The Soul Keepers
Devon Taylor
Published by: Swoon Reads
Publication date: August 28th 2018
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

“A fantastic high-stakes adventure on a ghost ship sailing forever into eternity, where every soul is (literally) worth fighting for—what’s not to love? Devon Taylor weaves an endearing tale of friendship and loss with heart-stopping action and a whole lot of terrifying monsters. You’ll root for Rhett and his fellow reapers through every twist and turn!” —Rin Chupeco, author of The Bone Witch and The Girl from the Well

Full of danger, stormy otherworld seas, ghost ships, and terrifying monsters, this thrilling debut novel is perfect for fans of Taran Matharu and Neal Shusterman.
Death is just the beginning.

After dying in a terrible car accident, Rhett awakens in the afterlife and is recruited to join the crew of the Harbinger, a colossal seafaring vessel tasked with ferrying the souls of the dead. To where exactly, no one knows. But the crew must get the souls there, and along the way protect them from vicious soul-eating monsters that will stop at nothing to take the ship and all of its occupants.
Rhett and his new friends have a hard enough time fighting back the monsters that grow bolder and more ferocious every day. But then a new threat emerges, a demon who wants something that Rhett has. And if she gets it, it could mean the end of everything… for both the living and the dead.
Chosen by readers like you for Macmillan’s young adult imprint Swoon Reads, The Soul Keepers is a pulse-pounding, cinematic adventure by debut author Devon Taylor.

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My Review

The Soul Keepers is one of those stories that grabs you right from the very beginning, and it doesn't let go until the very end, which will leave you gasping and eager for more.

First things first... I LOVE this cover. It's super cool, and it made me want to read this book immediately. Also, the synopsis sounded awesome, so I was like, yes. Let's read this book.

We have Rhett, our main character. He's a teenage boy who dies in a horrible car accident, and the next thing he knows, he's being whisked away to a huge, hulking ship (known as The Harbinger) by a British guy named Basil. Said ship is where souls are kept; some souls are tucked away, and some (like Basil) become Soul Keepers, if you will. But there's something more to Rhett than him joining the ranks of Keepers. I won't spoil what that is, though. You'll have to read it to find out. ;)

There are also these evil creatures known as Psychons, and they'll stop at nothing to destroy a Keeper and take the souls for themselves. They're like demonic Grim Reapers in a way. Skulls and cloaks and all that jazz. 

Now, I won't spoil any of the plot, but just know this book is ridiculously good. Like, edge of your seat roller coaster thrill ride that will leave your heart pounding and your head spinning good. I can't say I was disappointed by that. Definitely a good thing. 

As for the characters, I really liked Basil. I thought he was cheeky and fun. Rhett was a likeable enough guy, although he did have his moments. I mean, he is a teenage boy. I also liked Theo...and the rest of the gang. But I think Basil was my favorite. 

Overall, I think The Soul Keepers is a really strong debut novel, and I'm so happy I took a chance and decided to read it. It's a fantastic, imaginative story, and now I need more! I can't wait to see if there will be a sequel. Fingers crossed!

4.5 stars from me.

Author Bio:
Devon Taylor was born in Las Vegas, Nevada and currently lives in Pennsylvania with his wife and two daughters. His day job consists of sneaking around the house with ninja-like stealth to avoid waking up his kids. When not writing, reading, or tediously typing out text messages with all the correct spelling and punctuation, he spends his time with his family. THE SOUL KEEPERS is his debut novel.

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