Half a Soul is a highly entertaining regency romance with a touch of faerie magic.

Theadora Ettings lost half of her soul in an encounter with a faerie, resulting in her lossing the part of her that feels shame or fear, which in regency England is a scandle waiting to happen.

This was a very enjoyable and easy book to read. The plot wasn't overly complex but was still very unique. Whilst I wouldn't say that romance is the main plot, it is certainly plays a very important role and I adored Elias Wilder, The Lord Sorcier.

Overall, I highly recommend Half a Soul to anyone looking for a fun historical fantasy, reminiscent of Bridgerton and The Cruel Prince.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. My review will be posted on Goodreads on the publication date.

This was such a cute story! Honestly I don’t know why I loved it so much, I’m trying to find a critical thing to say but I was so into it, I loved all the characters (especially Elias) and the love story was so cute. The writing was so smooth it was really pleasant to read. I can’t find a reasonable thing in my love for this book. It’s not the book of the year and I feel like it’s a “weak” story (very easy plot and character development) but it works ! It works so well that you end up giving it 4 stars and adding the other books in your tbr! Well done!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4712343077

Loved this one. Bridgerton with added magic. Drew me in really quickly and although the second half was a bit rushed and didn't quite live up to the promise of the first, I will definitely be reading the rest of the series.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book! I love regency and I also love fantasy so i thought this would be the PERFECT mix for me, and whilst i really enjoyed it, i didn't love it. On paper it had everything i would want, but for some reason something was missing for me and i'm not entirely sure what it was.

I do however love that the main character and love interest were both less than perfect, something we don't see much of in regency era. I would definitely give this book a try, as I know many people who have LOVED it, but for me, it felt like something was missing. The pacing would go from slow to fast in the blink of a eye and some chapters felt like fillers, but it was a quick and easy read. I enjoyed it but i'm unsure i'll reach for a reread!

UGHHH I loved this! The concept is so clever, I got my hands on an ARC from NetGalley and it did not disappoint. Reminds me of the Cruel Prince meets An Enchantment of Ravens blended with Bridgerton themes, simply beautiful.

Olivia Atwater, you're a genius!

Theodora Eloisa Charity Ettings is cursed. Briefly captured by a faerie as a young girl, the curse has left her with no sense of fear or embarrassment, often leaving her open to accidental scandal. 20 years old and still unwed, on the verge on spinsterhood, Dora travels with her cousin to London for the season, in the hopes that Vanessa may find a suitable match – one whom she actually likes, instead of one foisted upon her by her overbearing mother. While Dora hopes to remain as under the radar as possible, she almost immediately catches the attention of the handsome, magical, and mysterious Lord Sorcier – though uncouth and downright insulting as he is, he may also be the only person who can help remove Dora’s curse.

The first half of Half a Soul was excellent – the world-building, description of the magic system, and the introductions to all of the characters really got me invested in the story and in Dora’s quest to be whole again. I enjoyed the strong bond between Dora and Vanessa, the fact that they're able to question each other's opinions and decisions, while keeping up with that closeness. Given the time-period, I thought it was especially apt that Olivia Atwater included some social criticism, a lot of which is paralleled in the Faerie court, and is still quite relevant to today as well. Although I did feel like everything moved too quickly in the second half, I loved the relationship-building between Dora and her Sorcier, and overall, I did really enjoy this book. High society ladies, plus faerie magic, with an extra sprinkling of a particularly handsome, grumpy love interest and his charming best friend? Sign. Me. Up. I need this to be a category all of its own.

Honestly I loved everything about this. From the original, quirky and lovable characters to the regency themed fantasy.
I have fallen in love with each and everyone of the characters and despite not being a fan of sappy endings where everyone is happy I truly loved this.
It’s very well written so that it’s easy and enjoyable to read. The romance had me on edge the entire time and the witty banter between the two main characters was truly fun to read.
This book has already become such a comfort read for me. I have rarely gotten the attached to a couple but Dora and Elias stole my heart form the very first time they met.
There is a a pride and prejudice with magic feeling to this book and I loved every second of it.
All in all it is a very comforting and whimsical feel to it. While there are some inconsistencies, like Dora somehow lacking just the right amount of emotions to make her standoffish yet still a good person or the fact that some things do sound rather American than British. However these are all things I can easily forgive and I would still highly recommend the book to everyone.

I was fascinated to read this story, I love a good fantasy book and having recently read all the Bridgerton stories the Regency appealed to me too. I felt the story started strongly, it rolled along at a good pace and kept my interest. The writing was good and it set the scene well. There was an element of mystery in having the fairie world running through it. I was definitely intrigued to find out how things would work out.

However, I felt the Regency element was quite weak and except for a few balls and ladies having to be chaperoned and married off, that was about it really. The workhouses played a large element in the story, although workhouses were really Victorian rather than Regency and I felt the historical detail was blurred at times.

I did like the characters, especially Albert and Elias and Dora grew on me. I felt they were well written and developed and there were plenty of secondary characters to add to the drama.

For me, the story started well with lots of intrigue and magic but it faded as the book went on. I thought the last half of the book became a little predictable and felt rushed. Overall, I think the story had great potential and I enjoyed reading the book. If you are after a light fantasy with a touch of romance and a smidge of history I think you will enjoy this one.

Half a Soul is the historical romantasy I didn't know I needed! Dora and the Lord Sorcier instantly drew me in to this alternate regency era England, where magic and fairies exist alongside all the grace and romance of "the ton".

I loved that Dora is a different kind of heroine than we normally see. Her curse makes it hard for her to feel the depth of emotion that those around her experience, but in her own way she is still warm and witty and worthy - and more than capable of going head to head with the formidable Lord Sorcier.

This the kind of moreish fantasy romance that a reader might devour in one sitting. If I had one complaint it would be that I wanted a higher page count - so I could stay lost in the story just a bit longer!

I was pleasantly surprised while reading to find how much I was enjoying the story. It was a little slow paced but the details hooked me enough to keep going and I’m glad I did! I loved Elias (but I mean, who doesn’t love a grumpy but soft soul). Also really loved Miss Jennings and wish we saw more of her. She had so much potential and seemed underrated. Dora’s cousin felt one dimensional and only present when she was needed in the story. I can’t even remember her name so that’s how unimportant I thought she was 😅

The one downfall was the ending. It felt rushed, as if the author realised she was reaching a limit and needed to wrap up quickly. The story seemed to go off track for a bit- not mentioning the marquess for ages until suddenly BOOM he’s part of the plot again. I almost forgot he was in the same story. I feel like this would have been better as a duology. Especially since the epilogue could have been expanded.

(P.S the scenes with Dora and Elias were so cute and so worth reading if you love witty banter)

A really beautiful book that I liked a lot and that I recommend to all the fans of Naomi Novik (author of Uprooted and spinning circle) and Gail Carriger (author of Soulless) in particular, but also to everyone else in general.
First of all we specify that this is not a romance regency with a hint of paranormal, this is a fantasy book for adults, but also suitable for a young audience (because there are no sex scenes or too gory) that is set in the regency era in England and has a romantic story to it, but that is not at the center of the plot.
At the center of the plot is Dora the protagonist from whom a faerie was able to steal half of her soul as a child, and who has now been living for almost twenty years without being able to feel strong emotions, just she who instead had too many before. And her cousin who loves her has decided that to be able to heal her side by side they must know the King's sorcerer who should be the most powerful sorcerer in England. In fact, in this alternative regency world, magic exists even if it is not common, and the existence of faerie and their pericolsità is also well known.
Dora's cousin manages to take her to London with the excuse of the worldly season and there they really meet the sorcerer who is not at all as they believed, he is a cynical man who cannot stand society and likes to scandalize her, but he will certainly not be able to scandalize Dora since she doesn't feel great emotions. This intrigues her and when she finds out her reason for this she will decide to help her. Also because Dora is not only not intimidated by him but she manages to keep up with him with some nice ironic dialogues by answering him rhyme by rhyme, and the fact that she does it despite having only half a soul strikes him even more because originally she really had to have a lot of spirit.
I do not want to reveal too much, of course a love story will blossom, but also much more, there is an epidemic to be treated and a mystery to be solved, and the concept of generosity and the duty to help the weakest will be truly central to everything. history.
The plot is well built and captures the reader because it is varied and interesting, Dora is a very well defined character as well as Elias, the sorcerer of the King, but also the other supporting actors are not completely flat, some are indeed very well rendered, perhaps the flatter ones are the faeries to be honest, but it could be a deliberate choice by the author.
There is romanticism, action, memories of war, magic, faeries, mystery, sacrifice, nothing is missing
to this story that in all this she also manages to remain extremely delicate. The writing style is pleasant, simple, but not trivial. I really hope that one day it will also be published in Italian because this novel has really conquered me, it has been a long time since a fantasy book had taken me like this, I could not detach myself from its page.

Thank you to Netgalley and Little Brown Book Group UK for providing me with this advanced reader copy of the re-release to review.

𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐈 𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖
𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: Half a Soul
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: Olivia Atwater
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Young Adult, Fantasy
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

My heart was so full reading Half a Soul!


𝐆𝐔𝐒𝐇:
• Devoured this in one sitting, I found this novel to be easily digestible and unputdownable.
• I found the characters endearing and uniquely charming! I loved reading their interactions and especially certain banter between some characters—from the grumpy Elias to the affable Albert, and who can forget the star of the show, Dora. I must admit, even the meddlesome aunties (“the hens”) were a hoot.
• Loved the relationships—both romantic and platonic! The platonic relationships were heartwarming and fun and the romance was slow-burn and so satisfying.

𝐆𝐑𝐈𝐏𝐄:
• I did wish it explored more of the magical aspects and faerie world and culture.
• The villain felt like a caricature and I wished their character was developed more (especially at the end).


𝐈𝐧 𝐚 𝐧𝐮𝐭𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐥, 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞:
✔ Regency romance with a touch of fantasy (Fae)
✔ Pride and Prejudice meets Howls Moving Castle vibes
✔ Grumpy character (love interest) with a heart of gold


𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐬: social commentary on privilege (rich and poor in their times)

𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫: fans of regency romance (like Bridgerton but YA), fans of stories with Faeries, fans of grumpy characters


Thank you to @NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 𝐌𝐲 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐠: 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐣𝐨𝐲.𝐜𝐨𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐠 𝐮𝐩𝐨𝐧 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞

Half a Soul, Olivia Atwater

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre: Sci-fi and Fantasy

Well, I'm a sucker for a fairy tale. Throw in a Regency element and it sounded great fun. And was.
A fairy tale with a regency element or a Regency romance with a fae element, either way it was escapism. Yes, there's lots not quite right with the British language and the period setting/language but read it as the fantasy it is and put that behind and its a fun story.

Dora is lovely, kind of naive and innocent but with a strong sense of right and wrong. She made me laugh sometimes and want to cry at others. Elias, the Lord Sorciere was fittingly arrogant and rude, and the secondary characters were very good foils for these two.
I enjoyed the descriptions of the dances, the clothes, and of course the age old rich v poor separation. The ladies and their scheming, the workhouses and the desperate inmates, felt horribly real. The magic elements were great, the Fae logic inescapable, I could almost believe in their sense they were actually improving the poor children's lives. At least they weren't doing it for their own profit, not that it made the suffering any less, but does beg the question of who is more evil.

Its a fun, escapist read. Its not one I'd reread, but I did enjoy it, and would enjoy reading more like this.

Stars: Four, a fun fairy tale historical, or maybe a historical fairy tale ;-)

ARC supplied by Netgalley and publishers

I saw a review that described this work as "if Jane Austen snorted pixie dust, but the pixie dust was made the Fairy Godmother's evil apprentice". It was such a catchy statement that I just had to pick this book up.😁
It was truly all that and much more. I loved the concept the author started her story with-that a split soul led the protagonist (Dora) to loose her ability to feel any strong emotions. With her strangeness that caused society to ridicule her and her aunt to dehumanize her whenever she could (..she may as well be a doll one carries around...), Dora immediately gained my love. Elias was the perfect match for her. I enjoyed the Regency England setup very much.

Not just the story itself, the book's metadata is very good too-the cover is absolutely beautiful. And the author's afterword even more so. Olivia Atwater added a small parable in there by way of her inspiration. I am glad that I came across this book when I did.

Thanks to Netgalley, publisher Little, Brown Book Group (UK) and author Olivia Atwater for providing an advance copy of the book.

✂️Half a Soul✂️

By Olivia Atwater

Description:

It's difficult to find a husband in Regency England when you're a young lady with only half a soul.

Ever since she was cursed by a faerie, Theodora Ettings has had no sense of fear or embarrassment - a condition which makes her prone to accidental scandal. Dora hopes to be a quiet, sensible wallflower during the London Season - but when the strange, handsome and utterly uncouth Lord Sorcier discovers her condition, she is instead drawn into dangerous and peculiar faerie affairs.

If Dora's reputation can survive both her curse and her sudden connection with the least-liked man in all of high society, then she may yet reclaim her normal place in the world. . . but the longer Dora spends with Elias Wilder, the more she begins to suspect that one may indeed fall in love, even with only half a soul.

Bridgerton meets Howl's Moving Castle in this enchanting historical fantasy, where the only thing more meddlesome than faeries is a marriage-minded mother.

✂️✂️✂️✂️✂️

I read through this book in about a day, it was such a fun and quick read. Dora is a great main character and very likeable. It’s hard not to see her inability to feel strong emotions and her struggles to identify social cues as a description of neurodivergence, which did have me slightly concerned as the character is literally missing half her soul, which is probably not the best allusion to draw regarding someone who is neurodivergent. However, a good part of the message of this book is that Dora’s unique viewpoint makes her a more interesting and farsighted character than most around her, and in fact, isn’t “missing” anything at all.

There are definitely some anachronisms about the Regency period but I’m not here for historical accuracy and you know, we’ve got fairies and what have you so I’m fine with it.

The romance is slow burn and sweet and I really liked some of the side characters- I hope we see more of them in future Regency Faerie Tales books.

I’m kicking myself for not jumping on the @fairyloot edition of this lovely book.

Thanks to @netgalley and @orbitbooks_uk for an advanced copy of Half a Soul in exchange for an honest review.

This books grabbed me from the beginning and I read it in less than a day. It was a quick read, fast paced yet still beautifully written. I loved that there wasn't a lot of world building/info dumping about Faerie, in this story it just openly exists alongside our world and the reader (and characters) just gets on with the story.

It had some lovely side characters and the main couple were fun to read about, Elias is such a great grumpy character.

I will definitley be checking out the rest in this series.

My tiktok discussing this book will be uploaded two weeks prior to publication and I shall update with a link when it does.

Dora & her cousin attend society in London with the purpose of finding husbands but Vanessa is more intent on finding the unpredictable & bad tempered Lord Sorcier to see if he can help Dora after half of her soul was taken by an evil faerie lord.
A regency/faerie romance. It reads as YA although it wasn’t advertised as such. Not usually my sort of thing so I find it hard to rate although I did quite enjoy the story by the end - especially the revelation of the ‘sleeping plague’ & the portrayal of the differences between rich & poor in Regency England.
Thanks to NetGalley for an advance e-copy.

I really enjoyed this book and I’m excited that it seems to be a book in a series. I’d like to start by saying thank you for allowing me access to read this book.

It was unexpected how much I would love and hate some of the characters but I did. I wasn’t a fan of “the Hens” but I don’t think many readers would be. I loved Dora and I enjoyed the magical essence to this book and that rather than the character shy from it, magic seemed to be a norm in this story.

Elias was a fab character, just the right amount of rude and insulting to make his character enjoyable and even though Dora was half her self, she still showed compassion and love in spite of this.

There were some minor issues with the book. The use of the word “Auntie” was not for me. I think the word Aunt would be more fitting as the ladies were of high society so it seemed that Aunt would be an more appropriate word to be used when describing her character.

I would have liked more of a back story to Lord Hollowvale in the prologue. It seemed to jump straight into a magical aspect and I wasn’t expecting it so at first it seemed quite strange.

All in all, I loved the book and if the story follows on with Elias and Dora, I will most definitely read it.

There was something about this book that just screamed to me when I first heard about it. I do not know what it was, but I was convinced I was going to love it. Getting the ARC for it was truly a blessing as it not only proved my beliefs but exceeded my expectations. Half a Soul is a beautiful book filled with the perfect amount of magic, regency society and dark fae/faerie that no part of the core story threads felt like a second thought or under utilised. The characters are charming and unique, filled with their own little nuances and mannerisms that make them easily distinct from each other. This book has become my new favourite Young Adult book, and most certainly my comfort read for when I need to read something enjoyable and familiar. Whilst there are select moments with darker themes in the book, they are handled with care and do not feel overdone.

General Thoughts: I adore this book and wish I hadn't finished it so quickly as I already want to reread it.

WARNING: Possible Minor Spoilers Ahead

What I Liked:
- Dora as a protagonist. I feel quite spoilt in the last couple of books that I have read that have had interesting and compelling female leads, and Dora certainly takes up the torch. Despite her confusion with the world around her and emotions she should display, Dora is incredibly easy to understand and relate to as a character.
- Elias as the male lead/love interest. Elias might be my new favourite book man. He is the best version of the grumpy, powerful man who is actually soft under his hard shell. His interest in Dora are also incredibly believable and do not feel forced. His repour with Dora is incredibly enjoyable to read, their little jabs at each other always made me smile.
- Albert just being there. I love Albert. He is such a wonderful character and his friendship with Elias fills one of my favourite tropes, the Grumpy and Sunshine trope, but in a platonic friendship. I was a little worried at first that he was going to be a secondary love interest for Dora, however, I was pleasant surprised when it was made clear early on that he enjoys her company as a friend.
- The setting. For some reason, fiction books set in regency times have never really appealed to me, despite being a history graduate/major. However, this version of regency London was captivating and I actually found myself forgetting that this was set in England,
- The story as a whole. The storyline was superb. The premise is compelling to pull the reader in, and the story throughout kept me entranced.
- The faerie. With how much there is now regarding fae fantasy, I was pleased to see a story with wholly dark faes rather than a mix or just good faes.

What did not work for me:
- I wish it had been longer. Perhaps because I enjoyed it so much, I was so disappointed when I reached the end. I wanted there to be more, however, I understand that this was the story that Olivia Atwater wanted to tell and making it longer could have ruined the magic of this book.

I am looking forward to reading the other books in this series, despite my sadness that they won't be about Dora and Elias. Having had a digital review copy, I am now fighting with myself as to whether to go buy a physical copy or wait for my FairyLoot edition of the book to arrive in a few months!

| I will be posting this review on Goodreads two weeks before the release of Half a Soul as well as speaking about it on my TikTok and my instagram. All three platforms are under the same username @_thatbookwitch

Really, really adored this from start to finish. Like Bridgerton but with magic and faeries and more than a few shades of Howl’s moving castle.

Pacy and fun and charming. Some good clothes. Some excellent Austen-worthy satire. A real delight, I absolutely gulped it down.