A Veiled and Hallowed Eve by Hailey Turner

Narrated by Gary Furlong

It’s always sad when a long-running series comes to an end, so listening to A Veiled and Hallowed Eve, the seventh and final instalment in Hailey Turner’s Soulbound series was a bittersweet experience. I’ve been looking forward to the conclusion of this inventive and epic story, the big showdown between our heroes and their mortal enemies, but reaching The End also means saying goodbye to Patrick, Jono, Wade and all the other characters who’ve been with them on their amazing journey. It’s hard to think there will be no more books about them – but I have seven superb stories and audiobooks to re-listen to, thanks to this talented author/narrator duo.

I’ve said this before but it probably bears repeating: the books in this series need to be listened to in order so as to fully understand the complex storylines and the development of the various characters and their relationships, so if you’ve not been following the series, then this review will likely make very little sense to you. It’s also impossible to review this book without some reference to the previous ones, so there are spoilers ahead.

Now that the tensions between the rival New York godpacks have been successfully dealt with (see An Echo in the Sorrow), Patrick and Jono are free to focus on the confrontation that looms with the Dominion Sect – an alliance of gods, demons, fae and a whole host of evil supernatural beings which is led by Patrick’s father, Ethan Greene. A Veiled and Hallowed Eve is one of those stories that just doesn’t let up – so once you start, be prepared to want to do longer car journeys or extra housework or find extra listening time however you can, because you really won’t want to be interrupted!

With the veil between worlds getting thinner as Samhain approaches, Patrick and Jono know that it’s only a matter of days before Ethan makes his final push for godhead and unleashes chaos like the world has never seen. Survival isn’t guaranteed – pretty much nothing is – but before the final battle, Patrick decides to take the time to reconnect with the family he hasn’t seen since he was eight years old. They had no idea he was alive until he had to reveal his true identity to beat a murder charge, and he and Jono travel to Salem for a bittersweet reunion. While everyone is clearly pleased to see him and welcomes him with open arms, Patrick is stunned – and deeply hurt – by something else he learns that rocks him to the core.

The poor guy never seems to get a break! (And there’s worse to come.)

It’s really hard to write an effective summary of the plot in this book, because there’s so much going on as Patrick and Jono prepare for the battle of their lives, calling in every favour and on every alliance they’ve ever made to line up against the evil forces ranged against them. And even then, with the array of gods and fae, night courts and god packs on their side… it still might not be enough.

The battle itself is … to call it “epic” doesn’t seem enough, but I’ll go with it for want of a better term! Hailey Turner is unsurpassed when it comes to choreographing the most amazing, detailed battle scenes that are so vividly drawn and brilliantly orchestrated that they play out like a movie in your head. I loved seeing the many characters – allies and villains – from previous stories coming into play here; I admit that it felt a bit like a “who’s who” of Soulbound, but I honestly didn’t care. Their appearances provide lots of moments of recognition for those of us who’ve been with the series since the beginning, and it’s a testament to the author’s skill that she’d laid the groundwork for each and every one of them and they all have important roles to play in the grand scheme of things. (One very small niggle; there is a LOT of battle in this book, and impressive though it is, there are places it could perhaps have done with a little trimming.)

But amid all the chaos and fighting, the author doesn’t lose sight of the personal stories she’s been developing. Patrick has come a long way from the man he was when we first met him, world-weary, closed off and completely self-sufficient, carrying – it seemed – the weight of the world on his shoulders, and I love that part of his journey has been about finding his people and the family of his heart. Jono has been his rock, someone he’s been able to rely on and trust to have his back no matter what. They’ve had their ups and downs, but they’re a solid couple, very much in love and so very good for each other. There are, of course, some utterly gut wrenching moments in this story (*shakes fist at Hailey and Gary for making me cry!*) as Patrick is finally called upon to settle that long ago debt raised on his soul.

Special mention goes to everyone’s favourite teenaged Fire Dragon, Wade Espinoza, who has grown so much over the course of the series, his confidence increasing due to the affection and support of his pack. He’s devoted to Jono and Patrick and is going to do whatever he can to keep them safe, but he’s also still Wade the surly teen and devourer of Pop Tarts who continues to provide badly needed moments of humour.

I can think of very few – and we’re talking counting on the fingers of one hand here – narrators around who could have brought as much skill, enthusiasm, energy and heart to this series as Gary Furlong has. Technically, he’s superb, portraying an incredibly large cast of characters consistently from book to book, deploying a wide range of tone, timbre and accent to voice gods, demons, vampires, fae, valkyries, heroes and villains, surly teenage dragons, cheeky winged messengers and all; his pacing is just right, his comic timing is spot on and there is just nothing about his performance here that doesn’t work. He absolutely nails the personalities of the two leads, delivering nuanced portrayals which have really found the hearts and souls of these two men and which have grown in depth and complexity along with them. His interpretation of Patrick, in particular, is outstanding; Mr. Furlong has always captured the essence of him really well – his jaded snark, his grim determination, and his gradual transformation from loner to a man with people to care for and who care for him – but now Patrick’s personal shields have been ripped away – both literally and figuratively – all his long-hidden vulnerabilities are that much closer to the surface, and they’re all right there in his voice. Jono has always been the more even-tempered of the two, softly spoken and perhaps a little more laid back, but unmoving in his resolve to be there for Patrick no matter what, and the warmth and strength of their connection comes through in every interaction. And then… THAT scene (I’m not telling, but you’ll know when you get there) just about ripped my heart out.

Sorry as I am to see Patrick and Jono ride off into the sunset, if anyone has earned an HEA, it’s them.

The quality of the research, the creativity, the brilliantly developed characters and relationships, and the fact that Hailey Turner has maintained such a consistently high standard of writing and plotting throughout all seven books is incredibly impressive – Brava! Matched every step of the way by Gary Furlong’s amazing performances, Soulbound is one of my favourite series, and I know I’ll be returning to it often.

Caz

---

Buy A Veiled and Hallowed Eve by Hailey Turner on Amazon