4.5*

”“No one gives what they could, Albert!” Elias hissed. “Everyone gives what they please–and certainly not without plenty of self-congratulations for their miserly gestures. With one hand, they raise grain tariffs, muster soldiers and create the workhouses. With the other, they deign to save a few poor souls from the very hell they made. This country is mad. It’s rotten. It’s unthinkable, and none of you can see it.””


SUMMARY
Theodora Ettings is faerie-cursed. Noticeably so, with her mismatched eyes and dulled emotional repertoire that makes her prone to strangeness and consequently, scandal.

Finding a husband is the least of Dora’s worries but she dutifully accompanies her cousin, Vanessa, to London where the season is in full swing and Auntie Frances, Vanessa’s mother, is determined to find her sweet daughter a suitable match. But Vanessa has ulterior motives in mind, ones that concern Dora and her faerie-cursed, and she won’t be happy until the curse is broken.

OPINION
I’m actually really pleasantly surprised of just how much I loved this. It was so easy to immerse myself in the world of post-Napoleonic war England and the faerie realm that idolises British values.

Half A Soul is the kind of story that I never ever wanted to end. And Dora is the kind of heroine that teaches readers that even when we don’t feel whole, we are still worth having around.

It was so clever the way OA wrote about these values, portraying them as barbaric, in a way that makes me think ’how in the hell did people get away with that’, and describing the faeries as a monstrous and cruel sort, and yet making humans even more vicious whilst also highlighting their virtues.

I absolutely one hundred and ten percent want to read the sequels in this regency fairy tale series. I have already ordered the Fairyloot edition of Half A Soul and sincerely hope the sequels will match as a set!

RECOMMENDATION
Lovers of historical fiction that hold an element of fantasy are sure to love this.

Half a Soul

I received this book to read before it was published from NetGalley.

It is a slow burner, I do prefer my book to grab me immediately, however I persevered and the plot got better as the book progressed. Dora’s character is funny and Elias is completely lovable. I can imagine this one turning into a series.

This was a delight to read, the romance was sweet and beautiful, and the blend of Regency upper class culture and faerie story was perfectly done. I really fell in love with Dora, although it was due to her missing half a soul, her inability to react normally to people and to fit into society's rules of interaction felt incredibly relatable to someone with social anxiety, and so it was womderful to see her compassion and love grow throughout the story, despite her differences.

Some books just work. They set out to do a thing, and they accomplish the thing they set out to do so simply and completely that--even if you might find yourself inclined to pick nits in the assignment itself--you cannot find it in yourself to object to anything in the book's fulfillment of the assignment. This book was one of those things. Yes, fine, Regency romances as a class are subject to all sorts of easy criticisms: the historical accuracy is off; the dialogue is anachronistic; no one knew about germ theory so it makes no sense for your doctor character to be washing his hands so carefully; what about the problems of colonialism, empire, racism, sexism...? There are so many reasons to object to the set setting of a regency romance.

But I saw screw all that! If you accept that what you have in your hands is a Regency romance, then it's not fair to expect the author to fix all the social problems of the Regency period in one book. If we held them all to that standard, there wouldn't be space to tell any other story, let alone enjoy the pretty gowns. And then we wouldn't get books like this one.

This book is telling a wonderful other story, about a girl, Dora, who lost half her soul to a fairy bargain as a child, and as an adult is swept up by her loving cousin in a search for a cure, which happens to coincide with a love story. It's beautifully constructed. Everything is connected in one way or another, from the circumstances of the fairy bargain; to the backstory of her romantic interest, the Lord Sorcier; to our heroine's quest (well, more accurately her cousin's quest) to find a solution to her affliction; to the Lord Sorcier's quest to solve a mysterious plague; to the primary antagonist's plots and actions; to the emotional connections between the heroine, her cousin, the Lord Sorcier, the Lord Sorcier's best friend; to the social commentary (yes, there is some) that surrounds their actions. Even the last bits of tale told in the epilogue all fit in together beautifully with the main structure of the plot and themes about inequality and justice and kindness.

I also deeply enjoyed the character work. Because Dora has only half a soul, she is always slightly disconnected from the world. She doesn't experience immediate emotional reactions to things--although, as she says, her emotions have a 'long tail', so that after a while, upon reflection, she can burn with the same anger and resentment that might cause other people to explode on the spot, or feel the warmth of love and affection for her cousin that is one of the sweetest components of this book. (I do love true friendship between women, and this is a lovely one.) As the Lord Sorcier tells her at one point, she may have half a soul, but that doesn't make her half a person. And throughout the book, although we are told that her emotions and relationships and behavior are odd and bad and wrong, all of her actions and reactions show that she is, indeed, a full person, living what could be a full life if she were allowed to live it.

(There is, I think, a connection to be made to people on the autism spectrum, and I'm not entirely sure how I feel about that: on the one hand, the character of Dora, her arc and decisions, are a lovely defense of her personhood; on the other hand, she is literally missing part of herself, which seems not great if you want to draw a connection to autism. But then again, as we learn more about how she feels and sees the world, her character seems to depart from what--as I understand it--the experience of many autistic people is. For example, she never feels ill at ease or awkward in the presence of other people, even her her behavior reads as wrong and bizarre. But since I am not on the spectrum myself, and have little experience or expertise in the matter, I will not comment further.)

One consequence of Dora's disconnection from the world is a dreaminess, a disregard for social convention unless she's consciously focusing on it, because she doesn't feel shame or embarrassment when she gets something wrong. Naturally, this makes her a bit of a social oddity, which comes with all the incumbent disadvantages of a Regency romance--if you can't attract a man to marry you then RUIN must follow! But it also makes for some hilarious conversations. I didn't realize until I read this book how much I like a viewpoint character who is (a) always self-possessed (because the emotional reactions never come until later) and (b) never ashamed to say what's on her mind and spill the beans about plots and ploys that she's not interested in furthering and (c) sufficiently self-aware to make use of convention to her advantage when she cares to do it. I quite enjoy the scenes where Dora lies freely and easily, because--remember--she never feels shame. (This is also another source of thematic convention to the rest of the plot architecture, because fairies cannot lie.)

Because of this disconnection, the developing romance between Dora and the Lord Sorcier is very satisfying. We get none of the shyness, fumbling, uneasiness of burgeoning love (at least, we don't get it from Dora; the Lord Sorcier presumably feels his share of things). She says what's on her mind. She talks about her feelings like a goddamn adult and she's never once afraid of it. It's great!

This book was everything I wanted it to be. It fulfilled the assignment perfectly. It was the perfect instantiation of what it set out to be.

NB: I received an advanced copy of this book from Netgalley. Inasmuch as I can be sure of such things, I believe that this has not affected the content of my review.

Thank you so much Little, Brown Book Group U.K. and NetGalley for the arc of Half a Soul by Olivia Atwater in return for my honest and unbiased review.

I can truthfully say that once I started reading this book I literally couldn’t put it down. The premise of the story is regency romance with a twist of faerie, but the plot is definitely a step above the average and it worked brilliantly with a pace and definite touch of humour and wit.

Dora, is a unique and strong character who faces each every challenge with a combination of fatalism and wit, but she never ducks a challenge, in patience Elias, who I totally adore!

This book was a joyous escape from the real world and if you’re looking for an escape into another time and world, definitely pick this one up!

Half a Soul is a mix between fantasy and historical romance, an interesting mixture that drew me into the book. The characters, especially Dora, were entertaining and endearing, although I think there was something in the writing that I didn't really connect to that didn't make me connect to the characters as well? In some areas, they felt a little inconsistent, especially with the character of Elias and the romance.

The romance felt bland, to be honest. I wasn't attached to them, although I did enjoy the banter between Elias and Dora. The pacing of this book could have been better, and the world felt a little vague and lazy.

Still, there were a lot of good aspects to this book. Dora and the missing soul were intriguing and I liked the concept behind it. I don't know if I'll be picking up other books from the author though.

I received this book as an arc through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I literally couldn’t put this down - I loved the plot from the start and it just got better as the book progressed. As much as I loved the witty banter from Dora, I totally fell in love with Elias. I hope there will be more books set with these characters as I can see further story lines in both the past and future.

If you love the faerie/magical/historical/romance settings in your reads this is a definite must for you.

I loved the concept of a debt taken through the soul, however the dialogue was a bit clunky at the start.
I'm glad to report that the rest of the book did have witty banter and a few moments that made me crack up out loud so it's a good thing that the book finds its standing a bit further on. I also really enjoyed the character development through the book- it's rare that you get an excellent fantasy plot with excellent characters and this book managed both.
4 stars.

I received a copy of this book for a free and unbiased opinion.

I enjoyed this romantic fantasy- Half a Soul by Olvia Atwater was a lovely and entertaining read.
The book is told from the point of view of Theodora or Dora who has been cursed by the faeries as a child and now has half a soul. Dora no longer feels the same way or reacts the same way as other people which is not a good thing in Regency England. So, when the Lord Magician Elias offers to help her she accepts despite him being incredibly rude but she doesn’t expect to fall in love with him.
The book has everything you expect from this genre- a feisty, brave yet flawed heroine, an attractive yet flawed love interest, strong emotions between the two and a lovely happy ending. The addition of faeries and magic add an additional layer to what could have been a simple love story. But the subplot of poverty, workhouses, and the differences between the rich and the poor makes this stand out from other romances in my opinion and the author doesn’t hold back in her descriptions of this.
The magical system isn’t particularly unique but is it well described and fits well with the story.
The book didn’t set my imagination on fire but I did love reading it and would recommend this to anyone who wants a fun and entertaining read.
Content warning
Emotional abuse to children, child neglect.
Perfect for fans of
Anyone who loves romance with a happily ever after or romances set in Regency times.

Really great read, Julia Quinn meets J K Rowling and the results are a very hard to put down book. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and will definitely be seeking out other books by this author.

I admit I have not read a book set in the regency era since Temeraire by Naomi Novik, which hardly counts since it’s centred around dragons. I think I would’ve had some trouble with certain terms if I had not watched Bridgerton. Small complication, but hardly bothersome in the large scheme.
The pacing was perfect and consistent, and though predictable, the plot was well thought-out and kept the story moving. The balance of romance, political and societal issues was nice to see, and Dora’s consequential development even more so.
Highly recommend; I personally haven’t found a historical fiction I particularly enjoy, but this is a new favourite. 300 pages too, so managed to fit it into one sitting.

I have to say, first and foremost, that i loved this book.

If I could leave the review there, I would, but alas, more is always needed. If you are a fan of a regency novel, you will enjoy this, but if you want the added appearance of magic and a woman who says exactly what most of us female readers are thinking, then this is the book you need.

I loved Dora, she is what I imagine myself being if I was in most of those situations. She is complex but not silly, and doesn't make any silly decisions to fit in with the story line.

I have to admit I would hope for more of her.

A very quick and easy to read novel, I loved the main character and the side characters were interesting. I think people who love light magic systems/fantasy will really enjoy this.

At a young age, Dora Ettering encounters a fairy in woods behind her house. Not only does this high fae know all about her, he manages to steal half her soul,. This leaves Dora unable to feel much emotion , embarrassment or feel for how to behave appropriately - a problem if you are regency England and need to avoid scandals, lest you become a ruined woman. But what if someone could put both half of your souls together again? And what if the only person capable of doing it is the rudest and most controversial man in society?

I really, really enjoyed Half A Soul from the first line to the last. It’s charming, witty and whimsical and I struggled to put it down. Dora definitely gave me Eloise Bridgerton vibes and I loved her for it. It was just the lighthearted, entertaining read I needed.

Perfect for fans of Bridgerton, historical fiction, fantasy and romance (especially those who love a grumpy vs sunshine trope). Half A Soul manages to combine all these genres in a real page turner of a read. I will definitely be back for more from this author.

Thank you to Olivia Atwater, Little, Brown Book Group and NetGalley for the opportunity to review an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

A charming, humorous and utterly delightful novel, with an enchanting (literally) take on regency society. I think Georgette Heyer herself would enjoy this one. First class.

Since her early encounter with the fae, Dora's behaviour is somewhat unpredictable. This often gets her into unwitting trouble, and her strangeness is an embarrassment to her family. However, she bumps into the Regent's sorciere, who finds there a puzzle, but which may be beyond his powers to solve.

This is a pretty sweet, smut free romance. The magical/faerie element is something different for me in a historical romance novel, although the characters, along with the witty banter between them, coupled with the mystery make a great story without the magical element. It is rare for me to want to read on once I finish a book, and even rarer for me to read short stories, but I am so in love with these characters I immediately started the The Latch Key, which is a complimentary read if you sign up to the Author's newsletter; and this gives you a brief snippet of their life after this installment - Overall I loved it and I'm definitely going to read the rest of the series too.

Will post review on goodreads two weeks prior to release as instructed in the e-mail.

Thank you so much to Little Brown Book Group and NetGalley for an e-arc of this book.

3.5* rounded up to 4*

A couple years ago I did read another Regency romance which also had a similar type of theme where it had fae involved so I was interested to see what take this book would have.

The author did a good job with characterisation, I felt like I knew the main character quite well by the end of the book, however I do think some of the side characters could’ve been fleshed out a bit more as they they weren’t fully realised for me, also the main male MC did not have a fully realised back story so it’s hard to connect with him and understand his motivations.

I did enjoy the different take on a regency romance that this author took, however I would’ve enjoyed more world building and an explanation on the mythology of the world that it is set in, as it doesn’t go into any detail about how fairies interact with England, the existence of magicians and how they fit in (we only know of two, the male MC and that that another one exists in France) and how they and faerie just seems to be an accepted part of the world but also something to be somewhat ashamed of so it was a bit confusing and not particularly clear and I do think that not having a fully realised world or set mythology did let the book down for me.

However I saw that it was a series and, I thought oh I’m sure that the author will go into this more deeply in further books, but then I’ve also seen that these books of an already complete series released a couple years ago and actually now it’s being re-released. I’m definitely keen to read the next books in the series and see where the author goes from here and whether there is more world building as I really do think it’ll make for a stronger story.

I really enjoyed this clever, original whimsical alternative regency fantasy romance.

Dora's mother promised her to the faeries before she was even conceived, but when Lord Hollowvale comes to collect his debt, he only manges to capture half her soul, leaving the once rebellious, lively Dora placid and emotionless - aware that something is wrong with her but without the interest or motivation to fix it. Her cousin, Vanessa, Dora's only friend and loyal champion is not willing to leave her cousin in this state forever and so she agrees to a London Season in the hope of convincing the Lord Sorcier to help. But a mystery plaque is stalking London's orphans, matchmaking mothers have their own plans and Lord Elias Wilder, the Lord Sorcier hates society and all within it.

Dora is a fabulous heroine, who may only have half a soul but witha big heart, keen intelligence and good instincts. A gorgeous escapist read.

Story very well written, amazing plot & fascinating characters. Page turner & easy to read.
I am voluntarily reviewing a copy I received free through NetGalley .

Wonderful whimsical historical fantasy with mystery and romance.

Pride & Prejudice meets Alice In Wonderland.