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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.
