Michelle Erickson has created a new series sure to please the pickiest fantasy readers. In Chest of Souls Book 1, we meet nine year old Talon and the adventure begins . Talon and a young man named Nyk end up running for their lives. Talon meets Brenna, a beautiful six-year-old with power beyond the imagination. Talon and Brenna are the only hope to destroy Sogo. Together they would make a formidable team...if they could live long enough to develop their powers.
Michelle Erickson does exactly what all authors should do...begin the book with a dynamic, attention grabbing scene. However, she doesn't stop there; she continues with one heart pounding scene after another. There are plenty monsters to fear and battle in Chest of Souls. Brenna was one of my favorite characters. Although only six years old, she already has self confidence and knows she belongs with Talon. This is the first book in a new series; I can hardly wait to see what our two heroes face in the next book.
From the back of the book:
Brenna doesn't know that her mother is Hi-Sha of Eyes, or that her father was an assassin and he’s supposed to be dead. She doesn't even know her pet is the Queen of all Shee’s. Brenna is safe because she is oblivious to all but Talon.
Talon felt safe until he met Brenna. Once he is ordered to protect her, he's had to fight monsters he never knew existed, run away from an assassin, and escape a forest full of carnivores. His father burned down their cottage and left him with people he just met and he isn't sure who to trust.
Talon and Brenna are destined to bring down the wickedest city in the world. They've been hunted their entire lives by the very evil they must destroy. They don't know that when they finally meet that evil, they may not win.
In the meantime the Chest of Souls waits to be powered and neither child can guess the price.
I'm an old soul that accomplished an unusual goal: publish 12 books in 12 months. I did it in 11 because I'm the white rabbit of time (so my children tell me).
I live in Idaho, work in another world, and thrive on the written word. By the time you read this, I'll working with new characters to turn upside down (or inside out), spin more plots to weave and plant subplots to harvest.
I have plans for many other books in various stages of development and must get cracking instead of writing this...are you still reading? Good. Keep it up - and thanks.
Apparently this is the beginning to a 9 installment series. It follows Brenna, the "One" and eventual love and protector Talon, who also has a significant destiny. They are still children, so their parents take care of them and are powerful in their own right. There are a great many characters, places, and other world-building things that have to be introduced and explained as well. At times, it actually felt like too much, since a character would be mentioned in only one chapter, presumably so they could be mentioned in a future book. It got to be so that if it wasn't a "main character" I just skimmed right through it because it had no bearing on the plot of the book.
The writing is good and the world seems to be pretty unique. There is a lot of foreshadowing and mystery presented, many questions suggested, but almost none answered. Talon and Brenna seem an interesting pair and their dilemma is set up rather nicely. But I think what I noticed once I'd finished it was that there wasn't really a plot to this particular book....just a lot of build up and events happening, but no organized story arc. There was no central conflict or problem to be solved and so there wasn't a climax or resolution either. As I said, it all felt like a series of events designed to build the premise for a future book. And the book ends rather suddenly as well. This has promise as a series, but I think I had so much information overload, that I can't remember half the questions I wanted answered and so I'm not really interested in going forward with the series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I really enjoyed this book. The writing was a bit jumpy and it took me a while to get used to and seemed to improve as the book went on but the story behind held me. Whatever I thought was going to happen didn't and the characters became so lovable. Definitely continuing on this story.
A start of a series that promises to be quite different from most other series I have read. This book is like a snippet of the story so no end of the story, or a section of the story, at the end of the book which is quite frsutrating.
The author also seems to have a limited grasp on timelines which is also annoying. That said, once I get into the book I can't put it down and I am eager to see what happens in the next book.
Boring. It looked like it would be a good story at first, but then things went off the rails, and never recovered. Too many subplots that never get resolved, one of the first characters we meet just disappears, and besides a single sentence in a *much* later chapter, we have no idea what happened to that character. The two characters the book is supposed to be centered around make very few appearances after the first few chapters (except for getting in trouble not of their making from time to time just to keep them in mind), Characters that are supposed to be major figures in the actual main character's lives appear and disappear with startling regularity, and these changes are nearly always glossed over, instead of being explained. and so on.... Not recommended. Not continuing this series.
Anne Kinslow. I liked the storyline, there are a lot of twists and turns, as well as some surprises along the way. The pace is steady and the characters are many. Some you will like and many you will dislike. I enjoyed the read but, was disappointed at the way it just stopped. There was no ending! It was like the author had gone never to return to finish with a proper ending. You were just left hanging in the air..........
Wish I Could say I hated this book but have already got the next one in the series. Mystery, magic, prophecy, plots and keeping 2special people safe until they can do what has been set before then is done. A totally thrilling read without being the real story just the begining. LOVED IT...😀
I really liked this book. It's a bit jumpy and there are a lot of characters but Erickson's writing is excellent, so you don't get lost. Brenna and Talon are fated to be together. They have a special future that we get hints about but is not revealed in Book 1. Lots of fun side stories with characters you like.
Good story line, believable characters, and everything flowed smoothly. Really looking forward to the following books to see the continued development of both the characters and the plot. Nice job.
This was a good read but it lost me in spots . And some of the names for me were hard to pronounce. I really like the parts with Talon and Brenna and the three sisters. I can't wait to read the next book in the series.
Great book. You really get to know the characters and their motivation. It can be a little confusing with time jumps and remembrances happening within paragraphs of each other and it ended abruptly. But I’m hooked! On to book 2!
Reasonably paced action and intriquit plot. Self explanatory. Do not like the cover since it reflects a less important event. Left me wanting to know what happens to the characterz
I re ally enjoyed this first installment of this series! The plotting and characterizations were wonderful and well written. I felt I was in the same kingdom as the main characters.
I loved how mysterious Tatsu's and Talon's life is and all the different little stories that interweave together. Mee is also a very fun character in the story and I hope to see more about her in the next books
I liked the book and the characters. I would like to know how the story ends. I am not crazy about cliff hangers for this very reason. I can not afford to purchase books to satisfy a cliff hanger.
I'd recommend this book to all my friends and family it's that good. The story runs smoothly and is easy to follow for all ages. I can't wait to see what happens next.
I was just looking to cut down on my TBR pile. I had no idea I was getting sucked into Talon & Brenna's world. Seriously good story line. Ordering the next book in the series ❤️
Very well written with a cast of characters you care about. I can't wait to read the next installment. Magic, murder and mystery what else can you ask for?
Very good development of the characters. Loved the anguish that they all carried and how it shaped thier actions. Can't wait to see how the story continues.