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A review by aworldshapedbybooks
Half a Soul by Olivia Atwater
3.0
Overall: 3/5
Plots and Themes: 3/5
Characters: 3/5
Writing Style: 3/5
Attention Grabbing: 3/5
When Theodora Ettings was young, a faerie took half her soul. She has spent the time since trying to act normal when she is nearly entirely without emotion. She doesn't react the way young women are supposed to act, and her aunt is constantly trying to rid the family of her oddities. But then Dora meets Lord Elias Wilder, a sorcerer for England, she starts her journey to reestablishing those emotions she's missed for so much of her life.
I have a problem with these fae books sometimes. They just feel so disconnected from the actual characters, like I'm reading it through the lense of a dream. Also, this was advertised as a combination of Pride and Prejudice and Howl's Moving Castle and while it was definitely not a bad read, you might feel that way if you go into it expecting that. I liked Dora despite how difficult it might be to empathize with her as essentially robotic character- you do see the depth of her emotion though she doesn't technically think she has any. I don't think she and Elias had all that much chemistry, they weren't around each other all that much so it had the feeling of insta-love.
I do love a good historical book with magic infused into the plot. This one isn't my favorite example of that, but it has it's moments.