Olivia Atwater

Magic meets Bridgerton in this "hugely enjoyable" historical fantasy romance (KJ Charles), where the only thing more meddlesome than faeries is a marriage-minded mother. Ever since she was cursed by a faerie, Theodora Ettings has had no sense of fear or embarrassment—an unfortunate condition that leaves her prone to accidental scandal. Dora hopes to be a quiet, sensible wallflower during the London Season—but when Elias Wilder, the peculiar, handsome, and utterly ill-mannered Lord Sorcier, discovers her condition, she is instead drawn into dangerous faerie affairs. If her reputation can survive both her curse and her sudden connection with the least-liked man in all high society, then she and her family may yet reclaim their normal place in the world. But the longer Dora spends with Elias, the more she begins to suspect that one may indeed fall in love even with only half a soul. “Whimsical, witty, and brimming over with charm” (India Holton), Olivia Atwater’s delightful debut will transport you to a magical version of Regency England, where the only thing more meddlesome than a fairy is a marriage-minded mother! Praise for Half a Soul “Whimsical but never frivolous, sweet but not sugary. I loved it.” —Alix E. Harrow “Delightful. Half a Soul is the definition of a comfort read.” —Hannah Whitten “I wolfed this down with great pleasure.” —KJ Charles “This winsome, whimsical fantasy romance sweeps you off your feet.” —Megan Bannen “Smart and subversive, Half a Soul will ignite your heart—and your hope.” —Shelley Parker-Chan “A perfect historical fantasy romance: warm, sparkling with magic, dangerous, and delightful.” —Tasha Suri

Half a Soul

Shantel

“sometimes, when you cannot force the world to come to its senses, you must settle only for wiping away some of the small evils in front of you.”

Nica

“I do not believe in such a thing as love,” Elias scoffed. “Perhaps attraction, or companionship, or friendship. But so many men act as though love is some special sort of magic. I feel that I am qualified to say it isn’t so.”

“Well, but you have just described love, I think,” Albert replied in bemusement. “Attraction and companionship and friendship. Is there nothing special about those things, especially if they are all together at once?”

Generosity should be given without expectation of gratitude.

“We must choose little things to fix where we can.”

“I must stop thinking of myself apart from everyone else, as though I am watching you all make mistakes. I have made mistakes as well."

The aristocrats never failed to thrive-and still, they continue to thrive.

“How the world can be so heartless. It is this dastardly need to remain calm and composed and polite that has left us all feeling so alone."

"Everyone gives what they please-and certainly not without plenty of self-congratulations for their miserly gestures. With one hand, they raise grain tariffs, muster soldiers, and create the workhouses. With the other, they deign to save a few poor souls from the very hell they made. This country is mad. It's rotten. It's unthinkable, and none of you can see it.”

"I cannot eat a fine meal while some poor girl lays dying. It is not in me. But I suppose it is in you."

"What good would it do to have all of my feelings again, if I must use them only to look on all this misery?"

"There is no such thing as evil in this world," Elias told her quietly. "It does not help to look away from it. It does not even help, necessarily, to look at it."

"But sometimes, when you cannot force the world to come to its senses, you must settle only for wiping away some of the small evils in front of you."

"Pleasant-mannered people do not speak of ugly things, after all."

"Pleasant-mannered men will not tell you of that side of the war, because it is distressing. Pleasant-mannered women, like the countess, will not hear of it in their presence. As a result, the ugly parts are largely not thought about by those who did not cross the channel."

"I cannot help but feel that if we had fewer pleasant-mannered people, then perhaps there would also be fewer of these hideous wars."

"Pleasant-mannered people are simply the worst sort of people. Decent people become properly angry when presented with miserable injustice, but pleasant-mannered people never do."

He is her favorite because he is broken. She feels she must make up for that with extra love.

"Being offended at yourself so very often," she said. "That seems a sad way to live."

So many beautiful things were also ugly on the inside.

Alli

"I am sure that every evil man believes himself to be charitable," she told him. "In that respect, at least, you are a true Englishman."

She had little effort to spare for making unpleasant men more comfortable.

It was a shame, she thought, that so many beautiful things were also so ugly on the inside.

“…You can tell that I am important, for I am wearing many expensive jackets."

Elena M.

Pleasant-mannered people are simply the worst sort of people. Decent people become properly angry when presented with miserable injustice, but pleasant-mannered people never do.

There was a small part of her, however—very deep down—that added the comment to a longstanding pile of other, similar comments. That pile gave her a faint sinking feeling which she never could quite shake. Sometimes, she would find herself taking it out and examining it in the middle of the night, for no particular reason she could discern.

I haven’t read a straight romance book in a while so it is every fortune that i picked this one to be my first in a long time. It was so lovely!! I loved the writing, the humor was very charming, especially in the dialogue and not just between the main couple (i feel i need to inform you that there is a character who is the “baroness of mourningwood” and i find that extremely hilarious because i am 12).The story was interwoven with a magical plot, which i think was handled very well and gave the book a very good amount of whimsy to go with the regency aspect. Just a perfect whimsical romance story that had me kicking my feet and giggling, i loved it!!

bel 

I decided to try a slightly different book from my normal (not a big fan of magic/fantasy) because I could feel a slump coming and I’m happy I went with this book. It’s a nice, easy read that I thoroughly enjoyed. 

I don't think I've ever read anything more delightful, or more personally touching. Every moment was a joy. I wish anyone who's ever felt lost when faced with the darker parts of human society could read it. 10/10

i really really enjoyed this. i found myself giggling and laughing the entire time. what a sweet, tenderhearted story about class division, war related ptsd, loving someone for who they are, magic, and empathy. also i loveddd the historical elements of the regency era.

big ab

IM GONKA EXPLODE THIS WAS SO WHIMSICAL AND FUN AND IM SO HAPPY

Jennifer Gosnell

The ✨ banter ✨ in this book is excellent. It was a very fun twist on the regency-era London marriage market romance. Kind of fairytale Bridgerton-esque. Really enjoyed all of the characters, but of course especially Elias.

Katie Buchanan

"Ever since a faerie cursed her, Theodora Ettings has had no sense of fear, embarrassment, or even happiness-a condition which makes her sadly prone to accidental scandal. Dora's only goal for the London Season this year is to stay quiet and avoid upsetting her cousin's chances at a husband... but when the Lord Sorcier of England learns of her condition, she finds herself drawn ever more deeply into the tumultuous concerns of magicians and faeries. Lord Elias Wilder is handsome, strange, and utterly uncouth-but gossip says that he regularly performs three impossible things before breakfast, and he is willing to help Dora restore her missing half. If Dora's reputation can survive both her ongoing curse and her sudden connection with the least-liked man in all of high society, then she may yet reclaim her normal place in the world... but the longer Dora spends with Elias Wilder, the more she begins to suspect that one may indeed fall in love, even with only half a soul."--Publisher's description.

abby .˚｡⋆ ༊ .˚｡⋆

this was the first regency novel i’ve read in a long while and i just don’t know if i enjoyed it all that much 🥹 the twist was cool and i enjoyed the love story but i felt like the plot was lacking in another aspect that i can’t quite name.

A charming Regency romance with a hint of magic! Cursed by a faerie, Theodora Ettings has become prone to scandal-though she's determined to help her cousin make a good match. The very ungentlemanly magician Lord Elias Wilder says he can help Theodora... but is he also her other half?

Christine

this was actually really really good what

Sandrin

No words can describe how thoroughly I enjoyed this book. 

Utterly lovely and magical.

I especially loved how the heroine never abandoned her beliefs. Even when others tried to change her and make her conform to society's rules she stayed true to herself. For me that was what actually elevated the book to 5 stars. 

The author really has knack at writing delicate and warm relationships that feel real and charming. In addition, the conversations between the characters were witty and really fun. Had a blast reading them.

Pleasant and cosy. I found that it flowed quickly and easily enough but that also made the plot and the romance feel a little underdeveloped. I guess it kind of comes with the genre, though it seemed like even for that this would be on the shorter side.

Arielis Valentin

Mel 

A regency era romance with faries and magic. This book was a quick read that left me feeling cozy. I really enjoyed this more than I thought I would. A delightful read 

Samantha King

A regency era romance with magic and faeries. This story was cozy, sweet & whimsical. To me, the way that the relationship developed between the two main characters felt similar to Pride & Prejudice (even tho the stories themselves are different). It is the kind of romance where first impressions are wrong and the characters slowly grow to appreciate & love each other. 

I think you could poke some holes in this book if you tried but it's the kind of book that’s better to just be enjoyed rather than analyzed. Perfect to cozy up with this winter. 

A regency era romance with magic and faeries. This story was cozy, sweet & whimsical. To me, the way that the relationship developed between the two main characters felt similar to Pride & Prejudice (even tho the stories themselves are different). It is the kind of romance where first impressions are wrong and the characters slowly grow to appreciate & love each other. 

I think you could poke some holes in this book if you tried but it's the kind of book that’s better to just be enjoyed rather than analyzed. Perfect to cozy up with this winter. 

A lighthearted, quick, and simple read. For me, it shares very similar vibes with “Howl’s Moving Castle” and “Flowerheart.” It has a fun uncomplicated premise, and the characters are all well rounded. Sometimes, the writing came off flat for me but besides that it was well written. 

Floofyflower

Petaco

Beatrice

Actual rating: 4.5/5

Half a Soul was the comfort read I didn't know I needed. Reading this book was absolutely delightful and I enjoyed every moment of it, finding myself wanting to pick it up multiple times during the day and reading well into the night. And as the last page turned, that warm and fuzzy feeling lingered for quite a while.

The Regency atmosphere of London ball season suited this very well, and I loved seeing it through the eyes of our main character, Dora. Following a meeting with a faerie lord as a child, Dora lost half her soul and with it the ability to experience feelings. I found Dora to be really endearing as a character, and I loved that she tried to adapt to various situations by emulating other people's reactions and feelings while slowly realising that maybe not all her feelings were compromised. I also really enjoyed her arc, and especially her move from a painful, excluding "otherness" to a more wholesome and peaceful uniqueness and self-acceptance, surrounding herself with people who love, care for and respect her.

This is a Regency faerie tale romance, and so I would be remiss if I didn't mention the romance part fairly early on in this post. I LOVED it. Elias and Dora gave me definite Pride and Prejudice vibes, especially in the beginning, and their banter was always witty and absolutely spot on. The build-up in their relationship was beautifully set up, and there were a couple of scenes that had me literally squealing in joy. I also really enjoyed the relationship between the two main characters and some of the side characters, and the fierceness of their love for one another as friends/family members even while calling each other out on problematic behaviour.

One element of this book I particularly enjoyed was the mystery surrounding the inexplicable sleeping plague hitting children in various London workhouses. Although the solution to this was, in the end, maybe a tad too simplistic, I really enjoyed how this was used as a way to introduce some (sadly) still current themes. Characters shared some deep reflections on socio-economic inequality and privilege which I really appreciated.

"There is such a thing as evil in this world," Elias told her quietly. "It does not help to look away from it. It does not even help necessarily to look at it. [...] But sometimes, when you cannot force the world to come to its senses, you must settle only for wiping away some of the small evils in front of you."
Quote taken from the e-arc version, might be different in the final version.

The class critique was maybe used a little conveniently at times, and certainly lacked some depth upon closer scrutiny, but it worked well in the context of a feel-good romance fantasy novel. The same goes for the more satirical/farcical episodes in the latter part of the book: I had a nice giggle out of them (which I greatly needed), but don't go in expecting a treatise on equality and virtue.

Similarly, most of the characters lack depth and it is entirely possible that several plot points would not really hold up on a focused re-read, but I had such a great time with this book that this time I'm going to rate it (almost) entirely based on the way it made me feel rather than on a logical, rational analysis.

Highly recommended to anyone looking for an easy, fluffy, romantic read - especially if you ever thought you'd like Bridgerton to have magic!

For more reviews, visit Book for Thought.

I received an e-arc of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book in any way.

If you like regency balls, faerie trickery, justice for workhouse orphans, and just a hint of romance, grab Half a Soul immediately!! It’s enchanting and whimsical and a quick read. Dora and her emotional stuntedness was SO relatable. There’s 0 spice, just one slightly disheveled grump of a golden-eyed sorcerer.

Liz Griffin

This was a sweet beautiful read: a faerie regency mystery and romance. The characters felt very real and the interactions between them all sucked me in. 

Giulia

M.G Derio 

4.75 stars 
Definitely my favorite summer read by far, love the romance and magic ✨

Someone on tiktok said this book feels like howl’s moving castle meets pride and prejudice and though I wouldn’t go that far, it was highly enjoyable and evocative of the magic of both of those stories! I liked it a lot! Such a feel good vibe 

Kerry McHugh West

My terrible cat woke me up at 5 am, and the only thing that kept me from being very grumpy was finishing this book. It was like Bridgerton, but without any of the weird sex scenes and with the addition of faeries. I loved the moan characters a lot, although I did think the very very end where Dora did eventually mesh with her other half was a little weird considering the big deal Elias made of loving her how she was. 

Kendra Leigh 

Kattalin Jones 

4.5 absolutely loved this. It reminded me of Bridgeton but with faeries!

Half a Soul

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