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I’m James R. Bateman, a UK-based author with a lifelong love of dark fantasy, mythology, and stories that explore the thin line between redemption and retribution. By day, I’ve spent years working in the world of technology, but it’s in the quiet hours of writing that I’ve found my truest passion — building worlds where gods walk among mortals, choices carry eternal weight, and justice is never as simple as it seems.
The inspiration for Savior of Lost Souls came from a deeply personal place. Like many, I’ve been haunted by real stories of tragedy and injustice — moments where I wished someone, something greater, could intervene and put things right. That longing gave rise to Lavek, a divine protector burdened with the responsibility of saving the lost. His struggle — between compassion and vengeance, between humanity and godhood — became the heart of this story.
This book is the beginning of The Retribution Series, a universe I’ve poured myself into, exploring questions of morality, power, and fate across centuries, realms, and lives. My hope is that readers not only enjoy the suspense and mythology but also find echoes of their own questions about life, loss, and what it means to be human.
Thank you for letting me share this world with you. I’m excited for you to meet these characters — and to join me as the journey continues.
Reviewed by Delene Vrey for Readers' Favorite
In Savior of Lost Souls (Retribution Book 1) by James R. Bateman, in the beginning, when the earth was created, two divine brothers chose to experience life on earth with primitive man. Both were born from the same mother. Lavek chose to live a human life with a wife and family, bonding with the humans and their emotions. The other brother did not feel any kinship with humans and incited violence, destroying Lavek's family. In the aftermath, Lavek was given the domain of Ul'Den, a waiting place for the souls of humans who were killed and could not find peace. The Williams family had their share of misery when their little boy Matty died at the age of three. In 1986, their second child, Sally, was ten years old. When Sally is abducted, her parents and babysitter are beside themselves with grief. Through space and time, Lavek hears Sally's cries and rushes to find and save her from the psychopath who has taken her. Will he reach her in time, or will this little girl's spirit roam in Ul'Den forever?
James R. Bateman has written a gripping and fast-paced crime novel that has an impact on the reader. The story at first moves along slowly with mundane family life. Then, the tension is built up by introducing Lavek, his mother, and brother. By providing Lavek's history and that of the antagonist, the reader is uniquely positioned to empathize with the characters. However, the actions and motivations behind these actions also take a cold, hard look at the concept of nature vs. nurture, as well as how trauma changes a person. Savior of Lost Souls is a deeply disturbing novel, especially concerning the graphic violence directed at a child. It also contains explicit language.
As an audiobook, this had me terrified. The narrator, David Piper, does an excellent job with the characterizations, pace, and tone in which each individual speaks. At times, you can see the maniacal face of a psychopath as he explains his rationale. The tone with which the narrator reads successfully conjures up such an image. The book flows logically and holds the listener's attention. Although it addresses hard-hitting themes, this might be more horror than a thriller to some listeners.
