Sadly, this book was a huge miss for me. The pacing was too off and it felt like nothing was happening. The prose was tedious to follow. I had to push myself to finish this, because I kept hoping things would get better but they did not.

Usually I can deal with a novel that lacks good plot, structure, in some cases even character development, but I'm not able to get over prose that I don't vibe with. Sadly that's what happened here - it's all very overwritten, and at the point I stopped, I have barely learned anything about the magic system. I'm not gonna push myself through a book that's this long sadly, even if the characters seem fun and I love heists.

Unfortunately, I had to DNF this one. I like the ide of the plot but found the writing style hard to follow.

Ich weiß ehrlich gesagt nicht, wie ich dieses Buch bewerten soll, da ich es aufgrund relativ kurzer Ausleihdauer (ohne Verlängerung) nicht lesen konnte.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc in exchange for this review.

Apologies for my delay, I’ve had a very hectic few months.

Quite enjoyed this. The beginning especially was very exciting and easily hooked me. It’s taken me a while to sit down and write this, so I’m not sure I can bring anything new to the table, but I found it very compelling.

I really struggled with the prose in this one. It felt overwritten and bland, which took away from the characters and action and made it difficult to get into. As a result, despite several attempts it was a DNF for me.

This was SO BORING?!?! The pacing was slow as NOTHING was happening, literally nothing! It picked up maybe around the 60% mark but even the introduction to this new world was dry and uninteresting, which is due, I think, to the even drier characters who gave me nothing. I couldn't care less about them or what would happen to them and reading this felt like a chore, not gonna lie. 1.5 stars and I'm generous.

Unfortunately, I gave up reading this book and I regret it. I didn't find the characters deep enough and I wasn't carried away by th plot.
Sadly it's a DNF :(
But I will definitively try the author's first serie

Matthew Ward es un autor que ya tenía bastantes obras publicadas, tanto de franquicias como originales, pero, por la razón que sea, nunca lo había leído. Así que, en un movimiento parecido al que hice con Play of Shadows, empecé The Darkness Before Them, que es el inicio de una nueva trilogía fantástica independiente de las anteriores.


The Darkness Before Them no es un libro corto, pero se nota que está escrito con oficio porque intenta mantener el ritmo y el interés durante la lectura. Tiene un comienzo fulgurante de esos que te hace pegarte a las páginas mientras intentas hacerte con los personajes y solo atisbas la complejidad del sistema mágico, con el añadido de dos puntos de vista para ir alternando las diferentes subtramas que tiene un interés más o menos parejo, aunque siempre tengamos nuestros favoritos. También es cierto que los cambios de narrador son un poco bruscos.

En la mezcla que utiliza Ward para crear su obra no faltan los elementos más típicos: un sistema de gobierno corrupto, desigualdades sociales, magia a borbotones… se trata de una construcción de mundo muy extensa y que no se explora quizá con toda la profundidad que nos gustaría, aunque es posible que esté guardando revelaciones para los siguientes libros. Esto de las trilogías es lo que tiene.

Lo que es menos perdonable es el escaso desarrollo de los personajes, principalmente Kat, la “protagonista”, pero en general todos tienen poco trasfondo. La impresión que tengo es que se ha intentado meter tanta cultura y mundo que se han dejado un poco de lado las historias personales de cada uno. Y es un error, porque aunque estemos fascinados por un sistema mágico, siempre es importante poder empatizar con los personajes para que nos veamos metidos en la historia. Si no, el libro se vuelve un ejercicio estético y la prosa de Ward tampoco da para tanto.

La opinión general sobre el libro mejora un poco con las revelaciones finales, dejando un regusto más satisfactorio que el que teníamos con el desarrollo habitual del libro. ¿Leeré el siguiente? Pues es bastante probable, así que este primer volumen ha cumplido su función, sin alharacas.

This book had a lot of promise but it kinda wasted it. The main character is introduced in the middle of a heist, which I loved! But after she is caught, her story gets less interesting and I found the writing to be both under and overwritten in this novel, particularly in Kat's sections.

The other POV, Castellan, was much better but was handled a bit clumsy. I think he should have had more POVs so we could learn more about the noble class and the rest of the Firebloods.

I could be persuaded to read book two but it's not a priority.

This starts of with a bang, as the reader follows protagonist Kat on a heist in a city controlled by religion and a monarchy steeped in corruption. The city has so much potential to be great, and had the author kept Kat here I feel like the novel overall could have been so much better. The reader gets glimpses of a city in trouble, with an aristocracy that delights in political scheming, but then half way through Kat just leaves and as a result the plot itself slows right down. I also wanted more from the magic system, which I found overly convoluted at times and took a while for me to get to grips with. However overall the world building far outs rips the plot and characters for it's creativity and originality.

Kat as a character felt pretty one dimensional, and didn't really have a personality beyond someone's girlfriend. She needed more charisma to carry the often sedate plot through to the end. Our other main protagonist, Damant was a little more subtle and complex in their machinations, making them more interesting in a character sense, however they had little in terms of action scenes and therefore kept the plot from moving on at times.

Great, original world building but this overall lacked a solid plot or well developed characters to carry this on its own. I'd consider picking up further books by Ward if only for his wonderful imagination and insightful way with writing, but I'm unfortunately done with the Soulfire Saga.

Sorry for the delay in this one! I actually read this at the end of last year but completely forgot I had not posted my review yet.

This is the first book in a new series called The Soulfire Saga by Matthew Ward.
I really enjoyed this epic fantasy book and it had such an interesting magic system with extracting power, magic from souls. I love it when books have their own intricate magic system.
I loved the mystery of the mist that is slowly encroaching and threatening to take over the kingdom and its surrounding cities. It definitely elevates the book with this.
The world building in this book is fantastic and really well written throughout the book. I really enjoyed the twist in this book and especially the one I did not see coming or expect in anyway.
I felt the characters were well written and had good depth to them.
One of our main characters is Kat who is one of the two main POV’s in this book as well as Damant being the other POV.

The plot does have a slower than normal pace for my normal fantasy books but I did find that I didn’t mind so much. Usually with first books in a series it does take some time to set things up.

I’m really looking forward to the next book in this series.

Thank you to Netgalley, the Author and the Publisher for an eARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The Darkness Before Them by Matthew Ward is the first book in The Soulfire Saga and it is an epic fantasy book and the beginning if a new series by the author.

It introduces readers to a world ruled by a dangerous immortal king, where souls fuel magic, and a supernatural mist known as the Veil threatens to engulf the land. It is a book set in a dark fantasy world and it has a lot of action. Set in a world of ancient myth and dangerous magic, The Darkness Before Them begins a heart-pounding adventure where a thief dares to seek vengeance - and finds herself on the path to war.

I really liked the writing style and how intricate the world building and the magic system was. I enjoyed the story despite finding it a little bit slow paced and complicated at the beginning. There are many twists and turns that make the book really engaging. There is a lot of political intrigue and many betrayals that you do not anticipate.

Well-built magic system. Political intrigue. Good character work and morally grey characters.

I should preface this review by saying I am writing it more than a month after I had finished the book, so I might forget to mention some things, yet it also showed me that this book passed the test of time, and as I was reading my notes, I remembered the book with great fondness.

Welcome to Khalad. A kingdom where the rich build on top of the old buildings creating cities with great spires that tower over the shadowy slums. A kingdom taxed down to the last penny by the noble houses. A kingdom where you cannot escape your debts even in death.

Kat might have once lived where the sun shines, but now she is just another thief of the Undertown. What sets her apart from the others is her ability that allows her to tamper with all soul-powered devices. Her abilities are key in a big heist that would clear her family's debt and set her up for life.

The first thing that really stood out for me in this book is its soul-based magic system. It is used in different ways, yet also manages to stay cohesive. It is simple to grasp the basics, but it leaves room for more complexity. I think the book also did a good job of introducing it, as well as the rest of the lore, bit by bit without causing confusion or resorting to info dumping.

The setting is also quite well worked out. We have interesting cities where the slum building might actually be an old mansion or a prison that just got buried beneath the newer layers. The atmosphere of the world is quite bleak, especially when we learn that it's all surrounded by the Veil that consumes anything living it touches and all that keeps it away are sacred fires. The religion is a bit confusing which is definitely done on purpose. On one hand, we have a two-faced goddess of justice and mercy, and on the other, an immortal king. There were even some small things that made the setting more unique and the world more alive, such as the widely spread usage of sign language. The only thing I really missed when it came to the setting and lore was a map.

We are introduced to a wide plethora of characters, with neither of them being white or black. Kat might be our hero, yet while she draws the line earlier than some others, she still does some morally questionable things in the name of survival and revenge. I enjoyed the moral conversation as there were characters with different views and motives. One of my favorite characters was Rîma. Without spoiling anything, I can only say she has a very interesting personality and code of honor. She reminded me of a certain archetype of an anime character, in a good way.

In the other camp, we observe the political intrigue among the noble houses through the eyes of Castellan Ihsan Damant. While I was initially less interested in his part of the story, it definitely also had some strong characters and, in the end, it pleasantly surprised me.

All that being said, this book might not be for everyone, as it is quite slow-paced and probably longer than necessary. It also had some moments where the writing was a bit weaker. Despite that, I personally enjoyed it and can't wait for the sequels.

I received an ARC for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This book is something else. Not only because of very, very interesting world-building. Not only because of character development and very intense pace. It's something else because the author paints everything in a very unique style. For me reading this story was like watching Renaissance slowly but at a very proper pace, creating in my head. I don't know why I felt this book this way, but it is awesome. I do not want to make any spoilers about action and characters because I think this particular story will be better if the readers try to read this book with free minds.

It's awesome.

"The Darkness Before Them" by Matthew Ward is a captivating blend of historical fantasy and intricate world-building. Set in a beautifully detailed alternate 19th-century London, Ward masterfully weaves together elements of magic, politics, and social dynamics. The story follows the exploits of its charismatic and enigmatic protagonist, Stephen Day, a magician with a dark past.

Ward's prose is rich and evocative, immersing readers in a world where magic is as much a part of society as the intrigues of the upper echelons. The characters are multifaceted and relatable, each with their own secrets and motivations.

The novel's strength lies in its exploration of power, identity, and the consequences of choices. As the plot unfolds, Ward skillfully peels back layers of mystery, keeping readers engaged until the very end.

"The Darkness Before Them" is a must-read for fans of historical fantasy, offering a refreshing and intricate take on a well-loved genre. Matthew Ward's storytelling prowess shines in this enchanting tale of magic and intrigue.

I haven’t read anything by Matthew Ward before, but reading this, I am definitely interested in reading his backlist.

In this book Matthew has made a vast cohesive group of characters that are so intriguing and different from one another, I fell for every one of them as soon as they were introduced.

The intensity that he portrayed with the Viel slowly closing in on the city and the interesting characters made me want to keep reading and I finished it in only two days!

The action packed plot makes me want to continue reading in this world and I’m so excited for a sequel!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an E-Arc of this book

I really really enjoyed this book. I really wanted more after it ended. The plot was great thank you to the writer, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to review this book.

Matthew Ward doesn't disappoint and delivers the beginning of a new series full of promises.
Great characters, world building and storytelling.
A bit slow at the beginning
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

This was easily my most anticipated book since learning about it, and yet on finishing it, I'm left feeling somewhat...cold?
Unfortunately, the pacing of this one didn't work for me. I found much of the book to be quite slow and drawn out. I was left in a perpetual state of wondering what the main plot was actually about and when it was going to start.
Kat is the main protagonist of the story but I didn't feel like I knew that much about her, other than her ability and the fact that she was in love with Azra. Kat didn't have a personality of her own and was more of an extension of Azra. I liked Damant more. I found him a more interesting and complex character. He had a lot of honour and knew when to make the right choices.
This world is amazing, but it's also quite a steep learning curve.
The world-building is so strong in this book from the city setting and hierarchical system, to the culture, and magic system. The inclusion of Arab mythology was also interesting.
The writing is very lovely, but perhaps a tad over-written. Some scenes have a sense of urgency that quickly fades amid all the descriptive writing.

Pro tip: there's a glossary at the back. You'll need it.

(full review on Goodreads)