A Soul to Guide
Duskwalker Brides #4
Opal Reyne
Publisher: Self-published
Publication date: June 20, 2023
Genre: Monster Romance
All Raewyn ever wanted was to go home.
After accidentally creating a portal to another realm, Raewyn finds herself trapped in a world she’s struggling to navigate. Desperate to find those with magic who can help her, she sets out on a dangerous journey to another town.
Unfortunately, on her travels, she learns there are bigger and scarier monsters than the Demons she knows of – and one of them won’t let her get away.
All Merikh ever wanted was to escape.
For a hundred and eighty years, Merikh has been hunting for a way off Earth. He doesn’t care who he has to eat, kill, or maim to get what he wants. So, when his prey ends up being a lost Elf, he realises this is his opportunity.
She’s prettier than any creature he’s ever seen, and so damn perfect that it’s impossible to resist her otherworldly lure.
But Merikh destroys everything he touches. Will he be able to overcome years of hatred and anger to allow himself to get close to her, or will he lose her in the process?
My thoughts…
In this installment, we are met with the original duskwalker created, and an elf. Merikh is by far the most intelligent duskwalker we’ve met. Having a duskwalker who is already well established and has full control over their emotions and reactions was a nice change of pace. If it weren’t for reminders of what he was, you would almost forget he was a duskwalker, and since Rae is blind, her POV doesn’t go into his appearance too much.
Unlike previous stories where the duskwalkers are trying to make a life with a human bride in the Veil, this story is more of a journey-based story. Since Rae was sucked through a portal from her realm and deposited on Earth, her whole goal is to find a way back to her home. Since Merikh also wants a change of scenery from this realm, he decides to help Rae on her mission with the understanding that he would get to go to her realm as well. So, the majority of the book is them trying to figure out how to make that happen.
With that said, I did feel like this story dragged on quite a bit. I felt like a lot of stuff could have been shortened or completely cut out, and it wouldn’t have made a lick of difference to the story. One thing that I did like was that we got some flashbacks from Merikh about who his “parents” are and what his life was like being the first of his kind. These flashbacks give you a sense of not only who he is, but also relay the fact that Merikh was kind of the guinea pig for his kind. Which, in the end, added a lot of depth to Merikh’s character.
This story dove more into duskwalker lore and world-building as a whole. We now have a better understanding of the beginning of the duskwalkers. It was an enjoyable read, but like I said, it felt drawn out in parts, and I found myself skimming at times or just putting the book down and walking away to take a break. I am curious where the next couple of books go since it involves the twin duskwalkers, but I think I will take a break from this series for a few months and revisit it.
Have you ever enjoyed a series but needed a break before continuing?
Previous reviews from the Duskwalker Brides series
A Soul to Keep
A Soul to Touch
