Soul Song

I want to make a note that I haven't read other books in the series, so a comparison isn't possible. It's easy for those who haven't read any books in the series to jump right in, as nothing is really mentioned about previous installments, and this story is all the own of its characters. Plot-wise it's a unique piece; a merman of sorts (although that's not his official name) has been enslaved by a witch he trusted years ago. Using his incredible voice, he's forced to steal the souls of victims for his mistress, not able to resist her twisted calls. When she then instructs him to find and bring her two more people - one Kitala, another witch, and the other being Robin (whom is a mystery I won't reveal), he is forced to obey yet show more again.

Plot-wise, it's a unique piece. A merman of sorts, M'Cal has been tied by a witch for many years, forced to use his awesome voice to steal souls for his demented mistress. Hatred of her makes his life an eternal misery, but he is not strong enough to break their bind. She orders him to bring him the bodies of two others next, Kitala and Robin (a mystery I can't reveal without ruining the book.)

When he crosses Kitala, however, he is able to temporarily fight the urge to deliver her to the witch for slaughter, and together the two continue solving the mystery of finding Robin, trying to figure a way to unbind him from the witch, and ultimately surviving the day alive. From every corner comes a different sort of villain, including the witch, another unseen enemy and her cohorts. Tension is packed tightly, with every chapter having something majorly substantial on the line. From the first page things are constantly in motion, evolving into knuckle-biting suspense, keeping the pace up full-fledged. Scenes of suspense are expertly written, bringing out the highest level of anxiety possible.

Kitala as the main heroine is likeable, haunted by her morbid gift of forseeing the death of others, not familiar with her own great power, accompanied with the slightly irritating trait of ignoring good advice and getting herself in trouble. M'Cal is vicious when he must be (biting off the nose of an enemy, even), yet tender with others when he has the choice. Their romance blossoms quickly, with a sweet endurance that's simply moving. Not mushy or overdone, their relationship helped propel the central story onward, as together they stood taller than apart.

The villains were multi-dimensional as well (big brownie points!) with surprisingly degrees of character. The witch was someone you loved to hate, yet the ending revealed a small surprise. I'm guessing the wereanimals, etc., were part of the rest of the series. None were explored blatantly, yet they were interesting specimens who provided the right background to keep the story plausible. Romantically Soul Song is strong, with erotic tension and undertones, yet no on-the-page errr, grouping.

A downfall of the story was the complex scenarios with the witch. Her motivations didn't make 100% sense at the end, and the 'switching' almost felt like a mini cop-out. It's also unrealistic that Kitala could suddenly pick up on what powers she needed within 48 hours. Coming as second nature is one thing, but every ability needs fine-tuning and practice. Even Superman learned that lesson the hard way.

Marjorie M. Liu penned Soul Song with flair, her writing style fitting as comfortably as a well-worn shoe. Ultimately Soul Song sings itself as a mystery sort of story, something other-world without seeming too off-the-wall. Dark and deliciously paranormal, with enough twists to make a pretzel envious, Soul Song is a book worth reading anytime. show less

Soul Song has a much more tenuous connection to the universe of the 'Dirk and Steel' books, and the plot arc doesn't advance very much. What plot there is is also cracktastic in a typical Liu manner, and I am growing a little tired of the OTT/vaguely gender-skeevy villains, but there is still some good stuff in here, and it all makes for a pleasant read—multiracial heroine! her southern, black grandma who is clichéd, yes, but not nauseatingly so! body parts are bitten off! (What? My work day ...more Soul Song has a much more tenuous connection to the universe of the 'Dirk and Steel' books, and the plot arc doesn't advance very much. What plot there is is also cracktastic in a typical Liu manner, and I am growing a little tired of the show more OTT/vaguely gender-skeevy villains, but there is still some good stuff in here, and it all makes for a pleasant read—multiracial heroine! her southern, black grandma who is clichéd, yes, but not nauseatingly so! body parts are bitten off! (What? My work day was stressful.) show less

Kitala Bell plays her fiddle to packed houses across North America. Standing alone on stage before thousands, she captivates with her music, and it's enough. What leaves her shaking, nauseated, and reaching for a Xanax to keep the nightmares at bay, is Death. Not her own, but the bloody, phantasmal images she sees overlaying ordinary people around her: shootings, drownings, gaping knife wounds, and worse. And like poor Cassandra of Greek legend, her warnings dismissed and disregarded, she can do nothing to change the fates she sees. When conscience leads her to make just one more attempt, she's embroiled in a world of danger, intrigue, violence and magic she has no experience with and no training for.

M'Cal is bound. Denied the beauty show more and freedom of his ocean home, forced to hunt the streets and steal souls for the witch he once loved, he's almost resigned himself to his slavery. But when he's ordered to steal the soul of one particular woman, he hesitates.

Even with the superfluous addition of a few fairly graphic sex scenes, this book shines. M'Cal and Kit are strong, independent characters, and it's good to see the underlying plot (Dirk & Steele against the legions of darkness) move forward -- more dark forces, but also more potential allies. An excellent way to spend an afternoon. show less

Coming back together, a more cohesive threat narrative than the previous book (is it weird that ghostly grandma's and evil witches are easier to follow and believe than psychic corporations and criminal depravity?). The complexity of the white witch was an interesting twist, and M'chal's reception by his father's people was heartbreaking.

Loved Koni's quip to Rik, "Care to explain why you've never mentioned the existence of mermen? We've certainly gotten you drunk enough."

M'Cal is a merman enslaved by a witch to steal souls. Kitala is the daughter of musicians whose music creates magic and opens a world she would rather not know exists. Music is at the heart of this paranormal romance and the two main characters have to learn to interact with each other and their own abilities to stop an evil which threatens to enter their world.

Up front, I will say I enjoyed this story, although at the beginning I was kind of worried that it would be all doom and violent events with gloomy minded characters. More towards the middle both the plot and the characters seemed to lighten up a little which made it more interesting to me. Mermen are not a widely used paranormal creature so it made it quite interesting. This show more story is part of Liu's Dirk and Steele series (of which I've read a couple I think, but cannot remember for sure) but stands well on its own. show less

Of violinists and mermen. What on earth does one have to do with the other? Well, if there's anything I can say about Marjorie M. Liu, she sure likes to mix it up in her stories. It isn't necessary to read the five previous stories in her Dirk & Steele series to understand her latest offering, Soul Song, a gritty paranormal romance with some surprising points of complexity. Fluffy--no. Adventure, violence, sex, a little humor--yes. I'd compare it to a Bond flick with magic thrown in...(more)

Disclaimer: I received no compensation from the author or publisher for this honest review.

Secretive heroine meets even more secretive mystery man. Sounds like a recipe for intrigue and sizzling byplay while watching the two dance around each other.

It was nice to see some of the characters from other Dirk & Steele novels being used in this one. The blend of paranormal with reality is always a plus and adds spice to the Dirk & Steele universe.

I like that both MCs were flawed but that didn't keep them from growing as characters throughout the story.

Would I recommend this book? Yes, this is another good read from the Dirk & Steele series.