Review of Soul Seeker
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Alexandria Jurski
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Review of Soul Seeker
[Following is a volunteer review of "Soul Seeker" by Kaylin McFarren.]
Soul Seeker by Kaylin McFarren is an adult fantasy novel. The book is divided into two parts, but after reading it, it feels like I read two separate books. While they are related to each other, it felt as though they were written by two different people who didn’t consult with each other while writing. The second part only vaguely relates back to the first part, and the rest of it is a whole new story.
Part one of Soul Seeker follows Benjamin Poe, who was a firefighter in the small town of Lochton, Illinois. While on death row, Ben tells the story of his encounter with a mysterious stranger who came to town looking for him and his son, whose behaviors were becoming increasingly concerning. Ben and his family were pulled into a struggle between good and evil, literally; the stranger is a demon looking to collect a corrupt soul, and he will get it one way or another.
The second part of the book then switches to the point of view of Crighton, the demon who was sent to Lochton to collect the soul for Lucifer. Part two of the book sees Crighton being sent on a new mission, this time to collect the soul of an angel. When he fails and instead meets his soulmate, Crighton becomes conflicted. On one hand, he is a demon who revels in the pain and torture of others, but on the other hand, he is now developing strong feelings and emotions that he has never felt before. Crighton and his soulmate go on a perilous journey as they try to save everyone from a war between Heaven and Hell.
The first part of Soul Seeker was very well written. It was interesting, compelling, and easy to follow. The relationships between characters felt properly developed, and the plot itself was full of suspense and a couple of twists. Once the second part of the book began, though, it seemed like the writing itself went downhill. The story became disjointed and confusing, as in many places, it felt as though the author expected the reader to already know background information about brand new characters that had never been mentioned before. It feels completely separate from the first part of the novel, as though they should have been two completely different books. Crighton’s story is overly fast-paced. It goes from one thought, idea, or feeling to another without any explanations or build-up. For example, on page 215, Crighton makes the statement that he doesn’t trust someone and that he doesn’t know anything about him, but on the very next page he is saying that there is no need for this new person to prove themselves and that he’ll trust him. There are several incidents of this.
The writing seems aimed at adults, but it feels more like a young adult novel. There is some sexual content, but nothing explicit. There were also some instances of profanity, but it was not excessive. The writing was flawed, and there were several mistakes and errors throughout the book. Due to this, as well as how fragmented the novel was, I am rating this book 2 out of 5.
******
Soul Seeker
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Soul Seeker by Kaylin McFarren is an adult fantasy novel. The book is divided into two parts, but after reading it, it feels like I read two separate books. While they are related to each other, it felt as though they were written by two different people who didn’t consult with each other while writing. The second part only vaguely relates back to the first part, and the rest of it is a whole new story.
Part one of Soul Seeker follows Benjamin Poe, who was a firefighter in the small town of Lochton, Illinois. While on death row, Ben tells the story of his encounter with a mysterious stranger who came to town looking for him and his son, whose behaviors were becoming increasingly concerning. Ben and his family were pulled into a struggle between good and evil, literally; the stranger is a demon looking to collect a corrupt soul, and he will get it one way or another.
The second part of the book then switches to the point of view of Crighton, the demon who was sent to Lochton to collect the soul for Lucifer. Part two of the book sees Crighton being sent on a new mission, this time to collect the soul of an angel. When he fails and instead meets his soulmate, Crighton becomes conflicted. On one hand, he is a demon who revels in the pain and torture of others, but on the other hand, he is now developing strong feelings and emotions that he has never felt before. Crighton and his soulmate go on a perilous journey as they try to save everyone from a war between Heaven and Hell.
The first part of Soul Seeker was very well written. It was interesting, compelling, and easy to follow. The relationships between characters felt properly developed, and the plot itself was full of suspense and a couple of twists. Once the second part of the book began, though, it seemed like the writing itself went downhill. The story became disjointed and confusing, as in many places, it felt as though the author expected the reader to already know background information about brand new characters that had never been mentioned before. It feels completely separate from the first part of the novel, as though they should have been two completely different books. Crighton’s story is overly fast-paced. It goes from one thought, idea, or feeling to another without any explanations or build-up. For example, on page 215, Crighton makes the statement that he doesn’t trust someone and that he doesn’t know anything about him, but on the very next page he is saying that there is no need for this new person to prove themselves and that he’ll trust him. There are several incidents of this.
The writing seems aimed at adults, but it feels more like a young adult novel. There is some sexual content, but nothing explicit. There were also some instances of profanity, but it was not excessive. The writing was flawed, and there were several mistakes and errors throughout the book. Due to this, as well as how fragmented the novel was, I am rating this book 2 out of 5.
******
Soul Seeker
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Just Die by E Alan Fleischauer
