URBAN FANTASY
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Debbie
Wiley
Book Reviews |
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Watercolors
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Asheville, North Carolina
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BOOK
ILLUMINATIONS
From Debbie Wiley Book Reviews
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Soul Catcher
by Leigh Bridger
It
all started with the phrase, “Paint them. Trap them. Burn them.”
Livia Belane first saw those words at age seven, not realizing those
words would become the mantra of her life. She paints horrifyingly
vivid pictures in her sleep, images of demons and banes that inhabit
this world. Livia is a SOUL CATCHER but she has a lot to learn about
what that entails. Will she open up her mind to the help that surrounds
her, particularly her Soul Hunter, Ian? Livia has lived many lives
before. How will she handle the battle with the demons and banes in
this life?
SOUL CATCHER is a daring first book in a new series. Leigh Bridger is
better known as Deborah Smith, an author of women’s fiction, and with
this pseudonym she branches into the darker realms of urban fantasy.
Readers should note that the violence is quite graphic in SOUL CATCHER.
While none of the violence is gratuitous, there are scenes of rape and
torture that may make some a bit squeamish. Demons and banes are nasty
creatures and Leigh Bridger makes sure the reader sees just how awful
these beings really are.
Past and present smoothly flow together in SOUL CATCHER. Livia and her
cohorts have lived numerous past lives and we see glimpses of these
interwoven into the plot. The Cherokee legends are the most powerful
aspect of these past lives and I love how Leigh Bridger uses the very
setting to advance her plot. Asheville and its surrounding areas are
ideal for such a tale as SOUL CATCHER and I could easily envision the
various places described. The lush descriptions make me want to revisit
Asheville all over again!
SOUL CATCHER is a dark, intriguing tale, although it does have a few
flaws. Some of the resolutions involving the boons and the everlasting
lives are somewhat too easily resolved. It seems at times that everyone
is all-knowing other than Livia, although the sense of danger
constantly lurking mitigates that a bit. I’m hoping the second book
focuses less on the New Age philosophy underpinning this book and more
on the actual battles now that Livia and Ian’s relationship and past
lives are firmly established. At times, the book veers away from the
dark tense atmosphere of the story and becomes a bit preachy.
Regardless, SOUL CATCHER is quite fascinating and I eagerly look
forward to the second book to see just where Leigh Bridger intends to
take her characters.
Publisher: Ace (October
2009)
Other books in
series: The Outsider Series
Author website
Reviewed
by Debbie, Debbie Wiley Book Reviews
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