Soulless Light by Joann H. Buchanan

Last week I was finally able to read Soulless Light, a novella written by Joann H. Buchanan.  Right from the start I was hooked.  From the first page you are transported to 1363 in the life of Julia, a woman who was studying to be a midwife in her village.  The Templar Knights ride into town and destroy everything Julia holds dear.  I do not want to give too much away, because this book is well worth the read, but if you’ve ever wished you could tear the eyes out of those that have wronged you, then you will certainly find kinship in this story.

What I want to say more than anything about this book is the depth of emotional anguish the writer is able to portray for Julia.  Her whole life is turned upside down in a heartbeat and you can feel the emotions rising in her with each howl of anger, every breath of despair.  I also enjoyed her message that the supposed good of the world can actually be tainted with the evil of the messenger and when this evil festers on those around them there is only one thing to do: engage in wickedly destructive retribution.

A fantastic story that reads so fast you are done before you realize it.  You could imagine subsequent novellas going into details about the land after all has been said and done.