moss-mylk's Book Journey

I did not expect to fall in love with this so deeply. Not when I sampled it a few years ago. Nor when my best friend (soulmate) recommended it. And not even when I read and adored the sequel, Ten Thousand Stitches.

It took me about 40% to get into Half a Soul. I kept comparing it to book 2. This was less whimsical in vibe and it took a while for the political commentary to set in. But once it did, I fell in love with the story and the romance. Both have a deep sense of justice, which I appreciate seeing, especially in historical fiction. This book brought up so much I believe in and think myself, but also made me want to do better. Beneath its magic, Half a Soul is a call to arms. We must never look away from injustice. We must never stop trying to make the world a better place; even when we cannot defeat the biggest evils, we can still “[wipe] away some of the small evils in front of [us]”. I highly recommend reading the afterword — it has and will continue to stay with me.

One more thing on the romance: it is achingly beautiful. The leads really see each other and build nothing less than a true partnership. I felt warm and I felt seen, as well.

So, despite my reluctance, yes, I fell in love. Deeply and wholeheartedly. I have great respect for who Olivia Atwater seems to be and I look forward to reading the rest of her works.

a great book to fight reading slump, i have finished it in three days after dragging out other books for weeks. the prose flows well, and i really enjoyed myself. sweet scenes and important themes were well-balanced, and as nd person dora became quite dear to me and some of her sentiments resonated with me as well. romance is nice, well-deserved and you can see why characters fell for each other. the ending miiight feel a bit rushed, but it's a small thing and subjective.

i finished the book with very warm feeling. a special lantern for me, if you may.

I did not expect to fall in love with this so deeply. Not when I sampled it a few years ago. Nor when my best friend (soulmate) recommended it. And not even when I read and adored the sequel, Ten Thousand Stitches.

It took me about 40% to get into Half a Soul. I kept comparing it to book 2. This was less whimsical in vibe and it took a while for the political commentary to set in. But once it did, I fell in love with the story and the romance. Both have a deep sense of justice, which I appreciate seeing, especially in historical fiction. This book brought up so much I believe in and think myself, but also made me want to do better. Beneath its magic, Half a Soul is a call to arms. We must never look away from injustice. We must never stop trying to make the world a better place; even when we cannot defeat the biggest evils, we can still “[wipe] away some of the small evils in front of [us]”. I highly recommend reading the afterword — it has and will continue to stay with me.

One more thing on the romance: it is achingly beautiful. The leads really see each other and build nothing less than a true partnership. I felt warm and I felt seen, as well.

So, despite my reluctance, yes, I fell in love. Deeply and wholeheartedly. I have great respect for who Olivia Atwater seems to be and I look forward to reading the rest of her works.