#ShareAReviewDay Tuesday – Soul Swallowers: The Shattered Sea Book 1 by D. Wallace Peach

/ Marcia Meara

Please welcome our first guest today, D. Wallace Peach, who is sharing a great review of her novel, Soul Swallowers: The Shattered Sea Book 1. (I’ve read both Book 1 and Book 2 myself, and can attest to how good they are!) I know you’ll enjoy this review, and will remember to share it far and wide. Thanks!

REVIEW:
Mae Clair
5.0 out of 5 stars A Fantasy Masterpiece!
July 25, 2018

Not only does D. Wallace Peach create phenomenal worlds, but she knows how to dish political intrigue with the best of them. In Soul Swallowers, the reader is immediately immersed into a fantastical world of royal hierarchies, caste systems, and a blending of the spiritual and physical as related to souls. The idea that someone can swallow the soul of another and inherit personality traits and skills from the deceased is utterly brilliant. There is very little in this world and carefully crafted tale that doesn’t pass for brilliance.

The central character, Raze, is born into privilege and power but turns his back on his societal status due to tragedy. One of the elements that made this book so appealing for me is the extensive cast of characters. This is Raze’s tale, but it’s also the tale of many others, each who have distinct stories of their own (including some thoroughly reprehensible villains).

Peach introduces numerous players whose lives eventually intertwine with each other and Raze. I was in awe of the political scheming and the multi-layered plot which is stitched as tightly as can be. You won’t find any holes here, but you will find superior writing, characterizations, and twists and turns that will have you swiping pages long into the night. The writing is at times lyrical, others grim, but always extraordinarily vivid. D. Wallace Peach has an uncanny ability to place a reader thoroughly in a scene by weaving word-spells with her descriptions. Lovely, lovely incantations of words. Definitely one of my favorite reads this year. I am so glad book two, Legacy of Souls is already available for pre-order. I’m headed there now!

BLURB:

When swallowed, some souls gift insights, wisdom, a path to understanding. Others unleash power, proficiency with a sword, and indifference to death. One soul assimilates with ease. But swallow a host of the dead and risk a descent into madness.

Estranged from his family over the murder of his wife, young Raze Anvrell wields his fists to vent his rage. Then a chance at a new life beckons, and he retreats to the foothills of the Ravenwood, the haunt of unbound ghosts. He and his mentor build a freehold, a life of physical labor and the satisfaction of realizing a dream. They raise horses and whittle by the fire until the old man dies, and Raze swallows his first soul.

When his brother reaches out, open wounds begin to scar. But the tenuous peace won’t last. While those who rule the Vales yield to the lure of their ambitions, slavers of Ezar roam the countryside, hunting for human chattel. While one man manipulates the law, another heeds the souls of violence howling in his head.

Raze too listens to his soul’s whispers, and as danger intrudes on his quiet life, he has no choice but to return to his father’s world and join the fight.

***

In this completed series, epic fantasy blends with the wisdom of old souls to create a unique coming of age story of courage and honor in the midst of evil. Slavery is pitted against freedom, anger against forgiveness, and a desire to live peacefully against the necessity to take up the sword.

It’s a story of bitter estrangement and broken hearts, of deception and unfettered ambition. For Raze Anvrell it’s a journey of violence, redemption, and his soul’s growth as he transforms from a reckless youth into a man with a rich legacy of souls.

Magic, politics, love, and madness collide in this fantasy adventure. For lovers of beauty, battles, and complex characters fighting for their souls in a corrupt world.

Buy Soul Swallower HERE:
Global Amazon Link 


Author D. Wallace Peach

Wallace Peach started writing later in life after the kids were grown and a move left her with hours to fill. Years of working in business surrendered to a full-time indulgence in the imaginative world of books, and when she started writing, she was instantly hooked. Diana lives in a log cabin amongst the tall evergreens and emerald moss of Oregon’s rainforest with her husband, two dogs, bats, owls, and the occasional family of coyotes.

Social Media Links:
 Amazon Author’s Page | Writerly Blog | Book Blog
Twitter: @dwallacepeach 

Email: dwallacepeach@gmail.com

 

 

125 thoughts on “#ShareAReviewDay Tuesday – Soul Swallowers: The Shattered Sea Book 1 by D. Wallace Peach”

  2. I finally made it over here this morning, Marcia, after a much-needed computer reboot! Thanks so much for your great “Share a Review” feature and for spreading the word today about Soul Swallowers. Mae’s review was one of those awesome gifts to authors and she made my day, for sure. I’m happy to see this book getting a little love. ❤

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    • Well, *I* loved it all over the place, for sure, and agree with every single thing Mae said! 🙂 SO good!

      As soon as I finish my “almost done” WIP, I’m going to put up a page here on the blog where I can start moving my reviews from my old blog, and posting new ones. I’m determined to do a better job of getting them out there on Amazon, Goodreads, and here on The Write Stuff. And your books will be among them, because honestly, they are SO worth sharing, Diana. I loved these two, and I loved Sunwielder even more, possibly. The concepts were wonderful and done in a way that made each of them absolutely believable. Write on, brilliant lady! We want more! 🙂 ❤

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    • Aw. Thanks, Jacqui, for the kind comment. I’m glad you enjoyed the book. I guess we do get better at this with practice. 🙂 Thanks for taking time out of your whirlwind tour to catch your breath, say hi, and check out Mae’s review. Have an awesome day.

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  18. So glad to see you are getting lots of air time Diana, this is a marvelous review indeed! And lovely to be over here on your blog Marcia reading it. I haven’t read this series, but I think I’ve read everything else Diana has ever written – I’m a fan!! 🙂 She single handedly moved me from being disinterested in fantasy writing to understanding the kids who immerse themselves in fantastical worlds….. Diana is a master world builder and that alone is quite a talent. Personally I’m looking forward to her first audio book ❤

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    • Alas, audio books aren’t good for me. My hearing is too far gone, even with hearing aids. 😦 But I’m glad she’ll be offering them to those who really enjoy them, as so many people do, today.

      As for Diana’s writing, you said it perfectly. I loved the books I’ve read so far, and am looking forward to more. And I was very happy to share Mae Clair’s review today. (Mae and I enjoy many of the same books for basically the same reasons, so I agree with her comments, too.)

      Thanks for stopping by today, and I hope you’ll drop in more often. Tuesdays are #ShareAReviewDays and #FirstLineFridays are a trivia quiz on opening lines. When I’m not swamped, I try to do some other fun things during the week, and encourage our followers to let me know when they have promos and the like they want to share. So you never know what might be happening on The Write Stuff. 🙂

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    • What a great comment, Pauline. A convert! Yay! Fantasy is actually a huge genre, and there’s tons of variety, so you never know when heading in. So, I’m thrilled that you gave my books a try. The audio book is coming along… just a few more weeks. That’s going to be a whole new tangent for me. 🙂 Have a lovely… spring, my friend. Happy Creating. ❤

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    • Haven’t started Oathbreakers yet, but you just made me want to move them right to the top of my TBR pile. And I can attest to this duology being wonderful. You’ll love it! Thanks for stopping by, Jessica! 🙂

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    • Well, you made my day, Jess. I didn’t know you’d picked up the Rose Sheild series (you got the series title close, Lol). Reading a 4-book series is an undertaking, so I hope you find it worth the effort at the end. I imagine that you’re getting close on your book and gearing up for the big debut! That’s one that I can’t wait for. 🙂 Thanks for the kind words, my friend.

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      • Thanks for clarifying, Diana. I wondered how I’d missed noticing a series. I have the first Rose Shield book on my Kindle, and I really need to bump it up. Soon! I’m in the mood for another solid fantasy! 🙂

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          • OH, I was just meaning that you clarified it for ME. I was thinking I’d missed a whole series. Sorry if it sounded otherwise. Jessica visits here often to leave comments and support others, but so far, we haven’t lured her into taking part in this feature. She does check out #FirstLineFriday pretty often, so maybe we’ll have to work on her to share some reviews or promos, or the like. Jessica? We’d love to have you! 🙂

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      • Rose Shield! *slaps face* of course! I just got carried away in book 2 I think 😊
        On my debut, I’m waiting for the final few bandaids from the editor and then I’ve just gotta figure out formatting… and publishing… and promoting 🧐

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        • I remember doing that. And every time I publish a new one, I have to think it through from the beginning, Step by Step. I’m using a template I saved from CreateSpace that I hope will continue to work for me. We’ll see. Getting the clickable Table of Contents is tricky, too. I still have one book that is defying me. But I’m about to redo them all in order to change out back material, so I’ll tweak again at that time. (I don’t mean republish, just re-upload with some fixes.)

          Good luck! 🙂

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            • It can be tedious, for sure, especially if you do something wrong and it’s not “lining up” like you want, but overall, I think it was a skill that was interesting to learn, and I haven’t had a huge problem, once I remember how to get it right each time. I took good notes, and used the template, and I even have the page template set up in Word so I use it even for my drafts. That way, I don’t have a lot to change around. I cut and paste one edited chapter at a time into the template, make sure the page breaks are where they need to be, and go from there.

              The things you learn when you format are interesting. It’s stuff you never thought about while reading books. Like that every chapter MUST start on the right hand page, and if that means leaving a blank page on the left, then that’s what you do. You get the first one right, and then you can just rinse and repeat all the way to the end of the book. Amazon has a free How To book for you, too. I downloaded several supposedly “ultimate guides,” but found the free one from Amazon to be the only one that didn’t have incorrect information in it.

              Personally, while it’s a slow, repetitive process, I’m glad I learned how, and while I don’t look forward to it each time, I don’t particularly dread it, either. Having said that, I think this is my first one since the demise of CreateSpace. I don’t expect any issues with the eBook, but I’ll have to wait and see if there are any with the print version. Hopefully nothing has changed.

              Good luck!

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  26. Marcia, thanks for sharing this review. Diana is at the top of my list for fantasy writers. To me, the concept of this series was so fresh and different that it blew me away. It’s a wonderful, beautifully written story, vivid yet perfectly paced. Diana deserves every accolade. Hugs all around.

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  27. Mae’s review is right on, and great for Marcia to share it here. I’ve always insisted that I don’t read “fantasy” (and/or speculative fiction) yet once I got hooked on Diana Peach’s books, I got hooked forever – at least on HER fantasy creations. The worlds are so REAL, the way she writes about them. And the premises are so intriguing. In many a dinners-with-friends I’ve talked about the subjects brought out in Diana’s books (like the Soul Swallowers) and great conversations have ensued.

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    • I’ve included Urban Fantasy on my list of go-to genres for years, but only started reading full-on, epic fantasy in the last three years or so, and I found I love it, when it’s done right. Diana does it right! I’m glad you enjoyed the review and I was very happy to share it as part of this weekly feature. Soul Swallowers was simply a treat, from start to finish! 🙂 Thanks for stopping by, Pam! Good to see you! 🙂 ❤

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    • You write such great comments, Pam. I love the idea that I got you reading a bit of fantasy. And you got me reading a bit of romantic suspense! So fun. Thanks for stopping by Marcia’s to check out the review. It was fun to share. ❤ Have a wonderful week, my friend. ❤

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