Dive into ‘The Soul in the Sword’, a new book sensation

Hello everyone, and welcome back to another book review! This time, again, I discovered the book only thanks to BookTok. It’s a new hidden gem, yet to explode on TikTok and with a sequel out just this month. I have read this book as soon as it came out in September. Yet my usual luck was that I was unable to review it earlier than expected. Book 2 is already out (time surely flies!), and I cannot wait for Book 3.

However, there is one thing I want to point out about this book… have you ever heard of Miraculous Ladybug? I’m sure you did, I will not believe otherwise.
You may be wondering why exactly I am telling you about this series, right? Well, if you are a fan of the duo, you may find just *a few* (many) references to Miraculous Ladybug. The writer has won by using our favourite couple, and the writing has only made it even more significant. As someone who is actually Italian, whenever I find a book that is just so easy to read, I get lost immediately. I may be a Uni student here in the UK, and I may have my fair share of non-Italian books that I’ve read. Yet to convince me to read in English rather than Italian (after all that is still my favourite), you must be already amazing.
And our lovely writer of the day has totally that talent!

But what is this fantastic hidden gem?
Well, I’m speaking about “The Soul in the Sword” by Katherine Macdonald.
I said I just fell in love with the character without any regrets whatsoever. The only sad part, I’m afraid, is that because the trilogy is still ongoing, I was unable actually to conclude it before. And as someone who just devoured books throughout her life, the waiting is always the saddest part. I need books to read, it’s stronger than me, and I may buy more books than I manage to read. My biggest dream, though I may have already revealed so, is to have the same house as Ezio Auditore in Assassin’s Creed (the Italian chapter, of course) or Arno’s. Both are just so beautifully filled with Books and Art pieces, and I’m obsessed with the extensive gardens, so… I may have been pretty much jealous of our princess Brianna during my reading.

But what is the story about?
Well first of all, find the plot below:

When the storm stopped, I didn’t want to leave. I wanted to stay beneath that tiny roof and listen to the boy with the nice words forever.
Six years. Six years, and I’ve never quite shaken him from me, each word he utters in my direction as thunderous as that moment beneath the rolling clouds.

For hundreds of years, the kingdom of Albion has worked to exterminate the fey, but when the Blight, an infection that turns ordinary people into monsters rears its head again, Princess Brianna ends up taking on the mantle of Celeste, an ancient fey warrior of legend.

Teaming up with an infamous thief known as the Red Wolf, Celeste begins a quest to rid her land of the Blight… all the while hiding her true identity from her father, who hates the fey and will stop at nothing to irradicate them.

Alliances will be made and broken, friendships tested and lost, and Brianna will find herself torn between two very different men—her sweet childhood crush, Prince Aidan, and her partner, the dashing Red Wolf.

Who may or may not be the same person.

Sworn to secrecy by a prediction that heralds death will come if they ever reveal their true identities, Brianna and Aidan seemed destined for heartbreak—

And the world doomed to destruction.

SPOILER FREE SECTION

I’m not going to tell you about the ending.
I’m not going to tell you about the side couple (are they a couple? Am I just seeing too much of a NinoxAlya in this story?)
I’m not even going to tell you about if I hated someone the most. Which, yes, I did. I just know that in book two, I’m expecting someone and something specific to happen.
Just to relax myself, that’s all. And also because I felt book one (well, Red Wolf) was shadowing too much of something that could possibly turn my couple upside down.

Instead, I’m going to tell you why you need to read the story:
1) If you love Miraculous Ladybug, obviously.
2) If you, like me, are just over the top for fantasy books and slow burn. I’m not sure how slow this can be, considering people are gushing over each other, but for me, they are already too slow.
3) The “prince” of the day is not the usual super-rich prince. Instead, Brianna is our lead (well, future lead of sorts), and she sure enough is demonstrating to be a fantastic ruler.
4) You just want magic, but not too much.
5) A trustworthy and surely bossy female personal guard whom everyone should be afraid of. Well, everyone except Brianna cause she is obviously only there to create trouble.
6) If you need a quick fantasy without wanting to spend too much time studying its map, world or just heavily reading.
7) If you love a character who just does not have a perfect life. But that’s why we love them.
8) If you love (but hate) people who can’t recognise themselves even though they are literally spending time together and though there’s magic they must be obviously and painfully blind because they are just another Marinette and Adrien.

You can order The Soul in the Sword online.
I totally advise you to buy and read this book. It’s not heavy, and I find it to be a great reading, especially if you are starting out and are not looking for books that are too heavy to read.
If you like books where the female lead has powers, you may like to read Shatter Me.

So did I convince you to buy it? If not, maybe this video from the author will.