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Spirit & Soul: Historia Archives: Volume One
The Sleeping City of Historia hasn't stirred in over eighty years.
Margot has built a quiet life around her library with plenty of wine and as little responsibility as possible. That changes when she stumbles and accidentally bonds to an ancient, sharp-tongued Spirit who has spent years hiding in plain sight. The bond comes with a curse she never asked for and a title she cannot escape. Soul Wielder. Margot can sense auras and sway the hearts of mortals, marking her as a mess the Council wants contained.
Then there is Nikolas, a downtrodden mercenary with too many scars and too many things trying to kill him. Hunted across the Interwilds, he expects nothing but pain and an early grave – until a strange vixen on the road derails his plans and places him directly in Margot’s path.
In exchange for his freedom and her seat on the Council, they agree to an impossible heist to steal a powerful weapon sealed deep within Historia’s armoury vault. The alliance is necessary – the feelings are not, and Orion is determined to tear them apart.
Margot has built a quiet life around her library with plenty of wine and as little responsibility as possible. That changes when she stumbles and accidentally bonds to an ancient, sharp-tongued Spirit who has spent years hiding in plain sight. The bond comes with a curse she never asked for and a title she cannot escape. Soul Wielder. Margot can sense auras and sway the hearts of mortals, marking her as a mess the Council wants contained.
Then there is Nikolas, a downtrodden mercenary with too many scars and too many things trying to kill him. Hunted across the Interwilds, he expects nothing but pain and an early grave – until a strange vixen on the road derails his plans and places him directly in Margot’s path.
In exchange for his freedom and her seat on the Council, they agree to an impossible heist to steal a powerful weapon sealed deep within Historia’s armoury vault. The alliance is necessary – the feelings are not, and Orion is determined to tear them apart.
357 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 22, 2026
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2 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
Review of advance copy
*I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.*
2.5 stars.
I really enjoyed the uniqueness of the world and the magic system; it felt fresh and creative. It was fun getting to know the characters and seeing how they fit into the world around them. I also appreciated the multiple POVs, even from side characters, because it added extra layers and let us see how everything was unfolding from different angles.
That said, a few elements just didn’t fully work for me on a personal level. The writing style relies a lot on shorter, separated sentences, which I understand can be a stylistic choice. For me, though, it made the prose feel a bit choppy rather than flowing naturally. I also felt like many emotions and plot points were explained very directly. I tend to enjoy picking up on subtle context clues and reading between the lines, so having everything spelled out made it a little harder for me to feel fully immersed or emotionally connected to the characters. At times, the stakes also felt a bit low since conflicts seemed to resolve fairly quickly, which made it harder for me to feel that sense of tension.
Overall, I can definitely see how this book will work for a lot of readers - it just wasn’t quite the right fit for me. I’m still grateful to the author for the opportunity to read it early and share my thoughts.
2.5 stars.
I really enjoyed the uniqueness of the world and the magic system; it felt fresh and creative. It was fun getting to know the characters and seeing how they fit into the world around them. I also appreciated the multiple POVs, even from side characters, because it added extra layers and let us see how everything was unfolding from different angles.
That said, a few elements just didn’t fully work for me on a personal level. The writing style relies a lot on shorter, separated sentences, which I understand can be a stylistic choice. For me, though, it made the prose feel a bit choppy rather than flowing naturally. I also felt like many emotions and plot points were explained very directly. I tend to enjoy picking up on subtle context clues and reading between the lines, so having everything spelled out made it a little harder for me to feel fully immersed or emotionally connected to the characters. At times, the stakes also felt a bit low since conflicts seemed to resolve fairly quickly, which made it harder for me to feel that sense of tension.
Overall, I can definitely see how this book will work for a lot of readers - it just wasn’t quite the right fit for me. I’m still grateful to the author for the opportunity to read it early and share my thoughts.
February 24, 2026
I've really enjoyed the world building and learning all that Historia has to offer. And a soul wielder sounds like such a cool job at first! But man the emotional turmoil it must cause. The variety of friendships and feelings enhances the story, making each POV feel like a deeper connection than the last; Being "unexpectedly" shoved into a strangers arms and trying your damnedest not to like them? Disappointing a dad who's also a boss? Secrets between two friends but not all three - times two!
So many layers created a well-rounded story, while the architectural details truly make it come alive through impactful quotes such as "Mortal hands weren't supposed to build things this beautiful. Nothing mortal felt this grand." I can't wait for book two!
So many layers created a well-rounded story, while the architectural details truly make it come alive through impactful quotes such as "Mortal hands weren't supposed to build things this beautiful. Nothing mortal felt this grand." I can't wait for book two!
Review of advance copy
I really enjoyed this new type of fantasy world. The spirits and bonding and types of magic are different from anything I have read recently, it was really refreshing.
It was a little difficult to follow at first, with all new books, having to get through a few chapters of world building. However, I really enjoyed the multiple POV's to help round it out. Not just the two MC's but a handful of side characters get a chance to show us their side of a scene.
My only complaint, if you can call it that, is now I have to wait for book 2
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
It was a little difficult to follow at first, with all new books, having to get through a few chapters of world building. However, I really enjoyed the multiple POV's to help round it out. Not just the two MC's but a handful of side characters get a chance to show us their side of a scene.
My only complaint, if you can call it that, is now I have to wait for book 2
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Review of advance copy
I really enjoyed the story fundamentally, but I thought some character/plot/scene developments were a bit discombobulated at times. I really enjoyed the characters but it seemed like some were introduced abruptly and relationships not always well-explained or implied. I also had trouble understanding the different Spirits and how they played together at times. I think adding a brief world history/introduction about different areas/terms/levels may help clarify some of these challenges for me.
Overall, the world and magic system was interesting and new. I think this series has great potential.
*I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.*
Overall, the world and magic system was interesting and new. I think this series has great potential.
*I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.*
Review of advance copy
I am almost finished with this book, but I just want to rave about the world building.
This is one of those books that throws you into the world and carefully pieces information to you about what’s happening rather than an information overload at the beginning.
While both approaches have their merits, I want to really celebrate this author’s masterful world building technique.
This is one of those books that throws you into the world and carefully pieces information to you about what’s happening rather than an information overload at the beginning.
While both approaches have their merits, I want to really celebrate this author’s masterful world building technique.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews