Bunny's Reviews: Shadow Bound Souls Review Spotlight

For fans of The Wheel of Time series, Shadow and Bone, and the Stormlight Archives!

We're thrilled to share the highly anticipated follow-up to The Binding Tempest, Shadow Bound Souls by Steven Rudy! Read on for my review, more details, and a chance to win a signed hardcover edition of The Binding Tempest!

Shadow Bound Souls is the second book in Steven Ruby's Luminance Saga, and trust me when I say that if you are not reading this series you are truly missing out.

Shadow Bound Souls picks up where The Binding Tempest left readers. Our group of heroes has been split up. Not by choice mind you, but now due to the circumstances that they found themselves in. After being attacked by the new Sagean Lord, they found themselves in trouble, and are now on the run and trying to simply stay a step ahead in this dangerous game of cat and mouse. One of their friends is missing and presumed dead. Now, what path must they take moving forward? It would seem that the path is clear - a new rebellion must be born, but the older generation might have to step aside so that the younger can lead the charge to fight for all their futures. Each will face their own trials as they strive to find one another again in order to save the world.

Shadow Bound Souls really hits the ground running by comparison to book one. Honestly, that's more than understandable as in book one, the author is working to set the stage and get all the players in their spots before getting the ball really rolling. Each of the characters in this book are dealing with a variety of situations. Some of them are dealing with them with a friend, while others find themselves on their own.

There are also new characters introduced or characters who were mentioned in the previous book who are getting some attention in this book. I like and appreciate the new blood in this book. Some of the characters I was curious about in the previous book, so I'm more than thrilled to see them have a spot in this book. There are a lot of twists in this book, and that truly makes it a page-turner in my opinion. I like how each character is engaging and keeps me page-turning to find out what happens to/with them. Ellaria is off dealing with one of her friends and finding herself more and more in a dangerous situation. Okay, so their situation is already dangerous but appears to be becoming even more so as she is now having to face dangers from two different fronts – known and unknown.

There is a lot going on in this book and while things do slow down here and there this book is absolutely worth checking out. If you love epic fantasy novels with steampunk then this series is one to check out. I'm rating this book 5 out of 5 stars and I can't wait to read what happens next with these characters.

Shadow Bound Souls now Available!

Keep reading for a sneak peek of the novel and be sure to check out my fellow bloggers and their thoughts on this amazing novel!

Shadow Bound Souls (The Luminance Saga #2)

Publication Date: February 1st, 2022

Genre: Epic Sci-Fi/ Fantasy/ Steampunk

Publisher: MysticHawk Press

Shadow Bound Souls, blends Science Fiction and classic high fantasy in a steampunk world.

The Sagean Lord has emerged.

While the Wrythen’s influence grows stronger, the Sagean and his power-hungry acolytes, the Court of Dragons, are intent on delivering the gem of souls to the Temple of Ama; where the Sintering Fountain can transform the acolytes into Luminaries.

Meanwhile, the band of heroes find themselves separated in a world starting to tear itself apart. Having suffered a huge loss, Ellaria and Elias must escape the Mainland with the Sagean’s agents pursuing them. When Elias becomes sick, Ellaria decides to hide amongst the Showman’s Traveling Show of Wonders. But their journey is shadowed by darkness and when troupe members turn up murdered, Ellaria struggles to find the killer amongst her company.

Far away in the Warhawk Mountains, the three young rogues are stranded with the Tempest Stone. Aimless about what to do, their paths take a turn when they discover the horrifying magnitude of the Sagean’s return to power, the Scree.

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Excerpt

A fog drifted amongst the looming masses of tents and travel-crafts. A man stepped from shadow to shadow with a blood-soaked knife. Ellaria could feel him stalking her, but she couldn't see him. A slight disturbance in the grass, a crunch in the dirt, whispered of his position. But the sound was lost in the wind before she could locate its source.

Where had everyone gone, she wondered. The entirety of the fairgrounds was empty. With a lantern in her hands, she weaved around the trampled paths through the large field, the darkness of the night yet to give way to the morning light.

No matter where she looked, she couldn't find anyone. She heard a sharp ringing sound from the caravan circle, and she rushed from around a carriage house to the center space.

At the center was a tall man with a top hat. The soft glow of the surrounding carriages provided only enough light to softly illuminate the fog and patches of the ground, leaving the man mostly disguised. He leaned slightly on a cane and his right hand at his side held a long-curved knife.

In succession, the lanterns started to wane and extinguish from behind him. Gradually, each light winked out of existence in a progression toward her and the darkness consumed the circle yard.

Her own light held, and she lifted it forward to see.

A sinister smile on the pale man was now only a few feet away. She couldn't breathe. She tried to scream, but nothing came out. The man's face appeared, and she almost recognized him, but his eyes were missing. Like they had been burned out of his skull.

“Hello, Ms. Moonstone,” he spoke in a smoky voice that sent a shiver run down her spine.

“Who are you?” Ellaria said.

“Don't you know? Don't you recognize me?”

“No.”

“What a shame, after so many encounters, too,” he said, and lifted the blade. A reflection appeared in the steel of a man she did recognize: Elias. And the pale man laughed. A dark mocking laugh that made her skin crawl. Her hand trembled and Ellaria threw the lantern at his feet...

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The Binding Tempest

A fallen empire, a failed republic, and a frontier of alchemy, magic and machines…

They thought the war was over. That they had given enough, but when an oppressive empire falls, what comes from the ashes, is turmoil and treachery.

Ellaria Moonstone, an alchemist, and a hero of the Great War, has spent the last forty years trying to rebuild. An emissary for the Scholar’s Guild, her life’s work has been in establishing universities throughout the world. But as a former general that led the resistance in overthrowing the Sagean Empire, she has watched as all she fought for has slowly eroded away and with it, her faith in the republic. Now in her mid-fifties her singular focus has been to protect all knowledge for future generations.

When Ellaria is suspiciously requested to attend a meeting in the capitol city of Adalon, she quickly realizes something is amiss and the main governing body the Coalition of Nations may be compromised. When the Peace King of the Free Cities goes missing the plot to overthrow the tenuous republic takes shape, and Ellaria becomes convinced that the entity manipulating the fragile government is in servitude to a new Sagean Emperor. A Luminary with the powers to control energy.

Now the Coalition is intent on hunting down and capturing the man that defeated the last Sagean Emperor. The greatest hero of the war, Qudin Lightweaver. However, Ellaria’s old friend has not been seen in twenty years. With no one left to trust, she sends for help from old allies and expatriates scattered across the chaotic frontier. Once reunited, the aging veterans realize trust between old friends is not what it once was.

Three former war heroes, long past their prime and haunted by their pasts, are all that stand against a dark entity threatening the future. With the currency of souls is in the balance they find their destinies are entwined with a band of young rogues. Together they must stop the return of a dark empire. While each path to the truth is rot with peril, they discover the key to protecting the future resides in the mysteries of the past. The quest for a lost tomb ensues and the recovery of a relic from the time of the unknown ancients, called the Tempest Stone.

The Binding Tempest is the beginning of an immerse saga, of magic, alchemy, airships, and ancient mysteries. A new epic Sci-Fi and Fantasy series that is a classic High Fantasy Adventure injected with Steampunk science. For fans of The Wheel of Time series, Shadow and Bone and the Stormlight Archives.

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About the Author

Steven Rudy received a degree in Environmental Design and Architecture from the University of Colorado at Boulder. He currently lives in Colorado with his wife and three kids and works as an architectural designer on historic preservation projects and residential projects.

Shadow Bound Souls is his second novel.

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