Review – Half a Soul (Regency Faerie Tales, Book 1) by Olivia Atwater (4/5 stars)

Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Historical Fantasy
Length: 305 pages
Publisher:‎ Orbit
Release Date: April 5, 2022
ASIN: B09V4RDTGJ
Stand Alone or Series: 1st book in the Regency Faerie Tales
Source: Bought ebook for Kindle
Rating: 4/5 stars

“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 strange, handsome, and utterly ill-mannered Lord Sorcier, discovers her condition, she is instead drawn into peculiar and 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. “

Series Info/Source: This is the 1st book in the Regency Faerie Tales. I bought this on ebook for my Kindle.

Thoughts: I bought this book some time ago because I was super excited to read some more cozy fantasy, and I love a good Victorian setting with faerie themes. This was a good read; I liked it but didn’t love it. I really enjoyed the beginning of the book quite a bit, but the end left me feeling a bit empty.

Theodora (Dora) has had half her soul stolen by a fae. This leaves her unable to feel strong emotions, and she struggles to navigate Victorian London society because she is just too clueless and outspoken. She has been sent to London with her cousin to help her cousin find a husband and possibly make a match herself. However, when the ill-mannered Lord Sorcier, Elias, meets Dora he is fascinated by her condition. The two end up trying to solve the mystery of Dora’s missing half of a soul and end up enjoying each other’s company more than expected.

I enjoyed Dora as a character and loved her bluntness. I also enjoyed Elias. Some of the side characters were okay, but they felt underdeveloped to me. I also felt that the world-building was very thin here. We never get a good idea of how the fae are woven into the rest of the world.

Watching Dora and Elias together was fun and cute, but as we moved into Faerie things got pretty slow. The ending did have some subtle twists and turns but was just a bit lacking. I am not upset I read this, however Dora’s story is very well wrapped up in this book, and I don’t feel a need to pick up other books by Atwater.

My Summary (4/5): Overall this was a fine read. I liked the characters and how they explored people who are different from how society wants. I felt that a lot of the side characters and world building were pretty thin. I also felt like the plot was very simple. This is a cute read with some cozy vibes to it. I am not sad that I read this, but wasn’t really drawn to Atwater’s writing style either. I don’t plan on picking up any other books in this series. If you are looking for a cozy Victorian fantasy romance, this is a decent one, it just didn’t really grab me.