Lexa Cain

I just finished Lexa Cain's YA novel Soul Cutter and I really enjoyed it. The story revolves around 17 year old Elan Duchamps who spends her time busting fake psychics while her mother is off enjoying a career as a TV psychic ghost-hunter star. When she learns that her mother has gone missing while filming her tv show in Egypt, Elan flies to Egypt determined to find her. What she finds is a mess of horrific murders, a gruesome history involving the decrepit palace of a past Egyptian king and show more a supernatural creature that is a nightmare come to life. Joined in her search for her mother by a young Lebanese man who was working with the film crew on her mother's tv show, Elan finds herself having romantic feelings for him, only to find he has secrets of his own. Both need to find a way to trust each other with their past secrets in order to survive.

Elan is a complicated character with a lot of emotional baggage from both her mother, who gave birth to her at 16 and left her with her grandmother while she went off to pursue her career, and also with a traumatic event in her own life which causes her to fear and distrust most of the people in her life. Some of her reasoning seems irrational for someone of her age and experience, but as the story moves along we begin to learn more of her story and that helps explain her anger and emotional fragility.

I liked the Soul Cutter creation - a mythical being that is called to come and cut part of the soul from someone to prevent the demons from eating it. He keeps the souls he harvests in tiny colourful bottles attached to his clothing and they glow and tinkle musically when he moves. It's unique and interesting, as is the tale of the slaughtered family that had called on the Soul Cutter for help.

The story really begins to pick up once Elan and Ramsey go to the palace to search for Elan's mother who was last seen there and is a diabetic who, if not quickly found, will fall into a diabetic coma. Almost from the moment they leave to begin their search the action becomes edge-of-your-seat reading. The relationship between Ramsey and Elan feels real and plausible, even romantic despite the often gruesome setting and events they have to deal with. It's a fast-moving supernatural mystery with lots of action and some pretty frightening scenes that will have you quickly turning the pages to see what happens next.

One thing that did bother me a bit is Elan's mother who seems to have very little in the way of redeeming qualities, at least in terms of being any kind of true mother to her daughter. I felt a bit sorry for Elan who is so desperate to be loved and accepted by her mother, to the point where she is willing to rush into extremely dangerous situations to help rescue her without thought to her own safety. I'm not sure her mother deserves that kind of sacrifice. It feels like they are strangers and I couldn't help but feel that if I were Elan, I would feel a lot more anger and resentment about being virtually abandoned, whereas it seems like Elan is willing to forgive and forget for even the smallest chance to have a real relationship with her Mom in the future.

Ramsey's backstory was also quite interesting. His mother also rubbed me the wrong way. He talks about her in such heroic and loving terms and yet it seems that she betrayed him in ways that only served to make his life more difficult. It's hard to wonder why she would do that if she cared about him as much as he thought that she did. Maybe that's why I enjoyed the comfort that Elan and Ramsey seem to be able to find and share with each other. It felt like they'd both been betrayed by so many of the people who should've been the ones to comfort and care for them.

All in all, Soul Cutter is a good story with lots of interesting elements and an exciting read. show less

Bloodwalker drew me in right away and I found it really fast reading...mostly because it was so riveting that I found it hard to put down. I kept wanting to see what would happen next!

The two main characters are Rurik, a former strongman disfigured by a lightning strike, now working at the circus he used to perform in, as the head of Security; and Sylvie, a naive and pretty young woman born into the tradition of Bloodwalkers, a group of people who stay apart from regular society and who show more perform the duty of preparing the dead. as well as knowing various charms and herbs for healing and harmony. Some are even able to see prophecies and truth from people. But Sylvie has no gift for Bloodwalking or prophecy. Everything she does seems to go wrong and she is terrified of being found lacking and cast out of the only society she has ever known. Both Rurik and Sylvie are fascinating characters and easy to care about. While both have gentle hearts, they also have the inner strength to do what needs to be done when they are tested.

The Bloodwalkers were a really interesting creation and one I especially enjoyed. The author created a unique group of people that live their lives by traditions set long ago. They live apart from the world in virtually every way, and to rebel is to risk being shunned and cast out. Their life is difficult. They are trained to work with the dead from an early age, but such work makes regular people see them as bad omens and they are often denigrated by regular folk. They have no say in who they will marry and must be subservient to their husbands who must be of a certain bloodline, as tradition demands. The entries from their "instruction book ... the "Bloodwalker Book" at the start of each chapter really enhanced the believability of the group and it was fascinating to read. So creative! It reminded me of the caste system still alive today in some parts of the world, and the Untouchables who are despised for doing jobs that others find disgusting and therefore seen to be revolting themselves.

The book opens with Rurik trying to catch a child kidnapper/murderer after he begins to see a pattern of missing children that follows the route the circus he is employed in is travelling. To protect the circus, his friends and his livelihood, he is determined to stop the person who is dressing up in an old fashioned clown costume with a Harlequin pattern on it. When Sylvie arrives at his circus to be married by Zora, the circus owner's beloved wife who is also a revered Bloodwalker, she stumbles upon evidence of a horrible crime that ties into the kidnappings that Rurik is investigating. The two story lines criss-cross at various points, telling parallel stories of Rurik and Sylvie, along with the mystery of the missing children, until they come together at the end in an exciting conclusion full of twists and turns that will have you on the edge of your seat.

A gripping read with so many creative and interesting elements! I highly recommend it! show less

I'm starting to feel like a misogynist here. Which is really weird, considering how much I pride myself on my feministic ways. But I guess this is what happens after having read so many books in which the authors feel like it's their personal mission to make main heroines with THE worst possible personality they can think of - it's like they're all in a freaking contest or something!

Élan Duchamps is a seventeen year old that has had it rough early in life, despite her famous mother and her show more wealthy income. Due to personal fears, she's become stronger, and she strives to expose all the fake psychics that trick oblivious and trusting people to take their money. Her "mission" is cut short, though, as she receives a call that her mother has been missing while on a shoot for her TV show in Egypt. Now Élan and Ramsey, a handsome and sweet film-crew intern (yes, I'm calling him sweet, because that's what he was!), have to race against time - and other unseen enemies, to find her mother. But how can two young people with so much NOT in common work together and succeed?

Admittedly, when the book started, I was ecstatic at the thought of a tough heroine, who wanted to expose the frauds for her own personal reasons, to calm HER demons down, instead of the all-too-famous altruism that everyone waves around like a drunk's funny underwear. But that only lasted until that dreaded phone call. And then, disaster came...

For starters, Élan suddenly took a turn from a powerful young girl, to an annoying version of a tomboyish Barbie. Suddenly, she's full of sensitivities, and drama. She cares for her mother way too much considering the way she has discarded her - the money and the mansion don't make things sweeter, at least morally speaking. It would have been fine if she had shown this kind of love from the start, but up until they called her, she was thinking of her mother the same way I used to think "Oh, God, Maths for first period, and then P.E., argh!".

Then we have the fact she kept trying to rub her toughness and her tomboyish style in everyone's face. What made me like her at first, became the reason I wanted to bash her face in the nearest wall. Girl, seriously, when you're REALLY tough you don't have to flaunt it around. You may not believe this, but... *leans in and whispers* people can actually see it. *gasps* No, I kid you not!

And then, oh, where to start with the way she treated poor Ramsey? The blurb describes him as arrogant and stuff. Pardon me if I couldn't see this anywhere in the story! In fact, the guy was pure sweetness. Shy and stuck a bit in traditions - the way most people of his origins are - funny and self-sacrificing, he always tried to help, and did his best in attempting to find common ground with Princess I-know-it-all. And what does he get in return? A bossy, selfish brat, who looked at him the way we see a dog born to serve us, who cared only for her problems (I mean, yeah, your mother is in danger, that doesn't mean a poor girl's brother getting in jail for something he didn't do is not of importance - especially when said girl has been tripping over her own feet to help you since the first moment she met you!), and who talked to him like he was a superstitious, old-fashioned idiot that has been living under a rock for most of his life. Never mind the fact she kept getting jealous just because he was talking with another girl and dared to laugh (!) and she finally decided she was in love with him after nearly a day of knowing him.

(Kristoff, Elsa, where are you?! Are you hearing this?!)

Oh, and she was always right! Of course! Miss Duchamps knows everything, fellows! If you disagree... well, that's because you're stupid and superstitious and you don't know anything. (which would mean I don't know anything, too, but hey, I'm fine with that, I still get to hate on the brat) Part of her wisdom is this: no man is to be trusted. Oh, yeah... Because getting assaulted by ONE of them means the rest must be just as bad. Of course there's also the fact that you yourself admitted to behaving like your cute butt was asking for it before the assault, but oh, wait, I forgot. You're perfect and I should never judge you, what am I thinking, when I haven't been through half of what has happened to you?

Somewhere in all this mess that was Élan and her moods, there was a story to be told, too. With supernatural cool stuff and action and mystery - but it was all lost, or, well, DROWNED in Élan's existence, her insta-love-hate, Ramsey who DARED be a gentleman with morals, and the High Lake Palace. Suffice to say, not only was I disappointed to find my expectations thrown away, but I was also enraged - in case it hasn't already been clear - that I was forced to go through more than 100 pages waiting for the main heroine to grow up. I'm not reading anything else from this author, no matter how harsh I may seem, thank you very much.

***I was given a review copy from a LibraryThing Member Giveaway in exchange for an honest review. The opinion stated in this review is solely mine, and no compensation was given or taken to alter it.*** show less

Gritty, stomach-twisting adventure.

I knew this was going to be a book I enjoyed, simply from the blurb. I love stories about Egypt, mysteries, and suspense - perfect match for me!

Élan is a refreshingly relatable character. While reading, I could easily picture several people I know in real life who she reminded me of. At the same time, she was unique, in an honest way. She was actually dealing with life, and while her life isn't quite "normal" by any means, it was still realistic.

I loved show more the fact she had a hobby and interest, using modern stuff. Putting tattle-tale videos of fake psychics up on Youtube - so awesome! I could see some college kids doing something like that, which added a unique layer to the story, especially in the beginning.

Once she gets to Egypt, I was hooked. I haven't been there yet, so I'm not sure how realistic the descriptions or depictions were. Even so, the words painted a marvelous picture for me, and I almost feel as though I was there. I would love to read more about these characters, and I'm so excited for the sequel!

The whole book had an element of grungy grit to it, in the sense that it's down-to-Earth. The suspense was gripping, and I really felt connected to the situation. The writing is superb, and I look forward to reading more from this author. The switches between Élan and Ramsey were fairly well done, and while it's a difficult writing style, I admire how well the different POVs mixed. I definitely plan on reading this one several more times, and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to others.

*I received an eCopy of this book, from the author, to read in exchange for an honest review. show less