Soulfarm

by David Toft

A vicious assault in a rural Irish pub is the first in a series of increasingly bizarre events that catapult Detective Chief Inspector Seamus Brogan into a world dominated by an all-powerful and despotic church; a church which harvests the despair, pain, and soulpower of heretics for its own power and glorification. Outside a mediaeval Dublin, a massive crusader army prepares to launch an attack on Brogan’s Ireland. Swords and crossbows will be no match for the weaponry of a modern army, but the power of the human soul when harvested and targeted as a weapon of war is truly mind-blowing.

200 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2011

Reviews

[Frances Brand · Rating 4 out of 5]

A striking notion

The intriguing title of this book caught my attention as someone who
isn't normally drawn to fantasy. The notion of farming tormented souls to use as weapons in a medieval invasion is striking.

The quiet Wicklow countryside is the scene for a bloody mystery as parallel worlds collide.

DCI Brogan and his oppo Doyle are faced with savagely murdered bodies, a church, farms and homes which have vanished and the sight of fully armed Swiss Guards on the rampage. That’s apart from a party of hikers and a group of French tourists, all reported missing.

Brogan and Doyle soon find themselves on either side of an unseen crack in time. Doyle is left to search for the missing, now including his boss and a TV reporter. Brogan is a prisoner in Dublin Castle, under the aegis of a cruel and monstrous cardinal, along with hundreds of slaves, tortured and left without hope as their souls are stolen for use by a perverted Papacy.

Action builds nicely to a climactic battle with plenty of turns and twists along the way.

Though far-fetched in places it’s an enjoyable read and sufficiently thought provoking to hold my attention.

[Gerri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I consider this story a kind of horror story. And imaginative. But horrific.

Our world is involved in a "collision" with another version of our world, one that is ruled by a bloated, grasping, twisted catholic church, far removed from the one we know. Local people and tourists have been attacked, murdered and many others abducted and taken to this other world. Spanish Conquistadors are seen, and they attack. A church has disappeared. What the heck is going on?

Brogan and Doyle, officers in the local Garda are on the trail. Brogan disappears into this world, seeking to find a woman he saw vanish in front of him.

Doyle remains behind, working with others to figure out what exactly is going on. And then what to do about it.

I'll not tell any more of the story, other than to say it's very interesting, a tale you want to keep reading until the end.

My only complaint is that certain points were given a one sentence conclusion.

I do recommend this book if mystery is your thing.

[Ross Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable read

This was a fun read and I'll be picking up more of the authors work! The world building is great, the characters well developed and it's full of intriguing original ideas

[Penn Gates · Rating 4 out of 5]

Soulfarm, by David Toft, was just too intriguing a title to ignore—so I’m happy I went with my impulse. Part detective story, part sci-fi, with a little fantasy mixed in, the action doesn’t stop to take a breath. It’s written very cinematically. I can easily picture this as a movie with sweeping landscapes of the Irish countryside and a civilization out of time that made me think a bit of Game of Thrones. Speaking of which, I could easily picture Liam Neeson as Brogan, the Dublin cop, who’s in the thick of things from the start. If you want a fun read, pick up this book.

[Katherine Pym · Rating 4 out of 5]

Soulfarm is an amazing read. I couldn't put it down. The characters are real, and must face an unexpected clash of dimensions. A basic premise of missing persons, and murder, complicated by dimensional meetings, is inspired thought. David Toft resounds the reader with battles and magic, old and new technology. His story takes the reader beyond the norm. It's a must to satisfy readers who like mysteries and sci/fi alike.

[Melise · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the beginning more than I did the entire book. I thought the concept of mixing a detective novel with a fantasy premise was brilliant, but I don't think the actual story paid off as well as I might have hoped it would