Souldrifter

The Dreamwielder Chronicles #2

by Garrett Calcaterra

The Dreamwielder Chronicles continue with an enthralling fantasy of a young queen’s struggle to rule an empire—and harness the magic within her . . .   In the shadow of Emperor Guderian’s fallen empire, young Queen Makarria finds her throne—and her life—in grave danger. The Old World Republic has come, demanding that Her Majesty brings order to the struggling Five Kingdoms by forming a new empire, one she would rule as the Old World’s puppet. When Makarria refuses them, the Old World threatens war and unleashes a nefarious spy to sow discord in her court. Before she knows it, the queen’s budding romance with Prince Caile has been exploited by a spy, and Makarria finds herself embroiled in a complex game of power and lies in which she can trust no one.   Betrayed and lost, Makarria is forced to shed all pride and discover the true nature of her power as a dreamwielder in order to recreate herself and face the sprawling threat that is the Old World Empire.   “Fine writing, magic, epic intrigue, a great cast, and a central character . . . who mesmerizes—what more does a reader need to be happy?” —Bruce McAllister, author of The Village Sang to the Sea   “The powerful follow-up to Dreamwielder . . . with stronger writing, more compelling characters, and the same awesome magic that I came to love in book one! I think fans of A Song of Ice and Fire will appreciate the vast political landscape and grit that this story includes, with a touch more magic.” —On Starships and Dragonwings

Genres: Fantasy

343 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 29, 2015

About the author

Garrett Calcaterra is author of the epic fantasy series The Dreamwielder Chronicles. His other books include Dreamrush, The Roads to Baldairn Motte, and Umbral Visions. His short work has appeared in numerous anthologies, speculative-fiction magazines, and literary journals, including Confrontation, Writers’ Journal, Black Gate, Wet Ink, Redneck Eldritch, and more.

Garrett previously taught creative writing at Chapman University and the Orange County School of the Arts. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Science from Pacific University and a Master of Fine Arts degree in creative writing from Chapman University. When not writing, he enjoys playing guitar in his band Wheel House, hiking with his two dogs, quaffing good beer, and enjoying life with his wife and best friend, Mandy.

Reviews

[Cilicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this sequel. It was hard to put down till I finished it. A very good story.

[Jasmine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Souldrifter is an amazing sequel to Dreamwielder, following our favourite characters from the first novel. This story is again rife with magic, politics and the threat of war.

We follow Makarria, a year in the life of a Queen but without the full support of her people and the threat of the Old World looming it is more important then ever she trusts those closest to her. But with a Pthisicis- corporis, or body thief, sowing mayhem and inhabiting the bodies of those closest to her, she is left with very few options and in using her magic to try and contain said body thief the consequences of her actions are life changing.

I thoroughly enjoyed Soulfinder, it was as Dreamwielder was, such an amazing story. The politics did not bore but rather enhanced the story and it was very interesting to see the plots and ploys of those in charge, in some cases these ploys flourished and in the case of others, failed. It's such a well written, intelligent story it truly keeps you turning the page and I was saddened when there were no more pages to turn...

[Gemma McGee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Souldrifter is book 2 in Garrett Calcaterra Dreamwielders series.

This book takes place 1 years after Dreamwielder, after dismantling the Guderian empire Makarria is the Queen and is trying to bring peace and order to the five kingdoms. The Old World Republic have decided to offer help to Queen Makarria but this help has strings attached.  If Makarria takes up the offer she would just be a puppet for the Old World Republic and if she doesn't take the offer than their will be war. While Makarria is having to deal with the Old World, she finds a spy in her court that is out to cause trouble for Makarria and Prince Caile. Makarria is finds herself unable to trust the people around her, she been betrayed and lost. Her only hope is to trust herself and her Dreamwielder power and rebuild the world around her.

I really enjoyed the character of Makarria in this book, you can tell that she has grown as a character, she is a Queen at the age of 14 years old. She seems much more mature and confidence in her abilities, you forget her young age.

I enjoyed Dreamwielder but I enjoyed Souldrifter more, I had a better understanding of the world and the character so for me their was more at stake. Garrett Calcaterra has created a really interesting world with a new take on magically abilities. I hope this isn't the end in the series as I would like to see what happens with Makarria and Caile.

Thank you to the author Garrett Calcaterra for send me a copy of this book.

I give this book 4 out of 5.

[Robyn Bennis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the first book in this series, and the sequel doesn't disappoint. Indeed, it ramps up the tension and grittiness, and hits you with a page-turner of a plot that had me staying up late to read just one more chapter. And then another, and another…

Like A Song of Ice and Fire, this is a world in which no character is safe, and no plot twist is out of bounds. Now, with the amount I read, and the amount I've studied plot structure, it's hard to slip a twist past me. I usually see them coming a mile away. Souldrifter, however, hit me with a couple of surprises that completely blind-sided me. Better still, it earned them. These were no cheap tricks or out-of-nowhere events. They were perfectly foreshadowed, a fact I only appreciated after the twist was pulled off, because the author drew my attention away from it with the deftness of a stage magician.

In short, this is a great follow-up to Dreamwielder. The vibrant, deep characters you loved are there, the plot still sparkles, and there are a few surprises sprinkled in to delight and shock you.

[Kathy Heare Watts · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won a copy of this book during a Goodreads giveaway. I am under no obligation to leave a review or rating and do so voluntarily. So that others may also enjoy this book, I am paying it forward by donating it a local library.

[Craig Comer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great follow-up to Dreamwielder!

In this second installment, Calcaterra manages to take the young Makarria, now a queen with unfathomable magical powers, and confront her with obstacles that immediately humanize her and leave her vulnerable. These challenges, along with a myriad other plot twists, make for an exciting ride as Makarria and her companions struggle to stabilize the realm.

The reading is fast-paced and full of intrigue, with the same harsh world depicted through vivid and fluid prose as Dreamwielder. A great follow-up for this YA fantasy series!

[Anya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Souldrifter is a sequel that takes the best parts of the first book and improves upon them. The writing is much more fluid and the characters relatable. There is still a grit that will shock you and add tension. I wasn't captivated by the political maneuvering of the first half, but the second half more than made up for that.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so captivated by the story that I read it in a day! I couldn't put it down and when I did I was wondering what was going to happen. The characters are relatable which pulls the reader in, but the storyline is what keeps them turning the pages.

I was given this book in exchange for an honest review via Netgalley.

[Garrett Calcaterra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really pushed myself to make Book 2 in The Dreamwielder Chronicles better than Book 1. I hope readers will it to be a great blend of intrigue, action, and growth for the protagonists, Makarria and Caile.

[Ahimsa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great sequel that merges the high fantasy world-building from the first novel with a new element of subterfuge and intrigue. Really accessible--not YA but great for all readers. A real ode to classic 80s fun.

[Tina]

Lovely haunting book. Loved the characters and story line. Highly recommend to fantasy/paranormal book lovers!

[Amanda Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Soul drifter is powerful, emotional, and completely immersive. Queen Makarria’s journey through betrayal, politics, and self-discovery is beautifully written, and the dreamwielding magic adds real depth to her growth. An unforgettable fantasy I highly recommend it to anyone who loves strong heroines and epic intrigue

[Eric Tryon · Rating 5 out of 5]

What makes Souldrifter such an excellent sequel to Dreamwielder is that it has so much of what I loved about the first book (fast-paced unpredictable plot, engaging complex characters, original fascinating world) but it isn't merely a repeat. There's still a fresh originality present. I found it much darker than the first book, with more adult themes - the series is maturing just as Makaria is. It does stand alone as a novel, but why would you want to skip the first one? I'd definitely recommend starting with Dreamwielder, turning straight to Souldrifter, then hounding Calcaterra to write book 3.