Review of Soulless by Chrystal Collier

When I was asked to review “Soulless” by Chrystal Collier, the sequel to “Moonless”, a book I had read and reviewed before, I hesitated because I never got warm with the main character of the series (read my review on goodreads). After much thinking, I came to the conclusion that my dislike for her was mostly due to the fact that I cannot stand a typically Victorian woman. The way they accept the “superiority of men” raises the hairs on my neck and makes me aggressive. The problem was that the book is set in a Victorian world, so the main character’s view of the role a woman must play was perfectly logical in the context of the story. Also, I like Crystal a lot, so I finally decided to read the second book. Boy, was I glad I did.

volume 2 in the Maiden of Time series

The second book focuses much more on the history of the Soulless and the Passionate. The romance between Alexia and Kiren blooms, and this time, the feelings seemed more real to me than last time. I think it highly possible that the author is very happily married. 😉

The problems the nearly-wed faced mounted with every page I turned. Some scenes left me breathless (although I have to admit that I did skip a few kisses – as I said in my review of the first volume, I’m not really a romance reader at heart), and I loved to see Miles and John return. They’re my favorite characters by far.

In my opinion, this sequel is a lot better than the first volume. The characters are more rounded and the seeds planted in volume one finally begin to make things hard for Alexis and Kiren. By now, I’m hooked and can’t wait for the next volume. Well done, Crystal.

About the Book

The Soulless are coming…

Alexia manipulated time to save the man of her dreams, and lost her best friend to red-eyed wraiths. Still grieving, she struggles to reconcile her loss with what was gained: her impending marriage. But when her wedding is destroyed by the Soulless—who then steal the only protection her people have—she’s forced to unleash her true power.

And risk losing everything.

About the Author

Stories literally siege upon Crystal Collier (usually in the middle of the night) and threaten to destroy the universe if not set free. Through the years she has visited many realms of creativity in hopes of purging these life-threatening menaces, but, the only true way to satiate those hazardous narratives is to trap them in an electronic page.

Crystal Collier

Crystal is a young adult author who pens dark fantasy, historical, and romance hybrids with a thriller pace. She can be found practicing her brother-induced ninja skills while teaching children or madly typing about fantastic and impossible creatures. She has lived from coast to coast and now calls Florida home with her creative husband, three littles, and “friend” (a.k.a. the zombie locked in her closet). Secretly, she dreams of world domination and a bottomless supply of cheese. You can find her on her blog and Facebook, or follow her on Twitter.

You can also win a couple of great things from Crystal. Just participate: