Review: Soul Kissed (The Moonstone Saga #1) - Courtney Cole

5/5 Stars

First of all, just look at that cover! How gorgeous is that?! I am in love with this cover!!

Anyway....

Soul Kissed is book one in The Moonstone Saga by one of my favourite authors, Courtney Cole.

The Moonstone Saga is a spin-off series from her Bloodstone Saga, so if you haven't read those books I suggest you do first before picking up Soul Kissed. You can probably read this one without having previously read the Bloodstone Saga books, but it would make things a lot easier if you have read them first.

You'll understand the characters and the terminology used a bit better.

Having being in a severe state of shock and grief over one of my favourite series's from 2011 coming to end, I was excited to hear there was going to be a spin-off series. Only this time around the series focused on Empusa, the daughter of Hecate, goddess of witchcraft.

We only get to see a small glimpse of Empusa and Hecate in the Bloodstone saga and I always wanted to know more about them both and a bit more about their background story.

Soul Kissed did not disappoint on either.

The story centres on Empusa as she is on the run and hiding from her father who wants to kill her (readers of the Bloodstone Saga will know why). Empusa is cursed to drink mortal blood to survive, the only way she feels she can do this is by taking the lives of those who are about to die anyway. A frequent visitor to hospitals, one day there she comes across Brennan who captures her attention immediately.

But Brennan is not what he appears to be, he has a hidden secret, a secret that is unknown even to himself.

Someone new to Courtney's writing may be shocked at the sheer amount of mythology, history and research that goes into her books. It is something I have said time and time again about her Bloodstone Saga, and I can see myself saying again in the future about the Moonstone saga. I am a huge fan of mythology and I love the way Courtney manages to take history and mythology and blend it together, adding her own touch of flavour to it to bring together the perfect plot.

After seeing so much of the Underworld and Spirit Lands in the Bloodstone saga, I honestly did not know what to expect location wise with this book, how much more could there really be to see?

I was completely wrong on this part, Soul Kissed transports readers the underwater realm of Poseidon and the sunken city of Atlantis. It was beautifully described, right down to every last detail, making the reader feel as if they are part of the book themselves.

As with the rest of Courtney's book this one is not without it's own twists and turns, this book kept me on the edge of my seat the entire way through it. I literally could not believe what was happening to poor Empusa half of the time. I just wanted to grab her out of the pages and take her home with me to keep her safe!

As for the romance element, I loved it!

Yes it did seem to be a little two quick and almost love at first sight with Empusa and Brennan, but with the world Courtney has created and the explanation about soul mates given in this book, I can completely understand it and it makes sense to me.

The ending left me gobsmacked and I cannot wait to get my hands on book two!