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Soulbound
Living in the quaint farming village of Brittendell offered a simple life of home and family. When Aislynn, the daughter of a local farmer, and Rorin, the son of a wealthy horse trader, married, another charming love story enlivened the tranquil town. Aislynn and Rorin were profoundly connected, but their relationship came to a screeching halt when Rorin was killed in a tragic accident. Their bond sends Aislynn into a spiraling depression as she continues sensing Rorin’s presence. Soon, Aislynn finds herself thrust into a dangerous world of magic filled with hobgoblins, elves, and wizards. When Aislynn is captured by the future king of Venallis and forced to help him uncover a mysterious magical artifact she discovers that fate has far greater plans for her than she ever imagined. Perhaps death is not always the end.
- GenresFantasy
Kindle Edition
First published August 31, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
March 12, 2016
4 out of 5 stars
First of all, can we talk about this gorgeous cover? Props to the artist, Rachel Gegen, because looking at this cover gives me heart eyes.
So this isn’t a YA book, and it’s not a genre that I normally would read (high fantasy), but I received a review copy from the author in exchange for an honest review, and I’m glad I read it.
The story is about a young woman, Aislynn, who loses her husband and soulmate, Rorin, in a tragic accident. While grieving her loss (and convinced that she is seeing visions of him), Aislynn is visited by Delphia, a representative of the Sisterhood of Souls. She finds out that she is a Soulbound, a type of magic user whose powers are unlocked through great tragedy. She chooses to study with the Sisterhood, largely because being a Soulbound means that she can use her powers to keep Rorin’s spirit close to her on Earth.
I thought for sure, at this point, that the book would mostly be about Aislynn and Rorin training together in the City of the Blessed, learning the ropes of their new magical powers. I was kind of like, “Okay, I guess that could be interesting, but probably a bit boring…” However, the next time we meet Aislynn and Rorin, three years have passed. I loved Stovall’s choice to jump ahead through the initial training, because so much more was able to happen in the book because of it. It also takes us to an Aislynn and Rorin who have grown used to their new way of being in each other’s lives, and while they still love each other and are devoted to each other, you can tell that it’s starting to wear on them. It must be exhausting having your soulmate in your life in a non-corporeal form that you can’t hug, kiss, or touch in any way. I can see why that would take its toll on a couple over time.
So I don’t want to say too much more about the plot because I don’t like to post spoilers (and I’m super sensitive about what constitutes a “spoiler” myself), but I’ll quote the last bit of the back cover description: “When Aislynn is captured by the future king of Venallis and forced to help him uncover a mysterious magical artifact she discovers that fate has far greater plans for her than she ever imagined. Perhaps death is not always the end.”
I liked both Aislynn and Rorin (although they could be a bit too sickeningly sweet with each other sometimes, but hey, they’re allowed), and I may have a bit of a crush on the prince, Ciaran. I really want to praise the action sequences, too, because I couldn’t put the book down during those. I felt like I was playing a video game, and that’s like the highest praise I can give anything. High fantasy worlds don’t usually do it for me, but the world building in this book is very good and the characters are what really sucked me in. I do wish there had been more female characters, though. Besides Aislynn, we mostly have Delphia and Celeste of the Soulbound, and I would’ve liked seeing a lot more of both of them.
This is the first of a trilogy, but it definitely works as a stand-alone, and it does a good job of setting up the second book at the end while not leaving anything hanging. I can’t wait until Stovall publishes the next book, and I highly recommend checking this one out.
(Cross-posted on Youth Book Review)
First of all, can we talk about this gorgeous cover? Props to the artist, Rachel Gegen, because looking at this cover gives me heart eyes.
So this isn’t a YA book, and it’s not a genre that I normally would read (high fantasy), but I received a review copy from the author in exchange for an honest review, and I’m glad I read it.
The story is about a young woman, Aislynn, who loses her husband and soulmate, Rorin, in a tragic accident. While grieving her loss (and convinced that she is seeing visions of him), Aislynn is visited by Delphia, a representative of the Sisterhood of Souls. She finds out that she is a Soulbound, a type of magic user whose powers are unlocked through great tragedy. She chooses to study with the Sisterhood, largely because being a Soulbound means that she can use her powers to keep Rorin’s spirit close to her on Earth.
I thought for sure, at this point, that the book would mostly be about Aislynn and Rorin training together in the City of the Blessed, learning the ropes of their new magical powers. I was kind of like, “Okay, I guess that could be interesting, but probably a bit boring…” However, the next time we meet Aislynn and Rorin, three years have passed. I loved Stovall’s choice to jump ahead through the initial training, because so much more was able to happen in the book because of it. It also takes us to an Aislynn and Rorin who have grown used to their new way of being in each other’s lives, and while they still love each other and are devoted to each other, you can tell that it’s starting to wear on them. It must be exhausting having your soulmate in your life in a non-corporeal form that you can’t hug, kiss, or touch in any way. I can see why that would take its toll on a couple over time.
So I don’t want to say too much more about the plot because I don’t like to post spoilers (and I’m super sensitive about what constitutes a “spoiler” myself), but I’ll quote the last bit of the back cover description: “When Aislynn is captured by the future king of Venallis and forced to help him uncover a mysterious magical artifact she discovers that fate has far greater plans for her than she ever imagined. Perhaps death is not always the end.”
I liked both Aislynn and Rorin (although they could be a bit too sickeningly sweet with each other sometimes, but hey, they’re allowed), and I may have a bit of a crush on the prince, Ciaran. I really want to praise the action sequences, too, because I couldn’t put the book down during those. I felt like I was playing a video game, and that’s like the highest praise I can give anything. High fantasy worlds don’t usually do it for me, but the world building in this book is very good and the characters are what really sucked me in. I do wish there had been more female characters, though. Besides Aislynn, we mostly have Delphia and Celeste of the Soulbound, and I would’ve liked seeing a lot more of both of them.
This is the first of a trilogy, but it definitely works as a stand-alone, and it does a good job of setting up the second book at the end while not leaving anything hanging. I can’t wait until Stovall publishes the next book, and I highly recommend checking this one out.
(Cross-posted on Youth Book Review)
October 13, 2016
Christen Stovall is quite literally my writing soulmate. While reading Soulbound I found so many similarities between her ideas and writing style when compared to my own writing in my novel Into The Fog. She explores life and death, and how death might not always be the end, while also exploring the human psych and how humans grasp death and life beyond.
Soulbound is a heartbreaking novel. I felt so connected to Aislynn and her pain from losing her mate, Rorin. Stovall portrayed Aislynn's pain so that it flew off of the page and penetrated the reader's heart, only to drag them back into the story. I couldn't put down this heartbreaking and mystifying novel, and I immediately knew upon completing it that I wanted to read the rest of the series.
Stovall knew how to incorporate realistic life matters with fantasy elements, and at no point did I find the story far - fetched. Many times depression and tragedy can transform a person's life, and that is all that happened to Aislynn. Her mate's death opened up a door for her to understand more about life and the magic that lies within, and I could sense her growing throughout the novel.
I sincerely look forward to read more work by this author, and I am so honored to have come across her work. If you are interested in the paranormal and the magic that lies within daily life, then this book would be a perfect read for you. By all means, go out now and pick it up.
FOR BOOK RE
Soulbound is a heartbreaking novel. I felt so connected to Aislynn and her pain from losing her mate, Rorin. Stovall portrayed Aislynn's pain so that it flew off of the page and penetrated the reader's heart, only to drag them back into the story. I couldn't put down this heartbreaking and mystifying novel, and I immediately knew upon completing it that I wanted to read the rest of the series.
Stovall knew how to incorporate realistic life matters with fantasy elements, and at no point did I find the story far - fetched. Many times depression and tragedy can transform a person's life, and that is all that happened to Aislynn. Her mate's death opened up a door for her to understand more about life and the magic that lies within, and I could sense her growing throughout the novel.
I sincerely look forward to read more work by this author, and I am so honored to have come across her work. If you are interested in the paranormal and the magic that lies within daily life, then this book would be a perfect read for you. By all means, go out now and pick it up.
FOR BOOK RE
October 5, 2015
Soulbound is a phenomenal book in so many ways. There have been few authors that have been able to weave a new world that is so masterfully created that the reader feels a part of it. The fact that Stovall did this in her first book is astounding and I am beyond eager to see what she writes next. I believe it is safe to say that she is a gifted storyteller.
The story itself touches all the emotions of the heart and one quickly falls in love with the well-developed characters. This was a book that I was unable to put down and I am not sure that I have enough patience to wait for the next book. Read this, you will not be disappointed.
The story itself touches all the emotions of the heart and one quickly falls in love with the well-developed characters. This was a book that I was unable to put down and I am not sure that I have enough patience to wait for the next book. Read this, you will not be disappointed.
September 29, 2015
Book one!
Soulbound pulled me in and I'm impatient for the next part of the trilogy. Christine carefully sets up describes a magical world. She thinks of very different worlds and times. It's well written with excellent story, vocabulary, and spelling which much more than many ebooks offer.
Soulbound pulled me in and I'm impatient for the next part of the trilogy. Christine carefully sets up describes a magical world. She thinks of very different worlds and times. It's well written with excellent story, vocabulary, and spelling which much more than many ebooks offer.
June 24, 2019
In role-playing games, a friend of mine used to tell, a player has three choices or there are three types of players.
The first is the one who plays himself no matter the setting, the story, or the group.
The second play what he wished to be in a fantasy land and
The third play whatever he fancies having no stereotypes.
Christen clearly is the second type. She turned personal experience into a dreamlike wish and then wrote it down. The book is highly emotional and there are long descriptions of persons and places.
The dialogues are many and focus on ordinary things as well as great ones. The story is about a girl who loses her husband and then from this unfortunate event she develops magical powers. Then she meets the heir to the kingdom she lives and is caught up in a plan to usurp his power. In her struggles, she travels in strange magical places and faces death and worse in the hands of blood magic cultists. Finally, she helps the heir to receive his due and all ends well…
The story begins lightly but the excitement builds up gradually as the adventure begins and the plot thickens.
I never liked the YA genre preferring more mature content and I believe that the story had the potential for something better if it hadn’t the limitations incurred by its genre.
The first is the one who plays himself no matter the setting, the story, or the group.
The second play what he wished to be in a fantasy land and
The third play whatever he fancies having no stereotypes.
Christen clearly is the second type. She turned personal experience into a dreamlike wish and then wrote it down. The book is highly emotional and there are long descriptions of persons and places.
The dialogues are many and focus on ordinary things as well as great ones. The story is about a girl who loses her husband and then from this unfortunate event she develops magical powers. Then she meets the heir to the kingdom she lives and is caught up in a plan to usurp his power. In her struggles, she travels in strange magical places and faces death and worse in the hands of blood magic cultists. Finally, she helps the heir to receive his due and all ends well…
The story begins lightly but the excitement builds up gradually as the adventure begins and the plot thickens.
I never liked the YA genre preferring more mature content and I believe that the story had the potential for something better if it hadn’t the limitations incurred by its genre.
June 5, 2019
A brilliant exemplar of how to do worldbuilding right. Stovall's prose brings the reader right into the story; her characterizations are rich and clever. I'm anxiously awaiting the rest of the story.
March 12, 2020
Aislynn’s dreams have all come true. Raised on a simple farm, she meets and weds the love of her life, Rorin who is the son of a prominent horse breeder. Her world comes crashing down when Rory is killed. Devastated by loss, she continues to have visions of her lost love and soon learns she could become one of the Soulbound. The choice is easy for Aislynn, the magical bonding with the spirit world where she can maintain a connection with Rory even though they cannot physically touch is better than losing him forever. Not quite trained in the magic of the Soulbound, Aislynn is called upon for a special quest. With her friend, the wizard Zan they attempt to leave the compound but are quickly captured by Prince Ciaran, the future king of Venallis. So begins their harrowing adventures.
All of the main characters are well-drawn including Bailley, Zan’s dog who is never far from all the action. The world and magic systems are intriguing as we travel along with the young heroes. This is a fantastic beginning to the series. I highly recommend this unique YA fantasy adventure!
All of the main characters are well-drawn including Bailley, Zan’s dog who is never far from all the action. The world and magic systems are intriguing as we travel along with the young heroes. This is a fantastic beginning to the series. I highly recommend this unique YA fantasy adventure!
July 5, 2018
This book was kindly sent to me by the author in exchange of an honest review, but this did not affect my opinions for this book.
Reading this book was such a fun experience. I felt as if I was on a ride along with the characters in the amazing world that the author created. I truly felt that I was a part of the story. I also liked the characters development. It was nice to see their relationships evolving and getting stronger and stronger. In other words, the main characters' friendships were very unique and made the story even more enjoyable for me.
The story was full of intrigue and twists. The characters adventures kept me on the edge of my seat. I got to discover more about the world, creatures and how magic works. I am glad that the author tried to show many important elements of the story to make her world as vivid as possible in the readers imaginations.
Another thing that I really appreciated is that the characters were very diverse and each one of them was unique in his/her own way. There were royals, souls, hobgoblins, elves, wizards, soulbounds... I must say that Lyzander is a very loveable character. He is my favorite (I am kind of obsessed). I also liked his dog, Bailey. I just love it when animals are featured in fantasy books. It is something that I do not see anymore which is sad. And I am glad that non of the characters were left out. They each had something to add and did all they could to help. For example, Aislynn never waited to be rescued and constantly struggled to find a way out whenever she and her friends were in danger.
And of course I need to talk about the writing. The writing style is just too beautiful and phenomenal. The author has such incredible writing and story telling potentials. She is talented.
Finally, I want to point out that there were few things that I did not like such as the repeated expressions and metaphors throughout the story as well as the fantasy tropes that the author used. That being said, this did not ruin the book for me ar all. In fact, I can not wait to dive into the second book.
Reading this book was such a fun experience. I felt as if I was on a ride along with the characters in the amazing world that the author created. I truly felt that I was a part of the story. I also liked the characters development. It was nice to see their relationships evolving and getting stronger and stronger. In other words, the main characters' friendships were very unique and made the story even more enjoyable for me.
The story was full of intrigue and twists. The characters adventures kept me on the edge of my seat. I got to discover more about the world, creatures and how magic works. I am glad that the author tried to show many important elements of the story to make her world as vivid as possible in the readers imaginations.
Another thing that I really appreciated is that the characters were very diverse and each one of them was unique in his/her own way. There were royals, souls, hobgoblins, elves, wizards, soulbounds... I must say that Lyzander is a very loveable character. He is my favorite (I am kind of obsessed). I also liked his dog, Bailey. I just love it when animals are featured in fantasy books. It is something that I do not see anymore which is sad. And I am glad that non of the characters were left out. They each had something to add and did all they could to help. For example, Aislynn never waited to be rescued and constantly struggled to find a way out whenever she and her friends were in danger.
And of course I need to talk about the writing. The writing style is just too beautiful and phenomenal. The author has such incredible writing and story telling potentials. She is talented.
Finally, I want to point out that there were few things that I did not like such as the repeated expressions and metaphors throughout the story as well as the fantasy tropes that the author used. That being said, this did not ruin the book for me ar all. In fact, I can not wait to dive into the second book.
July 20, 2017
Here are my notes: Loved this fantasy world it reminded me of the black mage series by @rachelcarterauthor and enchantment moonstone by @evelynecontant with some supernatural elements
The friendship is so wonderful.
I love how respectable at least in this first book that there isn't romance. I mean there is but it is not the focal point which i truly appreciate.
I loved also how all the various fantasy elements are cohesively in the world for instance when the main characters get saved by the elves it's not that they just randomly come up there's a reason that they are a part of the world.
The one liners between all the characters were hilarious.
I also enjoyed that were soulbound because it is a new twist on combining a fantasy world with netherworld elements without being useless.
Overall I really enjoyed this book @christenstovall did an excellent job bringing a new twist on a fantasy story I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the trilogy
I will rate this book 5 stars because of these points
The friendship is so wonderful.
I love how respectable at least in this first book that there isn't romance. I mean there is but it is not the focal point which i truly appreciate.
I loved also how all the various fantasy elements are cohesively in the world for instance when the main characters get saved by the elves it's not that they just randomly come up there's a reason that they are a part of the world.
The one liners between all the characters were hilarious.
I also enjoyed that were soulbound because it is a new twist on combining a fantasy world with netherworld elements without being useless.
Overall I really enjoyed this book @christenstovall did an excellent job bringing a new twist on a fantasy story I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the trilogy
I will rate this book 5 stars because of these points
March 23, 2026
I run into Christen at a lot of comicons over the years and released I had yet to read one of her books. This one is not in my normal vein, but she paints an interesting fantasy world woven together with remarkable characters.
May 20, 2022
*****This review is for the audiobook*****
I first read this story when it was released in 2016, so I was excited to get it on audio. I'm audiobook exclusive these days. Once again, I really enjoyed story and was invested in the characters right away. It didn't take long to get lost in the journey and the characters. Very emotional start which transitions into a great adventure! I enjoyed the series and hope the rest is also released on audio. Brenna Colleen Castor is a new-to-me narrator, but she did a great job. She has a very nice voice and her performance is also great. She isn't just reading the story to you, she is experiencing it and take you with her.
I first read this story when it was released in 2016, so I was excited to get it on audio. I'm audiobook exclusive these days. Once again, I really enjoyed story and was invested in the characters right away. It didn't take long to get lost in the journey and the characters. Very emotional start which transitions into a great adventure! I enjoyed the series and hope the rest is also released on audio. Brenna Colleen Castor is a new-to-me narrator, but she did a great job. She has a very nice voice and her performance is also great. She isn't just reading the story to you, she is experiencing it and take you with her.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews