Tag Archives: Thread of Souls: Book One: Phantom Five

Thread of Souls: Book II – Ash & Thunder by Scott and Ashley Roepel Review

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I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own. 

A deadly new threat to Soleia rises in the cover of a massive storm, and the Phantom Five find themselves questioning one another’s loyalty as they seek refuge and help within the empire’s capital in authors Scott and Ashley Roepel’s “Thread of Souls: Book II – Ash & Thunder”. 

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The Synopsis

The adventuring group known as the Phantom Five journey to the empire’s capital to warn of the threat against it. But instead of a welcome reception, they find a city wrought with deception. The royal children are missing, murders happen overnight, and the group’s own loyalties are questioned. Worse, their one contact in the capital, Unol’s Shadow Guild, has marked her as a traitor. All the while, rumors spread of a great storm over Soleia hiding a monster within. And as their attention is divided in a world crumbling into chaos around them, Jade knows the clock is ticking on her visions. If she doesn’t make it to Oceala soon, everyone in her city will die.

The Review

A fantastic new chapter in this growing fantasy saga, the authors have brilliantly given readers a lengthy epic fantasy that balances intricate character development with big-time mythology. The protagonists of this series, the Phantom Five, once more take center stage, and their evolution throughout this narrative is engaging to say the least. It was fascinating to witness the twists and turns the authors took their heroes, from the noble Zok to Unole and Jade, and even took the time to give each protagonist their own chapters and time to explore their motivations clearly.

The mythos is what always drives me and my passion for epic fantasy series like this. I loved the inclusion of so many known supernatural creatures, but the created mythology that the authors put together of this new land and the world overall was fantastic to see come to life on the page. Imagery played a major role in this story, the writing doing an excellent job of crafting the narrative in such a way that the characters and world came to life in my mind. 

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The Verdict

A thrilling, haunting, and entertaining new chapter in this growing fantasy world, authors Scott and Ashley Roepel’s “Thread of Souls: Book II – Ash & Thunder” is a must-read fantasy book. The perfect second chapter of this growing universe, the twists and turns the author takes readers on, including the identity of the book’s latest threats, makes this story so engaging for fans of this genre, and a cliff-hanger ending will leave fans breathlessly awaiting the next chapter of the series. Be sure to grab your copy today!

Rating: 10/10

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thread of souls book one review
interviews with authors scott and ashley roepel

About the Author

Scott and Ashley Roepel are a husband and wife team of writers, creators, and travelers. They are co-founders of Tal & Ru Travels LLC which is focused on entertaining and engaging content. Deep lovers of fantasy, the two of them are avid D&D players and content creators.

https://talandrudungeonloot.com/

https://www.instagram.com/talandrutravels/

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Interview with Authors Scott & Ashley Roepel

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  1. Tell us a little bit about yourself. How did you get into writing?


Ashley has been writing stories her entire life. In her late teen and early adult years she published a lot of fanfiction that won community awards. It’s always been a passion for her and she has been able to write for some websites prior to publishing her books. For Scott, he was a local journalist for many years before writing for pop culture and car websites. We both mesh well in writing a book series together! 

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  1. What inspired you to write your book?


This book series is based off our D&D campaign. We both love the game so much and it has inspired so much creativity in our lives. It felt only right to turn these adventures into a book series. We had developed a world rich in lore and history with complex characters. Since our entire campaign was homebrewed, it made it really easy to translate into a book series. 

  1. What theme or message do you hope readers will take away from your book?


Many of the characters come from places or situations where they were told they have no value. We hope readers that struggle with the same message may find inspiration in these characters. Characters that find their own worth internally, and are able to discover their own strengths and confidence despite others telling them to the contrary. 

  1. What drew you into this particular genre?


We both have always loved fantasy. Especially from our early experiences with the Fellowship of the Ring film. What we like best is there are no limits. You can create your own world and put what you want in it. It is full creativity. 

  1. If you could sit down with any character in your book, what would you ask them and why?


Actually, we can! One of the best things about having this story start as a D&D game is we get to roleplay these characters. We get to do a deep dive into each character and learn all about them. All about their childhood and memories, and all about their future hopes and dreams. We get to explore their motivation and pain and what keeps them going each day. It’s one of the purest ways to learn a character. 

  1. What social media site has been the most helpful in developing your readership?


Twitter for sure. It’s so much more social and we are able to connect with other writers and D&D players and indie creators. Being able to have many conversations and post multiple times a day has been helpful. Our Twitter is @TalAndRu 

  1. What advice would you give to aspiring or just starting authors out there?


Write the story you want to tell. Don’t worry about what other people say you should be writing or doing with your book. Don’t worry about a big following, that will come in time. Just tell the story that is inside you and that is important to you. At the end of the day, you should write something you want to read. 

  1. What does the future hold in store for you? Any new books/projects on the horizon?


Book III of Thread of Souls is currently undergoing its final edits and will be published on August 27th this year! It’s part of an eight-book series, so we have a release planned for each year. As we are currently playing the story’s D&D campaign at the table, we are playing through what will end being book seven and having a blast! 

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Thread of Souls Book One – pHANTOM fIVE rEVIEW

About the Authors

Scott and Ashley Roepel are a husband and wife team of writers, creators, and travelers. They are co-founders of Tal & Ru Travels LLC which is focused on entertaining and engaging content. Deep lovers of fantasy, the two of them are avid D&D players and content creators.

https://talandrudungeonloot.com/

https://www.instagram.com/talandrutravels/

Thread of Souls: Book One: Phantom Five by Scott & Ashley Roepel Review

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I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own. 

A group of adventurers must overcome their differences to face a world of deadly magic, monsters and the undead as they seek answers to the shocking murder of a high priest in authors Scott & Ashley Roepel’s “Thread of Souls: Book One: Phantom Five”. 

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The Synopsis

The sudden death of a high priest in a sleepy coastal village has rocked aspiring Paladin Zok’s world. Finding evidence of murder, he can trust no one in the temple as a dark plot unravels itself. Zok teams up with a group of adventurers to seek answers deep within the desert.

He’s joined by a nomadic Druid who is haunted by visions of a calamity, and an orphan thief who is chasing her kidnapped sister across the planes. And by a boisterous pirate, an enigmatic Wizard, and a Ranger fugitive of war. If they cannot put aside their differences, they will not survive the world of occult magic, interplanar monsters, and hungry undead that await them.

And halfway across the land, Taliesin and Ruuda are two fugitives from their oppressive homes. They venture out in a world where they must hide their identity or risk execution.

The Review

This was such a fun and engaging fantasy read. Detailed with both character backstory and mythology, the authors have done a masterful job crafting a story with both magical and larger-than-life action that blends with personal narratives that really connect the cast of characters with the reader. 

The balance of dark fantasy and character growth really elevates the narrative here. The danger and stakes of this fantasy world are made apparent early on in the story, as one of the main characters watches her sister taken right before her eyes by a large flying creature out of a nightmare. Yet it is the bond between the characters that really steals this story, as the blend of humor, charm, and heroism mixes with the personal problems each of these characters faces with their pasts and futures. It speaks of the classic swords and daggers, hero’s journey elements of adult fantasy novels that fans have come to know and love over the years.

The Verdict

An exhilarating, thrilling, and breathtaking fantasy-driven story, authors Scott and Ashley Roepel’s “Thread of Souls” is a must-read novel for fantasy fans of 2021! The first in an exciting 8-part fantasy series, the authors have created a brilliant and engaging story that hosts the magic and wonder that so many fans of the fantasy genre have always loved, and fans will not want to miss out on this series for themselves. Be sure to grab your copy today!

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About the Authors

Scott and Ashley Roepel are a husband and wife team of writers, creators, and travelers. They are co-founders of Tal & Ru Travels LLC which is focused on entertaining and engaging content. Deep lovers of fantasy, the two of them are avid D&D players and content creators.

https://talandrudungeonloot.com/

https://www.instagram.com/talandrutravels/