Dawna’s review of Soul Song (Dirk and Steele, Book 6) by Marjorie M. Liu
Paranormal Romance published by Leisure Books 3 Jul 07
I’ve always been told never judge a book by its cover. But when I glanced the sexy man emerging out of the turbulent ocean depths, ready to walk right off the page, I was compelled to pick this book up. Soul Song by Marjorie M. Liu has a lot more going for it than just its cover art. She’s created intriguing characters full of depth and a riveting story that will keep you turning pages.
Her hero, M’cal is a tortured merman sent to steal souls for an evil witch. With a sirens voice he literally sings their souls right out of them. He’s compelled to do so by order of the witch and has given up all hope of escape until he meets his latest victim, Kitala Bell, a renowned violin player. The first time he sees her on stage with instrument in hand, her music calls to him. For some reason he has the power to withstand the witch’s compulsion when it comes to Kitala. He finds the desire to protect her rather than harm her, but the peril she’s in may threaten both of their souls.
Kitala makes her own kind of magic through her music. Old Jaz Marie has tried to teach her how to use that magic, but Kitala never paid much attention to her grandmother. She never wanted to accept the visions of death she saw either, but lately they have become more frequent and when she sees a beautiful woman in her audience with a knife through the eye, she can only do one thing: warn her. By intervening, Kitala puts her own life at risk and is forced to form a partnership with a beautiful man whose voice can kill, but there is something about M’cal that doesn’t frighten her away.
What I liked best about this book was the fast pace and twists. You never really know who the bad guy is until the very end. And Ms Liu even does a good job of making you feel a bit of sympathy for the witch, be it very slight. In my opinion, it takes a good writer to do so. I recommend this book for anyone who likes a perfect blend fantasy and danger, a sexy merman that can walk on land and a heroine who can hold her own.
I give this book an A because I haven’t found anything quite like it before and it definitely kept me turning pages.
Grade: A
Summary:
Against her will, Kitala Bell foresees the future. But only deaths, and only violent.
Kitala’s own future is in peril. From the ocean’s depths rises an impossible blend of fantasy and danger, a creature whose voice is seduction incarnate, whose song can manipulate lives the way that Kitala herself manipulates the strings of her violin…even to the point of breaking. He is a prince of the sea, an enigma-a captive stretched to the limit of his endurance by a woman intent on using him for the purest evil. And when survival requires he and Kitala form a closer partnership than either has ever known, the price of their bond will threaten not just their lives but the essence of their very souls.
Read an excerpt.
Other books in this series:
