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Reviewed by Asher Syed for Readers' Favorite
The Reaper's Guide on How NOT to Take a Soul! by Charles Byrd follows Lyra, a girl training to be a Grim Reaper under the mentorship of Silas. Lyra's eagerness for promotion leads to mishaps, the biggest being the breaking of her lantern, which leaves the soul of a boy named Casper detached, unable to get back into his body or transition to the afterlife. With the pair in the Underworld, chased by Soul Eaters and haunted by actual ghosts, they seek answers about Casper's state and how to fix it. After being told where to go to help Casper, they are forced to navigate the treacherous terrain of the Underworld. Along the way, they're tested in their resolve and ability
not to be separated, and worse. It is also a test for Lyra, as family secrets crush everything she thought she knew about herself and those she trusted most.
In The Reaper's Guide on How NOT to Take a Soul!, Charles Byrd crafts a wonderfully detailed world in The Beyond, where Grim Reapers, and young apprentice Lyra in particular, coexist with supernatural elements like ghost cats and whispering portraits. I loved the journey of Lyra and poor Casper into the Greek Afterlife and the integration of classical mythology with Byrd's own brand of what the afterlife holds to mix it all up with unexpected twists. As far as the writing goes, it is clean and accessible to readers, with standouts to me as an adult being the clever use of metaphors in prose that often sing: "The water embraced me like the cold hands of death itself, swallowing me in its cool darkness." I loved these physical descriptions with themes of death and the overall balance of haunting elements with humor, ensuring the fear factor never overwhelms and instead transforms the tale into an adventurous journey. Very highly recommended.
