Member Reviews
I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This was an average read for me. I would say that the worldbuilding was amazing and the story was well-written and poetic. Except for the eternally repeating word "draped"... Writer should have looked for the synonyms.
The beginning of the book was also very attractive which made me start the book as soon as I read the first sentence.
The characters were well-described, albeit a bit from lustful gaze, but I guess this might be up to taste.
I thought it took too long for the main events to start and felt a bit dragged in the middle. However, the story was solid.
Egypt mythology is one of my favorites, but I also felt that the reader wouldn't get enough information to understand the story without knowing the mythology beforehand.
Overall it wasn't a bad book at all, but could be much much better with a few adjustments.
Thanks to NetGalley and R.A.Moreau for the book!
I also published the review in my Goodreads account.
***Thank you to NetGalley and Pleasure & Power Publishing for a copy of this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review***
I really enjoy reading re-imaginings from different mythologies and cultures, especially when they revolve around the character of ‘Death’ (hello Hades and Thanatos, Anubis and Ammit- even you Hella and good old fashioned Lucifer 👋🤷♀️) I’m a sucker for the fact that they’re not actually the bad guy, and it is in fact all about BALANCE 🤷♀️😅 usually…. But even when they do turn out to be the villain, it’s usually a fun ride 🙈😂
ANYWAY- So when I saw this new adult book that promised sexy gods and ancient Egyptian magic I requested right away!
Recently orphaned Onia, who is used to trusting no one but herself and fending for herself once her fathers health began to deteriorate, is thrust into the world of Egyptian gods and goddess’ after finding out her absent mother was in fact Ma’at, the goddess of justice and balance in the Hall, and that job has now fallen to her. To guide her to her mothers hall is the rugged and handsome Ra, of house Anubis, who will not let the sizzling attraction felt between them get in the way of his duty to guard her and keep her safe. But amongst the secrets and power-plays of Ma’at halls, can they keep their distance and do what has to be done to save the souls and keep the world in balance?
I enjoyed the tropes in this story, and I think that it was great to explore a slightly less delved into mythology, HOWEVER I did find that the writing expected the reader to already have a prior knowledge on Egyptian gods and goddesses’ so the character and world weren’t as developed as they could have been. I felt that this book had quite a lot of potential but struggled with pacing and lost some of the interesting side characters and politics amongst the slightly repetitive ‘do-I-don’t-I’ feelings of the two main characters. Ra’s and Onia’s bond however is something I love and I’m always a sucker for the ‘would die for her’ trope.
This was an enjoyable slow-burn romantasy, but I hope some of the grammatical and spelling errors are ironed out before publication :)
3.5 ⭐️ There was so much that was intriguing and exciting about this book but the pacing of it left me bored in places. There was never really much going on and so the story just fell flat. The romance kept me reading but I even found that a little disappointing. I did enjoy stepping into the world and would be interested to see other books by the same author.
This authir is good. This story is about Onia and Ra. Onia is the daughter of Ma'at, Goddess of the Hall, a judgment place of all souls. She is the rightful heir, after her mother’s death. She has to be the next Empress who determines the fate of incoming souls. But a powerful enemy doesn’t want Onia to take that position and will do anything to get her killed. That's where Ra comes in, Ra is the son of Anubis. He made a promise to keep Onia safe. But little did he know, as from the first moment he met her his inner fire for her kept growing stronger until he couldn’t resist anymore.
This book is all about strong and powerful creatures, epic battles, passion and suspense. Though the beginning was a bit confusing, as you get deeper into the story it was captivated by the characters and the world building.
The Falls of Souls is the first book in the series, so I can’t wait to read what happens next!
This book was a good read. Recommended.
I really love fantasy books that have to do about powerful creatures that can manipulate souls, so when I saw this book I knew I had to read it!
This story follows Onia and Ra. Onia is the daughter of Ma'at, Goddess of the Hall, a judgment place of all souls. She is the rightful heir, after her mother’s death. She has to be the next Empress who determines the fate of incoming souls. But a powerful enemy doesn’t want Onia to take that position and will do anything to get her killed.
Ra is the son of Anubis. He made a promise to keep Onia safe. But little did he know, as from the first moment he met her his inner fire for her kept growing stronger until he couldn’t resist anymore.
I like the Egyptian mythology and this book is all about it. Strong and powerful creatures, epic battles, passion and suspense. Although the beginning was quite confusing, as I got deeper into the story I was captivated by the characters and the world building.
The Falls of Souls is the first book in the series, so I can’t wait to read what happens next!
Thank you to NetGalley and Pleasure & Power Publishing for the this eARC!!!
Many Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing the digital review copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
This is a fantasy, romance with several tropes throughout the book, set in North Africa, it depicts several different mythical gods and folklore. The main story is of Onia’s journey to self-discovery, with Ra at her side as her guardian and romantic love interest.
I absolutely loved the setting of this book, while gods’ retellings are saturating the market at the moment, it is not often that I have seen an Egyptian retelling, however, I do think that the author could have added slightly more to the setting and worldbuilding, as descriptions were slightly bland. The book's pace was slow and did drag at times, and the characters could have been more rounded, especially Onia, whom I found genuinely irritating. There were a few spicy scenes towards the end of the book, which I thought was done well as the love between Onia and Ra grew.
Overall, this book was just slightly meh for me, I didn’t hate it, but I probably wouldn’t reread it.
Favourite Parts: The Setting
Recommendations: If you like Egyptian God's retellings then yes
Rating: Two stars
Fun Fantasy Romance, definitely enjoyed reading this, The character and world building was great. A book I would recommend for sure
Thank you for the opportunity to read The Fall of Souls and give my opinion.
I loved this book. I felt it was a little slow to start but I was pleasantly surprised with how invested I became in the characters and the outcome of their situations. The plot was engaging and I found I couldn’t put the book down.
I would happily recommend this to a friend.
Ok, I see you R. A. Moreau.
Thank you to NetGalley and Pleasure & Power Publishing for the eARC of this amazing fantasy romance.
While it took me a little bit of time to get into the story, it evolved so beautifully throughout. The beginning really felt like the reader was being held at arm's length and I felt a little less attached to the characters, but it makes sense once you get deeper into the book and realized that it was emotional armor meant to protect them. I really enjoyed Onia being both soft and strong; depending on her guardian Ra for strength but also being able to stand on her own two feet and make choices for herself. This had a truly epic amount of yearning but gave the reader enough sweet scenes between the two leads to keep you satisfied. And what's more, this was not just a story about romantic love, but also family ties and the complex relationships between them.
There was also a fantastic amount of world-building, which is something that I really need in my fantasy romance. I loved that we got to see Anubis, Ma'at, and other mythology on the page. It doesn't seem like a lot of fantasy delves into that setting, so it was a breath of fresh air. The story really improves once other characters are added and the mystery deepens. There was a bit of melodrama in some of the battle scenes for my tastes, but overall it was a beautifully told story.
I won’t lie, this had a pretty slow start. I think it wasn’t until around the 25% mark that things really started to happen. I almost gave up when Onia and Ra we’re making their way through the desert because it was just so boring, but things did pick up from there.
I enjoyed the ancient Egyptian aspect of the story and the twist this book had on it.
The relationship between Onia and Ra was okay. It wasn’t anything great but I didn’t dislike them together. I just felt as though I’d read a version of this story and this couple a hundred times before. Nothing really jumped out about them for me and made them unique.
This book did have wonderful writing, though. From the first couple of pages, I could feel the surroundings, imagine the smells and could picture myself in the market square surrounded by the smells of roasting meats and garlic. R.A. Moreau had me playing out the words on the page in my head like a film, and that's a real talent.
If you enjoyed the Mummy franchise, which I did, you’ll enjoy The Fall of Souls.
R. A. Moreau finds a way to make the boring "epic love story" into a titillating story of survival and destiny.
This epic love story, is of star-crossed lovers, Onia the orphaned soon-to-be Empress and the god Ra son of Anubis. Since her childhood, Onia has been able to read the souls of people. This power is her birthright as the last inheritor of the Hall, a place between worlds, were reincarnated or newly born souls receive their fate (being judged on the scale of Ma'at) before being born into in their new life. But with this great power comes those who wish Onia dead. Ra vows to protect her so she can fulfill her destined duty, but eventually not even he can ignore the pull he feels to her.
Their story is filled with passion, betrayal, epic fight scenes, being chased by gods, and past lives.
I must admit that I have fallen in love with the world Moreau has created and her writing style. It was surprising to learn that this is her debut novel. This book will definitely be added to my permanent library.
To Moreau, I look forward to reading your next story.
*I received this e-book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
The Falls of Souls is the first book in a new series with Nubian gods and goddesses is a one-of-a-kind adult fantasy romance filled with passion, secrets, and betrayal. We follow Onia as she finds out her mother is Ma'at and she is expected to take over her role of judging souls. Her guide and guardian is Ra from the House of Anubis but there is way more to Ra that guardian. I really enjoyed this story, Moreau did a fabulous job of weaving this story and making root for these characters. There is HEAT in this slow burn romance and how Ra was just a great book boyfriend.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
3 1/2 stars
As a reader and fan of all types of mythology, I was eager to read this book. One thing I haven't read a great deal of is Egyptian mythology so I was looking forward to it.
After losing her father, the last family she has, Onia is lost and adrift. When she's rescued by a mysterious stranger, it's just the beginning of events that change her life. Onia learns that she's heir to the Hall. She is destined to be the next Empress who determines the fate of incoming souls. But there are those who would rather not see her take this position. And the mysterious rescuer, Ra is charged with being her bodyguard, but he's much more attached that he should be. The entire situation is becoming more and more complicated. Meanwhile, Onia has no idea what's expected of her nor how to prepare for it.
This was a creative and original storyline. It did drag a bit for me in places. I felt like I was being told the same thing over and over instead of moving forward with the story and making it happen. That said, it was still enjoyable and worth the read.
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to read and review it and the opinions contained within are my own.
Good mythology retelling. I liked the chemistry between Ra and Onia. The fight scenes were exceedingly well done!
Egyptian Mythology? Gods? Goddesses? Otherworldly creatures?
My knowledge regarding Egyptian Myth is certainly not at par with the rest but my interest is all-consuming nonetheless. I would like to stress that the characters are interesting and the interactions; enticing. Further, I would love to read more of the characters because I am currently in love with the world R.A. Moreau weaved.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
First and foremost I LOVED this bool, I genuinly could not put it down. The Fall of Souls took to me to a world I've never been to before, learning about Egyptian mythology was incredibly interesting and let me experience a world I've never seen in any other book. I fell in love with Ra and Onia and they were beautifully written (as was everything else). The pacing was perfect with a mix of mystery and romance (with added spice) it was a perfect combination with plenty of twists and turns it left me desperate to keep reading.
The Fall of Souls tells the story of Onia a grieving woman who's just lost her father, yet she's dealt with the loss of him for much longer as for years he's had been slowly losing his memories even those of her, she also never knew her mother. This led to Onia becoming a strong, independent woman who by using her soul reading powers reads peoples souls in the town square to earn even a small amount of money. However one day monsters come hunting for her, with the aim to kill her and a stranger she met that very day, Ra, saves her. He then reveals he is the son of Anubis and she is the daughter of Ma'at; sadly because of her mother's death she is needed in the Halls to take her rightful place as Goddess and Empress to help guide the souls. The story follows there journey from here and the mystery of who killed her mother.
I've always loved mythology but this book was another level of amazing and intriguing. I can't wait to read more of Moreau's work when it is published.
Sadly, I didn’t like this book as much as I thought I would. It has one major flaw which I couldn’t ignore; it has misunderstood its target audience. The novel expects readers to be familiar with Egyptian mythology (which they will be to some extent), but readers usually want to become familiar with something by reading. For instance, mentioning the weighing of a dead person’s heart. If I don’t know what the practice means, I can’t understand why it’s important. The novel should have taken the reader by their hand and guided them through each scene by revealing more and more layers of the mythological world.
The writing also missed the mark for me. The author used vocabulary that readers wouldn’t typically see in romance novels. How often do you use “reverberate” in your everyday conversations? Simpler language would have done much better since this is not a fantasy novel.
What I did like is that some of the world building is based on scents and smells. I wanted to see more of that. I’ve never been to Egypt (only Morocco), and I wanted this novel to transport me into a new fantasy world. We also get some good descriptions, but the overall structure issues ruined the experience for me. Less is more sometimes.
Overall rating: 3.5 stars
I was very impressed and surprised by this book. It is a retelling of Nubian Gods, I have never read anything like it so that part was very cool.
The book tells the story of Onia and Ra. Onia is actually an Empress and she is supposed to return to her temple because her mother (who she never met) is dead. Ra is her guardian and a soon as he sees her he is attracted to her. Their Kan, whatever that might be, entices them to each other. Anyways when they reach the House of Anubis, they still have to uncover who killed Onia's mother and the reason she was murdered. They also have to survive as many people including Ra's father don't want her to succeed in being an Empress.
I was a bit confused because most of the retelling of the gods and goddesses is not explained. Like I feel like you need to know a little bit of this background or this mythology to understand. It is not basic, and hence I felt stupid at some parts since I couldn't really imagine what was going on.
I really liked the spice factor that the story has. It feeds off really well and it starts off as subtle yet the author writes in such a way that you can really feel the tension flowing out of the characters. And eventually when they finally kiss, it is mind blowing for them and for the reader.
I also really liked the characters. Ra, specially. He is very strong and protective, and I really found him alluring with the way he spoke. I found him very intellectual and smart, and that kept me on my toes. The whole mystery and adventure aspect was also very entertaining.
Thank you to Pleasure & Power Publishing as well as NetGalley for a copy of this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!
This was a new adult book that promised sexy gods and ancient Egyptian magic and it definitely delivers!
Now orphan Onia is thrust into the world of Egyptian gods and goddess’ after finding out her absent mother was Ma’at, the goddess of justice and balance in the Hall.
Onia follows rugged and handsome Ra, of house Anubis, on a journey to the Hall after the death of her mother, leaving all passed souls lost until someone can reclaim the title.
This book is filled with betrayals both obvious and not and a great insight into a mythology lesser known to the fiction world. The spice in this book is great and on-page as it is labeled at a new adult novel. Ra’s bond with Onia is adorable and I’m always a sucker for the ‘would die for her’ trope!
All in all I rate this book a 3 out of 5 stars ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
After reading this story I am very impressed with the style of writing presented. The world building was beautiful, and the two main characters chemistry was AMAZING. Ra is literally perfect I’m every way, and the slow burn was done incredibly. Why I’m giving it 3 stars however, is because I hated how Onia was written. I felt like she was portrayed as weak and fragile in some cases when she’s literally a goddess. She was always getting injured and was easily affected by others kan and it just bothered me. 3/5 stars.