The Sorcerer's Concubine (The Telepath and the Sorcerer) (Volume 1)

I have read several automaton with a soul stories, but this is the first one I can say I felt. Just pages in your heart goes out to the lovely artifical girl, and by the end she has a solid hold on it.

Wonderful story, excellently told.

I haven't read the YA Atlantis series, and was wondering if anyone knows if it is a semi vital prequel?

Unique world where souls can be captured and put into artificial bodies and magic replaces technology. Story focuses on the life and trials of one of these beings and her relationship with a "real" human man. I found nothing predictable about the direction of the story and there wasn't a classic HEA. You will have to read the second book to get some resolution, but all in all a good start to the series.

Its rare to find a book so uniquely likeable, and so interesting. This book begins very different in a way I can't explain, I can only urge you to read it. As many others have said, its hard to stop reading this book. There are no lapses in intriguing content or beautifully written romance. This is by far one of my favorite books and it is an exceptionally unique concept. You won't regret reading :)

I was delightfully entertained by this book. A young woman created for the pleasure of men but with a soul and mind of her own and a young man who is willing to look beyond what society deems appropriate and acceptable strive to find a place in their world. Love the twists in this book and can't wait for the next one

I thought that the twist of a animated magic doll imbued with a soul to be a nice plot device. However the execution of the main character is just not there. You have what is in effect a teen girl who has been raised her entire life to be a submissive toy, fighting against her position in life right out of the box. There is nothing in her back story to show how she developed the strength of character to do this and she is purchased by the one person in the kingdom that would support her. There just in not enough in this book to support the premise of the story.

I think the plot and subplot are skewed... The story is rushed. He goes from meeting her to needing to save her in 2.4 seconds. No build up at all and the main plot gets washed away quickly. Perhaps it gets better after the halfway mark, but I couldn't make myself finish it. Maybe the 3rd book in 10 years that I just can't make myself finish.

I loved the authenticity of this story. I think Grau's personality maybe needed some pep, but really a great story. Velsa is delightful, her innocence is appealing and her longing to learn is refreshing. I really enjoyed this book. There are some situations that I think are not suitable for anyone under 18.

This book was enjoyable and well written. The author developed the characters well and was imaginative in describing what a living doll's life might be like. Some pleasantly fresh twists on themes of slavery, prejudice, and inequality are threaded throughout the book. I recommend this book for anytime you're feeling like a romantic read that isn't just fluffy fantasy but is still sexy and adventurous.

No real character development throughout the whole series.

I found myself continuing to read the series to figure out when her black hair turns white, because that would be she at least grew a bit. It never does....

I loved Gru's inner turmoil and discovery of self. Vesla's complex emotions make her indistinguishable from the humans. She may have a purer soul than all the other characters. Great character development. Good journey. A tale of two finding love despite their dissimilarities and society's prejudice.

The characters and the moral dilemmas they face will pull you into this fantasy and have you wondering what you would do in the situations they face. It is an amazing story and the ideas of it are very original with out being over the top. This is a wonderful read.

Other than some repeated paragraphs and missing sentences in the first part of the story, this was an enjoyable read. The main characters were sympathetic and interesting. Looking forward to the second book.

Other than some repeated paragraphs and missing sentences in the first part of the story, this was an enjoyable read. The main characters were sympathetic and interesting. Looking forward to the second book.

At first I thought this would be another smut book but to my great and joyous surprise it wasn't. This really made me sit on the edge of my seat. There was so much that happened but none of it seemed forced or rushed. If you are looking for magic, adventure, and romance this is the book for you.

No originality at all seemed smushed together by other stories I've read and it's confusing like she goes back and fourth on the doll and human part to where you have no clue if she looks human or like a doll it's rather annoying

The premise feels unique and I love books that build worlds and magic that can fuel the imagination. That being said, the plot is a bit weak at times and some of that magic and fantasy almost seems like too much. I'm interested to see how the relationship between the two warring nations develops. All in all, for the price, I say read it.

Very good book. Loved the idea of revealing the racial difficulties in such a manner. Leads me to think of the state of the US just a few days before the presidential election. Also our overdependance on machines and the fossil fuels to run them.

I happened across this book through Bookbub. Since I am writing about a human man falling in love with a medical hologram in the Star Trek role-playing game I belong to, and since AI civil rights are a part of that plotline, I decided to give this book a read. Some of the issues covered in it are ones I and my co-writer are exploring in the game.

The main character, Velsa, is a Fanarlem, an ensouled doll made of a wooden skeleton covered with a fabric body, animated and given a soul through the use of magic. Current thinking is that Fanarlem are reincarnated souls paying a karmic debt. Velsa happens to have been designed to be a concubine, and she is the property of Grau Thanneau, the mage who purchases her. Said mage has no experience with Fanarlem who are not crudely-made servants, and Velsa is a revelation to him. He is completely blown away by her and very much attracted to her, and Velsa to him. The novel follows their experiences, first at Grau's family home and then at his military post. Prejudice being what it is, the path of true love has its share of difficulties.

Overall, I found this book rather captivating. The culture fascinated me. I like Velsa and Grau and plan to buy the remaining books in the trilogy. My main feeling about this book was that it was a trifle too short. It does give a satisfying ending that pushes us into the next book, but I wanted to see more of the story before that ending. I felt as if it needed a more powerful nail-biter of a climax before the end.

Then there's the disbelief suspenders stuff--mainly the idea of having sex with, literally, a doll. Granted, she can move normally. But she's made out of fabric, not skin. She has stitches and seams at her joints. It's never so stated, but her breasts have to have stitches, too, to give them the proper shape. Fabric does not move the way skin moves. Overall, what I imagine her to look like is a major turn-off, no matter how beautiful her face might be. I just cannot imagine being sexually attracted to her, even if I were a heterosexual man or a lesbian. Every male character in my brain is shaking his head and saying, "Grau, we can see that your heart's in the right place, but it's just not happening for us."

Another thing I have difficulty with is figuring out the tech level. Sometimes, it seems medieval; sometimes it seems 20th century. I don't care for the intrusion of phonographs and reworded Earth folk songs. That jars me out of the mood. I gather that this world is supposed to be a kind of parallel to Earth, but I feel that, if you're going to depart from Earth history to the extent of having Fanarlem, you should just depart all the way and make this world its own place instead of inserting Earth devices and culture into it. I also object to the idea of a 'race' of Fanarlem. They aren't a race, which is a biological term; they are manufactured beings.

I will be interested to see where the next two books take this story arc