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Solum
Bennett Jones (BJ) had been an outcast for his entire life. The only person he really cared for died when he was thirteen, and BJ was accused of murdering her. Neglected by his family and shunned and bullied by his peers, somehow BJ made it into adulthood—thanks in no small part to his therapist. Just as he’s beginning the final year of his science degree, after which he hopes to become a doctor, he’s called into the dean’s office and offered a full scholarship for med school. It sounds like a dream come true. There’s just one catch: if he fails to honor his end of the agreement, he will lose nothing less than his soul. And that’s only one of the strange encounters he’s been having so far this semester. Chased by demons and confronted by mysterious strangers, BJ soon abandons his academic studies in favour of a far different goal: survival. However, he’s not alone in his struggle. Aided by his jock roommate, a pretty cheerleader, and other newfound friends—an entirely new concept for BJ—he realizes he has a choice to make: continue to run from his past or accept his true identity destiny and prepare for the battle to come.
342 pages, Paperback
Published January 4, 2023
8 people are currently reading
52 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
December 31, 2025
This is a fantastic urban fantasy read, and one of its greatest strengths lies in its characters. Each one is crafted with thoughtful intention with distinct personalities, layered backstories, and meaningful development that makes them feel truly alive on the page. Chmilar introduces several key characters and strikes a careful balance: offering enough exposition to keep the plot moving while holding back just enough to preserve intrigue. Because this is the beginning of a series, those withheld details feel deliberate and promising rather than frustrating, for the most part. There are threads, both character-driven and plot-oriented, that linger tantalizingly in the background, and I genuinely hope the next installment will continue to unravel those mysteries. The author gives you just enough to invest deeply, and then cleverly leaves you wanting more.
Beyond individual character development, the relationships in Solum stand out. Chmilar doesn’t limit the emotional landscape to romance (though the budding love stories are charming, slow-burning and well-paced). The narrative also explores the complexities of family, friendship, loyalty, and the sometimes-murky in-betweens. Connections are forged, tested, fractured, and mended. These dynamics make the story feel communal rather than focused on a lone protagonist (central characters rather than a single “main” one), which enriches the emotional stakes across the board.
The story itself begins with a bit of searching, but ultimately finds its footing and grows into a richly layered narrative. The opening chapters feel like they’re working to settle into a steady rhythm, balancing the heavy lifting of character introductions, worldbuilding, and plot establishment. The pacing wavers at first, almost like the narrative is still stretching and settling into itself. But once the groundwork is laid and the moving pieces begin to align, the story takes off. The momentum sharpens, the pacing smooths out, and the book blossoms into an immersive, compelling experience that’s difficult to step away from.
Urban fantasy is a demanding genre, asking the author to seamlessly weave magic, myth, and lore into the contemporary world we already know. It requires a delicate balance, grounding the reader in familiarity while expanding the world with fantastical logic that feels believable. Chmilar handles this challenge impressively well. The worldbuilding is not only thoughtful but multi-faceted, incorporating diverse magical elements alongside influences from different cultures, histories, and societal structures. I especially appreciated how the narrative interwove real-world cultural perspectives, languages, and thought processes with its own internal fantasy lore. These elements enhance both the characters and the world’s underlying rules, enriching the story without ever overwhelming it. The result is a setting that feels both familiar and refreshingly new, contemporary life blended harmoniously with imaginative fantasy. This balance is something many urban fantasy stories struggle with, but here it’s executed with care and confidence.
Overall, Solum is a strong, engaging start to a series with tremendous potential. Once it finds its rhythm, it delivers a compelling blend of character-driven storytelling, intriguing mysteries, and well-crafted worldbuilding. I’m genuinely excited to see where Chmilar takes the story in the next book, and how the many layers introduced here will continue to unfold.
Beyond individual character development, the relationships in Solum stand out. Chmilar doesn’t limit the emotional landscape to romance (though the budding love stories are charming, slow-burning and well-paced). The narrative also explores the complexities of family, friendship, loyalty, and the sometimes-murky in-betweens. Connections are forged, tested, fractured, and mended. These dynamics make the story feel communal rather than focused on a lone protagonist (central characters rather than a single “main” one), which enriches the emotional stakes across the board.
The story itself begins with a bit of searching, but ultimately finds its footing and grows into a richly layered narrative. The opening chapters feel like they’re working to settle into a steady rhythm, balancing the heavy lifting of character introductions, worldbuilding, and plot establishment. The pacing wavers at first, almost like the narrative is still stretching and settling into itself. But once the groundwork is laid and the moving pieces begin to align, the story takes off. The momentum sharpens, the pacing smooths out, and the book blossoms into an immersive, compelling experience that’s difficult to step away from.
Urban fantasy is a demanding genre, asking the author to seamlessly weave magic, myth, and lore into the contemporary world we already know. It requires a delicate balance, grounding the reader in familiarity while expanding the world with fantastical logic that feels believable. Chmilar handles this challenge impressively well. The worldbuilding is not only thoughtful but multi-faceted, incorporating diverse magical elements alongside influences from different cultures, histories, and societal structures. I especially appreciated how the narrative interwove real-world cultural perspectives, languages, and thought processes with its own internal fantasy lore. These elements enhance both the characters and the world’s underlying rules, enriching the story without ever overwhelming it. The result is a setting that feels both familiar and refreshingly new, contemporary life blended harmoniously with imaginative fantasy. This balance is something many urban fantasy stories struggle with, but here it’s executed with care and confidence.
Overall, Solum is a strong, engaging start to a series with tremendous potential. Once it finds its rhythm, it delivers a compelling blend of character-driven storytelling, intriguing mysteries, and well-crafted worldbuilding. I’m genuinely excited to see where Chmilar takes the story in the next book, and how the many layers introduced here will continue to unfold.
December 30, 2023
I’m giving this book 3 stars because it is the author’s debut, and I know how intimidating that must be!
*light spoilers below*
To start, I want to say I enjoyed the local Canadian aspects of the book, and think the story overall has a lot of potential. The main characters are welcoming and well-developed, and she does a great job at showing us the bond of the family. The author also did a great job and converying the romantic tension between Bennett and Emilia.
Some aspects were really cool, like the house shifting and Rogridgo’s tattoo’s being able to come to life/be an extension of him! And the fighting scenes were well written.
Unfortunately, there were some things that personally weren’t working for me. I found the story to be a little confusing to follow. I wish there was more time spent world building (without connections to real-life pop culture, because that took me out of this world a little bit). In addition, I felt we got introduced to a lot of characters, so I had trouble keeping up with who was who — I wish it was scaled back a bit, since this is likely going to be a continued series, so it had the opportunity to be refined a bit more. The story started slow, but then went a little too fast that I found myself having to go back a lot and understand what just happened.
Lastly, I personally found the modern language (ex: Cecilia using “like” a lot in her dialogue) to be a bit tiresome after a while. The author did a great job at allowing us to really understand each characters personality, so those continued additions I found weren’t really necessary and almost had the opposite effect when overused.
I appreciate the authors world and hope she continues to share the story of BJ, Emilia, Cici, Chet and Rodrigo!
*light spoilers below*
To start, I want to say I enjoyed the local Canadian aspects of the book, and think the story overall has a lot of potential. The main characters are welcoming and well-developed, and she does a great job at showing us the bond of the family. The author also did a great job and converying the romantic tension between Bennett and Emilia.
Some aspects were really cool, like the house shifting and Rogridgo’s tattoo’s being able to come to life/be an extension of him! And the fighting scenes were well written.
Unfortunately, there were some things that personally weren’t working for me. I found the story to be a little confusing to follow. I wish there was more time spent world building (without connections to real-life pop culture, because that took me out of this world a little bit). In addition, I felt we got introduced to a lot of characters, so I had trouble keeping up with who was who — I wish it was scaled back a bit, since this is likely going to be a continued series, so it had the opportunity to be refined a bit more. The story started slow, but then went a little too fast that I found myself having to go back a lot and understand what just happened.
Lastly, I personally found the modern language (ex: Cecilia using “like” a lot in her dialogue) to be a bit tiresome after a while. The author did a great job at allowing us to really understand each characters personality, so those continued additions I found weren’t really necessary and almost had the opposite effect when overused.
I appreciate the authors world and hope she continues to share the story of BJ, Emilia, Cici, Chet and Rodrigo!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 2, 2023
Other than a very eye-opening (and violent) start, I'd say the first half of the book was a little slow-paced. The action really picks up when the protagonist BJ starts living with the Cervantes family and learns more about who he is. The last quarter of the book was full of action and surprises.
The author has built a deep world of magic in an urban setting and there truly were a lot of Buffy vibes, but BIGGER. I loved how she did it. I loved the family dynamics, most of all. It was everything I expected it to be!
My favorite character is still Rodrigo. I feel for him. So what if he's running a magical family? As the eldest, he still has to worry about bills and invoices and the shenanigans of his two younger sisters. I feel for him. Gabe, if Rodrigo needs a therapist, have him come look for me.
My favorite part of the book was the fact that the house can SHIFT itself. How cool is that?
My favorite lines (I literally burst out laughing here):
He shouted, "Agnes!"
"...have you been saying that this whole time?" Cecilia corrected impatiently. "It's Ignis!"
Thank you, Gabe, for such an entertaining read!
The author has built a deep world of magic in an urban setting and there truly were a lot of Buffy vibes, but BIGGER. I loved how she did it. I loved the family dynamics, most of all. It was everything I expected it to be!
My favorite character is still Rodrigo. I feel for him. So what if he's running a magical family? As the eldest, he still has to worry about bills and invoices and the shenanigans of his two younger sisters. I feel for him. Gabe, if Rodrigo needs a therapist, have him come look for me.
My favorite part of the book was the fact that the house can SHIFT itself. How cool is that?
My favorite lines (I literally burst out laughing here):
He shouted, "Agnes!"
"...have you been saying that this whole time?" Cecilia corrected impatiently. "It's Ignis!"
Thank you, Gabe, for such an entertaining read!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 1, 2023
3.5 ⭐️
A great debut novel involving magic in an urban setting with a touch of humor. It’s a fast paced light read with siblings bickering, found family and action.
I would have liked a bit more world building, more details and a consistent pace. At the beginning the pace was slow, but at a certain point it gets too fast paced. While a fast paced story makes for great action scenes, it made me feel like the relationships between the characters were too rushed (it felt to me that they went from strangers to family or in some cases insta love … I would have liked to get more of an insight to that).
I loved the fact that the house can shift itself and make new rooms! I would have loved if that was explored a bit more instead of just mentioning it as “oh the house decided you stay, so you stay” and never mention it again.
But the fact that Rodrigo is the head of the family and he complains about bills and invoices? I loved it and related so much
Overall, I really enjoyed reading this.
A great debut novel involving magic in an urban setting with a touch of humor. It’s a fast paced light read with siblings bickering, found family and action.
I would have liked a bit more world building, more details and a consistent pace. At the beginning the pace was slow, but at a certain point it gets too fast paced. While a fast paced story makes for great action scenes, it made me feel like the relationships between the characters were too rushed (it felt to me that they went from strangers to family or in some cases insta love … I would have liked to get more of an insight to that).
I loved the fact that the house can shift itself and make new rooms! I would have loved if that was explored a bit more instead of just mentioning it as “oh the house decided you stay, so you stay” and never mention it again.
But the fact that Rodrigo is the head of the family and he complains about bills and invoices? I loved it and related so much
Overall, I really enjoyed reading this.
March 1, 2023
What a fun read!
Solum is an urban fantasy novel with a big cast, many adventures and action scenes, romance, and lots and lots of fun.
This is the first Urban Fantasy novel I have picked up in a long time and I was not disappointed. The characters are the highlight of this novel --- Bennet is awesome, Emi is just perfect, Cici is a delight to follow and my men Chet really shined there at the end. I love the big family dynamics, Ro and Mariangela, and the supporting cast. There is a lot to cheer for! We get ogres, dragons, demons, vampires, and a mystery brewing in the background. I also love the slow-burn romance with a hint of spice.
The found family trope made my day.
Love it!
Can´t wait for the next one!
Solum is an urban fantasy novel with a big cast, many adventures and action scenes, romance, and lots and lots of fun.
This is the first Urban Fantasy novel I have picked up in a long time and I was not disappointed. The characters are the highlight of this novel --- Bennet is awesome, Emi is just perfect, Cici is a delight to follow and my men Chet really shined there at the end. I love the big family dynamics, Ro and Mariangela, and the supporting cast. There is a lot to cheer for! We get ogres, dragons, demons, vampires, and a mystery brewing in the background. I also love the slow-burn romance with a hint of spice.
The found family trope made my day.
Love it!
Can´t wait for the next one!
January 25, 2023
A strong debut for G.M. Chmilar filled with memorable characters, action and 'will they-won't they' between the stories main protagonists.
I personally loved the text chats between the chapters. It showed the family dynamic and allowed you to peer into their personalities in an interesting and modern way.
If you like Urban Fantasy with lots of magic, Canadian content, and strong families, this is the book to read.
I personally loved the text chats between the chapters. It showed the family dynamic and allowed you to peer into their personalities in an interesting and modern way.
If you like Urban Fantasy with lots of magic, Canadian content, and strong families, this is the book to read.
July 22, 2023
This starts darker than I can typically handle, but I was compelled by the magic system and intrigue. I kept turning the pages, wanting to know the characters and understand their world.
There is a LOT of good stuff going on here. I really liked the Cervantes sisters and how the author interjected snippets of their family text line. I liked the love interests for the sisters too and how different they were from each other. Also, tattoo magic!! 😲🙌
I had fun reading this book!
There is a LOT of good stuff going on here. I really liked the Cervantes sisters and how the author interjected snippets of their family text line. I liked the love interests for the sisters too and how different they were from each other. Also, tattoo magic!! 😲🙌
I had fun reading this book!
December 3, 2023
A strong debut for G.M. Chmilar filled with memorable characters, action and 'will they-won't they' between the stories main protagonists.
I personally loved the text chats between the chapters. It showed the family dynamic and allowed you to peer into their personalities in an interesting and modern way.
If you like Urban Fantasy with lots of magic, Canadian content, and strong families, this is the book to read.
I personally loved the text chats between the chapters. It showed the family dynamic and allowed you to peer into their personalities in an interesting and modern way.
If you like Urban Fantasy with lots of magic, Canadian content, and strong families, this is the book to read.
May 29, 2025
This was an enjoyable read. Clearly a lot of thought went into the plot and the magic.al worldbuilding. The story travels well between action packed sequences, relationship building, and multiple POVs. Some interesting twists keep the reader hooked. The characters are well developed and relatable. I loved the banter between the siblings. "I'm thinking of trading your dowery for a goat". Hilarious....who doesn't love a big brother. All in all, an entertaining read.
December 16, 2025
Solum is a strong urban fantasy debut packed with magic, humor, and engaging "found family" dynamics. While the pacing felt uneven the character chemistry and relatable touches made it a fun read. I would have loved more depth in the world-building, but overall it’s an entertaining and lighthearted start to the series.
October 21, 2023
This was my first urban fantasy read, and I quickly became obsessed with the story weaved by this author. This story has such a rich cast and amazing world building. If you loved Buffy the vampire slayer and supernatural, then this book is for you. I'm team Benny for life.
I cannot wait for book 2.
I cannot wait for book 2.
December 5, 2023
I don’t want to give away any spoilers. This book is a beautiful balance of fantasy meets family loyalty.
The storyline is well developed as are the characters. The action scenes are fast paced and will leave you wanting more.
An excellent read. I thoroughly enjoyed Solum!
The storyline is well developed as are the characters. The action scenes are fast paced and will leave you wanting more.
An excellent read. I thoroughly enjoyed Solum!
April 15, 2024
The plot is nonsensical and impossible to follow. I pushed through but it was tough. The author boasts that she has never finished reading a book and it shows.
September 27, 2025
I smashed this book out so I could read the second in the series. It was a bit of a slow burn for the story to hook me in but I already know that my rating will increase when I read book 2.
Update: As predicted, I've increased my rating now that I've read the second book.
Update: As predicted, I've increased my rating now that I've read the second book.
June 15, 2025
I received this book as an ARC! It took a few chapters for me to get into this book and to get the characters figured out, as there are quite a few introduced early on. However, once I got into it, I couldn’t put it down! I returned to my childhood reading habit of staying up past my bedtime because I was so pulled into the story. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am really looking forward to the sequel! I also liked that there was a glossary included to explain some of the terms used throughout the book.
February 15, 2023
A very unique, and well thought out magic system, with lots of likeable characters. Lovely action scenes and great dialogue, too. A bit fast paced but the author always managed to slow things down at the right time. Yep, I have to admit it, I enjoyed it.
January 16, 2024
Fast paced, full of action, and magic. You'll love Bennett who is trying to make a place for himself and prove to others that he's more than they externally see. There's a good mix of romance and a large cast of characters. I read this book in one evening and thoroughly enjoyed it.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews