The Soul of Chaos

Litanies of the Lost Star #1

by Gregory Wunderlin

The whispers followed her. Since her first rebuke they persisted in their pursuit, distant yet clear, they offered the same deal. Power. Freedom. They swelled when she acknowledged them, the fierce static eschewing reality in its sudden onset.

Exiled from his home and his noble heritage in disgrace, Rurik toils in the mines of an ancient, underground ruin as foreman to a group of breakers: prisoners, cutthroats, and dregs of society forced into indentured servitude.

His responsibility to his crew weighs heavily on his conscience-for even the most minor job can prove fatal, and earning his life back can only be paid for with the lives of his friends. With his absence, his twin sister, Arkalis, is left to deal with Rurik's failures.

With a hostile occupation of her family's lands and new responsibilities as her ailing father's heir she finds herself trapped in an impossible situation, one she'd rather drink her way through.

Accosted on all sides, neither could foresee their actions as the spark to an apocalyptic war, one responsible for the emergence of dark gods long since thought defeated. Chaos, it seems, is their last hope.

Genres: Fantasy

391 pages, Paperback

Published October 25, 2023

About the author

Gregory is a TTRPG designer and author. He writes in any genre that strikes his fancy and has no idea how any of this works.

Seriously, do you? Please, send help.

Reviews

[Jamedi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review originally on JamReads

The Soul of Chaos is the first book in the Litanies of the Lost Star series, a dark fantasy series written by Gregory Wunderlin, and which mashes fantasy with some sci-fi esque elements. An adventurous fantasy which follows mainly two POVs, Rurik and Arkalis, in a world full of details, and a civilization which was extinguished a thousand years ago are some of the elements of this story.

A plot that starts a bit confusing, throwing you in the middle of the situation, not holding your hand and trusting you to start composing the image; Rurik with his band of breakers trying to get a profit from a dangerous job recovering valuable artifacts from underground ruins. A work that many times is paid with the lives of some of his mates.
Meanwhile, Arkalis, his twin sister, has been left having to deal with the result of his absence. Only heir to her father, and with his decadence, she's full of new obligations, accompanied by an invasion; the problems are just driving her to alcoholism.

With this premise, we have a story that is slowly unraveled into a world that has a rich previous history; the addition of small tidbits of lore and documents that only inspire more curiosity into the reader. In some aspects, this book drinks from classic fantasy, but with some modern additions that are well received, such as the egalitarianism between men and women.

The writing style is quite particular, and personally, I think it can be hit or miss for many people; long descriptions are the norm, and it can be quite verbose at occasions. Some dialogues are untagged, and can become a bit complicated to follow if you are not fully focused in the reading.

The Soul of Chaos is a perfect book for those looking for a modernised version of classic fantasy with some dark touches; a great debut, and which shows what Gregory Wunderlin can do.

[Marie Chalupová (Levitara) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25⭐

One thousand years ago, a cataclysmic event wiped out most of civilization. Although some information and technology endured, the most advanced knowledge has been lost to time. The story begins in the ruins of an ancient city, where those condemned or in need of money try to dig through its walls while avoiding magical traps. Rurik, while of royal blood, is one of those condemned and responsible for one of the breaker groups. The discovery he makes is not only going to change his life but also the fate of the whole continent.

This epic fantasy was way more than I expected it to be. Every time I thought, OK I get where we are going, it surprised me with something new. Not only does it shift in the stakes and focus as we discover the secrets of the world alongside our main character, but it also changes in the vibes - going from historical fantasy to more sci-fi fantasy or even delving into a touch of horror fantasy.

It's the type of story where you get thrown into the deep end, trying to process all the specks of lore given. I may have missed some bits that will only click on a second re-read.

The story begins with two POVs but eventually introduces many others. Rurik is a character with a lot of baggage and one who always feels responsible for others' well-being and never hesitates to jump in for a rescue. He is the leader of a small group of breakers, which includes characters from a variety of countries and cultures. Each character has their own voice and manners, making them easily distinguishable. Our second main character is his sister. As a new heir, she has to deal with the political mess her brother left behind, and she is definitely not happy with having any responsibilities. She would rather drown herself in an alcohol haze, if only to stop the dark whispers in her head. While I enjoyed all the characters and their POVs, Luc was probably the most interesting one. His unique ability gave his storyline a very different feeling.

I also greatly enjoyed the magic system. Basically, it's a bit hard to separate what is magic and what is technology. Therein comes the sci-fi element.

I can't really talk much more about the book, as I feel it's very easy to spoil the experience. Let me just talk a bit about some negatives.

In the beginning, I had some issues with the prose. It wasn't bad, but its peculiar style made it a bit challenging to read. Eventually, though, I got used to it and didn't find it bothersome anymore. Another thing I noticed in the beginning was some difficulty with descriptions. I had a hard time imagining the layout of the ruins, as well as following some fight scenes.

Something that wasn't as bothersome to me but might be more for those reading a physical copy were passages of text in French and Latin. Instead of using a made-up language, the author chose these languages to represent some foreign characters who don't speak the local language. While I found it interesting and fitting, it might become a bit tedious for readers to translate the passages when not reading a digital copy.

Lastly, there's the ending of the book. I'm still not sure how I feel about it. It might be a personal thing, and I can't discuss it here, obviously, but it's likely the reason I couldn't give this book a 5-star rating. I am still definitely looking toward the sequel, but I am just not sure what to expect. Again. It might very well change my feelings toward the ending one way or the other.

I received an ARC for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Elena Linville-Abdo]

DNF at 30%

It's not a bad book, but I just couldn't get into it. The worldbuilding is almost non-existant, and I didn't mesh with the characters.

I don't mind being thrown into a story off the deep end and having to figure out the world and the rules... as long as the author provides that information eventually. But 30% of the book in, I still don't know how magic works in this world. Or what those ancient cities Rurik and his crew dig up mean in the grand scheme of things. Or how it relates to his sister's chapters and the attempted coup that's happening there. Who are the Voidtouched? Where do they come from? What is that ancient city and the magic ring Rurik puts on? No clue.

I don't even know the political system of this world. Up until the ambush, I was convinced that Solara was the marshall for the Iskarion family. Or why the only heir to the family had to flee her home in order to save them all.

It's hard to follow a story when you don't know the stakes. And you can't determine the stakes if you don't know how this world is organized. Are the runes and portals a normal occurrence in this world? Is Rurik's ring something special that grants him extraordinary abilities? What are shapers and what do they do? No clue, because I don't know how magic works in this world.

I also wasn't particularly interested in either of the two POVs - Rurik and his sister, whose name I can't even recall anymore. I could have sat through confusing worldbuilding if I was invested in the characters, but I wasn't.

The writing is also rather stilled, especially when it comes to dialogue. I caught myself rolling my eyes a few times at how unnatural the dialogue sounded, but I decided to quit when I found myself skimming through fight scenes. If even that wasn't enough to keep me engaged, it was a lost cause.

PS: I received an advanced copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Holden Wunders · Rating 5 out of 5]

Debut novels are always a hit or miss and thank goodness for a hit, especially for a fantasy book. I’m so tired of picking up fantasy books and having to DNF for rambling or just not editing out the unnecessary bits, it was refreshing to get something straightforward, fast, while still completely retaining a flow and giving ample imagery. The authour writes pure poetry and evokes all the things you want out of reading a book. The fight scenes felt like when you watch a really epic fight scene on screen that’s choreographed so well you can only utter “wow.” He blends my favourite parts of other genres in his writing and I would be really interested to see this authour delve into more genres. High fantasy isn’t always my favourite but Wunderlin has me reconsidering that stance. Also a badass female character that doesn’t make me feel frustrated by tropes. Plus an unbelievably loveable character in Luc that evokes the best of characters like Jaskier or Hopper, GIVE ME MORE LUC! I know this just came out but I already want the second book.

Thanks for an ARC! I never get those

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the main characters of this book. They are well flushed out and have clear individual traits. Also they aren't perfect heroes. Rather they are flawed, like real humans and have to work through/with those flaws. The plot was interesting throughout as well. I did struggle with the number of characters. I had trouble tracking who was who because there were so many secondary characters.

[Erin, erin.reads_ 🇨🇦]

Gifted copy provided by BookSirens and Black Rose Writing for an honest review.

I’m 20% into this and confused doesn’t cut it. I’ll be DNFing this.

We have Rurki and his band of misfits who are Breakers, who seem to be miners? But they are finding secret / hidden rooms and locations? So, I’m not really sure what they are doing or why? At first I was excited / interested because I thought it would be akin to Red Rising but it was never explained. I love a found family but I’m not getting enough info about them to love them yet.

Kali is a lady of the court who is to be married off to a short dude whose name I can’t remember. She seems like a badass if she hadn’t been sexualized within her first chapter. This is completely separate from Rurkis chapters and there has been no overlap between them.

In between all of this you have passages from the Loremaster which so far haven’t really helped me to figure out what the hell is going on.

We have Rune magic and some of the characters have magical abilities?

I was hoping it would get clearer as we went but it hasn’t. I think 20% into a book you should have some idea as to what is going on.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, Black Rose Writing, & to Gregory Wunderlin for this ARC of The Soul of Chaos! I really enjoyed this book! I believe this is a debut novel, but if that makes you nervous let me assuage any concerns. This is a well crafted fantasy adventure that I definitely recommend! I didn't want to put this book down, especially the more I got into the story.

Sometimes authors struggle to explain the worlds & characters they've created and it creates a confusing story. Other times authors barely seem to try in hopes that readers won't experience that potential confusion, leaving their stories lacking. I didn't find either to be the case here at all! There is a perfect balance between the two that Gregory Wunderlin seems to have found. He's created a world that is rich enough to fully immerse yourself in and he did a great job introducing it to readers. It helps bring the actual plot of the book and the characters who exist in this world to life! That's my opinion, and to be fair I do have a good head for keeping names and places straight. Still, I will say for my part I was really impressed and I really appreciate the talent and effort that went into doing this.

The Soul of Chaos did a good job with characters as well, which is a really important aspect of any book. Rurik and his sister Kali are really strong main characters. I loved Kali right away. I found myself really invested in her story! Luc is someone else who really grew on me! Overall, I think there's a pretty solid group of characters that everyone will find someone they connect to!

This was a fun experience for me! I feel like this book was different from other fantasy books I've read in a really original way. If you read the description and you think you might be interested, I promise you that you definitely are. This is a good choice for high fantasy fans, especially if you're looking for an original captivating tale! I'm looking forward to more books both in this Litanies of the Lost Star series, and just by Gregory Wunderlin in general!

[Livia Elliot · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Soul of Chaos is an original high fantasy with touches of adventure that will likely appeal to many readers. It has a unique world, great pacing, and some twists to keep you engaged all throughout. I'll try to keep this review non-spoiler but informative, so I may remain vague at some points.

First of all, I found the narration very well done to keep both the pace moving, and build up the world.. You are following two main characters that narrate in limited third person, and there are the occasional POV jumps to two-three more secondary characters. The chapters and the POVs are not named (e.g., the chapter is not called with the narrating character's name) but they are easy to follow--either the characters are in different places or it starts following them, which makes the switching POVs straightforward.

After that, we have epistolary mini "chapters" of 1-2 paragraphs each. These epistolary sections are either excerpts from in-book books (litanies), diaries, and so on, that build up the world--for example, an excerpt of someone making a discovery, or a letter of a mother to a child. They are all relevant, and help you understand the magnitude of some events without being told. It is also quite useful because the reader is not bombarded with lore, yet these mini-chapters are curious enough to add worldbuilding, demonstrating the depth of the world.

That is my second plus point--the worldbuilding. This book has that feeling of TTRPG and RPG since you have greatswords, combat healers, warcasters, paladins and heavy-armoured knights, and classes and professions... yet everything is so neatly tied together. There are so many names, yet the author introduces them perfectly. Somehow, you can infer what this in-book word means by the context/paragraph in which it is introduced, and then as the story progresses, you find bite-sized bits of information that continue to add to the worldbuilding.

I found this engaging, because the world is *huge* (and you can see it also has a clear past, myths, and history) but never feels overwhelming. Soul of Chaos is quite accessible, both in the narration itself and how everything is presented--and it takes some mastery to do that this well.

Third, I want to commend the author on the characters and the representation. You will not find any sexism or gender-driven violence here which is so refreshing. You have women who work as knights, women being high ranking officials, and no comments regarding their performance. It seems to be a queer-norm word, which is another plus. It is so good to finally find some high fantasy that does not rely on a mostly male cast.

Something to note is that because of this setting, some titles are gendered (e.g., duke and duchess) but others are not (e.g., baron, which should be baron and baroness); so, there is this female character which is introduced as Baron Shadowsong... and I had a bit of a metal glitch until I realised that she was a woman. It's not jarring, just be mindful of it.

Fourth, the magic system and the world setting is unique and compelling. Your average high fantasy would be quite medieval... but not this one. There is this mixture of priests that cast magic, priests that sing to do sorcery, alchemists... and then there is a whole group (I won't spoil much) that actually uses some fantasy-enabled technology. It gives the world a completely different uniqueness that isn't there in other books; additionally, you have people warring with greatswords, but also some troops wielding arquebuses, adding a compelling dynamic.

More importantly, the author balanced this magic/science swords/arquebuses contrast very well, making them work in such a perfect tandem. This "magic system" (using quotes because it's science, not magic) seems critical for the plot, it enables the plot basically, but I wouldn't say it is scifantasy. There are some explanations on those epistolary mini-chapters, but it is presented in an accessible way.

Nevertheless, it is not your traditional setting, and a very welcome difference.


Now, why four stars and not five? I found three things that I would have preferred to be different:

First, there is a particular character that speaks in another language; I believe the author uses French albeit it has an in-book name. The issue was that there were no footnotes with any translation (perhaps this was an ebook issue?); I'm not a French speaker, so I had this sensation of missing something. Granted, the other characters respond in a way in which a reader can somehow infer a bit of what the French line meant... but it was annoying and I'm quite sure I lost most of the meaning there--especially if there were any jokes or humour.

Second, given that combination of magic and science (which is just chef's kiss), I would have liked more description of the environment. The characters, their clothing, the armours, and the magic (or artefacts) are well described, but I wasn't really sure how to imagine the houses, or the structures, and the castles. I would have liked more details on the cities, on the scents of the places, on the colours and the people walking/passing by. Yhe book is short enough that a few more words in environment/architecture description could have painted a more vivid image for me.

Third, there were bits of un-tagged dialogue. Gratefully, the author does not plague the book with "said"s, but there are some sections of untagged dialogue with 2+ characters that I found myself re-reading just to ensure I got who-said-what correctly. A bit more aid (perhaps descriptions of the tone/posture) would be welcomed.


TL;DR: A great high-fantasy with tones of adventure, epic stakes, and a diverse cast of characters. Great world-building, an innovative magic system that enables the plot, and written in an digestible, easy-to-read way that flows naturally and is never overwhelming--even when the world is vast (both in terms of complexity and history). Recommended for fans of high fantasy, or for those wanting to give the genre a try.

[Abel Montero · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐ A complex and original fantasy novel. Review coming soon!

[shrig · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.75 / 5 ✰ DNF at 58.2%

The Soul of Chaos isn't a bad book, in fact there are great lines such as "Unauthorized my left testicle!", I just didn't personally gel with it (the book I mean, that line is great). I would say give the book a shot though since a lot of people seem to have enjoyed it.

I found the start of the book to be incredibly confusing, and maybe I'm the problem and wasn't paying attention (I do do that), but I still can't quite figure out what the fuck a 'rune' exactly is. This book really likes to just through you into it and not explain anything, which some people may enjoy, but it just lead to confusion and not the most great experience for me.

Other than that, there are a decent amount of characters introduced and I was doing okay keeping up with all of it until one point. I hadn't read a Rurik chapter since the day before and finally got to his POV and then for the life of me I could not remember who one of the characters was and I had to go and search his name to figure out who he was again.

My main issue is one that's kind of hard to explain, but I'll try. Things in this book just sort of happen, nothing is established to the reader about the world/the world's systems/characters. This leads to everything feeling like it just spawns out of nowhere. This character I've never heard of before randomly shows up and is evil and is tutoring the MC, ya okay I guess. Would've been nice to at least of heard of them before though. The MC has magic ring that can do things that help them repeatedly, I mean ya why not? I was never told what the limits of this world are, so I guess it makes sense. There are a lot more examples (but I don't want to spoil things), in fact pretty much everything that happens in this book I felt like this about. Just like, oh okay, never heard of that before but sure! I wish some details about the general world or people were fleshed out a bit more, or even just established to any degree at all.

Anyways, some combination of these factors made me lack the desire to keep reading. I DNF'd at 58%, and although this book doesn't do anything egregious and I could have finished (and have finished worse books), I just didn't have any motivation to keep reading and didn't want to force myself. All that negative jazz aside, there was one thing I really appreciated..

Often I'm hesitant to read books similar to The Soul of Chaos because they so frequently follow some path of fantasy = medieval style = sexist + homophobic, but I'm really happy to say that this author did not do that! I actually really loved this so much, maybe it's a small and irrelevant detail to some, but to me it really mattered. I love that Arkalis gets to be just Arkalis.

My other positive actually has nothing to do with the writing, but I just want to say I really like the art on the cover. Whoever drew it is very cool.

Thus concludes my probably too long review, all to say: I didn't love it, but maybe someone else would. I want to emphasize that The Soul of Chaos is not a bad book and the author seems like a great guy. I think there are sequels planned, so although I probably won't be reading them, I wish the author the best of luck.

(side note, how could Sahira possibly have smelled of citrus? They were in a goddam explosion and like 2 separate fights, probably hadn't showered in a while.. and she smelled of CITRUS???)

[Bonnie Slocum]

A foreword: I typically don't like to give star ratings for independent local authors, as one review score is more likely to skew the overall average, and for that reason I am not assigning a star rating to my review. Instead, in the spirit of constructive feedback I want to offer my thoughts about this book for the author's consideration.

To start with the positive, I think that Gregory Wunderlin is a skillful writer, and I thoroughly enjoyed the prose. Interesting vocabulary and sentence structure; satisfying blend of grimdark details and humorous asides. The combat scenes especially impressed me and evinced the author's TTRPG credentials. That said, the novel (which I read in print format) could have benefited from another editing pass-through. I noticed several instances of missing punctuation, incorrect word choice (it's instead of its, taut/taunt, severe/sever), and sentences that were ungrammatical or otherwise difficult to parse.

I also have to echo the sentiments in other reviews about feeling confusion for much of the book. I get it--fantasy worldbuilding is a delicate balancing act. You don't want to belittle or bore your reader by hammering them with exposition from the very beginning, but you also don't want them to feel adrift in the narrative without a lifeboat. Unfortunately I think the author leaned a little too far in the latter direction. I had a very hard time grasping on to anything--the various nations and power dynamics, the history, the religions, or the the magical systems. Characters were introduced at an overwhelming pace, and for the majority of them I had no sense of what their motives were. Things were just happening around me, and I lacked the context to understand their consequence. And not to get to deep into spoiler territory here, but the greater forces influencing our heroes towards the climax of the book left me completely baffled about what was happening. I really couldn't follow the last 80 or so pages at all.

Finally, I will say that although not all of the cast is equally fleshed out, there are a number of delightful characters. Arkalis was much better fleshed out and fun to follow than Rurik, so I enjoyed her chapters much more, but both halves of the narrative has some engaging secondary characters. Luc especially was very endearing on the Kali side, while I enjoyed the heart that Sahira brought to Rik's.

In conclusion, while my experience with The Soul of Chaos may have been inconsistent, but there's enough talent here that I would be remiss to write this author off, and I would welcome an opportunity to read his next work.

[Usman Zunnoor · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I am impressed with the level of intricacy crafted in this world as well as the academic nature of the prose, there are a few things I’d like to mention that I found lacking and contributed to my low level of enjoyment for this book.

Like I mentioned, the prose is well done from an academic standpoint but it goes above and beyond in a detrimental way. At times, the word choices do not match well with the flow of the story and seem very high-brow. An example would be the word “countenance” used in place of any and all references to facial expression. Perhaps I am in the minority here but continuously reading phrases such as “she smoothed her countenance” was something I couldn’t quite become accustomed to.

Another important issue was the setting. I could have done with more description to get a feel of where our characters are or what surrounds them. It is not often I wish for something like this as I enjoy having only a few morsels and then leaving the rest to my imagination. Here, however, the lack of setting description was blatant and might have been the biggest issue I had with the story. It became a slog very quickly because in my mind, every scene was near black… the action sequences and character interactions all played out within a void of darkness. Half the time I forgot where we were and I wish a little more effort was put into painting a broader picture for us.

The last thing I had trouble with were the many characters. There are so many names that hitch onto the journey without much distinction of character or personality that it becomes difficult to remember who characters are or what their motivation is. I enjoy a large cast as much as anyone and as long as I have even a minor recollection of who a person is, I’m usually alright. Here, things felt different.

Overall, if not for the unique and well-crafted world in terms of political/cultural factions and magic systems, I most likely would not have finished this book. This series has the potential to become something I believe should be highly praised within the realm of epic fantasy and for this reason, I finished the book and am writing this review.

[Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m giving this a 4 but it’s more of a 3.5 and i’m just rounding up.

I would like to point out that I’ve never been great at names, if I’m introduced to too many people too quickly, I get really confused - this was no exception. It took me about 60% of the book to figure out who was who, if they were important to the storyline for Kali or Rik, and if they were worth remembering at all.

Following this, it took about this far into the book to figure out what was going on. I understood the basics of it but the whole drive of the story was lost on me until I fully understood who was who and what was going on. Because of this, I found this book very difficult to read for long periods of time which definitely did not help. I could only read this for about 30-40 minutes without losing interest, and honestly, I’m surprised I didn’t DNF this.

It isn’t all bad though and I am glad I finished it because once it really got into it, I did start to enjoy it. The basics of the storyline with the runes and the magic I found extremely fascinating and I like how the book is left with an open ending making you want more. I just wish it didn’t take me so long into it to start enjoying it. I would advise everyone to just keep going, it may be a bit of a slow burner at the start but it does pick up.

Honourable mention to the quote ‘Where in the mother’s tits are you?’ which made me laugh out loud. I also really loved the chapter towards the back end of the book which was a letter from Ilya. It was short but also beautifully written.

Thanks for accepting my request to read this book :-)

[Jonathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Found this book via a discord server, and stuck around till the end wondering what would happen, even if the beginning was confusing. Now, given to the fact that I primarily read fantasy and sci-fi, the lore dumping didn’t bother me much (a lot of fantasy and sci-fi love dumping lore on your head). The magic system, one of the more unique I’ve found over the past years. As for the ending, can’t say much, as it would spoil the experience, but the reading of it is worth the rest of the book.
Now to the “fictional languages”, lmfaooooo… if I didn’t notice the French, I’d have just kept reading, not realizing the folly my actions would have until much later. Luckily, I had a phone to throw the phrases into and had a blast. If you decide to read this book off this review, have a good translation app handy, because, as I’ve said a few sentences ago, it’s a gold mine of hilarity. All in all, a good book that kept me sitting there reading it, and reluctantly stopping to partake in social activities.
Gave this review willingly without the author holding an arquebus to my head. Give it a quick read, and if you like sci-fi and fantasy, there’s a high chance you’ll enjoy it.

[Madi Autry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! I’ve never read a gunpowder fantasy before, and I especially loved this novel’s combination of technology and magic. The magic system was unique and very interesting, as was all of the world-building and super in-depth lore. I loved the use of found documents like journal entries and historical texts between chapters.

The dialogue is very well written and every character has their own specific voice, which makes it easy to keep track of everyone. Love the strong female protagonist! The multiple points of view work perfectly, and I had a lot of fun piecing the story together using all of the different perspectives as I read. I’m not usually into action-packed books, but I found all of the fight scenes in this one very entertaining.

This story explores some fascinating concepts and features a cast of relatable, funny, and entertaining characters. I’m already looking forward to reading the next book in this series!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Harriet · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so excited to read this book, especially after reading the blurb. And I can easily say I am so happy that I decided to read this book. As soon as I started reading the book I loved the writing style in which this book entails. The author has created a very interesting worldbuilding. I am intrigued with the story and plotline, it was something in which I didn't want to put the book down when I was reading. There was so much that went on in this book, which kept me glued to the story. The characters within this book were very interesting and they had trials and challenges in which they had to go through which developed the characters and it helped the story to develop further too. With the way the story ended I am looking forward to see where the author goes on with the next book.

[Marty Walsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thrilling, engaging, violent, and fantastical. It’s superb. I was drawn in by compelling characters, rich and diverse world-building, and an abundance of adventure, comedy and fantasy. The author mixes in a healthy dose of plot twists, competing agendas, and just the right amount of mystery, that unfolds at a rewarding pace.

I cannot recommend this book enough. A wonderful, self-contained story, that offers a tantalizing peak at a broad, well constructed world. A great read, with hints of more to come. 5 stars.

[Guadalupe · Rating 3 out of 5]

**Thank you NetGalley and Black Rose Writing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!**
Posted to: NetGalley, Goodreads, and The StoryGraph
Posted on: 24 October 2023

3 out of 5 stars.

You know when there’s books written for certain audiences? I don’t think I was the target audience for this one. I dove too deep into a fantasy section instead of wading, and I ended up here with ‘The Soul of Chaos’. It was so different than the fantasy style I normally read (granted I’ve been more in the YA/NA area but I’ve been slowly reaching out recently like with ‘The Sun and The Void’ but I digress) and I think that was the start to why I couldn’t really click with this read.

The writing style was 50/50 for me. I loved it in some scenes like the more action ones, but other times I didn’t vibe with it. It’s not my favorite overall. I don’t think there’s a set time period it’s supposed to be in, but the setting and the speaking kind of clash to me- but that’s just a personal dislike. It may work for others, it may not.
The characters were… there for sure. I was worried that with the way Arkalis was being written, she’d turn out to be another Lou from ‘Serpent and Dove’ which luckily she began to change more. I agree with another reviewer that I disliked the way she was sexualized immediately and a little often in her chapters. I really liked her character though, and wish she wouldn’t have fallen in that typical trope for women in fantasy. Rurik was also a bit blander for me. I think his chapters were just moving a little slower and introducing a whole lot more of the world than Arkalis’s. There was a character in his little ragtag group too that I have a bone to pick with- Feral. There isnt a skin tone mentioned for her that I can remember, but she’s mentioned to have ‘elegant dreadlocks’, has more broken speech compared to the others, and is a character that like- other characters aren’t fond of being ‘manhandled’ and talked down on by. I’m not sure if this character is meant to be poc, but the dreadlocks threw me off (as a hairstyle most common in the black community and having origin ties in Africa) paired with the way she’s written- it gave me the ick. The word ‘savage’ is also used way too much for her character for my liking (as mentioned in my ‘Savage Beasts’ review, I have no voice on the usage of this word as I’m not in the community it affects, but those who deserve the platform to speak on it have stated their views already).
There’s also this torture scene that I dunno, I didn’t like it. Again, I’m not entirely used to this end of the pool though so maybe it just caught me by surprise?

I DNF’d this read at 57% in the end and leave it at 3 stars for being a very neutral read for me. I fell out of the desire to read it- just don’t know if it was because I entered a slump, because I just wasn’t used to this writing style and fantasy setting, or just didn’t like the things that happened in the story. Maybe it was a little mix of everything. I wanted to like it though! Arkalis was growing on me and I wanted the story to unravel somehow. I got a little confused with where everything was going though, what was happening and what everything is. I thought maybe it’s connected to another already-established setting and magic system that I didn’t know of, but there wasn’t really a clear and understandable path IMO. Again, though, this may be a story that works for some people and doesn’t work for others. I’m on the latter half of that statement- it just didn’t work too well for me.

[Book Reviewer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gregory Wunderlin's The Soul of Chaos, part of the Litanies of the Lost Star series, offers an intriguing foray into a fantasy landscape marked by apocalyptic themes and a fusion of technology and magic. Set in a dystopian world ruled by dark gods, the narrative revolves around Rurik, a royal descendant tasked with the monumental responsibility of saving his land. This novel stands out for its rich language and successful blending of genres, defying easy classification into a single category.

Wunderlin skillfully crafts a diverse cast of characters, including the likes of Kali and Rurik, each bringing their unique perspectives and stories to the forefront. The author's adeptness in world-building is commendable; he constructs a vivid, intricate universe from scratch, a feat that often poses a challenge even for seasoned writers. The immersive quality of the storytelling kept me engaged throughout. The innovative aspects and the authentically portrayed characters in The Soul of Chaos are commendable. The pacing of the novel presents a varied rhythm, with some chapters unfolding at a contemplative pace that offers a thoughtful contrast to the more action-packed or intense scenes. This variation in tempo adds a unique dynamic to the narrative's flow.

The Soul of Chaos captivated me, largely due to the author's eloquent language and the intricate development of the characters. This novel stands out as an excellent introduction for newcomers to fantasy and a delightful read for long-time enthusiasts. The Soul of Chaos has sparked an eagerness to explore the rest of the series, reflecting its growing appeal to me.

[Kristjan · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a rocky start, jumping right in with power play/conspiracy against one royal scion while switching up to her sibling just trying to survive his exile into some sort of mine. There was obviously a lot of depth to the world building; however, a lot of it remains hidden in the choppy prose and it took me way too long to catchup, so a few more details for each scenario would have been appreciated. Still, it turned into a fairly interesting adventure … with Kali soon spending most of her arc trying to avoid discover candor capture and Rurik taking his crew of “breakers” into the fray from the other side. I still don’t have a clear idea what a breaker is outside of some sort of miner teaching for magical detritus in the bones of a once great magical civilization (in that respect, it is sort of a dystopian story). I didn’t particular care for the MC introductions, but they grew on my toward the end. Each MC has something special to contribute and the slow reveal was well done and helped make the story work … especially toward the end, when it pace picks up dramatically to stick the landing.

I was given this free advance reader copy (ARC) ebook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

#TheSoulOfChaos #NetGalley #KindleUnlimited

[Derrick C. Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

This debut novel somehow manages to get everything right from the first paragraph until the end of the adventure. It is a compelling and engaging piece of fantasy that grips you immediately and refuses to let go. Balancing the story between two primary points of view, I found myself trying to read faster to see what would happen next. I was unwilling to accept the last sentence was truly the end. I wanted to keep turning the page for more from this impressive new voice. I also appreciated a fantasy novel that treats the reader like an adult and refuses to dummy down the story. It is not a difficult read; quite the contrary. It provides more than enough context and description to stay fully immersed while maintaining the rich language that sticks with you after you put it down. Wherever this author has been hiding, it is time to take center stage and produce more follow ups (plural) to this simply elegant bit of world building. You have us hooked - please don't leave us on the line too long.

[Lee Crawford · Rating 5 out of 5]

The writer does an amazing job gripping you into the world and story of its characters right from the start. You can't wait to see what happens next and how things will go from page to page. There is a playful balance of action, comedy, and suspense that teases you further and further into their story.

A great read for anyone looking to get into fantasy or is already a lover of the genre. I hope to see the next book before too long so I can continue the adventure with these captivating characters.

[Eric Wunderlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good character development which really was the key for me, ropes you in pretty quickly and has you guessing about what comes next. Enjoy the combat scenes and even the magic which I am not very big into usually. Read it pretty quickly as it drew me in and didn't want to put it down until I finished it. Overall just a good read and would recommend for people even if you aren't big into fantasy and magic like me.

[Jason Borneman · Rating 5 out of 5]

It took a chapter and a half to get sucked in, but once I did I was off to the races. As someone trying to get back into reading regular for the first time in awhile this was a GREAT choice to kick off my reading habit once again. Memorable characters, strong and unique world building, and a climax that had me turning pages quickly - this book is a great read and I highly recommend it!

[John Borneman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am half way through and enjoying every word. Greg is an excellent story teller with well fleshed out characters and exciting settings. This is a fantasy/adventure story but Greg does not do clichés. Everything is new and unique. Can't wait to finish!

[Andy Klug · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story! I look forward to the next one!

[Abu Numan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Did not finish, could not get into, perhaps it needs more patience than I had

[Bill Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Soul of Chaos by Gregory Wunderlin is the first book in a dark fantasy series and is one action-packed traipse through a vivid world with rune technology and ancient entities of mass destruction. Told mostly through two POVs, twins Rurik and Arkalis (Kali), plus two smaller POVs, this story starts with a literal bang (I mean it, like a blast in the wall in the first chapter) and doesn’t stop packing the action until the last page. If you’re looking for some long breaths, this book doesn’t give you any and it most certainly doesn’t hold your hand, dropping world lore left and right at an unrelenting pace.

Won’t lie, it was a tale of two halves for me when it comes to our two main characters. Rurik starts off in some sort of penal colony as a foreman for a team of breakers (miners of ancient awesome stuff hidden behind obsidian who don’t live long lives due to danger). He’s a disgraced heir of one of the world’s dukes for…well plot reasons. Well, because Rurik would be a shit POV if he died in the first chapter, his team enters said obsidian ruins, uncovers some neat old world rune tech, awakes stone golem creatures, as well as opens this world’s version of the local Stargate. Rurik’s arc is action first, action second, action third, then some anatomy-altering torture for good measure. All interesting stuff. Kali’s, on the other hand, starts with her in a marriage plot because dear ole daddy the duke is on his way out and she’s all that’s left of the family. Kali hates it, so she drinks, fornicates, and plots with her future betrothed, Lesandre (also a POV) so they can both get out of it. Lots of action, lots of death, lots of betrayals, then some kidnappings. Also great stuff, and yet, I didn’t connect with Kali’s arc at first. Also, Luc, he’s fantastic. The dude’s luck and voice is just spectacular!

It wasn’t until about halfway through, did I start to like Kali’s arc more than Rurik’s and I think it’s because Kali’s character was allowed more growth. I’m a sucker for action, but Kali’s arc had more mental action versus Rurik’s physical life-or-death stuff. Don’t get me wrong, I loved both, and when their arcs finally crossed, it was a fitting climax to how both characters reached said endpoint.

As I said, there’s not a lot of hand-holding when it comes to worldbuilding. Mr. Wunderlin drops us in this world and we are left floundering for a life raft and told to hang on. This might not be for everyone, but I will say one thing Mr. Wunderlin did well was introduce each chapter with a pre-chapter if you will. They weren’t epigraphs per se, as they were almost a full page long, but they were fun ways of dropping some lore without being bogs. Thus we are able to slowly unfurl the history of this world. All very cool stuff. There’s a lot of cool ideas in The Soul of Chaos. Some magi with some dark powers. This gnarly goliath-thing that kills a ton of people. Some void creatures that look like the Witch of the Waste’s goo people from Howl’s Moving Castle (but actually deadly). Connections to ancient warriors with lances of power. Void-touched swords that sizzle. But the coolest thing most definitely is the rune tech. Think of the runes like binary code, allowing for technology to open the Stargates…er I mean webways. It controls locks, some magic, but also can be imbued into suits of armor, kinda like a rune version of Jarvis. Best part of the whole book, for sure.

Aside from the dropping you in and letting you figure stuff out, the prose is fairly digestible. I do enjoy how the narrative voices of all four POVs are somewhat anime-esque in that you constantly have an assessment of the scene or dialogue with simple sentences of: Easy. Simple. Got this. Right. I liked it because this brought us closer to the character’s mindset. As I said, this is a briskly paced, action-filled romp that doesn’t let up off the pedal. And because of that, we aren’t given many scenes of lulls laden with trite dialogue or purple prose. And even though this book is almost 400 pages, it goes by in a jiffy.

The Soul of Chaos is a breathless tale that takes you on a journey of both historical significance of ancient gods but told via a personal set of stakes. The ending of TSoC leaves us wondering where the story will go next and how these reluctant heroes will cope. I, for one, am looking forward to it.

[G.J. Terral · Rating 5 out of 5]

Realizing I never crossposted my full review from Burt's Library, correcting now.

mmediate Spoilers—This story is chaotic. But in a very controlled way. Souls are also very, very present as a concept.

The story finds two main characters, Arkalis and Rurik, siblings by the way, in situations that on the surface seem as far from each other as they could be even though thematically their positions are very similar. Below the rune-covered surface lies a story about expectations of station, responsibilities, and of course, world-ending threats.

Arkalis sees more growth than Rurik. If I had a complaint, it would be related to some of the suffering Rurik eventually endures. Not a complaint that it happened, mind you, but a complaint that because of the enjoyably fast-paced narrative, we don’t get to sit with him in any meaningful way in the aftermath. (There is some sitting, but Rurik is a better man than me for moving on from the…. Events as quickly as he did.)

It is apparent that the author excels at forming and running parties— given that the action scenes were clear in my mind, and there was an established party composition when a good chunk of the combat took place.

The magic system (science system?) wasn’t explained in detail, and I believe the book is better for that, at least for now. As the characters learn more about the world, I would expect our understanding as readers to grow with it.

I very much enjoyed my time in the Soul of Chaos and look forward to diving into more of Gregory Wunderlin’s eventual works.

If you enjoy fast-paced action that doesn’t skip out on interesting characters, set in a world recovered from an apocalypse, on the verge of seeing another one, you’ll likely enjoy The Soul of Chaos. 4.5 Souls out of 5.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Soul of Chaos" is a spellbinding journey seamlessly weaving together thoughtfully drawn complex characters. The author creates a world of intrigue while exploring the dynamics of a family navigating through darkness. Wunderlin's prose is both poignant and powerful and is a testament to his talent. This debut author is one to watch.