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christinajl_gb's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed this book. It had interesting characters, most of which who were shades of light/dark. The characters all had varying motives and there was plenty of action. The soul born magic was an intriguing idea and I'm looking forward to seeing how the story progresses in the next book.
daezarkian's review against another edition
4.0
In short...
THE PLOT: A warrior named Karn must prepare to do battle with the evil warlord Mustafa. But can his mysterious lover, the apprentice mage Opal, and her masters be trusted? What is the truth of Karn's mysterious background?
THE GOOD: This is a fine epic fantasy yarn, peopled with realistic, flawed and sympathetic characters. "Soul Born" has a layered and intricate plot that more often than not goes in entirely unexpected directions. Breaux's world is well detailed and fully realized, and he manages to present some very familiar concepts in new and refreshing ways. (I particularly liked the jackalwares.)
THE BAD: The prose could use some tightening; there were points where I felt the novel was too long not because of the plot (which, as I mentioned, is excellent), but because the author provides *too much* detail when he should just keep the story rolling along. Character Point-of-View also shifts often and without warning, and the effect was occasionally jarring for me.
THE UGLY: Nothing ugly here, except maybe Mustafa. But so far as villains go, he's pretty bad-ass.
THE VERDICT: This is a solid read, and what few problems I had with the book had more to do with my personal preferences than any actual problem with the book itself. Breaux has a vivid imagination and a fantastic feel for his characters, and I very much look forward to reading the sequel...hey, lucky me, the sequel is coming soon! =D
THE PLOT: A warrior named Karn must prepare to do battle with the evil warlord Mustafa. But can his mysterious lover, the apprentice mage Opal, and her masters be trusted? What is the truth of Karn's mysterious background?
THE GOOD: This is a fine epic fantasy yarn, peopled with realistic, flawed and sympathetic characters. "Soul Born" has a layered and intricate plot that more often than not goes in entirely unexpected directions. Breaux's world is well detailed and fully realized, and he manages to present some very familiar concepts in new and refreshing ways. (I particularly liked the jackalwares.)
THE BAD: The prose could use some tightening; there were points where I felt the novel was too long not because of the plot (which, as I mentioned, is excellent), but because the author provides *too much* detail when he should just keep the story rolling along. Character Point-of-View also shifts often and without warning, and the effect was occasionally jarring for me.
THE UGLY: Nothing ugly here, except maybe Mustafa. But so far as villains go, he's pretty bad-ass.
THE VERDICT: This is a solid read, and what few problems I had with the book had more to do with my personal preferences than any actual problem with the book itself. Breaux has a vivid imagination and a fantastic feel for his characters, and I very much look forward to reading the sequel...hey, lucky me, the sequel is coming soon! =D
prationality's review
4.0
First thing to say is that even though it didn't change the rating for the book, I was more than a little relieved to hear that Soul Born is the first book in a three book series. Book 2 is due out in fourth quarter 2011 (Fall/winter) in fact.
When I first read about this the words 'dark fantasy' were first and foremost. And this can definitely be considered that; there's no 'good guy' or 'bad guy', or a sense that one side is any better then the other. Much of the characters are motivated by a selfish goal or concern--in some cases this means acting against the side they've aligned with in order to achieve that goal.
Without giving spoilers, Karn begins with Opal, but he eventually goes with Tala. I liked that Breaux contrasted the emotions that Tala has for Karn with what Opal feels. He doesn't emphasize that one is better then the other, that one has more right then the other. This goes back to what I was saying about how there isn't a 'good' or 'bad' guy. Neither is exactly forthcoming with Karn in regards to who he is or why they need him.
I wanted to know more about Illyia, I was constantly hoping that just a little more information would be given so I could have a better worldview. Its not that Breaux leaves the world vague and unshaped, rather he focuses almost entirely on Opal, Tala and Karn's conflicts. We are given just enough information to understand what's happening--such as the war between Tala's people (the Elves) and the Lizardmen. Considering I'm used to entire chapters dedicated to detailing the history of why the Elves and Lizardmen are fighting, the few short paragraphs Breaux uses to tell us about the war made me blink. This isn't a bad thing, overall it gives the book a tighter focus, just takes a little getting used to.
There are several revelations in the book that left me surprised and eager to read on to see how this now effected things. More than anything else the mystery of Karn's past and his memories were what I wanted to know more about. They came in fragments and snippets, some of them mundane and some of them intense. In the beginning of the book Karn thinks about the fact he clearly remembers his death, but with no visible signs of it nor any linking memories to it, he grows confused. Each subsequent 'memory' builds a larger, rather frightening, picture.
I was a bit taken aback by the ending--I wasn't entirely convinced that what Opal did was necessary (even if she felt it was) nor did I think that what Tala did made much sense. There was no time passage defined, but it felt like Tala suddenly rushed into the decision. It will be interesting to see how it plays out in the next book, though I'm a little wary with the implications.
When I first read about this the words 'dark fantasy' were first and foremost. And this can definitely be considered that; there's no 'good guy' or 'bad guy', or a sense that one side is any better then the other. Much of the characters are motivated by a selfish goal or concern--in some cases this means acting against the side they've aligned with in order to achieve that goal.
Without giving spoilers, Karn begins with Opal, but he eventually goes with Tala. I liked that Breaux contrasted the emotions that Tala has for Karn with what Opal feels. He doesn't emphasize that one is better then the other, that one has more right then the other. This goes back to what I was saying about how there isn't a 'good' or 'bad' guy. Neither is exactly forthcoming with Karn in regards to who he is or why they need him.
I wanted to know more about Illyia, I was constantly hoping that just a little more information would be given so I could have a better worldview. Its not that Breaux leaves the world vague and unshaped, rather he focuses almost entirely on Opal, Tala and Karn's conflicts. We are given just enough information to understand what's happening--such as the war between Tala's people (the Elves) and the Lizardmen. Considering I'm used to entire chapters dedicated to detailing the history of why the Elves and Lizardmen are fighting, the few short paragraphs Breaux uses to tell us about the war made me blink. This isn't a bad thing, overall it gives the book a tighter focus, just takes a little getting used to.
There are several revelations in the book that left me surprised and eager to read on to see how this now effected things. More than anything else the mystery of Karn's past and his memories were what I wanted to know more about. They came in fragments and snippets, some of them mundane and some of them intense. In the beginning of the book Karn thinks about the fact he clearly remembers his death, but with no visible signs of it nor any linking memories to it, he grows confused. Each subsequent 'memory' builds a larger, rather frightening, picture.
I was a bit taken aback by the ending--I wasn't entirely convinced that what Opal did was necessary (even if she felt it was) nor did I think that what Tala did made much sense. There was no time passage defined, but it felt like Tala suddenly rushed into the decision. It will be interesting to see how it plays out in the next book, though I'm a little wary with the implications.
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