Official Review: Soul Bound by Kay Bilsby

[amybo82]

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Soul Bound" by Kay Bilsby.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Soul Bound by Kay Bilsby is an action-packed science fiction novel that keeps you rapt from beginning to end. With her dad out of her life and her mother dead, Phia is learning to navigate the world mostly on her own, with the help of two of her mom's friends. However, strange things start happening, and Phia begins to realize that her mother and father hid many things from her to protect her. Phia learns that her true identity is that of a Halfling—half elf, half human. That wouldn't be so bad, except there is a decree in the elf kingdom that no Halflings should be allowed to live. A hunter is after Phia, and as she tries to escape, she realizes she needs help. That help comes in the form of Evrik, an elven clan leader, who is more closely bonded to Phia than she realizes.

Evrik takes Phia to Solvia, the land of the Fey. As Phia begins to understand her bond with Evrik, she also learns of the elf ways. She meets trolls, Amazons, warriors, and elves, both good and bad. She has to once again fight off her hunter and, perhaps even more challenging, win the hearts of Evrik's clan, including his sister. Phia's journey reunites her with her long lost father, introduces her to her ancestors, and makes her realize what a strong woman she is becoming.

Kay Bilsby does an amazing job telling Phia's story. She paints beautiful pictures of the settings. You can see every image as she describes it. Her characters are well-rounded, and she does a great job of establishing them as people (and creatures) that you want to root for. There are some great plot twists that add extra dimensions to the story. The book is fast paced, and the author does not belabor points. However, I think this is sometimes a detriment to the overall story because it also doesn't give the action a chance to develop. Typically, novels will focus on one scene, letting it play out over multiple pages or chapters. Soul Bound has scenes in short bursts, which allows the scenes to resolve quickly, but I don't think it gives the scenes time to fully develop.

There are also a few mechanical errors with the book. These could be easily resolved with another proofread and edit. Errors such as questions ending with periods, run-on sentences, and missing commas do not distract the reader from the story. Occasionally, misspelled words and typos cause you to have to re-read a passage to make sure you caught the correct meaning. Overall, though, the story is well written and easy to follow. It is full of gems of wisdom. One of my favorites is when Phia is talking about the death of one of her friends in Chapter 18. She says that his death, "taught me that no matter how awful the day has been, life has a habit of moving on."

I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars! Normally, I would have lowered the rating because of the mechanical errors and the way the action feels cut short. However, the quality and creativity of this story really make it worth the read! If you like books about elves and fey creatures, you're going to love this one! The book ends with a preview of the other two books in the series. I can't wait to read them both!

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Soul Bound
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Like amybo82's review? Post a comment saying so!

[Sapphire01]

Wow, thank you, what a great review and so much more than I hoped. I’m glad that someone out there enjoyed Phia’s story enough to give it four stars. I agree that the action is a little rushed; I got so caught up in the flow that I couldn’t wait to find out what would happen next. I think in pictures, scenes if you like and the whole thing played out like a movie to me. I just had to get it down before it disappeared. That said, I have learned so much since then and I promise you that I have slowed the pace down a little for the next books.
As for the mechanical errors, I probably shouldn’t have messed around with the manuscript after it had been professionally proof read. I just couldn’t let go, another lesson learned.
I hope I haven’t overstepped commenting like this, I'm new to this but felt you deserved a thank you

[gali]

Great review and the book sounds cool. Congrats to the author on a positive review!

[zeldas_lullaby]

Great review, and congrats to Sapphire! Your comments are welcomed!!

[Tanaya]

I've similarly been focused on if an author belabors points, as you put it, or doesn't allow enough time for adequate development. It's refreshing to see that you gave the book 4 stars despite its flaws That says a lot about the book's strengths. Great review!

[bluemel4]

Wonderfully well written review! I am in love with the Phia character just from your description of her! Congrats to the author. Well done.

[Jesska6029]

Great review! This seems like a great book!

[amybo82]

Thanks to everyone for the comments. I am so excited about this book! I am glad that it's getting some positive feedback, and I hope the author continues to do well. @Sapphire01, we (the reviewers and fans) love interacting with authors! Phia's story is so great, and I hope other people fall in love with it too! It's different from anything I've read, and I love the unique elements and details. I can't wait to find out where the next books take her!

[Sapphire01]

I am simply blown away by the review and all the positive comments on it, thank you

[Gravy]

This sounds really awesome!
And that cover is amazing

[ALynnPowers]

All I needed was the cover and the word "Fey" that my eyes picked out from the review. I love it already.

[bookowlie]

What an excellent review! I don't read a lot of sci-fi books, but you made this one sound interesting.

[amybo82]

It's definitely worth a shot, and the cover is so great! I could definitely see it sitting on the YA shelf in my library!

[anonanemone]

This series sounds really different and interesting. Just bought the book! Thanks for a great review @amybo82.

[amybo82]

I'm so glad you got it! I hope you love it as much as I did!