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Finding Soul
“Darovit are not born
They are created
By something even we cannot see”
Benjamin SOLOMAN
Four-year-old Jonathan Miller was rescued by a girl with rainbow hair, shrouded in black, who flew like magic along the ground.
Eighteen-year-old Jon, obsessed with fantasy and the supernatural, dreams of her still.
Now she has returned. She says he’s no longer safe and that he needs to come with her; that the necklace she gifted him is no longer enough.
But who is she?
And who is he?
Joined by his best friend, Miles, Jon is led on a frightening tour of an Otherworld he knew nothing about; a missing Seer, the nefarious Otherworld hit men the Vipers, witches, Not-Mermen and the ugly toads that had once captured him.
And his companions have their own gifts.
They are Darovit; their scaled Dar their constant companions.
But she is not just his hero
And he was not just a boy
And the Otherworld
Is hunting him still
This new urban fantasy from the author of the Aquila novels brings myth and legend into the modern world.
They are created
By something even we cannot see”
Benjamin SOLOMAN
Four-year-old Jonathan Miller was rescued by a girl with rainbow hair, shrouded in black, who flew like magic along the ground.
Eighteen-year-old Jon, obsessed with fantasy and the supernatural, dreams of her still.
Now she has returned. She says he’s no longer safe and that he needs to come with her; that the necklace she gifted him is no longer enough.
But who is she?
And who is he?
Joined by his best friend, Miles, Jon is led on a frightening tour of an Otherworld he knew nothing about; a missing Seer, the nefarious Otherworld hit men the Vipers, witches, Not-Mermen and the ugly toads that had once captured him.
And his companions have their own gifts.
They are Darovit; their scaled Dar their constant companions.
But she is not just his hero
And he was not just a boy
And the Otherworld
Is hunting him still
This new urban fantasy from the author of the Aquila novels brings myth and legend into the modern world.
290 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 30, 2019
1 person is currently reading
9 people want to read
About the author
T.L. Searle
4 books66 followersT. L. Searle is a self published author living in the south-west of England. She is a wife, mother of two and full time Critical Care Nurse.
Her love of reading led her to pen her first two novels; the Aquila novels. She is now writing the second book in the new Davovit series. The first novel, Finding Soul, was released in December 2019.
Her love of reading led her to pen her first two novels; the Aquila novels. She is now writing the second book in the new Davovit series. The first novel, Finding Soul, was released in December 2019.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
October 14, 2020
Book Reviewed on www.whisperingstories.com
Eighteen-year-old Louisiana university art student Jonathan (Jon) Miller heads to his class one morning and sees the girl who saved him from being kidnapped fourteen years ago. The strange thing is she hasn’t aged, plus she disappears as fast as she appeared.
On his lunch break the girl appears again and tells Jon he is to go with her, the necklace that she gave him all those years ago can no longer keep him safe. Whilst talking, Jon’s best friend Miles appears and the girl stabs him in the arm, right where his Cobra Snake tattoo is. Turns out that Miles is a Darovit, just like the girl.
The three end up on an adventure to try to find out who wants Jon dead. In a world filled with Vipers, Jotunn (Toad-men), Mermen, Seers, Witches, and more this is something otherworldly. The big question is though, who is Jon really?
Finding Soul is the first book in a planned series set in the real and fantasy world. The book begins with a powerful Seer telling the girl who saved Jon when he was four it’s time, presumably to save him again.
Jon has moved around a lot, from San Francisco where the kidnapping took place to Seattle and onto Louisiana. His mother was always looking for their next move but recently she has become more settled so he presumed whatever they were running from was behind them.
The book is written in the third person and from the points of view of Jon, Miles, and Her (the girl). I was intrigued to find out why people were targeting Jon but I got a bit frustrated that any sense of what was occurring took so long to be revealed. Jon kept on asking questions but was shut down a lot. Whilst the storyline jumped right into the action from the beginning I started to get fed up at about 30% of the way through when I was still none the wiser about what really was happening and lots of fantasy people were mentioned but not much else about them.
With this being the first in a series though I can understand the need to want to keep the suspense going. The world-building was superb and I liked the idea (even if it has been done numerous times) of otherworld people walking amongst us humans.
This is a fantasy story about one teenage boy whose life is turned upside down in the blink of an eye. Not only does he have to rely on a girl he doesn’t know and a best friend who isn’t who he thought he was, but also come to terms with the fact that people want him dead and he doesn’t understand why or who.
Overall, it is a decent start to a series and the author clearly has a very vivid imagination that works well. I was a little confused in places but then I kind of expected to be as I’m not much of a fantasy reader these days.
Eighteen-year-old Louisiana university art student Jonathan (Jon) Miller heads to his class one morning and sees the girl who saved him from being kidnapped fourteen years ago. The strange thing is she hasn’t aged, plus she disappears as fast as she appeared.
On his lunch break the girl appears again and tells Jon he is to go with her, the necklace that she gave him all those years ago can no longer keep him safe. Whilst talking, Jon’s best friend Miles appears and the girl stabs him in the arm, right where his Cobra Snake tattoo is. Turns out that Miles is a Darovit, just like the girl.
The three end up on an adventure to try to find out who wants Jon dead. In a world filled with Vipers, Jotunn (Toad-men), Mermen, Seers, Witches, and more this is something otherworldly. The big question is though, who is Jon really?
Finding Soul is the first book in a planned series set in the real and fantasy world. The book begins with a powerful Seer telling the girl who saved Jon when he was four it’s time, presumably to save him again.
Jon has moved around a lot, from San Francisco where the kidnapping took place to Seattle and onto Louisiana. His mother was always looking for their next move but recently she has become more settled so he presumed whatever they were running from was behind them.
The book is written in the third person and from the points of view of Jon, Miles, and Her (the girl). I was intrigued to find out why people were targeting Jon but I got a bit frustrated that any sense of what was occurring took so long to be revealed. Jon kept on asking questions but was shut down a lot. Whilst the storyline jumped right into the action from the beginning I started to get fed up at about 30% of the way through when I was still none the wiser about what really was happening and lots of fantasy people were mentioned but not much else about them.
With this being the first in a series though I can understand the need to want to keep the suspense going. The world-building was superb and I liked the idea (even if it has been done numerous times) of otherworld people walking amongst us humans.
This is a fantasy story about one teenage boy whose life is turned upside down in the blink of an eye. Not only does he have to rely on a girl he doesn’t know and a best friend who isn’t who he thought he was, but also come to terms with the fact that people want him dead and he doesn’t understand why or who.
Overall, it is a decent start to a series and the author clearly has a very vivid imagination that works well. I was a little confused in places but then I kind of expected to be as I’m not much of a fantasy reader these days.
January 23, 2020
What I Loved:
T.L. Searle has a way of describing something, a thing, person, action, anything, and when the readers reads the words, the pictures form. The writing is very well done and I loved that I felt like I had stepped right into the book with the descriptions on the page.
How I Felt:
I found this book to be filled with everything I like in a story. There is humor, raw emotions, suspense, evolution of characters, and so much more.
The Pace of Finding Soul was great. We moved from scene to scene seamlessly and I didn’t feel like any scenes were overly long or fluffy.
The Characters were well built with emotions and substance. I really enjoyed the relationships between Jon, Gabby, and Miles. There’s a scene in a hotel room with Miles and Jon and it was just beautiful. You felt the years of friendship and it was so filled with emotion. I loved it.
The Plot in Finding Soul is so interesting. It takes you on a journey from regular Earth to the Otherworld where there are witches and Not Mermen, and all kinds of other creatures that Fantasy lovers will enjoy. The story has a mix of action as well as down time where the reader really gets to know the characters.
Overall, this was a fun book filled with interesting characters, solid writing, and an enjoyable story.
To Read or Not To Read:
Readers of science fiction, fantasy and paranormal will be interested in this book. It is stuffed with characters of fantasy-lore and you will love it!
I was provided an advanced reader’s copy of this book for free. I am leaving my honest, unbiased review voluntarily.
All of my reviews can be found at: https://shejustlovesbooks.com/
T.L. Searle has a way of describing something, a thing, person, action, anything, and when the readers reads the words, the pictures form. The writing is very well done and I loved that I felt like I had stepped right into the book with the descriptions on the page.
How I Felt:
I found this book to be filled with everything I like in a story. There is humor, raw emotions, suspense, evolution of characters, and so much more.
The Pace of Finding Soul was great. We moved from scene to scene seamlessly and I didn’t feel like any scenes were overly long or fluffy.
The Characters were well built with emotions and substance. I really enjoyed the relationships between Jon, Gabby, and Miles. There’s a scene in a hotel room with Miles and Jon and it was just beautiful. You felt the years of friendship and it was so filled with emotion. I loved it.
The Plot in Finding Soul is so interesting. It takes you on a journey from regular Earth to the Otherworld where there are witches and Not Mermen, and all kinds of other creatures that Fantasy lovers will enjoy. The story has a mix of action as well as down time where the reader really gets to know the characters.
Overall, this was a fun book filled with interesting characters, solid writing, and an enjoyable story.
To Read or Not To Read:
Readers of science fiction, fantasy and paranormal will be interested in this book. It is stuffed with characters of fantasy-lore and you will love it!
I was provided an advanced reader’s copy of this book for free. I am leaving my honest, unbiased review voluntarily.
All of my reviews can be found at: https://shejustlovesbooks.com/
February 27, 2020
I was given a copy of this book in exchange for a review. There are a few misspellings and words that are out of place, but nothing major. The book took me a couple of chapters to really get into it. Once I did, I couldn't put it down. I love the lore of the Others and would have enjoyed reading more. The characters could stand to be more fleshed out earlier in the book. However, I grew to love each one. The Other magic is very unique. The story is really interesting and entertaining. I felt like it ended at a good place in the story and I really hope there are many more to come. All in all, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone that likes a little "woo woo" in their lives.
January 14, 2020
An urban fantasy of myth and magic. Eighteen year old Jon is being hunted by the Otherworld. With his friend, Miles, and a girl he met once, as a child, he must seek the famous Soloman Seer while being chased by hit-men known as Vipers.
This is above all a story of friendship, of facing your fears and of self-discovery.
October 1, 2020
Jon’s fantasy world is about to become very real.
Jon’s life hasn’t exactly been easy. After his abduction and subsequent rescue, years of therapy and his mother’s constant desire to move from place to place have taken their toll on Jon. He hopes that college will be a chance to have some semblance of normalcy. Unfortunately, danger is and has always been much closer than Jon realizes.
I felt so sorry for Jon. His entire world is turned upside down the moment his guardian, the Translucent, comes crashing back into his life. She does have another name, but I don’t want to spoil the story by revealing how she gets it. Before Jon knows it, he and his friend Miles are running for their lives forced to depend on a woman he knows nothing about other than she saved him as a child. Jon soon learns that an entire race of magical beings lives on Earth hidden from humans. Jon’s roller coaster of emotions and mini breakdown are completely understandable. In fact, I think his reaction to the magic world is one of the most realistic I’ve read. Often when I’ve read stories in this genre, the characters acclimate to the information a bit too quickly for my taste. That is certainly not the case with Jon. He needs time to absorb everything. With the help of his friend Miles and the Translucent, I have a feeling he’ll be fine.
I found Jon’s relationship with the Translucent strange. Since she saved him, he developed a crush on her. His art notebooks are filled with images of her face. He’s imagined her as a perfect guardian angel for years. The reality is quite different, and it was a little sad to see Jon’s perception of her crumble. I must admit I did not like the Translucent at first. She is very abrupt and seems rather indifferent to the emotional upheaval Jon experiences. She barely speaks to Jon and Miles, and when she does, she only says the bare minimum. While I understand that the Translucent is old and not used to interacting with humans so much, it was still painful to watch.
Fortunately, Miles is there to keep things from being completely unbearable. He’s an extremely entertaining character with a good sense of humor. While Miles understands the gravity of their situation, he always seems to find a way to lighten the mood and rarely fails at making Jon smile. I must also add the Miles has some secrets of his own. At first, I was worried that Jon would see this as a betrayal, but his friendship with Miles is strong and weathers this revelation. Before long, the Translucent begins to warm to Jon and Miles and the unlikely trio turn into quite the team.
I enjoyed reading Finding Soul. The pacing was great, and I had fun watching Jon, Miles, and the Translucent bond. The Darovit are intriguing, and I look forward to learning more in the next installment of this series!
Jon’s life hasn’t exactly been easy. After his abduction and subsequent rescue, years of therapy and his mother’s constant desire to move from place to place have taken their toll on Jon. He hopes that college will be a chance to have some semblance of normalcy. Unfortunately, danger is and has always been much closer than Jon realizes.
I felt so sorry for Jon. His entire world is turned upside down the moment his guardian, the Translucent, comes crashing back into his life. She does have another name, but I don’t want to spoil the story by revealing how she gets it. Before Jon knows it, he and his friend Miles are running for their lives forced to depend on a woman he knows nothing about other than she saved him as a child. Jon soon learns that an entire race of magical beings lives on Earth hidden from humans. Jon’s roller coaster of emotions and mini breakdown are completely understandable. In fact, I think his reaction to the magic world is one of the most realistic I’ve read. Often when I’ve read stories in this genre, the characters acclimate to the information a bit too quickly for my taste. That is certainly not the case with Jon. He needs time to absorb everything. With the help of his friend Miles and the Translucent, I have a feeling he’ll be fine.
I found Jon’s relationship with the Translucent strange. Since she saved him, he developed a crush on her. His art notebooks are filled with images of her face. He’s imagined her as a perfect guardian angel for years. The reality is quite different, and it was a little sad to see Jon’s perception of her crumble. I must admit I did not like the Translucent at first. She is very abrupt and seems rather indifferent to the emotional upheaval Jon experiences. She barely speaks to Jon and Miles, and when she does, she only says the bare minimum. While I understand that the Translucent is old and not used to interacting with humans so much, it was still painful to watch.
Fortunately, Miles is there to keep things from being completely unbearable. He’s an extremely entertaining character with a good sense of humor. While Miles understands the gravity of their situation, he always seems to find a way to lighten the mood and rarely fails at making Jon smile. I must also add the Miles has some secrets of his own. At first, I was worried that Jon would see this as a betrayal, but his friendship with Miles is strong and weathers this revelation. Before long, the Translucent begins to warm to Jon and Miles and the unlikely trio turn into quite the team.
I enjoyed reading Finding Soul. The pacing was great, and I had fun watching Jon, Miles, and the Translucent bond. The Darovit are intriguing, and I look forward to learning more in the next installment of this series!
September 23, 2020
This book was entered in The Wishing Shelf Book Awards. This is what our readers thought:
Title: Finding Soul
Author: T L Searle
Star Rating: 4 Stars
Number of Readers: 21
Stats
Editing: 8/10
Writing Style: 8/10
Content: 7/10
Cover: 7/10
Of the 21 readers:
18 would read another book by this author.
17 thought the cover was good or excellent.
21 felt it was easy to follow.
18 would recommend this story to another reader to try.
Of all the readers, 11 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘plotting a story’.
Of all the readers, 10 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘developing the characters’.
17 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
18 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.
Readers’ Comments
‘Funny in parts, I liked how the characters developed. This author has a very good imagination.’ Female reader, aged 15
‘Fantasy readers will love Otherworld. It was very cleverly described. I thought the Not-Mermen were cool – in a slightly frightening way!’ Female reader, aged 14
‘I like fantasy books but this took me a bit longer to get into than usual. But, once I got past the first 20pp or so, I was engrossed. There’s a good mix of pacey adventure but also the author wants the reader to get to know and care about the characters. It also ended in an exciting way and now I want to read more. Slow to get going, but worth it!’ Female reader, aged 17
‘The three central characters worked well together. Also, the premise – how the two worlds sort of overlap – was mega-interesting. I thought it was slow in parts and needed better editing to speed things up. But, overall, it was a gripping read.’ Male reader, aged 15
To Sum It Up:
‘A thrilling fantasy adventure for YA. A RED RIBBON WINNER and highly recommended.’ The Wishing Shelf Book Awards
Title: Finding Soul
Author: T L Searle
Star Rating: 4 Stars
Number of Readers: 21
Stats
Editing: 8/10
Writing Style: 8/10
Content: 7/10
Cover: 7/10
Of the 21 readers:
18 would read another book by this author.
17 thought the cover was good or excellent.
21 felt it was easy to follow.
18 would recommend this story to another reader to try.
Of all the readers, 11 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘plotting a story’.
Of all the readers, 10 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘developing the characters’.
17 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
18 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.
Readers’ Comments
‘Funny in parts, I liked how the characters developed. This author has a very good imagination.’ Female reader, aged 15
‘Fantasy readers will love Otherworld. It was very cleverly described. I thought the Not-Mermen were cool – in a slightly frightening way!’ Female reader, aged 14
‘I like fantasy books but this took me a bit longer to get into than usual. But, once I got past the first 20pp or so, I was engrossed. There’s a good mix of pacey adventure but also the author wants the reader to get to know and care about the characters. It also ended in an exciting way and now I want to read more. Slow to get going, but worth it!’ Female reader, aged 17
‘The three central characters worked well together. Also, the premise – how the two worlds sort of overlap – was mega-interesting. I thought it was slow in parts and needed better editing to speed things up. But, overall, it was a gripping read.’ Male reader, aged 15
To Sum It Up:
‘A thrilling fantasy adventure for YA. A RED RIBBON WINNER and highly recommended.’ The Wishing Shelf Book Awards
March 20, 2020
Searle creates a story that is fast-paced and intriguing. This is a great read, especially for fantasy lovers. Searle's Otherworld overlaps the "real" world and is rife with intrigue, deadly assassins and powerful creatures. Searle's writing style creates powerful, sensory images and truly makes you feel like you are there sitting beside Jon as he discovers things about the Translucent, his best friend Miles and himself.
Jonathan Miller is an artist at LSU who as a young child had an encounter with a mysterious girl who saved his life when he was four. He has been obsessed with her ever since. At age 18, he once again is in danger and his protector the girl (The Translucent) has been sent to collect him. Little did he know that his best friend at University is also a Daravit. From LSU they flee around the world and meet interesting people, other Daravits like the Translucent (She has another name but I will let readers discover it.). Jon is being chased by vipers and toads. The Jotunn toads have been trying to kill Jon for years, and The Translucent has been protecting Jon for years, even going so far as to make a talisman for him. Part of the story is figuring out her story. No spoilers here!
Overall, I thought this was a wonderful fantasy novel, with an intriguing premise.
I was given an advanced reader copy in return for my honest review.
Jonathan Miller is an artist at LSU who as a young child had an encounter with a mysterious girl who saved his life when he was four. He has been obsessed with her ever since. At age 18, he once again is in danger and his protector the girl (The Translucent) has been sent to collect him. Little did he know that his best friend at University is also a Daravit. From LSU they flee around the world and meet interesting people, other Daravits like the Translucent (She has another name but I will let readers discover it.). Jon is being chased by vipers and toads. The Jotunn toads have been trying to kill Jon for years, and The Translucent has been protecting Jon for years, even going so far as to make a talisman for him. Part of the story is figuring out her story. No spoilers here!
Overall, I thought this was a wonderful fantasy novel, with an intriguing premise.
I was given an advanced reader copy in return for my honest review.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews