Death to the Soul

The Dead Soul Series, Book 1

By: R. I. Polsgrove

Narrated by: Rick Murphy

If someone said they would kill for you, would you believe them? Would you want them to?

In this terrifying romance, Ryane will learn how far Quinn would go for her as he drags her into a world of deep, unrelenting darkness.

Lucas must confront his own past as he watches his best friend, Quinn, fall for a human and tries to navigate his own relationship with his girlfriend, Natalie.

A vayer, a vampire, a zombie, and a human must learn to trust each other as they battle their own inner demons.

Trigger warnings: Explicit depiction of rape and abuse of children, suicide, self-harm, violence, murder, and gore. Keep in mind this is a fiction story. The relationship dynamic is purely fiction!

©2020 Alexis Merrick (P)2022 Alexis Merrick

A realistic look at the journey of healing through trauma

The pain of going through sexual abuse is visceral in both the author’s portrayal and the voice acting. I think there can sometimes be a bit of guilt in the anger that comes up when processing the grief. This book gives you permission to feel that rage.

I had mixed feelings on the characters. I could go on a whole rant on why Lucas and his use of a camera bothers me, mocking his victims, but there are clear moments where there is some good in him somewhere, while Quinn is simply a hunter not giving much thought to what it means to take life to survive, but has a lot of room to grow and has huge character development throughout. The main character is frustratingly still caught in the cycle of abuse, to the point where Quinn can seem overly controlling as he tries to help pull her out of it, but anyone who has been in the thick of it will understand its not that simple to just step away.

Keeping in mind this is the first book of many, with characters who have a long journey ahead of them to heal, it was a powerful rendition of how the healing process feels. It is messy, you have to unlearn patterns, make hard choices, step into the unfamiliar… and all the while there is fun supernatural shenanigans sprinkled in. And by shenanigans, I mean murder. And it felt so good to listen as a rapist finally got what they deserved.

Excellent story!

I think - assuming someone is mentally prepared for it - that anyone who’s been a victim of any kind of abuse could benefit from this story. It’s definitely on the dark side but that’s what I love about it. Polsgrove weaves in themes of abuse, survival, trauma, healing, LGBTQIA+, mental health, toxic relationships, wholesome relationships, etc. in such a skillful way that it feels natural rather than forced. It’s definitely a refreshing style of story and I highly recommend it (again, paying attention to the trigger warnings!)

Excellent story!

I love how Polsgrove brings abuse and mental health issues right out in front. Not hidden by some metaphor, but right there where anyone who can read can see them. I highly recommend this book and I’ll be getting the rest of her books!