Soul Seeker, Gehenna Series, Book 1


Fiction - Dystopia
393 Pages
Reviewed on 04/24/2022
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Author Biography

Kaylin McFarren has received more than 60 national literary awards, in addition to a prestigious Golden Heart Award nomination for FLAHERTY'S CROSSING - a book she and her oldest daughter, New York Times/USA Today best-selling author Kristina McMorris, co-wrote in 2008. Prior to embarking on her writing journey and developing the popular THREADS psychological thriller series, she poured her passion for creativity into her work as the director of a fine art gallery in the Pearl District in Portland, Oregon; she also served as a governor–appointed member of the Oregon Arts Commission.

When she's not traveling or spoiling her two pups and three grandsons, she enjoys giving back to her community through participation and support of various charitable, medical and educational organizations in the Pacific Northwest. Her latest time-travel adventure, HIGH FLYING, asks challenging questions that will linger long after the final twists are revealed. Recently jumping to the supernatural thriller genre, Kaylin's clever GEHENNA series leads readers into the pit of Hell, through the mechanisms of secret societies, and across the earth's crust, ever raising the stakes for her leading duo—a wicked demon and a saintly angel with secret earth-shattering agendas. With each story she writes, this author delivers unexpected twists and turns and keeps her readers on the edge of their seats, leaving them guessing and thoroughly entertained.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Asher Syed for Readers' Favorite

Soul Seeker by Kaylin McFarren is a paranormal thriller with a nod in the direction of new adult and is the first book in the acclaimed Gehenna series, followed by book two, Annihilation. The book begins in a sleepy Illinois suburb with the family of Benjamin Poe. Secrets between him and his wife are exploited by the book's main character, a demon named Crighton Daemonium. This demon, who goes by the much simpler “Crighton,” is in the business of filling hell with what it needs: good souls gone bad. Poe is ensnared when trying to save his son, and Crighton ticks him off the list alongside another. But it is ultimately Crighton who gets ensnared when he is trapped with an angel named Ariel. Do you know what happens when a demon starts to get the warm fuzzies for an angel? All hell breaks loose.

Soul Seeker might be centered around the concept and actual culture Kaylin McFarren has crafted out of hell, but the storytelling is absolutely heavenly. I have read the Gehenna series in reverse order because the second book came to me first. Having now read the story that started it all, I feel like I'm better filled in. That said, the writing is so good that McFarren does not leave a reader who jumps in elsewhere confused. She is exceptionally skilled in both narrative and dialogue and it was amazing to dive back in. Crighton is a character that a reader would think they could never possibly root for...until we do, and it's pure mastery to be part of that evolution. The distinction between good and bad is not so clear-cut. Crighton is bad; Lucifer is worse. I liked Ariel but not more than Crighton. Given the choice between the two, the poor little angel would be roadkill. This is an adult book with adult themes and plenty of heated sex scenes. It's fun and scary and entertaining and sexy. Enjoy!