Blog Tour and Giveaway: A Stain on the Soul – Elizabeth Davies
A Stain on the Soul is the second book in the Caitlyn series by Elizabeth Davies. If you want to read my thoughts about the first book, Three Bloody Pieces, please do and then come right back!
Good morning, fellow blog lovers! I hope you are well! As ever, I’ve been looking forward to this blog tour! Who doesn’t love a blog tour?!
I’ve recently read A Stain on the Soul in anticipation of the tour; I am even more excited about the series because the THIRD book of the series, Another Kind of Magic, landed in my inbox last night!
A Stain on the Soul has taken everything I enjoyed in Three Bloody Pieces and succeeded in making it better!
Resigned to another lifetime of being a witch’s familiar, Caitlyn has found a degree of peace in her role as the Duke of Normandy’s protector and spy.
But that peace is shattered when she returns to her native land only to come face-to-face with her past, and fall in love with a man who she desperately hopes will become her future.
My Thoughts…
Caitlyn, our sassy protagonist, is back and better than ever! Enthralled to Arlette, former protégé of Herleva, she is bound to serve and protect her only son, the Duke of Normandy. Raising him almost like her own child, she would happily give her life in exchange for his. In the depths of a political minefield, Caitlyn must be careful procuring other’s secrets whilst guarding her own.
Whilst she doesn’t age, Caitlyn has certainly matured since the first book. Her wild hopes of returning to her former self after the death of Herleva are dead. She is more resigned to her fate… but a small ember of hope remains that the power binding her will weaken. She is no longer the naive young girl she was. Adopting a motherly role has changed her… and for the better, in my opinion.
The plot tackles mature themes well; death, witchcraft (obviously) and the odd intimate encounter run throughout the book, but aren’t so graphically detailed so as to put a sensitive reader off. Anyone following my blog will know I’m not a fan of anything detailed by the way of romance or intimacy. I didn’t cringe away from it on this occasion, although it was close. It’s just a personal thing – it can make me feel awkward if I’m honest.
The narrative picks up from the first book really well. Whilst I think it advantageous that I have not long read Three Bloody Pieces, it isn’t essential. There are more than enough hints to remind you of events in the first book if you haven’t read it recently. This is done very well, so it doesn’t clutter the narrative of current events either. I found the pace and flow of the text better developed than the first book. Overall, I found A Stain on the Soul a little easier to read, with a greater depth of historical background.
Author Bio
Elizabeth Davies is a paranormal author, whose books have a romantic flavour with more than a hint of suspense. And death. There’s usually death…
Social Media Links –
Website – www.elizabethdaviesauthor.co.uk
Twitter – @bethsbooks
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/ElizabethDaviesAuthor/
Instagram – @elizabethdavies.author
Giveaway!
Win signed copies of Three Bloody Pieces and A Stain on the Soul plus a magic mug and a coaster. (Open Internationally)
*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then I reserve the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time I will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.
