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Unwilling Souls #1
Unwilling Souls
Ses Lucani has never known her parents. Powerful leaders in the cold war left over after the gods' imprisonment, Ses's mother and father are now bitter rivals, each pretending their secret daughter doesn't exist. Raised by her grandfather, Ses now lives in the hollowed-out center of the planet and learns to forge wrightings, tools imbued with soul energy and used to maintain the prison of the gods.
When terrorists attack the prison on her sixteenth birthday, Ses is forced to flee after the ensuing investigation reveals the secret of her parentage. Suddenly, the very parents who abandoned her may be the only people she can trust. Running from government operatives and fanatic cultists, Ses meets Murien, a boy with fingers in a shadowy network that can lead her to her father.
But some secrets are darker than parentage. On her way to find her father, Ses will uncover truths about her family and herself that will shatter her understanding of the world and risk the return of the gods themselves.
When terrorists attack the prison on her sixteenth birthday, Ses is forced to flee after the ensuing investigation reveals the secret of her parentage. Suddenly, the very parents who abandoned her may be the only people she can trust. Running from government operatives and fanatic cultists, Ses meets Murien, a boy with fingers in a shadowy network that can lead her to her father.
But some secrets are darker than parentage. On her way to find her father, Ses will uncover truths about her family and herself that will shatter her understanding of the world and risk the return of the gods themselves.
- GenresFantasy
358 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 7, 2015
6 people are currently reading
348 people want to read
About the author
Gregory D. Little
17 books16 followersGregory D. Little is the author of the Unwilling Souls, Mutagen Deception, and the forthcoming Bell Begrudgingly Solves It series. As a writer, you would think he could find a better way to sugarcoat the following statement, but you'd be wrong. So, just to say it straight, he really enjoys tricking people. As such, one of his greatest joys in life is laughing maniacally whenever he senses a reader has reached That Part in one of his books. Fantasy, sci-fi, horror, it doesn't matter. They all have That Part. You'll know it when you get to it, promise. Or will you? He lives in Virginia with his wife, and he is uncommonly fond of spiders.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
November 23, 2020
Wow what an undiscovered talent. This is a great Science Fantasy read and definitely needs to find a wider audience. I think there's a certain sort of creativity and storytelling ability that some people are just born with and Gregory D. Little is one of those people. In a lot of ways the story reminds me of something along the lines of Brandon Sanderson, there's so much creativity in both the realms of science and magic that make this so much fun to read. It's the kind of well balanced storytelling that you just can't put down, and is in a way completely unpredictable because just about anything could happen in this world with Mr. Little at the helm.
The Breakdown: There are so many great elements - we have Ses our protagonist who's studying deep within the earth learning to forge Writings, Iron infused with a sort of soul magic (used as sort of replacement for technology in this world and also for weaponry). There is an iron core at the very center of the earth which in this case also happens to be a prison to the Gods that nearly destroyed humanity previously. There are temples also housing items of the gods and the temples themselves are Writings of a sort holding back the immense magma flows that would otherwise permeate the space. This portion, despite being deep within the earth, has a space vibe with propulsion and gravity coming into play in cool ways.
Enter an attack on the prison and Ses must flee in the case that the Polistraat uncover her false identity and realize she is actually the daughter of a wanted terrorist. (I don't want to give away too many of Ses' secrets, there are some cool revelations about her and her parentage that all come into play).
From here Ses flees topside where the real story commences as she travels (attempting to escape continuous threats from the Governments Polistraat, to God Cults, to unknown enemy agents) through various cities with the help of a young man, Murien, an agent of her fathers, attempting to find her way to him and some sense of safety. The cities themselves are carved out of the giant skeletons left behind by behemoth animals the gods created (that were eventually defeated by humans), ala Viperid Mons, Crocodilius, and Arach Arbor, and have a decidedly post-apocalyptic vibe, along with two main factions of society "Brights" who once served the Gods, and the "Dims" who are now more or less the dregs of society. The "transporters" used between cities bring to mind Imperial Walkers but made of bones, the spines housing the cargo and the ribs acting as legs.
Did I mention there is a city called Arach Arbor? And while it is built within the husk of a giant spider, there are also actual giant (dog to horse size spiders) in this city, and if I hadn't read Adrian Tchaikovsky's Children of Time I probably would have been more repulsed (the spiders in Children of Time and this story have some similar vibes - both having some unspidery characteristics along with super spidey senses) but was immediately enchanted by them. Anyway all I can say is Springer (and Corpsey, I hope we see him again!) is definitely one of my favorite animal/familiar characters!
It ends with some pretty big revelations setting the stage for the next book...which I will definitely be diving into ASAP. As mentioned already this should appeal to fans of Brandon Sanderson (especially his Mistborn series and expanded Cosmere worlds), Reeve's Mortal Engines, Pierce Brown, and V.E. Schwab - and even though it's not in space, it has feel good Star Wars vibes.
And real quick before my final gush, I just have to mention the writing, because it's great. Without being too tech heavy, it's straight forward and descriptive while still being full of creativity in both vision and word choice.
Final Gush: I love when there is that blend of Science (especially Physics) driving some of the magical concepts and vise versa. I've always been of the mind that Science and Magic are not so very apart. It's like whatever you can conceptualize, whatever you can dream, somehow someway you can create. Anyway like with Sanderson and even Philip Pullman, they are the kind of stories that make me wonder just what is possible - its brain candy for me. These are the sort of books where the author speaks the language of my heart and brain, and they seemingly come to vibrant life within my own mind. A pleasure to read. A Million thank you's to the author for writing this.
The Breakdown: There are so many great elements - we have Ses our protagonist who's studying deep within the earth learning to forge Writings, Iron infused with a sort of soul magic (used as sort of replacement for technology in this world and also for weaponry). There is an iron core at the very center of the earth which in this case also happens to be a prison to the Gods that nearly destroyed humanity previously. There are temples also housing items of the gods and the temples themselves are Writings of a sort holding back the immense magma flows that would otherwise permeate the space. This portion, despite being deep within the earth, has a space vibe with propulsion and gravity coming into play in cool ways.
Enter an attack on the prison and Ses must flee in the case that the Polistraat uncover her false identity and realize she is actually the daughter of a wanted terrorist. (I don't want to give away too many of Ses' secrets, there are some cool revelations about her and her parentage that all come into play).
From here Ses flees topside where the real story commences as she travels (attempting to escape continuous threats from the Governments Polistraat, to God Cults, to unknown enemy agents) through various cities with the help of a young man, Murien, an agent of her fathers, attempting to find her way to him and some sense of safety. The cities themselves are carved out of the giant skeletons left behind by behemoth animals the gods created (that were eventually defeated by humans), ala Viperid Mons, Crocodilius, and Arach Arbor, and have a decidedly post-apocalyptic vibe, along with two main factions of society "Brights" who once served the Gods, and the "Dims" who are now more or less the dregs of society. The "transporters" used between cities bring to mind Imperial Walkers but made of bones, the spines housing the cargo and the ribs acting as legs.
Did I mention there is a city called Arach Arbor? And while it is built within the husk of a giant spider, there are also actual giant (dog to horse size spiders) in this city, and if I hadn't read Adrian Tchaikovsky's Children of Time I probably would have been more repulsed (the spiders in Children of Time and this story have some similar vibes - both having some unspidery characteristics along with super spidey senses) but was immediately enchanted by them. Anyway all I can say is Springer (and Corpsey, I hope we see him again!) is definitely one of my favorite animal/familiar characters!
It ends with some pretty big revelations setting the stage for the next book...which I will definitely be diving into ASAP. As mentioned already this should appeal to fans of Brandon Sanderson (especially his Mistborn series and expanded Cosmere worlds), Reeve's Mortal Engines, Pierce Brown, and V.E. Schwab - and even though it's not in space, it has feel good Star Wars vibes.
And real quick before my final gush, I just have to mention the writing, because it's great. Without being too tech heavy, it's straight forward and descriptive while still being full of creativity in both vision and word choice.
Final Gush: I love when there is that blend of Science (especially Physics) driving some of the magical concepts and vise versa. I've always been of the mind that Science and Magic are not so very apart. It's like whatever you can conceptualize, whatever you can dream, somehow someway you can create. Anyway like with Sanderson and even Philip Pullman, they are the kind of stories that make me wonder just what is possible - its brain candy for me. These are the sort of books where the author speaks the language of my heart and brain, and they seemingly come to vibrant life within my own mind. A pleasure to read. A Million thank you's to the author for writing this.
January 3, 2016
I’m a selective – probably overly-selective – reader of speculative (sci-fi and fantasy) literature. Nine out of ten of the novels I begin reading get tossed aside or summarily relegated to Kindle-library mothball long before I reach the halfway point of the book. Weak prose, a lack of deep ideas, the same old tropes recycled for the ten-thousandth time – usually, one or more of these issues causes me to discard the novel I’m reading so that I can give a new text a shot. My defense for this finicky behavior? There are simply too many excellent books out there to waste time on a book that isn’t good!
Fortunately, Unwilling Souls is more than good. It’s one of the tens in my “nine out of ten” pattern, a book that I avidly read from beginning to end without any thought of benching it in favor of another text. The story flat-out moves, right from the first scene through to the last pages of the book, each chapter a punchy sequence featuring either action or the propulsive anticipation of action, with plenty of enjoyable cliff-hangers that keep the reader turning or swiping on eagerly into the next section. And on top of all these page-turner plot elements is a world that is at least as original, if not more so, than the ones described in Phillip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy or Orson Scott Card’s Ender’s Game series. A magic system linked to metallurgy, cities built in the ossified (yet sometimes strangely viable) remains of fallen god-spawned mega-beasts, an initial center-of-the planet setting where workers dive and hellships float in the core’s strange gravity – in Unwilling Souls, the author clearly set out to create a world that is totally and startlingly unique.
If I had to criticize any aspect of the novel, I’d say that I wished it contained more description of the world outside the main centers of the story’s action. What’s the countryside like between the skeletal city of Crocodilius and the spider-realm of Arach Arbor? Are there other polities, or is everything controlled to a greater or lesser extent by the bureaucratic thugs of the Centrality? Clearly the author wanted to focus his descriptive attention on the story’s primary settings instead of slowing things down with too many digressions into the world’s larger geographies and social contexts. And if I’m being honest, this was probably the right choice, as it’s no doubt impossible for an author to lay out a roaring plot while at the same time describing every last detail of his world. What’s more, Unwilling Souls is apparently the first novel in a series – awesome news, incidentally, if all the other entries are as strong as this book – so I assume that more of this fascinating world will be revealed when the next volumes are released.
Overall, I’d say that if you’re a fan of sci-fi and fantasy literature then you simply have to read this book. Even if you prefer realism, I’d still recommend that you at least give this book a try, since the characters and plot alone will likely be enough to provide you with a thoroughly entertaining experience. Read it – it’s awesome!
Fortunately, Unwilling Souls is more than good. It’s one of the tens in my “nine out of ten” pattern, a book that I avidly read from beginning to end without any thought of benching it in favor of another text. The story flat-out moves, right from the first scene through to the last pages of the book, each chapter a punchy sequence featuring either action or the propulsive anticipation of action, with plenty of enjoyable cliff-hangers that keep the reader turning or swiping on eagerly into the next section. And on top of all these page-turner plot elements is a world that is at least as original, if not more so, than the ones described in Phillip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy or Orson Scott Card’s Ender’s Game series. A magic system linked to metallurgy, cities built in the ossified (yet sometimes strangely viable) remains of fallen god-spawned mega-beasts, an initial center-of-the planet setting where workers dive and hellships float in the core’s strange gravity – in Unwilling Souls, the author clearly set out to create a world that is totally and startlingly unique.
If I had to criticize any aspect of the novel, I’d say that I wished it contained more description of the world outside the main centers of the story’s action. What’s the countryside like between the skeletal city of Crocodilius and the spider-realm of Arach Arbor? Are there other polities, or is everything controlled to a greater or lesser extent by the bureaucratic thugs of the Centrality? Clearly the author wanted to focus his descriptive attention on the story’s primary settings instead of slowing things down with too many digressions into the world’s larger geographies and social contexts. And if I’m being honest, this was probably the right choice, as it’s no doubt impossible for an author to lay out a roaring plot while at the same time describing every last detail of his world. What’s more, Unwilling Souls is apparently the first novel in a series – awesome news, incidentally, if all the other entries are as strong as this book – so I assume that more of this fascinating world will be revealed when the next volumes are released.
Overall, I’d say that if you’re a fan of sci-fi and fantasy literature then you simply have to read this book. Even if you prefer realism, I’d still recommend that you at least give this book a try, since the characters and plot alone will likely be enough to provide you with a thoroughly entertaining experience. Read it – it’s awesome!
December 16, 2018
If you know anything about me, you know that I am a huge animal lover, and this book gave me the loyal steed that I never knew I needed. Sort of creepy, sort of cute, surprisingly loyal and 100% awesome, the animals in this book are a well fleshed force to be reckoned with.
"Naming the spider had helped her nerves. When she looked at a creature with a name, no matter how frightening, it was harder to feel fear or disgust. It was almost like a pet. A big dog. It's just a big, bristly dog I'm hugging. Just a big, bristly, eight legged dog."
Seriously, almost everything about this book (at least in the second half) has to do with super smart, possibly immortal spiders that abhor violence, it's pretty awesome.
"Arach Arbor. Ses struggled to suppress a shudder. She had no wish to live in a city built inside a gigantic, dead spider and filled with smaller, but still huge living spiders."
"Inscrutable and supposedly invincible, only one thing about the spiderlings was certain: the only violence they tolerated in the corpse of their mother was that which they inflicted to keep the peace."
See?! How can you not be in love with the spiders already?! But the spiders aren't the only thing that keep the story interesting, they're just an intense part of the world building. Our story begins far away from the spiders, with Ses Lucani, a 16 year old whose father is a terrorist and whose mother is a leader in the local government.
Both of her parents have been in an intense feud for her entire life, so Ses was raised by her Grandfather. When Ses gets older she gets sent to a magical school located in the center of the earth, called The Pit. Not only is The Pit a magical school, but it also doubles as a prison for the gods.
Everything about this book was fun, the world was interesting, the characters were likable, and the story was overall very engaging. I hope that more people are able to discover this book because it's a great example of the gems that you can find when you try reading books by independent authors and/or publishers.
(If you enjoyed this review, more can be found on my blog: http://bookstocombattherain.blogspot....)
"Naming the spider had helped her nerves. When she looked at a creature with a name, no matter how frightening, it was harder to feel fear or disgust. It was almost like a pet. A big dog. It's just a big, bristly dog I'm hugging. Just a big, bristly, eight legged dog."
Seriously, almost everything about this book (at least in the second half) has to do with super smart, possibly immortal spiders that abhor violence, it's pretty awesome.
"Arach Arbor. Ses struggled to suppress a shudder. She had no wish to live in a city built inside a gigantic, dead spider and filled with smaller, but still huge living spiders."
"Inscrutable and supposedly invincible, only one thing about the spiderlings was certain: the only violence they tolerated in the corpse of their mother was that which they inflicted to keep the peace."
See?! How can you not be in love with the spiders already?! But the spiders aren't the only thing that keep the story interesting, they're just an intense part of the world building. Our story begins far away from the spiders, with Ses Lucani, a 16 year old whose father is a terrorist and whose mother is a leader in the local government.
Both of her parents have been in an intense feud for her entire life, so Ses was raised by her Grandfather. When Ses gets older she gets sent to a magical school located in the center of the earth, called The Pit. Not only is The Pit a magical school, but it also doubles as a prison for the gods.
Everything about this book was fun, the world was interesting, the characters were likable, and the story was overall very engaging. I hope that more people are able to discover this book because it's a great example of the gems that you can find when you try reading books by independent authors and/or publishers.
(If you enjoyed this review, more can be found on my blog: http://bookstocombattherain.blogspot....)
December 11, 2015
This is a great debut fantasy novel. Part 1 of a 4 volume series, Unwilling Souls combines a steam-punk-esque (for lack of a better term) world, a likable YA protagonist, some great, unique world-building concepts, lots of mysteries, and a relentless, thriller-like plot to keep you turning pages.
My favorite aspect of the world-building involves the cities: in the long-ago war with the gods, impossibly large creatures fought for the gods against the humans. After the humans won, the skeletal remains of the creatures now form the physical basis of cities, which are built into and around the bones. Each city is named after and built around a unique monster, and the author delights in using this feature to give each city a different feel. We visit three cities in Book 1; the map suggests there are several more that we
may get to explore in future volumes.
While the book is fun and (mostly) breezy, its themes are much heavier. At its core is a dark, murky moral question - what price is justifiable in the name of saving the world? I look forward to seeing how the author attempts to answer this question over the course of the series.
My favorite aspect of the world-building involves the cities: in the long-ago war with the gods, impossibly large creatures fought for the gods against the humans. After the humans won, the skeletal remains of the creatures now form the physical basis of cities, which are built into and around the bones. Each city is named after and built around a unique monster, and the author delights in using this feature to give each city a different feel. We visit three cities in Book 1; the map suggests there are several more that we
may get to explore in future volumes.
While the book is fun and (mostly) breezy, its themes are much heavier. At its core is a dark, murky moral question - what price is justifiable in the name of saving the world? I look forward to seeing how the author attempts to answer this question over the course of the series.
May 9, 2018
What an enjoyable ride! I really enjoyed this one. It's fun, fast-paced and had lots of action. Ses was a great protagonist and I liked seeing the world through her eyes. I found her to be a compelling and interesting character which made me care about her and her story. I actually started this today and finished it just a few hours later. I couldn't put down my iPad, it's how engrossing it was.
The book starts off in The Pit, a place at the planet's core which apparently housed a sort of magic school for smiths and temples to the gods. However, the gods in this story have been imprisoned for hundreds of years with The Pit serving as their prison. There is a fascinating blend of magic and technology which I thought was very original and interesting. However, the most interesting part of the story was the cities which were housed in the bones of monsters the humans slew in the war.
The story in this stayed personal, which makes sense considering that it's a first book and Ses was just starting to understand the implications of her world and her heritage. It takes place in the timespan of less than a week, which contributed to the fast pacing. However, the series will apparently become more epic in scope and add POV characters as it progresses. For now, I enjoyed the story as it is.
It's not difficult to understand given that the lore and world-building is well-spaced out and there was little to no info-dumping, and there was a very small cast of characters. The story pretty much revolved around Ses looking for her father which is more interesting than how I make it sound. There are a few twists which I didn't see coming, but also made sense. The ending does make me ask a few questions which I believe would be answered in later installments. Whatever the case may be, the ending definitely sets the stage for expanding the scope.
I'm looking forward to reading the sequel. I enjoyed the setting, the world-building, and the story. It's very fast-paced and there aren't any parts which dragged- hence why I finished this in less than a day. I highly recommend this book for people who enjoy unique settings and stories!
The book starts off in The Pit, a place at the planet's core which apparently housed a sort of magic school for smiths and temples to the gods. However, the gods in this story have been imprisoned for hundreds of years with The Pit serving as their prison. There is a fascinating blend of magic and technology which I thought was very original and interesting. However, the most interesting part of the story was the cities which were housed in the bones of monsters the humans slew in the war.
The story in this stayed personal, which makes sense considering that it's a first book and Ses was just starting to understand the implications of her world and her heritage. It takes place in the timespan of less than a week, which contributed to the fast pacing. However, the series will apparently become more epic in scope and add POV characters as it progresses. For now, I enjoyed the story as it is.
It's not difficult to understand given that the lore and world-building is well-spaced out and there was little to no info-dumping, and there was a very small cast of characters. The story pretty much revolved around Ses looking for her father which is more interesting than how I make it sound. There are a few twists which I didn't see coming, but also made sense. The ending does make me ask a few questions which I believe would be answered in later installments. Whatever the case may be, the ending definitely sets the stage for expanding the scope.
I'm looking forward to reading the sequel. I enjoyed the setting, the world-building, and the story. It's very fast-paced and there aren't any parts which dragged- hence why I finished this in less than a day. I highly recommend this book for people who enjoy unique settings and stories!
November 13, 2020
***Disclaimer: This book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.***
Unwilling Souls is a debut fantasy novel by Gregory D. Little and is the first book in a four book series. This book masterfully combines elements and themes of fantasy, sci-fi and fantastical mythology in ways that take the reader on a breathtaking journey.
After the safe haven she has been living at is attacked on her sixteenth birthday, Ses Lucani must flee for safety once the ensuing investigations reveal a secret that puts her at risk. Now, Ses must do whatever it takes to reach the parents who abandoned her...even if that means joining up with a strange boy named Murien, who seems to live a shadowy existence of his own.
First off, let me just say that the world building in this book is PHENOMENAL. It felt very rich in details and I could so easily picture this incredible world as I followed Ses's adventure through it. Additionally, Ses is a relatable YA protagonist who draws you in and makes you genuinely care about what is happening to her. Unwilling Souls has a ton of interesting concepts such as it's socio-political set up and its use of tools that are imbued with soul energy and the plot has multiple twists and turns that I did not expect. Overall, I gave this book a four star rating and I honestly cannot wait to continue forward with this series.
If you are looking for an action packed tale that will transport you to another world and take you on an adrenaline inducing adventure then Unwilling Souls is the book for you.
Unwilling Souls is a debut fantasy novel by Gregory D. Little and is the first book in a four book series. This book masterfully combines elements and themes of fantasy, sci-fi and fantastical mythology in ways that take the reader on a breathtaking journey.
After the safe haven she has been living at is attacked on her sixteenth birthday, Ses Lucani must flee for safety once the ensuing investigations reveal a secret that puts her at risk. Now, Ses must do whatever it takes to reach the parents who abandoned her...even if that means joining up with a strange boy named Murien, who seems to live a shadowy existence of his own.
First off, let me just say that the world building in this book is PHENOMENAL. It felt very rich in details and I could so easily picture this incredible world as I followed Ses's adventure through it. Additionally, Ses is a relatable YA protagonist who draws you in and makes you genuinely care about what is happening to her. Unwilling Souls has a ton of interesting concepts such as it's socio-political set up and its use of tools that are imbued with soul energy and the plot has multiple twists and turns that I did not expect. Overall, I gave this book a four star rating and I honestly cannot wait to continue forward with this series.
If you are looking for an action packed tale that will transport you to another world and take you on an adrenaline inducing adventure then Unwilling Souls is the book for you.
April 9, 2020
Unwilling Souls is the story of Ses, a girl living in the aftermath of a great war between humans and gods, which can still be felt in the class divide between former god supporters and those who fought against them. Ses herself is of mixed heritage, which makes her a rarity and hated by both factions. Her father is a terrorist, her mother a successful entrepreneur. When a terrorist attack occurs on the prison of the gods, Ses is in instant danger of being blamed and begins a journey to find shelter in Arach Arbor, a city *shudder* built inside a giant spider corpse.
For an arachnophobe, this was not entirely an easy read, but I almost developed feelings for Springer, Ses' eventual animal companion. *just a horse, just a big hairy horse with eight legs*
The story is fastpaced and well told. The unexpected turns are great, and the worldbuilding is enjoyable. Cities built into the skeletons of godmade monsters, people riding around in trains made from spines and ribcages? I dig it. Hellships harvesting soul energy to put into gadgets to benefit society...What could possibly go wrong? I can't wait to find out in the next book!
For an arachnophobe, this was not entirely an easy read, but I almost developed feelings for Springer, Ses' eventual animal companion. *just a horse, just a big hairy horse with eight legs*
The story is fastpaced and well told. The unexpected turns are great, and the worldbuilding is enjoyable. Cities built into the skeletons of godmade monsters, people riding around in trains made from spines and ribcages? I dig it. Hellships harvesting soul energy to put into gadgets to benefit society...What could possibly go wrong? I can't wait to find out in the next book!
September 14, 2017
*This book was provided by the publisher/author for an honest review.*
Unwilling Souls by Gregory D. Little is the epic fantasy book I've been waiting for for years. Fantasy has been my number one genre since childhood and it's so hard to find well-done fantasy that is original (stands out against others of the same genre), with good world building, excellent believable characters and an enganging plot. Unwilling Souls checked off all of the boxes I use when reading fantasy novels. I absolutely loved it. Ses is a fantastic protagonist. Usually I rate fantasy literature not from one read through but at least two (because why journey through a fantasy world just once) and I loved Unwilling Souls both times. Dying for the sequel already.
*This review was done in conjunction with Nerd Girl Official. For more information regarding our review process feel free to check out our fanpage www.Facebook.com/NerdGirl.NG
Unwilling Souls by Gregory D. Little is the epic fantasy book I've been waiting for for years. Fantasy has been my number one genre since childhood and it's so hard to find well-done fantasy that is original (stands out against others of the same genre), with good world building, excellent believable characters and an enganging plot. Unwilling Souls checked off all of the boxes I use when reading fantasy novels. I absolutely loved it. Ses is a fantastic protagonist. Usually I rate fantasy literature not from one read through but at least two (because why journey through a fantasy world just once) and I loved Unwilling Souls both times. Dying for the sequel already.
*This review was done in conjunction with Nerd Girl Official. For more information regarding our review process feel free to check out our fanpage www.Facebook.com/NerdGirl.NG
August 14, 2020
When you read this book you become part of a complex rich vivid world.
The Gods who destroyed the world have been imprisoned but are anxious to escape.
This book is fantasy-steampunk
Many great characters Ses being the main character.
Ses is a teenager ,like any other teenager and has doubts about herself when trying to do what she has to.
Her Mother and Father were both so different who will she follow.
She finds it hard to deal with {Giant spiders}yes giant spiders, even though they are against any violence,they do not look friendly.
This story moves along quickly so it is hard to stop reading because you want to know what happens next........A really good book.
The Gods who destroyed the world have been imprisoned but are anxious to escape.
This book is fantasy-steampunk
Many great characters Ses being the main character.
Ses is a teenager ,like any other teenager and has doubts about herself when trying to do what she has to.
Her Mother and Father were both so different who will she follow.
She finds it hard to deal with {Giant spiders}yes giant spiders, even though they are against any violence,they do not look friendly.
This story moves along quickly so it is hard to stop reading because you want to know what happens next........A really good book.
January 23, 2024
I absolutely love Greg's books. This first installment in the +Unwilling Souls series is an amazing read. I loved every minute of it. I love Ses and her adventures in book 1. Greg does a fantastic job starting off a thrilling series. There are spiders in this book,but even though I don't like spiders, I still highly enjoyed this book and even the spiders. I highly recommend any of Greg's books, I am a huge fan of his writing. I am moving on to book 2,and am excited to begin the next chapters of Ses and her continued adventures. Worthy of 5 stars and truly a book everyone should read. Greg is so talented. I'm glad I came across his works. Greg is one of my favorite authors
June 21, 2020
This is a phenomenal first novel. The world is unique in the fantasy genre, with a bit of steampunk flavor thrown in, and rich in vivid details without slowing the story down one bit. The plot rushes along and yet, Little never loses you. The depiction of the main character, Ses, as a talented and determined young woman eager to find the answers she seeks never forgets that she's a teenager. Little dives into her emotions and her self-doubts, yet neither stop her from striving for her goals. I highly recommend it. Now I'm off to read the second one in the series.
October 10, 2024
I saw this series at a convention in an author alley and told Greg I'd try to get it bought at my library so I could borrow them. Fast forward a year and they never bought it so I bought the whole series.
I definitely liked the book, I think I will like the sequel more. I didn't feel terribly compelled by the protagonist until the twists happen near the end of the book. I do Really love the concepts of the world though. Do I think the names are a little obvious, yes. But God the ideas of these places and the technology, super cool!
I definitely liked the book, I think I will like the sequel more. I didn't feel terribly compelled by the protagonist until the twists happen near the end of the book. I do Really love the concepts of the world though. Do I think the names are a little obvious, yes. But God the ideas of these places and the technology, super cool!
August 30, 2020
I really appreciated the pacing of this story. There was action at every corner. Any down time for Ses, our protagonist, felt like relief and much needed for her sake. There were twists near the end I didn’t see coming and absolutely loved! I felt so invested in Ses and her missions. At the start, the world building was a little disorienting, but it comes together very well half way through. A very unique, intricate fantasy world unlike any I’ve read. Definitely worth checking out!
January 3, 2016
I’m a selective – probably overly-selective – reader of speculative (sci-fi and fantasy) literature. Nine out of ten of the novels I begin reading get tossed aside or summarily relegated to Kindle-library mothball long before I reach the halfway point of the book. Weak prose, a lack of deep ideas, the same old tropes recycled for the ten-thousandth time – usually, one or more of these issues causes me to discard the novel I’m reading so that I can give a new text a shot. My defense for this finicky behavior? There are simply too many excellent books out there to waste time on a book that isn’t good!
Fortunately, Unwilling Souls is more than good. It’s one of the tens in my “nine out of ten” pattern, a book that I avidly read from beginning to end without any thought of benching it in favor of another text. The story flat-out moves, right from the first scene through to the last pages of the book, each chapter a punchy sequence featuring either action or the propulsive anticipation of action, with plenty of enjoyable cliff-hangers that keep the reader turning or swiping on eagerly into the next section. And on top of all these page-turner plot elements is a world that is at least as original, if not more so, than the ones described in Phillip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy or Orson Scott Card’s Ender’s Game series. A magic system linked to metallurgy, cities built in the ossified (yet sometimes strangely viable) remains of fallen god-spawned mega-beasts, an initial center-of-the planet setting where workers dive and hellships float in the core’s strange gravity – in Unwilling Souls, the author clearly set out to create a world that is totally and startlingly unique.
If I had to criticize any aspect of the novel, I’d say that I wished it contained more description of the world outside the main centers of the story’s action. What’s the countryside like between the skeletal city of Crocodilius and the spider-realm of Arach Arbor? Are there other polities, or is everything controlled to a greater or lesser extent by the bureaucratic thugs of the Centrality? Clearly the author wanted to focus his descriptive attention on the story’s primary settings instead of slowing things down with too many digressions into the world’s larger geographies and social contexts. And if I’m being honest, this was probably the right choice, as it’s no doubt impossible for an author to lay out a roaring plot while at the same time describing every last detail of his world. What’s more, Unwilling Souls is apparently the first novel in a series – awesome news, incidentally, if all the other entries are as strong as this book – so I assume that more of this fascinating world will be revealed when the next volumes are released.
Overall, I’d say that if you’re a fan of sci-fi and fantasy literature then you simply have to read this book. Even if you prefer realism, I’d still recommend that you at least give this book a try, since the characters and plot alone will likely be enough to provide you with a thoroughly entertaining experience. Read it – it’s awesome!
Fortunately, Unwilling Souls is more than good. It’s one of the tens in my “nine out of ten” pattern, a book that I avidly read from beginning to end without any thought of benching it in favor of another text. The story flat-out moves, right from the first scene through to the last pages of the book, each chapter a punchy sequence featuring either action or the propulsive anticipation of action, with plenty of enjoyable cliff-hangers that keep the reader turning or swiping on eagerly into the next section. And on top of all these page-turner plot elements is a world that is at least as original, if not more so, than the ones described in Phillip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy or Orson Scott Card’s Ender’s Game series. A magic system linked to metallurgy, cities built in the ossified (yet sometimes strangely viable) remains of fallen god-spawned mega-beasts, an initial center-of-the planet setting where workers dive and hellships float in the core’s strange gravity – in Unwilling Souls, the author clearly set out to create a world that is totally and startlingly unique.
If I had to criticize any aspect of the novel, I’d say that I wished it contained more description of the world outside the main centers of the story’s action. What’s the countryside like between the skeletal city of Crocodilius and the spider-realm of Arach Arbor? Are there other polities, or is everything controlled to a greater or lesser extent by the bureaucratic thugs of the Centrality? Clearly the author wanted to focus his descriptive attention on the story’s primary settings instead of slowing things down with too many digressions into the world’s larger geographies and social contexts. And if I’m being honest, this was probably the right choice, as it’s no doubt impossible for an author to lay out a roaring plot while at the same time describing every last detail of his world. What’s more, Unwilling Souls is apparently the first novel in a series – awesome news, incidentally, if all the other entries are as strong as this book – so I assume that more of this fascinating world will be revealed when the next volumes are released.
Overall, I’d say that if you’re a fan of sci-fi and fantasy literature then you simply have to read this book. Even if you prefer realism, I’d still recommend that you at least give this book a try, since the characters and plot alone will likely be enough to provide you with a thoroughly entertaining experience. Read it – it’s awesome!
May 12, 2016
~I got this book for free in a giveaway~
Wow. Just wow. I cannot wait for the sequel.
It took a bit of worldbuilding which wasn't the most fun to slog through (the first 70 pages?).
But once I understood the world and there wasn't a need to explain every little thing it picked up pace quick.
Once it gets going the story's action continues at a good pace. You have a believable lady lead who is in over her head. And she better learn fast. You have betrayals, reveals and a mystery yet to be resolved. You have gods, giant spiders and walking skeletons. It's just a lot of interesting stuff.
There is a diverse cast of character. And not all have been fleshed out yet. But since so many folks are being introduced that doesn't really shock me. The core group is developed for the most part. Though some of the development is tell not show. But it didn't particularly bother me.
All in all I'm very sad I didn't have this at the top of my pile when it arrived, but there are so many books to read. I have no idea when the sequel comes out, but I do hope to get my hands on that too.
Wow. Just wow. I cannot wait for the sequel.
It took a bit of worldbuilding which wasn't the most fun to slog through (the first 70 pages?).
But once I understood the world and there wasn't a need to explain every little thing it picked up pace quick.
Once it gets going the story's action continues at a good pace. You have a believable lady lead who is in over her head. And she better learn fast. You have betrayals, reveals and a mystery yet to be resolved. You have gods, giant spiders and walking skeletons. It's just a lot of interesting stuff.
There is a diverse cast of character. And not all have been fleshed out yet. But since so many folks are being introduced that doesn't really shock me. The core group is developed for the most part. Though some of the development is tell not show. But it didn't particularly bother me.
All in all I'm very sad I didn't have this at the top of my pile when it arrived, but there are so many books to read. I have no idea when the sequel comes out, but I do hope to get my hands on that too.
December 2, 2015
Fantastic and very creative world with smiths at the center of the earth, imprisoned gods, and cities built into the skeletons of giant animals, but to me it's first and foremost a mystery. Ses, a 16 year old apprentice smith, uncovers conspiracies, underground resistance fighters, spies, and just how close her world is to collapse. The social and physical order of the world is complex and carefully laid out for the main character and reader and revealed throughout the book. The book is a great introduction to a fascinating world and characters and I'm looking forward to the next one.
March 1, 2016
While I think the beginning was a little rough -the reader only allowed in Ses' head and no one else's, and very little dialogue, for the first 30% of the book-, I thoroughly enjoyed the book overall! There were lots of interesting elements and fantasy concepts that were fun to read. Looking forward to the next one!
January 14, 2020
Picked this up as part of a story bundle, and honestly this was one of the best of the bunch. It's got some really amazing world building that creates a great atmosphere throughout the whole book. Little has a great imagination and the bravery to actually use it.
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