A review by lionelle_swithens
Chariot of Souls by Morgan Mason

adventurous challenging emotional lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

3 Holy hotness, Batman Stars

ARC Read: 08/09/2024
I received this ebook for free from the author and I'm leaving this review of my own accord. Thank you, Morgan Mason.

What to expect from this book? 🤔

❤️🔥 Adult MM Paranormal Romance 🥵💦
👉 Soul Mates/Fated Mates
👉 Insta-Love
😗👉 Clumsiness Prone Sweet Human
&
💀👉 Obsessed Grim Reaper with Stalkish Tendencies
⏳️ Codependency
👉 Virgin MC ☠️
👉 Reincarnation
🤔👉 Slow Burnish

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"Arit: Death is universal.
Death is constant.
It’s unavoidable.
It’s inevitable.
Death is a friend I know by name, for we have been together since time immemorial.
And death is my purpose, my reason for being."

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Series: Tales From The Tarot #7
Cover: 3/5
Story: 3,5/5

Genre/Trope:Adult/MM Romance/Fated Mate/Queer First Times/V Card/Please Teach Me/Sun Kissed Spirit/Paranormal/ Fantasy/Age Gap/Insta-Love/Angel Or Demon/Beast Glamour/Mystery/LGTBQIA Plus/New Authors/Possessive MC/Slow Burnish/ARC

Content/Trigger Warnings:

Nixon gets sick, faints and chokes on food

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"Nixon: I remember scrambling over rotting wet logs, slipping on sopping piles of dead leaves, and the crack of lightning looming just over our shoulders. I do not recall tripping over roots or hitting my head on a rock, but I do remember waking up to Cami crying and dragging me through the open doorway to the scariest structure I’d ever been in. If I hadn’t nearly died of a cracked skull, I’m sure I would have died of fright."

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Plot: 3/5
POV: 2

Main Characters:
3/5 – Arit, Grim Reaper, 6million yo
3/5 – Nixon Everhart, nicknames Nix, Nixy, human, 25yo

I really liked the MCs, and the book had an excellent start. It kicked off strong… but then things changed.
It felt rushed, and at the same time, it dragged a little, mainly due to the MCs' inner monologues that went on throughout the book.

I really liked Nixon at the start. We were getting to know him, but by the middle of the book, it became all about the couple. I felt like we didn’t get enough time to fully explore Nixon, and his character development stalled at around 40%. Arit’s development also felt limited, but not as much as Nixon's.

I wish the author had taken a bit more time to arrange the story. At times, it felt rushed, dragged, and, as a result, a bit boring. I found myself skimming sometimes.
That being said, there were still plenty of cute and funny moments, and overall, it was an enjoyable read.

What bothered me the most was how Nixon being an accident magnet suddenly it disappeared without explanation. It wasn't well explored.
That was the main reason I signed up for the ARC was because it reminded me of Jeff (aka Jesk) from What We Do In The Shadows (Nadja's reincarnated lover) where Laszlo would always find and kill him in every reincarnation, for making Nadja unhappy.
I thought Nixon’s clumsiness would be funny in that way, but I guess it was only used for the plot sake.

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" Nixon:“I’ve kept you. Forgive me.” He does his bow again, accompanied this time by his hand over his heart, and takes a step back.
“Wait!” I blurt, suddenly struck by the irrational sense that if he leaves now I’ll never forgive myself for at least not asking his name. He looks up, concerned again, his pale, almost white-blue eyes laser focused on me. “I didn’t catch your name.” Real smooth, idiot.
(...)
“Arit,” he says, but there’s something in the way he says it, the way he forms the word on his lips, that intrigues me. It’s like he’s never said his own name before, and he’s pleased with how it sounds.
“Arit,” I repeat and finally gather myself enough to step forward and hold out my hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”

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Side Characters: 3/5 Just because of The Magic Shop scenes and Lincoln (Nix's friend)

The other characters were meh. I kinda didn't like the Fate Mother of Arit, and Nixon's family (or mother, since she was the only one who appeared, and only once) was also meh. She didn’t do much besides chastising Nixon for not responding to her texts.

In the end, it felt incomplete. We didn’t get any more appearances from Nixon's family

just a mention of Arit meeting them, but nothing more

and neither did we get Lincoln, whom I would have actually loved to see more of.

And finally! 3 trips to The Magic Shop!
One of the best parts of the book was meeting The Owner!
Unfortunately, we still didn’t get a tarot reading, but the author made up for it with plenty of magic.... and seeing The Owner sweat a little. (Hehehe, Arit, you rascal!)

Tarot Card: The Chariot

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“Yes,” I reply, taking a centering breath. “It’s the one soul I’ve encountered more than any other soul I’ve carried. I would recognize it anywhere. In any lifetime. In any era.”
Rai stares at me like I’ve spoken gibberish. “Really?”
I nod and look out over the water. “Four thousand, two hundred, forty-two. Give or take.”
“What?!”
“That’s the approximate number of times I’ve carried Nixon’s soul.”
“Gods in the cosmos.” Rai’s eyes are the size of saucers. “I’m not even going to comment on the fact that you’ve been keeping track because of course you would, but what in Fate’s name does that mean?

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Humor: Medium Focus
Angst: Medium High Focus
Steam Level: 2,5/5
Romance: High Focus
Cheating?

No

Cons:The only thing I didn't need was the specifics on the food. My favorite kinds of books are the ones that don't describe the food the characters are eating in every scene, or at least only once or twice. It's not just because I'm vegan—I respect everyone's choices—but I also don't think it's necessary to define a character's lifestyle or personality by their food preferences. That's why I don't read chef or food-related books. That being said, this one was only mentioned twice.
The Ending: 3/5
HEA/HFN/Cliffhanger?

HEA

Favorite character?

Lincoln and also Rai

Would I read more of this author? Maybe, I don't know
Will I read this again in the future? No

This is my 1st book by Morgan Mason.
Enjoyment: 3,5/5

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The idea of kissing Nixon is suddenly all I can think about, primarily because I’ve never kissed anyone before, reaper or otherwise. What would it feel like to press my lips to his? Would my body respond? Would his? “Definitely the latter. Kissing you seems like a brilliant idea.”
Nixon huffs an adorably cute sound that’s a cross between disbelief and humor. “You’re crazy.”

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Tales From The Tarot Series:
💙 4. King Of Hollywood by Fae Quin - 4,45 stars 💙
💜 5. My Minotaur Daddy by Laura Lascarso - 40% DNF For Now 💜
🖤 6. Across Space And Time by Kit Barrie - 10% DNF Forever 🖤
❤ 7. Chariot Of Souls by Morgan Mason - 3 stars ❤
💚 Expected on 14/09/2024:
4. The Nephilim’s Touch by Morgan Lysand - Currently Reading 💚

!! I don't equate fiction stories to real life. It's a matter of personal taste and what you are willing or want to tolerate in the books you read. We all have different opinions and preferences when it comes to the kind of books we enjoy, so it's important to respect and remember that it's just a book!!

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Content Warnings

Warnings: Nixon gets sick, faints and chokes on food