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Soul Weaver
Since the accident that nearly took her life, Chloe suffers from acute agoraphobia. Living alone above her family's bookstore, she spends restless nights terrified by strange visions . . . until a mysterious stranger appears and offers her salvation. Chloe is drawn to the ethereal, gorgeous Nathaniel-but her haunted soul warns her there is more to him than meets the eye.An archangel who roams Earth collecting souls of the newly departed, Nathaniel is the sole witness to the accident that should have taken Chloe's life. Seduced by the purity of her soul, he defies Providence by saving her life. But his attempt at kindness marks Chloe for damnation, and makes her an unwitting pawn in a game of unholy ambition. Now together they must fight the demons of Hell itself-for a love that defies the boundaries of Heaven and Earth. "4 STARS. Edwards mines the world of fallen angels for her new Wicked Kin series, beginning with Soul Weaver, a rich romance you'll loose yourself in..this race-against-time romance between a bookseller, who suffers from agoraphobia after a life-threatening accident, and the man she has no idea is a fallen angel will have hearts melting. Edwards is off to an excellent start with this series." -- RT Book Reviews86,000 words
253 pages, ebook
First published August 7, 2012
89 people are currently reading
582 people want to read
About the author
Hailey Edwards
104 books2,840 followersHailey Edwards writes about questionable applications of otherwise perfectly good magic, the transformative power of love, the family you choose for yourself, and blowing stuff up. Not necessarily all at once. That could get messy.
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https://haileyedwards.net/contact-form/
Hailey isn't on Goodreads.
Please email her via her website:
https://haileyedwards.net/contact-form/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
October 16, 2012
Soul Weaver is the first book in the Wicked Kin series. It’s a unique tale, something hard to find in a genre saturated with angels - arch, fallen or otherwise - and I was instantly drawn into the story and the world Hailey Edwards has created.
Since the accident that nearly took her life, Chloe suffers from acute agoraphobia. Living alone above her family's bookstore, she spends restless nights terrified by strange visions . . . until a mysterious stranger appears and offers her salvation. Chloe is drawn to the ethereal, gorgeous Nathaniel-but her haunted soul warns her there is more to him than meets the eye.There’s just something about angels that appeals to me, especially when they are tormented souls, and that is what Ms. Edwards has given us. Nathaniel is such a complex, complicated angel - a Soul Weaver – torn by his duty to collect the marked souls and see them to their destination without interfering, and his attraction to Chloe’s pure soul and his need to allow her to live. As is his nature, he struggles to do the right thing even when what the right thing is, is not clear.
An archangel who roams Earth collecting souls of the newly departed, Nathaniel is the sole witness to the accident that should have taken Chloe's life. Seduced by the purity of her soul, he defies Providence by saving her life. But his attempt at kindness marks Chloe for damnation, and makes her an unwitting pawn in a game of unholy ambition. Now together they must fight the demons of Hell itself-for a love that defies the boundaries of Heaven and Earth.
Chloe has always had social anxiety issues, but since the accident that should have killed her and the nightmares ever since, she suffers from a debilitating case of agoraphobia. It was heartbreaking to watch her try and overcome her fears, and fail, resigning herself to a life lived entirely within the walls of her family bookstore and the tiny apartment upstairs. Based on some other review comments I saw I was concerned that Chloe might come across as lacking in personality because she didn’t have much of a life to speak of, but her struggles and triumphs, no matter how small, make her a compelling, lovely heroine who I came to care deeply for.
The bottom line – I really enjoyed this book. It’s not without some flaws, times when things felt rushed and others when they were a bit slow, which isn't unusual with all that goes into setting the backdrop for a new series. But when it's all said and done, I was drawn to this unique world and the characters who live there. If you enjoy romances where the hero and heroine have much to overcome and stories where there's a fine line between right and wrong, then check this one out. I found it exciting, passionate, sexy and I'm definitely looking forward to more of what promises to be a very exciting series.
3.5/5 stars
My thanks to Forever Yours, an imprint of Grand Central Publishing, and netgalley.com for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
August 8, 2012
Review copy provided by publisher via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest view
Originally reviewed for and posted by Vampire Book Club
Rating (out of 5): 4 stars
Nathaniel is the Soul Weaver, the primary Harvester (a band of fallen angels), charged by hell to collect the souls of humanity’s worst. He walks the earth for thousands of years, reliving the twisted memories of the damned souls he collects, Nathaniel is on the verge of losing all hope and compassion. But when he witnesses a car accident, he breaks all the rules and gives a dying soul a part of his own to keep her alive long enough for help to arrive.
Broken and dying, Chloe’s soul is destined to wander the earth alone forever as she has no close bond with another living human being. After making a seemingly miraculous recovery, she is plagued by nightmares and a lifelong anxiety disorder that has spiraled into full-blown agoraphobia. But the spark of a new friendship and the appearance of a beautiful stranger begin to give her hope that her small corner of the world can have some happiness in it.
But by helping her, Nate has set into motion events that leave him battling against not only his own demons but also a brother hellbent on destroying him and hellish politics that don’t take kindly to rule breakers.
Soul Weaver isn’t so much an action-filled fight for life, but a race against time for two damaged souls. The chapters following Nate (and at times, his brother) provide much of the tension and mythology. A large cast of characters and the world building are introduced in these chapters and while it was dense at times, I found it fascinating.
Chloe’s chapters provided the lighter elements to the story and I really enjoyed the normalcy of her working in a bookstore and her growing friendship with Neve, the store assistant. I felt for her during the times her anxiety was overwhelming and I liked that her struggles weren’t supernaturally fixed.
The romance between Nate and Chloe builds slowly, leading to tender and sweet moments. I seriously can’t remember the last paranormal romance book I read where the characters go on normal date, but they do in Soul Weaver — kitchen disaster and slow dance included!
While the romance is clearly central, I thought it was great how important other relationships were in this book. These connections, particularly the complex one among Nate, his brother Saul and his Nephilim nephew Bran, drive the plot forward and will be something I can see continuing into future books.
On its own Soul Weaver is a great read with a poignant romance and plot that kept me guessing until the very end. As a series opener it introduces many characters, particularly the other Harvesters, and an interesting take on angel mythology that gives great scope for future books.
Fans of Gena Showalter’s Lords of the Underworld and J.R. Ward’s Fallen Angels series should give this one a look.
Sexual content: Graphic sex
Originally reviewed for and posted by Vampire Book Club
Rating (out of 5): 4 stars
Nathaniel is the Soul Weaver, the primary Harvester (a band of fallen angels), charged by hell to collect the souls of humanity’s worst. He walks the earth for thousands of years, reliving the twisted memories of the damned souls he collects, Nathaniel is on the verge of losing all hope and compassion. But when he witnesses a car accident, he breaks all the rules and gives a dying soul a part of his own to keep her alive long enough for help to arrive.
Broken and dying, Chloe’s soul is destined to wander the earth alone forever as she has no close bond with another living human being. After making a seemingly miraculous recovery, she is plagued by nightmares and a lifelong anxiety disorder that has spiraled into full-blown agoraphobia. But the spark of a new friendship and the appearance of a beautiful stranger begin to give her hope that her small corner of the world can have some happiness in it.
But by helping her, Nate has set into motion events that leave him battling against not only his own demons but also a brother hellbent on destroying him and hellish politics that don’t take kindly to rule breakers.
Soul Weaver isn’t so much an action-filled fight for life, but a race against time for two damaged souls. The chapters following Nate (and at times, his brother) provide much of the tension and mythology. A large cast of characters and the world building are introduced in these chapters and while it was dense at times, I found it fascinating.
Chloe’s chapters provided the lighter elements to the story and I really enjoyed the normalcy of her working in a bookstore and her growing friendship with Neve, the store assistant. I felt for her during the times her anxiety was overwhelming and I liked that her struggles weren’t supernaturally fixed.
The romance between Nate and Chloe builds slowly, leading to tender and sweet moments. I seriously can’t remember the last paranormal romance book I read where the characters go on normal date, but they do in Soul Weaver — kitchen disaster and slow dance included!
While the romance is clearly central, I thought it was great how important other relationships were in this book. These connections, particularly the complex one among Nate, his brother Saul and his Nephilim nephew Bran, drive the plot forward and will be something I can see continuing into future books.
On its own Soul Weaver is a great read with a poignant romance and plot that kept me guessing until the very end. As a series opener it introduces many characters, particularly the other Harvesters, and an interesting take on angel mythology that gives great scope for future books.
Fans of Gena Showalter’s Lords of the Underworld and J.R. Ward’s Fallen Angels series should give this one a look.
Sexual content: Graphic sex
August 23, 2012
2.5 stars at most for this book. I wasn't overly impressed with the story, nor its execution.
Nathaniel is a soul weaver. Once he was an angel, but he's been banished from heaven for lying about his brother's involvement with a mortal woman. After his fall, he's forced to work for Delphi, ruler of hell. His job is to collect souls of bad people (Harvest) and then weave from them a cloth that is used to make wings for the other fallen angels (the Harvesters).
He knows that rule breakers are punished, but when he comes upon an accident, a pure soul calls to him. This soul, while pure and sparkling clean, has no ties to anyone in heaven, which prevents it from being seen by the angels. Realizing that his angelic, heavenly counterparts are not coming to claim this soul, and with no one to prevent her soul from being lost, Nathaniel, in a rushed decision, bonds a piece of his own soul with that of the injured woman's he finds in the wreckage.
Oopsie. Shouldn't have done that. The consequences of his actions are far-reaching.
Fast forward about ten months or so. Chloe McRea was supposed to die in that accident. While she suffered from social anxiety before, since being unwittingly saved by Nathaniel, she's been experiencing nightmares that have made her more or less a prisoner in her own home/bookstore. Her parents, with whom she had a close, loving relationship, have passed, and the store now belongs to her.
And this is where this book has logic fail #1. If Chloe was truly in a loving parent/child relationship with her parents, and one assumes that her parents went to heaven, why then would NOBODY have any tethers to her soul? This made no sense, and that's partially where this book lost its appeal. It's a huge plot hole, from where I'm sitting, one that an editor should have caught.
Subsequently, I couldn't bring myself to really care much about these characters at all. The first 2/3 of the book dragged on and on, and I was close to giving up, when finally something actually happened to move this plot forward and make this book interesting.
Initially, I felt sorry for Nathaniel, and the author does a fairly good job describing his struggles in doing a job he loathes. The mythology was also interesting, and very unique. He is portrayed as someone who cares very much about family, and has a tendency to play martyr, blaming himself for the bad decisions of his kin.
Not realizing that she's been giving a second chance to make a connection with someone on earth, Chloe hires a young woman to help her in the store. Neve was an interesting character - for someone who hinted at an abusive husband, she was rather upbeat in how she was portrayed, like a fighter, and seemed to quickly grow to care about Chloe, thus giving her the ties she needed to have.
The villain in the story (gotta have one of those) became just a little creepy towards the end. He's obsessed with revenge and blames Nathaniel for his lot in life.
His nephew, Bran, is a nephilim, and the author did a good job explaining the prejudice and bigotry that he is faced with for being half angel, half human.
I didn't buy the love story, nor the sudden change in a woman who for about 75% of the book is agoraphobic. Unless it's the soul bonding at play, I didn't understand how quickly Nathaniel fell for Chloe, and vice versa. He was calling her his reason for living much too soon to make it believable without an explanation.
The writing is okay, though it leaves something to be desired, and two huge logical errors didn't help to make me like this any more.
About 70 pages in, Nathaniel asserts that time moved slower in Dis (the hellish place they occupy), and that 12 hours on earth equal 7 days in Dis. Uhm, no. If that were the case, then time in Dis moves FASTER than on earth. Editing fail #2.
Overall, the book was okay. I liked it enough to want to read the next one, but I hope that the 2nd installment will be better in its logic. The mythology is very interesting, and has a lot of potential for further exploration.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. A review was not promised in exchange.
Nathaniel is a soul weaver. Once he was an angel, but he's been banished from heaven for lying about his brother's involvement with a mortal woman. After his fall, he's forced to work for Delphi, ruler of hell. His job is to collect souls of bad people (Harvest) and then weave from them a cloth that is used to make wings for the other fallen angels (the Harvesters).
He knows that rule breakers are punished, but when he comes upon an accident, a pure soul calls to him. This soul, while pure and sparkling clean, has no ties to anyone in heaven, which prevents it from being seen by the angels. Realizing that his angelic, heavenly counterparts are not coming to claim this soul, and with no one to prevent her soul from being lost, Nathaniel, in a rushed decision, bonds a piece of his own soul with that of the injured woman's he finds in the wreckage.
Oopsie. Shouldn't have done that. The consequences of his actions are far-reaching.
Fast forward about ten months or so. Chloe McRea was supposed to die in that accident. While she suffered from social anxiety before, since being unwittingly saved by Nathaniel, she's been experiencing nightmares that have made her more or less a prisoner in her own home/bookstore. Her parents, with whom she had a close, loving relationship, have passed, and the store now belongs to her.
And this is where this book has logic fail #1. If Chloe was truly in a loving parent/child relationship with her parents, and one assumes that her parents went to heaven, why then would NOBODY have any tethers to her soul? This made no sense, and that's partially where this book lost its appeal. It's a huge plot hole, from where I'm sitting, one that an editor should have caught.
Subsequently, I couldn't bring myself to really care much about these characters at all. The first 2/3 of the book dragged on and on, and I was close to giving up, when finally something actually happened to move this plot forward and make this book interesting.
Initially, I felt sorry for Nathaniel, and the author does a fairly good job describing his struggles in doing a job he loathes. The mythology was also interesting, and very unique. He is portrayed as someone who cares very much about family, and has a tendency to play martyr, blaming himself for the bad decisions of his kin.
Not realizing that she's been giving a second chance to make a connection with someone on earth, Chloe hires a young woman to help her in the store. Neve was an interesting character - for someone who hinted at an abusive husband, she was rather upbeat in how she was portrayed, like a fighter, and seemed to quickly grow to care about Chloe, thus giving her the ties she needed to have.
The villain in the story (gotta have one of those) became just a little creepy towards the end. He's obsessed with revenge and blames Nathaniel for his lot in life.
His nephew, Bran, is a nephilim, and the author did a good job explaining the prejudice and bigotry that he is faced with for being half angel, half human.
I didn't buy the love story, nor the sudden change in a woman who for about 75% of the book is agoraphobic. Unless it's the soul bonding at play, I didn't understand how quickly Nathaniel fell for Chloe, and vice versa. He was calling her his reason for living much too soon to make it believable without an explanation.
The writing is okay, though it leaves something to be desired, and two huge logical errors didn't help to make me like this any more.
About 70 pages in, Nathaniel asserts that time moved slower in Dis (the hellish place they occupy), and that 12 hours on earth equal 7 days in Dis. Uhm, no. If that were the case, then time in Dis moves FASTER than on earth. Editing fail #2.
Overall, the book was okay. I liked it enough to want to read the next one, but I hope that the 2nd installment will be better in its logic. The mythology is very interesting, and has a lot of potential for further exploration.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. A review was not promised in exchange.
July 18, 2012
Nathaniel fell from Heaven for covering up his brother's romantic involvement with a human woman. As his punishment, he not only lost his wings, but he was forced to work for Delphi (ruler of Hell), and he's known as the Weaver of Souls. He collects corrupted souls, which he then weaves into cloth to make wings for the other harvesters. Nice way to recycle. Nathaniel knows better than to break the rules, but when he witnesses a car accident, he's pulled to the scene by a soul so pure, he can't ignore it. When his counterparts, angels, fail to heed the call and collect the dying woman's soul, it's because her soul has no (loving) ties. With no tether and no angels to escort her, her soul would linger or just be lost. He makes the split decision to save her by bonding a piece of his soul to hers, thus giving her a second chance to find love and build those ties. He doesn't realize that his seemingly selfless act will have far-reaching consequences for the both of them.
Chloe McCrea was supposed to die, but by a miracle, she lived. You'd think a near death experience would make anyone live the rest of their lives to the fullest. Not Chloe. Before her accident, she had always had social anxiety. Her accident only made her condition worse. Suffering from agoraphobia, she's holed herself up in the only place she feels safe – her apartment and her bookstore. And she's plagued by nightmares about a man she doesn't know. When Nathaniel shows up at her store nearly a year later offering his services as a handyman, she senses there's something a bit dangerous about him, but that doesn't stop her from succumbing to his charms. Just when she begins to live a little, death stares her down one more time. Will she be strong enough to escape fate one last time?
Soul Weaver is Book #1 in the Wicked Kin series, and my first read by author Hailey Edwards. The story got off to a good start, introducing Nathaniel and his struggle to do a job that he doesn't enjoy. The method of soul collecting was interesting and different from anything I've read thus far. We also get a good glimpse into his character – his devotion to his family and his tendency to play the martyr. Chloe was a mess. Not just because of her issues, but because she couldn't/wouldn't leave her home. I could only take so much about the running of a bookstore. I suppose it made a nice getaway for some Nathaniel/Chloe/Neve bonding, but I had hopes for a little bit more. I think I liked the secondary characters more than the hero and heroine. Neve was the yin to Chloe's yang. For a woman, who suffered at the hands of an abusive ex-husband, I thought Neve was surprisingly perky and forthcoming in her attempts to help Chloe with her love life. I liked Bran as well and often felt sorry for him and the way he was treated for being a Nephilim (half human, half angel). The villain of the story was so misguided, he was really creepy.
I can't say that I believed the falling in love part between Nathaniel and Chloe. When Nathaniel first encounters Chloe, he's drawn by her pure spirit, and finds her pretty (?). But there was no build-up to his growing attraction to her. What attracted a person like her to him? Was the soul bonding responsible or was it merely a catalyst to make him really “see” her? Then there were the changes in Chloe that just happened too quickly to be believable (considering she stayed a frightened woman for almost 80% of the book). But my most pressing question would have to be: The reason that angels didn't appear to take her soul at the very beginning was because she had no personal ties to loved ones. It begs the question “what about her deceased parents?” Do they not count?
All in all, I did like the story, and the story line has a lot of potential for an interesting and sensual series. Perhaps a few things weren't clear enough in this first in a series, but I would read the next book.
Thank you Grand Central Publishing via NetGalley for the ARC.
Disclaimer: A review in exchange for the ARC was not promised. The views and opinions expressed in this review are my own, and in no way represent the views or opinions of the publisher/distributor.
July 19, 2012
ARC provided by Net Galley.Nathaniel is a Fallen Angel, now charged in the role as WEAVER--taking those souls marked for the pits of hell and weaving them to use as the Fallens wings he and his breathern now wear upon their backs.
He has just collected the soul of one human damned for hell and while on earth he witnesses the brutal accident that SHOULD have killed one fragile human--Chloe. Instead he is mesmerized by the colorful beauty of her soul and cannot understand why the Angels do not come to take her rightful place in paradise. Not able to really explain his actions, he takes his powerful shears, cuts a piece of his soul and binds it with hers--placeing the now combined soul back inside Chloe's body and saves her soul from being forever lost.
Chole has been left with no family and suffers from agoraphobia. After her near-death accident, she suffers horrible nightmares and struggles with the threatening addiction of her anxiety medications. Alone and isolated in the town of Piedmont, she has no choice but to hire someone to help her with the small bookstore she owns--Neve, a woman who has her own secrets but is desperate for the chance of a new life.
Chloe and Neve bond, the two women helping each other more than just as employee/employer. And a stranger, one who Chloe feels an undeniable attraction to, shows up at her store offering to help with much needed repairs.
The stranger is, of course, Nathaniel. And he is determined to see Chloe form attatchments while on earth--and the time she has left has been numbered. It seems that Chloe's combined soul has been marked. Marked like those damned for the pits of the fiery hell Nathaniel has sent thousands to as punishment for their sins.
A place that Chloe doesn't belong and he will do everything, even risk his own fate, to make sure that doesn't happen.
SOUL WEAVER is the start of a new series, and its world building is somewhat difficult to follow. There are a few number of players and trying to remember each ones role was a bit perplexing at times. The pieces of the story's puzzle really didn't start connecting for me until the last third of the book. But some the characters were facinating, despite the complexity of this paranormal world.
The romance between Chloe and Nathaniel is a sweet one with a slow start that builds over time, but one I just never truly got a great feel for. In fact, I felt more of a connection between Chloe and Neve (which was written very well-loved their friendship).
Her agoraphobia makes their relationship tough and not much of a joy to read. I thought it limited the possibilities of growth in their relationship. Besides the paranormal realm of hell and Chloe's bookstore, there are no other settings--I was really hoping to see more with Chloe's character and how she dealt with her illness. It was too much of a quick fix at the end.
Then there is Saul. Sigh...
Saul is a harvester, fallen from grace just like his brother, Nathaniel. I was really, REALLY, hoping for Saul to see the error of his ways. He had such great potential as a secondary character. But Hailey Edwards had different plans for him, lol. I don't want to give too much away as Saul is a pivotal player in Chloe and Nate's future.
One thing that I never fully understood and was never explained was the fact that Chloe's soul had no attatchments to anyone. Which was the reason why no Angel came to collect her soul. What about her parents, who she seemed to be close to when they were alive? Surely, her father, who she loved and adored would have been waiting for her. And I am also still not clear what exactly was wrong with Chloe's mother. Did she too, suffer from agoraphobia? The way it was written, she seemed to suffer from some sort of illness? Maybe I missed something along the way.
Because I never truely lost myself in the book, I was slightly disappointed. There were some holes in this very unique world and along with the unclear roles of the secondary characters and how they exactly they fit, the confusing plot, I can only give it 3 Stars.
He has just collected the soul of one human damned for hell and while on earth he witnesses the brutal accident that SHOULD have killed one fragile human--Chloe. Instead he is mesmerized by the colorful beauty of her soul and cannot understand why the Angels do not come to take her rightful place in paradise. Not able to really explain his actions, he takes his powerful shears, cuts a piece of his soul and binds it with hers--placeing the now combined soul back inside Chloe's body and saves her soul from being forever lost.
Chole has been left with no family and suffers from agoraphobia. After her near-death accident, she suffers horrible nightmares and struggles with the threatening addiction of her anxiety medications. Alone and isolated in the town of Piedmont, she has no choice but to hire someone to help her with the small bookstore she owns--Neve, a woman who has her own secrets but is desperate for the chance of a new life.
Chloe and Neve bond, the two women helping each other more than just as employee/employer. And a stranger, one who Chloe feels an undeniable attraction to, shows up at her store offering to help with much needed repairs.
The stranger is, of course, Nathaniel. And he is determined to see Chloe form attatchments while on earth--and the time she has left has been numbered. It seems that Chloe's combined soul has been marked. Marked like those damned for the pits of the fiery hell Nathaniel has sent thousands to as punishment for their sins.
A place that Chloe doesn't belong and he will do everything, even risk his own fate, to make sure that doesn't happen.
SOUL WEAVER is the start of a new series, and its world building is somewhat difficult to follow. There are a few number of players and trying to remember each ones role was a bit perplexing at times. The pieces of the story's puzzle really didn't start connecting for me until the last third of the book. But some the characters were facinating, despite the complexity of this paranormal world.
The romance between Chloe and Nathaniel is a sweet one with a slow start that builds over time, but one I just never truly got a great feel for. In fact, I felt more of a connection between Chloe and Neve (which was written very well-loved their friendship).
Her agoraphobia makes their relationship tough and not much of a joy to read. I thought it limited the possibilities of growth in their relationship. Besides the paranormal realm of hell and Chloe's bookstore, there are no other settings--I was really hoping to see more with Chloe's character and how she dealt with her illness. It was too much of a quick fix at the end.
Then there is Saul. Sigh...
Saul is a harvester, fallen from grace just like his brother, Nathaniel. I was really, REALLY, hoping for Saul to see the error of his ways. He had such great potential as a secondary character. But Hailey Edwards had different plans for him, lol. I don't want to give too much away as Saul is a pivotal player in Chloe and Nate's future.
One thing that I never fully understood and was never explained was the fact that Chloe's soul had no attatchments to anyone. Which was the reason why no Angel came to collect her soul. What about her parents, who she seemed to be close to when they were alive? Surely, her father, who she loved and adored would have been waiting for her. And I am also still not clear what exactly was wrong with Chloe's mother. Did she too, suffer from agoraphobia? The way it was written, she seemed to suffer from some sort of illness? Maybe I missed something along the way.
Because I never truely lost myself in the book, I was slightly disappointed. There were some holes in this very unique world and along with the unclear roles of the secondary characters and how they exactly they fit, the confusing plot, I can only give it 3 Stars.
July 3, 2012
Soul Weaver drops us into a modified world that I believe should truly exist in reality. Welcome to an earth where there are fallen angels that collect the unredeemable souls of murderers, paedophiles, sex offenders, etc. These fallen angels drop these damned souls into the pits of hell where they belong, to then be used to weave wings onto the backs of fallen angels so that they may fly again. Sounds pretty awesome, right? Hailey Edwards has again crafted a world rich with possibilities and complex, real, flawed characters that we can relate to and stand beside. (Not to mention, the cover of a yummy guy with intricate triskele silver ink on his bicep. That did it for me. I was sunk!)
Enter Nathaniel, Soul Weaver gifted with 'shears' that can rip out souls, craft wings, and create rifts for travel. In the wrong place at the wrong time, he ends up using a tiny piece of his own soul to save a bright, heaven-bound soul belonging to a woman that was in a car accident. Which, had she died, her soul would have been lost because no angel came to claim it. Months later, he is given a “mark” to harvest, and realizes that in saving the soul he also damned it. Nathaniel attempts to fix his mistake, and in the process falls in love with the girl with the beautiful soul he saved, Chloe...
..and Chloe is a hot mess of problems, since her brush with death in the car accident. She never leaves her house. Quite literally. So when a gorgeous “handyman” comes to help repair her bookstore, she is bowled over with his skills, sweetness, and mouth-dropping good looks. She learns to let Nathanial into her heart, a little at a time, and then ends up involved in a mess of lost souls, bitterness, fallen angels and scary seraphs from hell that she never imagined.
Hailey Edwards is a master at character-driven romances, she gives us beautifully flawed characters with just a touch of paranormal yumminess. However, she also weaves a world around her characters that is enthralling and fascinating, but it is always on the outskirts! My only criticism in this book is that I am left wanting for details– I want to more about the characters – What are they wearing? What does the bookstore look like? Give me more descriptions of Dis! More, more! Perhaps it's because at heart, I am a classic fantasy lover. I yearn for this type of story, these type of characters in a massive overhwhelming “LOTR”-type setting. Others could read this book and be happily sated, but I just want more detail. The other thing I noticed was the lack of 'break' in scenes. I received an ARC from the publisher, and I know that it was not the final copy of the manuscript. However, during parts of the book I was left confused as to a timeline, how much time had passed, whose point of view we were looking from, etc. I felt there should be a little “squiggly” to denote passing of a day, change to a different character, etc.
Ultimately, I LOVED this book. I loved the new world of fallen angels, seraphs, soul harvesting. I loved Chloe and Nathaniel and how accepting they were of each other and their own flaws. I loved that there is another universe now writing about Nephilim (even though Bran DEFINITELY needs more description and page time). Winged fantasy fans, you will not be disappointed. More yummy fallen angels, please, Ms. Edwards!
July 14, 2012
Hailey Edwards is an author with the ability to create captivating worlds and complex characters. She displays her talents again in Soul Weaver, and I found it difficult to put this book down. Edwards tells an intriguing and touching story about a girl and a fallen angel who have lost their way.
Soul Weaver is a unique take on the angels, demons, and afterlife ideas.I really enjoyed the thought of the demons coming up and taking care of the world's evil people instead of the demons' jobs being to coax people into committing evil. I also liked how the idea of balance played into the story. If everything wasn't balanced, then there were a lot of problems. Edwards obviously played into a lot of different mythologies to create this world, and her efforts paid off. This world was uniquely enthralling, and I couldn't get enough of it.
Chloe was the leading heroine, and she wasn't the strong, fearless type. Instead, she had agoraphobia. However, I never fully believed the agoraphobia because she ran a bookstore where she had to deal with people. How could you deal with people, even in your own home/store, if you were scared of social interaction? It just didn't make sense. Another thing that didn't make sense was how quickly she attached herself to Neve and Nathaniel. These things made me feel like perhaps Chloe wasn't agoraphobic at all. I don't know a ton about agoraphobia, though, so I could be wrong. From what I understand, though, a person who has agoraphobia is scared of all human interaction. I don't think it's just a fear of leaving one's house. Again, I'm no psychologist, so anyone who knows more about this than I do, please feel free to chime in. Other than that, I liked Chloe. She was inherently good, and I enjoyed learning more about her.
I really liked Nathaniel, and I thought he made the perfect hero. He was also extremely self-aware for a guy, and I appreciated that. He was such a good character, but he'd been so tarnished by centuries of punishing evil-doers that he seemed to have forgotten that there was any good in the world. Chloe was able to remind him of that, and his reactions to her kindness were touching.
The POV was third person limited, and it switched between Nathaniel, Saul (Nathanial's brother), and Chloe. I liked getting the three different perspectives, and things flowed from one character to the next smoothly. The pacing was a bit rushed in spots, but overall, the story flowed nicely. The ending tied things up well, and I feel that Chloe's and Nathaniel's story has come to a close. I think that if this turns into a series, then Edwards may end up casting different characters for each installment, sort of like she does with her Daughters of Askara series, because the ending seemed final and complete.
Overall, I'd recommend this book to anyone who loves romance stories that lean more to the sweet side than the steamy side. There are some steamy scenes, but overall, this book is more a touching story of love than a sexy read. Also, if you like your romance stories for a plot, this book is for you. Edwards is a wonderful author, and whether you're a fan or newcomer to her work, you should give Soul Weaver a try.
Soul Weaver is a unique take on the angels, demons, and afterlife ideas.I really enjoyed the thought of the demons coming up and taking care of the world's evil people instead of the demons' jobs being to coax people into committing evil. I also liked how the idea of balance played into the story. If everything wasn't balanced, then there were a lot of problems. Edwards obviously played into a lot of different mythologies to create this world, and her efforts paid off. This world was uniquely enthralling, and I couldn't get enough of it.
Chloe was the leading heroine, and she wasn't the strong, fearless type. Instead, she had agoraphobia. However, I never fully believed the agoraphobia because she ran a bookstore where she had to deal with people. How could you deal with people, even in your own home/store, if you were scared of social interaction? It just didn't make sense. Another thing that didn't make sense was how quickly she attached herself to Neve and Nathaniel. These things made me feel like perhaps Chloe wasn't agoraphobic at all. I don't know a ton about agoraphobia, though, so I could be wrong. From what I understand, though, a person who has agoraphobia is scared of all human interaction. I don't think it's just a fear of leaving one's house. Again, I'm no psychologist, so anyone who knows more about this than I do, please feel free to chime in. Other than that, I liked Chloe. She was inherently good, and I enjoyed learning more about her.
I really liked Nathaniel, and I thought he made the perfect hero. He was also extremely self-aware for a guy, and I appreciated that. He was such a good character, but he'd been so tarnished by centuries of punishing evil-doers that he seemed to have forgotten that there was any good in the world. Chloe was able to remind him of that, and his reactions to her kindness were touching.
The POV was third person limited, and it switched between Nathaniel, Saul (Nathanial's brother), and Chloe. I liked getting the three different perspectives, and things flowed from one character to the next smoothly. The pacing was a bit rushed in spots, but overall, the story flowed nicely. The ending tied things up well, and I feel that Chloe's and Nathaniel's story has come to a close. I think that if this turns into a series, then Edwards may end up casting different characters for each installment, sort of like she does with her Daughters of Askara series, because the ending seemed final and complete.
Overall, I'd recommend this book to anyone who loves romance stories that lean more to the sweet side than the steamy side. There are some steamy scenes, but overall, this book is more a touching story of love than a sexy read. Also, if you like your romance stories for a plot, this book is for you. Edwards is a wonderful author, and whether you're a fan or newcomer to her work, you should give Soul Weaver a try.
February 24, 2020
24 February 2020: $0.99 on Kindle
Angels seem to be the new it thing in paranormal romance, they're everywhere I turn. Luckily, there's nearly as many different takes on them – and their demon counterparts – as there are stars in the sky. Hailey Edwards once again enchants with her original world where "demons" are just angels doing what needs to be done to take the non-righteous where they need to be. Yes, they are fallen, but they're not evil and what they do is very necessary.
Nathianiel was incredibly interesting, not just a soul hunter but he then took those souls – from dark-hearted people – and wove them into wings for his brethren to replace the wings they'd lost since coming to earth. He's loyal, nearly to a fault, kind, and absolutely just. When Chloe's bright spirit is nearly lost he does the unforgiveable and binds her with a piece of his own sooty soul.
What he couldn't have known is the consequences this would bring. They say no good deed goes unpunished, and it's certainly true in this case. When he finds out the tainted soul he's supposed to collect is none other than Chloe's, and it's all his fault, Nathaniel is horrified and decides to do everything he can to help her. Maybe it's time a good deed is rewarded for him…
Chloe has nightmares every night, of someone taking her life, stealing her soul, the darkness surrounding her. Previously uneasy around strange places and people, Chloe retreated deeper into comfortable surroundings, becoming agoraphobic and alone. When the sexy carpenter shows up on her doorstep to fix her porch, he tempts her in ways she couldn't have possibly imagined.
It's not often that one reads about an agoraphobic heroine. After reading this book I could see why. Though I really enjoyed Chloe as a character, it just got to be a bit…well, boring. She's nice, and cares about other people, and loves her job as a bookseller, but reading about her, admittedly well-deserved, panic attacks and being frightened all the time got to be just a bit too much for me. Once Nathaniel started to pull her out of her shell, and she gained some security with the lack of nightmares, I started to like her a great deal more.
Seeing these two fall in love, and realize they both needed, and were needed by, the other was really heart-warming.
There are some secondary characters that round out the story and make for an interesting suspenseful plot, and I'm looking forward to reading more about what happens there. Overall, Hailey Edwards once again writes an engaging, unique world and characters that leaves me eager to come back and visit again, and again.
Angels seem to be the new it thing in paranormal romance, they're everywhere I turn. Luckily, there's nearly as many different takes on them – and their demon counterparts – as there are stars in the sky. Hailey Edwards once again enchants with her original world where "demons" are just angels doing what needs to be done to take the non-righteous where they need to be. Yes, they are fallen, but they're not evil and what they do is very necessary.
Nathianiel was incredibly interesting, not just a soul hunter but he then took those souls – from dark-hearted people – and wove them into wings for his brethren to replace the wings they'd lost since coming to earth. He's loyal, nearly to a fault, kind, and absolutely just. When Chloe's bright spirit is nearly lost he does the unforgiveable and binds her with a piece of his own sooty soul.
What he couldn't have known is the consequences this would bring. They say no good deed goes unpunished, and it's certainly true in this case. When he finds out the tainted soul he's supposed to collect is none other than Chloe's, and it's all his fault, Nathaniel is horrified and decides to do everything he can to help her. Maybe it's time a good deed is rewarded for him…
Chloe has nightmares every night, of someone taking her life, stealing her soul, the darkness surrounding her. Previously uneasy around strange places and people, Chloe retreated deeper into comfortable surroundings, becoming agoraphobic and alone. When the sexy carpenter shows up on her doorstep to fix her porch, he tempts her in ways she couldn't have possibly imagined.
It's not often that one reads about an agoraphobic heroine. After reading this book I could see why. Though I really enjoyed Chloe as a character, it just got to be a bit…well, boring. She's nice, and cares about other people, and loves her job as a bookseller, but reading about her, admittedly well-deserved, panic attacks and being frightened all the time got to be just a bit too much for me. Once Nathaniel started to pull her out of her shell, and she gained some security with the lack of nightmares, I started to like her a great deal more.
Seeing these two fall in love, and realize they both needed, and were needed by, the other was really heart-warming.
There are some secondary characters that round out the story and make for an interesting suspenseful plot, and I'm looking forward to reading more about what happens there. Overall, Hailey Edwards once again writes an engaging, unique world and characters that leaves me eager to come back and visit again, and again.
August 20, 2012
The premise of this book intrigued me. Our hero is a fallen angel who now harvests the souls of the wicked. Nathaniel is constantly exposed to the very worst of humanity. It was only by chance that he happened upon the car accident destined to take Chloe's life. Even then, he had no inclination to interfere... until he saw the beauty of her soul as it tried to leave her body. A soul so bright should have been bound for heaven, but she had no ties of love to help her pass over. Unable to simply let her spirit fade to nothing, Nathaniel cuts out a piece of his own soul and ties it to hers, tethering her spirit to her body.
It's months before he sees her again. Unfortunately, his soul has darkened hers and now she is on his list of the damned. He can't let her suffer for his mistake, though. So he thinks to enter her life as a human, long enough to help her make connections to the people around her. That way, when she does have to die, her spirit can finally go where it deserves. The problem is that Chloe is agoraphobic and that keeps her cut off from other people.
When they come face to face, their soul connection kicks in right away. And the story follows their journey to love, while the clock ticks down to Chloe's inevitable death. There is much more to it: complications and secondary characters with supporting storylines. But the love story is the heart of the book. It's also where I was sadly underwhelmed.
Agoraphobia is a real mental illness and the concept of a main character with this problem is different. But it's not exciting. It's not sexy. Chloe came across as weak to me as I got to know her character. She needs her hand held constantly and she is utterly naive about the outside world. That makes it even more awkward when her relationship with Nathaniel advances at the speed of light. She loses her virginity to a guy she's known barely more than a week and the I Love You's are right around the corner. There wasn't even much sexual tension to speak of... just an acknowledgement of an attraction and her ever-present anxiety. The relationship fell flat, both in the sexual and the emotional realms.
Like I said, I liked the concept. And I thought the resolution was cool. But it wasn't enough to make this one a good read for me. If you want to give Hailey Edwards a try, I definitely recommend A Hint of Frost over this one.
Rating: C-
*ARC Provided by NetGalley
It's months before he sees her again. Unfortunately, his soul has darkened hers and now she is on his list of the damned. He can't let her suffer for his mistake, though. So he thinks to enter her life as a human, long enough to help her make connections to the people around her. That way, when she does have to die, her spirit can finally go where it deserves. The problem is that Chloe is agoraphobic and that keeps her cut off from other people.
When they come face to face, their soul connection kicks in right away. And the story follows their journey to love, while the clock ticks down to Chloe's inevitable death. There is much more to it: complications and secondary characters with supporting storylines. But the love story is the heart of the book. It's also where I was sadly underwhelmed.
Agoraphobia is a real mental illness and the concept of a main character with this problem is different. But it's not exciting. It's not sexy. Chloe came across as weak to me as I got to know her character. She needs her hand held constantly and she is utterly naive about the outside world. That makes it even more awkward when her relationship with Nathaniel advances at the speed of light. She loses her virginity to a guy she's known barely more than a week and the I Love You's are right around the corner. There wasn't even much sexual tension to speak of... just an acknowledgement of an attraction and her ever-present anxiety. The relationship fell flat, both in the sexual and the emotional realms.
Like I said, I liked the concept. And I thought the resolution was cool. But it wasn't enough to make this one a good read for me. If you want to give Hailey Edwards a try, I definitely recommend A Hint of Frost over this one.
Rating: C-
*ARC Provided by NetGalley
July 10, 2012
The synopsis of Soul Weaver gives you a pretty good idea of the premise, but there is a lot more to the story than that. You probably guessed that though, right? I guess what I’m trying to say is that this is more than just a ‘Fallen Angel finds true love’ story.
Nathaniel is part of a group of fallen angels whose soul purpose is to collect damned souls. As part of their punishment for falling, they get to hear all of the sins of the damned soul that they are ordered to collect. Not a job that I would want. His group has been together for a lifetime and among them are his brother and nephew. Taking souls isn’t Nathaniel’s only job. He’s also in charge of using those souls to weave the fiber on the wings of his fellow angels. Not only have Edwards’ angels fallen, they’ve also lost their feathers so without the soul cloth their wings would be useless. I found that aspect of the story fascinating. Everything about the world that Hailey Edwards created in Soul Weaver was brought to life with her flowing descriptions. It helped make this book a very enjoyable read.
Chloe was a great character to get to know. She should have been totally broken, and in some ways she was. She had no family or close friends and she had completely shut herself off, traveling no farther than her bookstore and its upstairs apartment. During the course of the story she began to open up and the relationships that she formed were totally believable because of the cautiousness that she approached them with. The closeness between Nathaniel and Chloe was intense, even in the beginning, but it never seemed forced. There was just enough tension to make it fun.
Parts of Soul Weaver were heartbreaking. Both characters stood to lose so much. The climax was nail biting and tragic, but perfect at the same time. I’m not sure if Edwards plans on continuing Chloe and Nathaniel’s story. The end was satisfying either way, but there are so many places a sequel could go.
Nathaniel is part of a group of fallen angels whose soul purpose is to collect damned souls. As part of their punishment for falling, they get to hear all of the sins of the damned soul that they are ordered to collect. Not a job that I would want. His group has been together for a lifetime and among them are his brother and nephew. Taking souls isn’t Nathaniel’s only job. He’s also in charge of using those souls to weave the fiber on the wings of his fellow angels. Not only have Edwards’ angels fallen, they’ve also lost their feathers so without the soul cloth their wings would be useless. I found that aspect of the story fascinating. Everything about the world that Hailey Edwards created in Soul Weaver was brought to life with her flowing descriptions. It helped make this book a very enjoyable read.
Chloe was a great character to get to know. She should have been totally broken, and in some ways she was. She had no family or close friends and she had completely shut herself off, traveling no farther than her bookstore and its upstairs apartment. During the course of the story she began to open up and the relationships that she formed were totally believable because of the cautiousness that she approached them with. The closeness between Nathaniel and Chloe was intense, even in the beginning, but it never seemed forced. There was just enough tension to make it fun.
Parts of Soul Weaver were heartbreaking. Both characters stood to lose so much. The climax was nail biting and tragic, but perfect at the same time. I’m not sure if Edwards plans on continuing Chloe and Nathaniel’s story. The end was satisfying either way, but there are so many places a sequel could go.
July 15, 2012
This book started a little slow, but once it starts moving you better hold on to your seat! You will not want to put it down. Nathaniel was a very sympathetic figure, and remained that way throughout, however don’t make the mistake of pitying him, he is one big bad alpha hero willing to take care of business and get down and dirty to do it.
Chloe on the other hand seems a little pale in comparison especially in the beginning. Chloe definitely started to come into her own and towards the end you're definitely rooting for her. Unfortunately, her Agoraphobia seemed more like a forced plot point and felt contrived.
The bad guys were seriously evil and all you could ever wish for in a bad guy. They definitely gave me the heeby jeebies, and I can’t wait to find out how they’re defeated in following books. When you really understand how twisted one of the bad guys is, it’s shocking how far he’s fallen and how deluded he is. It definitely pulls you farther into the story because on the one hand you want him defeated but on the other you want someone to shatter his delusion so he can see how insane he is and be consumed in guilt and horror.
This book was very well written overall and very evocative; I give it a 4 out of 5 stars, and highly recommend it to those looking for a book with angelic tendencies that isn’t your usual angelic or fallen angel romance.
Chloe on the other hand seems a little pale in comparison especially in the beginning. Chloe definitely started to come into her own and towards the end you're definitely rooting for her. Unfortunately, her Agoraphobia seemed more like a forced plot point and felt contrived.
The bad guys were seriously evil and all you could ever wish for in a bad guy. They definitely gave me the heeby jeebies, and I can’t wait to find out how they’re defeated in following books. When you really understand how twisted one of the bad guys is, it’s shocking how far he’s fallen and how deluded he is. It definitely pulls you farther into the story because on the one hand you want him defeated but on the other you want someone to shatter his delusion so he can see how insane he is and be consumed in guilt and horror.
This book was very well written overall and very evocative; I give it a 4 out of 5 stars, and highly recommend it to those looking for a book with angelic tendencies that isn’t your usual angelic or fallen angel romance.
August 8, 2012
Bookswagger Danielle: Three Crowns, swagger jacked, decent read. Soul harvesting was original and interesting and the author did a good job of explaining the process. However I felt there were holes in the story. Example the reason Nathanial even interfered in the first place was because she had no personal ties to get to heaven, mmmm hello what about her deceased parents? I also had a hard time with Chloe and Nathanial’s love it didn’t really build and I couldn’t tell if it was because their souls were linked or if the author meant they fell in love (big difference). If they were supposed to fall in love it wasn’t believable. Neve was my favorite character even though it is a little odd for a woman who has been recently abused to be so trusting and upbeat, I liked that she was that way. Refreshingly she was not portrayed as the victim but as a strong woman who knew how to survive.
The author had just enough elements to keep me interested but they never quite met my expectations. Especially the ending, I was left wanting more for Chloe. I’m on the fence if I will continue on in the series. Will you continue?
bookswagger.com
The author had just enough elements to keep me interested but they never quite met my expectations. Especially the ending, I was left wanting more for Chloe. I’m on the fence if I will continue on in the series. Will you continue?
bookswagger.com
August 14, 2012
Nathaniel is a collector of souls. He witnesses a horrible accident. An accident that should have killed Chloe McCrea. But her plea - rips at this heart and he does the forbidden and saves her. A moment that marks her, essentially making her a target for demons.
Angel stories are quiet popular at the moment. Some I haven't enjoyed and others not so much. But with Soul Weaver, I loved it! The beginning was a bit slow for me. But ultimately the slow bits were worth it - to get to the heart of the story. The connection that Chloe & Nathaniel have is intriguing. I loved that Chloe owns a bookstore and her problems with anxiety were interesting. She felt real I think readers are gonna easily relate to her, I know I did. Between the characters and world building ...there is a lot to like about this story. Soul Weaver is a fresh take. It's both dark and vibrant. A book not to pass up.
Angel stories are quiet popular at the moment. Some I haven't enjoyed and others not so much. But with Soul Weaver, I loved it! The beginning was a bit slow for me. But ultimately the slow bits were worth it - to get to the heart of the story. The connection that Chloe & Nathaniel have is intriguing. I loved that Chloe owns a bookstore and her problems with anxiety were interesting. She felt real I think readers are gonna easily relate to her, I know I did. Between the characters and world building ...there is a lot to like about this story. Soul Weaver is a fresh take. It's both dark and vibrant. A book not to pass up.
August 13, 2012
This was a really interesting take on the fallen angels story.
Nathaniel is a soul weaver, which means his main duty is to weave together souls to make wings for his fellow fallen angels who are harvesters. He also collects bad souls to go into the pits of hell but each time he does this the experience takes a little bit more from his own soul.
After he collects a soul one night he witnesses a car crash and is drawn to the purity of one of the souls involved. He decides to save her and weaves a bit of his own soul to hers. what he doesn't realize is how this will create a large range of consequences.
I really liked the characters and the supporting characters make me want to read more from this series.
I look forward to reading more from this author.
Nathaniel is a soul weaver, which means his main duty is to weave together souls to make wings for his fellow fallen angels who are harvesters. He also collects bad souls to go into the pits of hell but each time he does this the experience takes a little bit more from his own soul.
After he collects a soul one night he witnesses a car crash and is drawn to the purity of one of the souls involved. He decides to save her and weaves a bit of his own soul to hers. what he doesn't realize is how this will create a large range of consequences.
I really liked the characters and the supporting characters make me want to read more from this series.
I look forward to reading more from this author.
October 10, 2012
When archangel Nathaniel makes a decision that could cost him his life as a soul weaver, he doesn’t understands why but he saves a woman’s soul who deserves a chance to live her life. Since Chloe’s accident she is haunted by dreams of people dying, not to mention the agoraphobic is dealing with frequent panic attacks and a lonely life.
Nathaniel realizes that he has done something no other has done, he has bonded with a human. Seeking out Chloe he realizes the impact of what he has done and the opportunity to share a love like no other. When his alternate life intrudes on the protective bubble he is trying to create with Chloe, he has to come clean in order to save her before another Soul Weaver comes to collect
Full review on Single Titles
http://singletitles.com/?p=7859
Nathaniel realizes that he has done something no other has done, he has bonded with a human. Seeking out Chloe he realizes the impact of what he has done and the opportunity to share a love like no other. When his alternate life intrudes on the protective bubble he is trying to create with Chloe, he has to come clean in order to save her before another Soul Weaver comes to collect
Full review on Single Titles
http://singletitles.com/?p=7859
April 18, 2019
This wasn't bad, but it wasn't particularly good either. So my first issue with this book was that it felt like the first chapter was written by someone else. The language, the sentence structure, it all just felt completely different from the rest of the story. The language went from being quite complex and very descriptive to bad dialogues and an overly simplified and "ghetto" angel talk (if that makes sense). I mean, maybe that's just me, but I kinda want immortal beings not to sound like the average joe. I also feel as if the story started out being one thing and ended up being another.
So in the beginning, we are introduced to Nathaniel who is a fallen angel and now collects evil souls to send them to hell. That in itself was quite interesting and I would have liked this story a lot better if it had stayed on that track.
But pretty much the moment Nathaniel and Chloe meet, it's all just an insta-love story which is not very well executed and frankly, nothing special. Nathaniel is hot, Chloe is so nice and innocent, they meet, they kiss, they have sex, they can't live without each other. That's about it. During this insta-love debacle, it's as if all the previous world-building is now unimportant. Who cares about a complex, paranormal world when you can write about two people who, in the span of a few days, meet, date and fall in love? So at that point I got really annoyed with this novel.
What really bugs me is that this story had so many great ideas. Like the trauma it causes a human soul to be tethered to a harvester and witnessing deaths over and over again was fascinating. I wanted more of that. I wanted more of that mystic world that was built up (or at least hyped up) at the beginning. In the end, I got served lukewarm watered-down tea in form of a sappy lovey-dovey story with flat characters and an unimpressive plot.
So in the beginning, we are introduced to Nathaniel who is a fallen angel and now collects evil souls to send them to hell. That in itself was quite interesting and I would have liked this story a lot better if it had stayed on that track.
But pretty much the moment Nathaniel and Chloe meet, it's all just an insta-love story which is not very well executed and frankly, nothing special. Nathaniel is hot, Chloe is so nice and innocent, they meet, they kiss, they have sex, they can't live without each other. That's about it. During this insta-love debacle, it's as if all the previous world-building is now unimportant. Who cares about a complex, paranormal world when you can write about two people who, in the span of a few days, meet, date and fall in love? So at that point I got really annoyed with this novel.
What really bugs me is that this story had so many great ideas. Like the trauma it causes a human soul to be tethered to a harvester and witnessing deaths over and over again was fascinating. I wanted more of that. I wanted more of that mystic world that was built up (or at least hyped up) at the beginning. In the end, I got served lukewarm watered-down tea in form of a sappy lovey-dovey story with flat characters and an unimpressive plot.
April 28, 2013
Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales.
Quick & Dirty: A strange romance and a different take on soul reapers may either leave you shaking your head or enjoying the romance for what it is.
Opening Sentence: Soft snores carried from the darkness on Nathaniel’s right.
The Review:
Soul Weaver offers up a different take on the grim/soul collector mythology. The story begins with Nathaniel as he is collecting a soul. It is not an entirely pretty process with the victim pleading to live. When he leaves he comes across an accident involving a woman with a beautiful soul. The only problem is he only takes bad/damned souls and no angels are coming for the woman’s soul. She has developed no attachments to the world so her soul is blind to them. So Nathan does the only thing he can think of – save her life – even though he risks his own in the process.
Chloe knows she should have died in the car wreck. Soon after she begins to have debilitating nightmares of a strange man ripping souls from people. She is oblivious to the fight for her own soul. These nightmares and the accident have triggered Chloe’s agoraphobia. She no longer leaves home and she has trust issues. Chloe also really needs help running the bookstore her parents owned – conveniently run below her apartment – so she seeks help. Neve answers the help wanted ad. She is a strong willed young woman with secrets of her own and she helps Chloe in ways that Chloe never would have thought possible. And then another mysterious stranger shows up at her door offering help that she just can’t refuse.
Nathaniel didn’t realize the damage he would cause Chloe and her now damned soul. He was hoping an attachment with Neve would help Chloe’s soul ascend to heaven. Chloe and Nathan each feel an attraction for the other but believe that acting on it would go nowhere. Chloe doesn’t want to burden him with her phobias and Nathan has been forbidden from human love and attraction.
Soul Weaver is told from Nathan, Chloe and few other soul collectors’ third person point of views. The grim/soul collectors in Soul Weaver are quite different. They only take damned souls while angels come to take the pure and attached souls. There is a hierarchy of jobs and an interesting take on their wings hence the “weaver” title. I will say that I am a little confused as to why soul collecting was the way it is, how come Chloe’s soul was unattached when she had parents even though they had already passed on?.
This novel is an interesting paranormal romance with some good and bad parts. If you don’t mind a virgin love interest in a self-imposed cage, then you may like Chloe. She does knock down some walls in her psyche as the story goes and she is definitely not the same person that she starts out as. There is some action but most of the tension in this novel involves Chloe working through her misgivings and Nathan figuring out how to save her. There was one thing that did baffle me about the story. I figured Chloe was dreaming of Nathan, since she had a part of his soul in her but she didn’t react to him when she first saw him. I thought she had either been dreaming about his past exploits or she could see him as he was now when he collected. I was quite surprised when that wasn’t the case.
Overall, if you like your novels a little different then you may want to give Soul Weaver a try. I enjoyed the otherworld mythology enough that I would give a second novel in this series a try.
Notable Scene:
The skin covering her palms and knees hissed and crackled. The ground burned so hot, she jumped to her feet and cried out as she blistered. The stench of flesh roasting on her bones made her gorge rise.
White light brought her head around in time to see Saul tumble through the portal after her.
“Clever girl.” His teeth flashed in the darkness. “I underestimated you.”
Vicious snarls rang out from below at the sound of his voice. She had the sick feeling wherever they were was very, very high and whatever made those sounds was very, very hungry.
He lunged forward and Chloe dove aside as the portal’s light flickered. She skidded across the scorched ground as a scream rose in her throat, met with the heated air, and dissolved.
Saul lunged a second time and she rolled away, blinking back tears as her forearms burned. The pain blinded her senses until a split-second’s relief cooled her flesh as her body whistled through air and she fell. Their portal closed and took the faint light with it.
Impact stole her breath when she hit the ground. She gasped as Saul straddled her waist. Wind stirred by his wings blew sweltering sand into her eyes as his rough hands cupped her jaw.
“I never considered the side effects your bond with Nathaniel would have.” He studied the shears in her hand. “Whatever he did to bind your souls has enabled you to use his shears. They must recognize that part of him in you, which means they can feed off your soul as well.” His eyes glittered. “That means with your soul in my possession, the shears will obey me. I won’t need my brother’s cooperation.” He cast Chloe a pitying look. “I’m afraid I won’t be needing your body, either.”
FTC Advisory: Forever Yours/Grand Central Publishing/Hachette Book Group provided me with a copy of Soul Weaver. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
Quick & Dirty: A strange romance and a different take on soul reapers may either leave you shaking your head or enjoying the romance for what it is.
Opening Sentence: Soft snores carried from the darkness on Nathaniel’s right.
The Review:
Soul Weaver offers up a different take on the grim/soul collector mythology. The story begins with Nathaniel as he is collecting a soul. It is not an entirely pretty process with the victim pleading to live. When he leaves he comes across an accident involving a woman with a beautiful soul. The only problem is he only takes bad/damned souls and no angels are coming for the woman’s soul. She has developed no attachments to the world so her soul is blind to them. So Nathan does the only thing he can think of – save her life – even though he risks his own in the process.
Chloe knows she should have died in the car wreck. Soon after she begins to have debilitating nightmares of a strange man ripping souls from people. She is oblivious to the fight for her own soul. These nightmares and the accident have triggered Chloe’s agoraphobia. She no longer leaves home and she has trust issues. Chloe also really needs help running the bookstore her parents owned – conveniently run below her apartment – so she seeks help. Neve answers the help wanted ad. She is a strong willed young woman with secrets of her own and she helps Chloe in ways that Chloe never would have thought possible. And then another mysterious stranger shows up at her door offering help that she just can’t refuse.
Nathaniel didn’t realize the damage he would cause Chloe and her now damned soul. He was hoping an attachment with Neve would help Chloe’s soul ascend to heaven. Chloe and Nathan each feel an attraction for the other but believe that acting on it would go nowhere. Chloe doesn’t want to burden him with her phobias and Nathan has been forbidden from human love and attraction.
Soul Weaver is told from Nathan, Chloe and few other soul collectors’ third person point of views. The grim/soul collectors in Soul Weaver are quite different. They only take damned souls while angels come to take the pure and attached souls. There is a hierarchy of jobs and an interesting take on their wings hence the “weaver” title. I will say that I am a little confused as to why soul collecting was the way it is, how come Chloe’s soul was unattached when she had parents even though they had already passed on?.
This novel is an interesting paranormal romance with some good and bad parts. If you don’t mind a virgin love interest in a self-imposed cage, then you may like Chloe. She does knock down some walls in her psyche as the story goes and she is definitely not the same person that she starts out as. There is some action but most of the tension in this novel involves Chloe working through her misgivings and Nathan figuring out how to save her. There was one thing that did baffle me about the story. I figured Chloe was dreaming of Nathan, since she had a part of his soul in her but she didn’t react to him when she first saw him. I thought she had either been dreaming about his past exploits or she could see him as he was now when he collected. I was quite surprised when that wasn’t the case.
Overall, if you like your novels a little different then you may want to give Soul Weaver a try. I enjoyed the otherworld mythology enough that I would give a second novel in this series a try.
Notable Scene:
The skin covering her palms and knees hissed and crackled. The ground burned so hot, she jumped to her feet and cried out as she blistered. The stench of flesh roasting on her bones made her gorge rise.
White light brought her head around in time to see Saul tumble through the portal after her.
“Clever girl.” His teeth flashed in the darkness. “I underestimated you.”
Vicious snarls rang out from below at the sound of his voice. She had the sick feeling wherever they were was very, very high and whatever made those sounds was very, very hungry.
He lunged forward and Chloe dove aside as the portal’s light flickered. She skidded across the scorched ground as a scream rose in her throat, met with the heated air, and dissolved.
Saul lunged a second time and she rolled away, blinking back tears as her forearms burned. The pain blinded her senses until a split-second’s relief cooled her flesh as her body whistled through air and she fell. Their portal closed and took the faint light with it.
Impact stole her breath when she hit the ground. She gasped as Saul straddled her waist. Wind stirred by his wings blew sweltering sand into her eyes as his rough hands cupped her jaw.
“I never considered the side effects your bond with Nathaniel would have.” He studied the shears in her hand. “Whatever he did to bind your souls has enabled you to use his shears. They must recognize that part of him in you, which means they can feed off your soul as well.” His eyes glittered. “That means with your soul in my possession, the shears will obey me. I won’t need my brother’s cooperation.” He cast Chloe a pitying look. “I’m afraid I won’t be needing your body, either.”
FTC Advisory: Forever Yours/Grand Central Publishing/Hachette Book Group provided me with a copy of Soul Weaver. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
November 7, 2020
Four stars for some originality in an idea (or at least an idea I haven't read). Only 3 stars for characterization. I liked the characters, but they were one dimensions and very much yes or no without give in between for more complexity. I think that is because od the short length od ehe book.
January 13, 2021
Jumbled up read
This was a book that began with promise. Then it.became difficult to read. Either poorly edited, or, poorly designed. Very jumbled and created a confusion that led to disengagement. I won't buy another.
This was a book that began with promise. Then it.became difficult to read. Either poorly edited, or, poorly designed. Very jumbled and created a confusion that led to disengagement. I won't buy another.
May 14, 2017
It started slow but it was a decent beach read. I liked that the happy ending wasn't short like in most books. We got to see a little bit of it and that's my favorite thing about romance novels.
September 9, 2012
*ARC provided by Netgalley
Review posted at http://www.fictionvixen.com/review-so...
After seeing the cover for Soul Weaver, which is a pretty gold with the typical half-naked man on front with plenty of moobage showing, I decided to read the blurb to see if this was the same old paranormal or maybe something new. The premise sounded interesting, a world of fallen angels who collect or harvest damned souls so that they can be used in hell. I like books about angels, although I'm of the opinion that they are becoming as over used as say... vampires and werewolves, so I decided to give this one a chance. I"m sorry to say I didn't enjoy this book as much as I hoped I would.
Nathaniel is the Soul Weaver, he harvests the souls of the damned, sends them to Hell, or Dis, and then once a month he weaves his fellow fallen angels new wings with them. After a retrieval one day he happens upon a car accident where he sees a young woman dying. When no angels show up to take her soul to heaven he decides to alter fate and weave a piece of his soul to hers to keep her alive a bit longer so that she has a chance to live. He doesn't realize that by doing this he has set events into motion that will mark her soul as damned and force him to collect it later on as a harvester.
Chloe lives her life in fear after her accident, she has crippling nightmares that force her to take anxiety medication and has turned her into a recluse. The only life she has consists of her house and her bookstore. In essence she's trapped. An agoraphobic that hires other people to do things like buy her groceries, get her prescriptions and mail her packages. She goes out on a limb and hires not only a desperate young woman to work in her bookstore, but also a handyman to help her make repairs to her shop. She doesn't realise that she is living on borrowed time and her time is almost up.
I never really connected with either Chloe or Nathaniel, and I also never found them believable as a couple. I have no idea what Nathaniel found so wonderful about Chloe. She was lonely and sad, yes she was traumatized by her accident and nightmares, but after finding out her background she seems to have been lonely and sad even before those events. Chloe was just blah for me. When Nathaniel comes to claim her soul and realizes she is the same woman from the accident he morphs into some kind of lover-boy stalker. Your guess is as good as mine as to the why. Why a woman who has to take anti-anxiety medicine to function on an everyday basis isn't at least a little concerned by this attention is baffling. In fact Nathaniel seems to be the only thing that doesn't cause Chloe some kind of anxiety, a woman who also is a virgin who has never even been kissed. It was just weird. Their sexy scenes where blah to me too, in fact that's my theme word for today: blah. Blah characters, blah action scenes and blah sexy times.
The bad guy turns out to be Nathaniel's own brother, who is trying to find a way to bring back his lost love and thinks that Nathaniel's weaving shears is the only way to do it. I really couldn't figure out Saul either. Even after her death he is still so in love with his wife that he is trying to find a way to bring her back, but he treats their son together, that she ADORED, like complete shit. Huh? Color me confused. When the confrontation happens Chloe, who has been a scared little rabbit the entire book, turns into a super woman who saves the day. She not only leaves the house with no anxiety what so ever, but all of a sudden knows how to read minds and travel through time rips. I have to say, by this time I just didn't really even care anymore.
The only character I really liked was Neve, the desperate young mother who Chloe hired to help in the bookstore. She was interesting, I almost wanted Nathaniel to turn his attention to her and help her with her issues. This world could have been more ppealing with better fleshed out characters, snappier dialouge and maybe set to a faster pace, but for me it was just.... blah.
Favorite Quote:
"You don't play fair." She sighed into his kiss.
"I don't play with you." His eyes sparkled beneath the tiny Christmas lights. "Everything about you, I take very seriously." Threading his fingers through her hair, he brought a handful of curls to his nose. "From the way you smell." His lips closed over hers a second time. "To the way you taste." His calloused hands rubbed her bare shoulders. "To the way you feel. All of it, all of you, mean too much for me to play games."
Review posted at http://www.fictionvixen.com/review-so...
After seeing the cover for Soul Weaver, which is a pretty gold with the typical half-naked man on front with plenty of moobage showing, I decided to read the blurb to see if this was the same old paranormal or maybe something new. The premise sounded interesting, a world of fallen angels who collect or harvest damned souls so that they can be used in hell. I like books about angels, although I'm of the opinion that they are becoming as over used as say... vampires and werewolves, so I decided to give this one a chance. I"m sorry to say I didn't enjoy this book as much as I hoped I would.
Nathaniel is the Soul Weaver, he harvests the souls of the damned, sends them to Hell, or Dis, and then once a month he weaves his fellow fallen angels new wings with them. After a retrieval one day he happens upon a car accident where he sees a young woman dying. When no angels show up to take her soul to heaven he decides to alter fate and weave a piece of his soul to hers to keep her alive a bit longer so that she has a chance to live. He doesn't realize that by doing this he has set events into motion that will mark her soul as damned and force him to collect it later on as a harvester.
Chloe lives her life in fear after her accident, she has crippling nightmares that force her to take anxiety medication and has turned her into a recluse. The only life she has consists of her house and her bookstore. In essence she's trapped. An agoraphobic that hires other people to do things like buy her groceries, get her prescriptions and mail her packages. She goes out on a limb and hires not only a desperate young woman to work in her bookstore, but also a handyman to help her make repairs to her shop. She doesn't realise that she is living on borrowed time and her time is almost up.
I never really connected with either Chloe or Nathaniel, and I also never found them believable as a couple. I have no idea what Nathaniel found so wonderful about Chloe. She was lonely and sad, yes she was traumatized by her accident and nightmares, but after finding out her background she seems to have been lonely and sad even before those events. Chloe was just blah for me. When Nathaniel comes to claim her soul and realizes she is the same woman from the accident he morphs into some kind of lover-boy stalker. Your guess is as good as mine as to the why. Why a woman who has to take anti-anxiety medicine to function on an everyday basis isn't at least a little concerned by this attention is baffling. In fact Nathaniel seems to be the only thing that doesn't cause Chloe some kind of anxiety, a woman who also is a virgin who has never even been kissed. It was just weird. Their sexy scenes where blah to me too, in fact that's my theme word for today: blah. Blah characters, blah action scenes and blah sexy times.
The bad guy turns out to be Nathaniel's own brother, who is trying to find a way to bring back his lost love and thinks that Nathaniel's weaving shears is the only way to do it. I really couldn't figure out Saul either. Even after her death he is still so in love with his wife that he is trying to find a way to bring her back, but he treats their son together, that she ADORED, like complete shit. Huh? Color me confused. When the confrontation happens Chloe, who has been a scared little rabbit the entire book, turns into a super woman who saves the day. She not only leaves the house with no anxiety what so ever, but all of a sudden knows how to read minds and travel through time rips. I have to say, by this time I just didn't really even care anymore.
The only character I really liked was Neve, the desperate young mother who Chloe hired to help in the bookstore. She was interesting, I almost wanted Nathaniel to turn his attention to her and help her with her issues. This world could have been more ppealing with better fleshed out characters, snappier dialouge and maybe set to a faster pace, but for me it was just.... blah.
Favorite Quote:
"You don't play fair." She sighed into his kiss.
"I don't play with you." His eyes sparkled beneath the tiny Christmas lights. "Everything about you, I take very seriously." Threading his fingers through her hair, he brought a handful of curls to his nose. "From the way you smell." His lips closed over hers a second time. "To the way you taste." His calloused hands rubbed her bare shoulders. "To the way you feel. All of it, all of you, mean too much for me to play games."
July 27, 2012
Favorite Lines: "Sudden warmth ignited in his chest. "Do you feel that?" Love rushed through their bond until his head swam with the images she projected. "That's me, loving you with everything I've got. I told you, we're forever."" (p. 237, e-galley)
Soul Weaver is the newest addition to the angel/demon section of paranormal romance books. It's also book one in Hailey Edwards' Wicked Kin series.
I wasn't sure what to expect when I read the heroine was agoraphobic. It's kind of hard to accept that by the end of the story she will have a Happily Ever After. There just doesn't seem to be enough pages for her to overcome her mental illness, find love and defeat any other obstacles in her way. I also wondered about the world building. Would there be any since the heroine couldn't leave her home?
What I found was a mixed bag of answers. The world building came from the villain and hero. We learn the paranormal mythology as we watch them interact with their superiors and "co-workers." By watching them we see parallel worlds as rifts are slit in reality. We learn about angels, pits in hell and the fight for heaven, or as it's known in the series Aeristitia.
Nathaniel, the book's hero, is a soul harvester and a soul weaver. Soul harvesters are fallen angels who collect souls for the pits in hell. Those souls which are placed in the pits cannot be reborn. Nathaniel is no "regular" harvester. He fell after telling a lie while trying to protect his brother Saul. Nathaniel has a special position among the harvesters as weaver. When the angels fall they are stripped of their wings. Nathaniel uses collected souls to create a soul material to cover the bare bones which used to be wings. Nathaniel loves his nephilim nephew, as if the man were his own child.
The details about the hero show him to be a better human than paranormal creature. The very things that are acceptable and wanted in humans place Nathaniel in dangerous territory as a soul harvester. He is family oriented and looks to protect rather than maintain the big picture as an angel or soul harvester should.
The heroine, Chloe, was pretty uninspiring. I never really cared for her because she didn't do anything. I realize she has a mental illness, but it makes for pretty boring reading when the heroine stays in her bookstore or her apartment above the bookstore for 80 percent of the book. Chloe wants more, but is incapable of grabbing it because she is very aware of her limitations. To be honest, I was more interested in Chloe's new employee, Neve.
Neve is obviously in need. Her situation is danced around for a good portion of the story. Once more information about her is told I expected her story line to move. I just wanted it to do something. Instead it kind of fizzled out and there was no more about her. I'm hoping this is because she'll be a main character in a following book, but it drew attention to another female character who was introduced and shown as a jealous woman then forgotten.
Soul Weaver was a slow-moving horse until it broke into a sprint during the last 20 percent of the story. The agoraphobic heroine becomes capable of a HEA with her fallen angel. I'm not sure if the love was based on personalities falling in love or souls which were connected. I guess in the end I don't really care. I'm happy that two people found love, but I, myself, never fell in love with the story. It was okay, but not one that I'll read again. I'll definitely pick up the next book if it is about Neve or Nathaniel's nephew. Otherwise, I don't see myself doing more than checking the library for a copy if I've nothing else to read.
(BTW: Hailey Edwards is the author of a book called A Hint of Frost, which I enjoyed because it featured people with spider-like abilities.)
Scooper Speaks
Soul Weaver is the newest addition to the angel/demon section of paranormal romance books. It's also book one in Hailey Edwards' Wicked Kin series.
I wasn't sure what to expect when I read the heroine was agoraphobic. It's kind of hard to accept that by the end of the story she will have a Happily Ever After. There just doesn't seem to be enough pages for her to overcome her mental illness, find love and defeat any other obstacles in her way. I also wondered about the world building. Would there be any since the heroine couldn't leave her home?
What I found was a mixed bag of answers. The world building came from the villain and hero. We learn the paranormal mythology as we watch them interact with their superiors and "co-workers." By watching them we see parallel worlds as rifts are slit in reality. We learn about angels, pits in hell and the fight for heaven, or as it's known in the series Aeristitia.
Nathaniel, the book's hero, is a soul harvester and a soul weaver. Soul harvesters are fallen angels who collect souls for the pits in hell. Those souls which are placed in the pits cannot be reborn. Nathaniel is no "regular" harvester. He fell after telling a lie while trying to protect his brother Saul. Nathaniel has a special position among the harvesters as weaver. When the angels fall they are stripped of their wings. Nathaniel uses collected souls to create a soul material to cover the bare bones which used to be wings. Nathaniel loves his nephilim nephew, as if the man were his own child.
The details about the hero show him to be a better human than paranormal creature. The very things that are acceptable and wanted in humans place Nathaniel in dangerous territory as a soul harvester. He is family oriented and looks to protect rather than maintain the big picture as an angel or soul harvester should.
The heroine, Chloe, was pretty uninspiring. I never really cared for her because she didn't do anything. I realize she has a mental illness, but it makes for pretty boring reading when the heroine stays in her bookstore or her apartment above the bookstore for 80 percent of the book. Chloe wants more, but is incapable of grabbing it because she is very aware of her limitations. To be honest, I was more interested in Chloe's new employee, Neve.
Neve is obviously in need. Her situation is danced around for a good portion of the story. Once more information about her is told I expected her story line to move. I just wanted it to do something. Instead it kind of fizzled out and there was no more about her. I'm hoping this is because she'll be a main character in a following book, but it drew attention to another female character who was introduced and shown as a jealous woman then forgotten.
Soul Weaver was a slow-moving horse until it broke into a sprint during the last 20 percent of the story. The agoraphobic heroine becomes capable of a HEA with her fallen angel. I'm not sure if the love was based on personalities falling in love or souls which were connected. I guess in the end I don't really care. I'm happy that two people found love, but I, myself, never fell in love with the story. It was okay, but not one that I'll read again. I'll definitely pick up the next book if it is about Neve or Nathaniel's nephew. Otherwise, I don't see myself doing more than checking the library for a copy if I've nothing else to read.
(BTW: Hailey Edwards is the author of a book called A Hint of Frost, which I enjoyed because it featured people with spider-like abilities.)
Scooper Speaks
February 5, 2017
Originally reviewed at Dark Faerie Tales: http://darkfaerietales.com/review-sou...
Quick & Dirty: A strange romance and a different take on soul reapers may either leave you shaking your head or enjoying the romance for what it is.
The Review:
Soul Weaver offers up a different take on the grim/soul collector mythology. The story begins with Nathaniel as he is collecting a soul. It is not an entirely pretty process with the victim pleading to live. When he leaves he comes across an accident involving a woman with a beautiful soul. The only problem is he only takes bad/damned souls and no angels are coming for the woman’s soul. She has developed no attachments to the world so her soul is blind to them. So Nathan does the only thing he can think of – save her life – even though he risks his own in the process.
Chloe knows she should have died in the car wreck. Soon after she begins to have debilitating nightmares of a strange man ripping souls from people. She is oblivious to the fight for her own soul. These nightmares and the accident have triggered Chloe’s agoraphobia. She no longer leaves home and she has trust issues. Chloe also really needs help running the bookstore her parents owned – conveniently run below her apartment – so she seeks help. Neve answers the help wanted ad. She is a strong willed young woman with secrets of her own and she helps Chloe in ways that Chloe never would have thought possible. And then another mysterious stranger shows up at her door offering help that she just can’t refuse.
Nathaniel didn’t realize the damage he would cause Chloe and her now damned soul. He was hoping an attachment with Neve would help Chloe’s soul ascend to heaven. Chloe and Nathan each feel an attraction for the other but believe that acting on it would go nowhere. Chloe doesn’t want to burden him with her phobias and Nathan has been forbidden from human love and attraction.
Soul Weaver is told from Nathan, Chloe and few other soul collectors’ third person point of views. The grim/soul collectors in Soul Weaver are quite different. They only take damned souls while angels come to take the pure and attached souls. There is a hierarchy of jobs and an interesting take on their wings hence the “weaver” title. I will say that I am a little confused as to why soul collecting was the way it is, how come Chloe’s soul was unattached when she had parents even though they had already passed on?.
This novel is an interesting paranormal romance with some good and bad parts. If you don’t mind a virgin love interest in a self-imposed cage, then you may like Chloe. She does knock down some walls in her psyche as the story goes and she is definitely not the same person that she starts out as. There is some action but most of the tension in this novel involves Chloe working through her misgivings and Nathan figuring out how to save her. There was one thing that did baffle me about the story. I figured Chloe was dreaming of Nathan, since she had a part of his soul in her but she didn’t react to him when she first saw him. I thought she had either been dreaming about his past exploits or she could see him as he was now when he collected. I was quite surprised when that wasn’t the case.
Overall, if you like your novels a little different then you may want to give Soul Weaver a try. I enjoyed the otherworld mythology enough that I would give a second novel in this series a try.
Quick & Dirty: A strange romance and a different take on soul reapers may either leave you shaking your head or enjoying the romance for what it is.
The Review:
Soul Weaver offers up a different take on the grim/soul collector mythology. The story begins with Nathaniel as he is collecting a soul. It is not an entirely pretty process with the victim pleading to live. When he leaves he comes across an accident involving a woman with a beautiful soul. The only problem is he only takes bad/damned souls and no angels are coming for the woman’s soul. She has developed no attachments to the world so her soul is blind to them. So Nathan does the only thing he can think of – save her life – even though he risks his own in the process.
Chloe knows she should have died in the car wreck. Soon after she begins to have debilitating nightmares of a strange man ripping souls from people. She is oblivious to the fight for her own soul. These nightmares and the accident have triggered Chloe’s agoraphobia. She no longer leaves home and she has trust issues. Chloe also really needs help running the bookstore her parents owned – conveniently run below her apartment – so she seeks help. Neve answers the help wanted ad. She is a strong willed young woman with secrets of her own and she helps Chloe in ways that Chloe never would have thought possible. And then another mysterious stranger shows up at her door offering help that she just can’t refuse.
Nathaniel didn’t realize the damage he would cause Chloe and her now damned soul. He was hoping an attachment with Neve would help Chloe’s soul ascend to heaven. Chloe and Nathan each feel an attraction for the other but believe that acting on it would go nowhere. Chloe doesn’t want to burden him with her phobias and Nathan has been forbidden from human love and attraction.
Soul Weaver is told from Nathan, Chloe and few other soul collectors’ third person point of views. The grim/soul collectors in Soul Weaver are quite different. They only take damned souls while angels come to take the pure and attached souls. There is a hierarchy of jobs and an interesting take on their wings hence the “weaver” title. I will say that I am a little confused as to why soul collecting was the way it is, how come Chloe’s soul was unattached when she had parents even though they had already passed on?.
This novel is an interesting paranormal romance with some good and bad parts. If you don’t mind a virgin love interest in a self-imposed cage, then you may like Chloe. She does knock down some walls in her psyche as the story goes and she is definitely not the same person that she starts out as. There is some action but most of the tension in this novel involves Chloe working through her misgivings and Nathan figuring out how to save her. There was one thing that did baffle me about the story. I figured Chloe was dreaming of Nathan, since she had a part of his soul in her but she didn’t react to him when she first saw him. I thought she had either been dreaming about his past exploits or she could see him as he was now when he collected. I was quite surprised when that wasn’t the case.
Overall, if you like your novels a little different then you may want to give Soul Weaver a try. I enjoyed the otherworld mythology enough that I would give a second novel in this series a try.
July 13, 2012
Rating: DNF ... Heat: Warm
Chloe McCrea was supposed to die. Her vehicle struck head-on by a semi, there wasn’t much chance at surviving the accident. That is, if Nathaniel Berwyn hadn’t witnessed the crash. Not allowed to interfere in mortal life or death scenarios, Nathaniel finds himself drawn to the scene by Chloe’s soul. Bright and shiny and good, it’s a refreshing change from the dark and filthy souls he usually sees.
Nathaniel is a fallen angel—a soul weaver and harvester. He is charged with collecting corrupted souls and then weaving them into cloth for his and his fellow fallen angels featherless wings.
As he stands next to Chloe’s body, watching her die, he waits for an angel to come and collect her soul and take it to Heaven. When none show up, he realizes that somehow Chloe has no tethers to her soul—no one who loves her or whom she loves in return. So her heavenly beacon won’t work. No angels, no escort to Heaven. Her soul will simply linger.
Knowing he shouldn’t, Nathaniel takes drastic efforts to keep her soul in her body so that paramedics can arrive and resuscitate her. And from that point on, both Nathaniel and Chloe’s lives are going to get messy.
I enjoyed the beginning of this book, the world-building and the mythos. It was an interesting take on angel/demon mythology that I’ve never read before. It reminded me a bit of some sort of Larissa Ione’s Demonica series meets Nalini Singh’s Guild Hunter series combo… while being uniquely it’s own thing. It really snagged my attention.
And, at first, so did Chloe’s agoraphobia. I thought, ‘A heroine afraid to leave her home? That’s new.’ Unfortunately, then my thoughts quickly became, ‘This heroine doesn’t leave her home. Not much happens to a person who doesn’t leave their home.’ It really was about as boring as it sounds and completely bogged the story down.
I spent 40% of the book reading about Chloe’s day to day activities in her book store or above it in her apartment. Over and over. At one point, seven or more pages are dedicated to Chloe helping her friend’s two kids put a movie in the DVD player, order a pizza, eat said pizza, call a cab for her friend and the two kids to get home in… and then go to bed.
It was not enough. By the time action and intrigue kicked in again, I had pretty much lost all interest. It took me three days to get to the 83% marker… Where I decided to just give up. Which I hate to do.
Soul Weaver has quite a bit going for it. Unique world, appealing characters, sharp writing… but it was missing that something for me. That punch. That panache.
Favorite Quote:
When she turned, she smiled up at him. “I should have planned this better. Dimmed lights, poured wine, done something to seduce you.”
“Your every breath seduces me.” He cradled her face in his hands, leaned in close enough her tongue could have traced his lips.
-- A Romantic Book Affairs Review
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Chloe McCrea was supposed to die. Her vehicle struck head-on by a semi, there wasn’t much chance at surviving the accident. That is, if Nathaniel Berwyn hadn’t witnessed the crash. Not allowed to interfere in mortal life or death scenarios, Nathaniel finds himself drawn to the scene by Chloe’s soul. Bright and shiny and good, it’s a refreshing change from the dark and filthy souls he usually sees.
Nathaniel is a fallen angel—a soul weaver and harvester. He is charged with collecting corrupted souls and then weaving them into cloth for his and his fellow fallen angels featherless wings.
As he stands next to Chloe’s body, watching her die, he waits for an angel to come and collect her soul and take it to Heaven. When none show up, he realizes that somehow Chloe has no tethers to her soul—no one who loves her or whom she loves in return. So her heavenly beacon won’t work. No angels, no escort to Heaven. Her soul will simply linger.
Knowing he shouldn’t, Nathaniel takes drastic efforts to keep her soul in her body so that paramedics can arrive and resuscitate her. And from that point on, both Nathaniel and Chloe’s lives are going to get messy.
I enjoyed the beginning of this book, the world-building and the mythos. It was an interesting take on angel/demon mythology that I’ve never read before. It reminded me a bit of some sort of Larissa Ione’s Demonica series meets Nalini Singh’s Guild Hunter series combo… while being uniquely it’s own thing. It really snagged my attention.
And, at first, so did Chloe’s agoraphobia. I thought, ‘A heroine afraid to leave her home? That’s new.’ Unfortunately, then my thoughts quickly became, ‘This heroine doesn’t leave her home. Not much happens to a person who doesn’t leave their home.’ It really was about as boring as it sounds and completely bogged the story down.
I spent 40% of the book reading about Chloe’s day to day activities in her book store or above it in her apartment. Over and over. At one point, seven or more pages are dedicated to Chloe helping her friend’s two kids put a movie in the DVD player, order a pizza, eat said pizza, call a cab for her friend and the two kids to get home in… and then go to bed.
It was not enough. By the time action and intrigue kicked in again, I had pretty much lost all interest. It took me three days to get to the 83% marker… Where I decided to just give up. Which I hate to do.
Soul Weaver has quite a bit going for it. Unique world, appealing characters, sharp writing… but it was missing that something for me. That punch. That panache.
Favorite Quote:
When she turned, she smiled up at him. “I should have planned this better. Dimmed lights, poured wine, done something to seduce you.”
“Your every breath seduces me.” He cradled her face in his hands, leaned in close enough her tongue could have traced his lips.
-- A Romantic Book Affairs Review
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August 13, 2012
Soul Weaver is the first book in the Wicked Kin series and the first book I've read by Hailey Edwards. The world that Ms. Edwards has created is a very interesting one and I really connected with the main character, Chloe. Soul Weaver sucked me in from the first chapter and I feel that the series has a lot of potential for development.
Chloe is a loner who lives above her family's bookstore and has no ties to anyone. She's lived with agoraphobia her whole life and never made friends or attended school. Nathanial is a fallen angel who happens to be a soul weaver. He harvests the souls of people who have done despicable things and uses them to create wings for his fallen brethren. Nathanial doesn't like his job but he'll do what he must to protect Bran, his Nephilim nephew.
One night while out reaping souls, Nathanial came across a car accident. He is not allowed to interfere and should keep his distance but he feels drawn to the disaster. He discovers a dying girl whose soul is the brightest he's seen since he fell from grace. He expects his angelic brothers to come and take her soul but they don't. The girl has no ties and instead of moving on to heaven, her soul will be lost. Nathanial has seen atrocity-after-atrocity and can't live with her lost soul on his conscience. He decides to save her, knowing that he will be punished for the deed. Little did he know that by saving Chloe's soul from being lost that he ended up binding himself to her and damning her.
Though there wasn't a lot of action in Soul Weaver, it was an emotional read. Other than Nathanial's asshat brother, the characters were very likeable and the chemistry between the main characters was very believable and touching. I saw so much of myself in Chloe that at times it was kinda scary. Hailey Edwards really understands (whether from personal experience or from vast amounts of research) what it is like for a person who suffers from panic attacks and agoraphobia. These are issues that I don't recall ever reading about in the paranormal genre and it made for interesting conflict within not only Chloe but for her relationship with Nathanial as well. Living with mental illness, regardless of the type, is beyond difficult so kudos to Ms. Edwards for bringing those issues to light in a positive way and showing the world just how hard simply taking a step out of your comfort zone can be for some people.
Soul Weaver was a great beginning to a series I'm looking forward to getting more involved with. These aren't your typical fallen angels and Chloe now has to step way outside of her comfort zone if she and Nathanial want to find out who the big bad is. I look forward to reading book two and am very curious if the series will continue on from Chloe and Nathanial's POV or if it will be about someone else.
Chloe is a loner who lives above her family's bookstore and has no ties to anyone. She's lived with agoraphobia her whole life and never made friends or attended school. Nathanial is a fallen angel who happens to be a soul weaver. He harvests the souls of people who have done despicable things and uses them to create wings for his fallen brethren. Nathanial doesn't like his job but he'll do what he must to protect Bran, his Nephilim nephew.
One night while out reaping souls, Nathanial came across a car accident. He is not allowed to interfere and should keep his distance but he feels drawn to the disaster. He discovers a dying girl whose soul is the brightest he's seen since he fell from grace. He expects his angelic brothers to come and take her soul but they don't. The girl has no ties and instead of moving on to heaven, her soul will be lost. Nathanial has seen atrocity-after-atrocity and can't live with her lost soul on his conscience. He decides to save her, knowing that he will be punished for the deed. Little did he know that by saving Chloe's soul from being lost that he ended up binding himself to her and damning her.
Though there wasn't a lot of action in Soul Weaver, it was an emotional read. Other than Nathanial's asshat brother, the characters were very likeable and the chemistry between the main characters was very believable and touching. I saw so much of myself in Chloe that at times it was kinda scary. Hailey Edwards really understands (whether from personal experience or from vast amounts of research) what it is like for a person who suffers from panic attacks and agoraphobia. These are issues that I don't recall ever reading about in the paranormal genre and it made for interesting conflict within not only Chloe but for her relationship with Nathanial as well. Living with mental illness, regardless of the type, is beyond difficult so kudos to Ms. Edwards for bringing those issues to light in a positive way and showing the world just how hard simply taking a step out of your comfort zone can be for some people.
Soul Weaver was a great beginning to a series I'm looking forward to getting more involved with. These aren't your typical fallen angels and Chloe now has to step way outside of her comfort zone if she and Nathanial want to find out who the big bad is. I look forward to reading book two and am very curious if the series will continue on from Chloe and Nathanial's POV or if it will be about someone else.
August 7, 2012
Soul Weaver by Hailey Edwards is the first novel in the Wicked Kin Series. I read the book description of this book and I knew that this was something for me to read and it didn’t disappoint me.
Nathaniel was an archangel before he fell from Heaven for covering up his brother Saul’s forbidden love with a human woman. The punishment; losing his wings and work for the ruler of Hell, Delphi. Now Nathaniel is the Weaver of Souls and collects corrupted souls for Delphi. Nathaniel knows he cannot break the rules again; otherwise he will be ending in the pit of hell himself. But he cannot help himself when he accidentally is witness of a car accident and save a pure soul by bonding a piece of his own soul to hers and gives her a second chance in life.
Chloe McCrea is the woman who survived the tremendous car accident, which turned her life upside down. Since the accident she’s having nightmares and the fear to go outside her home and beloved bookstore gets worse by the day.. When she meets Nathaniel for the first time, she knows he is dangerous but that doesn’t stop the huge attraction towards him.
The moment Nathaniel realizes that his act to save Chloe that year ago, turns out the wrong way and marks her as his soul to collect he knows that he has to save her again, which means breaking the rules all over again.
I loved Chloe and Nathaniel, I believe they make a great couple and I’m definitely happy with the outcome at the end of the book. The only issue I had was the fear Chloe had for going outside, almost the whole book she was frightened but for some reason that disappeared at the end of the book. I would like to see a more smoothed way to overcome her fear.
Since this was my first read by Hailey Edwards I couldn’t compare this work to other books written by her. But I liked her writing and the way she created this world, it has potential for an interesting series. So I’m definitely going to check out the next novel in these fallen angels series. Because I cannot wait to read more about Reuel and Bran, they really need a book of their own.
I received this novel as an ARC, courtesy of NetGalley
Nathaniel was an archangel before he fell from Heaven for covering up his brother Saul’s forbidden love with a human woman. The punishment; losing his wings and work for the ruler of Hell, Delphi. Now Nathaniel is the Weaver of Souls and collects corrupted souls for Delphi. Nathaniel knows he cannot break the rules again; otherwise he will be ending in the pit of hell himself. But he cannot help himself when he accidentally is witness of a car accident and save a pure soul by bonding a piece of his own soul to hers and gives her a second chance in life.
Chloe McCrea is the woman who survived the tremendous car accident, which turned her life upside down. Since the accident she’s having nightmares and the fear to go outside her home and beloved bookstore gets worse by the day.. When she meets Nathaniel for the first time, she knows he is dangerous but that doesn’t stop the huge attraction towards him.
The moment Nathaniel realizes that his act to save Chloe that year ago, turns out the wrong way and marks her as his soul to collect he knows that he has to save her again, which means breaking the rules all over again.
I loved Chloe and Nathaniel, I believe they make a great couple and I’m definitely happy with the outcome at the end of the book. The only issue I had was the fear Chloe had for going outside, almost the whole book she was frightened but for some reason that disappeared at the end of the book. I would like to see a more smoothed way to overcome her fear.
Since this was my first read by Hailey Edwards I couldn’t compare this work to other books written by her. But I liked her writing and the way she created this world, it has potential for an interesting series. So I’m definitely going to check out the next novel in these fallen angels series. Because I cannot wait to read more about Reuel and Bran, they really need a book of their own.
I received this novel as an ARC, courtesy of NetGalley
February 15, 2014
Reviewed by Crystal
Book provided by NetGalley for review
Review originally posted at Romancing the Book
I had mixed feelings when I started reading Soul Weaver.
Nathaniel was an angel that lied for his brother so now he works for the Devil. He has to control the shears that helps cut souls to make wings. He handles darkness all the time. When he sees an accident and notices a bright soul, well he decides to save it. He cuts a piece of himself and puts it in the whole in her chest to make her soul stay in her body. Needless to say he didn’t know that he had damned her soul.
Chloe suffers from agoraphobia. Since her accident she suffers nightmares and panic attacks. She depends on other people to get her groceries and run her errands that she has. She hires a woman to help her run the day to day business. She also has some scars.
The plot to the story was good. It had some parts that really kept your interest and then other parts that seemed to just drag on. I think some things in the book didn’t need as much detail as others. I liked the whole good versus evil. There was also people you thought were good really was bad and vice versa.
I don’t know if the reason they feel in love was because their souls were entwined or because they really loved each other. I could see the attraction. They each helped the other out. Chloe brought light into Nathaniel’s life. Nathaniel was there to help Chloe become a person again and not a hermit.
There was just so much going on in this book. There was action, suspense, love, and betrayal. I was glad that Nathaniel stepped in and took over raising his nephew Bran. I couldn’t imagine loving a person so bad that I would hate the kid because they lived while the other person died.
I believe that this is a great start to a series and that the books will just get better as the author gets more into writing the series. Like I said I didn’t like how it wasn’t as smooth and kept my attention all the way. I did get into it and it makes me want to read the next book.
Book provided by NetGalley for review
Review originally posted at Romancing the Book
I had mixed feelings when I started reading Soul Weaver.
Nathaniel was an angel that lied for his brother so now he works for the Devil. He has to control the shears that helps cut souls to make wings. He handles darkness all the time. When he sees an accident and notices a bright soul, well he decides to save it. He cuts a piece of himself and puts it in the whole in her chest to make her soul stay in her body. Needless to say he didn’t know that he had damned her soul.
Chloe suffers from agoraphobia. Since her accident she suffers nightmares and panic attacks. She depends on other people to get her groceries and run her errands that she has. She hires a woman to help her run the day to day business. She also has some scars.
The plot to the story was good. It had some parts that really kept your interest and then other parts that seemed to just drag on. I think some things in the book didn’t need as much detail as others. I liked the whole good versus evil. There was also people you thought were good really was bad and vice versa.
I don’t know if the reason they feel in love was because their souls were entwined or because they really loved each other. I could see the attraction. They each helped the other out. Chloe brought light into Nathaniel’s life. Nathaniel was there to help Chloe become a person again and not a hermit.
There was just so much going on in this book. There was action, suspense, love, and betrayal. I was glad that Nathaniel stepped in and took over raising his nephew Bran. I couldn’t imagine loving a person so bad that I would hate the kid because they lived while the other person died.
I believe that this is a great start to a series and that the books will just get better as the author gets more into writing the series. Like I said I didn’t like how it wasn’t as smooth and kept my attention all the way. I did get into it and it makes me want to read the next book.
August 16, 2014
4.5 stars
Archangels, fallen angels, demons... *le sigh* That's basically what my brain picked up when I first read the blurb to Soul Weaver. That is, after I stopped drooling at the cover. Seriously, that is one hawt cover!
One thing I loved about this book, besides the paranormal theme, was Chloe's agoraphobia. Wait, that sounds bad, I know. I didn't love that she had it, I loved the way it was portrayed. It was extremely accurate and for a few moments, as I was reading about Chloe's episodes, I was sucked in, almost feeling her fears as if they were my own. It was very vivid and frightening and it showed how debilitating it was for Chloe to have it, how scary. I think everyone that has a phobia or at least a great fear of something can probably relate to how Chloe is feeling (I know I do).
Then there's Nathaniel. There's just something about him, you know? Besides the fact that he's a fallen angel, besides the aura of danger that surrounds him, there's something incredibly hot about him. I mean really, what guy (or angel guy) can work his ass off on a porch and be sexy? Well, Nathaniel does it.
Chloe was interesting. Besides her "small" problem, she seems like a normal person. I liked the fact that you can see how by the end of the book she's a totally different person. She seemed more confident and stronger than when the book started. And I liked her, despite being a heroine who couldn't do much because of her phobia. Maybe that's why I liked her? I mean she was unique in that way, I don't think I've ever read about a character with agoraphobia before.
Soul Weaver was a good start for a series and I liked the mythology used in this series. And it was really fast paced without feeling rushed. I'm curious what happens next. I'd definitely recommend this book ;)
Archangels, fallen angels, demons... *le sigh* That's basically what my brain picked up when I first read the blurb to Soul Weaver. That is, after I stopped drooling at the cover. Seriously, that is one hawt cover!
One thing I loved about this book, besides the paranormal theme, was Chloe's agoraphobia. Wait, that sounds bad, I know. I didn't love that she had it, I loved the way it was portrayed. It was extremely accurate and for a few moments, as I was reading about Chloe's episodes, I was sucked in, almost feeling her fears as if they were my own. It was very vivid and frightening and it showed how debilitating it was for Chloe to have it, how scary. I think everyone that has a phobia or at least a great fear of something can probably relate to how Chloe is feeling (I know I do).
Then there's Nathaniel. There's just something about him, you know? Besides the fact that he's a fallen angel, besides the aura of danger that surrounds him, there's something incredibly hot about him. I mean really, what guy (or angel guy) can work his ass off on a porch and be sexy? Well, Nathaniel does it.
Chloe was interesting. Besides her "small" problem, she seems like a normal person. I liked the fact that you can see how by the end of the book she's a totally different person. She seemed more confident and stronger than when the book started. And I liked her, despite being a heroine who couldn't do much because of her phobia. Maybe that's why I liked her? I mean she was unique in that way, I don't think I've ever read about a character with agoraphobia before.
Soul Weaver was a good start for a series and I liked the mythology used in this series. And it was really fast paced without feeling rushed. I'm curious what happens next. I'd definitely recommend this book ;)
May 10, 2013
Review originally featured on Bookluvrs Haven.
I have read a few angel novels lately. Some are more memorable than others. Though this story was interesting, and I did enjoy it, it is a novel that is somewhat forgettable.
Chloe was an interesting character because of her agoraphobia. Her first meeting with Archangel Nathaniel, leaves her scarred with this psychological illness, but the good news is, she is alive. But to keep her alive, Nathaniel takes immeasurable risk. The unbalance he has caused by saving her life causes a domino effect that he is not sure how to rectify.
Chloe, as a character, was not very memorable, even with such a juicy backstory. Though this love story is filled with promises of yearning sighs, and prickling tears in the back of your eyes, I didn't find myself as engrossed in this story as I hoped to be. There was also a lack of connection for me with the villains of this story. The plot was too intricate, and I never quite understood who was good, and who was evil, or how their agendas were playing out. The world building was slightly confusing at times, as well as some of the characters introduced.
Despite all that, their story was as sweet as promised. Though the story built slowly, when there was action, it was interesting. There were a couple of sighs, and a little prickle of moisture in my eyes. At least, the romantic aspect of the story did, in fact, deliver.
The story was certainly unique, and the characters were either beings that I have not encountered in other books before and therefore original. This may be quite an appealing read for romance fans looking for a novel with some interesting mythology, angels and demons, and beings that don't quite fall into one category or the other.
I have read a few angel novels lately. Some are more memorable than others. Though this story was interesting, and I did enjoy it, it is a novel that is somewhat forgettable.
Chloe was an interesting character because of her agoraphobia. Her first meeting with Archangel Nathaniel, leaves her scarred with this psychological illness, but the good news is, she is alive. But to keep her alive, Nathaniel takes immeasurable risk. The unbalance he has caused by saving her life causes a domino effect that he is not sure how to rectify.
Chloe, as a character, was not very memorable, even with such a juicy backstory. Though this love story is filled with promises of yearning sighs, and prickling tears in the back of your eyes, I didn't find myself as engrossed in this story as I hoped to be. There was also a lack of connection for me with the villains of this story. The plot was too intricate, and I never quite understood who was good, and who was evil, or how their agendas were playing out. The world building was slightly confusing at times, as well as some of the characters introduced.
Despite all that, their story was as sweet as promised. Though the story built slowly, when there was action, it was interesting. There were a couple of sighs, and a little prickle of moisture in my eyes. At least, the romantic aspect of the story did, in fact, deliver.
The story was certainly unique, and the characters were either beings that I have not encountered in other books before and therefore original. This may be quite an appealing read for romance fans looking for a novel with some interesting mythology, angels and demons, and beings that don't quite fall into one category or the other.
August 11, 2012
I suppose that my problem with this book is that I never connected with Chloe as a character. She’s agoraphobic and completely anti-social, so much of the book happens inside her bookstore where she lives. And frankly, she’s boring and unlikable. I really didn’t enjoy any of her scenes. On the flipside, I liked Nathaniel’s narrative. He was a flawed character, but had some very redeeming qualities. There did seem to be too much emphasis on his amazing shirtless body when it was in Chloe’s POV…annoying. Nave was an amazing supporting character – she seemed more fleshed out than Chloe.
The chemistry between Chloe and Nathaniel felt forced. Nathaniel was a complete creeper in the book and with someone that’s agoraphobic, it didn’t make sense that he was the one thing that didn’t freak out Chloe.
I wish there was more world-building done, as it touched on very unique versions of Heaven and Hell…called Dis and some long name that I forgot.
As for the plot and pacing, I really struggled to stay focused after the first few chapters. I put the book down every time it switched back to Chloe’s POV. Just another scene in the bookstore with her being anxious and scared of going outside. Boring. The climax started great – and then it took a turn for the HEA ending and a lot of things fell into place for convenience sake and not because it really made sense with how I thought the story would turn out.
Overall, I think the limitations on Chloe’s personality disorder really limited the potential for this book to shine. Also near the end, she completely switches up her personality so you wouldn’t know it was her without the dialogue tags. Didn’t make sense. Her character ruined this book for me. Rest of it was pretty good.
The chemistry between Chloe and Nathaniel felt forced. Nathaniel was a complete creeper in the book and with someone that’s agoraphobic, it didn’t make sense that he was the one thing that didn’t freak out Chloe.
I wish there was more world-building done, as it touched on very unique versions of Heaven and Hell…called Dis and some long name that I forgot.
As for the plot and pacing, I really struggled to stay focused after the first few chapters. I put the book down every time it switched back to Chloe’s POV. Just another scene in the bookstore with her being anxious and scared of going outside. Boring. The climax started great – and then it took a turn for the HEA ending and a lot of things fell into place for convenience sake and not because it really made sense with how I thought the story would turn out.
Overall, I think the limitations on Chloe’s personality disorder really limited the potential for this book to shine. Also near the end, she completely switches up her personality so you wouldn’t know it was her without the dialogue tags. Didn’t make sense. Her character ruined this book for me. Rest of it was pretty good.
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