My Other Book Blog: Review and Giveaway: The Soul of the World by Joshua Silverman

by Joshua Silverman

The ancient powers lost to Potara have returned. The Brotherhood of the Black Rose rises to bring Thoth into disorder. And, while the Brotherhood reclaims their power, chaos reigns among the survivors. Six individuals have emerged from the aftermath struggling for control over their lives and a divided land. Kem and Shirin, who abolished the five thousand year reign of the Amun Priests, rule from the golden throne of the Oracle’s Chair in the Hall of the Nine. Dio and Axios struggle to piece together a resistance worthy to challenge the ancient magic which resides in the Great Temple of Amun, and Leoros and Atlantia try to remain true to their hearts and their cause despite tragedy. But when the Book of Breathings is discovered, the path to immortality is revealed. Leoros and Kem race to capture the Soul of the World unaware of the challenges awaiting them. This time, the gods themselves will intervene. In a tale where boys become men and girls become women, where treachery and deception are around every corner, and where primeval mysticism finds its way back from the grave, victory is reserved for neither the good nor the evil, but the powerful.

About the book:
Title: The Soul of the World
Author: Joshua Silverman
Where I got the book: Free from the author in exchange for an honest review

My review
After reading The Legends of Amun-Ra: The Emerald Tablet a few months ago, I was curious about the next book, but not excessively so. I enjoyed the story well enough, but I had a few issues with the writing. I'm thrilled to say that the second book in the series is both better written and better edited. (How's that for an awkward sentence?) And after reading the second book, I am anxiously awaiting book number 3.

The series is a fantasy story depicting - what else? - the battle between good and evil. In The Emerald Tablet, it was hard to know who was good and who was evil, but in The Soul of the World, lines have been drawn, and it's very obvious who is on which side. This series is pretty violent, as it is about a war. I pretty much skipped over the sex scenes in this one, too, but they didn't seem as gratuitous as they did in the first book.

This series definitely needs to be read in order, so if you haven't yet read The Emerald Tablet, you'll want to read it before you read the rest of the review. These aren't spoilers for the second book, but they will give away some things from the first.

So you've already read Book 1, or you're one of those strange people who don't mind knowing how a book ends before you read it.

Are you sure?

Just kidding. ;-) Here's the rest of the review.

As I said, this book was much easier to read than the first. There were a couple of issues that bugged me, such as someone saying they "would endeavor to try". The repetition that drove me crazy before is mostly absent in this book, although I'm well aware that Atlantia has a knife with "a nickle-wound" handle.

I had a WTH moment when Leukos tells Atlantia how much depends on her, and he says, "I'm sorry for such a burden to be on you, such a young pretty girl, but it is so." What does being pretty have to do with anything? Pulled me right out of the story until I calmed down.

I will throw something in because it bothered me for almost the whole story, and while it isn't explained until almost the end of the book, it's not critical, and I don't think it's a spoiler to post this. I couldn't figure out how those looking for the rebels couldn't find them when everything is paid for by handprint on electronic tablets. Then there is a one-line mention about living under false names. That makes a lot of things make sense. Shirin is an absolute psycho, but even she can follow electronic signatures. Now you don't have to wonder about that part. ;-)

Other than a couple of nit-picky things that I mentioned above, I really liked this book, and I am eagerly awaiting the third installment.

Buy links coming soon

About the Author:

Joshua Silverman was born in Washington, D.C. and raised in Orange County, California. While attending California State University, Fullerton and studying Criminal Justice, Joshua was introduced to a creative writing class where he wrote a series of paranormal stories. As a child, he has always been an amateur historian, focusing on ancient Egypt, Greece, and Roman civilizations. Since working in the legal environment, he has combined his passion for creative writing with his love of ancient history by penning his debut novel, The Emerald Tablet, the first of seven in the Legends of Amun Ra series.