Curse of Souls by Niranjan - BBNYA 2024 - 15th Place Finalist

Curse of Souls by Niranjan

Curse of Souls was the 15th place finalist in BBNYA 2024!

Queer Rep Summary: Gay/Achillean Main Character(s).

*I received a free review copy in exchange for an honest review of this book. 

About BBNYA

BBNYA is a yearly competition where book bloggers from all over the world read and score books written by indie authors, ending with 15 finalists (16 in 2024) and one overall winner.

If you want some more information about BBNYA, check out the BBNYA Website https://www.bbnya.com/ or take a peek over on Twitter @BBNYA_Official. BBNYA is brought to you in association with the book blogger support group @The_WriteReads.

Book Details

LENGTH: 158 Pages
GENRE: Fantasy, Romance
AGE CATEGORY: Adult
DATE PUBLISHED: January 19, 2024
RECOMMENDED: Highly

Bookshop (Affiliate): https://bookshop.org/a/12882/9798224037568

Indie Story Geek: https://indiestorygeek.com/story/8624

Amazon Link: https://a.co/d/fML4oX2 (Canada) https://a.co/d/iMVvXJM (USA) https://amzn.eu/d/8MzvDYy (UK)

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/193384554-curse-of-souls

The Story Graph Link: https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/6c7e346e-d40f-4fb2-863d-9cc2e837d9cd 

Blurb

The fates of two nations hang on the balance on a man’s choice between love and an arcane bond. 

Philip has been spearheading a rebellion in his country, with Casey, his lover and partner, at his side. The rebellion has snowballed into a civil war and casualties on both sides are mounting. In a desperate attempt for peace, Philip decides to approach Raylan, the second in command of the other side. He has learned that Raylan is not as stubborn as his mentor and that he may be open to negotiations.

The last thing Philip expects is for a soul mate bond to spring to life between him and Raylan, activating an ancient curse that will kill them both if the bond isn’t consummated. Philip has never loved anyone but Casey, and Raylan is a total stranger who he has no feelings for. Yet, the delicate negotiations between the two nations will fail without him and Raylan. Philip’s life is not his own, after all; it belongs to the people he has pledged his service to. 

With more than his life at stake, will Philip be able to let go of the love of his life to bring peace to his people? 

Curse of Souls is dystopian futuristic fantasy. If you love fantasy tales with high personal and world changing stakes, and protagonists who struggle to make hard choices, you will enjoy Niranjan’s Curse of Souls about people pushed to the limits of their endurance. 

Buy Curse of Souls today for a tale of love, sacrifice and redemption that will leave you breathless. 

My Review

CURSE OF SOULS is a polyamorous, gay romance set while three men representing two sides are in peace negotiations to end a war that's gone on for over a decade. Two of them are afflicted with a curse caused by meeting their soulmate without consummating the bond, but it's the wrong two: Phillip finds himself suddenly bonded, not to his partner, Casey, but to Raylan, the negotiator for the other side of the conflict. It's a curse because if unresolved, the unconsummated bond will kill both Phillip and Raylan. 

There's something delightful and satisfying about thinking "this issue could be solved easily if all three of them are with each other" as I read chapter two, then gradually watching as the characters come to the same conclusion by the end of the story. The worldbuilding is detailed enough to convey the shape of the war affecting them without getting bogged down in specifics which don't matter to the core story. 

Things I love, in no particular order: The casual blend between magic and technology without infodumping about either one; the flow of the story; the relationships between the three main characters.

If you like this you may like:

• The Companion by E.E. Ottoman

Moderate CW for sexual content, violence, gun violence, war, death.

Minor CW for rape (mentioned), pedophilia (mentioned).

Author Bio

An author and editor, Niranjan’s biggest ambition is to have a character named Garth in every book they write. Niranjan writes books rooted in mythical worlds, and their stories are often a combination of magic and futuristic technology.

When they are not writing or editing, Niranjan can be found cooking or just lying on their couch watching or rewatching C Dramas and writing fanfiction.

More about them may be found at https://authorniranjan.in/