Review by LindoM -- Soul Seeker by Kaylin McFarren
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LindoM
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Review by LindoM -- Soul Seeker by Kaylin McFarren
[Following is a volunteer review of "Soul Seeker" by Kaylin McFarren.]
Before Crighton’s arrival, Benjamin Poe’s thoughts included: being a good firefighter, fixing his marriage, and mending his relationship with his son. Crighton’s arrival comes with too many revelations, which leads Benjamin to his doom. Afterward, Crighton continues his soul collecting journey, gathering some of the most corrupt souls to deliver to Lucifer. One day, Lucifer sends Crighton to capture an angel’s soul. The mission becomes a failure because the “Sovereign Sector” kidnaps him and the angel he was sent to capture. This group tries to conduct experiments on Crighton and the angle, but luckily they manage to escape. Their escape, however, is not before Crighton obtains new information that leads him on a dangerous path.
In the novel, we are quickly made aware of the limitless creativity that Kaylin McFarren possesses. The poem she writes creates a sinister atmosphere, which is a brilliant start to the paranormal novel. The rhyming couplet she used throughout the poem, also helps in creating a chilling atmosphere. Even though the poem gives Benjamin’s entire storyline, there is still enjoyment when we discover the details behind his actions. The poem also acts as a summary and makes us feel more sympathetic towards Benjamin’s situation.
I enjoyed that McFarren addresses some of the characters by their last names because of how it gave these characters a sense of authority. Furthermore, this made those characters easy to trust and likable to the reader. This technique also sparks curiosity within the reader, as we are left wondering how someone with such morals can be lead down a dark path.
Addressing some of the characters formally, and using narrative storytelling makes the reader feel like they are a spectator. Thus, creating a feeling of helplessness, which could be a reflection of how the characters feel when they are around Crighton. Combing these two techniques also creates an emotional balance between the reader and the characters, as we can remain objective in their situation and have sympathy for the character.
I dislike the two-part split the novel has because of the way the stories are detached. On one hand, the first part of the novel has a dark and eerie atmosphere. On the other hand, the second part of the novel is lighthearted, and the focus shifts to Crighton as our protagonist. Crighton’s background being included throughout the novel would have made the transition more effective. Also, this would make more sense regarding the book’s title, Soul Seeker, because the main character, a soul-seeking demon, would be mentioned throughout the novel instead of mainly appearing in part two.
Crighton’s story unfolding throughout the novel would have also helped explain his motives more, therefore, making the reader understand his character better. He would also appear more consistent and therefore likable. Crighton’s story being separated from the rest of the characters could have been a reminder to the reader that he is a supernatural being. But personally, this technique just created distance between me and his character, thus making his journey tedious to read.
Generally, the book was enjoyable to read and appears to be well-edited. I could not put the book down, especially during the mystery-filled sections in part one and some of part two of the novel.
I would recommend the book to a mature audience because it has profanity and a few suggestions of sexual acts.
Overall, I give the book a 2 out of 4 stars. McFarren writes an enticing novel with lots of twists, but I felt as if I was reading two books that did not fully support each other.
******
Soul Seeker
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Before Crighton’s arrival, Benjamin Poe’s thoughts included: being a good firefighter, fixing his marriage, and mending his relationship with his son. Crighton’s arrival comes with too many revelations, which leads Benjamin to his doom. Afterward, Crighton continues his soul collecting journey, gathering some of the most corrupt souls to deliver to Lucifer. One day, Lucifer sends Crighton to capture an angel’s soul. The mission becomes a failure because the “Sovereign Sector” kidnaps him and the angel he was sent to capture. This group tries to conduct experiments on Crighton and the angle, but luckily they manage to escape. Their escape, however, is not before Crighton obtains new information that leads him on a dangerous path.
In the novel, we are quickly made aware of the limitless creativity that Kaylin McFarren possesses. The poem she writes creates a sinister atmosphere, which is a brilliant start to the paranormal novel. The rhyming couplet she used throughout the poem, also helps in creating a chilling atmosphere. Even though the poem gives Benjamin’s entire storyline, there is still enjoyment when we discover the details behind his actions. The poem also acts as a summary and makes us feel more sympathetic towards Benjamin’s situation.
I enjoyed that McFarren addresses some of the characters by their last names because of how it gave these characters a sense of authority. Furthermore, this made those characters easy to trust and likable to the reader. This technique also sparks curiosity within the reader, as we are left wondering how someone with such morals can be lead down a dark path.
Addressing some of the characters formally, and using narrative storytelling makes the reader feel like they are a spectator. Thus, creating a feeling of helplessness, which could be a reflection of how the characters feel when they are around Crighton. Combing these two techniques also creates an emotional balance between the reader and the characters, as we can remain objective in their situation and have sympathy for the character.
I dislike the two-part split the novel has because of the way the stories are detached. On one hand, the first part of the novel has a dark and eerie atmosphere. On the other hand, the second part of the novel is lighthearted, and the focus shifts to Crighton as our protagonist. Crighton’s background being included throughout the novel would have made the transition more effective. Also, this would make more sense regarding the book’s title, Soul Seeker, because the main character, a soul-seeking demon, would be mentioned throughout the novel instead of mainly appearing in part two.
Crighton’s story unfolding throughout the novel would have also helped explain his motives more, therefore, making the reader understand his character better. He would also appear more consistent and therefore likable. Crighton’s story being separated from the rest of the characters could have been a reminder to the reader that he is a supernatural being. But personally, this technique just created distance between me and his character, thus making his journey tedious to read.
Generally, the book was enjoyable to read and appears to be well-edited. I could not put the book down, especially during the mystery-filled sections in part one and some of part two of the novel.
I would recommend the book to a mature audience because it has profanity and a few suggestions of sexual acts.
Overall, I give the book a 2 out of 4 stars. McFarren writes an enticing novel with lots of twists, but I felt as if I was reading two books that did not fully support each other.
******
Soul Seeker
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Chasing The Red Queen by Karen Glista
