Article contributed by Yakira Goldsberry
If I had to think of one way to describe Half a Soul, it would be Howl’s Moving Castle meets Pride and Prejudice, which, honestly, is one of the best combinations in existence. It’s a Regency fantasy about a woman missing half her soul and emotions, and a foul-tempered, stressed-out sorcerer.
Half A Soul follows Theodora, ‘Dora’ for short, as she lives through life with only half a soul—part of it having been stolen by an elf lord. She runs into the brusque and bitter Lord Sorcier who, in the end, decides to help Dora with her odd affliction, leading to many adventures and battles of wit. To make matters worse, Dora’s aunt has schemes up her sleeves for setting up Dora and her cousin, Vanessa, with prospective suitors. But Dora isn’t going down without fight, stirring up trouble whenever she can.
I absolutely love Dora. While she isn’t as emotional as other characters, it makes her a curious character. And while she may not be able to feel things like normal ladies, her sense of humour hasn’t been affected one bit. I love how so much of her personality is blamed on her curse when I think that it’s just her. The way that she looked at and described her emotions was fascinating and gave the story such a unique perspective. She’s definitely one of the more well-written protagonists. At points she gives off some serious Sophie from Howl’s Moving Castle vibes which is amazing.
The Lord Sorcerer, Elias, is another fun character. At first, he seems like he’s just like Howl, with his flashy garb and purposefully off-putting personality, but he slowly grows into his own person, with a little more of Mr. Darcy’s awkwardness and an extra flair that is all Elias’s own. Both Dora and Elias spend most of the story searching for clues on her past and trying to find the cause of a mysterious illness that is sweeping the city. Throughout all of this, their relationship blossoms in a truly organic fashion that leaves the reader completely enamoured.
Much like a Jane Austen classic, the plot surrounds the plans and schemes of the mothers trying to see their daughters and sons married off to respectable members of society. However, it takes its own spin, with magic and fairies. And while it does have magic, the story doesn’t shy away from the darker side of things, like the conditions of poor houses and the horrors of war, without giving the story too dark of an edge. With light worldbuilding that doesn’t go too far, it’s an almost believable world set in an alternate France.
The only thing I could really complain about with the book would be that it needed just a tad more editing, the lack of a seriously solid plot, and the fact that it was too short! I needed more! But really, it’s a good story that hits all the right notes for a romance without being overwhelmingly sappy or awkward. The dialogue and the writing style were both amazing and the way it’s written makes this a fast and easy read.
Overall, Half A Soul gets a 9/10 from me for being the perfect kind of romantic escapism with a dash of magic and a whole lot of wit.
Will you be picking up Half A Soul? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
It’s difficult to find a husband in Regency England when you’re a young lady with only half a soul.
Ever since she was cursed by a faerie, Theodora Ettings has had no sense of fear or embarrassment – a condition which makes her prone to accidental scandal. Dora hopes to be a quiet, sensible wallflower during the London Season – but when the strange, handsome and utterly uncouth Lord Sorcier discovers her condition, she is instead drawn into dangerous and peculiar faerie affairs.
If Dora’s reputation can survive both her curse and her sudden connection with the least-liked man in all of high society, then she may yet reclaim her normal place in the world. . . but the longer Dora spends with Elias Wilder, the more she begins to suspect that one may indeed fall in love, even with only half a soul.
Bridgerton meets Howl’s Moving Castle in this enchanting historical fantasy, where the only thing more meddlesome than faeries is a marriage-minded mother.
