Stolen Soul by Alex Rivers – A Book Review

Posted September 7, 2019 by Booksandblurbs in Reviews, Urban Fantasy / 1 Comment

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Stolen Soul

(The Yliaster Crystal – Book 1)

by Alex Rivers
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Urban Fantasy
Available on Kindle and Kindle Unlimited

Down and Dirty

A great introduction to a fascinating, Urban Fantasy world. Action packed with somewhat honorable thieves and a prize none of them anticipates. Free on Kindle Unlimited.

What is it about?

(Blurb from GoodReads)

They say no man can rob a dragon. Good thing I’m not a man.

There’s an underground magical vault, protected by sorcery, security cameras, guards and whatnot. Think of the most impenetrable place in the world. Now triple it.

Here comes the bad news. It belongs to a dragon, and I was hired to break into it and steal his hoard. Suicidal? Insane? Maybe, but… actually, there’s no but. It’s suicidal and insane. Still, fortune favors the bold. Let’s hope fortune has a good disposition toward the crazy as well.

I might be an alchemist extraordinaire, and the best burglar on the East Coast, but this is not a solo job. I’ll need a team for this one. Accompanied by a powerful sorcerer, a fortune teller, a scam artist, and a hacker, I embark on the heist of the century. If we succeed, we’ll be legends. If not – crispy dragon snacks.

Thoughts on Stolen Soul

I actually enjoyed this urban fantasy quite a bit. It flows well and there is a lyrical quality to the way the words are twisted or phrases thrown. It does lack a full emotional punch romantically, but there were aspects that took me off guard – and made the entire story better… emotional facets regarding her life and past.

Many urban fantasies focus just in the present and the future, yet with this one, we see how past decisions and even mistakes have shaped who this alchemist has become – and who she may yet grow into.

Pros:

Very well written. Word choice is prime.
Character development is intriguing.
There is a HFN, but not really.
Change can be brutal.

Cons:

There is something missing, though I not 100% certain what, at least not enough to define it. Hopefully this sense will pass on book 2 and I can fully immerse myself.

Perspective:

First Person, Single POV

Ending Type

HFN

Rating

PG-13 to R

Romantic Dynamic

M/F (though romance is NOT the crux of this story, yet)

Character Age Range

23+

Verdict

4 out of 5 Stars

An Urban Fantasy series worthy of following. It has the kind of action that invites you to cheer for the ‘bad guys’ while discovering what makes them tick, who they are and WHY they may be the thieves life has made them. Perfect for fans of ‘Leverage’! Free on KU.

Published February 28th, 2018

368 Pages