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folkofthebook's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
“I have known many human beings with a full soul to their name who do not have half so much compassion or practicality as you.”
oh this was a DELIGHT to read. the regency setting, a unique plot, the pacing, the banter, and the buildup of the romance... *chef's kiss* i'm really loving historical fantasy these days and this is easily one of my favorite reads this year so far, all genres included.
“Pleasant-mannered people are simply the worst sort of people. Decent people become properly angry when presented with miserable injustice, but pleasant-mannered people never do.”
“But sometimes, when you cannot force the world to come to its senses, you must settle only for wiping away some of the small evils in front of you.”
i loved elias. i will admit i was even put off a bit by his introduction bc of his attitude, but we learn about him quickly and it's impossible to not warm up to him. he is angry at the injustices of the world and wants to make it all better, but feels powerless to fix it all. dora is the perfect balance to him; she is calm and collected, but unintimidated to return his banter. watching this romance blossom had me kicking my feet and giggling in bed. très romantique!
side note, i did also adore albert. i'm happy he got his own happiness as well.
i will definitely be reading more of atwater's books, i can't wait to see what else is in store in this world!
“Was there anything else you were curious about, while we’re at it? Shall I take off my trousers and let you take my measure?”
“I did not come here only to dance. I came here only to dance with you. It is quite a different thing.”
“I think I am happy. What a lovely feeling. I am dreaming, and I don’t want to wake up.”
“I don’t want to wake up either,” he whispered.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Death, Blood, and Murder
Minor: Grief, Death of parent, War, Gun violence, Violence, Child abuse, and Child death
kbairbooks's review
challenging
dark
emotional
relaxing
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This was cute! I read this for my Bookclubs April pic and I really enjoyed it! I will say that I struggled with the split soul concept because if you replace that with autism you can see how poorly people with differences are treated. But I liked this book and how advocate-y it was for the oppressed and underprivileged.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Trafficking, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, War, Blood, Classism, Ableism, Violence, Bullying, Body horror, Slavery, Child death, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, and Child abuse
readwithria's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Half a Soul is full of heart, and artfully combines traditional faerie stories with classic regency romance trope.
I was not expecting to love this book as much as I did! The prose is so lovely, and I have too many favorite quotes to share them all. The characters are compelling and while not all in possession of an entire soul, they are all in possession of fully fleshed out wants and desires.
Dora is such an interesting young woman, and reading through her perspective while she is without her acute emotional responses was fascinating. Seeing her “long-tailed” emotions shift and grow throughout the book was such a treat, and Atwater’s descriptions did them such justice.
Read this book of you love
🩵 faerie folklore
🩶 regency romance
🩵 grumpy MMCs
🩶 excellent banter
🩵 strong secondary characters
🩶 hand touching (iykyk)
I can’t in good conscience end this review without leaving you one of my favorite quotes from the book
“You once told me that your cousin was a warm lantern to you, Dora. I know what you mean by that now. Of all things, you have become my lantern too – and I cannot bring myself to let you go out”
I was not expecting to love this book as much as I did! The prose is so lovely, and I have too many favorite quotes to share them all. The characters are compelling and while not all in possession of an entire soul, they are all in possession of fully fleshed out wants and desires.
Dora is such an interesting young woman, and reading through her perspective while she is without her acute emotional responses was fascinating. Seeing her “long-tailed” emotions shift and grow throughout the book was such a treat, and Atwater’s descriptions did them such justice.
Read this book of you love
🩵 faerie folklore
🩶 regency romance
🩵 grumpy MMCs
🩶 excellent banter
🩵 strong secondary characters
🩶 hand touching (iykyk)
I can’t in good conscience end this review without leaving you one of my favorite quotes from the book
“You once told me that your cousin was a warm lantern to you, Dora. I know what you mean by that now. Of all things, you have become my lantern too – and I cannot bring myself to let you go out”
Content Warnings
Moderate: Medical content, Blood, Kidnapping, War, Violence, and Gun violence
Minor: Pregnancy and Confinement
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