Book Review: My Soul to Steal (Soul Screamers #4) by Rachel Vincent

Kaylee's life is more complicated than ever. Not only does she have to deal with helping Alec fit into current society while sorting out her mixed-up feelings about Nash but someone is killing off people in their sleep...add on the arrival of Nash's ex-girlfriend, Sabine, who also happens to be a mara, the living personification of a nightmare (she literally goes into people's dreams and feeds off of their deepest fears...awesome) it's a wonder Kaylee's even functioning.  It doesn't help that Sabine has decided to fight Kaylee for Nash, using every weapon at her desposal...which means we get to add on extreme lack of sleep to Kaylee's list of Why My Life is in Ruins. Can Kaylee deal with her personal dilemas and find out who is committing the terrifying murders without losing herself in the process?

This is definitely one of Vincent's most emotionally packed installments of her Soul Screamers Series, and that's saying alot.  You actually can feel Kaylee's physical and mental exhaustion seeping out from the pages. Vincent really pushes her main character to her limits.  We finally get to see what Kaylee Cavanaugh is really made of.

The Kaylee vs Sabine aspect of this novel was very intriguing but also a bit frustrating. There were definitely moments where I wish I could just shake both of them and tell them to knock it off, I mean people were dying here.  In the end I ended up feeling sympathetic to and even liking Sabine.  Hey if you were literally a living nightmare how would you feel and react?

I have also started questioning whether or not Nash and Kaylee are meant to be together. I know this is shocking but I'm gonna have to say I'm Team Tod.

In the end I give this book a 4 because while it was stress inducing, My Soul to Steal is a perfect addition to the Soul Screamers Series and a must read for all YA book lovers

Reaper (A Soul Screamers Novella) by Rachel Vincent

I'm a huge fan of Vincent's Soul Screamers series and Tod Hudson the reaper brother of Nash, Kaylee's bean sidhe boyfriend, has always been my favorite character. I tend to gravitate towards the smart ass good guys, guys that seem like assholes but deep down are really chivalrice heroes, men who stand up for what's right even though they don't appear to be the gentlemen they are, this is Tod, and I adore him.

Unfortunately Tod is not one of the main characters, although I would place him in the major charator category, you never really get to hear his side of the story until now. A major Thank you to Rachel for giving us a chance to learn a little more about, in my opinion, one of her more interesting characters.

::SPOILER ALERT::

And because of this novella I am even more in love with Tod Hudson. I am the oldest of two and I would give my life for my little sister, this is exactly what Tod does. From the first three books we learn he was killed in a car accident but what we didn't know was that it really wasn't his time to go, but Nash's and because he is a true hero he offers himself to the reaper in exchange for his brother's life. Nash doesn't know any of this I wonder if it comes out in the most recent Soul Screamers installment (My Soul  to Steal released 1/4/2010 aka it's available now) which I haven't had a chance to read yet.

We also learn how Tod became a reaper, and that before Kaylee came into Nash's life Tod had actually seen her strapped to a bed in a hospital (if you are confused check out the first novella of the series, My Soul to Lose (Soul Screamers #0.5), which may attest to his protectiveness of her. We also learn a little more about Nash's relationship with Sabine, an ex-girlfriend who appears in MSTS.

This is a must read for any Soul Screamers fan. Oh and if I haven't said it enough I love Tod Hudson!