It’s difficult to find a husband in Regency England when you’re a young lady with only half a soul.
Ever since a faerie cursed her, Theodora Ettings has had no sense of fear, embarrassment, or even happiness—a condition which makes her sadly prone to accidental scandal. Dora’s only goal for the London Season this year is to stay quiet and avoid upsetting her cousin’s chances at a husband… but when the Lord Sorcier of England learns of her condition, she finds herself drawn ever more deeply into the tumultuous concerns of magicians and faeries.
Lord Elias Wilder is handsome, strange, and utterly uncouth—but gossip says that he regularly performs three impossible things before breakfast, and he is willing to help Dora restore her missing half. If Dora’s reputation can survive both her ongoing curse and her sudden connection with the least-liked man in all of high society, then she may yet reclaim her normal place in the world… but the longer Dora spends with Elias Wilder, the more she begins to suspect that one may indeed fall in love, even with only half a soul.
Pride and Prejudice meets Howl’s Moving Castle in this enthralling historical fantasy romance, where the only thing more meddlesome than faeries is a marriage-minded mama. Pick up Half a Soul, and be stolen away into debut author Olivia Atwater’s charming, magical version of Regency England!
Ever since a faerie cursed her, Theodora Ettings has had no sense of fear, embarrassment, or even happiness—a condition which makes her sadly prone to accidental scandal. Dora’s only goal for the London Season this year is to stay quiet and avoid upsetting her cousin’s chances at a husband… but when the Lord Sorcier of England learns of her condition, she finds herself drawn ever more deeply into the tumultuous concerns of magicians and faeries.
Lord Elias Wilder is handsome, strange, and utterly uncouth—but gossip says that he regularly performs three impossible things before breakfast, and he is willing to help Dora restore her missing half. If Dora’s reputation can survive both her ongoing curse and her sudden connection with the least-liked man in all of high society, then she may yet reclaim her normal place in the world… but the longer Dora spends with Elias Wilder, the more she begins to suspect that one may indeed fall in love, even with only half a soul.
Pride and Prejudice meets Howl’s Moving Castle in this enthralling historical fantasy romance, where the only thing more meddlesome than faeries is a marriage-minded mama. Pick up Half a Soul, and be stolen away into debut author Olivia Atwater’s charming, magical version of Regency England!
My Thoughts
Dora was such an awesome leading lady. She had quite a few amusing forays in society. She didn't really have a filter, so most of the time she said exactly what she was thinking which led to some awkward, yet entertaining, encounters. Because she was missing part of her soul, she was missing some of her emotions too. This led her to react to things in a different way than what was expected of her. She tried her best to act “normal”, but what is normal anyways? She was at her best when she was just being herself.
There were also a couple of intriguing mysteries to solve. First was the case of Dora's missing half of her soul and trying to figure out how to retrieve it. And then a peculiar sleeping plague popped up that affected children from the workhouses.
All in all, this was a well-rounded and entertaining novel that I wholeheartedly enjoyed. It was a charming pick-me-up that I highly recommend. I'm very much looking forward to the next one.
4.5 Stars
The premise of this one is so fun, I'm glad the book ended up being so good. :D
ReplyDeleteIt was just the perfect read for me at the time. So much fun! :D
DeleteThis sounds like such a fun read. I already want to know more about Dora. She sounds like my kind of protagonist. :)
ReplyDeleteShe was so much fun to read about! There was never a dull moment when she was around. :)
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