Review: A story full of Egyptian goodness and legends
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 12 6, 2013
I was gifted the book by the author in return for an honest review. I had wanted to cut back a little on what books I got requests to review for, simply because I wanted to catch up on some books I wanted to read without a review being the focus (did any of that make sense? lol)When I got Lexa’s request I must say I was a little intrigued. I love Greek mythology and anything ancient so seeing an Egyptian themed YA book peaked my interest. So, because I still haven’t gotten the courage to pick up Allegiant (wimp, I know) I decided to ‘get a feel’ for Soul Cutter.I started it yesterday morning and finished it a couple of hours ago. The story centers on Elan, a girl hell bent on exposing fake psychics. I loved the beginning, it flowed well and the characters were easy to like. It became apparent that Elan has skeleton’s in her closet, a past she was running from and trying to hide.Suddenly her mother, who is out in Egypt goes missing. Her grandmother is hell bent on going but Elan, knowing she is too frail goes instead. Elan is estranged from her mother having been abandoned by her as a child AND she is a famed TV spiritualist working with another called Boris. This story was shaping up nicely….conflict, I love it.Getting to Egypt everything goes very quickly to hell in a hand basket. After a brutal murder by a mysterious entity she quickly comes into contact with all the main players to the story including the delicious Ramsey.Elan has secrets, Ramsey has secrets, so does Connie, Boris and Ali and whats worse is at every turn Elan has to wonder who she can trust. There is a fabled Soul Cutter out at the old palace where her mother went missing and also a swarm of ghostly demons that appear in the mists of the sand, ripping people from limb to limb. Demons that Ramsey can call.So here’s what I liked about it. Elan was one kick ass, hot headed leading lady. Her mother will die if she isn’t found and given her insulin. Ramsey is refreshing as the main man. He is muslin for one and plagued by his own demons he helps Elan, even if it means his death.The book is rich in Egyptian/Middle Eastern culture and that added mystery and intrigue. Everyone was double crossing someone. It was most definitely a wild and wonderful ride. I was so sure I’d worked out the bad guys, I hadn’t. I was so sure I knew who was going to die, I didn’t. For a first book or even any book this was well written and had great pace.The only thing I wished the book had done, which is just my opinion. I wished Lexa had expanded more on Elan’s past earlier when she went to the Empire. I also would’ve liked a little more on Ramsey being what he was. As it were we have to accept why Ali despised him so much. However, it didn’t detract too much from the story as a whole.Considering this book focus’s mainly on one day and night it kept it’s pace. The ending, though it completed the book I was left wondering if there was another to come after…there were questions I had about what Elan will do when she gets home, will she turn herself in. Did she make up with her mother and why is Ramsey so far away from her. Overall it was a story well written and executed perfectly.Read more of my reviews at Never Judge a Book by its Movie [...]