Unsouled

 Unsouled by Will Wight

A Book Review by Rachael from the Altona Branch 

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy | Pages: 290 | 5/5 Stars

Mature Content: 5/5 | Empowering: 4/5 | Tears: 2/5

Would you recommend this book to someone, why or why not?

Yes, I would recommend this entire series. I normally do not read a lot of fantasy but this book was well written, the characters are very engaging, and the story flows very well. It becomes hard to put down the book, you want to read right to the very end. It's easy to amerce yourself in Sacred Valley and Lindon is a very likeable and clever character, you want to root for him.

How did the author keep you interested throughout the story?

This book starts off introducing you to Lindon, a boy in the Wei clan from Sacred Valley, and you follow his journey from becoming less than to more than. All things in the Sacred Valley can be divided into four, including what path each child will take as they grow, the elders test the children using maedra to determine their paths in life, but Lindon is considered unsouled, and as someone with a weak and broken soul he is discarded by the clans as a burden. They will take care of him, but he has to fight tooth and nail for even just mere acknowledgement of his existence. Things come to a head at an annual tournament when Lindon risks his life for all the clans and a higher being takes notice, from this moment on his path changes and the real story begins. The remainder of the story involves lots of battles as Lindon finds a way to leave Sacred Valley to fulfill his destiny to save his people. 

How did this book challenge or change your perspective or opinion on something?

My favourite quote from this book is: "Fate is not fair, but it is just. Hard work is never in vain... even when it does not achieve what you wanted." Many times throughout this series you see how true this quote is, but this is also true in life, you may not achieve what you wanted, but hard work is never in vain as it pushes you to grow and learn. 

How does this book compare to other books by the same author or in the same genre?

I have read the whole series from this author and have thoroughly enjoyed each one. It is a long series, 12 books in total but I could have had more, I was sad when I finished it.

Who was your favourite character and why?

In this book my favourite character was Lindon, you watch him grow as a person so much, and overcome so much in this first book that you really get attached to him. Watching him come to the realization that everything he has every been told about souls is incorrect and that there is hope for him to achieve more is heartbreaking and rewarding at the same time.

Who was the character you disagreed with the most, and why?

There was not one specific character, I think it was more how the clans perceive the unsouled. Their treatment of those they deem weaker than or less than is abhorrent, and you feel so bad for Lindon who just wants to be recognized as a worthy member of his clan. It says a lot about Lindon's character that he still wants to save his people and the valley from ruin, and even though he knows he will be fighting an uphill battle he still willingly takes on the task, which makes the clan's seem even worse. 

How did you feel about the ending? Was it satisfying or did you want more?

It was very satisfying to see Lindon realize the truth, but I definitely wanted more. In the later part of the book you become acquainted with Yerin, and at the end of this book the journey for both of them together, begins. Yerin is also a very likeable character and the ending of this book drives you to dive into the next book in the series: Soulsmith.

If you'd like to place this book on hold, CLICK HERE!