Soul Ties - Christy Skidmore

Soul Ties by Christy Skidmore Cover

Soul Ties by Christy Skidmore is everything that a sequel should be. The follow-up to her magical, adventurous, and romantic debut novel, The Oracles, Christy Skidmore ties up the heartbreaking loose ends we were left with in a story jam-packed with angst, intrigue, and love. I think that’s what I enjoy the most about Christy’s stories. At the core of her writing is such a beautiful portrayal of unconditional, human love. 

Three years after going through their Oracle Trials, Kurt and Claire have settled into life as best as they can. But something is not quite right, and that something is Ben. Poor Ben. Hopeless and in love with Claire, the pining is taking its toll until it becomes something terrifying and utterly devastating. I loved the way that Christy portrayed depression through Ben. It was real, it was heartbreaking, and it highlighted the need that people struggling with depression have of a support system. 

I cannot imagine meeting someone as pure and loving as Kurt. He watches the love of his life and his best friend navigate this pull to each other that shadows everything else. He watches Ben nearly succumb to his depression, he watches Claire try and fail to keep Ben at arm’s length, and his solution? To pray to the ancient gods and the Universe to help him help his friend. Even if that means Claire needs to end up with Ben. He’s ridiculously selfless, and it’s that light that I think navigated these characters through essentially a second set of trials. 

Without spoiling too much, the journey that these characters go through is harrowing, heartbreaking, anxiety-ridden, magical, adventurous, arduous (seriously, as someone who’s done seventeen hours drives before, I felt for these guys), and, ultimately has such a satisfying ending for every single character. We get new characters, new lore, new mythos, and new struggles, and it all wraps up with the sweetest happily ever after we could have asked for. 

Christy Skidmore writes epic love. The kind of love I think we all dream about, deep down. I cannot wait to read what she comes out with next.