Half a soul by Olivia Atwater

Name of Book: Half a soul 

Author: Olivia Atwater 

ISBN: 9780316462808

Publisher: Orbit 

Part of a Series: Regency Faerie Tales

Type of book: Regency England, magic, fairy world, finding husband, half a soul, outspoken, a duck among swans, fitting in, standing out, choices, rescue, research, making peace, competition 

Year it was published: 2022

Summary:

It's difficult to find a husband in Regency England when you're a young lady with only half a soul.

Ever since she was cursed by a faerie, Theodora Ettings has had no sense of fear or embarrassment - a condition which makes her prone to accidental scandal. Dora hopes to be a quiet, sensible wallflower during the London Season - but when the strange, handsome and utterly uncouth Lord Sorcier discovers her condition, she is instead drawn into dangerous and peculiar faerie affairs.

If Dora's reputation can survive both her 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.

Bridgerton meets Howl's Moving Castle in this enchanting historical fantasy, where the only thing more meddlesome than faeries is a marriage-minded mother.

Pick up HALF A SOUL, and be stolen away into Olivia Atwater's charming, magical version of Regency England!

Characters:

Main characters include Dora, Vanessa, Albert, and Lord Sorcier. Dora has a long and, according to her, an annoying name. As a child she lost half a soul and is often seen as abnormal or extremely weird by everyone except Vanessa, her beloved cousin. Dora is resourceful, tireless, sarcastic and very open about herself. Vanessa is Doras beloved cousin who shares a close relationship with Dora and is warm, giving and tries to make everyone happy. Albert is one of the youngest sons and has lost his hand in Napoleonic wars ( the novella included in the book describes that experience.) He is also a doctor and will do whatever he can for those less fortunate than he. Lord Sorcier, aka Elias Wilder is an extremely and genuine sorcerer who grew up on a rough side of the tracks and is very barbed and unhappy. He often challenges people around him, and feels self conscious because of his background. However he is giving and will do what he can for those he loves, although he doesn't want them to know that. 

Theme:

One never knows where they will discover love 

Plot:

The story is told in third person narrative from Doras point of view. The tale begins on the day Dora meets up a fae who manages to steal only half her soul before she could get away, and then jumps to when Dora is nineteen and accompanies her cousin Vanessa to London in hopes of having Vanessa finally marry. Dora has no hopes of being married and gets tangled up with Lord Sorcier whose bark is worse than his bite. Towards the end, there is a novella that describes a little bit of Lord Sorciers and Alberts past as well as HOW THE two forged a friendship together.  I am also impressed at how much half a soul often sounded similar to perhaps Aspergers or a form of high functioning autism. So yes, a neurodiversity representation? 

Author Information:
(From goodreads)

Olivia Atwater writes whimsical historical fantasy with a hint of satire. She lives in Montreal, Quebec with her fantastic, prose-inspiring husband and her two cats. When she told her second-grade history teacher that she wanted to work with history someday, she is fairly certain this isn't what either party had in mind. She has been, at various times, a historical re-enactor, a professional witch at a metaphysical supply store, a web developer, and a vending machine repairperson.

Searching for more Regency faerie tales? Sign up for the Atwater Scandal Sheets at oliviaatwater.com and get ongoing updates, along with the exclusive novella The Latch Key

Opinion:

Wow, a highly delightful and inventive tale involving Regency England, magic and discovery of true love. Half soul or full soul, I truly loved the female character. Yes, the setting as well as characters are the big draw. Also I never read books featuring fae folk before, so I am happy this was my first foray into the magical world. A few threads aren't resolved in my opinion, but perhaps the future two installments?  Also, for readers who aren't in the mood for sexual scenes, then the first book doesn't have any, but it does contain chemistry and friendship as well as surprises and Doras wonderful sense of humor.  

4 out of 5
(0: Stay away unless a masochist 1: Good for insomnia 2: Horrible but readable; 3: Readable and quickly forgettable, 4: Good, enjoyable 5: Buy it, keep it and never let it go.)