WOULD YOU SACRIFICE AN ENTIRE CITY TO MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE?
On a secluded island in the Arctic Circle, a troubled man sees a world that has lost its way and feels compelled to change that. He plans to wield the formidable power of a mysterious artifact to reshape the moral fabric of eight billion unsuspecting souls—knowing that his actions will wipe out the inhabitants of an entire city. David Skye and Jade “Epiphany” Hendrix set out to stop him and save the lives that would be lost if he were to succeed, knowing that their actions might prevent a future where war, hatred, and prejudice are all but eliminated. A reckoning of souls is quickly approaching, as the battle for humanity unfolds in the snowy, arctic fjords of Norway, and the vast spirit realms of the Otherworlds. In a clash that pits two opposing sides against each other, which one is on the more righteous path?
WOULD YOU SACRIFICE AN ENTIRE CITY TO MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE?
On a secluded island in the Arctic Circle, a troubled man sees a world that has lost its way and feels compelled to change that. He plans to wield the formidable power of a mysterious artifact to reshape the moral fabric of eight billion unsuspecting souls—knowing that his actions will wipe out the inhabitants of an entire city. David Skye and Jade “Epiphany” Hendrix set out to stop him and save the lives that would be lost if he were to succeed, knowing that their actions might prevent a future where war, hatred, and prejudice are all but eliminated. A reckoning of souls is quickly approaching, as the battle for humanity unfolds in the snowy, arctic fjords of Norway, and the vast spirit realms of the Otherworlds. In a clash that pits two opposing sides against each other, which one is on the more righteous path?
CHAPTER 1
Solsiden Mall, Trondheim, Norway
David Skye hurried out of the hotel lobby into the
carpark. He hated being late. But today, a call from
his chief technologist ran longer than anticipated. He
had traveled to Trondheim for a meeting with Aidan
McCallum and Epiphany. Aidan had suggested
getting together for a meal at a popular seafood
restaurant at the Solsiden Mall. It would be a nice
way to catch up before diving into the details of the
mission they had been asked to undertake.
Several cars were parked outside the main
entrance to the hotel. The sound of flags rippling in
the breeze drew his attention to five tall flagpoles at
the edge of the parking area where it bordered the
river. Another gust of wind kicked up. The ropes on
which the flags were tethered clanked against the
metal poles in rhythmic unison. Beyond the flagpoles
stood the Blomsterbrua Bridge. David noticed a
man sprint onto the bridge and begin threading his
way between the pedestrians. He hadn’t seen Aidan
McCallum in nearly three years, but there was no
mistaking that bright red hair when the man passed
under a lamppost. It had to be Aidan. Worried that
something was wrong, David picked up his pace.
As David reached the end of the Blomsterbrua,
a bright flash erupted near a restaurant along the11
A Reckoning of Souls
walkway, silhouetting a man wearing a dark hoodie
and the man resembling Aidan. The sound of the
explosion quickly followed. A loud thundering
boom echoed off the surrounding buildings. The
ensuing shock wave from the blast lifted the man
in the hoodie and the man who had been running
after him off the ground, hurling them like rag dolls.
Charcoal-black smoke and debris swallowed the sky.
For a brief moment, there was a strange silence, then
chaos consumed the crowd. Screams of anguish and
panic resounded down the long walkway.
The pedestrian bridge ended at a long esplanade
along the water. David stood motionless as a swell
of people began moving away from the site of the
blast. Up ahead on his left he observed a string of
restaurants along the outside of the mall, which was
located on the site of an old shipyard that had once
been one of the largest ship-building companies in
Norway. The outdoor seating areas of each dining
establishment were brimming with people. On his
immediate right, David noticed boats of various
sizes and types moored to one of the many piers in
the harbor area. Farther ahead on his right, he saw
the skating rink that had been built on a converted
dry dock from the original shipyard. He spotted a
female reporter and a cameraman standing next to
a television news van near the main road. They had
become unsuspecting witnesses to a major news
story.
The sound of distant sirens brought David’s
focus back to the site of the bomb blast. A sudden
pang of worry about the welfare of the two people
he was supposed to meet overwhelmed his thoughts.
David sprinted toward the restaurant where the
explosion had occurred. His heart rate quickened as
he ran. The anxiety overtaking his nervous systemHarrison Edwards
12
intensified. Each breath filled his lungs with stinging,
frigid air. As he got closer, the true measure of the
carnage became terribly evident.
The steel railing and metal panels around the
raised seating area where the bomb had detonated
were bent and twisted like misshaped, gnarled fingers.
A huge gouge had been taken out of the brick wall.
Beads of glass from shattered windows sprinkled
the ground. Chairs and tables were overturned.
Pieces of a shredded awning were scattered along
the walkway. At least a dozen bodies were sprawled
across the pavement. David stared at what was left
of the sign with the name of the restaurant printed
on it. The bomb had exploded between Ericson’s
Seafood Restaurant and an adjoining eatery. A
sobering thought filled his head. Had he not been
delayed with that work-related call, he’d be among
the bodies lying on the ground.
People continued pouring out of the seating
areas and from inside the mall building, moving in
all directions to get to safety. Many were in tears
as they observed the devastation—the magnitude of
the atrocity a burden that even the strongest of wills
failed to bear. David gazed at the ominous clouds
overhead. Ash and burning debris drifted through
the early December air. A light rain mixed with snow
had started to fall. A cold breeze fanned the flames
of several localized fires created by the blast. What
had started as a peaceful afternoon of friluftsliv, the
Norwegian practice of embracing year-round “free
air life,” had come to a violent end.
David reached the bodies of the two men he had
seen get thrown through the air when the bomb had
exploded. His worst fears had been realized. It was
Aidan he had seen crossing the bridge. David quickly
kneeled beside him and grasped his right hand.13
A Reckoning of Souls
Somehow, Aidan mustered a faint smile when he saw
David crouching over him. A large piece of shrapnel
had pierced his rib cage. Blood soaked through his
clothes. He struggled to speak, choking on the acrid
fumes that invaded his lungs, “The angel and the
orb…” His voice tailed off before coughing out the
last words he’d ever speak, “You have to find it.”
Aidan reached into his pocket and dropped his keys
on the walkway. He took one final breath as his head
lolled to the side and the last vestige of his life spilled
away.
When fourteen people are found dead in a church via mysterious circumstances, and another string of similar deaths occur soon after, Detective Kari Salversen follows the clues until they lead her to David Skye and Jade “Epiphany” Hendrix. Little does she know that David and Epiphany are on their own hunt for a man trying to use a device from the spirit realms to change the Earth into what he believes would be a peaceful, happy world. David and Epiphany use their spiritual abilities to do their best to save the world. A Reckoning of Souls asks the important question: if you had to sacrifice eighty thousand people to potentially make the world a better place for eight million others, would you?
This was a unique and interesting read that effortlessly blended the genres of fantasy, science-fiction and action thriller.
The writing style was concise and clear, making the complex worldbuilding easy to digest. The world that Edwards created was vivid and well thought through. It is clear a lot of research went into inventing the interesting devices and spaces present throughout the story. I particularly liked the dreamlike way the spiritual world—referred to as the Otherworlds by the characters—manifested, adding wonder and beauty to the writing. It was also wonderful that Edwards added important limitations to what is possible for the characters to accomplish via the Otherworlds, as it created tension and high-stakes throughout the plot.
The characters all stood out from each other, each having a clear voice and well-established motivations. One can tell Edwards enjoyed writing them! Epiphany was a fascinating character; it took a while for me to warm up to her, but once I did, she became my favorite. She is direct, brave, feisty and a total badass. I also really liked Johannes Stinar, the ‘crazy scientist’ of the story. He had the most moody and dry personality in all the best of ways. It was in Johannes Stinar’s scenes where one truly sees Edwards’ research shine.
My main critiques for the book, and the reason my rating isn’t higher, are as follows:
The first half of the book included a lot of exposition, as well as introductions to many new characters. While this certainly is the type of book that requires exposition well up front, it did feel dense, and it was sometimes difficult to remember all the character names. Seasoned fantasy and sci-fi readers might not mind this, but others may struggle.
The story and characters also gained much more depth once we moved passed the exposition, meaning that the book’s first half felt a little flat compared to the final half. I enjoyed how the story came to life later on, and wished to have seen this earlier in the story.
The dialogue tended to feel forced. While one grows used to it after some time, placing a focus on creating punchy, lifelike dialogue would have elevated the story.
Overall, A Reckoning of Souls is a unique story with a fun, fast-paced plot—a definite worthwhile read! While I have rated it a 3-star here, it falls above at a 3.75.