Even though Sebastien De Castell showed a repetitive order of events in the previous books, Soulbinder definitely shakes things up. Our hero is left without his usual travelling companions, and runs into a community where he isn’t treated as an outlaw this time, but as an equal. By this time, Kellen has been suffering from the shadowblack for three years, and now, he has found some friends in the Ebony Abbey who undergo the same fate. But are they friends? Throughout the book, I was torn between liking them and distrusting them, proving that Sebastien is truly a great writer. Everything Kellen feels and thinks, so do we. This becomes clear in many chapters, where he has to deal with the concept of loss.
Still, the new characters were very interesting. They showed more perspectives on the shadowblack curse: some of them good, some of them bad. The curse has some depths to it that were hidden in the previous books, and now it becomes clear to Kellen that maybe his people were right to cast him out. His moral compass is surely tested, which makes being distanced from his friends all the more necessary. Once again, this series puts character development before the plot. In the beginning, Kellen tries to make his decisions based on what Ferius or Reichis would do, but gradually, he starts to realize who he wants to be and how he wants to be perceived. This might make Soulbinder the most compelling book in the series.
As usual, Kellen encounters a new power, but this time, he does not master it. The term ‘Soulbinder’ refers to a frightening ritual used in the plot, making this series all the darker. It is clear now that while Kellen definitely resembles the ‘chosen trope’, he is not our usual hero. As he expresses it himself, he is an amateur at everything, a master at nothing. He fails at things most of the time, and he doesn’t even understand his own powers yet, so I’m curious where his journey will take him next.
Overall, I give Soulbinder four stars. The plot was building up to a revolution, which in the end wasn’t that suspenseful to me. Also, the cliffhanger ending left us with new questions about the shadowblack. Even though these will likely be answered in the sequels, this still felt a bit…off-putting after all the information we received. Still, the shady events, the constant plot twists and the character growth will make this read worth your while. Not to mention Kellen comes face-to-face again with his family, which made me incredibly nervous. Soulbinder will leave you with all the feels, so get tissues ready and prepare to yell.
Still, the new characters were very interesting. They showed more perspectives on the shadowblack curse: some of them good, some of them bad. The curse has some depths to it that were hidden in the previous books, and now it becomes clear to Kellen that maybe his people were right to cast him out. His moral compass is surely tested, which makes being distanced from his friends all the more necessary. Once again, this series puts character development before the plot. In the beginning, Kellen tries to make his decisions based on what Ferius or Reichis would do, but gradually, he starts to realize who he wants to be and how he wants to be perceived. This might make Soulbinder the most compelling book in the series.
As usual, Kellen encounters a new power, but this time, he does not master it. The term ‘Soulbinder’ refers to a frightening ritual used in the plot, making this series all the darker. It is clear now that while Kellen definitely resembles the ‘chosen trope’, he is not our usual hero. As he expresses it himself, he is an amateur at everything, a master at nothing. He fails at things most of the time, and he doesn’t even understand his own powers yet, so I’m curious where his journey will take him next.
Overall, I give Soulbinder four stars. The plot was building up to a revolution, which in the end wasn’t that suspenseful to me. Also, the cliffhanger ending left us with new questions about the shadowblack. Even though these will likely be answered in the sequels, this still felt a bit…off-putting after all the information we received. Still, the shady events, the constant plot twists and the character growth will make this read worth your while. Not to mention Kellen comes face-to-face again with his family, which made me incredibly nervous. Soulbinder will leave you with all the feels, so get tissues ready and prepare to yell.