A Soul to Guide: Duskwalker Brides: Book Four

Sienna

Best one yet?!?!

"5/5 ⭐ 5/5 🌶️ **Tropes** - Grumpy x Sunshine - Enemies to Lovers (Kinda) - Portal to Another World - Disabled FMC - Black FMC 📖 **My Thoughts** God, what didn't I like about this book? It's taken over as my favorite for sure, sorry Orpheus. Our MMC is just such a grumpy grump, but such a softie for our FMC, who is such a spitfire and yet so compassionate. They're both people with a past and ambitious goals for the future, and to see them make space for eachother in that future was so rewarding. They come a long way as a couple, and as people. MMC learns to trust and be vulnerable, and FMC learns to be understanding and patient. They both make mistakes, but their reasoning makes sense and when they resolve things it's in a way that feels satisfying to read. I loved the representation of both the black and disabled communities and this FMC is truly one of a kind, I don't think I'll ever forget her. The spice was also incredible and the chemistry between these two and *chef's kiss*. As for the plot, we get a LOT of context and backstory, not just for this couple, but for the world as a whole. I think this might be the most pivotal book, plot-wise. Truly I can't sing enough praises for this. ⚠️ **Triggers** - Violence - Blood & Gore - Manipulation & Lying - Attempted Mugging - Attempted Murder (Accidental) - ||Description of Death of a Sibling and Childhood Trauma|| - ||Description of Imprisonment of a Child, a Massacre, and descent into Madness|| <:0_flag_progress_pride:1077471157575491594> **Representation** The FMC is black-coded, and I thought it was very well-represented. She refers to her hair and it's special needs on a regular basis and as stereotypical as it may sound, she *felt* AA to me, despite being an elf from some other world. She is also blind, but wasn't born that way, and this I felt was represented so well! I loved the character's realistic struggle between wanting to be independent and yet accepting help when needed. When reading from her POV you really get a sense of what it's like in her world. Nothing is described through a sense of sight, but through feel and sound and scent. It's such an interesting and unique perspective I've never read before. 🌶️ **Spice** As always, Opal has outdone herself with the spice. The sex is amazing, lots of stuffing and making things fit as usual, but we also get the addition of a nice big knot and copious fluids. Just the way Opal writes how each of them get lost in the pleasure is so compelling and exciting. Our MMC positively loses his mind when things get towards the finish line, and it's bone-meltingly hot. This might be my favorite spice I've read from her so far. 📝 **Special Notes** I seriously can't get over how well the author represented the FMC's blindness in this story. I've never read a book where I felt bereft in that way, reading someone else's POV. You truly feel blind, as the author describes the FMC's environment through her other senses rather than sight. There's so much more focus on her inner thoughts and feelings, since she's not really distracted by what's going on around her unless something important is happening. I really enjoyed this trip into another perspective. ["

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July 7, 2023 Verified Purchase

M. “Bryckk” Wilkes-DuBois

Merikh is now my favorite of all the Duskwalkers! Orpheus has been dethroned!

"There are very few authors that get a 1-click purchase out of me. Opal Reyne is one of them. Also, you know a book is awesome when its 600+ pages and the story flows so well, you're shocked it ended so soon and you want more! This is how A SOUL TO GUIDE left me... wanting more! OMG... Where and how do I begin! Raewyn is visually impaired, Elvish scientist and elected official from a distant planet. Due to an unfortunate accident in her lab, she gets sucked into a portal and ends up on Earth. As she struggles to adapt to her new surroundings, she seeks a way back home or at least help guiding her towards a magical race on planet Earth that may be the key to helping her back home. She makes contact with Merikh, a grumpy, rude Duskwalker with a major chip on his shoulder who has his own secret agenda and reasons for helping Raewyn. These two although different in looks and background, find out that they have a lot more in common than they both think. This may be the BEST of the BEST from Ms. Reyne's Duskwalker Brides series. I thought nothing could top the connection between Orpheus and Reia in book one of this series. This was before Merikh and Raewyn. Raewyn is a breath of fresh air, and I loved her. some of the other brides annoyed me at some point in their books. This was not the case with Raewyn. I loved how unlike a few of the other Brides, she had a good full life before she met Merikh and yearned to return to it. The readers got to see the feelings blossom and love grow between these two. It didn't come fast and easy, it came slowly and most assuredly to the point where it was genuine. Merikh made the transition from villain to hero with such grace and realism that the reader got to experience his metamorphosis from the protagonist to the protector of Raewyn as he was slowly revealed to be more virtuous than anyone thought he was to not only Raewyn to all of his brothers. I loved his foul, filthy mouth and found myself laughing out loud at his interactions with everyone he came in contact with. He was definitely far more advanced in a lot of things than his Duskwalker brothers and I loved it! Opal Reyne has impressed me beyond measure. I am not going to sh*t you; I LOVED that Raewyn is a POC. It was so refreshing and well done that other authors should use it as a guide to writing characters of different ethnic backgrounds and cultures. It's the inclusion for me! Everything from our hair care to the proper use of pronouns were respected and the end of this book was giving strong Loving vs. Virginia vibes and I was here for it! To all the smut lovers, this book will definitely satisfy, and you will get a heaping dose of it. Far more than was present in the other Duskwalker books. You'll find yourself clenching your thighs more times than you think! LOL I highly recommend not only this book but the ENTIRE series! Opal Reyne, my Dear... you deserve all the accolades and praise for this one! I cannot wait to the next book in this brilliant series! Happy reading! ["

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June 29, 2023 Verified Purchase

Caroline

The world building is literally out of this world!

"Opal Reyne does it again with her 4th installment in this Duskwalker Bride series! I didn’t like it as much as the third one, but that’s a personal opinion. The last 20% of this book was riveting, and if I felt I hit a slow part during this read, the climax and conclusion more than made up for it. Merikh is the oldest brother, and the one with the most humanity. Raewyn is an Elf, and their worlds collide in all the best ways. This author does an excellent job of representing so many different types of characters with their body types and ethnicities. It’s refreshing to read about couples who aren’t the Barbie and Ken body type. The world building in this story is A+++, because we get to see another realm besides Earth, and we get more of Jabez’s backstory which was a pleasant surprise. Maybe he’s a product of his environment? You’ll just have to read and find out. The 🌶️ was nice! The anatomy of these Duskwalkers are fascinating, and while it took awhile for these two to figure out what they meant to each other, it was well worth the ride. It’s her longest book in the series thus far. It took me about a week to finish, and although book five is waiting in my library, I need to take a step back before I plunge in again. It’s sure to pull at my heartstrings as we learn more about the Duskwalkers, their creator, and their universe we’ve come to love. ["

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February 5, 2024 Verified Purchase

tina11

so good!!

"Such a good one to the series! Learned so much definitely setting up more. Omg the ending!! I can’t… my heart was😍😍 Definitely worth every second of reading! ["

May 4, 2026 Verified Purchase

Shannon Kocka

A beautiful love-story with plenty of spice to be had

"4.5 out of 5 Hoooo, boy! I have a bit of a confession to make, and no its not what you're thinking. When I first read the premise of A Soul to Keep, the first book of the Duskwalker Brides series, I thought it was right up my alley! A fantasy-romance with an in-human monster who never changes into a handsome prince or princess? That is the only romance I will ever accept. Sadly, I didn't heed that little, specific, spice warning Miss Reyne wrote at the start of the book, because as someone who is uncomfortable with spicy smut and kinky, detailed sex, I was <not prepared> for what was in store for me! I ended up DNFing A Soul to Keep. Not just because of the spice, but a few other matters as well (the grammar was a mess, the modern day words and references didn't mesh with the medieval-esque/post-apocalyptic setting at all, and it felt like Reia and Orpheus got turned on for each other too quickly. There was little to no build-up there). Despite this, I remained curious about the world and creatures Miss Reyne created, to the point where I'd often take a look at the sequels whenever a new one was published, though I was unsure if I'd read any of them. That all changed when I saw this current entry: A Soul to Guide. Maybe it was the premise, maybe I was craving for something different, or maybe it was the recent dream I had of my own Duskwalker appearing to me, I don't know. All I know is that the moment I looked at Guide's synopsis, I wanted to read it. So I went ahead and bought it, hoping against hope that I would enjoy this one more since I knew what to expect. Now that I've finished, I'm happy to say that I'm glad I took the chance. I had a much better experience with A Soul to Guide. The journey was great, the emotional value was strong, and the world-building was fascinating, especially with the Elven realm, their lore, how magic works in their universe, and the mention of alternate dimensions and planets. Our two main leads, Merikh and Raewyn, were fantastic. They're not the most likable main characters out there, but their complexities and flaws made them interesting to read about. Raewyn is naive, spoiled, a bit of a chatter box, can't hold her own in a fight for long, and has a selfish streak, but at the same time she's smart, kind, doesn't let her blindness get to her, takes her role as a scientist seriously, and, as we see later on, a complete horn-dog for Duskwalkers (just Merikh, really, but still). Merikh is grumpy, vengeful, sadistic and filled with so much hatred and self-loathing that he doesn't understand lighter emotions when he feels them. Yet beneath that edgy, murderous exterior is a gentle soul who wants to escape the darkness and hatred of the world and to be accepted for who and what he is, even if it seems impossible. These two compliment each other so well, I bought their relationship and romance as the story went on, so when they get turned on and go at each other (since I knew what to expect, I either skimmed through these bits, or drove through them with the mindset of "It's part of the series, deal with it! Be glad its with a monster and not a human!"), it feels earned. I ended up getting so emotional about their relationship that I got teary eyed and screamed internally whenever something bad happened or something sad about their backstories was revealed. I'm happy to give this book all my praise, but unfortunately there are a few problems that keep me from giving it a full 5 stars. The modern day words and references are still there, and once again they really don't mesh well with the setting (is there a reason for this, I'm confused), there were a few head-scratching details (Elves can live for hundreds of years, yet there is one ancient Elf who has been around for numerous events in Nyl'theria's history, but is described as being in his 70's? I hope the author meant he only looked 70 compared to other Elves), and finally, the book didn't need to be over 600 pages long. Don't get me wrong, I love myself a good-sized novel when I'm in the mood, especially if the story and pacing is well done, but despite the additional scenes working for character development, said scenes ended up dragging to the point of feeling tedious and repetitive. Overall though, I'm glad I gave the Duskwalker world another chance with this entry. Does this mean I'll read the other Duskwalker books? Absolutely, although I'm still trying to figure out how to go about them. I plan on giving A Soul to Keep another chance, but I'm unsure about A Soul to Heal and A Soul to Touch since I heard the main female leads of those two are terrible. I might give A Soul to Touch a go, even though there's apparently more kink and spice than story in that one. ["

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October 1, 2023 Verified Purchase