Soulless Son

The Five Orders #2

by Holly Roberds

They took Calan's soul
Then kidnapped Emma for their cause

Tortured and brainwashed by a secret Order, Emma is sent back to kill the man she loves.

Instead of killing him, she grabs Calan and runs.

There’s just one problem. Soulless Calan is an entirely different animal from the man Emma knew and loved.

Evil spirits are wreaking havoc on the world, and it’s up to them to close the dimensional tear to the Stygian.

If they can get his soul back.

If she doesn’t descend into madness first.

Don’t miss this heart-pounding, steamy next installment in The Five Orders Series.

Get it now.

Genres: Romance, Urban Fantasy

Kindle Edition

Published September 1, 2022

About the author

Holly Roberds is an Amazon Top 40 Bestselling Author of the Vegas Immortals and Lost Girls series, known for badass heroines, gut-busting laughs, and spicy romance. Holly lives in Denver but is only outdoorsy in that she drinks on patios—with a prosecco in one hand and an espresso in the other. When not writing, she’s playing D&D, sharpening her banter skills, or sinking her teeth into her husband’s very bitable arm.

Reviews

[Leigh · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5/5*

[Patty · Rating 3 out of 5]

This felt like a typical book-2-of-3 series. Yes there was action and the plot continued from book 1, but I had a hard time connecting with/liking the main characters. Soulless Callan was one dimensional with a flat affect. Post brainwashed Emma felt paranoid and vacillated between hope for Callan’s soul to return or intent to kill him and walk away. Emma’s background thought completely dominated the novel. I did appreciate the fun banter that Krysten, Travis and Krysten’s grandma provided near the end. The possessed grandma dialogue really made me smile. Yes there was some resolution at the end, but it just didn’t give me the same “content” feeling I hope to experience at the end on a novel. Maybe I’ll experience it at the end of book 3?

[Tes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Main Characters:
Calan & Emma

Subpar Summary:
We start with Emma, Calan, and Travis on the run from the Stygian rift and the Luxis Order. Their truck is intercepted by Calan's master and they are overwhelmed. They steal Calan's soul leaving him and Travis abandoned and taking Emma into their custody. From there she endures conditioning training where they attempt to break her will and brainwash her into believing Calan was the enemy all along. Her master, Ilya, believes that the new prophesy requires Emma to kill Calan ("the dark one") in order to save humanity and permanently close the rift. On assignment, they charge her with assassinating him in the night but Emma found a way to keep her love for Calan safe and she is able to discern that she still loves him. The two are on the run but Emma is having hallucinations from her abuse and doubts Calan. With his soul gone, Calan is clearly off. He is obsessed with "claiming her" and she uses this to her advantage propositioning him to help her return his soul in order to have his way. They return to the area where the rift occurred and discover that bodies are being possessed by demons. Outnumbered and coming close to being killed, Emma is rescued by a Terran Order member named Jo. He attempts to help them but Emma turns him away not fully trusting any order members given their history. She also seems to be realizing that she has the ability to see a little more about people than normal and sometimes discern their intents. She reunites with her friends, Krysten and Travis, and they make a plan to retrieve Calan's soul that goes awry. She charges Calan with protecting Krysten and Travis when she is captured by Ilya, but he leaves them for dead as he lacks any moral influence being soulless. Jo shows up and sacrifices himself to allow Emma and her friends to escape while he remains a prisoner to Ilya and the Order. Emma escapes the ambush with her friends and finds Calan still in the area. Together they return to their safe house, Krysten's grandmother's house, after making sure to get Travis to the hospital for a stab wound he suffered during the attack. Emma is frustrated and doubting Calan and whether her feelings when he had his soul were just romanticized but, after he chose to leave her friends, she decides that she and him are done even if they manage to get his soul back. Soon after, she discovers that Krysten's grandmother is now possessed by a demon when she strolls into the house covered in blood after eating one of her pet chickens. They're able to restrain her and determine that Calan's soul is being kept at the rift with the Order members. Before they come up with a plan to retrieve it, an injured Travis walks in, and they bring him up to speed. After they agree of a course of action, they all rest up. Emma and Travis have a heart-to-heart and he snaps her back to reality regarding her feelings toward Calan reminding her of his character and how much he loves her. After, Calan recruits Gatsby, another Cavelier brother of his, and they set off to the rift to retrieve Calan's soul. A fight ensues and when Emma sees Jo there, still at the mercy of Ilya, she attempts to help save him. When he is released from her control he takes Calan's soul and consumes it within himself claiming that he and Emma will fulfill the prophesy and he will return glory to his Order. He exorcises all of the possessed nearby but realizes that it is too much power and the soul escapes and returns to it's rightful place in Calan. The rift is overloading with no one to stop the demons coming through and Ilya, along with all the Caveliers, all work together to put a freeze on it, costing Ilya her life. Emma, Calan, and Krysten return to see her grandmother is OK and together, with Travis, must now figure out how to close access off to Stygia permanently before the seal breaks.

Thoughts:
I'm struggling to get through this series but I struggle to pinpoint the why. I think it's just pacing. Emma's been through a lot. She is taken captive and tortured/brainwashed against Calan and yet she still protects her mind just enough to remember (all of which is summarized in maybe 1 or 2 chapters). She reunites with him and everything she has held onto crashes when she finds she's dealing with this soulless psychopath who is beyond indifferent to just about everything. Her doubts are understandable when you consider all of this. The moment where Travis, of all people, is able to talk her off the cliff and bring her back to reality was much needed. Part of me was still disappointed in how she gave up at a point because it was clear that Calan would do anything for her when in his right mind. I definitely want to see more of Gatsby. Between him and Travis, they are the most interesting characters in the series to me. I'm probably going to take a break to determine if I care enough to finish the story.

Series Overall: 3/5

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free book and the views and opinions are my own. In this book the Luxis show their true colours, they steal Calan’s soul and kidnap Emma. They try to make Emma into a killing machine like the Chevaliers. Emma is trying to find Calan’s soul and return him to her. We meet a new Order, the Order of Terra. They have a different perspective on the prophecy. Because of the tear Between Stygian and Earth the demons are getting out and killing. Calan must use his powers to close the tear but first he needs to find his soul. Will it be a temporary fix or will they finally be able to have their first dinner date together. Even though Calan does not have a soul I still like him. He tries so hard to get Emma to have sex with him, you have to laugh at his persistence. I recommend this series and book to all. A very good paranormal romance.

[Toni · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I enjoyed having Emma’s POV in this book. It’s definitely a slow burn, lol. I thought it was action packed, but also seemed to drag out getting Calan’s soul back. Emma’s torture was awful and the fact that Calan wasn’t there for her in anyway, was heartbreaking. So lots of feels in this one.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loving the way Emma is evolving, but miss her fun personality. Callan is a dick, not all his fault. I’m not sure who the bad guys are any more. Give me the next one.

[Debbie W. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a arc and volunteer to review this book. ❤️. 📚. 👍. Fantastic series.

[Jane Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my...

It looks like the danger Calan and Emma are in has ramped up tremendously! They are encased in a neverending battle. Putting this book down proved to be impossible!

[Sarah Scotting · Rating 5 out of 5]

Role reversal

It was great seeing how the main characters changed. Having read some of the later books first it’s nice to see how they got to these points.

[Rose Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holly Roberts is my new favorite author!
Holly Roberts has added even more intrigue, twists and suspense in this, the second book in the “Five Orders” series. Book 2 picks up where book 1 “Prophecy Girl” ends. The main characters, Emma and Calan, have sort of switched places in this drama. Tortured and brainwashed, Emma is sent back to kill the man she loves. There was also enough action to keep you on the edge of your seat and enough villains to keep you flipping the pages. Book 1 “Prophecy Girl” is a must to truly enjoy this story. Holly Roberts is my new favorite author! I received a free copy of this book for an honest review.

[Alicia Peterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Soulless Son is the thrilling sequel to Prophecy Girl, and the second book in Holly Roberds’ “Five Orders” series. Sequels can be tricky for authors- it can be difficult to follow a strong debut- but Holly does a great job with Soulless Son. I loved reading more from Emma’s perspective, and greatly enjoyed learning more about the different Orders. I can’t wait for the next book to come out so I can read more about the Five Orders and their history and interpretations. This novel is a perfect, steamy summer read. Grab your copy to read by the pool!

[Scarolet Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Soulless Son by Holly Roberds is an awesome story that I have read and loved. This is book number two in this awesome series that just seems to keep getting better as the story continues and I can not wait for the next book to come out. I highly recommend this story to everyone who loves reading about fantasy and paranormal romances in their stories.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Philleys Peters · Rating 5 out of 5]

At the end of book one, the bad guys took Calan's soul and abducted Emma to brainwash and torture her. And now they have sent her back to kill Calan? Poor Emma. She has got her hands full in this book! An excellent storyline and a very admirable kickass heroine. Loved it!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Suzanne Hare · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great follow up to book one in the series. Calan has a lot of emotional drama as he works through questioning he beliefs, determining how to deal with protecting Emma and his feelings for her. There is action and progression of the story that further moves their story forward. I look forward to the next instalment in this series.

[Brandee Armstrong Shelton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a great story! I started reading it and I couldn't put it down,before I knew it,I read the whole book!! That should tell you how good it is!Holly Roberds takes you on a roller coaster ride of emotions in this gripping story of love,strength and determimation!

[Tina LeJeune · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great addition to this new world that’s packed with intrigue and romance. There was also enough action to keep you flipping the pages :)

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Trinitysrain · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. Better than the first. Emma was maturing and more consistent. Calan just made me sad at times. The story really picked up torward the end, although I thought it was a bit anticlimactic in places. I look forward to the next one!

I received this ARC for an honest review

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I liked about Emma is her courage in attempting the almost impossible. Brainwashed by the Luxis, her mission is to execute Calan. But she breaks free and tries to bring back just who is was before the rendering.

[Sandra Singleton · Rating 5 out of 5]

https://www.amazon.com/review/R2WYGQI...