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Chaos #1
Soul
Librarian note: an alternate cover for this edition can be found here.
A novel inspired by the short story collection, One Night with the Fae. Soul is the first in a brand new series by Claire Farrell.
Cara Kelly’s life is going nowhere when she’s lured to a faery festival. There she sees darkness and magic, madness and lust, and she comes out the other side with new eyes and an addiction to the fae.
When the faery who saved her life returns to her, Cara knows there’s something wrong. Two souls exist in one body, and both need her, but to help one, she’ll end the life of the other. At first, her mind is made up, but both souls know how to charm her.
As the days pass, it becomes clear that the faeries need a leader, and Cara finds herself sucked into a world where morals don’t exist. The truth of her past is hidden in the magic, but all Cara needs to do is survive the king’s coronation, then the fae will let her go forever.
But that’s not what she wants anymore, and it’s getting harder and harder to tell the difference between a king and a half-blooded solitary fae. Cara’s losing her way, and her heart, to the fae, but there’s still her life, and her humanity, left to lose.
A novel inspired by the short story collection, One Night with the Fae. Soul is the first in a brand new series by Claire Farrell.
Cara Kelly’s life is going nowhere when she’s lured to a faery festival. There she sees darkness and magic, madness and lust, and she comes out the other side with new eyes and an addiction to the fae.
When the faery who saved her life returns to her, Cara knows there’s something wrong. Two souls exist in one body, and both need her, but to help one, she’ll end the life of the other. At first, her mind is made up, but both souls know how to charm her.
As the days pass, it becomes clear that the faeries need a leader, and Cara finds herself sucked into a world where morals don’t exist. The truth of her past is hidden in the magic, but all Cara needs to do is survive the king’s coronation, then the fae will let her go forever.
But that’s not what she wants anymore, and it’s getting harder and harder to tell the difference between a king and a half-blooded solitary fae. Cara’s losing her way, and her heart, to the fae, but there’s still her life, and her humanity, left to lose.
339 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 8, 2013
187 people are currently reading
1651 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
July 12, 2017
"New beginnings can be terrifying, but sometimes the best things are born from the darkest days."
3.5 stars. There's things I loved, and some that were utterly confusing to me, but overall this was a very enjoyable read :)
3.5 stars. There's things I loved, and some that were utterly confusing to me, but overall this was a very enjoyable read :)
April 16, 2015
Like all of Claire’s books I sat and read Soul from cover to cover, the only thing that kept me aware of time passing was the changing of pages. I was totally consumed by Claire’s writing and her wonderful story telling talents.
Soul is a captivating story about girl discovering that faeries and all things fae are real, who she is and that she plays a big role with how the future will be shaped. Will she choose to be selfish or selfless and save the human world and the fae realm from being over taken by unchecked and uncaring fae?
On Cara’s way home after spending the night out with her friends when she notices strange lights coming from the park. She is captivated and decides to check things out while her friends stop to get a snack from a street vendor. This night is the night that changes her outlook on life forever; she will never be the same regardless of how much she craves normal. Cara knows she shouldn't be walking through the park at night all alone. But her feet won’t allow her to stop; it is like she is compelled to continue and she finally finds herself amongst the Fae. Unbeknownst to Cara that the sole reason she was brought to the festival was for the bloodshed of a true child of Ireland, so that the betrayed king may be brought back. Drake, a solitary fae, noticed her and lets her know that she should not be there, he briefly describes the danger that she is in and whatever she does not to drink or eat any food from fae because she will lose her senses. He goes on to tell Cara what will happen when the Queens find her there, that it is a great honor to have a human willing give them to be sacrifice, but they must be willing. Since Cara is not willing, Drake says he will help her to escape. Elsewhere at the festival bloodshed has already occurred, the Seelie and Unseelie Queens lost their lives. They use this distraction to get Cara out and since Cara is no longer needed for her sacrifice, the entrance appears and they frantically make their way to it, however Drake did not make it out before it was sealed off again. Cara tried to dig up the ground to help Drake but it is useless. She feels as though she owes him her life for getting her out of there.
Cara soon becomes obsessed with reliving the feelings she had during the festival. She never felt really alive before or after that night. Only when she is around the fae does she feel any emotions.
Because there are no longer any crowned royals to keep the fae inline havoc soon spreads and gains intensity in the human realm. The one thing that will put a stop to it is for a successor to be crowned, but only the right royal will be able to reign in the evil that is slipping out. Brendan, former king that was betrayed and his soul sent to the Fade, was successfully brought back after Cara left the festival. He is the only one that is powerful enough to control both courts. There was one mishap though; the original soul of the body that his soul joined did not leave. Now there are two souls in one body, Brendan and Drake. No one can figure the reasoning behind this, but most speculate it is because of Cara. And Brendan needs Cara to be a witness for him, stating the events of that fateful night, so that he may once again become king, but the more he is around Cara the more Drake holds onto his body and that causes unknown amount of issues for all.
Now that Cara is reunited with the fae, she not only has an abusive father to contend with but those who are trying to kill her to prevent Brendan becoming king. When her mother finally chooses her father over her and kicks her out of the house she eventually concedes to lives with Brendan and the other fae that are loyal to him. Cara is overwhelmed with emotions, ones that she never had before and they are amplified by all the fae that she is surrounded by. She becomes addicted to them because finally she has emotions, but doesn't know if anything she feels is real or because of magic. Cara comes to care for those who are taking care of her, including Brendan. She doesn't know if her feelings for Brendan have come to fruit because of her feelings for Drake who appears to her occasionally or because of who Brendan really is. Cara will discover how her life has always been influenced by the fae, including her dark past and the reasoning behind her father’s hatred for her, her brother’s suicide and all the monsters that haunted her during the night and her nightmares. She struggles if she will be able to forgive the fae for all the darkness that has happened to her, her family and ruined the lives of those she loves. The fate of both worlds rest in her decision to back up Brendan; she must decide to help him or help Drake take control of his body once again and to forgive pass transgressions.
I cannot wait to read the next book!!!
Soul is a captivating story about girl discovering that faeries and all things fae are real, who she is and that she plays a big role with how the future will be shaped. Will she choose to be selfish or selfless and save the human world and the fae realm from being over taken by unchecked and uncaring fae?
On Cara’s way home after spending the night out with her friends when she notices strange lights coming from the park. She is captivated and decides to check things out while her friends stop to get a snack from a street vendor. This night is the night that changes her outlook on life forever; she will never be the same regardless of how much she craves normal. Cara knows she shouldn't be walking through the park at night all alone. But her feet won’t allow her to stop; it is like she is compelled to continue and she finally finds herself amongst the Fae. Unbeknownst to Cara that the sole reason she was brought to the festival was for the bloodshed of a true child of Ireland, so that the betrayed king may be brought back. Drake, a solitary fae, noticed her and lets her know that she should not be there, he briefly describes the danger that she is in and whatever she does not to drink or eat any food from fae because she will lose her senses. He goes on to tell Cara what will happen when the Queens find her there, that it is a great honor to have a human willing give them to be sacrifice, but they must be willing. Since Cara is not willing, Drake says he will help her to escape. Elsewhere at the festival bloodshed has already occurred, the Seelie and Unseelie Queens lost their lives. They use this distraction to get Cara out and since Cara is no longer needed for her sacrifice, the entrance appears and they frantically make their way to it, however Drake did not make it out before it was sealed off again. Cara tried to dig up the ground to help Drake but it is useless. She feels as though she owes him her life for getting her out of there.
Cara soon becomes obsessed with reliving the feelings she had during the festival. She never felt really alive before or after that night. Only when she is around the fae does she feel any emotions.
Because there are no longer any crowned royals to keep the fae inline havoc soon spreads and gains intensity in the human realm. The one thing that will put a stop to it is for a successor to be crowned, but only the right royal will be able to reign in the evil that is slipping out. Brendan, former king that was betrayed and his soul sent to the Fade, was successfully brought back after Cara left the festival. He is the only one that is powerful enough to control both courts. There was one mishap though; the original soul of the body that his soul joined did not leave. Now there are two souls in one body, Brendan and Drake. No one can figure the reasoning behind this, but most speculate it is because of Cara. And Brendan needs Cara to be a witness for him, stating the events of that fateful night, so that he may once again become king, but the more he is around Cara the more Drake holds onto his body and that causes unknown amount of issues for all.
Now that Cara is reunited with the fae, she not only has an abusive father to contend with but those who are trying to kill her to prevent Brendan becoming king. When her mother finally chooses her father over her and kicks her out of the house she eventually concedes to lives with Brendan and the other fae that are loyal to him. Cara is overwhelmed with emotions, ones that she never had before and they are amplified by all the fae that she is surrounded by. She becomes addicted to them because finally she has emotions, but doesn't know if anything she feels is real or because of magic. Cara comes to care for those who are taking care of her, including Brendan. She doesn't know if her feelings for Brendan have come to fruit because of her feelings for Drake who appears to her occasionally or because of who Brendan really is. Cara will discover how her life has always been influenced by the fae, including her dark past and the reasoning behind her father’s hatred for her, her brother’s suicide and all the monsters that haunted her during the night and her nightmares. She struggles if she will be able to forgive the fae for all the darkness that has happened to her, her family and ruined the lives of those she loves. The fate of both worlds rest in her decision to back up Brendan; she must decide to help him or help Drake take control of his body once again and to forgive pass transgressions.
I cannot wait to read the next book!!!
Want to read
August 5, 2020🎁 FREE on Amazon today (8/5/2020)! 🎁
November 14, 2019
I really like this story it was a quick read. I can't wait to finish reading the rest of the series I got the entire thing for free through my iPhone and I just can't wait to find out what happens next. Some of the story was a little confusing because of how it jumps between one of the characters being this person and then being this second person oh so quickly. I really hope that she does what her heart wants no matter what others think or want her to do. I can't wait to find out who she choses to be with or if she choses to go back to the human world and forget all the beautiful beings that she has meet. I am also hoping that the author will end up providing us more information about Cara's biological dad.
December 23, 2015
A fast captivating fairytale read with loveable characters and serious matters.
March 24, 2018
Empathatic
This is definitely an interesting threesome story. Haha. Cara isn't quite human and she is clueless of the truth about her brother's death, her father's hatred and her difficulty in feeling emotions. I will be interested to know at the end if she regretted ever following the lights. Meeting Drake was the best thing that could have happened to her. Being the body host for Brenden is a sad end to a descent man. I was able to connect well with Cara and I could empathize about her feelings for both men. I can't imagine how I would deal with all that she is going through.
This is definitely an interesting threesome story. Haha. Cara isn't quite human and she is clueless of the truth about her brother's death, her father's hatred and her difficulty in feeling emotions. I will be interested to know at the end if she regretted ever following the lights. Meeting Drake was the best thing that could have happened to her. Being the body host for Brenden is a sad end to a descent man. I was able to connect well with Cara and I could empathize about her feelings for both men. I can't imagine how I would deal with all that she is going through.
February 5, 2020
Cliffhanger Alert
This book had a bit of a slow start so I would have given it a 3 but the rest was so much fun that I read through the night several times and would have given it a 5 but it slipped to a 4 when the book ended abruptly. I'm not a fan of a cliff hanger but truly loved the book.
This book had a bit of a slow start so I would have given it a 3 but the rest was so much fun that I read through the night several times and would have given it a 5 but it slipped to a 4 when the book ended abruptly. I'm not a fan of a cliff hanger but truly loved the book.
May 22, 2016
WOW! This was an awesome starter to the series. I love that this series is still on going and hopefully it just keeps getting better!
January 8, 2018
This book floored me. I have read Claire Farrell’s Taunt series, so I held the book to a higher standard of writing. I was not disappointed. The blurb is accurate. Cara wanders into Underhill and only escapes with the help of one of the Fae there. She is so attracted to him that she cannot forget her time there, and her “real” life sucks. Her father is destructive, and her mother takes his side in every conflict. Her job is a dead end, and she is doing poorly in school. What is left except a fairy tale life?
The story revolves around the romance, but it does not prevent a complex, action-packed plot and examination of teenage angst: I felt like I had eaten the apples in despair. You have a death wish, Cara, a self-destruct button you can’t resist pressing. You don’t know how to be happy, so you use us to destroy yourself.” Brendan tells her. I have been in that situation, with the hospital certificate. I also dreamed of visiting the fairies when younger, and had a broken family life. Anxiety disorder in high school left me with no friends. During my first year of college, I broke down.
Unlike me, Cara is a strong main character, and she refuses to accept the sacrifice of one fairy to save her. If only the story didn’t take 7 novels to resolve! Aaargh. Do I go on? But the story is so good....
The story revolves around the romance, but it does not prevent a complex, action-packed plot and examination of teenage angst: I felt like I had eaten the apples in despair. You have a death wish, Cara, a self-destruct button you can’t resist pressing. You don’t know how to be happy, so you use us to destroy yourself.” Brendan tells her. I have been in that situation, with the hospital certificate. I also dreamed of visiting the fairies when younger, and had a broken family life. Anxiety disorder in high school left me with no friends. During my first year of college, I broke down.
Unlike me, Cara is a strong main character, and she refuses to accept the sacrifice of one fairy to save her. If only the story didn’t take 7 novels to resolve! Aaargh. Do I go on? But the story is so good....
May 16, 2018
Soul took me a long time to get into. I don’t think this should be what you take from this review though. Although I spent weeks dipping in and out of the book, I still have an appreciation for the story and struggles faced by the characters within the book.
The reason I don’t want my first comment to be held against this book is that it isn’t the fault of the book or of Claire Farrell, the author. In fact, the reason I found it hard to get into is that I was still caught up in the book I read previously. Due to the similarities between this and my previous read, I found myself wanting to press fast forward.
The story itself does not hesitate. As soon as you pick up the book, you are thrown headfirst into a tale of magic and mystery. Its pace cannot be faulted. Despite the faster pace of the story, you still have time to take in details and guess which direction you think the characters could be heading in.
Finally, I would like to publicly share my appreciation for the fae world colliding with the modern human world. It’s a combination I feel I’ve been waiting for for quite a while. There are two solutions to my hunger to see the worlds meeting again: find another book where this happens (please leave a suggestion) or pick up the next book in the series: Fade. I intend to do both.
ORIGINALLY POSTED AT: https://fullybookd.wordpress.com/2018...
The reason I don’t want my first comment to be held against this book is that it isn’t the fault of the book or of Claire Farrell, the author. In fact, the reason I found it hard to get into is that I was still caught up in the book I read previously. Due to the similarities between this and my previous read, I found myself wanting to press fast forward.
The story itself does not hesitate. As soon as you pick up the book, you are thrown headfirst into a tale of magic and mystery. Its pace cannot be faulted. Despite the faster pace of the story, you still have time to take in details and guess which direction you think the characters could be heading in.
Finally, I would like to publicly share my appreciation for the fae world colliding with the modern human world. It’s a combination I feel I’ve been waiting for for quite a while. There are two solutions to my hunger to see the worlds meeting again: find another book where this happens (please leave a suggestion) or pick up the next book in the series: Fade. I intend to do both.
ORIGINALLY POSTED AT: https://fullybookd.wordpress.com/2018...
January 9, 2018
This was a great read.
I'm glad it was also free and available on the Kindle...though with as good of a book that it was I wish I had a paperback/hardback box set of this series so I could properly support the author even though she's not doing writing anymore atm.
Because the cover is gorgeous, the storytelling was unique to me, and the author tries her best not to sugarcoat the Fae too much she really lets them be shown in the dark light they are for most forms of mythology. I want to read more and explore this adventure Cara is going through in the world of the Fae.
(If I re-read in the future I will try to give more of a proper summary (for the review) of how this story was, but for now I'm just appreciating it for how much I enjoyed it as of the first read. ^_^ )
In fact this gives me reason to want to check out more of the author's books she's written.
But anyway I really enjoyed it and will continue to read it just to see what is to happen next.
Hope you enjoyed my review!! Thanks for reading!!
I'm glad it was also free and available on the Kindle...though with as good of a book that it was I wish I had a paperback/hardback box set of this series so I could properly support the author even though she's not doing writing anymore atm.
Because the cover is gorgeous, the storytelling was unique to me, and the author tries her best not to sugarcoat the Fae too much she really lets them be shown in the dark light they are for most forms of mythology. I want to read more and explore this adventure Cara is going through in the world of the Fae.
(If I re-read in the future I will try to give more of a proper summary (for the review) of how this story was, but for now I'm just appreciating it for how much I enjoyed it as of the first read. ^_^ )
In fact this gives me reason to want to check out more of the author's books she's written.
But anyway I really enjoyed it and will continue to read it just to see what is to happen next.
Hope you enjoyed my review!! Thanks for reading!!
February 28, 2018
4.5 Stars
This was really good and super engaging! Cara is probably the most indecisive person ever, but she was a tough cookie while having a marshmallow interior. She cared about everyone around her including people who didn't deserve her loyalty or love...namely her parents. Yes I understand the feelings behind her conception but that was not her fault, not even a little bit. Her parents were assholes and yes I'm including her mother because she allowed the behavior so for right now...fuck them!
I started off really feeling Drake, he was sweet, a bit harsh and cruel but nice. I didn't like the person he ended up being, I'm not sure if he will stay with that nasty personality but I sure do hope not. I hope Cara finds Brendan...
Overall this was a fascinating with with a bunch of colorful characters and a super interesting storyline!
This was really good and super engaging! Cara is probably the most indecisive person ever, but she was a tough cookie while having a marshmallow interior. She cared about everyone around her including people who didn't deserve her loyalty or love...namely her parents. Yes I understand the feelings behind her conception but that was not her fault, not even a little bit. Her parents were assholes and yes I'm including her mother because she allowed the behavior so for right now...fuck them!
I started off really feeling Drake, he was sweet, a bit harsh and cruel but nice. I didn't like the person he ended up being, I'm not sure if he will stay with that nasty personality but I sure do hope not. I hope Cara finds Brendan...
Overall this was a fascinating with with a bunch of colorful characters and a super interesting storyline!
May 19, 2019
Absolutely infuriating.
I found myself wondering where the frack the backstory went for pretty much the whole first half of the book. When it is provided (in drinks and drabs) it’s too late to help the story.
On top of that, the relationships between Cara’s family members comes across as bizarre and deeply unhealthy. I suppose we were supposed to feel sorry for her but it missed the mark entirely.
Finally, the story is supposed to be set in Ireland (and I understand that’s where the author was born) but the dialogue and vernacular includes only the occasional Irish-ism. It reads like an American trying to write about Ireland without having had spent any time there.
This was a tremendous idea that was so poorly executed that it actually made me angry. On the bright side, the author shows technical ability in the areas of grammar and punctuation.
I found myself wondering where the frack the backstory went for pretty much the whole first half of the book. When it is provided (in drinks and drabs) it’s too late to help the story.
On top of that, the relationships between Cara’s family members comes across as bizarre and deeply unhealthy. I suppose we were supposed to feel sorry for her but it missed the mark entirely.
Finally, the story is supposed to be set in Ireland (and I understand that’s where the author was born) but the dialogue and vernacular includes only the occasional Irish-ism. It reads like an American trying to write about Ireland without having had spent any time there.
This was a tremendous idea that was so poorly executed that it actually made me angry. On the bright side, the author shows technical ability in the areas of grammar and punctuation.
July 19, 2020
This book was rough when I started. I couldn’t get into it, but the more I read, the more I liked it. Unfortunately, I DNFed book 2 and will likely not finish the series. It reminds me of the fever series by Karen Marie Moning, but not nearly as captivating. The main character is stuck somewhere between helpless and just indifferent. As someone who loves a strong female lead, Cara doesn’t do it for me. My bff will disagree with my view of this, but I can’t see her as a strong lead. Maybe that changes in other books, but I doubt I’ll get motivated enough to finish book 2, let alone the whole 6 book series.
March 17, 2024
Original Storyline and Characters you feel you know
This book kept me thinking about the characters even when I wasn't reading. Instead of one dimensional hero or villain there were layered experiences in each character and there were many characters to experience instead of just two main characters and two sidekicks. I couldn't believe I had reached the end of the book,band I'm looking forward to reading the next one.
This book kept me thinking about the characters even when I wasn't reading. Instead of one dimensional hero or villain there were layered experiences in each character and there were many characters to experience instead of just two main characters and two sidekicks. I couldn't believe I had reached the end of the book,band I'm looking forward to reading the next one.
December 27, 2017
This book is available for free on iBooks as of the time of my reading.
I've been a fan of fae legends since I was very young, so reading about them in a contemporary setting was a good experience.
There was a lot going on at once in Soul, and at times it was difficult to mentally picture the current situation; I liked the book and the twists it presented nevertheless, though.
I've been a fan of fae legends since I was very young, so reading about them in a contemporary setting was a good experience.
There was a lot going on at once in Soul, and at times it was difficult to mentally picture the current situation; I liked the book and the twists it presented nevertheless, though.
May 9, 2017
This series is amazing. A girl who is not in touch with herself, finds herself in the worst possible ways imaginable and in the process brings out the best in everyone/thing else. I could not put these books down. Definitely worth my time and money.
May 12, 2017
I liked the modern day world (human realm) leading in to the Fae Realm. Cara is different she just doesn't know it yet apart from she just has to give ' the look ' and she scares people. Life will never be the same after being drawn to the lights.....
October 3, 2017
The only thing that stopped me, had me putting Clair Farrell's Soul (Chaos book 1), was having to go to work!!! Otherwise, I would have been reading straight through to the end! I'm read for book 2...
January 7, 2018
I loved this book. It was my first time reading something by Claire Farrell and now I can't wait to read the rest of her books. Fast paced the entire way through, a lot of plot twists (which I loved). I would highly recommend this book and author. 5 stars! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
March 30, 2018
Had to go back and read paragraphs a couple of time because I was mad confused. Overall a good Fae story. Who do you really want Cara? Still not understanding what's so special about your Fae bloodline.
December 2, 2020
I love this author
5 Stars simply for Plot and world building. I quite enjoyed the way this author told a tale and made you want more. I love the way Claire Farrell wrote her story and made you feel apart of it
5 Stars simply for Plot and world building. I quite enjoyed the way this author told a tale and made you want more. I love the way Claire Farrell wrote her story and made you feel apart of it
May 17, 2021
The start was quite slow for me but it got better as I read on. The characters started to solidify and the relationships too.
I'm not really sure where it will go in terms of her relationship with the two but I'm interested to see how it develops.
I'm not really sure where it will go in terms of her relationship with the two but I'm interested to see how it develops.
December 6, 2021
Absolutely love this series I was never so sad about reading the last page of a book before . Also for those that loved the ACOTAR YOU WILL LOVE THIS THIS SERIES DO NOT GET ENOUGH SPOTLIGHT ! COME BACK CLAIRE I NEED ALL THESE BOOKS IN PAPERBACK !
September 6, 2022
I don't read on my phone very often so this book took me quite a while. But overall I enjoyed the premise of the story and am excited to continue on with the series. I might even stay more motivated into getting reading time in to stay up on exactly everything that's happening!
June 21, 2017
Very cool new storyline.
January 25, 2018
Held me from start to finish, great book for fantasy readers
June 18, 2018
One down five to go on this is my new Fae series obsession!
November 1, 2018
This book was so easy to read!
If you love “a court of thornes and roses series by sarah j maas” then you will love this one even more!!
If you love “a court of thornes and roses series by sarah j maas” then you will love this one even more!!
May 1, 2019
Awesome creative characters and storyline fast paced. The hero of the series origin was very creative and unusual .Highly recommended
Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews