Review: Soul Cage by L.R. Schulz
Blurb:
Murder Breeds Magic
All power comes with a price. In a world where magic is transferred by the act of killing another, Myddrin stands above the rest. Having accidentally killed the most powerful mage in all of existence, Myddrin now lives a peaceful life in isolation. But there is no such thing as peace in the land of Otor. War calls. The voices of the dead haunt him, and there is nowhere to hide.
Cursed with the deathly taint of magic, young Will must seek acceptance among the Knights of Aen. There, he must learn to touch the otherside, control his abilities, and decide for himself what is right, and what is wrong.
Tvora’s soul is broken. The price of vengeance was her sanity. Her companions help her keep a tenuous grasp on herself, but with the urgent need to absorb enough magic to sustain them, she is pushed to choose a side in the upcoming war. The question remains, will she choose the right one?
Review:
Murder breeds magic. What would you do in a world where killing increased your power?
The magic system of Soul Cage is the driving force of the world Schulz builds for us. A world whose souls are cursed by a fallen god to never find rest.
Soul Cage opens with a strong relevant prologue dropping the reader in the midst of a city that is under siege and moments away from total defeat. The societal power dynamics and magic system are introduced quickly with great effect providing the key inciting incident for, well, just about everyone in this tale.
The events in the prologue prove to be crucial plot touch stones for events and motivations in later chapters. Don’t skip it prologue, haters.
The magic system's unique basis captures the imagination. Knights, mages and soul hunters vi for power fueled by the souls of those they have killed allowing them to manifest elements of their imagination to interact in the physical realm.
When a person is killed the total sum of souls they collected transfer to the person responsible for their death.
Wielding the soul driven power is not without risks. The souls are not willing participants and fight for control providing a significant threat. Lose control… lose everything, the consequences spell disaster for the mage and anyone near them.
Myddrin, by pure chance, is the most powerful man alive, a would be hero, a drunk and an occasional drug addict whose greatest desire is to destroy the very system of magic that makes him so powerful. Some days, giving in to the souls clamoring for control doesn’t sound so bad. Myddrin is supported by a delightfully crafted servant, Mees, who provides dry comic relief to the bitter and addled state of our hero. Faith, devotion and friendship are evident and deftly explored within the bounds of their relationship. Can Myddrin complete the redemption character arc?
Next enter young Will. Will follows a coming of age arc. Will is a delightfully written character that is somewhere on the spectrum/neurodivergent. The character is tastefully developed and well played throughout the tale. He has secrets that he doesn’t even know about. Bullied and isolated by his peers Will faces tragedy on multiple fronts as he is placed squarely in the middle of the chaos.
Schulz fills out the rest of the supporting cast with well written characters that represent the roles of mentors, the big bad, the unpredictable wild card (Tvora) and others that deliver color that allow deft twists making for a balanced and exciting plot.
Soul Cage provides the reader with a richly imagined world filled with compelling characters. Fast paced and well timed prose make for a quick and engaging reading.
I whole heartedly recommend this book. My only quibble is that I feel the author leans in a bit too much on the characters’ internal strife/struggle at times. Somethings that have been previously well established do not need to be mentioned later in order to emphasize motivation for current actions/emotions/choices.
I look forward to seeing more of L. R. Schulz.
Happy reading.
