Souls of the Never

Book One of the Tales of the Neverwar Series

By: CJ Rutherford

Narrated by: Katie Welburn

Length: 5 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's summary

Something wants our world...and it’s coming through her to get it!

Katheryne, a kick-ass Irish heroine, and Derren, her dimension-hopping boyfriend, along with a ragged team of misfits, are pitted against the powers of darkness; powers that want to free magic – and their malevolent god – from its ancient prison.

The fate of two worlds lies in their hands, so cue time-travel. Cue epic battles. Cue re-runs of Friends…hey, even heroes have down time.

Souls of the Never will have you on the edge of your seat in the breakneck adventure through science and fantasy, where two worlds battle to save reality…and the Super Bowl final.

©2014, 2015 Colin Rutherford (P)2015 Colin Rutherford

Great Start to a Fascinating Series

This was one of the most unique books I've listened to in awhile. It was a great start for what will be an amazing series.

The story is told from the points of view of two main characters. One is in the modern world, the other in a very different parallel reality. They are both plunged into a battle against evil that as raged for thousands of years across countless worlds.

When reading or listening to a book, I can't help but to try and predict where the story is headed. This was one of the most well-written, least predictable books I've had the pleasure of listening to in a long time. I will admit that this is one of those books that only starts making sense after the first few chapters, and I was sometimes a little confused, but overall the book was so great that I can't even complain about that. In the end, everything comes together and I can't wait to go on to the next book.

The performance by the narrator in this book was nothing short of fantastic. Real top-notch narration.

I received a free copy of this audiobook from the author, publisher, or narrator in exchange for an unbiased review. I was NOT required to write a positive review and this reflects my honest opinion of the work.

the fantasy is secondary to the romance

20 year old Katherine started to have nightmares some months ago. She often wakes up bathed in sweat. Her best friend Perry is her confident, and will try to make Katherine feel better despite her weird dreams. But one day they stumble upon Darren, the boy who lately appeared in Katherine's dreams, and together they discover that Katherine will be the key in a war between the good and the evil.

The premises of this book were very good, an ancient conflict between the good and the evil, traitors and a girl that will be decisive for the outcome. But the execution was poor. There is a lot going on here, and more background info would have been welcomed. We are suddenly thrown in the middle of the story. The author has the concepts clear in her mind, but we do not. It is recommended to read the short prequel Origins of the Never, so I guess this book would be less confusing having read or listened to it. Since it it a short prequel I would have appreciated if they would have been published together. Origins of the Never was, though, published after Souls of the Never, I understand, in a way to give a more precise frame for the events on this book.

I also felt that way about the Island Katherine builds in her dreams. It seems there is some information missing here, and the way the island is introduced is quite abrupt.

Despite we were given some key events from the character's past, these remain quite unidimensional and they are the typical stereotypical characters: Katherine is the damsel in distress that discovers she has what it takes to save the world, Perry is the loud and strong friend any girl would want, and Darren is handsome, romantic and completely in love with Katherine. And do not get me started with love. The word appears so many times in this book that it is ridiculous. Katherine and Darren meet and they suddenly feel true love and that they are two halves of the same soul. Sappy? Well, this just the beginning. The characters are supposedly 20 years old, but their emotions and words are the ones from a young teenager. I left that time of my life some years ago, but I can still read some Young Adult novels without thinking they are ridiculous. This one got me rolling my eyes at the mention of true love again and again. I wonder how one can try to save the world when she is completely obsessed about a boy that she can hardly think about anything else.

One thing that I enjoyed was the twist to the story, even though it implies a mix of genres (fantasy and science fiction) that does not seem to work completely for me here.

Katie Welburn did a decent job narrating this story, and she truly became the girls and was able to express their exalted emotions. I felt her register was a bit limited and there was no difference when she impersonated male characters, but this did not prevent me from enjoying the story.

I think this book would work well for young adult female readers that long for romance with some fantasy touches. This is a fantasy book but the fantasy is secondary to the romance, in my opinion.

Audiobook was provided for review by the author.

Please find this complete review and many others at my review blog

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An amazing fantasy!

I absolutely loved the prequel to this. It set the scene but was also going to be hard to follow up. But CJ Rutherford managed to surpass it! This was fantastic!!

Katherine is a normal girl, but her dreams are anything but! They feel like they are getting worse and darker, but she is also dreaming of a certain boy, and when that boy turns up she is both thrilled terrified.

Derren is from Sanctuary and has been searching for the girl from his dream too. He finds her in Katherine and what follows is an epic journey of discovery, a battle between good and evil, and a sweet romance.

I absolutely loved everything about this book! The characters were well written and developed and were all amazing. The plot was fast paced, intriguing, and gripping. I devoured the book!! Right from the very first page the author grabs your attention and doesn't let go. This book is filled full of magic, dragons, different worlds and so much awesomeness!! It's a must read.

I have to say that this author is one to watch. The writing in this is amazing and as for the world building, well that was phenomenal!! I will be keeping a real close eye on this author and series!

The narrator was awesome!! I really liked her narration and thought she did a good job. She gave everyone their own voice and had the right tone for all the situations.

*I received a copy of this for review, this in no way affects my thoughts.*

Great book!

This is not my style of book usually but the author and narrator have me hooked and wanting more. can't wait for the rest of the series!!!

Souls of the never

Any additional comments?

I really enjoyed this story, and thought the author ended the book in a perfect spot. I felt satisfied, and I definitely look forward to reading the next book A very good audiobook to listen to.

I LOVE WHEN I FIND NEW AUTHORS

I LOVE WHEN I FIND NEW AUTHORS & NARRATORS I LOVE!! I am enjoying CJ Rutherford's Books! SO HAPPY I FOUND HIM AS AN AUTHOR!! I CAN'T WAIT TO READ/LISTEN TO MORE! KATIE DID AN AMAZING JOB!! ON TO THE NEXT ONE!! DEFINITELY WORTH A LISTEN!!

Great narration, Story was fun.

Would you consider the audio edition of Souls of the Never to be better than the print version?

Yes, the print version would require guesswork of intonation at the beginning of the book when you're still figuring out the relationship between each character.

What did you like best about this story?

Focusing less on the physicality of romance, more on the big picture of beating the bad guys.

What does Katherine Welburn bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Inflection & Intonation from a girl named Katherine. The experience became much more real! Ms. Welbrn's reading makes sure you're engaged in the story. She has a good range of voices, and her talent of utilizing pace / tempo seems to improve throughout the book.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

One exceptional girl challenges the threats of evil that spans the realities

Any additional comments?

While I was a bit confused with the characters' relationships at the beginning, I eventually figured things out and enjoyed a great novel.

Souls of the Never

I really enjoyed the book. I don't normally spend time reading sci-fi/fiction books. The time hopping can be confusing at times, but it does make the book a bit more interesting. The narrator is enjoyable to listen to. I have listen to audible books before that were painfully boring to listen to the narrator. I definitely plan on following the entire series.

Entertaining YA Fantasy Book

Action packed fantasy that expands through space and time. When you start this journey, know there is a lot of road to cover and many characters to meet. Hold on for the ride, and you will not be disappointed. The places and characters you meet will be fascinating and sometimes frightening. I have so many questions that I can't wait to read the next book. Highly entertaining. the narrator rocked and brought the book to life. I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.

Great story makes it hard to put it down.

Overall impression: Well-written, attention grabbing, and full of the elements that I like in a book, Souls of the Never is an excellent read. I would recommend it for anyone who enjoys a nice mix of sci-fi and fantasy. Well Done Colin Rutherford!

Sci Fi at its best

I loved the narrator.
This story will keeps you on your toes. It is a creative blend of fantasy and science fiction , it is exciting and challenging. A universe of myriad realities, possibilities, constantly changing.

Very descriptive

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Nothing I thought it was a splendid story and very smart story line

What did you like best about this story?

The description of the characters

Would you listen to another book narrated by Katie Welburn?

Yes absolutely

Was Souls of the Never worth the listening time?

Yes very much so

An epic fantasy sci fi, to satisfy

Where does Souls of the Never rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

3

What did you like best about this story?

its emmerging concept

What about Katie Welburn’s performance did you like?

her natural vocalisation and simple accentuation

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

yes

Any additional comments?

CJ Rutherford.s “in the Never” series

Hey if I am to take the time to review something you gonna get it wit 2 smoking barrels, (the perk of CJ not knowing where i live)
I start with the praise for his chosen narrator Katie Welburn
It is a breath of fresh air, to listen to the tones of someone who does not carry the garlic stench of a real strong accent. Allowing you to feel more involved with the characters, and her grasp at the We Irish accent made me believe she had even seen the commitments. all praise to the Narrator.
But to business, “the never” series. Lucky for me i was advised to start with prequel Origins, More a novella, but it got me hooked, so much so I continues straight onto Soles and Worlds.
From the innocent of Belfast to vast multi-worlds sounds a quandary however Its all here, with CJ’s Hometown of Belfast being the anchor that pulls this all together.
so i will summarise, “of the Never" are a compelling read, a fantasy sci fi with a little true love added. The development of its lead character (OMG its a woman) leaved the door open for some amazing continuations. The main additional characters begin life fooling me to believe they are Normal even bland, but pretty soon you have to open your mind to maximum as it seems CJ took a large dose of the Irish Pixy dust. “that escalated a little” came to mind as it fell into where i love a story to sit.

Mad Jim