First thing to say is that even though it didn't change the rating for the book, I was more than a little relieved to hear that Soul Born is the first book in a three book series. Book 2 is due out in fourth quarter 2011 (Fall/winter) in fact.

When I first read about this the words 'dark fantasy' were first and foremost. And this can definitely be considered that; there's no 'good guy' or 'bad guy', or a sense that one side is any better then the other. Much of the characters are motivated by a selfish goal or concern--in some cases this means acting against the side they've aligned with in order to achieve that goal.

Without giving spoilers, Karn begins with Opal, but he eventually goes with Tala. I liked that Breaux contrasted the emotions that Tala has for Karn with what Opal feels. He doesn't emphasize that one is better then the other, that one has more right then the other. This goes back to what I was saying about how there isn't a 'good' or 'bad' guy. Neither is exactly forthcoming with Karn in regards to who he is or why they need him.

I wanted to know more about Illyia, I was constantly hoping that just a little more information would be given so I could have a better worldview. Its not that Breaux leaves the world vague and unshaped, rather he focuses almost entirely on Opal, Tala and Karn's conflicts. We are given just enough information to understand what's happening--such as the war between Tala's people (the Elves) and the Lizardmen. Considering I'm used to entire chapters dedicated to detailing the history of why the Elves and Lizardmen are fighting, the few short paragraphs Breaux uses to tell us about the war made me blink. This isn't a bad thing, overall it gives the book a tighter focus, just takes a little getting used to.

There are several revelations in the book that left me surprised and eager to read on to see how this now effected things. More than anything else the mystery of Karn's past and his memories were what I wanted to know more about. They came in fragments and snippets, some of them mundane and some of them intense. In the beginning of the book Karn thinks about the fact he clearly remembers his death, but with no visible signs of it nor any linking memories to it, he grows confused. Each subsequent 'memory' builds a larger, rather frightening, picture.

I was a bit taken aback by the ending--I wasn't entirely convinced that what Opal did was necessary (even if she felt it was) nor did I think that what Tala did made much sense. There was no time passage defined, but it felt like Tala suddenly rushed into the decision. It will be interesting to see how it plays out in the next book, though I'm a little wary with the implications. ( )

Let me start off by saying that this book is definitely unlike most other books
of this genre. Sometimes I think I've read all the fantasy-type books that I
possibly can. How many more times can I read about the world coming to an end
due to the evil machinations of some dark lord, wizard, or king who is trying to
obtain some great artifact of power which will make him or her unstoppable and
must be stopped by some individual with a destiny to lead the forces of good to
victory? Soul Born does not fit this commonly-used formula. I must admit that
at first it was hard to get used to as I kept expecting the story to go a
certain way based on my pre-conceived notions of how these types of book usually
go. Eventually, I stopped trying to imprint my ideas onto the story though and
sat back and enjoyed the ride.

The story focuses on three different main characters: Opal, a healer and
powerful mage, Karn, a ruthless warrior with a noble heart, and Tala,
a beautiful and cunning elf. A great warlord is leading an enormous army to
conquer the land of Illyia. Opal, Karn, Tala are all trying to stop the
warlord, however, each has their own reasons. This is a world that is full of
competing powers and various races of people with their own agendas and goals
from elves and dark elves, jackalweres, lizard men, mages, giants, and humans.
Each party has a stake in the outcome of the battles being waged across the
land. Opal is faced with the task of answering to a council of mages who have
commanded her to get the man she loves, Karn, to do their bidding. Tala has the
task of finding Karn and exposing him to secrets of his forgotten past while
falling for him at the same time. Karn struggles with being the person chosen
to defeat the great warlord but he is continually plagued by visions and dreams
of another life.

This book definitely gets down to business. If you are looking for an epic tale
full of long explanations and an in-depth narrations of the history behind
Illyria and all of its inhabitants, you won't find it here. The reader is given
just enough information to learn what is important but the action keeps moving
along. At certain times in the story, this left me confused with many
questions. This kept me intrigued though and wanting to keep reading in order
to have my questions answered. I enjoyed being dropped into the middle of an
adventure and slowly discovering the secrets behind the action as the story
progressed.

Soul Born was different from many other books in that important characters may
not easily classify as "good" or "evil". As in real life, sometimes people make
good choices with pure motives and sometimes they make selfish ones that may
hurt others. This led to many twists and kept my mind active throughout the
entire book questioning every move the characters made trying to guess what
secrets were really going on behind the scenes. Their are some secrets left
unresolved though as this book is only the beginning of what looks to be a
thrilling adventure. I recommend you buckle up and hold on tight. ( )