Review: Half a Soul

Half a Soul by Olivia Atwater
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The first entry in my Best of the Year for 2021 is a rather delightful combination of Regency romance and fae-based fantasy. The latter part is somewhat reminiscent of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, though the tone is much lighter.

All the usual Regency business of women's economic security being inextricably tied to making a good marriage is there, but with the added complication of the protagonist being under what is effectively a fairy curse that leaves her largely unemotional and inclined to say and do socially inept things. When she meets a magician who despises the pretense and pretensions of society, an unlikely romance ensues. It's not just a romance story, though; there's a social awareness a lot deeper than in a lot of Regency fare, and a strong plot involving sacrifice for others' benefit.

The author does have a few vocabulary stumbles (common for books with an historical setting), using, for example, a couple of words ("brunch" and "couth") that were not invented until the late 19th century, the second of which is used in an unlikely context. She also hyphenates where she shouldn't, and doesn't always capitalize where she should, and there are a couple of mislocated commas. Overall, the copy editing is average.

The execution of the story, however, and the originality of the concept are both above average, and I recommend it.

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