What do you think?
Rate this book
SoulMatch
A science fiction short story.
In the midst of a civil war, May reflects on the love of his life, a love that may be lost.
In the midst of a civil war, May reflects on the love of his life, a love that may be lost.
10 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 28, 2014
22 people are currently reading
100 people want to read
About the author
Drew Avera
95 books167 followersDrew Avera is a Navy veteran, musician, and the bestselling author of the Dead Planet series and the Alorian Wars.
He was born and raised in rural Mississippi and grew up with a deep affection for comic books and science fiction movies and television shows. At one point he boasted a comic book collection with more than 1,000 issues. His love for comics inspired him to pursue a career as a comic book artist, but an injury to his hand ended that dream permanently.
Still, he was inspired to create in one medium or the other. He picked up a guitar at fifteen years old and began writing songs almost immediately. That “obsession” as his parents called it put him on the path to rock stardom…in his bedroom.
It was when he turned sixteen and bought the novel “What Savage Beast” by Peter David (The Incredible Hulk) that he caught the bug to be a writer. Unfortunately, it would not come to fruition until fourteen years later.
Drew enlisted in the US Navy as an Aviation Electricians Mate at seventeen years old. He served twenty years and deployed on four combat deployments to the Persian Gulf. During those deployments he would spend his free time reading books. He loved reading books in a series and that inspired his journey to becoming a fiction author.
In November 2012, at the age of thirty, Drew began his journey as an author by participating in national Novel Writing Month (NANoWriMo). He published his first book in March of 2013 and the rest, as they say, is history. With more than twenty books published in the space opera, military science fiction, cyberpunk, and dystopian genres, he has built a backlog with something for everyone who enjoys science fiction adventures.
After retiring from the Navy, he began an exciting new career in the simulation field. Drew is now focusing his efforts on building upon what he learned in his first eight years of publishing. He has plans for an all-new space opera and military science fiction series as well as new collaborations with other writers.
The best is yet to come!
To learn more about Drew and his books, visit www.drewavera.com.
Subscribe to Drew’s newsletter for updates on new releases, or follow his Amazon Author Page to receive updates directly from Amazon.
The Alorian Wars (Space Opera/Military Science Fiction Series)
Broken Worlds
Deadly Refuge
Mutiny Rising
Shadow Empire
Regime Change
The Dead Planet Series (Cyberpunk/Dystopian)
Exodus
Verity
Endgame
The Syndicate Series (Cyberpunk)
Rise of the Syndicate
Eye of the Syndicate
Other books
Traitor
Skye Byrn
He was born and raised in rural Mississippi and grew up with a deep affection for comic books and science fiction movies and television shows. At one point he boasted a comic book collection with more than 1,000 issues. His love for comics inspired him to pursue a career as a comic book artist, but an injury to his hand ended that dream permanently.
Still, he was inspired to create in one medium or the other. He picked up a guitar at fifteen years old and began writing songs almost immediately. That “obsession” as his parents called it put him on the path to rock stardom…in his bedroom.
It was when he turned sixteen and bought the novel “What Savage Beast” by Peter David (The Incredible Hulk) that he caught the bug to be a writer. Unfortunately, it would not come to fruition until fourteen years later.
Drew enlisted in the US Navy as an Aviation Electricians Mate at seventeen years old. He served twenty years and deployed on four combat deployments to the Persian Gulf. During those deployments he would spend his free time reading books. He loved reading books in a series and that inspired his journey to becoming a fiction author.
In November 2012, at the age of thirty, Drew began his journey as an author by participating in national Novel Writing Month (NANoWriMo). He published his first book in March of 2013 and the rest, as they say, is history. With more than twenty books published in the space opera, military science fiction, cyberpunk, and dystopian genres, he has built a backlog with something for everyone who enjoys science fiction adventures.
After retiring from the Navy, he began an exciting new career in the simulation field. Drew is now focusing his efforts on building upon what he learned in his first eight years of publishing. He has plans for an all-new space opera and military science fiction series as well as new collaborations with other writers.
The best is yet to come!
To learn more about Drew and his books, visit www.drewavera.com.
Subscribe to Drew’s newsletter for updates on new releases, or follow his Amazon Author Page to receive updates directly from Amazon.
The Alorian Wars (Space Opera/Military Science Fiction Series)
Broken Worlds
Deadly Refuge
Mutiny Rising
Shadow Empire
Regime Change
The Dead Planet Series (Cyberpunk/Dystopian)
Exodus
Verity
Endgame
The Syndicate Series (Cyberpunk)
Rise of the Syndicate
Eye of the Syndicate
Other books
Traitor
Skye Byrn
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
August 17, 2015
I found this short story free on amazon, and it sounded interesting so I downloaded it. The idea behind the story is interesting, and I think the writer did okay with the characters, but somehow I never really got into it. I like short stories, and rarely complain about shortness of them, but in this case I think I have to. At the end of it I felt there was something missing, and i think the problem is just that the idea is just a little too big for a story this short. It needs a little more space to develop, and a little more flesh on its bones.
January 1, 2016
Note: The audio version of this story can be found on the author’s YouTube station at the time of this posting.
Set in a far future, humans and an alien race, the Dylaquians, begin interbreeding. However, a long-standing civil war has once again divided these two races, and sent the hybrids into hiding. Now May Gresham stands on the cusp of the latest attack. Should he believe in Coralin’s gift or hold back and risk more death and destruction?
This short story started off strong. I like that there is this big sweeping background and history that holds meaning to the immediate actions of the characters. There’s impressions of a big fleet and then a shock wave as the Dylaquians launch another attack.
In the midst of this, Coralin begs May to believe in her gift, which is to know predispositions, or future paths. Things start to move really quick at this point and things got a little muddy for me. There’s talk of May and Coralin being each other’s Soul’s Match and that it is a very powerful thing. However, I think I failed to grasp the significance of it.
The ending left things really open ended. I’m hoping the author returns to this universe he started and fleshes things out with more stories. I feel that there is definitely more of this tale to be told.
Narration: Jamie B. Cline did a good job with May’s voice. Melissa Foster’s voice was significantly quieter than Cline’s so I think they were recorded separately and then put together in the final product. Other than the volume Foster did a good job of imbuing Coralin’s voice with longing and emotion.
Set in a far future, humans and an alien race, the Dylaquians, begin interbreeding. However, a long-standing civil war has once again divided these two races, and sent the hybrids into hiding. Now May Gresham stands on the cusp of the latest attack. Should he believe in Coralin’s gift or hold back and risk more death and destruction?
This short story started off strong. I like that there is this big sweeping background and history that holds meaning to the immediate actions of the characters. There’s impressions of a big fleet and then a shock wave as the Dylaquians launch another attack.
In the midst of this, Coralin begs May to believe in her gift, which is to know predispositions, or future paths. Things start to move really quick at this point and things got a little muddy for me. There’s talk of May and Coralin being each other’s Soul’s Match and that it is a very powerful thing. However, I think I failed to grasp the significance of it.
The ending left things really open ended. I’m hoping the author returns to this universe he started and fleshes things out with more stories. I feel that there is definitely more of this tale to be told.
Narration: Jamie B. Cline did a good job with May’s voice. Melissa Foster’s voice was significantly quieter than Cline’s so I think they were recorded separately and then put together in the final product. Other than the volume Foster did a good job of imbuing Coralin’s voice with longing and emotion.
June 1, 2015
This short story had potential. The writing could use some polish, but flowed quite well. It just became too confusing. There wasn't enough explanation for the connection between the characters to make sense. One minute I thought I had an idea about what was supposed to be happening, but the next sentence changed everything. I think if it were a little longer, with just a bit more detail, it would be a better read.
December 29, 2019
Tak v polke som si myslela, že to mám, ale záver ma dosť zmiatol. Na to aké je to krátke, to špekuluje hodne s náboženstvom, tak som to možno nepochopila z tohto dôvodu. Ktokoľvek ste to čítal/počúval a pochopil, alebo sa domnievate, že ste to pochopili, kľudne mi to ozrejmite. Budem rada.
:D Na youtube je audiokniha a odpíše tam aj autor poviedky :D Supeeer
Spoiler:
Umučený posol na začiatku je hlavná postava a ďalej sa dej odvíja s jeho dušou
:D Na youtube je audiokniha a odpíše tam aj autor poviedky :D Supeeer
Spoiler:
Umučený posol na začiatku je hlavná postava a ďalej sa dej odvíja s jeho dušou
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 3, 2018
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review
This is a short story about war, faith, love, and death. The characters were well defined, action perfectly detailed, and the philosophical implications intriguing enough to keep the reader entertained
This is a short story about war, faith, love, and death. The characters were well defined, action perfectly detailed, and the philosophical implications intriguing enough to keep the reader entertained
February 27, 2017
Too religious for my taste
This little short , and it is very little - most of the length here is from an excerpt to a longer work - is very well written. However, I prefer my Science Fiction to be free of overt religious content unless I'm warned about it in advance - or unless the religion is somehow alien. That wasn't the case here.
This little short , and it is very little - most of the length here is from an excerpt to a longer work - is very well written. However, I prefer my Science Fiction to be free of overt religious content unless I'm warned about it in advance - or unless the religion is somehow alien. That wasn't the case here.
February 23, 2017
A beautiful but incredibly sad story of faith in the face of destruction.
Such emotion packed into so few words is difficult to achieve but Mr Avera managed it very well.
I feel the story should have been longer as I was at a bit of a loss at the end, apart from that I loved it.
Such emotion packed into so few words is difficult to achieve but Mr Avera managed it very well.
I feel the story should have been longer as I was at a bit of a loss at the end, apart from that I loved it.
November 12, 2015
I enjoyed the story until it reached its climax. At that point, I got confused. Even after giving myself several days to reflect on it, I'm not sure what happened. I've read other works from this author (from The Collective) and I know he's the real deal, so I really hate to give Soulmatch 3 stars, but I didn't get the satisfaction from this book that I got from reading his other work b/c I was just lost.
[[ASIN:B00K27655A SoulMatch (A Scifi Short Story)]] is very much a story about the human condition, and about faith and consequences. I do enjoy stories like this, and that aspect did come through. I think it could have had a greater emotional impact if I wasn't distracted by trying to figure out what was going on. To be fair, I don't read a lot of Science Fiction, so maybe there's some genre convention causing a gap I'm not able to leap across. Or maybe uncertainty was the author's intention.
In any event, if you like sci. fi. stories that examine faith and love and consequences, stories that really make you think, then you'll probably like this one.
[[ASIN:B00K27655A SoulMatch (A Scifi Short Story)]] is very much a story about the human condition, and about faith and consequences. I do enjoy stories like this, and that aspect did come through. I think it could have had a greater emotional impact if I wasn't distracted by trying to figure out what was going on. To be fair, I don't read a lot of Science Fiction, so maybe there's some genre convention causing a gap I'm not able to leap across. Or maybe uncertainty was the author's intention.
In any event, if you like sci. fi. stories that examine faith and love and consequences, stories that really make you think, then you'll probably like this one.
June 24, 2014
This was a short story provided free through Goodreads from the author Drew Avera, in exchange for an honest review. It tells of a soldier, May Gresham, who is in the midst of a three-way war among humans, the Daliquians, a technologically advanced race that had helped humanity survive, and the Hybriums, products of the cross-breeding between humans and Daliquans. May is on a Warcraft that is attacked by the Daliquians, and while he struggles to survive he is visited by Cornelia, who claims to be a heavenly spirit sent to find May and convince him to have faith and to replenish the conflict with love and peace. While the story is reminiscent, in several places, of several such scenarios in several other stories, I thought it was, in the end, sweet and hopeful in a horrible scenario. Worth a read.
May 7, 2015
Decent, quick read
A moderately entertaining story. Needs a small grammar check in a few places, but it's not overwhelming or distracting. There's quite a bit of telling instead of showing (we are told how he man falls in love and how he feels but not shown it so we can feel it for ourselves). The dialogue is a bit stilted and both characters speak exactly the same, which is exactly how the author speaks, which made it hard to relate as I don't know anyone who speaks in fluid, ornate sentences like that. I'm not sure I understand the ending or what it had to do with the story. This was a clever, high concept read and with some fleshing out could be a truly entertaining short story.
A moderately entertaining story. Needs a small grammar check in a few places, but it's not overwhelming or distracting. There's quite a bit of telling instead of showing (we are told how he man falls in love and how he feels but not shown it so we can feel it for ourselves). The dialogue is a bit stilted and both characters speak exactly the same, which is exactly how the author speaks, which made it hard to relate as I don't know anyone who speaks in fluid, ornate sentences like that. I'm not sure I understand the ending or what it had to do with the story. This was a clever, high concept read and with some fleshing out could be a truly entertaining short story.
November 20, 2015
Listed incorrectly here in Goodreads as Hugh Howey Free Short Stories (ebook)
by Hugh Howey (Goodreads Author). (That Amazon link reverts back to this book, which I own.)
SoulMatch (A Scifi Short Story)Apr 30, 2014
by Drew Avera and Mark Fussell was a good short story, rather dark, yet spiritually based. I give it five stars because it had a good moral to the story, which I like to see in books. It's a bit overly religious based, which I am not too fond of seeing without a forewarning - cleverly hidden as a sort of war story of the future, but I didn't discredit the book for that.
I am fairly certain I have read this book included in other short stories before. I checked a few I have in my cloud but didn't see it listed in their indexes or table of contents.
by Hugh Howey (Goodreads Author). (That Amazon link reverts back to this book, which I own.)
SoulMatch (A Scifi Short Story)Apr 30, 2014
by Drew Avera and Mark Fussell was a good short story, rather dark, yet spiritually based. I give it five stars because it had a good moral to the story, which I like to see in books. It's a bit overly religious based, which I am not too fond of seeing without a forewarning - cleverly hidden as a sort of war story of the future, but I didn't discredit the book for that.
I am fairly certain I have read this book included in other short stories before. I checked a few I have in my cloud but didn't see it listed in their indexes or table of contents.
January 30, 2015
This is a very short story, but don't expect to be able to guess where it is heading. In fact, you might have to read it a couple of times to fully appreciate it.
The only real problem is with the presentation. Lines will
skip down in
the middle of a sentence. As you can see, this can impede the flow of your reading. This does not help with grasping everything that is happening in this short but complex tale.
I am not sure how to best categorize this tale or who would be the best group of readers to recommend it. I have a feeling it could be one of those stories people either love or hate without much of a middle ground. I would rate it as 3.5 stars.
The only real problem is with the presentation. Lines will
skip down in
the middle of a sentence. As you can see, this can impede the flow of your reading. This does not help with grasping everything that is happening in this short but complex tale.
I am not sure how to best categorize this tale or who would be the best group of readers to recommend it. I have a feeling it could be one of those stories people either love or hate without much of a middle ground. I would rate it as 3.5 stars.
March 11, 2015
The basis for this story is just a really interesting concept. It is well described neat and well edited. It is well imagined but it could use more explanation or detail - it is set in the future but some of it still seems unbelievable. The trust they put into complete strangers isn't believable as it's presented, but could be made believable with some more details explained I think.
I think I got a clear picture of the situation but I cannot be certain - I could use just a little more description. I do like that it is such a quick read and I do like the characters. I think with a bit more development they and their story could be quite intriguing.
I think I got a clear picture of the situation but I cannot be certain - I could use just a little more description. I do like that it is such a quick read and I do like the characters. I think with a bit more development they and their story could be quite intriguing.
December 13, 2015
This is the first writing by this new author that I have finally had the chance to enjoy. I have many of the others, and look forward to reading them one day. This is a short story, and while I wasn't sure exactly how much could be covered in such a small space, I was taken back by how quickly the story came together and was able to reach a climax while still holding me to the story line and catching me off guard by the twist at the end. A lot of story told in a short space, and captivating enough to make me want more. Cool stuff.
October 10, 2014
5 Stars! I'm totally blown away by the beauty of Drew's writing and I'm seriously so impressed and moved....yep, I cried at the end. This book only took me ten minutes to read, but it immediately swept me up into a sci-Fi/paranormal world that mesmerized me. When it was over, I felt like I had just opened my eyes after a deep sleep. This is a special story and it's about faith and belief in a Higher Power. I'm off to buy more Drew Avera books immediately!
March 14, 2016
"A Paper Doll Caught in a Flame"
A snapshot of a life held no longer worth living. A vision in the horror and futility of constant war. Drew Avera's oh too short story is beautifully crafted, visually stunning and left me longing for more. Just as might he expected from the lovely cover.
It only takes a few minutes to read but each second is packed. I will definitely be looking for more by this most talented author. Highly recommended.
A snapshot of a life held no longer worth living. A vision in the horror and futility of constant war. Drew Avera's oh too short story is beautifully crafted, visually stunning and left me longing for more. Just as might he expected from the lovely cover.
It only takes a few minutes to read but each second is packed. I will definitely be looking for more by this most talented author. Highly recommended.
October 16, 2014
Very interesting read, although extremely short the emotional feelings this short story brings to readers is amazing. A really interesting read that combines supernatural, spiritual and the end of days. I loved the story but even more I think I have found an author to watch for. Amazing short story.
March 6, 2015
I had no idea what to expect when getting into this short story. I was pleasantly surprised!
I really don't want to spoil anything by revealing what the story is about. Life, love, faith, and loss.
Redemption? You'll have to read it to find out.
A great short story from Drew Avera. I look forward to reading more from him!
I really don't want to spoil anything by revealing what the story is about. Life, love, faith, and loss.
Redemption? You'll have to read it to find out.
A great short story from Drew Avera. I look forward to reading more from him!
September 1, 2015
Unexpectedly interesting.
It was a fascinating telling in the sci-fi genre.
Only reason I gave it 4/5 is because I was expecting a story filled with sci-fi elements and nothing more. So when faith-based elements came into the story, I didn't know if I would continue to enjoy it.
Nonetheless, it added an interesting, yet lovely side to this fiction tale.
It was a fascinating telling in the sci-fi genre.
Only reason I gave it 4/5 is because I was expecting a story filled with sci-fi elements and nothing more. So when faith-based elements came into the story, I didn't know if I would continue to enjoy it.
Nonetheless, it added an interesting, yet lovely side to this fiction tale.
October 22, 2015
It was a good story
This was a good read , just a bit different from what I normally read . It had a good storyline and makes you sit back and think about your own faith. Nice break from what I normally read and helps to remind me that there is a lot of other types of books out there to read.
This was a good read , just a bit different from what I normally read . It had a good storyline and makes you sit back and think about your own faith. Nice break from what I normally read and helps to remind me that there is a lot of other types of books out there to read.
June 8, 2016
The imagery in this short story was fabulous, I was quickly dragged into a whole different world that I instantly wanted to know more about. The best compliment I can pay a short story is that I wanted it to be longer, I wanted more of it. It was a great read that I would highly recommend to anybody who is a fan of sci-fi.
October 10, 2014
May Gresham takes a interesting, twisting journey between faith and belief and love with the heaven sent Coralene. There are the alien Daliqians and the cross-breed Hybriums - on a alien world with twin suns, is there a place for such things as religion - or is it all just old stories?
October 10, 2014
The writing was almost poetic and the story line engaging. I was wishing for more and by the end I was a bit heartbroken. It had a certain sadness (the kind you like to feel) almost like Tim Burton's Corpse Bride.
October 29, 2014
SoulMatch by Drew Avera
A short story about a soldier May Gresham. While at war he encounters Cornelia, who seems to be a spirit. Her heavenly presence helps May come to terms with himself, his spirituality and life. A though provoking short story I find readers will enjoy.
A short story about a soldier May Gresham. While at war he encounters Cornelia, who seems to be a spirit. Her heavenly presence helps May come to terms with himself, his spirituality and life. A though provoking short story I find readers will enjoy.
February 1, 2015
Surprising twists!
I spent most of this book being proved wrong on all my assumptions as the author weaved the plot within this sci-fi tale.
The lesson of fate and love with the hints to the greater story arc left me interested of future works involving this world.
I spent most of this book being proved wrong on all my assumptions as the author weaved the plot within this sci-fi tale.
The lesson of fate and love with the hints to the greater story arc left me interested of future works involving this world.
July 8, 2015
I really enjoyed this short story! I felt the author did a great job at placing the reader in this landscape without a jarring effect. I could feel what the character felt at times due to the beautiful description and words used. I encourage everyone to give this short story a read.
August 21, 2016
I liked the writing style and the world hinted at. But I felt it was a bit too strange to be told in such a short format. It needed some more explanations. Are there any other books set in this world, I wonder?
March 18, 2016
Too short, wanted more!
In this very short story, too short, my heart was wrenched from me. Love that binds hearts and souls is powerful. But by the lights of an alien planet it appears that if that powerful love does not encompass shared beliefs it is doomed to ash.
In this very short story, too short, my heart was wrenched from me. Love that binds hearts and souls is powerful. But by the lights of an alien planet it appears that if that powerful love does not encompass shared beliefs it is doomed to ash.
April 24, 2016
I enjoyed the dilemma the character faced believing in the powers of his soulmatch, but not in the divinity of those powers, but I was left a bit confused by the revelation that they were married at the end. I'm for twists that make you think, but that seemed to come from nowhere.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 25, 2018
I downloaded this from Amazon for free. It was quite short, so short in fact that I felt it probably should have been expanded upon a bit more in order to explain the plot better. It was well-written, but a bit confusing.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews