward which means that now she has to teach him everything she knows about helping people cross over into heaven. It really seems like he's Nora's perfect guy because he is such a sweet guy. I know Nora is supposed to be moving on, but I'm still hoping that there is a way to save Theron. When I read the book it was obvious that Theron still loves Nora. He might have done some horrible things, but it was all for her.
Would I recommend this book? Yes! I honestly can't wait to get my hands on the next book, especially after that ending!!!
*I was given an eARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I loved reading this book. Like I said, it was refreshing to finally read something without the usual paranormal creatures. I thought that the author did an amazing job on her characters and I'm a little torn between Theron and Jason. Theron was Nora's advisor when she became a warden. He told her all about her new life and what it means to be a death warden. Then he turned to the dark side and became a soul hunter and started targeting the very souls that Nora was supposed to be helping cross over. It's the kind of thing that can complicate a relationship. Nora has a hard time moving on and then Jason shows up. He becomes Nora's ward which means that now she has to teach him everything she knows about helping people cross over into heaven. It really seems like he's Nora's perfect guy because he is such a sweet guy. I know Nora is supposed to be moving on, but I'm still hoping that there is a way to save Theron. When I read the book it was obvious that Theron still loves Nora. He might have done some horrible things, but it was all for her.
Would I recommend this book? Yes! I honestly can't wait to get my hands on the next book, especially after that ending!!!
*I was given an eARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
October 18, 2014
It was difficult to concentrate with Soulless even though the concept was fairly different. Wardens protect the souls of those that die, helping them to move on, whereas soul hunters feed of these souls to fuel themselves. At the same time it was quite cliche in terms of the forbidden love. The two sides are always at war and the misfortune of the female protagonist warden who happens to be in love with the evil soul hunter.
I liked Nora to begin with but she became irritating very quickly. The girl has no control over her emotions, and appears to have no self respect either. Theron was her mentor, they fell in love, and he left her to become a soul hunter. Nora knows he chose the darkness over her, their lives as wardens, etc, but she can't seem to accept it. Every chance she gets to speak to him, her resolve turns to jelly and she half heartedly whines about how he left her. Nora, he left you. Nothing you say will change that so grow up and stop making out with the enemy every chance you get!
It's not as if she's lacking attention, I mean she has this instantaneous connection with her new trainee, Jason, and it goes both ways. So quit flirting with them both and make your mind up woman.
So, as you can tell, Nora did not impress. Jason's story is interesting though. I wonder how the healers fit into the whole hunters can now kill wardens thing. Plus, there's Nora's shaman ancestors.. I wonder if that will help her? Overall, not bad but unfortunately not very good either.
I liked Nora to begin with but she became irritating very quickly. The girl has no control over her emotions, and appears to have no self respect either. Theron was her mentor, they fell in love, and he left her to become a soul hunter. Nora knows he chose the darkness over her, their lives as wardens, etc, but she can't seem to accept it. Every chance she gets to speak to him, her resolve turns to jelly and she half heartedly whines about how he left her. Nora, he left you. Nothing you say will change that so grow up and stop making out with the enemy every chance you get!
It's not as if she's lacking attention, I mean she has this instantaneous connection with her new trainee, Jason, and it goes both ways. So quit flirting with them both and make your mind up woman.
So, as you can tell, Nora did not impress. Jason's story is interesting though. I wonder how the healers fit into the whole hunters can now kill wardens thing. Plus, there's Nora's shaman ancestors.. I wonder if that will help her? Overall, not bad but unfortunately not very good either.
Shelved as 'dnf'
October 10, 2014DNF
This review was originally posted on my blog, Hiver et Cafe
I received an e-ARC from the publisher via NetGalley. This does not affect my review in any shape or form. This review is my honest opinion and I was not compensated for this review.
I got about maybe 50+% through this book and then I just couldn't anymore. I put it down to read something else. It took me about an entire week to read that other book and when I returned to this one, there was literally nothing that made me want to continue reading it.
I just wasn't into it. It's really hard to make me DNF, because even if I'm not liking it, I still want to find out how it ends. With this one, even though there was mystery to the plot, it didn't draw me in and make me want to read and find out more. Yeah there was a hot guy with an accent, but it still didn't make me care enough about the characters or the plot.
I was really disappointed though that I didn't like the story enough to want to continue on because the synopsis sounds fabulous. I just don't want to spend my time on a bland book that doesn't draw me in when I could be reading other things.
I wouldn't say that it's so terrible that I wouldn't recommend it at all, but if you're willing to take a shot, I hope you like it!
This review was originally posted on my blog, Hiver et Cafe
I received an e-ARC from the publisher via NetGalley. This does not affect my review in any shape or form. This review is my honest opinion and I was not compensated for this review.
I got about maybe 50+% through this book and then I just couldn't anymore. I put it down to read something else. It took me about an entire week to read that other book and when I returned to this one, there was literally nothing that made me want to continue reading it.
I just wasn't into it. It's really hard to make me DNF, because even if I'm not liking it, I still want to find out how it ends. With this one, even though there was mystery to the plot, it didn't draw me in and make me want to read and find out more. Yeah there was a hot guy with an accent, but it still didn't make me care enough about the characters or the plot.
I was really disappointed though that I didn't like the story enough to want to continue on because the synopsis sounds fabulous. I just don't want to spend my time on a bland book that doesn't draw me in when I could be reading other things.
I wouldn't say that it's so terrible that I wouldn't recommend it at all, but if you're willing to take a shot, I hope you like it!
September 27, 2014
‘Soulless’ by Amber Garr was a thrilling, captivating, and exciting read. Once I started this book I found it hard to put down. The story of Nora and the Warden’s was really intriguing. It is a really cool idea that this is what happens after death, you become a Warden in a beautiful new world and you help souls cross over. This was a really intriguing idea to me, I have read several books about Grim Reapers but this was totally different and really fresh.
There is the typical good and evil in this one but, there is the fresh turmoil of a soul caught in the middle. Theron is neither completely good nor completely evil and he plays such a vital role in the plot and is probably one of my favorite characters in the book.
I think Nora is a very relatable character and I really enjoyed her finding her heritage, I thought that threw a nice little loop in the story. I don’t know anyone who would not like Jason, he is so warm and inviting, I just want to hug him.
I think the plot line was laid out perfectly and I believe it was done very well. The ending was completely unexpected and definitely left me wanting more. I really enjoyed this book and I cannot wait to see the continuation of it! Another fantastic read from Amber Garr!
There is the typical good and evil in this one but, there is the fresh turmoil of a soul caught in the middle. Theron is neither completely good nor completely evil and he plays such a vital role in the plot and is probably one of my favorite characters in the book.
I think Nora is a very relatable character and I really enjoyed her finding her heritage, I thought that threw a nice little loop in the story. I don’t know anyone who would not like Jason, he is so warm and inviting, I just want to hug him.
I think the plot line was laid out perfectly and I believe it was done very well. The ending was completely unexpected and definitely left me wanting more. I really enjoyed this book and I cannot wait to see the continuation of it! Another fantastic read from Amber Garr!
February 25, 2015
Nora is a Death Warden, or Reaper. Her job is to soothe the soul’s journey onto its next existence after death. Yet the role of Wardens, like Nora, is being threatened by Soul Hunters who promise eternal youth and strength without mentioning their appetite for draining a human’s essence; Soul Hunters like Theron, who was once Nora’s mentor and lover.
Soulless is a relatively quick read, during which Nora learns of her Shaman gifts and heritage. As a main female character, I felt Nora faded under the shadow of individuals like Charles, Jason and Suni. She seems too desperate to be loved after her relationship with Theron, which left her lonely and emotionally scarred. As soon as she meets Jason their romance is definitely predictable.
Charles, Nora’s fellow Death Warden, is by far my favourite character. He is witty, loyal, intelligent and protective of Nora. He is also the only character who I felt was truly trustworthy.
Amber Garr introduces an element of doubt to the plot, as the real battle between Death Wardens and hunters begins, and Nora herself is forced to make a difficult decision.
I hope that the sequel to Soulless will provide the reader with a greater sense of Nora’s strength. The story is perfect for a Young Adult Para-Romance audience.
Soulless is a relatively quick read, during which Nora learns of her Shaman gifts and heritage. As a main female character, I felt Nora faded under the shadow of individuals like Charles, Jason and Suni. She seems too desperate to be loved after her relationship with Theron, which left her lonely and emotionally scarred. As soon as she meets Jason their romance is definitely predictable.
Charles, Nora’s fellow Death Warden, is by far my favourite character. He is witty, loyal, intelligent and protective of Nora. He is also the only character who I felt was truly trustworthy.
Amber Garr introduces an element of doubt to the plot, as the real battle between Death Wardens and hunters begins, and Nora herself is forced to make a difficult decision.
I hope that the sequel to Soulless will provide the reader with a greater sense of Nora’s strength. The story is perfect for a Young Adult Para-Romance audience.
February 24, 2015
I received a ARC of this book in return for an honest review.
A) This book ends on a cliffhanger. A horrible (not in a good way) cliffhanger
B) This book was so much shorter than I thought it would be. Its really more of a novella or a serial to me than a actual novel.
Now the pace was pretty good for this novel. Especially since I didn't realize how short it was. It's hard to talk about character development because it was so short the characters don't really develop. You do get a good sense of the characters and who they are, but that's about it. The entire Death Warden world is a little confusing. I wish there was an index at the beginning or a introduction just explaining the overall world and how it works before you jump into the story. Jason and Nora also fall in love extremely quickly. There is nothing to really base that love off of. They know each other for two days and that's it. It seems like she wanted to create a love triangle and create it very quickly. Overall the story just felt barely established and there is a lot more to come. The writing was fine and it was a good story. I am very interested to see what happens next.
A) This book ends on a cliffhanger. A horrible (not in a good way) cliffhanger
B) This book was so much shorter than I thought it would be. Its really more of a novella or a serial to me than a actual novel.
Now the pace was pretty good for this novel. Especially since I didn't realize how short it was. It's hard to talk about character development because it was so short the characters don't really develop. You do get a good sense of the characters and who they are, but that's about it. The entire Death Warden world is a little confusing. I wish there was an index at the beginning or a introduction just explaining the overall world and how it works before you jump into the story. Jason and Nora also fall in love extremely quickly. There is nothing to really base that love off of. They know each other for two days and that's it. It seems like she wanted to create a love triangle and create it very quickly. Overall the story just felt barely established and there is a lot more to come. The writing was fine and it was a good story. I am very interested to see what happens next.
October 5, 2014
Great story! A different genre than I have read before. Nora is a Death Warden; her job is to guide souls to the other side safely. However, recently she has been facing the challenge of a Soul Hunter named Theron. Theron is more than her nemesis, though; he was her former mentor and love. Why did he turn? This question has yet to be answered. Nora is given her ward and a new mentor. A war breaks out between the Death Wardens and the Soul Hunters. This conflict is just building as the book ends. The reader is also left wanting to know more about the history of Nora and Theron. What exactly happened between them? Why is Theron trying to reach out to Nora now? What will happen between Nora and Jason, her ward? This is well-written, with a few questions that need to be filled in (hoping they will be in the next book or two).
October 17, 2014
This was a quick read about Death Wardens and Soul Hunters. They are nemesis and the Hunters are finding a way to hurt the Wardens. It was interesting to read but I still have a lot of unanswered questions.
Some parts were more entertaining than others (it dragged a little at some moments), and I loved the parts where Nora and Jason were together. I hope there will be more in the future because I'm looking forward to them. I don't really know how to feel about Theron and their past together. He was confusing and I honestly don't get why he didn't tell her the real reason why he left her to be a Hunter...
There was a little cliffhanger at the end and I'm left curious as to how the story and the romance will evolve. (Ok, I'll admit I'm more interested by the romance)
***ARC received through Netgalley in exchange of an honest review***
Some parts were more entertaining than others (it dragged a little at some moments), and I loved the parts where Nora and Jason were together. I hope there will be more in the future because I'm looking forward to them. I don't really know how to feel about Theron and their past together. He was confusing and I honestly don't get why he didn't tell her the real reason why he left her to be a Hunter...
There was a little cliffhanger at the end and I'm left curious as to how the story and the romance will evolve. (Ok, I'll admit I'm more interested by the romance)
***ARC received through Netgalley in exchange of an honest review***
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