To Trap a Soul (Duskwalker Beginnings #1)

by Opal Reyne

No amount of fury could take back the glory of her innocence, but becoming a waking hell had given her the sharpest teeth.

if you are discontent, you merely need to voice it. We can discuss issues, rather than dramatise them.”

I usually love Opal's writing, but I just cannot understand why Lindi despises Weldir so much. He's never done anything to harm her, and while they don't communicate well, he's right in that she's never tried either. Like why choose to be lonely and hateful rather than making an effort with the one being who you chose to attach yourself to for the rest on your existence?

In reality, she wasn’t all that upset with Weldir.

Then why act like you despise him half the time??

She was just disappointed, and that emotion could be rather crushing to one’s spirit.

This was one of the few times that her discontent is explained better. But I also feel like she has played a huge part in her own disappointment as well with the massive lack of communication, she's ignored him or pretended like he didn't exist for over half the book.

Lindiwe was attempting to unravel a being who had been alive for over fifteen hundred human years, and she was a being he could not relate to.

More authors writing any type of romantasy or paranormal romance should be highlighting this issue rather than attempting to make readers believe that some semi-immortal being who's hundreds if not thousands of years old would remotely be interested in a teenager.

“I will always be here for you, Lindiwe. Even if it doesn’t seem like it.”

Friggin finally! I love a slow burn, but I really do wish these two had talked more openly sooner.

Then he proceeded to stick his forked tongue out at him and blow a raspberry with it. “Why you insolent little pest!” Weldir exclaimed. He shook the foul creature again, making Nathair squeal. “I cannot wait to find a way to revive you. I’ll send you back to your mother and she can put up with you.”

Stop, this is so cute! I love Nathair, scaly baby <3

Why did he have to be so... distant? So obtuse and reserved. He makes it so hard to connect with him.

Okay, so perhaps I'm projecting a bit, but I finally realized what was bothering me about their relationship. While likely unintentional on the author's part, the way Lindiwe often describes Weldir...is exactly the way a lot of neurotypicals describe Autistic people. The struggling to conform to societal standards of interaction and him learning to fake certain gestures to seem more "relatable" which is incredibly similar to masking. She puts all of the effort onto him without doing much to understand his POV. The whole "Why can't they be more 'normal?" thing is very off-putting to me, especially when she's known the entire time he's not human, has no experience with any of this, and they've had all these years for her to ALSO try! I'm not gonna say "ableist" since that seems unfair to the author, but...

“I think this may be the first time you’ve ever smiled at me.”