Soul Weaver is the first in a new paranormal series by Hailey Edwards. Chloe McCrea has suffered from acute agoraphobia since she almost died in a car accident. Nathaniel is a fallen angel who harvests the souls of corrupt humans – murderers, rapists, molesters, etc. He is present at Chloe’s accident and realizes that she has a pure soul that for some reason will not go to Heaven. Taking a step that could mean eternity in Hell for him if caught, he buys her time until paramedics can save her life. Unbeknownst to him, his attempt to help taints her soul and marks her to be taken by a Harvester. He must repair the damage that he has caused so that she can go to Heaven, if only he can resist her appeal.
Edwards weaves a realistic world where angels and half-angels walk among humans. The history of Nathaniel’s family is rich and complex, with him making sacrifices for both his brother and nephew. The relationship between the three is the heart of the story and of who Nathaniel is. It wouldn’t be a romance if Chloe and Nathaniel didn’t fall for each other, but the family dynamic is what I was drawn to the most.
Readers are also given an interesting view of Hell, run not by the devil but by a complex fallen angel named Delphi. He uses other fallen angels as Harvesters, whose job is to collect the soiled souls of humans who have done despicable acts. I found him to be the most interesting of the characters as his purpose is for the good of humanity; however he is a scarily powerful being. I hope for a better glimpse of what makes him tick in future stories.
The pacing is fast and I read the end of the book with my breath held. Edwards did a great job giving you characters you care about and I was so anxious for them all. I knew that that things had to end well for Chloe and Nathaniel, but I worried the entire time anyway. Soul Weaver is a great start to a new series and I look forward to the next installment.
