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Souldier
"See you soon, okay?"When Sally left for the Line almost two-and-a-half years ago, Vivian never doubted her best friend would come home again.But she hadn't.Born in the small town of Northbrook in the northern reaches of the Eastern Territories, Vivian's life was as far from the Line and the mechanical monstrosities that threatened it as anyone's could be. But now, stricken with grief and the growing sensation that something isn't quite right, her only choice is to follow in Sally's footsteps and enter a world far greater and more dangerous than she could have ever imagined if she wants to discover the truth.How far would you be willing to go to protect the things you care about the most?What price would you pay for knowing?
383 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 12, 2020
1 person is currently reading
11 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
June 2, 2022
Color me pleasantly surprised. Andrew Dahms, a very new and very much an unknown author, has really blown me away with Souldier. It's the first book in The Shadows of Eternity series. Not often I am completely taken in by a character as I am with Vivian. From the pulse-pounding, gripping beginnings we are immediately submerged in the ebb and flow of the plot. I found myself rooting for Vivian, loving her perseverance, and her struggle to accomplish all of her goals. It’s a post-apocalyptic kind of read. Ultimately, some very fine science fiction with a bit of dystopia added in. Souldier has a modern-day "Hunger Games" feel to it that works incredibly well. I’m excited about what's to come and intrigued about where the story will flow from here. Big thanks to author Andrew Dahms for reaching out and putting his book on my radar. I am pleasantly surprised and wholeheartedly invested in what will happen next.
~Tanja
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September 15, 2024
Stars: 2 out of 5
DNF at 50%
I am honestly amazed at all the 5 stars reviews on Goodreads. Have I read a different book than everyone else? They talk about a good story and gripping action... Well, I had to force myself to read to halfway point, and I honestly saw neither. Maybe things get better in the second half of the book, but if I have to wait until then for the story to get interesting, something is wrong. Plus, I don't have that much patience.
I think the biggest problem is that the author doesn't know how to show anything. All he does is tell. We have paragraphs upon paragraphs of descriptions of everything from buildings to uniforms, to what is happening to the character. But it's all tell, tell, tell... I mean, he even managed to make the basic training sequence boring as fish. And it lasted way too long, by the way. I mean we are barely out of basic training and actually on the Line by the halfway mark.
It doesn't help that Vivian's character is a non-entity. Because the author tells us everything instead of showing, we are never privy to her inner thoughts or find out how she actually feels about the things that are happening to her. I mean we have several chapters describing how grueling her basic training was, and how the drill sergeant did everything he could to break her... but that's just words. I have no clue how she felt about it. I don't see her exhaustion, her frustration, her determination to continue. None of that is there.
And why is she here anyway? Yes, she wants to find out what happened to Sally, but again, apart from what the author tells us, nothing shows us just how much she meant to the protagonist. Show us some flashbacks. Show us their interactions when they were friends. Show us how Vivian felt when Sally left to join souldier, or how she felt when she received the news of her friend's death... then I will believe that she could drop everything and travel half the world away to seek some answers. As it stands, I don't care.
And that's the trend in this book. We are told that the characters are doing something or reacting to something, but we aren't shown that. And often, we aren't shown any reactions at all where there should be something.
For example, when Vivian and her fellow enlistees are sent to help load and unload planes during the new wave, the pilot of one of them has a mental breakdown, literally saying that he brought his squad back in boxes. They were unloading coffins. Surely, there would be a reaction to that? We get nothing. No horror at the realization, no desperation, no fear even. Nothing but the description of how grueling it was to work for such long hours for several days. NOT the thing you want to put the accent on in this kind of story. That was a lost opportunity to immerse the reader in the world and show just how bleak the situation is.
When I realized that at halfway mark the book wasn't getting any better, and that I was just getting more and more frustrated with the writing, I gave up.
PS: I received an advanced copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
DNF at 50%
I am honestly amazed at all the 5 stars reviews on Goodreads. Have I read a different book than everyone else? They talk about a good story and gripping action... Well, I had to force myself to read to halfway point, and I honestly saw neither. Maybe things get better in the second half of the book, but if I have to wait until then for the story to get interesting, something is wrong. Plus, I don't have that much patience.
I think the biggest problem is that the author doesn't know how to show anything. All he does is tell. We have paragraphs upon paragraphs of descriptions of everything from buildings to uniforms, to what is happening to the character. But it's all tell, tell, tell... I mean, he even managed to make the basic training sequence boring as fish. And it lasted way too long, by the way. I mean we are barely out of basic training and actually on the Line by the halfway mark.
It doesn't help that Vivian's character is a non-entity. Because the author tells us everything instead of showing, we are never privy to her inner thoughts or find out how she actually feels about the things that are happening to her. I mean we have several chapters describing how grueling her basic training was, and how the drill sergeant did everything he could to break her... but that's just words. I have no clue how she felt about it. I don't see her exhaustion, her frustration, her determination to continue. None of that is there.
And why is she here anyway? Yes, she wants to find out what happened to Sally, but again, apart from what the author tells us, nothing shows us just how much she meant to the protagonist. Show us some flashbacks. Show us their interactions when they were friends. Show us how Vivian felt when Sally left to join souldier, or how she felt when she received the news of her friend's death... then I will believe that she could drop everything and travel half the world away to seek some answers. As it stands, I don't care.
And that's the trend in this book. We are told that the characters are doing something or reacting to something, but we aren't shown that. And often, we aren't shown any reactions at all where there should be something.
For example, when Vivian and her fellow enlistees are sent to help load and unload planes during the new wave, the pilot of one of them has a mental breakdown, literally saying that he brought his squad back in boxes. They were unloading coffins. Surely, there would be a reaction to that? We get nothing. No horror at the realization, no desperation, no fear even. Nothing but the description of how grueling it was to work for such long hours for several days. NOT the thing you want to put the accent on in this kind of story. That was a lost opportunity to immerse the reader in the world and show just how bleak the situation is.
When I realized that at halfway mark the book wasn't getting any better, and that I was just getting more and more frustrated with the writing, I gave up.
PS: I received an advanced copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
December 20, 2020
From the first page to the last, Dahms brings readers into this incredible world of discovery, mystery, and inspiration. The main character, Vivian, is the friend I’ve always wanted and hope to become one day. I’ll be reading this again while I excitedly wait for the next book in the series. Until then - may the day be yours!
January 9, 2021
A great novel!! Not sure how to describe this - Zoids or Voltron meets She-Ra? A thoughtful, meditative protagonist is a rarity in a book with so much combat, but Dahms manages to keep up the pace with interesting tactics, power games, and mysteries that make me eager for book two. Read it if you enjoy sci-fi adventures but wish they had fewer reactive meatheads and more actual problem solving.
January 16, 2021
You know you're onto a good story when you willingly forfeit sleep to get through just one more chapter... or three. The story drops you into a world that's quite different from our own, and there's a bit to learn about how it all operates, but the world building is elegant, gentle, and flows naturally along with the narrative. It feels like there is a strong canon, and a quick look at the appendices confirms this. Dahms has brought to life an inspiring but relatable character in Vivian, who is both remarkable and fallible. There's a depth to her strengths and her weaknesses, and you get the distinct sense that every thought and action belongs to a real, fully developed person. It's nice to see a protagonist who is genuinely thoughtful and sensitive - and, surprise, it doesn't slow down the action at all. Speaking of which, there is plenty of movement in the story. The action sequences are exciting, and the overarching mystery of how the world really works keeps you on the hook and looking for clues the entire way. It might be set in a futuristic world with some monstrous metal enemies, but the best (and worst) parts of humanity are what's really on show, and are what provide the most intrigue. Looking forward to seeing how the story unfolds!
October 2, 2024
Souldier is a very good book. Not only is the cover very pretty, the story itself is marvellous, too. This is the story about a young woman who is searching for her best friend, and what she has to endure during that search.
It is a story set in a universe I haven’t experienced in this way yet. Everything is well explained, the world building is logical for my understanding. I think it is not really a dystopian, but also not so much a utopian setting. Everything fits and is believable.
The main character (and others) are very likable. I could enjoy and smile with them, and cry and be sad with them. So many emotions that I didn’t experience in a novel for a long time. The characters in Souldier feel real to me and like people I could also encounter in everyday life. However, I wish there was more about trains!
I’m really looking forward to the next big chapter in this series. The first book is great.
Andrew Dahms did a fantastic job and I’m very happy about it. I knew that he is a good writer of nonfiction articles on several websites, and now I know that he is a very talented author in the fiction area as well. I highly recommend Souldier. Give it a try!
Until then, may you always walk in sunlight.
It is a story set in a universe I haven’t experienced in this way yet. Everything is well explained, the world building is logical for my understanding. I think it is not really a dystopian, but also not so much a utopian setting. Everything fits and is believable.
The main character (and others) are very likable. I could enjoy and smile with them, and cry and be sad with them. So many emotions that I didn’t experience in a novel for a long time. The characters in Souldier feel real to me and like people I could also encounter in everyday life. However, I wish there was more about trains!
I’m really looking forward to the next big chapter in this series. The first book is great.
Andrew Dahms did a fantastic job and I’m very happy about it. I knew that he is a good writer of nonfiction articles on several websites, and now I know that he is a very talented author in the fiction area as well. I highly recommend Souldier. Give it a try!
Until then, may you always walk in sunlight.
January 22, 2021
I finished this book over one night. A really interesting world to learn about, a compelling and thoughtful main character, and an interesting mystery. If there's anything I would have liked to see more of, it would have been flashbacks to Vivian and Sally to flesh out their connection and relationship. Overall, a really exciting new story and I look forward to reading the next one to solve the deepening mystery.
January 11, 2021
Lovely, relatable lead character (although I've never been on the Line or served in the Reactionary Forces of Central myself :-) ) and enjoyable story.
Looking forward to the continuation of Vivian's journey!
P.S. Make sure you check out the appendices, they're a hidden gem for contextual information :)
Looking forward to the continuation of Vivian's journey!
P.S. Make sure you check out the appendices, they're a hidden gem for contextual information :)
August 22, 2022
Not fast paced, but certainly a fun story. Some interesting characters and a creative and believable plot with some mysteries along the way.
Thanks very much for the free copy for review!!
Thanks very much for the free copy for review!!
September 8, 2022
A surprisingly addictive adventure! This mecha/machine vs human tale was refreshing and I loved the world building!
It was a bit of a slow and confusing start, but once our main character hits basic training things amp up and start to make more sense.
Vivian seemed overly naive for a 24 year old woman. Yes, she came from a small rural town, but she wasn’t raised in isolation or away from other people. She annoyed me for the majority of the book until she was separated from her squad and then she became more tolerable, forced to depend on just herself.
Can’t wait for the next book in the series!
Thank you to NetGalley, & Andrew Dahms for a copy.
It was a bit of a slow and confusing start, but once our main character hits basic training things amp up and start to make more sense.
Vivian seemed overly naive for a 24 year old woman. Yes, she came from a small rural town, but she wasn’t raised in isolation or away from other people. She annoyed me for the majority of the book until she was separated from her squad and then she became more tolerable, forced to depend on just herself.
Can’t wait for the next book in the series!
Thank you to NetGalley, & Andrew Dahms for a copy.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews