This was a nice little gem. Reminds me a lot of Highlander in a good way, but has a different edge to it. I wish the action scenes were less repetitive and more detail with the sword-fighting, but otherwise a good action/adventure novel.

Reviewed for Bitten by Books. http://bittenbybooks.com.

I received a free copy from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

 

Soul Meaning, the first book in the new Seventeen series, starts of intriguing...

 

‘My name is Lucas Soul.

Today, I died again.

This is my fifteenth death in the last four hundred and fifty years.’

 

Sounds good. What follows is an action packed urban fantasy with some sightseeing in Europe on the side.

 

I quite enjoyed this debut, the writing is very fast and I was immediately pulled into the story. There were enough questions to keep me guessing for some time, and it was a nice read.

 

There is not too much world building in this book. There are two races of 'immortals' (they are not really immortal, but can survive up to sixteen deaths), but what the differences are between the two is never fully explained. Also, there is a lot of talking about the nobility of these races, but not once is a peasant named. What use is a title if we all have one? Exactly how much immortals are we talking about and how have they managed to keep their existence a secret from us plain humans? We never get to know the answers.

 

The main character, Lucas Soul, is your good, old, special snowflake. Born the child of a mixed-race love affair between the two immortal-races (though that apparently happens from time to time, no matter the war they're fighting with each other) he's blessed with some extra special skills, how convenient. He's also accompanied by his partner-in-crime Reid, a human ex-cop, who apparently has, although he's mortal, nine lives, as the bullets just keep missing him.

 

And there are a lot of bullets. And swords, for that matter. As Lucas is being hunted down by Hunters, I don't think there are twenty pages without a lot of gunfire, fighting and life endangering situations. This is something you have to like, but if you don't mind it, you'll most likely enjoy this book. You also get a trip to Europa, as in a murderous pace France, Swiss, Austria, the Czech republic and Germany are visited. It's like a tour trough mid-Europe. 

 

So far, I was really enjoying this book, although it has some flaws. But the epilogue felt unnecessary to me, and weird in comparison to the rest of the novel. Nevertheless, I would recommend this book.

 

(I got an ARC of this book through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. Since this was an ARC, please note that it might still undergo a few changes before publication.)

One thing I should say from the start is that Soul Meaning would probably make a terrific movie: packed with action, flying bullets, underground treads in secret passageways, a conspiracy that could have a horrible impact on the whole world... A real page-turner.

I especially liked the setting. From what I could see, and as far as I know, real-world locations were well-documented, and I could feel the author researched those, and didn't only made up stuff on the spot. Bonus points for proper use of French language, which isn't such a given considering how many novels come up with mangled sentences in that regard. I also liked the way the immortals' society worked, with two factions technically at peace, yet always seeming like they were on the brink of reigniting the conflict. Last but not least, the stakes were exactly of the kind I like to read about, and here, too, it was obvious things were researched beforehand.

Make it a (solid) 3.5 stars and not a 5, though, because of two things that didn't really work out for me (unfortunately):

1) The action itself: I liked a fast-paced read, but this one was so fast-paced it made me feel tired. As in, physically tired, just like the characters could only be after so many days living on the edge. On the one hand, it is a positive point: any author can be proud when his/her books elicit responses from the readers. On the other hand, well... there were moments when I wanted to keep on reading, yet had to take a break nonetheless. In the end, it detracted from my enjoyment, even though it wasn't a breaker either.
(Minor sidenote about suppressors, too: if I'm not mistaken, you'd still hear the gun shot, and it might still attract attention in enclosed spaces, if only the way a strange muffled sound where there isn't supposed to be any would. Granted, this is nitpicking on my part.)

2) Because the story unfolds so quickly, and the protagonists are so often on the run, I felt there wasn't enough room for character development. We get to see them react, made plans, devise means of escape, fight, piece hints together... but I didn't get a complete feeling for them as people. I think they are deeper than that; their depth just couldn't shine through as much as it would have in different circumstances.

Still, I liked this book (as said, I would easily envision it as a movie or an episode in a TV series), and will keep an eye out for more from this authir. It's mostly those two specific aspects that didn't agree with me—and may not be such a problem for another reader.

I received a free (digital) copy of the book in exchange for a review.

The immortal Crovir and Bastian races have been at each other's throats for centuries. So, when Lucas Soul (a half-breed) finds that half the immortals want him dead, Lucas and his best bud Reid bomb their way through Europe trying to figure out why.

Soul Meaning is very much a plot-driven book. I usually have a preference for books that are slow paced, centred on world building and character development, but I actually quite enjoyed the change of scenery Soul Meaning provided.

Although this book is good, it didn't blow me away. There were far too many action scenes in the first half of the novel for my liking and not enough exposure of the plot. Thankfully the focus shifted in the second half of the book. The two main characters (Lucas and Reid) were solid creations, but the secondary characters didn't particularly shine, mainly due to the first person narration. I also couldn't see how the Crovir and the Bastians were different races - they seemed pretty much exactly the same to me. Perhaps this will be clarified in later books (or maybe I missed something?).

However, I will continue reading the series. I liked the premise and there were some cool ideas thrown in (especially the ones at the end).

Edit: I went onto the author website and was really impressed by the amount of research she put into the book. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series as I'm sure she's been just as thorough there!

Synopsis:Lucas Soul…an immortal like no other. He’s been hunted and despised for centuries just because he is a ‘half-breed’ – born of a Bastian mother and a Crovir father, apparently a major boo-boo among both immortal factions. He’s been shunned and forgotten – mostly. His seventeen shots at death have been serving him well enough to keep him alive and kicking unitl modern times. Now the years of relative peace and quiet are coming to an end.All of a sudden Lucas finds herself mercilessly chased by the Hunters – elite Crovir killers- and dies twice during one week, kind of grim record for him. Being on your last life is no fun – Lucas and his completely human partner, Reid Hasley, must find out why the Crovir decided to change their policy so abruptly and discover many other secrets while touring Europe in a truly extreme style.My impressions:It was one of those stories you can enjoy while being in an appropriate set of mind. It reminded me of Indiana Jones movies – full of action, with a dash of info about this or that, a whiff of romance and a lot of running, shooting, killing and escaping while the characters were trying to save the world and their hides. Don’t take them too seriously and you’ll be fine – entertained, amused, even distracted from the ugly reality for an hour or so. Did this book managed to work its magic? Partially.My first general remark – the author knows a lot about different machines and she loves describing them. Cars, motorcycles, helicopters, guns, computers and such seemed to play an important role in the adventures of Lucas & co. Apart from that she knows biology, chemistry and human anatomy quite well (yes, her background shows).My second remark: there were many historical events and figures mentioned in this one, among them Miyamoto Musashi, one of the most famous samurai of Japan and Jan Sobieski, a Polish hetman and then the king of Poland who saved Vienna from the Turks in the 17th century. Despite the fact that those tidbits were sometimes presented in the form of small infodumps I was more than ready to forgive it just because they existed. I also liked the fact that the majority the book were set in different European countries.Of course there were things I didn’t like.What made Indiana Jones movies so popular and watchable? After all they were pretty stupid productions which you could easily accuse of different transgressions against the laws of physics, common logic and history. However one thing made them stand out – the fact that the protagonist and also some supportive characters, e.g. Indiana’s father, were as three-dimensional and funny as it was only possible in such films. What about Lucas Soul? I do hope deep down he is one nice guy but I think in this book he simply didn’t have time to present his colourful personality. In other words for me it was too much action too little character development. I liked Reid and Lucas' banter, they added the much needed comic relief between all the fighting and dying that was going on but it was too little. Our poor immortal had to slash and duck and shoot and run and give chase with little or no respite from the beginning to the very end - I felt tired just reading about it. A HALO jump? No problem. Shooting grenade launchers in the middle of a university campus in broad daylight ? What fun! Jumping from burning helicopters onto skyscraper roofs? A piece of cake! Slaughtering a bunch of Hunters? Give me a minute or two and it is done...I understand it is an action-driven novel but still I think a bit more balance in the narration would make it better. What’s more, Agatha Vellacrus and Felix Thorne, the two main baddies, were as thin as cardboard – you could count their lines using only your fingers and they existed solely to be vanquished. Ok, it is just the first installment, perhaps it will be better. To tell you the truth I prefer a weaker first part and stronger rest than the other way round – it is really painful to watch a series going downwards.My other carpings?Let me start with a direct quote:“I left the car, crossed the shallow fore garden and knocked on the front door. It was opened by an elderly gentleman.‘Je peux vous aider?’ said the man in a frail voice, blinking in the porch light.”‘Je peux vous aider?” Hmm…very informal bordering incorrect. I think in the context (an old man inquiring a complete stranger of the purpose of his visit) it was a mistake. It should be „Puis-je vous aider?” Or if you wanted to avoid a bit dated and stiff verb form (but hey, it was un vielliard speaking!) he could say: “Pourrais-je/ Est-ce que je peux vous aider ?“or simply “Que’est-ce que vous souhetez ici, Monsieur?”It would be also nice if different characters, Lucas among them, could restrain themselves from saying or commenting something ‘drily’ or ‘wryly’ throughout the narration – if I drank a shot every time they did it I would get completely sozzled after the first half of the book.One more thing and a serious spoiler, highlight to read or skip:Anna Godard and Lucas Soul are each other’s love interest. They also happen to be close cousins – as close as you can get. Their mothers were sisters and their fathers were brothers. I know they are immortals and soul mates so perhaps different rules apply here but…ick.Final verdict:Not bad for a debut novel, a high-octane paranormal thriller to boot. The epilogue really made me curious about the whole immortal business but the lack of proper character building kind of ruined this one for me. I do hope the next installment will be slower and better. Because it can be slower and better. I think the author has a lot of potential for that. :)