I don’t remember how I stumbled onto the Souls of the Never. But while pursuing my library, I stumbled upon the title and read the publisher’s summary.
Something wants our world…and it’s coming through her to get it!
Katheryne, a kick-ass Irish heroine, and Derren, her dimension-hopping boyfriend, along with a ragged team of misfits, are pitted against the powers of darkness; powers that want to free magic – and their malevolent god – from its ancient prison.
The fate of two worlds lies in their hands, so cue time-travel. Cue epic battles.
The premise intrigued me, so I cracked it open and give it a listen. Despite the story being gripping, it was hard to follow. The chapter titles helped place the reader into the appropriate context, but even with the cues it was jarring to constantly jump from place to place and year to year. While the multiple story lines that the author wove together enhanced the overall story line, but with less jarring jumps, the tale would have been more cohesive.
With all the jumps, CJ Rutherford introduces new characters and locations left and right. While the core of the narrative takes place in Ireland, the author planted enough details to make the various worlds and the important characters compelling. Neither the worlds nor the characters felt flat or underdeveloped.
That said, I think this is one of those books that is best enjoyed with subsequent readings. That way you can focus on the details of the story without having to tread water to keep the various timelines and places in mind. With all that said, the ultimate twist of the narrative was perfectly done and expertly delivered.
There were plenty of loose threads dangling at the conclusion, and while I typically like to unravel those threads, I’m tentative about continuing with the series based on how much the first book jumped every which way.
