Reviews of Kevin James Breaux's work
Novel Reviews
2/10/2012
I've never been a fan of dark fantasy, mostly because of the death and the horror. But Kevin Breaux's Soul Born Saga has changed that. The series has the perfect mix of fantasy, love, tragedy, betrayal, and magic--so much so that I have become addicted to reading them! The stories have amazing twists and turns you'd never expect, with a realistic ending that might make you cry.
5/5 stars for both Soul Born and Blood
Divided.
-Arely
01/01/2012
"Soul Born is a fantastic page-turning beginning to author Kevin Breaux’s fantasy trilogy."
-Douglas Cobb, Book Spot Central
11/14/2011
Author Michelle Horst's review of Soul Born
Soul Born... I'm very happy it's #1 of the saga! I can't wait for the next one to be released.
This book will have you sitting on the edge of your seat from the very first word and there won't be any letting go until the last. Kevin has created a masterpiece and a world of enchantment where you want to go, but don't dare without some weapons of your own.
Every character is vibrantly alive and jumps from the page to draw you into their world. You can taste their fears, their hope and their courage.
An awesome read that deserves every star.
5/5 stars!
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/235359587
10/6/2011
Soul Born Review
Soul Born is a fast paced fantasy novel that will keep the reader turning
pages and reading far too late into the night. Set in the land of Illyia,
the novel tracks three main characters as they fight against an invading
warlord who leaves a path of destruction across the land as he works
towards his ultimate goal; the destruction of his creators.
The characters are wonderfully brought to life as we learn about them
and their various motives throughout the story. Opal is a young mage
filled with enormous, but raw magical potential and is being mentored
by the mage high council. She is strong willed and will go to any lengths
to attain her desires. The biggest of those desires being her deep love
for a warrior. Karn is a fierce fighter determined to end the warlord’s
destruction of his beloved land. We meet him as he is being nursed back
to health by his lover, Opal, after being badly wounded protecting civilians
fleeing the warlord. His entire life as he knows it will be turned upside
down by a young elf. Tala is an outcast from her elven tribe who has
taken refuge in a human town. She meets and befriends Karn. As their
relationship grows closer, she is forced to reveal a terrible secret;
his true past.
The action keeps the story moving forward at a brisk pace while the
slow unveiling of each character’s full motives fuels the reader
to keep turning pages. I love the shades of gray the characters are
colored with. Opal is a great example of a character driven by her best
desires and intentions, but capable of making terrible choices to attain
them. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and am eagerly awaiting the second
book in the series.
Dave on Amazon and Goodreads.
5/5
8/15/2011
The cover is dynamite~bursting with color, as if magic is actually trying
to escape the bindings of the book.
The book itself is a quick paced, easy read for all ages over 12, in
my opinion. However, by no means is this a YA novel.
This is a classic D&D style read. If you enjoy fantasy books, in
the form of RPG's, this book is for you.
I love reading all types of genres, but this was a nice escape into
fanatsy for me, since I usually read horror and romance.
Opal is a mage, the Heroine of the novel and without giving too much
of a spolier alert, she is kick-butt and edgy. I am glad that at the
end, she appears to be pregnant, since this is the first of a trilogy.
Karn, the Hero who has to fight to recover his memory through-out the
novel, was a bit of a melancholy character, but I liked that in the
Hero. He was gung-ho in the battle scenes and when it came to honor
and duty, but constantly battling himself to recover his forgotten past.
There are lizard men, giants, mages and warlocks. The book is rampant
with Elven magic, tight chapter sequences and action.
I can't wait for the next two.
Way to go Mr. Breaux!
Sherri Dub on Goodreads and Amazon.com
4/5
7/27/11
"Soul Born is a fascinating chronicle of the battle between good and evil, the forces of nature pitted against the corruptive elements of excessive power." - Bitten By Books
Bitten by Books
4/5
http://www.bittenbybooks.com/38039/soul-born-kevin-james-breaux/
7/1/11
"For success, some can be driven to topple empires. "Soul Born" tells the story of rising magician Opal, driven to be recognized for her arcane talents. When a warlord seeks to destroy her land, Opal doesn't despair and instead embraces the opportunity. But no road to recognition is easy, as she finds allies in elves and hardened war veterans to claim her place. "Soul Born" is a fast paced and fun world of fantasy, highly recommended reading."
Midwest Book Review
5/5
http://www.midwestbookreview.com/sbw/jul_11.htm
4/7/11
"Having won this book in a competition I was really excited to see what it was all about. I had found out about the author Kevin James Breaux from Twitter and from there I began to read his blog and learnt bits and bobs about the book from there. It sounded interesting and I am a really big fan of the genre fantasy and with all things magic so this book sounded right up my alley.
As soon as I started the book I knew I was in for a some surprises surrounding the characters and the storyline. I loved having the ability to chat and discuss the book with Kevin too it really helped me to find out and engage more with the characters and what they were going through.
All of the characters are interesting and the story is fast paced and edgy! They are all fresh and unique and Kevin has really worked hard to keep the storyline bold and different. I couldn't put it down because it is such a page turner and full of surprises as you read along.
The story discusses how certain characters are deeming their actions as good but just how good are they? Are they just doing what they believe to be right to get something they want and not seeing the bigger picture surrounding their actions?
I loved the book and I really think more people who like the genre
should give it a try because it has great characters and the storyline
definitely leaves you thinking about things and wondering what is going
on right up until you are guided to the truth.
I will be telling people to read it and I think that I will read it
alot more than just once!! :D"
5/5 stars
Izzy from UK - posted to Goodreads.com
4/2/11
"Writing, like any other craft, is one that needs a lot of time, a lot of practice and a good dash of skill to allow an amateur to take it to a level where money can be earned.
What unfurls here is a story that is clearly years in the making. The characters are full bodied, they have their own quirks and perhaps most notably the plot line has an almost organic development feel to it.
Add to this a good sense of pace, solid dialogue and a tale that has
obviously benefited from a lot of time as well as good tutorage and
it's a story that only needed a touch of luck to land on the right desk
at the right time. Whilst Dark Quest is a small independent press they
know talent when they see it and have hedged their bets on a quality
title helping them to not only maintain the balance but lead the way
as a prime example of the authors that they have signed. As such I'll
definitely look forward to other titles by them as well as Kevin as
he continues to grow in his chosen career as this tale clearly has developed
to such a level that it's surely on a matter of time until he strikes
again."
4/5 stars
Gareth Wilson on Amazon.co.uk
3/31/11
"I really enjoyed this book. It had interesting characters, most of which who were shades of light/dark. The characters all had varying motives and there was plenty of action. The soul born magic was an intriguing idea and I'm looking forward to seeing how the story progresses in the next book."
5/5 stars
ChristinaJL review on Goodreads
3-18-11
"When I first started reading I wasn't really sure what to except. Was I going to find a regular story about a woman who is a sorceress? Or was this going to be a book where it gives me a brand new perspective on fantasy books. Well I can tell you it was definitely a new perspective on fantasy books. I enjoyed the way the author mixed in a bit of a love story with medieval war, sex and sorcery. It opened my eyes to a whole new take on witches,sorcery and medieval times. For me reading this book about medieval times was intriguing because I fancy any fantasy books about anything mystical and magical. Rating this book from 0 to 10 I would give it a hard 7.5 I reconmend this book to anyone looking for a new kind of fantasy!"
3/5 stars
Ashpash on Goodreads.com
3-6-11
"My personal taste when it comes to fantasy has generally been works that include a great deal of detailed worldbuilding. I love reading about history so when I consume fantasy stories about strange and exotic new worlds I often have the mindset that I looking for historical and geographical snapshots over and above a strong plotline and interesting characters. This is usually what holds my attention in fantasy, because I am always looking for clues, for a broken potsherd that tells me about the way the people in the land lived their lives.
Soul Born is a very focused novel. There are no meandering passages in this book and no exposition that isn't relevant to what's happening. There is no scenic route to get to the destination. The book is the GPS equivalent of telling you the quickest way to get from point A to point B. And baby, it makes the book ROLL.
I'll note here that it took me a little while to appreciate this characteristic. I had to put the book down half way through and think about it. Something about the style of Soul Born then clicked for me, and I enjoyed the hell out of the book. Most fantasy novels have clearly delineated good guys and bad guys, maybe some gray area third party that swings back and forth for a while until finally aligning with one group or the other for the Big Final Battle. Not so in Soul Born: these people are not out for some high falootin' grand ideal, they are, each and every one of them, pushing their own agenda. The result of this is a cast of characters that have a seeming tendency towards erratic actions, but in reality are simply adjusting their plans to the shifting tide of events in the story. If the characters, Karn and Opal in particular, realize that staying the course isn't going to get them what they want, they simply head in a different direction. It's kind of refreshing.
There's no dead wood in the plot. The characters are fun, if sometimes a little reprehensible. The book is action, action, action. It isn't your typical fantasy, and that's a good thing. It really stands out next to everything else on the shelf because it breaks all the standard fantasy tropes.
Thumbs up!"
4/5 stars
3-4-11
"Defined as an Epic Fantasy(1&2) , Soul Born is a tale which readers will find quite engaging and adventurous. Kevin James Breaux brings to the stage an interesting cast of characters whose journey will lead readers on a path quite different from that which enthusiasts of the fantasy genre may be used to. Leave behind any pre-conceived ideas as to what direction the typical high fantasy should take and enjoy Breaux's unusual rendition of good versus evil complete with a myriad of blurred lines betwixt the two.
For this particular reader, there is nothing more satisfying than a reading experience in which one is always second guessing his/her original take on a characters morals, intentions and personality. In Soul Born , Breaux presents characters who initially appear "good" or "evil" but lead readers on a path that continuously questions that initial observation without really and truly defining it in the absolute…The result? It keeps you wanting more!
In Soul Born , readers will not find a lot of historical narration or supporting facts and are provided only with minimal explanation to guide through the story. For this reader, the limited amount of information, for the most part, was sufficient. However, some may find a few sharp twists and turns which may leave even the most intuitive of readers scratching their head in mild confusion.
All in all, Mr. Breaux's debut fantasy novel proves a great start to a very promising future as a published author!"
Yzhabellasbookshelf blog
3/5 stars
2/26/11
Let me begin by saying I really liked this book. The beginning throws you off a little but it ties in with the ending. Just keep reading it gets more and more interesting as it goes along. This is a book I put down and would keep thinking about until I was able to return and read more. It has so many twists and turns that nothing is predictable so hang on and enjoy the ride. If you enjoy reading about castles, knights in combat, mystical creatures and magic then this book is for you.
Tracey - goodreads contest winner posted on goodreads
4/5 stars
2/21/11
"Review: First thing to say is that even though it didn't change the rating for the book, I was more than a little relieved to hear that Soul Born is the first book in a three book series. Book 2 is due out in fourth quarter 2011 (Fall/winter) in fact.
When I first read about this the words 'dark fantasy' were first and foremost. And this can definitely be considered that; there's no 'good guy' or 'bad guy', or a sense that one side is any better then the other. Much of the characters are motivated by a selfish goal or concern--in some cases this means acting against the side they've aligned with in order to achieve that goal.
Without giving spoilers, Karn begins with Opal, but he eventually goes with Tala. I liked that Breaux contrasted the emotions that Tala has for Karn with what Opal feels. He doesn't emphasize that one is better than the other, that one has more right than the other. This goes back to what I was saying about how there isn't a 'good' or 'bad' guy. Neither is exactly forthcoming with Karn in regards to who he is or why they need him.
I wanted to know more about Illyia, I was constantly hoping that just a little more information would be given so I could have a better worldview. It's not that Breaux leaves the world vague and unshaped, rather he focuses almost entirely on Opal, Tala and Karn's conflicts. We are given just enough information to understand what's happening--such as the war between Tala's people (the Elves) and the Lizardmen. Considering I'm used to entire chapters dedicated to detailing the history of why the Elves and Lizardmen are fighting, the few short paragraphs Breaux uses to tell us about the war made me blink. This isn't a bad thing, overall it gives the book a tighter focus, just takes a little getting used to.
There are several revelations in the book that left me surprised and eager to read on to see how this now effected things. More than anything else the mystery of Karn's past and his memories were what I wanted to know more about. They came in fragments and snippets, some of them mundane and some of them intense. In the beginning of the book Karn thinks about the fact he clearly remembers his death, but with no visible signs of it nor any linking memories to it, he grows confused. Each subsequent 'memory' builds a larger, rather frightening, picture.
I was a bit taken aback by the ending--I wasn't entirely convinced that what Opal did was necessary (even if she felt it was) nor did I think that what Tala did made much sense. There was no time passage defined, but it felt like Tala suddenly rushed into the decision. It will be interesting to see how it plays out in the next book, though I'm a little wary with the implications."
Lexie Poisoned Rationality Blog
2/20/11
"I was lucky enough to pick up this novel last Monday, and stayed
glued to the pages until I finished it Wednesday night. What kept me
so intrigued by this book? Uniqueness, plenty of action, and a solid
storyline. Soul Born breaks from the mold that shapes the vast number
of fantasy novels.
The story captivated me easily, as you are tossed right in and learn more as you go. I was also able to connect with the main characters with ease. One thing that makes me crazy within the fantasy genre is bland character molds. I want my characters with a healthy mix of "good" and "evil", preferably with a blurred line dividing the two - and Soul Born delivered. Opal was definitely my favorite of the main characters!
Soul Born was one of the first dark fantasy novels I've read, and it's done a great job sparking my interest in the "darker" part of the genre. I have already recommended the title to family and friends, now I'm (impatiently) awaiting the next installment of the series!"
Konah Fawkes
5/5 stars
2/14/11
"Soul Born is the first full-length novel by Kevin James Breaux, and the first of a trilogy. From the moment, I opened this book, I was hard-pressed to put it down. There is typically a pretty predictable formula in fantasy tales, with the battle between good and evil, the struggle for power, the quests for victory and the inevitable hero. While this novel had all of those elements, it definitely was so much more. Because of the normal predictability, I kept expecting events to go in certain directions, and they just didn't and I loved that fresh take on fantasy. It was definitely not a light and happy tale, but dark with lots of action and unexpected twists. With a lot of epic works, you have a lot of back story before you get to the real meat of the story. I really enjoyed the fact that this story didn't do that, but put you immediately in the story from the very beginning. You learned the secrets and reasons for the unfolding story as you went along and it kept me thoroughly engrossed.
The story revolved around three main characters: Karn (the warrior with the mysterious past), Opal (the enchantress struggling for recognition), and Tala (the elf shunned by her own kind). Each of these characters have a common goal, to destroy an invading warlord before he destroys them and all that they know. There was no clear cut good versus evil with these characters, nor with any of the supporting characters, which only added to the ability to relate to them as people. As in real life, the characters have motives that aren't always pure and are faced with choices that may sometimes be self-serving and hurt others around them. Because of that, some of the characters were sometimes hard to like, but that was as it should be. There times in the story where I felt like I was personally invested in those characters, completely emotionally engaged with them. I absolutely love a story that can pull me in emotionally like that!
The ending was unexpected and great and left me waiting impatiently
for the next book!"
KiKi the Caffeinated Diva Blog
5/5 stars
1/21/11
"All Opal wanted was to be respected as a wielder of magic, but
her teachers passed her over time and time again. When a mysterious
warlord embarks on a conquest to destroy the lands of Illyia Opal seizes
an opportunity to step out from the shadows of her instructors and take
her rightful spot among them.
Tala, an alluring young elf, was banished from her tribe, hunted and
nearly killed by the beasts that dwell in the deep forests, but more
than anything else she is a survivor. Joining forces with an ancient
elemental power Tala finds herself in the centre of an unrelenting human
war. She never wanted any of this.
Flesh like leather and bone as strong as steel Karn, a veteran from
the first kingdom to fall, is fuelled by vengeance. While pushing ever
headlong into battle Karn begins to recall memories of another life;
ghosts that haunt his dreams.
-
All sounds very 'old school' fantasy like… right? Well simply put
it is. This isn't a novel that treads new grounds; it isn't a novel
that will create ripples in the genre for its uniqueness - what it is,
is an old school fantasy novel written in 2010. Imagine playing Dungeons
and Dragons or Baulder's Gate or anyone of those kinds of PC RPG games.
The characters seem blocky; you roll your eyes at the dialogue, but
at the same time you enjoy it for what it is and you quickly accept
that this is old school and you remember something… you enjoy old
school!
That's how I felt when I first picked up 'Soul Born'. I quickly found
myself thinking lines like; "Human Magic is for Humans," or
"I saw lots of people. I - I think they were ghosts!" for
example were a bit cheesy, but after a few chapters I was just enjoying
them. Fantasy is popular today because of novels in the Dungeons and
Dragons type era… the genre is defined by its blocky roots and
its almost pre-defined characters. I very quickly found myself thinking
how nice it was to go back in time a bit and read a novel that read
like we expect a fantasy novel to read.
The character of Karn is one we have experienced hundreds of times before…
a fearless Viking like hero who is aggressive and just wants to destroy
evil. Opal is a little more new-age in the sense that she is a beautiful,
powerful mage but with a darker side to her and Tala is that female
Elve we have all come to love so much.
If you are looking for a Sanderson like writing style or a unique story
you won't find it here. But if you are a fantasy fan, willing to go
back and look at what made fantasy great - cheesy lines, over-heroic
characters, beautiful and lustrous women, elves, werewolves, dark kings
and so on then this is a very good, quick read. I think Kevin Breaux
does a good job at proving to write an enjoyable novel you don't have
to do anything ground-breaking, you don't need to write something in
a brand new style, you just need to do something proven to work.
After going through months of reading complicated story lines from authors
such as Lynch, Sanderson and Weeks it was nice to pick up a book rich
literally says: 'Right… we have magic, we have action, we have
beautiful women. Are you ready? Lets go!' And that's it. No complicated
world building, no overly confusing twisting and turning story, no complex
magic system… just everything we would expect from fantasy like
novels back in the day.
For me Soul Born pressed all the right buttons. As I said over in the
forums, Kevin Breaux is one of those authors who has the ability to
make you say; 'Damn Fantasy is Cool!' without reshaping or redefining
the genre. All round it is well worth checking out."
Marc Fantasy-Faction.com
4/5 stars
1/18/11
"'Soul Born' is the debut novel by Kevin Breaux which is dark high
fantasy. The story has 3 main characters who are followed as the plot
progresses. They are Opal (a mage), Karn (a mighty warrior) and Tala
(a female elf living in exile from her people). The plot evolves with
twists and turns and just when you think you know what is going to happen
next something completely different happens.
This book is a breathe of fresh air in the genre in my opinion and I recommend it to anyone looking to read a fantasy novel from a new author."
Pearse Coles - on amazon.co.uk and goodreads.com
5/5 stars
12/31/10
"Let me start off by saying that this book is definitely unlike
most other books
of this genre. Sometimes I think I've read all the fantasy-type books
that I
possibly can. How many more times can I read about the world coming
to an end
due to the evil machinations of some dark lord, wizard, or king who
is trying to
obtain some great artifact of power which will make him or her unstoppable
and
must be stopped by some individual with a destiny to lead the forces
of good to
victory? Soul Born does not fit this commonly-used formula. I must admit
that
at first it was hard to get used to as I kept expecting the story to
go a
certain way based on my pre-conceived notions of how these types of
book usually
go. Eventually, I stopped trying to imprint my ideas onto the story
though and
sat back and enjoyed the ride.
The story focuses on three different main characters: Opal, a healer
and
powerful mage, Karn, a ruthless warrior with a noble heart, and Tala,
a beautiful and cunning elf. A great warlord is leading an enormous
army to
conquer the land of Illyia. Opal, Karn, Tala are all trying to stop
the
warlord, however, each has their own reasons. This is a world that is
full of
competing powers and various races of people with their own agendas
and goals
from elves and dark elves, jackalweres, lizard men, mages, giants, and
humans.
Each party has a stake in the outcome of the battles being waged across
the
land. Opal is faced with the task of answering to a council of mages
who have
commanded her to get the man she loves, Karn, to do their bidding. Tala
has the
task of finding Karn and exposing him to secrets of his forgotten past
while
falling for him at the same time. Karn struggles with being the person
chosen
to defeat the great warlord but he is continually plagued by visions
and dreams
of another life.
This book definitely gets down to business. If you are looking for
an epic tale
full of long explanations and an in-depth narrations of the history
behind
Illyia and all of its inhabitants, you won't find it here. The reader
is given
just enough information to learn what is important but the action keeps
moving
along. At certain times in the story, this left me confused with many
questions. This kept me intrigued though and wanting to keep reading
in order
to have my questions answered. I enjoyed being dropped into the middle
of an
adventure and slowly discovering the secrets behind the action as the
story
progressed.
Soul Born was different from many other books in that important characters
may
not easily classify as "good" or "evil". As in real
life, sometimes people make
good choices with pure motives and sometimes they make selfish ones
that may
hurt others. This led to many twists and kept my mind active throughout
the
entire book questioning every move the characters made trying to guess
what
secrets were really going on behind the scenes. Their are some secrets
left
unresolved though as this book is only the beginning of what looks to
be a
thrilling adventure. I recommend you buckle up and hold on tight."
Review by Aaron, for A Tale of Many Reviews
4/5 stars
------------
short story comments and reviews
10/9/2011
Dark Water: Beaming Smile Review
Completely threw me off at the end! Not what I expected AT ALL! Dark Water kept me on the edge of my seat! (quite literally...actually I'm still there) The questions I was left with were, "is there more? Is this the beginning of something bigger?"
You've done it again, Breaux. Bravo.
Review by: Diana Ilinca Smashwords
5/5
"In “Dead Man’s Party,” Kevin Breaux draws such a realistic picture, I could imagine the macabre outcome to be the logical aftermath of cocaine induced hallucinations. There is more science in this story than in a traditional urban fantasy. Breaux takes a look at the current problem of microbial resistance and mutation and extrapolates it in a logical fashion (zombies notwithstanding), with no expository lumps. It suspended my disbelief."
Carole Ann Moleti
-------
"A Way to a Man's Heart. It's well written, engaging and amusing."
Jean Goldstrom, Editor
------
"Great development–great images…I love it–want to
see more…"
Max Smith in regards to Dead Man's Party
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"Excellent twist within a twist! For a moment, I thought this was like that unfortunate story of the guy who mistakenly killed people in costume for a zombie walk. Poor Ashley…she always dreamt of Sarah eating her, but not like that!"
Cherry Darling in regards to Dead Man's Party
---------
"Great misdirection. I was totally sold on the drug,hallucination premise till the doc with the armed guards. M. Night Shamylan(?) should take notes…"
In Regards to Dead Man's Party