The Mountain of Souls: The Chosen, Book 1

by Marcus Lee, Sierra Kline (Narrator)

Can a weapon forged in the darkness ever truly represent the light?

On the fringe of a war-ravaged Delnorian Empire, a mysterious sect harbours an unbelievable an ancient prophecy foretelling the return of a legendary king who will usher in a golden age for humankind.

Amidst the chaos, Malina, a rebellious slave, is unwittingly thrust into the heart of destiny when she's sold at auction and taken to the Mountain of Souls—a dark, mystical place where her future becomes irrevocably entwined with the prophecy.

For if she can survive the deadly training that awaits, she’ll attain sufficient skills, knowledge, and power to join The Chosen, a fearsome cohort assigned to overcome the malevolent forces standing in the way of the king’s ascension.

Failure means certain death and even success will come at a terrible a conscience stained by blood, deceit, betrayal and the sacrifice of her very soul.

But is it a price she’s willing to pay?

Listen, and you'll discover more than just Malina's tale … but the revelation of an astonishing plan spanning millennia, in which myths of the past influence the present to determine the future.

Audible Audio

Published March 2, 2023

About the author

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Marcus Lee - Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult

Reviews

[Ness VDH · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was an extremely slow burn, to the point where it really tested my patience. Roughly the first 68% of the book is spent almost entirely on training, preparation, and internal build-up, and it often felt like the story was stuck in one place for far too long. Even then, the actual objective isn’t reached until around 96%, which made the payoff feel rushed after such a prolonged lead-up.

The premise itself was genuinely interesting and had a lot of potential, but the execution felt messy at times. The timeline was particularly hard to follow, with some chapters jumping forward very quickly and glossing over transitions that felt important, leaving the overall narrative feeling disjointed rather than intentionally fast-paced.

The violence and survival elements also stood out — none of it was sugar-coated. The brutality is raw and unflinching, which will work for some readers but may be confronting for others. This hit even harder once I realised the characters weren’t 18+ as I’d initially assumed; they were only 14 when they were captured, which significantly shifted the tone of the story and how I perceived certain scenes and character dynamics.

In saying this, I am trying to persevere with books on a series, so I will continue to read - regrettably? I shall find out. 🤔

[Scott Simpson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the story and it was an interesting read. I just feel like it was missing something.

**For Myself**

Story about a girl who was bought as a slave and had to compete against other slaves with any failures leading to their deaths. She turned out to be the best of them and somehow got the best magic out of them all. This was done in their training to become the assassins of ‘the once and future king’.

Love interest is one of the other assassins.

Their end goal is to kill the high king for he is supposedly an evil man and needs to be killed so that the once and future king can come back to rule.

When it comes to killing the high king, she is unwilling as she can see that the high king is a kind man and not some tyrant that they have been told.

[Amanda · Rating 1 out of 5]

So, I like books that are dark and have what I consider to be no triggers however, this book has the death and torture of children in graphic detail and multiple instances. I just couldn't find enjoyment in reading about a child being disemboweled and slowly dying. If this book had been about adults this review maybe completely different.

[Cheri Lindsay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting. I’m not sure if I’m going to read the next part of the series or not. It’s a bit repetitive.

[McKenzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! It’s brutal but you cannot help rooting for Malina’s success.