Bunny's Reviews: Soul Sucker Review Spotlight

Welcome to the tour for Soul Sucker by Kayla Maurais! Read on for more, and make sure to visit one of our Bookstagram hosts for a chance to win a hardcover edition and some other bookish goodies!

Soul Sucker by Kayla Maurais is not for the faint of heart. Love a story with more than a touch of horror, gore, and danger then this is going to be a book that you run off to check out.

Two siblings, Dash and Shea are a coordinated team. Shea is the Enforcer and Dash is the Thief. Together they create a team for a variety of jobs that their father sends them out on. They both dream of a different life than the one that leads. However, Shea wants to pursue her research, but she believes that her only path forward is to go into the family business. Dash on the other hand? He wants a life outside of the business. He hates what he does, and he wants more. He wants that nice life with a family. Too bad dear old dad has no intentions of letting either of them go. Though to be fair - Dash is the one who typically rebels.

When they are given a split assignment, Shea just KNOWS without a shadow of a doubt that something bad is going to happen. She's sent off on a mundane task, and Dash gets sent off on a task that is far more dangerous than he could have ever imagined. The task? Deliver an item, but also? Steal something and bring it back. What exactly? Well, he's not told that tidbit of information. But when he discovers that it is...brace for trouble because it's on the way!

This is a novel targeted at young adults (teens), and it definitely fits those parameters set by the author. This story is highly engaging and quickly pulls you into the storyline. Especially when you get to this twisted planet that Dash was tasked with going to. Either your jaw will drop from the horror of the place, or your jaw will drop from the excitement of the planet. I honestly loved it. It's dark, and twisted, and the author really lets her imagination run wild with it. It's awesome. LOL!

There is so much drama in this book. I appreciate how dynamically different these two siblings are. They are literally like night and day. Shea is thoughtful and organized, and Dash...Dash is more "by the seat of his pants." That whole aspect of Dash's personality is what really what lands him in trouble more than a couple of times in this book. But it also adds a touch of humor in the right places to keep things from being so dark. If this was a book more for adult readers I'd want it darker, but for young adults (teens) this fits the image the author is going for.

Wondering where the title of the story fits in? It doesn't long for that to get applied and I really appreciate that aspect. This book is a rollercoaster of danger, thrills, drama, and the question of - will they BOTH get out of this alive? LOL! This book is a lot of fun to read and I'd love to read more from this author in the future.

4.5 out of 5 stars

Thank you to the author, Kayla Maurais, and R&R Book Tours for the opportunity to read and review this book! I look forward to what comes next!

Soul Sucker

Publication Date: February 17th, 2023

Genre: YA Sci-fi/ Fantasy

If the horror planet they’re trapped on doesn’t kill them first, their sibling rivalry just might . . .

For siblings Dash and Shea, stealing and selling rare artifacts across the galaxy is the family business. Meticulous planner Shea yearns to make her father proud, while chaos comedian Dash secretly wishes to be a normal teen.

When Dash fails to return from a classified heist on a planet in the Realm of Shadows, his negligence falls on Shea, and it’s up to her to rescue him. Again. Locating her brother is tricky enough, but upon her arrival Shea discovers that not only has Dash lost the portal key that was meant to deliver them home, the vile creature he was sent to steal has latched onto him and now feeds on his soul.

To save her brother, Shea must enlist the help of a runaway spellcaster in order to find the cure. Nobody else can guide them across a treacherous terrain filled with viscera-laden rivers and forests lurking with carnivorous predators. Relying on someone else means being vulnerable for the first time. And as Shea’s confidence in herself and her tolerance for her brother’s mistakes start to waver, she must decide what’s more important—being the perfectly-polished leader her father raised her to be, or letting her guard down to save her siblingship and her little brother’s soul.

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About the Author

Kayla Maurais is a Young Adult Sci-Fi/Fantasy author from New England. She first started writing creatively when she was thirteen. Since then, she’s gone on to get a Masters in Screenwriting. When she isn’t writing, Kayla enjoys spending time in nature and going on road trips to discover new places. She is also a certified TEFL teacher, birth doula, and an intuitive empath.

Kayla Maurais