I gotta say going into this book completely blind may not have been my brightest idea. However, once I realized this book was about magic, pirates, marriage of convenience and found family I was all in. Now was this book perfect, sadly no. But did I have a fun time reading it, I 100% did.

Let’s start with the Cons:
- The world building. If you struggle with heavy world building this book may not be for you. Especially if the world building consists of massive info dumping right at the very beginning. Coming from a person who does enjoy vivid world building even I struggled with this one. Especially the very beginning the ceremony/ritual still has me confused and I finished the whole book. My brain knew it was important but it was a lot to comprehend right off the bat.
- My next big issue several scenes and larger plot moments felt very jerky. Like we would jump from one plot point to another without answering or resolving the previous. Almost as if this book was supposed to be a duology but at the last minute got condensed to one book. Maggie’s writing style is strong I think there just needs to be more clarity and context.

Next up, the most important the Pros:
- I have to say my favorite part of the entire book was the romance. I loved the slow build between Saoirse and Faolan. They both balanced each other out so well and I wish we had more scenes with them together. Their witty and sharp banter was perfection and I would’ve taken 10 more chapters of just that.
- The found family element. As soon as we stepped on Faolans ship I knew I was going to fall in love with the entire pirate crew. And they did not disappoint. I loved how loyal they were to Faolan. And I loved how they immediately took Saoirse as one of their own.

Overall, would I recommend this book? Yes, I definitely would. Even though it wasn’t my favorite Romantasy it was still an action magic packed ride that I definitely think is worth everyone checking out. Lastly big thank you to NetGalley & Berkley Publishing for allowing me to read and review an ARC!

I 100% picked this book for review based on the cover. I’m not even going to downplay my absolute adoration for this gorgeous, gorgeous work of cover art.

This is the story of a young woman, Saoirse, who is burdened by her power. The power to see the souls of the dead and kill with just a touch. She’s been told by her father, the king, that this affliction stems from her touching a soul stone as a girl. Kept isolated and alone, shuttered away in a cabin far from anyone, her one goal is to find a way to get free of this terrible curse.

There is something about the marriage of convenience trope that I just love. This book explores the trope *beautifully*. Honestly, I loved every minute of reading this book (and stayed up way too late to finish it because I literally could not put it down). If you are an Allison Saft stan, then you will *love* this book as well.

✨ Themes I loved ✨
Marriage of Convenience!
Pirates!
Found family
Touch *my wife* and die
Maritime adventures, navigating difficult terrain
Growing into herself
He makes her feel safe
Slow burn romance full of *tension* 🤌🏻
Low spice! (shorter slightly cracked open door without overly explicit descriptions)
Complicated family 😭
He calls her love, Wolf Tamer, Trouble, Ocean Eyes, lass, clever thing
Learning to fight for herself, that she has *worth*
Magical system based on *vibes* (soft magic)
Who did this to you?
Interesting cast of characters
Beautiful and lyrical writing
He writes a song for her
Healing from childhood trauma
STUNNING cover art
Runaway princess x silver tongued pirate
Quest to break a curse
Magical visions
He believes in her
Learning to choose and *want* things for herself
"Don't leave me."
Irish/Scottish cursing (which honestly I can only hear in the voices of the Bound By Ravens series' narrators)
Building trust, brick by brick
Finding their people, loving and being loved means to never be truly alone again
Book club discussion questions (why are discussion questions so hard to come up with?)
Being alone *together*


Content: attempted forced marriage with abusive partner, strong language, medical descriptions, de*th of child, blaming a child for everything that went wrong, withholding of love and affection, isolating and abandoning teen child to their own devices for seven years, manipulation, visions of de*th, misogyny, lower spice s*x

Thank you to NetGalley and Ace Books for the advanced reader copy of this book. This review is voluntarily written and the thoughts and opinions contained in this review are my own.

This book was so good..... it was gotic in feels. The couple cemetery was super hot. I wanted more. The ending was underwhelming though and kinda of put me off of the 5 stars i was leaning towards throughout the book.

Soulgazer is an enchanting adult fantasy debut, with the most magical prose and charming characters. I thought it was a very well written novel, with characters you can't help but care deeply for. The worldbuilding had me captivated, the plot had me hooked, though it took a few chapters for me to be completely immersed, as I felt a little detached from the first few chapters. My only real critique would be that it left me wanting a little bit more explanation, especially in those first few chapters. But I'm smitten with the story and cannot wait to see what else Maggie creates.

I also posted a slightly longer review over on my Goodreads. Thank you for my ARC copy!

I don't know. I wanted to love this, but it was a struggle to read. I love the gorgeous cover and I love the premise. (Did you say rakish pirate?!) But it just wasn't for me. I kept checking the progress bar on my Kindle. I was bored out of my mind. Some parts I found myself skipping. I was just really glad when I got to the end. I barely even remember what I read so I'm sorry for this very generic review.

4 Stars ⭐️

Soulgazer had everything I love in a romantasy—adventure, a strong FMC, and so much tension and longing. The mix of action and emotion kept me hooked, and I am an absolute sucker for the found family dynamic.

The writing was beautiful and lyrical, though sometimes a little too flowery, and the magic system took a minute to click. HOWEVER, the story was so immersive that at nearly 500 pages, it flew by!

If you’re looking for your next pirate read and love a slow-burn romance… this one’s for you.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing me with this e-ARC.

Honestly a very, very solid book. LOVED the dynamics between the two leads and the banter was peak. Somehow Saoirse's innocence didn't bother me like it can--- it feel genuine instead of forced.

While I loved the characters and their interactions, I sometimes felt that I lost the plot.

Read this if you want: piratey vibes, marriage of convenience, difficult family relationships, and lots of found family.

After reading the author’s note, I’m so glad the author decided to make this book adult rather than YA. Nothing against YA, but I feel like most pirate books are about teenagers so it’s refreshing to have slightly older characters. I’m going to be so honest: the cover is what drew me to this book. However, don’t worry—it’s not just a pretty cover. It’s also phenomenal book. I absolutely adored the adventures, the world building, and all the pirate lore. The magic system was definitely unique and it was interesting to see how Saoirse’s relationship with magic changed over time. Faolan is a new fav book boyfriend and the romance was top notch. I’m so excited to see where the next book will take us!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc!

This was a really well written debut novel! I really enjoyed the story and omg the main character!!! It was really refreshing to see a different representation of FMC. We do not see the typical fighter and lean girl we are used to from fantasy novels. It was very unique which I really appreciate.

I truly recommend this story! The journey and chemistry between the characters was everything you need and more!!

Get ready to meet your new book boyfriend and obsession. I honestly loved this book and the banter and the well-developed characters had me turning page after page. I was able to feel the salt in the air with how she wrote. It was honestly a lyrical book and I cannot recommend it enough.

I can't remember the last time a book had me under its spell like Soulgazer. Reading it felt like a lush, moon-drenched dream. Saoirse and Faolan were perfection and their chemistry leapt off the page. This book managed to touch on emotional, profound themes while also being complete swashbuckling fun. I'm going to need the next one ASAP because that ending was a jaw-dropper!

I want to scream out that i loved this story. It was amazing full of adventure and the one thing that had me hooked, pirates.

What a lovely debut. I was immediately drawn in by the cover, and I’m so glad it prompted me to pick up this book.

Soulgazer is peak romantasy, with equal attention to character and atmosphere as plot. If you have a weak spot for pirates, you’ll especially like this one. I’m a sucker for marriages of convenience, but I appreciated that it was still a slow burn. I kept wanting to push them together, but of course, the payoff is worth it in the end.

I truly appreciate that Saoirse is a soft heroine—not a skilled physical fighter, and more sad than angry. It’s a refreshing change from other stories I’ve read. Her not having the typical slender, muscled body type was also welcome. All in all, I loved Rapier’s writing style, which is balanced and beautiful.

It’s rare I find a book where I can rate the sexual content as “moderate” rather than graphic or minor. The characters’ physical relationship was important to their story, and we weren’t completely shut out of it. But the scenes aren’t vulgar or extremely descriptive. I’d let a high schooler read it.

There were a few scenes I felt like I was missing some context, and I’d have to go back and reread to see what I’d missed, but then was still confused so I just plundered on. This was mainly during the quests—I found myself not exactly knowing what they were seeking and why. The bone ring was clear, but the other parts aren’t as much. I’m sure I’d understand more on a reread.

I was so glad to see that the author plans to continue this as a series. It’s a fascinating world and lovable, interesting characters who deserve more page time. I will definitely continue reading.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC. I’ve published my review on Goodreads, The Storygraph, and Fable. I will post it on my book Instagram and Amazon closer to/at pub day.

This is a highly descriptive and emotional love story full of magic. I loved how indulgent the prose felt on a line level. The magic was unique and the story itself! I think romantasy readers will love this one!

This was a fun pirate romantasy debut! I liked the adventure of finding the lost isle and the main character learning to embrace her magic. The romance was also cute!

I REALLY wanted to love this! The cover? Gorgeous. The plot description? Promised everything I wanted in a pirate fantasy. It just didn't deliver the way I expected it to. The MMC and the FMC seemed like caricatures of who they were supposed to be and didn't give me enough depth. The world itself was interesting at a surface level, but could have been further fleshed out. Overall, cool concept, lacking in execution.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the eARC!

I really enjoyed this book, and I think it’s a really great fit for fans of Rebecca Ross and Megan Rogerson!

‘Treacherous’ by Taylor Swift is a good representation of this debut romantasy by Maggie Rapier.

This is a lyrically magically book with a deeply wounded FMC, the old gods and dead and she’s a cursed girl.
Watching Saoirse grow and heal was such a treat. She is a soft protagonist, which was a nice change of pace from our fire breathers(still love them but not everyone is like this.) Soft does not mean weak however, and she really challenges herself to find herself, and make decisions she choices to live with.

Our MMC is charming and deceptive, what else do you except from a pirate? Faolon has been searching for Saoirse most of his life and when he does, he’s not going to let her go.

There’s form forced proximity by the nature of this romantic adventure and simmering burn as Saoirse grows in confidence.

Huge thank you to NetGalley and Berkeley Publishing Group for this dreamy romantasy!

I cannot say enough good things about this book. I don’t think I’ve ever rated a book five stars faster than I did Soulgazer, and it’ll be a pleasure to reread this book and return to these characters and this world again.

Soulgazer has so many elements that I can’t help but love. Romance, action, adventure, pirates, magic... the list goes on. This was the romantasy book that my heart needed. Maggie has found the perfect balance of romance and adventure in a story filled with character development and world building that all felt right. There wasn’t a single word of this story that felt forced, and I loved the depth of characters and the world that Maggie built in the book.

Saoirse, as a main character, was so relatable for me, and I thought her character arc and development over the course of the novel was inspiring. Faolan was the love interest that I wanted for Saoirse and a character with his own depth as well; he immediately jumped onto the list of book boyfriends for me. I lost count of how many times I laughed and swooned as these character got to know each other, bantered, and challenged each other over the course of the novel. The tension of the story was excellent, pertaining both to the overarching quest plot (and the time constraints that puts on the characters) and to the tension between Saoirse and Faolan... it’s all top notch.

My only complaint is that I wish there were more pages. I would have happily read more pages with these characters, and the very end of the book could have used some additional pages to compliment the fast-paced end.

I can’t wait to see what’s next for these characters in the next book, and I know I’ll be eagerly waiting for the moment I can get my hands on it.

I was incredibly excited for this book and it really met my expectations of keeping me hooked and the YEARNING it held!! From the moment I read the premise, I knew this story would keep me turning the pages long past my bedtime, and it really did.

Soarise’s character was an absolutely perfect counterpart for Faolan, and yet they still fit so perfectly together. Their differences meshed in a way that made the longing and slow burn that much better.

Aside from that, the fighting through the trauma our FMC clearly has dealt with was so empowering, and there was no part of the story that felt out of place. You are able to really see why Soarise behaves the way she does and how it has affected her entire character. Great writing of her, and I could relate to her feelings so deeply.

My only critique of this book (if it can even be called a critique!) was the fact that I as a reader had moments where I was having trouble keeping up with the pacing of where they were during scenes and what exactly was going on. Whether this was a reader issue or possibly a slight pacing issue, it’s very minor in my opinion, but I wanted to bring it up for likeminded readers (ones with ADHD who lose focus easily lol).

4/5 stars, I recommend, and cannot WAIT for the sequel!!!!!