This review post is all about the “A Soul to Keep” book by Opal Reyne.
CATEGORIES: BOOK BLOG POSTS, BOOK REVIEWS, ROMANCE, FANTASY
ABOUT THE BOOK
title: a soul to keep
SERIES: DUSKWALKER BRIDES, BOOK ONE
AUTHOR: OPAL REYNE
GENRES: PARANORMAL ROMANCE, FANTASY
PUBLISHER: SELF-PUBLISHED
PUBLISHING DATE: 10/10/2023
FORMAT: audiobook
length/pagecount: 17 hours, 43 minutes/ 534 pages
narration: wolfgang milliken & elise hoffman
*This site contains affiliate links which, if purchased from, may result in a small commission, at no cost to the buyer. View the disclaimer for more information.*
MY THOUGHTS ABOUT “a soul to keep”
Have you ever found yourself engrossed in a book so dark and twisted that you question whether or not you need professional help? If so, you’re not alone. After delving into Opal Reyne’s “A Soul to Keep,” I found myself concerned about my literary preferences.
In a nutshell, it’s monster smut loosely based on the fairytale “Beauty & the Beast”.
Wanna know why this book threw me for such a loop? Let’s discuss.
THIS REVIEW POST IS ALL ABOUT THE “A SOUL TO KEEP" AUDIOBOOK BY OPAL REYNE.
goodreads: A SOUL TO KEEP book summary
All Reia ever wanted was freedom.
Known as a harbinger of bad omens and blamed for Demons eating her family, Reia is shunned by her entire village. When the next offering is due and the monstrous Duskwalker is seen heading their way, her village offers her an impossible choice – be thrown into the prison cells or allow herself to be sacrificed to a faceless monster.
However, he is not what he seems. His skull face and glow eyes are ethereal, and she finds herself unwittingly enchanted by him.
All Orpheus ever wanted was a companion.
Each decade, in exchange for a protection ward from the Demons that terrorize the world, Orpheus takes a human offering to the Veil – the place he lives and the home of Demons. The brief companionship does little to ease his loneliness, and their lives were always, unfortunately, cut short.
He’d thought it was a hopeless endeavor, until he met her. She’s not afraid of him, and his insatiable desire deepens within every moment of her presence.
But will Orpheus be able to convince Reia to stay before she’s lost to him forever?
"A SOUL TO KEEP" BOOK REVIEW
This book review of “A Soul to Keep” will contain my thoughts on the plot, characters, and writing style. It will also contain the author’s other works, as well as book recommendations for books similar to this one.
UNPACKING THE PLOT OF “a soul to keep”
The captivating tale of “A Soul to Keep” by Opal Reyne drew me in from the start. The story centers around a virginal woman, Reia, who is offered as a sacrifice to a monstrous being with a wolf skull for a head.
As I delved deeper into this story, questions began to surface.
Would Reia manage to escape her monstrous captor?
Why does this monster crave a human bride every decade?
Will the beast ever transform into a human?
These questions, coupled with a slow-burning romance, kept me hooked throughout the story.
“Orpheus didn’t want to grow attached to her, didn’t want to be given additional pain that losing a human gave him, but it was hard not to lose himself in her beauty.”
“A Soul to Keep” is a dark retelling of the classic “Beauty and the Beast” tale.
Reia is constantly at risk of being devoured by the demons in the Veil or her own monstrous husband.
The concept of a woman developing romantic feelings for a monster who feeds on human flesh may seem bizarre. However, Reia’s isolation in her village, where she is seen as cursed, explains why she’s not very picky. At all.
As the plot thickens, we learn that Reia is not the first bride to succumb to Orpheus’s charms. This revelation adds another layer of intrigue to the narrative.
Despite the weirdness of the plot, I found myself unable stop listening.
“Come on, Reia. He has a fucking skull for a face. She kept questioning why she didn’t find him totally unappealing. Is it because I don’t totally hate his touch? She knew it had to be because she’d never been touched before. That’s what she kept telling herself.”
THE CHARACTERS THAT BROUGHT “A SOUL TO KEEP” TO LIFE
Reia is a sweet, simple young woman who believes she is the harbinger of demons. Her village is overjoyed to sacrifice her to the Duskwalker. As a result, Reia is not particularly fond of other people. However, when she is shown kindness for the first time, she develops feelings for her monstrous captor.
Orpheus, the Duskwalker, has been around for centuries, searching for a companion to alleviate his loneliness. Despite his occasional manic states where his orbs glow red and he tries to eat his new bride, he is essentially a sweetheart.
Orpheus’s ultimate goal is to obtain Reia’s soul.
YES, HER SOUL.
If you’re curious as to how one hands over their soul to a Duskwalker monster, you’ll just have to read the book to find out.
The main characters are straightforward, lacking depth, which is par for the course with smut. However, I found it interesting how both main characters proved to be both ruthless at times, yet had hearts of gold.
“In order to become my bride, you must gift me something. No human ever has, and I am beginning to doubt they ever will. You will be no different.”
THE WRITING STYLE OF “A SOUL TO KEEP”
The story held my full attention… for the most part. However, the ending dragged a little. I think the what held my attention the most was just how weird it was, and, of course, the smut.
The dialogue and writing wasn’t that complex, but the story did a good job of dangling unanswered questions and giving the reader just enough to keep reading.
THE NARRATION OF “A SOUL TO KEEP” AUDIOBOOK
Both narrators did an awesome job of bringing these characters to life.
Wolfgang Milliken gave us naughty Optimus Prime and Elise Hoffman gave us a Kardashian voice which made it kind of funny.
IS THE “A SOUL TO KEEP” SPICY?
It sure was. I gave it ALL the chili peppers 🌶🌶🌶🌶. Full disclosure, the spice was hot, but very weird.
First off, the male character does not have a face, he has a skull with glowing orbs instead of eyes.
His long purple tongue extends out when he wants a kiss. And, just in case you weren’t grossed out enough, his male naughty bits have tentacles.
TENTACLES!
If you’re wondering just what that looks like, by all means, go down the rabbit hole that is Google Images and search “Orpheus fanart a soul to keep”. I totally recommend doing that.
One thing is for sure, the spicy chapters in “A Soul to Keep” were not boring. However, some of them seemed painful rather than sexy. Have fun reading them! 😈
“A SOUL TO KEEP” TRIGGER WARNINGS TO CONSIDER
If you’re a sensitive reader, this book may not be for you. This book mentions rough sex, forced marriage, murder, and violence.
Despite its flaws and the weirdness of the plot, I found “A Soul to Keep” by Opal Reyne to be a captivating read.
It’s a book that keeps you guessing and engaged, making it a great choice for those who enjoy being scandalized and just simply entertained.
Did the plot make sense? Not always.
Did the characters have depth? Nope.
Nonetheless, the writing had me binging for hours, wondering what was going to happen next.
It’s too bad that at the time of writing this book review, only the first book of Duskwalker Brides series is available on audiobook, but I definitely recommend checking them out.
DUSKWALKER BRIDES SERIES ORDER
- A Soul to Keep (2022)
- A Soul to Heal (2022)
- A Soul to Touch (2023)
- A Soul to Guide (2023)
- A Soul to Revive (2023)
- A Soul to Steal (2024)
BOOKS SIMILAR TO “A SOUL TO KEEP”
Honestly, I haven’t read any books exactly like this one, but If you’re into the forced proximity trope in the fantasy/paranormal romance genre, check out these books below.
Thanks for reading this book review of “A Soul to Keep” by Opal Reyne. If you’ve read this book and have any thoughts about it, I’d love to hear them. Please leave a comment below.
If you haven’t read it yet, but you’re curious about this twisted tale, good news – IT’S FREE ON KINDLE UNLIMITED!
Be sure to pin this article on Pinterest so you can remember to add it to your TBR list.
IF YOU LOVED THIS POST, PLEASE SHARE. SHARING IS CARING . ❤️