Voices of the Soul

By: Rene Folsom

Narrated by: Emily Wild

Length: 1 hr and 23 mins

Publisher's Summary

Throughout her entire life, Ella has heard voices. Voices inside her head. She's never given much thought as to why she has this gift...or this curse, depending on which way you look at it. It's not until she meets the mysterious Jonah that she begins to question her inherited abilities as a Soul Seer.

Learning to deal with loss and love, Ella manages to live a seemingly normal life...or so she thought.

Voices of the Soul was originally published in Paranormal Anthology with a Twist and has been expanded upon with five other additional books in the Soul Seers new adult paranormal romance series by USA Today best-selling author Rene Folsom.

©2013, 2019 Rene Folsom (P)2019 Rene Folsom

Quick listen for start of a series

Voices of the Soul is a novella with a twist ending, but it’s also part of a series. There are spoilers in this review.

This is a quick read or listen, and it starts with the main character Ella getting in a car accident just before her 14th birthday. Her mother dies, leaving Ella understandably devastated, but she also imparts on Ella that she is a mind reader, here called a Soul Seer. The story then leaps forward six years to when Ella meets Jonah, a handsome young man, in their college art appreciation class. Ella is shocked to learn that Jonah, too, is a soul seer.

I wasn’t sure I’d actually like this story because it seemed like another YA paranormal romance. In many ways it is that, but Ella seems sheltered and immature. She is that, and at first it’s not obvious why. Maybe I’m too used to stories about YA heroines that are mature beyond their years. It was almost nice to have a modest and shy heroine.

There were some reviewers who called the romance in this book “spicy.” I had to wonder if we were reading the same book! It’s there, but it’s not explicit in a way I’d expect from something labelled spicy.

The big twist, of course, is that it’s Ella herself who has been in a coma for six years. So while her body is nineteen/twenty, she wouldn’t have had the opportunity to develop beyond her fourteen-year old maturity. I think the twist is very good, and it even makes me wonder who Jonah and his father are. Did Ella invent them? Are they soul seers invading her coma? There’s some curiosity for things that could be answered in the sequel.

The narrator had a perfect voice for Ella. Sometimes Kristine Hvam voices female characters this young, but I couldn’t think of anyone else fitting this situation.

Ultimately, this wasn’t a book for me, and I doubt I’ll remember it in the long term. It could be the book for you, though, if you like YA novellas about mind-readers. The author looks like she has several other things that go with this so you could dig into the world and enjoy it.

Disclaimer: I was given this free review copy audiobook and have voluntarily left this review.

Anxiously Awaiting Next in the Series

This story was unique, intriguing and left me eager to find out what is in store for these characters. The narrator was fabulous and really drew me into the story. Will definitely purchase the next in the series.

Unique story with a twist

A unique story with a plot twist, well written and well performed. An enjoyable listen.