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Soulgazer
by Maggie RapierSeries: The Magpie and the Wolf Duology #1
Published by Ace on July 8, 2025
SubGenres: Fantasy Romance
Format: AudioBook
Pages: 451
Narrator: Alana Kerr Collins, Eric Nolan
Length: 15 Hours And 12 Minutes
Source: Spotify
Audience: 18+/Adult
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Every legend has a beginning.
With their freedom on the line, a young woman and a rakish pirate take their fate into their own hands as they attempt to find a lost mythical isle with the power to save their entire world.
Saoirse yearns to be powerless. Cursed from childhood with a volatile magic, she's managed to imprison it within, living under constant terror that one day it will break free. And it does, changing everything.
Horrified at her loss of control, Saoirse’s parents offer her hand to the cold and ruthless Stone King. Knowing she'll never survive such a cruel man, Saoirse realizes there is only one path forward…she must break her curse.
On the eve of her wedding, Saoirse seeks out the legendary Wolf of the Wild—Faolan, a feral, silver-tongued pirate. He swears to help rid her of the deadly magic, if she’ll use it to locate a lost mythical isle first. Crafted by the slaughtered gods, it’s the only land that could absorb her power.
But Saoirse knows better than to trust a pirate’s word. With the wrath of her disgraced father and scorned betrothed chasing them, Saoirse adds one last condition to protect if Faolan wants her on his ship, he'll have to marry her first.
Soulgazer is the first book in Maggie Rapier’s The Magpie and the Wolf’s Duology and her debut novel. I’ve had this book on my shelf since its release, and I finally made time to read it. The second I started it, I knew it would consume me until I finished it, especially since it has Celtic-inspired mythology and pirates, both of which I always enjoy reading about.
The story is told mainly from FMC Saorise’s POV. She is a heroine cursed since childhood with magic that may have caused the death of a family member, or at least that is what her father tells her every day. According to him, the best way to get rid of the curse is to contain it within her and marry her off to a man she knows she’ll never survive. Saorise wants freedom more than anything. She wants freedom from her ruthless father and the magic she can’t control. She makes a deal with a certain pirate, Faolan, known as The Wolf of the Wild, to marry him instead of the man her father has chosen. However, she knows she can’t trust a pirate like Faolan, especially when he believes she’s the one he’s been looking for to help find the lost mythical isle. The second Saorise ends up with Faolan and his pirate crew; she knows she has put them at risk from both her father and the man she was supposed to marry. She’ll risk it, though, because all she’s ever wanted is freedom from the curse and the chance to choose her own life.
I really enjoyed the storyline of this book and am glad I decided to pick it up. It was also the first book I’ve read from author Maggie Rapier, and it definitely won’t be the last. I loved her writing style, which is descriptive, emotional, and atmospheric. It made the book hard to put down, especially when I was listening to it. I also didn’t mind that the book was told mainly in Saorise’s POV because I felt for her character and what she was going through the whole time. I wanted her to gain her freedom from her father, but I also wanted her to learn more about her magic, even though she initially wanted to get rid of it. I knew her magic mattered, especially when it came to the isle of lost souls that Faolan wanted her to find for him. She was a little naive in the book, though, but that’s because she’s been sheltered, or actually imprisoned, by her father, who once again is a horrible man. I couldn’t stand him in the story, blaming his child for the death of another because of her magic. It’s explained what actually happened, and I really felt for Saorise because her magic isn’t bad at all. She also finds out where she got it from, and I loved learning about it.
When it came to Faolan’s character, I really didn’t know what to think of him at first since he doesn’t have a POV until the epilogue. Still, I knew from Saorise’s POV and his actions that he truly cared for her. He was described as a typical player at first, especially in the beginning. In the end, though, he’ll win over hearts, including Saorise’s, even though she’s hesitant to believe anything from him at first. He is a pirate and has his own intentions with her. Faolan also has something he’s dealing with in this book, but I won’t spoil it. Just know he’s not a bad guy. He’s truly someone who will end up loving Saorise and everything about her, and he’ll become very protective of her, too.
This is a slow burn, so it takes a bit for anything to happen between the main characters. When it does, though, it’s not explicit. Their romance truly is worth reading, especially because they have tension throughout the book. I loved a particular scene and how Faolan wasn’t going to force anything with Saorise, even though there was someone pushing them, because Saorise had gone through a traumatic event, and he wanted her to rest after it. He truly did care for her, and I read it in hints within Saorise’s POV, but I understood why she didn’t trust him at first with everything she’s endured.
The father and the Stone King were not the only antagonists in this story. Others come to light. I’m going to point out that Saorise’s mother was also an antagonist in a way because she let her husband do what he did to Saorise. That did not fly with me, so she was a horrible person, just like her husband.
Overall, this was an enjoyable read with slow-burn tension and magic that should never have been contained in the first place, and I give this first book four stars. I can’t wait to pick up the second book, especially after that shocking ending. Saorise may be naive at first, but she’ll eventually become a strong character. I loved reading about her growth when it came to learning about her magic, but also finding love and an actual family that watched out for her.
I can’t wait for the last book in this duology, especially with how Maggie Rapier ended things for Saorise and Faolan, because the next book will be even more challenging for both characters.
POV: First Person (Mostly Single POV until the epilogue, when the MMC has his POV)
Would I recommend this book? Yes. If you enjoy a Celtic-inspired fantasy romance with a slow burn, a heroine who wants freedom from her father and her magic gone because she believes it’s a curse, and a very attractive pirate she can’t trust at first, then check out this book. That pirate may be the one who truly shows her more love than ever, and the ending proves it’s worth the read.
Audiobook Recommendation: If you enjoy listening to your books, like I do, especially when having a migraine attack makes listening easier, then I recommend the audiobook of Soulgazer. The narrators were perfectly cast, and I could listen to them both narrate stories forever. Alana Kerr Collins does most of the narrating since the book is told mostly in Saoirse’s POV. Eric Nolan narrates Faolan’s POV in the epilogue.
What to Expect:
🏴☠️Celtic Inspired Mythology
⚔️Marriage of Convenience
🏴☠️Forced Proximity
⚔️Slow Burn Romance
🏴☠️Hero Falls First
⚔️Cursed Heroine
🏴☠️Pirates
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