Soulgazer by Maggie Rapier
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Saoirse has spent her whole life cursed by a magic she longs to be free from. She runs away with the legendary pirate- the wolf of the wild, hoping to find a way to free herself and find a new life along the way.
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What I loved:
-I loved how this book started! It sucked me into this world of island life and kingdoms, with a rich lore and history. Saoirse is being treated so unfairly and I was dying for her to get free!
-I immediately shipped these two.
-Loved the entire crew of pirates and their found family.
-The end was so fast paced and I flee through the last 30% of the book.
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4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I can’t wait for book two! If you love pirates and adventure with magic then be sure to add this one to your shelf.

“I’ve searched half the world looking for you, lass.”

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️.5

Soulgazer by Maggie Rapier is the pirate, marriage of convenience, dangerous magic book of my dreams.

Saoirse is so strong and brave. Told for her whole life that her magic is dangerous and the cause of death of two of her siblings, she is set to marry the Stone King. Saoirse instead convinces Faolan to rescue and marry her so she can get away.

She becomes immersed in pirate/wayfarer life at sea while helping Faolan find the Isle of Lost Souls.

The writing in this book is just so beautiful, beautiful and interesting. I love the ups and downs that take place in the relationship. It feels more realistic, based on what they are going through in the story. Saoirse and Faolan are both precious main characters and I am obsessed with them. The rest of the wolf crew is also amazing.

This is book one of a duology and I cannot wait to continue the story. Thank you to Ace/Berkley Romance for the e-arc. All opinions are my own.

If I'm being honest, and of course, I am, I wasn't sure about this book because I wasn't sure if it could keep my interest over 480 pages. I'm happy to say that it definitely did! First off, I loved the characters, not just our FMC and MMC, but all of them, especially the other crew members on Faolan's ship. They felt just as real and 3-dimensional as our main characters. Saoirse had grown up in isolation, kept apart from everyone by her father, because she supposedly had been afflicted with a terrible curse, one that she can't control. But when her father arranges a marriage between her and the cold and ruthless Stone King., she decides that the only way she'll be free of all of this is if she breaks the curse, and in her mind, the only one who can help her do that is Faolan, the legendary Wolf of the Wild. Since he wants to use her magic to find a mythical island, that works for him. They also decide the only way they can be protected from the Stone King's wrath, however briefly, is to get married.

I have to admit here to not understanding a lot about Saoirse's magic, what it is and what it does. That being said, I loved everything else about this book, so I just went with it. The way Saoirse and Faolan learn about each other and yet respect the conditions she put on them about being married in name only was sweet, and I think this is really one of the main reasons I loved this book. The story was interesting and the characters were fascinating and well written. The pacing could be a little uneven at times, but not very often. I loved the twists and turns the plot took, and there were a lot of them! The ending was satisfying, as well.

I can always tell how good a long book is based on how much I miss the characters when I finish it, and I really miss the ones in this book. All in all, I enjoyed this book very much and look forward to reading more of Maggie Rapier's work.

5/5 stars.

*** I would like to thank NetGalley, Berkley Publishing Group, and Maggie Rapier for the opportunity to read and review Soulgazer.

4.5/5⭐️
2/5🌶️

Locked away for her magic and their unknown level of power, Saoirse has now been promised to the ruthless Stone King. In an effort to save herself, Saoirse makes a deal with Faolan, The Wolf, to blackmail him into marrying her and whisking her away. Between Faolan’s less-than-honest word and Saoirse’s uncontrolled powers, the two mutual realize they’ve bit off a bit more than they can chew with the other.

Me oh my do I absolutely LOVE a pirate fantasy romance! Faolan was HOT, eccentric and totally down bad for our lady Saoirse… all while being respectful of her, and growly and protective towards others. FULL BODY SHIVERRRRRS, Y’ALL! I loved the mystery behind Saoirse’s powers and the soul stones, and also love following along a treasure-hunt of sorts throughout the story. The development of Saoirse’s strength and her growth of a spine made her an FMC I was really rooting for! The ending was wild and I can’t wait to see what happens in the second half of this duopoly.

What I Loved About This Story:
✨Rakish pirate MMC and magical FMC
✨Marriage of convenience
✨A quest for a cure
✨SO MUCH YEARNIN’ AND BURNIN’, with some really delicious spice along the way
✨Enticing powers and mysterious magic!

Thank you for the free book @BerkleyRomance! I am grateful to be a Berkley Romance 2025 Influencer and given the opportunity to read this book early; my review is all my own.

I think I'm just too old for this. I found the magic confusing and too "loud" with all the ritual centered around death; it felt like TV religion, all noise and blood without any reaching for the numinous. Meanwhile, the FM was a collection of traits or tropes, rather than convincing, mostly tiresome, and her pirate, who didn't seem to do much after he'd posed for the cover, had me rolling my eyes.

But I might well have loved this at age 15 (full of raging hormones and zero life experience), at whom I think the book is targeted.

I really enjoyed this! It had a great vibe and hit a lot of good tropes without feeling like the book was written around a trope checklist - something I've definitely struggled to find more recently!

The story was emotionally gripping, the FMC Saoirse and MMC Faolan were both captivating and likable, the romance was slow-burn and tender, and while there were secrets and betrayals, they weren't the kind that make you unsure if you want to root for them as a couple. I also loved that Saoirse was midsize (?) My heart absolutely ached for Saoirse so much of the time, and Faolan too!

I do think the worldbuilding/magic system explanation was lacking. Things started slow and I wasn't quite sure what exactly was going on, but it did get better as it went. I still had a good time reading it and really enjoyed the characters. I loved the ending! I'm excited to dive into the next book when it's available!

I love pirate and seafaring stories, but this was a miss on almost all fronts. my main issue was the characters, they had a very odd dynamic that i wasn’t a fan of. the fmc Saoirse is naive and doesn’t have any control over her magic (i still don’t even know exactly what her magic is) and the mmc Faolan is this “legendary” pirate who was a bit too pushy for my liking. i don’t know why he has that reputation cause he barely does anything the whole book, his crew is more suitable than he is.

it also bothered me that Saoirse had such an infatuation with him and the whole idea of him from the start, it lead to some awkward situations that she should’ve seen coming but somehow never managed to ask the right questions at any point. Faolan was not a strong leader and fell victim to a lot of things he should’ve been able to prevent. the plot played out very predictably, exactly what i thought would happen did. the romance was off putting and i was just annoyed the whole entire time.

It took me some time to get into this story- I felt like I was thrown in the middle of a story without any background and it was hard to figure out what was happening. BUT once I understood I was hooked! The banter and suspense in this story was everything I wanted it to be and more! And did I mention the MMC is a PIRATE?! Yea- this story has amazing pirates that reflect found family. I did go into this story a little frustrated with the FMC because she wasn’t doing anything to help herself out of a bad situation, but quickly found her strength and power. Beware though- this is a duology. Wish I knew that before the end that had me STRESSED. Can’t wait for the next book to come out!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing the ARC.

This is the book that truly is the embody of what I mean when I tell people about romantasy as a genre.

This book is a perfectly seamless blend of fantasy and romance, where one genre does not overpower the other. The world is incredibly built with Celtic lore, along with a bit of the fanciful that is Rapier's own making. Saoirse is a compelling heroine, not someone who is inherently good at fighting or really even just standing out, broken down to a perceived nothingness by her own family. She has one thought - of being truly free - that guides her into a marriage of convenience with Faolan, The Wolf of the Wild - a pirate who's in search of the impossible.

This book is everything you'd want out of a fantasy book - an impossible quest, incredible danger, intrigue and exceptional storytelling. The romance is also exceptional as well, with Saoirse and Faolan's palpable chemistry flying off the page. Those two things melded together make this book an amazing start to a duology I know will consume me until I get my hands on the second book, and an exceptional debut for a brand new author.

I can't wait for book two.

Soulgazer didn't meet my expectations. I thought this book had good bones; however, its execution wasn't there. Let's start with the world building. It was not easy to follow. There were too many times where I had to piece everything together. The politics of the world felt extremely vague. The seanchai's, Daonnai, and ri/riona didn't feel important to the story, despite being pivotal to the world in the book. The politics of the world could have been explained better. The magic system was just as muddy. The gods weren't expanded on and Saorise's magic was hard to grasp. For how much soul stones play into the story, I still didn't have a solid understanding on them. I felt for Saorise and her storyline. I liked how her storyline focused on her adapting to life outside of her family. Her dad's rage and mother's indifference were sad to read about. A lot of Saorise's journey was coming to terms about herself and learning that what her family did to her was wrong. The whole storyline with <spoiler>Aidan </spoiler> felt very lacking. I wanted more depth from that whole storyline. For the most part, I enjoyed the relationship between Faolan and Saoirse. I liked how the author used the fake marriage and forced proximity tropes with them. There were some points where the drama between them felt unnecessary. The pirate storyline was fun, and I enjoyed that aspect of the story. The setting could have been expanded on more. There were several scenes where I didn't get a good sense of where the characters were. The setting was clunky at times. For example, chapter 38 starts with the main characters in a new setting without showing their journey there. Sometimes a place or plot point would be introduced without any build up. Although I had some issues with the writing mechanisms, I did like the author's writing voice. I thought Saorise's inner voice was easy to read. I'm not sure if I will read the next book. Thank you to NetGalley and Ace for the ARC.

Overall for the most part I really enjoyed this one. I did struggle with the prose and writing in the first few chapters, specifically with visualizing what was going on. However, the writing style seemed to change and it grew easier to understand as the story moved along.

I didn’t think the world building/magic system/lore was hard to understand, but I almost wish there was a little bit more to it than what we got for me to get a good grip on motives and where the plot ultimately led to in the end.

I was surprised by how much I liked the romance as well. I was worried it was leaning towards insta-love and lust, but I felt the author did a good job at creating chemistry between our MCs. I don’t know if I’d call it a “slow burn” like I’ve seen other reviews, but there is good tension there. I’ll also say if you’re not a big fan of spice, this book is only slightly steamy.

I want to say I’ll likely read future stories in this series if the author continues, but I’m not completely sold on it just yet.

I fell in love with the cover of Soulgazer the minute I saw it and couldn't wait to read it. Unfortunately, the story itself just never fully clicked for me. I'm really torn on how to rate it because the writing was beautiful and lyrical, but it was also incredibly confusing. The book started on the slower side for me and felt very choppy and jumpy at times. There were several moments that I felt like I was just dropped into a scene and had no idea where the characters were/what was happening. The romance was just OK and I didn't totally buy Faolan and Saoirse's chemistry/feelings for each other. I also felt like both characters were underdeveloped, especially Faolan. He's a pirate, so I guess the author tried to make him like Jack Sparrow? Even though I finished the book, I still have so many questions about what the heck happened and how the world/magic works. I'm not sure if I'm just dense or wasn't in the right headspace for this one, but it made me feel pretty dumb while reading it.

I mainly listened to the audiobook of Soulgazer, and I'm wondering if I would have enjoyed it more it I had read the ebook/a physical copy. Alana Kerr Collins did a fantastic job, but her strong Irish accent and trying to figure out what was happening in the story itself caused me to struggle. I had to rewind numerous times to figure out what was said and it broke up the flow of the story. Also, Eric Nolan is listed as a narrator, but he only narrates one chapter at the very end. Overall, I have mixed feelings about this one and am unsure if I want to read the conclusion.

Audiobook Review
Overall 3.5 stars
Performance 4.5 stars
Story 2.5-3 stars

*I voluntarily read and listened to review copy of this book*

Soulgazer has an intriguing premise, but the execution falls short. The writing is dense and often vague, making it hard to follow the plot or connect with the characters. Saoirse’s struggle with her magic had potential, but the emotional beats felt rushed and underdeveloped. Despite the high-stakes setup and mythical world, I never felt truly invested; the story just never clicked for me.

In a stunning, Celtic-inspired fantasy world, Maggie Rapier has woven a unique and haunting story of a woman trying to escape the cruelty of her family and the man who saves her in exchange for her help finding an impossible legend.

Saoirse has been confined for the past seven years of her life because of the magical curse that killed her older brother. When she is sent to the kingdoms-wide affair where young people frolic and find their future spouses, Saoirse is content to simply get through the night and enjoy being briefly freed from her cage--as long as she doesn't touch anyone, lest her curse find its next victim. But then she meets the Wolf of the Wild, a gorgeous pirate whose ambitions align with her desire to escape. When her father unexpectedly betroths Saoirse to the cold Stone King, the Wolf helps Saoirse flee the impending horror by agreeing to a hand fasting ritual that will effectively marry them and allow for the protection of the Wolf's monarch. But Saoirse's expectations of their mutually beneficial arrangement continue to be thwarted as their lives continue to become further intertwined, and could prove to either save or damn the world they live in, as well as their own souls.

This book immediately comes at you with gorgeous, lyrical prose. If you're not interested in "flowery language", this one may be harder to read. But the prose is evocative and truly beautiful. The characters feel real, even if their time on page is minimal. The world is viscerally felt, a character unto itself. You feel the emotions and turmoil of Saoirse as she navigates the uncertainties of her circumstances in a way that at times felt almost painful, given her history. Which brings me to one of my first points that I think any potential reader should keep in mind: Saoirse's family, especially her father, is extremely cruel, and the physical/emotional abuse she is subjected to is keenly felt. Her father's inherent hate, and the complicity of her mother and those who work for them, seem to know no bounds, to the point that it felt like I was reading trauma porn. Though I know the story will continue and Saoirse will only further come into her own as an individual and as one with magic, her abuse is a fundamental part of the book that affects almost every aspect of the story. At times, this made it difficult for me to get through; it really feels as though Saoirse is the unluckiest woman of all time. Definitely check content warnings, especially if you don't want to read about extensive psychological trauma inflicted by family members.

All that said, I still absolutely loved my time reading this. The unfolding of the love story between Saoirse and Faolan, while wracked with secrets, omitted truths and transforming expectations of what they are to each other, feels very realistic. Their turbulent attraction to each other lends to fevered scenes of exploration that remain seated in a natural trust and protectiveness that undercuts all of the distrust they have of their lives otherwise. Even when they don't quite trust each other, there's an undeniable pull that makes perfect sense in the wake of their individual traumas, and it is shown beautifully.

I CANNOT wait for the next book, especially after that cliffhanger. (My lips are sealed; everything is a spoiler).

In an attempt to keep this review relatively short, I'll stop there, only to say that I would highly recommend this book, especially to anyone who wants a tale of piracy, magic, the blood ties of relatives vs. the family we choose, and whether our fates are truly inevitable.

So many thanks to NetGalley and Ace for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review!

🌶️

Rating: 4.75 stars

Review posted to StoryGraph: July 4, 2025 (https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/12e3d092-fead-4858-9ebc-44c7ee59ca4a?redirect=true)
Review posted to Instagram: PENDING

4 stars

This is the perfect romantasy for summer! A soft girl FMC and charming pirate MMC go together on a quest to find a lost isle. I think the biggest strength of this book was the romance and the dynamic between the two characters. They really matched up so well. I also just loved the setting because it actually felt like a pirate book. You spend a lot of time at sea on the ship and sailing to different isles! My only issue is that the magic felt a bit ambiguous at first, but it does come together a bit more clearly in the last third. I definitely will be reading book 2!!

3.5 Stars!

Soulgazer is an exciting and thrilling romantasy with fabulous characters that you can't help but love to hate. It's easy to get swept up in the characters and the story.

While the story hits the ground running, I'll be the first to admit that the pacing was off at times. There parts that I felt dragged a bit, which I attributed to the world-building. Yet, at other times, I felt confused and ended up re-reading certain passages.

Despite having some issues with the story, I did find it enjoyable. This story is filled with action, intrigue, and betrayal. I loved the marriage of convenience angle and the push and pull between the two main characters.

Soulgazer is a fun and entertaining debut novel. Yes, it has issues, but it has a lot of great potential and I'm excited to find out what's in store for these characters next. If you're a fan of pirates and romantasy novels, Soulgazer is definitely worth checking out.

I wasn’t even 30% into this book before I ordered a final copy for myself. I really enjoyed the writing, it’s poetic and lush. A true fantasy romance; the plot feels like it’s built around the romance, but the fantasy plot is also really intriguing. I didn’t completely buy into our female lead’s reasons for hiding the extent powers for as long as she did, but there was enough story going on that it didn’t completely ruin it. I am very interested in reading the sequel when it comes.

This was anew to me author and I loved the blurb - I truly wish I could have read a sample of this book before I committed to reading it.

I don't care for FPN, but I tried to go into this book with an open mind. It was clear by the end of the third chapter that this book was not for me.

I loved the idea of the book, but I didn't care for the author's writing style which I felt was wordy and yet vague at the same time. So, this book ended up being a DNF at 15%.

Thank you to ACE and Berkley for the ARC.

Soulgazer by Maggie Rapier
Rating: 4 stars
Steam: 1 chili
Pub date: 7/8

Thank you so much to Berkley Romance for my advanced copy.

Saoirse is a sheltered girl cursed with dangerous magic and days away from being married off to a ruthless king. Desperate for freedom, she escapes and makes a deal with Faolan, a roguish pirate known as the Wolf of the Wild. He promises to help her break her curse if she helps him find a mythical island crafted by slain gods.

Rapier’s storytelling is lush and romantic, and her descriptions made me feel like I was right there.

Saoirse’s character arc is one of my favorite things about this book. She starts off unsure and soft-spoken, but her quiet resilience and inner fire really shine through as the story goes on. And Faolan pulls off that sexy pirate energy perfectly. He’s cocky, charming, and lowkey obsessed with her. Their dynamic is everything I love in a romantasy like this.

Fair warning: the world-building is dense, and it took me a while to find my footing. But once I did, I was completely hooked. The dark ocean vibes, eerie magic, and slow-burn romance had me turning pages way past bedtime.

If you’re into atmospheric fantasy with rich world-building, high-stakes adventure, and a romance that simmers, Soulgazer is absolutely worth picking up.

What a ride. What a wonderful book. Typically I write reviews right after reading a book. But in this instance I had to really sit with the story, taking time to sift through my thoughts because SO much happened in the book. That, is my clearest thought - wow so much was crammed into one book. And I really liked it. The pacing was relentless and, a phrase I never thought I’d say, I wish there was more explanation and world building. It felt like you were dropped into the world, with no map (though I see there will be one, I bet that will help a lot!), and no real guide. You just had to surrender to the story and be pulled wherever it took you. Generally, I love that but at times I was really wishing for someone to treat me like I was stupid and make things crystal clear to me. I’m still not clear on the magic system, how it works, or how the world works. But I can’t find fault in that because that’s true to the FMC’s experience of her world. So the story felt very different from most romantasy books in that respect. But it also felt different because the writing was absolutely excellent. I love a good story so I tolerate a lot of bad writing but it was so NICE to have not just a great story, but really fucking wonderful writing that went with it. It was also different because the FMC wasn’t your typical angry but badass FMC. She struggled, she was quiet, she made herself small, and became what she was begrudgingly. She felt more relatable in that way than most fantasy or romantasy FMCs. It also made the MMC so absolutely perfect for her. He was unapologetically himself; flawed, layered, and such a swaggering pirate. The two of them made sense to me, without annoying the shit out of me. Which isn’t always the case. I am really looking forward to seeing how this duology plays out and much more from this author!