The first novel in the Ascension Cycle series.
SOUL OF THE WORLD is a solid start to a new fantasy series - David Mealing has a gift for world-building, and accessible and well-composed prose. The story is split between three perspectives, each of which offers something distinct and engaging, and serve as good guides to the world and story.
Sets things up nicely for an epic tale, I'm looking forward to reading book two.

I like how tight and no-nonsense the worldbuilding is. In fantasy writing, it's not always clear what's going on with the world building or the magic system, but this makes it incredibly natural for the reader to pick up right away.

Soul of the World is the first book in a new epic fantasy series by David Mealing - a first time novelist. To be frank, I nearly set down Soul of the World after the first quarter of the book, for good. It simply wasn’t catching me early on, but I kept on reading due to what I had read others say about this. This turned out to be a good thing because this is actually a very good book.

While the writing is done well, this one just didn't grab me and keep me.

Hi! I got approved probably minutes before they archived it, so I came too late to download it. XD
No worries, I already own it, I'll update after I read my physical copy.
Also, the star rating is "fake" because NG wouldn't let me submit it with a blank rating.

Soul of the World is a good debut that sets the stage for an epic, world spanning series featuring magic, fantastical creatures and beasts. Three very different perspectives are used to give us the world view, which features a new and old world, and while there are different names, it feels much like England, France and the Americas.

Aruk’Jar gives insights into the wilds and tribal life and customs. There is a strong tradition of gender roles here and even the magic is split according to “women’s magic”. But we do see strong females here, women can hold on to that magic as a power for themselves. Aruk’Jar has a very “do the right thing” type of personality and is driven to his best for the benefit of his tribe.

Erris shows the reader what life is like on the battlefield and an understanding of the war that is going on. She is in command of a military campaign and is doing a stellar job (I love women who excel in military positions). I really like Erris, she is a strong leader and soldier. She also has magic to aid her, and uses that to her advantage in keeping her troops as safe and effective as they can be.

Sarine is a street artist, and through her we find out what city life is like in New Serresant which seems to be on the brink of a revolution as the common people are beginning the fight for equality and to bring an end to nobles/aristocrats having so much control. It is a city that is beginning to boil with unrest, and Sarine finds herself with a prime seat it in action.

I love Sarine. In fact sometimes I felt like I loved her chapters to the point of it being a detriment to the others. I didn’t want to leave her, and found my interests waning a bit when I would have to shift gears and focus on another story line. Sarine also has a mysterious familiar (descriptions make it sound like a small dragon like creature) that is invisible to others. This creature helps guide Sarine, though his motivations and reasons are not always clear, it is clear he is helpful. And she is powerful. Anyone with magical ability is supposed to be tested (and then pretty much branded), but Sarine has managed to avoid that fate and keeps her abilities hidden. That adds a level of risk for her whenever she taps into her ability, as doing so runs the risk that someone might detect her ability.

My main complaint with this book is that I hate when I rank POVs so easily. And there was a definite hierarchy here for me, with Sarine at the top and Aruk’Jar at the bottom. I am guessing that won’t be the case for all readers as I do feel like all POVs are well written, and each has their own interesting element to add to the over all narrative. But for me, I felt a much stronger connection to Sarine and her story (followed by Erris). Is it wrong the author made me love them so much? No, definitely not. I just wish I was able to have a bit more of a connection to Aruk’Jar’s storyline. I think I felt somewhat similar to his storyline as I did about most of Daenerys’s chapters in A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin. I know these chapters are needed, and that there will likely be a stronger pay off as the series progresses, but currently, I feel more detached.

Overall, I would Soul of the World is a strong debut that brings interesting magic to a world that is on the brink of major changes and conflict. I am hoping some of the places where my interest waned a bit pay off in subsequent books (because when there is so much to learn about a world, sometimes the pace can slow).

DNF-ed at 25% I just couldn't get into the story. I'm really sorry for that, it might be an interesting for somebody else but honestly, there was so little explained I just felt lost. there are so many kinds of magic, I just got confused as there is no real focus on one. The reading style is extremely descriptive and hard to read and stay focused on the book. The many descriptions in combination with my general confusion made me DNF.

Centered on colonial New Sarrasant, 3 very different individuals (each wielding their own magic) gradually realize that they are embroiled in a war between gods - and those who desire ascendance to godhood.

New Sarresant artist Sarine has a familiar (scaled Zi) and can pull magic from leyline connections. Female cavalry officer Erris has a strong healing power fights in Gand territory. Guardian Arak'Jur can conjure the powers of beasts he has slain and is a protector of his people.

The episode culminates in a battle of swords and magic in New Sarresant. This is a new fantasy series worth following for its innovative magic, convoluted plot, and heroic leads.

It seems that 2017 has been a ridiculously fantastic year for fantasy so far, and David Mealing has only helped continue that trend with his debut fantasy novel Soul of the World, the first in a planned trilogy. I was so interested in this book and knew that I would have to pick it up, and it turned out to easily be one of my favorite fantasy books. If you want a brief synopsis of the book, I suggest visiting the Goodreads page or another bookstore page, as I'm not sure I could do this book justice. Let's just jump into the review!

Soul of the World has a strong start, but it still took me a little while to fully feel as if I had my footing. Once I started getting into the thick of things, I was suddenly sucked into this world without even realizing it.

The magic system is incredibly unique and interesting. I'm usually pretty impressed with the inventive magic systems that fantasy authors develop, but this one in particular blew me away. There was something about it that just felt very fresh and creative to me -- moreso than other fantasy books I've read lately. I almost got some video game-esque vibes to me at times due to how the magic was used and how much magic a character had available to them in their stores -- and I mean this comparison in the best way possible. Simply the notion of having a certain supply or ability to use certain threads of magic was particularly intriguing to me. I was also really impressed with how Mealing revealed the magic and how it was revealed and expanded gradually throughout the story, feeding bits of information at a time until I finally felt like I had a good grasp on it.

Also, as someone who can be easily confused by complex fantasy worlds, I can easily be put off by being dropped into a world with no idea anything that's going on (ahem - looking at you, Malazan). However, Mealing did something special. Although he introduced us to this world by first dropping us into it, he some just made it work really well. He teased just enough information and intrigue to keep me going, and by the time I was almost halfway through I realized that I had just completely lost myself in this world the lives of each character.

The characters were fantastic. I was a bit wary of Erris at first because the beginning chapters were so heavily military focused, but the military workings - and Erris herself - slowly fleshed and I grew to really enjoy her chapters. I loved learning about the workings of the magic system throughout her POV, as well as how she took on her role as a military officer. She is a strong, commanding force and I really look forward to seeing more from her in the next book.

Sarine was probably my most enjoyed POV, simply because I had a great time reading about her own journey - and also her companion Zi's! (You'll like Zi, trust me.) Sarine is sneaky, astute, and ready to take on pretty much anything. I appreciated experience her journey into better understanding her powers and who she is, and I also look forward to seeing what else she learns to do with her powers, as she grew up without any proper training or understanding of what she could do.

Arak'Jur also provided an intriguing POV, and probably took me the longest to get through because of the complexity of the chapter. The names were fairly confusing at first, and I felt worried that I would be confused for the entire book... but eventually it all fell into place and I was hooked before I knew it. There is a lot to take in in Arak'Jur's chapters, but I really enjoyed his character. I liked reading from an older male perspective, especially since he was a guardian of his tribe, which added an interesting dynamic to his character. I enjoyed reading the customs and cultures of his tribe and surrounding tribes, and I do hope to see more about these developed in the next book.

I should also note the character of Reyne d'Agarre, who is a man of mystery. My feelings of positivity and negativity towards his character were always fluctuating and I am left without knowing how to feel about him - I can't wait to see what happens with this figure.

One last note: There are also multiple 'interludes' which, I'll admit, I groaned a little when I saw them at first, but they were fantastic. They actually added valuable information the story that I enjoyed reading.. Do you know how rare that is? I was thrilled!

Overall, I've given Soul o the World five stars. This is easily one of the best debuts (fantasy or not!) that I've read this year, and I can't wait to read more from both this trilogy and from Mealing himself!

Books have a mysterious way of catching my attention, and Soul of the World was no exception: something in the cover kept drawing my eye, and the catchphrase on it - Three Must Fight, Three Must Die, Three Must Rise - added to my curiosity. What little synopsis was there was also quite intriguing, promising a world on the brink of both war and change, while unrest and social troubles are running rampant. How could I resist?

The world described here feels almost like an alternate timeline: the colony of New Sarresant has an inescapable New World flavor, although the dominant culture from the continent of origin is French rather than British, and what seems like a mirror of the French Revolution era is also mixed with the seeds of civil war against the Gand southern invaders. In the northern reaches of the continent dwell primitive tribes not unlike Native Americans, in a land where dangerous predators roam free and are kept away from the colonized lands through a sort of magical barrier that keeps them confined.

Yes, the magic: there are many forms of magic in this world, and although at times they can seem overwhelmingly convoluted, they remain downright fascinating: from the animistic kind of the tribes, whose shamans and Guardians can take the powers from slain beasts and employ them at need, to the elemental magic of the colonists, tied to the leylines and manifesting in paranormal-like powers that can go from the ability to hide oneself from sight to the gift of taking over another's consciousness over vast distances.

The story unfolds from the perspective of three points of view (again the number three coming to the fore…): young Sarine is an orphan surviving in the poverty-stricken Maw district by selling the sketches of the nobility she draws by observing their fetes unseen; Sarine however hides a secret, that of her invisible companion (or should I say 'familiar'?) Zi, a creature that seems to enhance her ability to tap the leylines, so that her powers will soon become pivotal in the growing unrest that's bound to end into all-out war. Erris D'Arrent is a career military trained in the use of leyline magic and driven by the need to excel in spite of her lowly origins: she will find herself in the position of doing much more than that as the situation escalates and dangers besiege New Sarresant from many sides. And lastly Arak'Jur, Guardian of the Sinari: a man gifted with deep understanding of his world who finds himself faced with challenges that seem too big, yet never shies away from doing his duty to the people he's committed to.

This choice of alternating chapters between these three points of view keeps the story flowing at a good pace, despite what looked to me like a slow beginning: I understand now how the author was building the background and the events at the core of the story with a leisurely pace, giving readers the time to acclimate themselves with a world that's very complex and multi-layered, but still I admit that at first I asked myself several times where all those scattered breadcrumbs were going to lead. I'm very glad that I persevered though, because at some point those threads coalesced into an organic whole, the story literally taking flight and never slowing down again.

As for the characters, Sarine looked from the start the most interesting one, and the one who was easier to grow attached to: she is both a protagonist and our eye into New Sarresant's society, so that through her we learn the hows and whys of this world and about the huge chasm between the nobility and the commoners, one that parallels the situation that gave rise to the French Revolution in our real world.


[…] watching the nobles eating, laughing and playing at their games when half the city couldn't be certain where they'd find tomorrow's meals. This was supposed to be a land of promise, a land of freedom and purpose - a new World.


Sarine is strong, determined and possesses a reservoir of bravery that comes out in the most unexpected moments, one that never takes into account the possible consequences that might befell her: hers is not the unthinking courage of the foolish, but the strength of the selfless hero, and that's one of the reasons why she takes so little time to worm her way into our hearts.

Erris is an equally fascinating character, what with her need to rise through the ranks and distance herself from her humble origins as a form of vindication: because of my recent re-read of Brian McClellan's Promise of Blood, it was easy to draw a parallel between Erris and Field Marshal Tamas, which endeared her to me all the more, particularly when she entertains this kind of thought:


All her career she'd served in an army of lions led by dogs, made to bark and yip for the sake of fools. In the moment she felt no better, but she knew they saw in her a lion. For their sake, for New Sarresant, she could roar, and go into defeat with pride.


Erris' point of view is however somewhat marred by the abundant use of military tactics - necessary in consideration of her chosen profession, but of little interest to me - and that spoiled a little my appreciation for her journey, but not enough to make me lose interest in it. The character that took me more time to truly appreciate was that of Arak'Jur: at first he appeared like a good man through and through, and I like to see some darkness in a character's psychological makeup, so that at first his chapters were those that required some effort to hold my attention. With the progression of the story, though, I could see how he was tied to the other two main figures and once again the "power of the three" managed to draw me in as soon as the unfolding events reached their peak and Arak'Jur's true strengths came to the fore.

Strong characters and the increasing pace of the story make this novel a compelling read, one that's all the more extraordinary since it's a debut work: rarely I encountered such a level of narrative control and sophistication in a first novel, and if you consider that this is just the introduction to this world, with much more to come in the next installments, you can appreciate the author's daring and his skills in handling such a complex, multi-layered tapestry.

I'm already looking forward to seeing how this will move forward…

This week I get to do one of my absolute favorite things, talk about a new dark horse on the 2017 release list. I love magic systems, and today’s book has not one, not two, but three original magical systems to sink your teeth into. Soul of the World is a debut novel by David Mealing that has taken me completely by surprise. I had heard almost nothing about this book until someone handed me an advanced copy, and I was blown away by how much I enjoyed it. As such, I am making it my miniature mission to shout to all of you how much fun it is because while you may not have heard of it, it is definitely worth checking out.

They say when you write your first book you should start small, which is apparently a saying that Mealing did not care about. Soul of the World is a huge epic fantasy and just the opening chapter of a complicated and interesting world. The book is set in a semi-alternate history American revolutionary war, except that the English and the French have switched places in the story. The book is initially very confusing with regards as to what is going on, but it is still a blast to read as you try to get your feet on solid ground. Our plot follows three protagonists, each a paragon of one of the three magic systems and a window into three different factions in our story. What is actually happening in the book is a bit of a spoiler, and a mystery I greatly enjoyed unraveling, so instead I am going to focus on the character and magic for this review. Strap in, it's going to be much longer that usual but I promise you this is worth your time.

First, we have Sarine, a street artist living in the ghettos of the new world using her unique magical talents to survive and scrape out a living. I immediately fell in love with her as a lead and always looked forward to her chapters. Sarine’s magic revolves around a Kaas, a snake/basilisk-like familiar that allows her to manipulate the emotions of those around her. Usually I am not a fan of ‘mind control’ magic as it can make conflict resolution too easy, but Mealing’s take on the concept is much more up my alley. Sarine’s Kaas familiar can influence others, but only by broadcasting things like anger to incite riots, or emanating tranquility to calm a crown. It is a much less precise form of emotional control than I have seen before - and Mealing uses it to create some interesting situations. Sarine is a solitary, and rather sad, character who spends most of her time talking with her familiar. Her sweet nature and strong moral code won my heart quickly and I enjoyed her story through the entire book.

Second we have Arak’Jur, a tribesman who functions as a Native American surrogate. Originally Arak’Jur was my least favorite lead, but by the end of the book he was easily my favorite. A large part of the book revolves around huge and dangerous magical beasts that roam the continent our characters inhabit. While the English/French live behind a giant magical barrier that keeps the beasts out, the natives have human guardians who protect their tribes by killing the beasts. When a beast is killed, the guardian may beseech the spirit of the animal to give them a boon if the animal was impressed with the guardian’s prowess. These boons allow the guardian to channel some aspect of the beast for a short period of time. I. Love. This. Magic. I cannot begin to express how invested I got in Arak’Jur’s story once I got to see how his magic worked. Mealing is incredibly inventive with his magical beasts, and every time I opened to one of Arak’Jur’s chapters I was bouncing in my chair with excitement to see the next creature that Mealing had made, and what new amazing power that Arak’Jur might get. My original problem with Arak’Jur was he seemed to be a cliche depiction of a Native American and I was going to lambast Mealing for not making him more complex. However, as I spent more time with this stoic and stubborn man I found his personality to be deeper than I originally gave him credit for, and I grew to be more attached to him than anyone else. He can feel like a stick in the mud sometimes, but if you stick with him he will blossom.

The third and final lead is Erris, and I ended up liking her the least despite her having probably the most original of all the magic systems. My problem with Erris was less with her as a character, and more with the fact that she is a high ranking officer in the French military and as a result her chapters highly revolve around military strategy. I am a fan of strategy and tactics, but I felt that a decent number of Erris’s passages could drag as they were bogged down by logistical minutia. However, her magic is called binding and is based on territorial control - which is awesome. Binders are born with access to a few of the many ley lines running throughout the world - and each country in the story has access to a number of leylines equal to the size of their territorial control. This creates this weird and awesome need to keep expanding the size of your country and made conflict constantly feel natural and inevitable. Binders can sense pockets of power around them that gather when the corresponding emotion or aspect is concentrated in that location. The easiest example of this is if a lot of people die someone, Death binders will find a pocket of ‘Death’ to fuel their magic. I am not doing this system enough justice with this paragraph, trust me it is cool.

On top of having just a ridiculous number (3) of magic systems, our characters gain an insane number of powers as the book progresses. In most fantasy novels I have read, you might have a protagonist find one or two new powers in a story and then spend the entire book contemplating how it changes their lives. I kept a counter next to me as I read Soul of the World, and by the halfway mark the protagonists had collectively gained over twenty new powers. If you had asked me what I thought of characters gaining that many new powers before reading this, I would have said I bet the story devolves into an incoherent mess. But, while Soul of the World certainly gets messy, it is a mess that is fun to roll around in that has a clear underlying cohesion that runs through it. Things get really exciting when characters start combining their powers, adding endless freshness to the combat, and when some characters start mixing the different magic systems I was clawing at the pages with unbridled joy.

While I have just given you a truck load of reasons to go out and buy this debut immediately, I would be remiss if I didn’t also do my job and talk about its flaws. The combat is thrilling, but the general prose of the book could definitely use some polish. As I was reading Soul of the World I could definitely tell that this was Mealing’s first book and some of his word choice, phrasing, and dialogue could be improved a little bit. However, this is very typical of a first novel in my experience and I am sure that as he continues to churn out more awesome books his authorial voice will only get better.

Soul of the World is a magical book, almost overflowing with originality. The few problems I had with the narrative were vastly outweighed by the fascinating world, fun characters, and captivating magic that pervade the story. I have no doubt that this book will be considered a hidden gem for the next few months, but I hope that with help from myself and others, enough people will pick this up to give it the attention it deserves. The Quill to Live definitely recommends you give David Mealing, and Soul of the World, a chance.

Rating: Soul of the World - 8.5/10

Soul of the World combines elements from many successful fantasies but somehow it didn't quite get it right. There's complex magic systems, warring countries, civil unrest and revolution, and indigenous colonies. So much packed into one book.. which is then also broken out into three prominent storylines as told by three different character perspectives WITH a smattering of chapters from the POV of tertiary characters. It was just a little much. Nevertheless, the action kept me glued to my book so that I finished within one day.

The setting is a juxtaposition of what felt like the plains of colonial America and the French Revolution. The war between the Gand and the Sarresant is already underway when you are first introduced to Sarine, Erris and Arak'Jur although why is not really made clear.
The plot moves quickly as Sarine and co. uncover a plot to unseat the Sarresant crown and drive unrest and war amongst the tribes. Erris, although a kick-ass commander, was lost amidst explanations of war tactics and french politics. I almost wish Mealing introduced her storyline midway into the book because I was so intrigued by Sarine and Arak'Jur but I really wanted to love Erris and couldn't. For not letting me connect with Erris, the book lost one star. Coreanna is probably my favorite supporting character. I was rooting for her from day one.

The book culminated in what I like to think of as a literary fireworks show. So many ideas exploding in the air - you didn't know where to look. And the ascension? I'm still confused how and why Sarine is encased within a crystal and if that is a result of Zi's submission. Then there are two epilogues where one would have sufficed. So another star for an, albeit exciting, but confusing finale.

I will most definitely pick up the second book in the series to see if some of my questions are answers. Three solid stars for Soul of the World.

I have to be honest, I'm a little conflicted about how to rate this book. There is a nearly even divide of good & bad here with the good coming out a nose ahead of the bad.

Here we go with a "Pros & Cons" style review.

The writing takes on a beautiful, French-influenced style, but is oddly constructed & tiresome to read.

Soul of the World is written in a way that causes my inner narrator to stumble all over the page. She tends to do that a little bit anyway, but in particular I found myself going back to reread sentences way more than I am comfortable with.

A couple peculiar, recurring word choices combined with an occasionally odd sentence structure had me feeling a little like I was reading a translation. The author's profile says that he speaks French, which may explain where some of the unfamiliar phrasing & language structure come from.

Now, this may not be a problem for everyone who reads this book, but it was for me.

That being said, I really enjoyed the French influence where naming conventions are concerned. Sometimes a paragraph or sentence would strike me exactly the way it was intended to, and seeing those moments in this book were lovely.

The magic systems in this world are unique & interesting, but the lack of a specific focus on any one system made it a little difficult to ground myself in the world.

To put it plainly, there's a lot going on here. There's a leyline manipulation system, a spirit-based system that branches off into several different types of power (shaman, guardian, etc.), and a magic possessed by small dragon companions called kaas.

Each one of these systems is really cool, with a couple distinctive features that can be difficult to accomplish in a genre that has already covered every conceivable magical concept. But the reader is kept at an arm's length while reading about them, never delving into any of the three in intimate detail.

There is a lot of magic-related talk throughout the book, but little in the way of thorough explanation which results in the reader feeling very much in the dark.

The main characters of this book are easily distinguishable from one another & given equal significance to the plot, but none of the three ever reached out to connect with me.

Sarine, Erris, and Arak'Jur all endure a range of physical & emotional challenges. They all experience some development, and they all feel believable within the bounds of the world Mealing has created. I had a few scattered moments where my investment spiked, but I never felt myself establish a personal link to any of them.

The plot is well thought out & complex, but the payoff of the conclusion is not worth the time it takes to get there.

Soul of the World spends the first 50% establishing each character in their routine existence. The last 50% details their role in the current conflict & begins weaving together their individual tales. This is normally a layout I can get behind.

Slow paces are my favorite, as I feel it allows the author much more time for world-building. The world Mealing has built here is by no means poorly assembled. I love the military & old world atmosphere that is established here.

But more often than not, I was slogging through the minutiae of the story just waiting for an interesting revelation or an action scene to pull me back in.

Overall, I'm glad to have read this story. Mealing is an author to keep an eye on, because this is a wonderful accomplishment of a debut. With a little more experience, all the tools to create something new & amazing are present.

Honestly, I’ve been eager to read Soul of the World since I stumbled across it on Goodreads several months ago and had high expectations. I’m glad to say that overall it lived up to my hopes and, though not quite perfect, it was a riveting debut. It’s got everything I could possibly want in a fantasy book- a complex magic system, battles, and the comforting trope of the chosen one, though in this case it’s chosen ones.

Set in a colonial, flintlock fantasy era, Soul of the World provides a fascinating reflection of North American colonialism with more than a dash of French Revolution stirred into the mix as well. Personally, I love this era with all its finery and cries of egalité in the streets. There’s such upheaval and it lends itself quite well to a fantasy story. The need for a leader or hero in New Serresant is an opening that anyone with enough charisma or influence can fill which isn’t necessarily a good thing for anyone involved. While the elite are embroiled in their machinations, the soldiery is up against a foe that seems to know their every move, and the streets of New Serresant are about to erupt in riots. People are crying out for equality and a proper meal. All in all, it’s a rather compelling setting and atmosphere conducive to a tale of epic proportions and I haven’t even mentioned the tribes that exist beyond the Veil! The tribes were fascinating and had just as much as drama as the pseudo-European nobility found in the colonies. I’m glad to see the tribes played a significant role in the story and didn’t fall by the wayside as the colonial drama unfolded.

The magic system in Soul of the World is comparable to the story line in its complexity. It doesn’t overwhelm at the beginning and the reader is introduced to new concepts in digestible amounts. I found that as the story progressed it got more and more confusing because the basic rules (which were vague) were no longer applicable. Let me give you a brief and simplified overview. First of all, you have Binders which use the energies found along leylines to summon power. They can enhance their senses, break bindings, set things on fire, and heal to name a few abilities. Second we have the tribal people’s gifts which are more varied and rely on spirits. Guardians gain the blessing of beast spirits each time they defeat a great beast, meaning they can mimic its abilities. Shamans can see the future and the women have elemental magic. Lastly we have those individuals like Sarine, who has an invisible companion called a kaas, which is a gem-like serpent creature that grants her some unique powers. Like I said, this is much simplified but you can begin to see how much of a role magic plays in Soul of the World.

Soul of the World was an excellent debut and a fine addition to my book collection. The whole point of the book is to introduce readers to the characters that will possibly be ascending to a semblance of godhood. The interludes give readers a glimpse of those who currently hold that title and how they work to hinder or help those that may replace them. I found the introduction to the larger purpose to be somewhat unenlightened and felt that it really needed more than a bare handful of chapters to really make me care. The characters however… I loved the characters. Each of the main POV’s was inherently good and very likable. Erris d’Arrent and Sarine were awesome, though I wish the two could have properly met and had a nice chat together. Arak’Jur, guardian of the Sinari tribe, was just so darn honorable! Even the secondary characters were well-written and I would love to have had POVs for a few of them, especially Reyne d’Agarre. If you’ve debate whether or not to invest your time in this rather hefty book, you can stop now. It was a top-notch read that I would highly recommend and can’t wait to see where the sequel will lead!

This had some great elements that I think adult fantasy readers would really enjoy. The magic system was creative and the beast were fascinating. The characters were well developped and the world intriguing but some of the world building was confusing. I also had to reread a lot of sentences at first because I didnt know what was going on. Not to mention all the names and titles were pretty confusing. I had to google a lot of stuff while reading this book. I almost gave up on this book but something kept me coming back to finish it.

The military terms that drowned Erris perspective made me feel removed from her story because I didnt understand them. I dont mind strategic war planning but the terms I didnt understand were a big issue for me personally. I still thought she was a kickbutt female with an engaing story line. My favorite of the 3 main perspectives was probably Sarine. I loved that shes an artist and the idea of her having a familiar, but sadly I didn't like her familiar all that much. He was frustrating. I was also frustrated with Sarine when she left a major enemie alive instead of saving everyone the trouble and just killing him.

I loved how we get 2 different worlds. The world of the tribes and the world with the monarchy. It was pretty awesome how we get different magic systems in these 2 different worlds. The magic was one of the best parts of this story. I thought the tribe magic and culture were compelling. The main character ArakJur from that world was interesting, but some of his thoughts seemed a bit ridiculous at times. For example: "Let Corenna grieve with tears and sickness, the way of a woman. He would grieve with the roar of a man." I also didnt like llana from the start and was rooting for a relationship between ArakJur and Corenna because she was such a wonderful and strong female character.

I usually look for books that are quick to read. I can finish a 600 page YA book in a few days while this took me a week. I have a short attention span when it comes to books so they need to be really fast pace to hook me and this book wasnt. Once I finally got invested in a character the story would switch to another character and made it harder for me to keep reading. I was disapointed that some of the plot twists were obvious but I found the gods and spirits plot line entertaining. Overall I just wasnt the right reader for this. I dont have the patience for it but adult fantasy readers should enjoy this more than I did.

Ill also be posting book in monthly wrap up and Emojiathon Results

Impressions

This is an epic and deeply ambitious read. Military battles and the politics of civil war come to life in a fantasy world filled with magic.

Marching to the mantra of Liberté égalité fraternité

The great reveal in this story is the wealth of battle theaters. Strategic scenes bring to mind the time of the 47 Ronin, the French Resistance during WWII, the US Civil War echoes a call to arms for, liberty, equality, and brotherhood. It is a reminder of humanity’s need for warfare that goes unaltered. But this telling of war also includes love and betrayal that accompanies magic.

The concept of tethering a leyline to bind paranormal powers is a fascinating concept. Also, the acquiring of spirit powers from slain beasts is an almost forgotten legacy from the original tribes of earth. Even to the contrivance of words like Trithetic pulls this reader to thoughts of the commonality of religions that dot humanity’s history. Each chapter of this book effortlessly explores the diversions between opposing cultures while magic seems to be the binding force.

The transition from chapter to chapter and the development of storyline was, for me, extremely enjoyable. It kept this reader wondering how the main drivers of the tale could eventually come together and become heroines and hero. I felt the disappointment at the loss of friends and fellow soldiers. I laughed at the ribald in your face language from wine laden lips.

My Favorite Characters

Chevalier-General Erris D’Arrent is a fictional embodiment of strong character and bravery. She has the qualities we’ve come to love in superheroes.

Steeped in the old tried and true traditions of his tribe the Sanari Guardian Arak’Jur is my second favorite character. Putting aside the pain of loss and war, he learns how questioning the unquestionable becomes an important tool for survival.

Story/Plot/Conflict

Three must fight. Three must die. Three must rise

This novel is about a fantasy world that finds its fated path darkened with civil war. The journey is also about the politics of court intrigue, love, and death. But soldiers and the resistance yearning for a renaissance are fighting in an enchanted world where magical shamans speak truth from gods. Streets and sewers run red with blood. And tribal guardians assume the power of the animal spirits they slay.

Evil takes residence in the hearts of the oppressed in the cities of the Gands and Sarresants. Three women from divergent cultures define the outcomes of this war between good and evil in a fantasy world in the grips of a fight that may never end.
Who among the gods will survive and who among men will ascend to the Veil. Their weapons of choice are warding spells, binding powerful magic and the power of spirit guides.

Main Characters

Sarine Thibeaux is a street artist inhabiting the slums call the Maw. A freebinder, she possesses innate and rare abilities. Inside her lies a hidden secret that will change and save her world.
Chevalier-General Erris d’Arrent is a military fullbinder. Born to a blacksmith and trained by the military, she becomes a formidable commander and leader of her world New Sarresant.
Arak’Jur is the Sanari Guardian leader. He embodies the strength of his tribe and is the protector. His leadership balances the wisdom of the seer the Ka or shaman with the spirit powers of the beasts he slays.
Llanara is the ambitious young Sanari woman. A betrayer and once the lover of the Guardian Arak’Jur, the forbidden evil of the gods twist her mind and heart.

Critique David Mealing work is as ambitious a tale as sand worms and desert planets. It is a long read….but well worth the journey. Finely edited, the transitions and development of characters was spot on. Not just a good read….a must read.

Genre: Adult Fantasy Adventure, violence and war

I rate this 5/5 stars

Soul of the World presents a meaty, magical epic series beginning set in a fantastical world with complex characters.

Sardine, a street rat raised by a charitable priest in the slums of Maw, finds her gifts - which she'd never particularly considered significant before - raising her to new heights and exploring new avenues of magic. Erris, a military commander, adapts new avenues of magic to protect her men and finds herself struggling with military devotion and thoughts of independence. Arak'Jur, guardian of his tribe, goes on a journey of discovery himself and finds new spirits and magics along the way. All three come into contact with dangerous and questionable forces along the way as well as those who have been overrun by greed and ambition.

The book is told in chapters that alternate in perspective between the main characters with interludes from secondary characters. The work also prominently features strong women, not as an exception, but as a norm and natural, which I very much appreciated. I found the styles of magic found in the book compelling and very interesting, even as I was a little lost the entire time. Perhaps the one downside is that so much of the book focuses on action and political/military/hunting maneuvers that not as much time is paid to actual character development and a plethora of characters are constantly coming in and out, making it very confusing at times to keep track of who is who. With so many focuses, it's hard to get a sense of what is actually important and where the book is going at times. But overall, a greatly written epic and an interesting foundation for a series, and I look forward to seeing where the books go.

Thanks to the publisher for an ARC in exchange for a fair review!

If you had asked me at about 50% into this book what I thought about it, my answer would have been much less enthusiastic than it ended up being. Readers praise this novel for its unique magic system, and it definitely is that - alas, it is also very confusing. Persistent confusion was my constant companion as I was reading the novel, and I had to resort to frequent scanning of previously read chapters to try to make sense of the divine structure - a structure which just did not seem to add up. I have to admit that it lessened my in-the-moment enjoyment of the book considerably. The one allowance I was willing to give the author was that the scope of the novel was admittedly enormous - and very impressive. And then there were the characters, which are the real selling point of the novel for me; had I not invested heavily in two of them from the get-go, I would have given up on the novel.

The book follows an alternating POV chapter structure, which I am well familiar with - and fond of - having been an ardent fan of George R R Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" for years. I fell for the first POV immediately; Sarine is a perfect choice for our introduction into the world. I was then pleasantly surprised that the second of the three main characters was another woman, Erris, and that the position of power and respect she commanded was not an aberration, but a norm in this world. The novel's treatment of women as equals and its lack of male bias makes it a definite stand out in the genre, especially taking into an account that the story is roughly set in the equivalent of our own American Revolution. The only character I did not feel affinity for was Arak'Jur, the novel's version of a Native American, and for about half of the book I inwardly groaned coming across chapters with his name in the marquee. I credit this to the relative increase in confusion while reading his chapters, as the magic/the divine relationship contained within them was the most convoluted, and the character's goals and desires perhaps the least appealing.

I have to add, too, that the persistent questions of "where is this going?" and "what are the goals of this plot?" were definitely plaguing my reading experience throughout at least the first half of the story. It felt as if the author dropped us in the middle of this world and left us there to explore without giving us any actual direction what to look for. But as the novel progressed, and my grasp of the magical/divine structure became tighter, my understanding of what the story is actually about became much clearer. At exactly 62% of the reading, I realized that I was suddenly completely immersed and obsessed with the world, the outcome, and the fates of the characters. The feeling quite snuck up at me. I also became much more invested in the previously unappealing Arak'Jur.

It's hard to express reasons for my sudden turn around without spoiling the plot, so all I can say to those who might be struggling with this novel is to keep on going and latch on to whatever it might be that you love about it, and sooner or later the novel will open up to you like a flower bud blooming open. Please forgive the awkward metaphor, but it works for me. The places this story goes are delightfully surprising, the characters worth rooting for, and while the ending will probably leave you with some lingering confusion, well, that's what the next books in the series are there for, I suppose. And I cannot wait to get my hands on those.

[Can I add that I loved the inverse of the "France" equivalent being the one to colonize the New World, and the "Britain"/"Spain" equivalents trying to get their own chunk of the bounty in military action? Is this an alternate reality? Or is this still our Earth, only a different "cycle"? So many great questions...]

I thoroughly enjoyed this read. Lovers of Jack Whyte's Camulod Chronicles, Sanderson's Mistborn series and Rothfuss's The Name of the Wind will love this book. Engaging characters, immersive storylines, a unique magic system and a beautifully painted world will grip characters and leave them begging for the sequel.

If I had to summarize the best part of this book in a single sentence, I'd say it was the magic system. Mealing created three distinct and original magic systems that are well thought out and independent of each other. It's amazing when an author creates a single new magical world, but to have three completely new systems is awesome!

That being said, I wish he'd worked on the characters even half as much. While they are interesting, none of the three main characters felt fully developed. Sarine, whom I fell in love with at first, was the clichéd orphan girl surviving by her own wits, the help of friends, and magic. I liked that she was an artist. It added a more unique spin to her character, but I felt she could've been more fleshed out after her initial introduction. Her romance too felt fake and flat. I can see how she can fall into a Cinderella kind of relationship, but I'm glad it ended off early. It was badly done, they felt incompatible, and I felt there was very little to base their relationship on.

Erris & Arak'Jur's parts were less interesting at first. Erris' pov was mainly from the war front. So all she spoke about were battle scenes and techniques that I skimmed through, because I don't really care how many people you lead into battle or what your amazing strategy is. Just tell me you won the battle, and I'll be happy for you. As for Arak'Jur, his parts were interesting mainly for the wild beasts' magic that he used. Beyond that, I didn't feel too attached to his character. Again, he also did a lot of fighting, so if that's what you like to read about, you might find it more fascinating.

What I've said about the characters makes the book sound boring, but it really wasn't. Even though I didn't always connect to the characters, the plot and world building were intense enough to keep me reading further. I was also highly impressed with the gender equality. Most books set in historical times tend to have a male gender bias. This world is set in revolutionary American times, to a certain extent, but varies so much from actual history in culture and plot, that it's clear that very little is borrowed from our actual history. Especially the treatment of women. The fact that Erris becomes who she is in the army - without having the standard amazement announced by characters when they encounter a women in a high army position, just because there is no expectation against it. Women can be in power. There is no glass ceiling, and there is no affirmative action. It's simply natural and expected, and they don't have to go to the extremes just to prove they can be better than men.

Towards the end of the book, I actually became more interested in Erris' part than in Sarine's, even though I hated the switching POVs at first. And speaking of switching POVs - that really annoyed me. It's one thing when you switch between three different main characters - which is annoying, but bearable. However, I detest when new POVs are introduced for a single character in order to move along a certain plotline, and then they disappear once their job is done. Or the infrequent reappearance of another character's pov, again just to move the plotline, but I don't even know who s/he is or care about their perspective. Towards the end of the book, I realized how these little bits connect, but while I read them, they were annoying interruptions.

That also takes me to the main plot - some sort of ascension for an ultimate battle between good over evil. But even after I finished this first book, I'm left with more questions on that than answers. I feel that some of my questions might be answered by rereading the book, since I now understand why certain parts were put in, but I think the overall intention was to leave the reader wondering, and that most of these questions will be answered in future books. It's not exactly a cliffhanger, it just keeps you thinking, which is (I'll admit) a good way to end the book. It means that I don't forget about the book a day later, because I'm still trying to figure it out while I'm in the shower.

I'm trying to paint an accurate review here. I listed many bad features, but overall, I still rate the book at about 4.6 - 4.7 stars, because I liked it from the start. It was easy to read, compelling, the magic systems were awesome, the world and cultures were well developed, and I would enjoy reading the rest of the series. Yes, I wish the characters were better drawn, and that there was less detail on the fighting, but that's simply my opinion. I know many who love to read detailed battle scenes down to the last swing of the sword, so while I skimmed those parts, you might enjoy them. Overall, I rate this between 4.6 - 4.7 stars, I highly recommend it, and I'm looking forward to the next in the series.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.