A Soul to Keep
Duskwalker Brides, 1
By: Opal Reyne
Publisher: Self-published
Publication date: June 16, 2022
Genre: Erotic Fantasy Romance
Rating:
All Reia ever wanted was freedom.
Known as a harbinger of bad omens and blamed for Demons eating her family, Reia is shunned by her entire village. When the next offering is due and the monstrous Duskwalker is seen heading their way, her village offers her an impossible choice – be thrown into the prison cells or allow herself to be sacrificed to a faceless monster.
However, he is not what he seems. His skull face and glow eyes are ethereal, and she finds herself unwittingly enchanted by him.
All Orpheus ever wanted was a companion.
Each decade, in exchange for a protection ward from the Demons that terrorise the world, Orpheus takes a human offering to the Veil – the place he lives and the home of Demons. The brief companionship does little to ease his loneliness, and their lives were always, unfortunately, cut short.
He’d thought it was a hopeless endeavour, until he met her. She’s not afraid of him, and his insatiable desire deepens within every moment of her presence.
But will Orpheus be able to convince Reia to stay before she’s lost to him forever?
My thoughts…
I did NOT see this story coming. Based on the cover and synopsis, I wasn’t expecting much for it. I thought it would be a quick, steam filled read, that would be easily forgotten as soon as I finished. Except, I was wrong.
In a world where demons exist, Reia is shunned by her town because she was spared during a demon attack. Clearly, the demon didn’t attack her because she’s in cahoots with them. Surely, she’s tainted and that’s why the demon didn’t want her. Why else would a demon NOT go after an easy prey. So, what do these lovely townsfolk do, they shun her, starve her, practically go out of their way to ensure she dies… except that she doesn’t. So when the protective barrier around their town is in need of being replaced, they offer Reia to the demon who places the protection for their town. He always asks for a willing human to go with him back to the underworld as payment of his services. So, this is the perfect change to get rid of a cursed human while having their town protected. Two birds, one stone.
Due to Orpheus’ appearance and the fact that every decade he requests a human to take… it’s easy to come to the conclusion that he’s not hosting tea parties for the humans at his underworld bungalow, but rather torturing and killing them. However, as Reia follows Orpheus on the journey back to the portal that will take them to the Veil, she realizes that he’s not the monster they all thought him to be. He’s considerate, and seems to be disturbed by her treatment by the other humans. As they travel, and settle into Orpheus’ house, they build a friendship, which of course, as a romance, turns into more.
I really enjoyed all the depth the author put into this story. You understand Reia’s background, and why she is such a fighter. You also understand Orpheus’ pain, confusion, and loneliness. All he’s ever wanted was to not be alone. He just wants a companion to spend his time with and talk to. However, all the humans who “willingly” come with him are terrified of him and either try to kill him, or run away… only to be killed by the creatures/demons of the Veil before he can save them. Human after human has died, and he’s starting to lose hope that he will ever have someone that is happy to stay with him in his home and be his companion.
The thought that the author put into this story was impressive. We not only get Reia and Orpheus, but there’s another duskwalker that comes into the mix. He wants what Orpheus has and asks for help from both Reia and Orpheus on how to obtain such things like a home and a friend like Reia. Having his character pop up really expanded the world for me.
With all this being said, I’m not 100% if I will continue with the series. The next book is about the Duskwalker we meet. However, I feel like Reia’s and Orpheus’ story was so unique, that a remake of it would just taint what I just read. While I want to see the Duskwalker happy, I might just end it with this book.
