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Synopsis (From Goodreads):
Sophy Dunbarron--the illegitimate daughter of a king who never was--has always felt like an impostor. Separated from her birth mother, raised by parents mourning the loss of their true daughter, and unacknowledged by her father, Sophy desires only a place and a family to call her own. But fate has other ideas. Caught up in Elanna Valtai's revolution, Sophy has become the reigning monarch of a once-divided country--a role she has been groomed her whole life to fill.
But as she quickly discovers, wearing a crown is quite a different thing from keeping a crown. With an influx of magic-bearing refugees pouring across the border, resources already thinned by war are stretched to the breaking point. Half the nobility in her court want her deposed, and the other half question her every decision. And every third person seems to be spontaneously manifesting magical powers.
When Elanna is captured and taken to Paladis, Sophy's last ally seems to have vanished. Now it is up to her alone to navigate a political maze that becomes more complex and thorny by the day. And worse, Sophy is hiding a huge secret--one that could destroy her tenuous hold on the crown forever.
Review:
I have really loved The Waking Land series, by Callie Bates. It has been so imaginative and fun. Plus, this series had the most unusual narrative structure! Each of the three books focuses on one particular character in the story. I have never seen a series organized in this way. The Soul of Power, the final book, is a fine ending to this series.
What I Liked:
Setting:With the third book, the setting is pretty familiar to the reader by now. But the world-building continues with even more types of magical abilities being shown. I love that many more people have magic, some even as powerful as Elanna.
There is also much more about the treatment of women and refugees in this society. I couldn't help but see the parallels between this book and real life. I love that!
Characters:
Sophy is the main focus in The Soul of Power, and she is a far more complex character than I originally thought.
But Sophy also has personal issues to resolve. Will she marry Allister, her lover, or use a marriage to seal a political alliance? Or does she even need to marry? The issue of marriage illustrates how women are treated in this world's society. Misogyny is alive and well in this world. Seeing women have magic, or any sort of power, is a threat to many of the men.
Sophy also must confront her parentage. As her parents were not married, and her mother seemed more interested in leading a rebellion than in being a parent, Sophy felt like a cast-off. But can she understand that her self-worth should not be tied to anything her parents did?
Story:
While the other books focused on Elanna (The Waking Lands), and Jahan (The Memory of Fire), The Soul of Power is Sophy's story. This is definitely a case of "be careful what you wish for"! Now that she is finally the queen, Sophy realizes governing is harder than it seems. Navigating the various factions vying for power is no easy task, no matter how prepared one seems. For anyone who has started a new job, you will be able to relate to Sophy's frustration and anxiety.
Sophy's story runs parallel to the action in book two, The Memory of Fire. So it would be important for the reader to have read The Memory of Fire just before starting book three.
I also love all the political intrigue and betrayals in this book. Although she knows that she is unpopular as the new queen, Sophy is not prepared for how much opposition there is to her reign. Noblemen who are used to getting kickbacks find ways to force Sophy to appoint their allies to key positions. There are several plots to her life, putting her friends in danger, as well.
Series Ending:
After all the buildup of Sophy's story, the real fun begins when she is finally reunited with Elanna and Jahan. You'd think it would all be smooth sailing once these characters finally find each other. But the jealousy between Elanna and Sophy finally comes to a head.
There is plenty of action as the final battle for the crown gets underway. I loved how each character's strengths are highlighted in the ending. Of course, there are also sacrifices that must be made. No good story is without them. I liked that some of Sophy's choices come with a price. This makes the ending more complex and satisfying.
What I Was Mixed About:
While I love all the plots and close calls Sophy has, I think this went on a few times too many. What's that saying, "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me"? Were there three, or four, attempts on her life? I lost count after a while. I know this serves the plot by creating confrontations between Sophy and certain characters, but this device became tiresome after a while. Don't you think Sophy would be more wary of isolated meetings after the first ambush?
Reading Note: This isn't a criticism of the series, but you really need to read the other two books, The Waking Land, and The Memory of Fire, fairly soon before you read the final book. The stories are so closely tied together, that it would be difficult to follow the action if you haven't recently read those books first.
Rating:
Release Date: June 4th, 2019
Author: Callie Bates
Publisher: Del Rey Books
Genre: YA Fantasy
Page Length: 480 Pages
Source: NetGalley
Format: E-Book
Recommendation: A worthy end for an exciting series. But read (or reread) the other books first.
