Review: Wilting Souls by CRJ Riggins

Are the darkest among us born this way? Or did something make them that way?
If something made them that way, what could it have been?
Wilting souls’ saga will show you the metamorphosis of people as they become beings of pure darkness.
“Wanting love, happiness, and peace of mind. I think you’re asking for too much,” said the Universe to anyone who ever wanted to keep their soul.
Lord General Bandares is the most powerful Ground Assault General in the Adrasteia Empire, known for being vengeful and utterly ruthless. For months and even cycles on end he's been having premonitions that his only son Nairn would suffer a fate far worse than death. Unable to peg this feeling on any foreseeable event, he chose to watch and wait for something more tangible to act on than a bad dream.
When the Emperor and Empress of Adrasteia order him not to leave Adrasteia binary system and to procreate with seven powerful new troops arriving from the Heka moon-worlds, he knew right away his premonitions were true, and that his son’s fate was somehow already sealed. From what he could surmise, they were trying to prevent him from doing anything to intercede, trapping him with Imperial rules that mandate a father’s duty to mother and child.
A month later, six of the seven women who'd come to him with the same order to have his children were now with child. During this time, he'd begun to take a liking to one of the woman named Takumbo. With his dreams becoming more gruesome and vivid as the days passed, yet identifying no clear enemy that could harm his son, he decided to ask the Emperor and Empress what they were hiding.Receiving a twisted answer about fates sometime being intertwined and sometimes not, he could stand idle no more and decides to leave Adrasteia binary system in search of a way to protect his son. But he doesn't want to leave without passing down an important message to his unborn children. So as his sphere of nano material rises into the void, he leaves his memories with Takumbo...And this is when the story of Wilting Souls truly begins.

Clare's Review 4 of 5 stars

This story is an unusual sci fi novel with a modern twist. Straight away it is obvious to me that this book is designed to make you think hard about life and the way it is, and even if it could be changed in any way. There are several plot twist throughout the story and the book does well to keep the reader guessing. This in turn kept me glued to the pages and I managed to finish the story quite quickly.

The characters are all well written and develop throughout the story. Each one has its own part to play and when the characters interact they felt lifelike and realistic.

The only thing that stopped me from giving this book 5 stars was the speed at which it felt the story went. I think with a bit more work and a longer book it could have been developed into more of a beginning story and it would have flowed better through the different times and places.