URBAN FANTASY

Debbie Wiley
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Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville, North Carolina

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Soul Catcher
Soul Catcher by Leigh Bridger
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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