I’ll have to warn all who haven’t read QUEEN OF SOUL AND SONGS that it has no true beginning; since it starts where King Of Sword And Sky left us, and no true ending; which will be given with The Tairen Soul. I would rather say; be prepared to open this book where the Shei’tanitsa bond is getting deepened, where the stakes are getting almost insurmountable high and where the war turns even grimmer then before. The opening scene is one that instantly triggers the ‘oh no, don’t let that happen’ response from the reader and I will not guarantee to anyone who is familiar with this series you won’t feel it again. The story delves in to various facets of the romance between Ellysetta and Rain, the angst, the love, the risks and the rewards. C.L. Wilson has a knack to make me feel it all via her lyrical writing style but most of all; she makes it all so understandable. Each action brings along its own consequence and there are just no easy choices to make. It gradually builds the tension between Ellysatta and Rain but also showcases the depth of their love. When they first met in Celieria, and Rain claimed Ellysatta as his true mate, their feelings were fresh, new and exciting. Over the course of this series the love has matured, deepened and gained in strength but the bond madness lures for Rain as it remains incomplete. Yet with all the dangers that surround Rain and Ellysetta it is the beauty of their love that also forms a stark contrast to the evil of the Eld Mages.
If there is one thing I love to hate is a true-to-the-core evil and C.L. Wilson conjured it with High Mage Vadim Maur. There was one scene in which he had to make a sacrifice in order to remain his power and it is where I found a new low point for his character. The Eld Mages are plotting and scheming away and as a reader I got an overall view of what they were up to, making the threat towards the Fey all the more tangible. The threat and the danger is an essence that is felt throughout every angle of the story but also gave the Elves a more prominent role to fulfill.
If there is one secondary character that instantly ranked himself with my favorites of Belliard and Gaelen then it is Elven King Hawksheart. Next to the almost omnipotent vibe surrounding him there are also heart shattering personal details revealed that made me want to know all about him. The Elven place in this world blends the ethereal with the more earthly nature and once again the vivid details brought this place to life in my mind’s eye.
Rain and Ellysetta with their Shei’tanitsa bond along with the war receive the most attention and many side characters I’ve come to treasure provide a wonderful supportive cast. Belliard, Gaelen, the incomparable Tairen Steli, Tajik and many more in Fey, Ceilierian, Eld and Elven world accelerate this story. Questions receive answers and more questions arise from it and truths present itself with painstakingly honesty. It is a double-edged sword where I reveled in as certain things finally come to light and then in its wake leaving new mysteries to unravel.
Without a doubt QUEEN OF SONG AND SOULS is another emotion-laden story, I was engaged from first till last page and C.L. Wilson took some bold choices. One that had me at the end of the story where it brings a reality to the Shei’tanitsa bond I wasn’t expecting. I will say that this is a novel for the readers invested in this series since it is essentially a deepening of the story and where the plot reaches a level of `all-or-nothing’ for the main characters.
I treasured this read because I’m so very attached to all the characters playing their role in the grand scheme of things but I also long now for the conclusion and a happily ever after for a couple that takes me breath away in their awe-inspiring love. QUEEN OF SONG AND SOULS is by far the darkest episode in Tairen Soul series and a preparation for the finale title; Tairen Soul. I’m counting the days until its release, as always with a novel from the hand of C.L. Wilson!
 - C. L. Wilson)