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A review by highlanderajax
Soulkeeper by David Dalglish
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I was right on the edge of 3.75 or 4, and it hits 4 by virtue of feeling better than it is, if that makes sense. This is not a crazy amazing work of literature - the prose is a little basic at times, the dialogue can sound a little jarringly modern, and the last couple of chapters feel a bit rushed - but it's a pretty damn good burger, if you know what I mean. Entertaining, strong setup for a sequel, interesting world that's not been bogged down in too much exposition, characters a bit ropey at times but still strong and fun to read.
This is a really really fun world. A flavour not unlike De Castell in the blend of magic, musketeer-y vibes and a bit of bantering dialogue - not quite as strong, but good enough that Dalglish wouldn't be embarrassed by the comparison. The plot is connected strongly to the overarching mythology of the world, which allows for a lot of the mechanics and sociology of the world to be explained BY the plot - this is hugely helpful in not having everything grind to a halt to establish a setting. The villain(s) are enaging and interesting - Dalglish has managed to strike a good balance between immediate threat and long-term plan, again by weaving the plot and the mythology together very deftly. I like the characters too - they're not the most original bunch, but they're different enough that they can play off one another, have a solid reason to work together and communicate, but all have their distinct stories so they stay engaging and independent. The action is flashy and loose, very much blockbuster movie style - it's not going to be mistaken for Cameron de Castell or even Butcher, but it works with the style of book and it's got enough substance to avoid eye-rolling.
Now, there are downsides. This is not a tightly-crafted masterpiece. The pacing is a bit off, and while the midly slow start didn't bother me, the very rushed ending rather did. A lot of heavy scenes landed within the last, like, 40 pages - which doesn't sound too bad, but in a book that clocks in at over 600, it feels like Dalglish could have spaced things out just a touch, maybe stripped a little out elsewhere. The dialogue is a bit off too; it's mostly fine, but when characters are bantering back-and-forth it has a very distinctly modern tone that broke my immersion just a little. It feels very real and very human, but there's something that sounds very current about it. Again, compare to the Greatcoats series - similar very fluid conversations, but it FEELS older or more fantastical. Hard to describe what it is, but it's definitely there.
Overall, this could use a little polish, grind off some rough edges, and maybe tighten up a few bits and pieces. HOWEVER...this is a really really fun book to read. Dalglish seems to have had fun writing it, and I had fun reading it. There are aspects here that make me feel like I should be harsher and lower my rating, but honestly I enjoyed this book immensely and will be reading the sequel.
This is a really really fun world. A flavour not unlike De Castell in the blend of magic, musketeer-y vibes and a bit of bantering dialogue - not quite as strong, but good enough that Dalglish wouldn't be embarrassed by the comparison. The plot is connected strongly to the overarching mythology of the world, which allows for a lot of the mechanics and sociology of the world to be explained BY the plot - this is hugely helpful in not having everything grind to a halt to establish a setting. The villain(s) are enaging and interesting - Dalglish has managed to strike a good balance between immediate threat and long-term plan, again by weaving the plot and the mythology together very deftly. I like the characters too - they're not the most original bunch, but they're different enough that they can play off one another, have a solid reason to work together and communicate, but all have their distinct stories so they stay engaging and independent. The action is flashy and loose, very much blockbuster movie style - it's not going to be mistaken for Cameron de Castell or even Butcher, but it works with the style of book and it's got enough substance to avoid eye-rolling.
Now, there are downsides. This is not a tightly-crafted masterpiece. The pacing is a bit off, and while the midly slow start didn't bother me, the very rushed ending rather did. A lot of heavy scenes landed within the last, like, 40 pages - which doesn't sound too bad, but in a book that clocks in at over 600, it feels like Dalglish could have spaced things out just a touch, maybe stripped a little out elsewhere. The dialogue is a bit off too; it's mostly fine, but when characters are bantering back-and-forth it has a very distinctly modern tone that broke my immersion just a little. It feels very real and very human, but there's something that sounds very current about it. Again, compare to the Greatcoats series - similar very fluid conversations, but it FEELS older or more fantastical. Hard to describe what it is, but it's definitely there.
Overall, this could use a little polish, grind off some rough edges, and maybe tighten up a few bits and pieces. HOWEVER...this is a really really fun book to read. Dalglish seems to have had fun writing it, and I had fun reading it. There are aspects here that make me feel like I should be harsher and lower my rating, but honestly I enjoyed this book immensely and will be reading the sequel.