The Shadow of the Soulkind

The Soulkind Series, Book 2

By: Steve Davala

Narrated by: Daniel Susco

Lost in a frozen wasteland. Home lies far way.

Though the magic Jace and his friends possess swells within them, they falter with their new found power. And yet the need has never been greater. The relentless Darrak march upon the land and an awakened evil covets their magic.

The call to power is overwhelming and threatens Jace’s very soul.

Can he resist the shadow of the Soulkind when it may be the only way to
save his friends?

©2019 Steve Davala (P)2019 Steve Davala

very good

Loved it !! this story. the narrator is so fantastic it's like your really there!! good overall

Better than book 1!

Parents: PG13- acceptable for 14+ depending on maturity and tolerance to gore/violence
Language: none
Violence: murder, war, mutilation
Sexual content: none

The story was more complicated than the first book and I like seeing the characters grow. Jace’s struggle could’ve been more difficult… he’s about as tempted as Rey was to the Dark Side in Star Wars. Great pacing of story with enough twists to keep you guessing what side various people are on. The magic and connections are intriguing as well.

Narrator: background noise is more noticeable and distracting, otherwise good pacing and differentiations.

—I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Great!

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

The author was fantastic! He gave me a free copy of book 2 to listen to once I finished book 1. I did feel kind of bad so I bought all 3 books in ebook format as well. This series has been amazing so far. I read all 3 of them in a period of 3 days and listened to the audiobooks as well while I was at work. I do feel as though I missed some parts (It was very fast paced) but that is just because sometimes I can't fully concentrate on an audiobook while working.

The narration is great in this book and I love the pace of the storyline. It is not too slow and not too fast. I recommend listening to this audiobook if you want a fantasy with a quick pace. It has all the elements of a good fantasy story and it really grabbed me from book 1!

excellent follow up

This book is quite fast paced, there is a lot of action interspersed between the unfolding layers of the plot.

In this book we really get to see some of the mechanics of the magic, how spells are created from the core concept of the soulkind and how that in turn affects the soulkind. It's quite a clever system actually and I think would make an interesting mechanic in a TTRPG.

We also get a good glimpse into what was wrong with magic and why it disappeared from the realm originally. As with the last book the authors ability to sprinkle backstory into the narrative without it being distracting is excellent.

A good part of this book is dealing with the characters finding out that they have their own flaws, and how those seem to be amplified when you get more powerful, how the only real defence against the abuse of power is vigilance and self awareness.

As far as audio quality and narration. The narrator did a stand up job here. No faults with delivery or losing character, and his pacing is good. There were a couple of audio glitches, places where you could they had to do a re-record and the audio quality noticeably changed. It only happened a few times but you really notice it when it does.

I received a free copy of this book for review purposes at my request.

Great second volume in the trilogy

There's a whole lot happening in this excellent follow-up to The Soulkind Awakening.

Things basically pick up with Jace and his cohort immediately after the end of the last novel. Magic is back, and it seems like someone can't walk ten feet without discovering a new ability and getting its mark inked on their skin.

But, with the good comes the bad, and while they are sidetracked on their way home to safeguard the various Soulkind they acquired, Jace starts to test abilities that are not exactly...good. There's also some new bad guys, some old friends, a Wise Teacher, some folks whose motivations are a bit murky, and a new friend who can shoot bone spears out of his shoulders.

Like I said, a lot happening. It can get a bit much to juggle at times, and more than once I confused two characters whose names really aren't that close (Cathlyn and Karanne). You may need to read this twice to follow it all (or, do like i did, and read once on dead trees and then listen to the audiobook).

The end, which I won't spoil, actually surprised me a bit, and I'm looking forward to seeing how this whole thing wraps up in the finale of the trilogy.

Excited for book three!

Jace has some moral growth that I found to be a tad unbelievable, the temptation with dark powers was not as tempting as it could have been.

The main villain henchmen guys have weird rules about power level, sometimes magic bounces off and others it is supper effective.

I cannot imagine what Paite looks like, but like a bourse with porcupine spikes?

I listened to the book while driving so I might have missed some things.

I really liked the reveal about Jaces not mom. That was a good twist that has some room for expansion and exploration.

Overall I was entertained and would recommend the books. I hope that book 3 has a little more substance, and a villain that is not so easily defeated in one go.

What a whirlwind!

The second story of this epic fantasy series was just as brilliant as the first. It is a tale, not only about the awakening of magic, but of learning what sort of person you want to become when you have the power to do unfathomable things. I enjoyed watching the characters grow and discover their world. I highly recommend this book.

Just as thrilling as the first

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Are the enemies really the enemy?? Are the good guys really good guys?? Who do you trust? Wow. Just wow.
I love how steve works the magic throughout the story. It’s a fresh take on something beautiful. You can create your own spells and share or teach others but it’s done differently. I love how he portrays the magic and the connections you can have and make with the magic. Very intricate.
Another reason this is appealing is the animal connection. The love, the loss, the guidance, the unspoken words that mean the world. If there is one thing you can trust. It is animals. They are loyal & brave.

The two sides

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review. As the second book of the series, the pacing feels just right, and I still really love the characters within the book as they are further developed at their own pace. I also like how Magic is used in this world that Steve created. The grey boundaries that Magic created is also an interesting thought and that had kept me thinking about the book a lot even after finishing. Narration by Daniel Susco is amazing, very captivating and well paced. He really brings out the characters.

It was okay

I love that book 2 picked right up where book 1 left off. I had a hard time with the flat narration this go around. I couldn't concentrate very well on the story due to this.

*I requested this book and am voluntarily leaving this review