Review: Half a Soul

Half a Soul by Olivia Atwater
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This the most refreshingly clever and thoughtful fairy tale that I've had the pleasure of reading for some time. Our heroine Dora, in a childhood incident, lost half her soul to a faerie lord. Dora's cousin Vanessa saved her from losing her entire soul by stabbing the elf with a pair of iron embroidery shears. Fast forward a decade or so, and we see that Dora, once a lively child, has developed into half a person -- Dora lacks the emotional connection or attention to propriety of a "normal" girl. In consequence, Vanessa engineers the girls' entry into the London season -- Auntie Frances is more than willing to expose Vanessa, at least, to potential suitors, and Vanessa knows that in London she and Dora may cross paths with the Lord Sorcier. Maybe he will be able to lift Dora's curse.
I recommend this book to fantasy fans of Ella, Enchanted and Howl's Moving Castle, as well as fans of classics like Sense and Sensibility and Little Women.
I gave this book 5 stars because I appreciate the way Atwater handles Dora's curse. You'll have to read the book to see what I mean.
If you like #1 of the Recency Faerie Tales, I also recommend #2 -- It's not a continuation of the first story!

View all my reviews