The Soulkind Master

Soulkind Series, Book 3

By: Steve Davala

Narrated by: Daniel Susco

The final book in the Soulkind Series follows Jace as he searches for balance in the Soulkind. Straeten is still possessed by Fay. The Darrak are poised to strike Myraton and anyone who opposes them. And a mysterious threat looms over everything as the dark Soulkind Masters move to control the land. How far will Jace go to stop the scales of magic from tipping forever toward evil?

©2019 Steve Davala (P)2020 Steve Davala

Loved it.

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

This series is so personable. One of my favorite animal connections/relationships is with a little girl Evy(sp) and Tula. I thought that was soo cute and sweet. It brings a nice innocent feel amidst the seriousness of the book and the many tasks that need to be done.
Now I read lots of series similar to these and when I started this book I figured out that it had to end one of two ways but the best part is that I didn’t know which way it would end until I got there.
This last book really brings the whole series together. The first two definitely feel like your on a journey but this one is where you see everything tie together so beautifully. I don’t know if I’m reading too much into this series but it definitely feels like a “second chance” story. What I mean is we all make mistakes, we all have have made choices we didn’t like but we all can come back from it. We can overcome the bad and in exchange we are a new better version of ourselves.
The author synopsis at the end of how he came up with the series totally makes sense! I’m so glad he put that in there. I had been wondering what prompted him to think of memories and souls and magic in this way. Steve has very realistic emotions in his writing and I believe that is what made this such a great series.
I recommend this series to anyone who loves fantasy, and magic, and mystery. Even those who enjoy the Dresden series would probably enjoy this. I look forward to more short stories that follow the other characters especially Catherine and Corin.

Brilliant conclusion to the series

Disclaimer: I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review. A brilliant conclusion to an exciting magical story. As mentioned before, this series features a very beautifully written magical world, where the use of magic is varied, different and refreshing. I like the character development in this final book very much, the characters are really shown to have grown so much and are making decisions now that would not have been possible in the very beginning. I have grown so attached to the characters at the end, I was so affected when the book ended, filled with dreams of all the possibilities for the characters in the future. Narration by Daniel Susco is brilliant, he brings out the character struggles very well and really brought me into the world.

A Solid Finish to a Solid Series

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

The story has a solid conclusion to a gripping series. This is the book where the struggles get more real than the previous books. Don’t read this book without reading its predecessors! The world is too complicated and the magic to undefined to jump in at the end. I feel the ending was fitting but a bit disconnected and therefore disappointing. Some of the twists were a little too obvious for my taste but I appreciate that this series is appropriate for a broad audience.

Narrator was great and had decent differentiations and good pacing.

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

Breathless finale

Steve Davala wrapped up his Soulkind Trilogy with an excellent, and breathless, final third. Really, it almost beggars belief that he was able to fit so much stuff into such a slim volume. There's probably a director's cut out there that's twice the length. (Note to Steve: release the director's cut.)

As with Book 2, The Shadow of the Soulkind, The Soulkind Master picks up immediately following the cliffhanger in the last volume. I won't get into spoilers, but things start off bad and quickly get worse for Jace and his companions. Fortunately they are quick, and imaginative, studies of the newly-awakened magic of the land, and as such they come up with all sorts of creative ways to get out of trouble, including making a delightful new many-legged friend who repeatedly steals the show.

The bad guys dial things up as well, with fire and ice and mind control and quislings and even some acid thrown in for good measure. Ultimately, it all leads to a satisfying close, if not necessarily a conclusion. (The afterward in the audiobook hints at the potential for more to come...Personally I'd like to learn more about Lu'Calen.)

Highly recommended in any format, but I'd recommend reading the print version before listening to the audiobook. There's just so much going on that it's hard to keep everything straight while you're zoning out on the road.

So good

The final book in the series was beautifully written. I laughed and cried and cheered as the characters fought to restore goodness and magic to their world. The battle scenes were packed with tension and action, and the drama and tension between characters and factions was intense. I highly recommend this book and series. It is suitable for all but the youngest audiences.

fantastic book great ending

Everything about this series was excellent, honestly if you made to this book you know what to expect. You get more of the top quality writing and interesting world building that made the earlier two books so gripping.

very good

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

A Series Review Conclusion

I will be commenting on the series as a whole, In regards to this the final book. My 3 start rating should be seen as an average rating and not a negative review. I read the first soulkind book by Steve, and I enjoyed it. To be clear I think that the series is on par with most modern fantasy,

If the author reads this, I have three bits of constructive criticism.
One, I would make the names more distinct, In book two I was confused between two characters that had similar sounding names (very different spellings), I was also constantly distracted by Jace being Jace, With a similar power set to Jace from Magic the Gathering.

Two, After book one, the books felt a little listless. I failed to connect with the new villain who's only goal seemed to be take over everything/ turn off magic again.

Three, speaking of magic, the magic system was very undefined. There did not seem to be a limit to spells (other than imagination) and no hard rules. Soft magic systems work best when magic is used sparingly, In worlds where magic is everywhere, I think there need to be more rules or at clearer rules.

Overall I enjoyed the books and actually recommended them to my younger brother, who has similar tastes to me. I would listen to another book by this author I think he has some good stories to tell.