Thief of Souls

The Star Shards Chronicles #2

by Neal Shusterman

A group of monumentally powerful teens must face an ancient, soul-eating foe in this second book of The Star Shards Chronicles.

A cataclysmic explosion has given earthly teens astronomical powers—when the star Mentarsus-H went supernova at their conceptions, the teens absorbed the shattered soul of the star and inherited unimaginable abilities. Now the Star Shards have become like gods, drunk on their own power—and ripe for manipulation by The Bringer, a creature who would turn them against one another and transform the planet into his own personal feeding ground. But who is more dangerous: The Bringer or the Star Shards?

Acclaimed author Neal Shusterman presents “a story which is grippingly unexpected” (The Bookwatch) that sets the stage for the riveting conclusion to The Star Shards trilogy.

Originally published by Tor Fantasy in 1999.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Science Fiction, Fiction, Paranormal, Supernatural, Urban Fantasy

304 pages, ebook

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Award-winning author Neal Shusterman grew up in Brooklyn, New York, where he began writing at an early age. After spending his junior and senior years of high school at the American School of Mexico City, Neal went on to UC Irvine, where he made his mark on the UCI swim team, and wrote a successful humor column. Within a year of graduating, he had his first book deal, and was hired to write a movie script.

In the years since, Neal has made his mark as a successful novelist, screenwriter, and television writer. As a full-time writer, he claims to be his own hardest task-master, always at work creating new stories to tell. His books have received many awards from organizations such as the International Reading Association, and the American Library Association, as well as garnering a myriad of state and local awards across the country. Neal's talents range from film directing (two short films he directed won him the coveted CINE Golden Eagle Awards) to writing music and stage plays – including book and lyrical contributions to “American Twistory,” which is currently playing in Boston. He has even tried his hand at creating Games, having developed three successful "How to Host a Mystery" game for teens, as well as seven "How to Host a Murder" games.

As a screen and TV writer, Neal has written for the "Goosebumps" and “Animorphs” TV series, and wrote the Disney Channel Original Movie “Pixel Perfect”. Currently Neal is adapting his novel Everlost as a feature film for Universal Studios.

Wherever Neal goes, he quickly earns a reputation as a storyteller and dynamic speaker. Much of his fiction is traceable back to stories he tells to large audiences of children and teenagers -- such as his novel The Eyes of Kid Midas. As a speaker, Neal is in constant demand at schools and conferences. Degrees in both psychology and drama give Neal a unique approach to writing. Neal's novels always deal with topics that appeal to adults as well as teens, weaving true-to-life characters into sensitive and riveting issues, and binding it all together with a unique and entertaining sense of humor.

Of Everlost, School Library Journal wrote: “Shusterman has reimagined what happens after death and questions power and the meaning of charity. While all this is going on, he has also managed to write a rip-roaring adventure…”

Of What Daddy Did, Voice of Youth Advocates wrote; "This is a compelling, spell-binding story... A stunning novel, impossible to put down once begun.

Of The Schwa Was Here, School Library Journal wrote: “Shusterman's characters–reminiscent of those crafted by E. L. Konigsburg and Jerry Spinelli–are infused with the kind of controlled, precocious improbability that magically vivifies the finest children's classics.

Of Scorpion Shards, Publisher's Weekly wrote: "Shusterman takes an outlandish comic-book concept, and, through the sheer audacity and breadth of his imagination makes it stunningly believable. A spellbinder."

And of The Eyes of Kid Midas, The Midwest Book Review wrote "This wins our vote as one of the best young-adult titles of the year" and was called "Inspired and hypnotically readable" by School Library Journal.

Neal Shusterman lives in Southern California with his children Brendan, Jarrod, Joelle, and Erin, who are a constant source of inspiration!

Reviews

[Neil Franz · Rating 4 out of 5]

If Scorpion Shards (the first book in this trilogy) is about fears and nightmares and how to face them, Thief of Souls is about strength and insane abilities and how to control them. Like they say, great power comes great responsibility.

Thief of Souls is a mix of mythology, paranormal and coming of age. But the way I see it, it is more of coming of age to me-- of self-discovery, growth, personal and social responsibility and the like. It was a character-driven story that has been told in an action-packed, dangerous and thought-provoking way.

Taking it to from the other side, I thought this was a pretty interesting and thrilling ride of adventure. The concept of unimaginable abilities has been utilized well, not just for the psycholgical aspect but paranormal, too.

All in all, this was a better sequel. And I'm excited to read how the final book will deliver.

[Choco Con Churros · Rating 4 out of 5]

Este me gustó bastante más que el primero.
Parecía mejor escrito y la trama más redonda. Ahora ya en plena posesión de sus superpoderes en lugar de víctimas de ellos, se enfrentan no obstante a la contrapartida de los mismos y al inicio de la soberbia inevitable de saberse con tales capacidades en actos de aparente altruismo que en el fondo no son tales, lo que los deja abiertos al ladrón de almas del título que los manipula a placer según sus respectivas debilidades y de paso se pega un atracón que bien podría acabar con la vida en la tierra.
Una historia redonda y bien contada que me tuvo en vilo de principio a fin. GL (Neal Shusterman)

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a little bit unsureface about the rating I chose for this book. I have literally been debating between three and four stars for two days, since I finished, and decided to ultimately go with four because of the marked improvement in almost everything about this book.

Here are the things I did not like.

1. Gross things involving tragic gays. One of my favorite characters in the series overall is revealed to be gay in this book and is absolutely surrounded by people who want to ~turn him straight. Some pretty upsetting stuff happens to him that was really hard to read not only because it was just plain awful but because it seemed more a plot point in another, straight character's story arc than anything directly to do with the gay character. In other words, his sexuality was being used as a tool to develop someone else's character, and that's incredibly uncute. I'm less angry about this than I was, having now read a good portion of Shattered Sky, because said character gets a lot more time and space to develop and react to his own trauma, but it was still pretty gross.

2. Some representation of genderqueer folks that had me looking askance. I would have taken off a LOT more for this if it were not for the fact that it seems to have been mostly awkward wording on the author's part. Still, the fact that a character is repeatedly negatively described as neither a man nor a woman and reacted to with revulsion because of it is a huge turn-off. Unfortunately, having read some of Shattered Stars, this particular tendency of the authors definitely does not get better, and I'd warn new readers to be cautious of it before investing time in the latter two books of the series.

3. Some fat shaming creeping in. This was always kind of on the edges with the nature of Lourdes's shard powers, but it gets more explicit in Thief of Souls, and while I'm used to that, especially in young adult literature, that doesn't mean I have to like it.

4. Mystical Native American trope, why this. It's not as played up as it could be but STILL, SHUSTERMAN, SERIOUSLY.

All of this is a huge shame, I think, because the rest of this book was pretty much perfect. The technical issues of the first book have been cleared up entirely: no more overuse of italics, punctuation, etc.; pacing is even better and more compelling, the characters more complex, and the danger more dangerous. I would have given this book five stars if it hadn't been for the above, which, again, didn't seem intentionally cruel, just misguided and ignorant. Even so, they were jarring and disturbing and took away significantly from my enjoyment of the book, and I'd definitely warn others who want to read these about those issues, just as the person who recommended these books warned me.

[Josiah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Is a reunion brewing for the "Others" in Thief of Souls, book two of the Star Shards Chronicles? You know the answer. Still mourning Deanna Chang's demise at the end of Scorpion Shards, Dillon Cole is doing his best to elude notoriety for his supernatural skills. Followers flock to him regardless, treating him like a religious leader as he migrates to Hearst Castle in San Simeon, California. Meanwhile, Winston Pell, Tory Smythe, Lourdes Hidalgo-Ruiz, and Michael Lipranski make their own way to Hearst Castle, guided by the star Mentarsus-H, which unites them in a common destiny. The last time these five teens met ended in tragedy; can they expect any different now?

"It's human nature to find divinity in anything greater than oneself."

—Okoya, P. 135

The scene at Hearst Castle is astonishing. Dillon's followers, the "Happy Campers", have managed to get him into the vast mansion as his living quarters. There, he uses his healing powers on locals with injuries no doctor could address. Winston, Tory, Lourdes, and Michael lend a hand, aided by Drew Camden, an athletic teen secretly attracted to Michael. The people in and around San Simeon are grateful for Dillon restoring their health, and they hardly notice the other newcomer: Okoya, an androgynous Hualapai Indian who comes across as both ancient and youthful. Okoya smoothly convinces all five of the Others to indulge their individual, otherworldly gifts. Is there a connection between Okoya and the Bringer, a godlike entity who has hated the human race for thousands of years?

Any discipline the Others developed in Scorpion Shards regresses as Okoya's influence expands. Why settle for incremental change, Okoya presses them, when they could seize immediate global control? Dillon could perform a large-scale miracle that convinces the world to bow the knee to him, Okoya points out, and soon Dillon resolves to do exactly that. A crisis at the Hoover Dam, one that could result in thousands of deaths...what if Dillon uses it to take control? But his soul barely survived what he did to Deanna...how will it remain alive if he instigates mass murder?

What's the big problem in politics? Humans who accrue power tend to form social circles that exclude the common man, convincing themselves they are better than those they supposedly serve. Elites tell each other they know what's best for the helpless rabble, and their plans shouldn't be questioned. But when you declare yourself above scrutiny you become an advocate for evil, eager to terminate the human rights of those you claim to represent. No individual or group can possibly make decisions that satisfy the needs of all mankind; attempting to do so ensures a heinous outcome. In this book, it could lead to the immolation of the Others.

Thief of Souls isn't as visceral or thematically engaging as Scorpion Shards—for a better middle book, see Everwild of Neal Shusterman’s Skinjacker trilogy, one of the best middle books I've read—but Thief of Souls holds its own, and I round my two and a half stars to three. I have high hopes it will lead to a spectacular finish.

[D.G. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thief of Souls was even better than Scorpion Shards. The plot was tighter but still as frightening, as it follows the Shards after they have vanquished their demons. They are now in full possession of their immense powers but as usual with teens the world over, they are ripe for manipulation. Their sin this time is hubris. Their victory over their foes have given them a sense of invincibility but you know what they say…the bigger they are, the harder they fall.

At the beginning of this book, the Shards find themselves enjoying the fruits of their powers. They had separated after the events in the Unworld and those that could, returned to their families. They are not outcasts anymore; instead they are popular and liked. But as they see the evidence of their unworldly abilities, they start believing they are better than humans. Soon, they are called to join each other again, but the seeds of vainglory have been sown and when you see how some of them use their power, it’s clear that the World is in grave danger.

This is the perfect situation for The Bringer to step in. A Iago like character, The Bringer is a master manipulator who knows just what buttons to push to alienate the Shards from each other. He appeals to each of their strength and turns them into obsessions. Even those who held true in the previous book and fought their demons, fall to the temptation of vanity and worship. The fall, when it happens, is from a mighty high place.

"Was she so great a soul that she was beyond the need for conscience?"

Michael was my favorite character in the last book and it’s still is in this one. I wished the business with Drew had been solved differently – it would have been such a twist given the nature of Michael’s problem in Scorpion Shards - but I guess it was not to be.

Normal humans fare even worse in this book than in the previous one so the idea that the Shards were the real villains was at the forefront of my mind. I will definitely have to finish the trilogy soon to find out!

Thanks to Edelweiss and Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers for providing a review copy of this book!

Check out this review and others like it at Badass Book Reviews.

[Cecilllia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Uwielbiam tego autora, ale chyba już za dużo jego książek przeczytałam... wszędzie bym rozpoznała ten styl pisania i sposób prowadzenia fabuły. Bardzo doceniam Shustermana za tworzenie dobrych historii dla młodzieży zmuszających do myślenia. Ta książka porusza wiele ważnych wątków, które mogą być gruntem do różnych przemyśleń- co czyni zwykłych ludzi bohaterami?; jak nadmiar mocy/władzy wpływa na zachowanie i charakter?; czy działanie wbrew naturalnemu porządkowi świata może się dobrze skończyć?
Uwielbiam w literaturze wątek zwykłych ludzi, którzy są obdarzeni jakimiś mocami, jednocześnie akurat w tej części był wątek, którego nie znoszę tzn. osoby, która tak manipuluje ludźmi, że ich zaufanie do siebie nawzajem i przyjaźnie się rozpadają (zawsze mam wtedy ochotę na nich nakrzyczeć "Nie słuchajcie go! Gada bzdury!"). Wiecie o co mi chodzi?

[c0line._ · Rating 4 out of 5]

j’hésite entre 3.5 et 4
j’ai eu du mal à rentrer dans le livre, mais on va pas se mentir la plume de neal shusterman est exceptionnelle. il a une manière d’écrire, de raconter et mettre en avant des phénomènes de manière très humaines que ça en devient perturbant.
j’ai une love hate relationship avec chacun des personnages car ils sont humains. et c’est déboussolant de voir à quel point c’est humain.
l’intrigue et l’idée sont très recherchées, ce qui fait que c’est très agréable à lire
j’ai beaucoup aimé la fin, et mine de rien dillon (qui est le personnage le plus humain avec michael j’ai l’impression) est mon préféré je pense même si je le déteste parfois

[Laurence Theriault · Rating 3 out of 5]

Une histoire bien construite. Des personnages intéressants. Je trouve seulement que certains changements de point de vue d'un personnage à l'autre arrivé brusquement sans espace, sans marquage dans la page qui indique que nous sommes dans la tête d'un autre personnage. Aussi non, un 2e tome exaltant.

[Julie ~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Comme le premier, j'ai aimé la moitié du livre et moyennement l'autre. On suit toujours nos fameux adolescents qui tentent de reprendre une vie normale, malgré leurs dons grandissant. Ils vont par la suite retourner voir Dillon car ce dernier a besoin d'aide.
Ce tome tourne pas mal autour de la puissance de leurs pouvoirs et de ce qu'ils peuvent/veulent/doivent en faire. Si leurs intentions sont nobles, cela va leur monter à la tête. De plus, ils devront affronter un nouvel ennemi qui leur donnera du fil à retordre.
Bref, j'ai passé quand même un moment intéressant car je trouve que les idées sont très bonnes, que les personnages ne sont pas blancs ou noirs, mais je comprends tout à fait que cette saga puisse ne pas plaire.

[Sharon Pinho]

Absolutely great! Another awesome series!

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

   With their parasites defeated, the remaining Star Shards are moving on with their lives. Or at least, they're trying to. Everything around Tori becomes purified, plants grow uncontrollably around Winston, Michael brings rain clouds every morning to southern California, Lourdes leads an unbeatable volleyball team... and Dillon raises the dead. The lines of chance are starting to point to a great disaster, and Dillon needs the other's help to avert it. What he doesn't expect is Okoya, a being older than them, to insinuate itself between them, and he doesn't know how to outsmart it and prevent the end of the world. It might just finally be more than Dillon Cole can read or heal.
   While this is a complete story as the first is, it also feels a little more like setting up for the final book of the trilogy. The Star Shards' power is growing, and with their power so too do their weaknesses - and their enemies' power - grow. After all, even a star's soul is subject to human hubris. Especially when they not only use their power, but their power influences the people and land around them without conscious will.
   I had begun to doubt that I had read this book years ago, since the only thing I clearly remembered before starting it again was Lourdes' controlling her volleyball teammate's bodies to make them the perfect winning team. But other scenes whispered of familiarity at the edges.
   As much as Dillon is seeking redemption by bringing back those who died because of him, I found that his relationship with religion was at a further remove than in the first book. I think that was remarkable because he was still humble and guilty about what he did. And Winston, too, was further removed from his faith due to how much he was learning from reading so widely. I rather missed those parts of their characters, especially when counterpointed with the positions they found themselves in at Okoya's hands. But I guess it also tracks - the more each of their powers' grew, the more they saw the flaws in it. Tori purified everyone and everything around her, to the point that a wanna-be gangster was cleaned up enough not only to become her boyfriend and a respectable citizen, but purified so much that he would barely give her a kiss on the cheek in public. Michael could control the weather with his emotions, but he also couldn't find any love or hate in his heart, only detachment. Lourdes arguably was reveling in her power, from the control she exerted over her volleyball teammates to the petty revenge she took on the cruel popular girls by tweaking their metabolisms so they would get fat.
   And circling around all of them like a vulture was Okoya: neither man nor woman, wearing a body reshaped and stolen from conjoined twins, with an insatiable hunger that he would use the Star Shards to feed. They ways he manipulated and used them were crafty, and seeing how one by one they fell into his snares just went to show how powerful human hubis is, and that not even the mightiest are wholly immune to it. And these kids are only about 17!
   A special shout-out: this was originally published around 1999 I think, and Shusterman managed to have an openly gay character, Drew, in his story, who played an important role. And not only that, he was able to double down on it:when Michael "fixed" Drew to be straight, it threw off Drew's entire personality and mind, leaving him more broken than when he was gay. I thought it was a good way to illustrate that being gay isn't a bad thing, nor a fixable thing - it is just as integral a part of a person as being trustworthy, or coordinated, or even straight. His publishers sure let him do more than Scholastic did Applegate and Grant with Animorphs.
   Now if only I could find my original paperback copy of the book I would be happier. I'm certain that Michael used a walkman/portable CD player in the original, not an iPod, for listening to music!

Typos:
"No," said Winston. "We're one of him." - page 125, should be Michael or Lourdes, as they're the only ones in the scene

You power makes you difficult... - page 284 - should be 'Your power'

...into the Underworld... - page 287 - should be 'Unworld'

[Couet13 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Au début de ce deuxième tome, nos éclats d'étoiles sont retournés dans leur famille. Leur environnement est influencé par leur aura : tout est assaini autour de Tory jusqu'à son quartier, Lourdes exerce sur son entourage une attraction, la nature pousse de manière exponentielle autour de Winston et l'humeur de Michael influe celles des autres autour de lui et sur la météo.
Dillon, quant à lui, a décidé de réparer ses erreurs en "réparant" les âmes qu'il a endommagé et en ressuscitant les morts qu'il a causé. Jusqu'à ce que ses actes soient ébruités, et qu'une bande de fidèles le porte aux nues à son insu. Les éclats vont sentir l'appel de Dillon et l'irrésistible besoin de se réunir va à nouveau leur faire quitter leur foyer pour retrouver Dillon.
En chemin, ils rencontreront Okaya qui sous des airs de confident et de conseiller va semer le trouble au sein du groupe.
Dans l'ensemble, j'ai préféré ce tome au premier. Le fil conducteur était clairement plus défini, et il y a une réelle évolution des personnages. Le lien avec la mythologie grecque donne du relief à l'histoire.
En revanche, je reprocherai à l'auteur de ne pas formaliser le changement de point de vue ou de personnages dans la narration par des sauts de lignes. Tout est écrit d'affilée, et cela alourdit la lecture.
Il ne reste plus qu'à attendre la suite.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

It has been a year and the remaining 5 star shards are trying to live a normal life with their new powers. Well all but Dylan. He is trying to repare all the damaged he caused. But an old terror has been resurrected and it is now searching for them.

The bad guy very quickly works his way into the star shard’s group. How would they know that he presents them harm?

This story builds slowly to a kind of crazy ending. I really wasn’t expecting the bad guy to be as effective as he is.

I think my favorite parts of this second novel was the inclusion of the Greek and Roman gods in there. I found the idea that those Gods were actually star shards too to be an incredible idea. I also really liked who Prometheus was. Brilliant!!

I am curious where the next book will go.

PG- Violence. Language

[Lise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Assez surprise par cette suite. Pour être honnête, j'étais tombée d'assez haut lors de la lecture du premier tome, que j'ai longtemps attendu en m'en faisant probablement trop de films. C'est donc à reculons que j'ai entamé le second tome, et bien heureusement, tout ce qui m'avait dérangé dans le premier à -presque- disparu ! Le développement de l'intrigue était moins tiré par les cheveux, la connexion entre tous les personnes s'est faite moins présente pour plutôt appuyer sur leur potentiel de réflexion et plus une solution "tombée du ciel". J'ai par ailleurs trouvé l'antagoniste plus attrayant, mais ce n'est qu'un avis personnel. Probablement pas la lecture qui aura bouleversé ma vie, mais tout de même une bonne surprise.

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

All in all, a much better book than the first. The characters were much more developed and their self-absorption, in true Shusterman form, was disturbing. The ease at which Okoya was able to manipulate each one was equally disturbing —and when they discovered the way in which he’d been feeding their desires…yikes. I really hated the manipulation of poor Drew, one of my favorite characters, but I felt the treatment by Shusterman of those controversial gay-conversions was spot on. Poor Drew had no joy as his entire being suffered. I was glad to have him back when Michael finally realized what an awful thing he’d done. It will be interesting to see where the last book takes us.

[R · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked this one more than the first, and I really enjoy the characters of Dillon, Tory and Michael, and sometimes Winston. The story is creepy, atmospheric and the tension was well structured. I knocked down the rating though at Drew's arc. Although it was resolved (and arguably the result of dated values) I was not at all comfortable with it. At times it had me debating whether or not to put the book down; It was just not okay.

[Simmi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely better than the first one though it still has got jarring action scenes that seem too convenient. But the plot feels original, albeit all over the place.

Why couldn't we have Michael and Drew together?! >.<

[Britt Loves Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel this book could be a movie. The holders of the scorpion shards are hit with an adversary disguised as a friend until its too late and damage has been done. The thief of souls does exactly as his name implies.

[Amanda Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up without realizing it was part of a series, but still managed to enjoy it quite a lot.

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

intense-- many "open mouth" moments-- must pick jaw up off of floor and continue reading

[Ruby Castillo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so good. How a groups of friends works together to fight and help.

[Nur Aidillah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn’t even finish this book. I am very annoyed by Okoya and his schemes are very predictable. It gets dry & boring as you plod thru the 2nd half and I just give up.

[Sharath]

Review and rating at the end of the series..

[Bradley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent storyline. Could have been better. =)

[Foggygirl · Rating 3 out of 5]

An ok read but I found my attention wandering a bit while reading this book.

[Kylie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another interesting, but underwhelming story. Still not sure where this is going.

[Paul Peel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay read. Definitely the best in the series. It got real bad after book one.

[LeslecturesdeMylene · Rating 4 out of 5]

15/20 - https://www.leslecturesdemylene.com/2...

[Nancy Gravel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Très intéressant. Voyons voir la suite, où ça nous mènera.

[Stephanie Sloan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall i really enjoyed this book. Ready to start book 3