Drips with atmosphere, menace, and raw energy.
Cryosurge by E. P. Soulless marks a grim and uncompromising addition to modern dark fantasy, where the cold vastness of the cosmos mirrors the cruelty of humankind. The story follows two fractured figures. Idd, once a respected shaman, now lives under the torment of a parasitic curse gnawing at his sanity. Forced into a dangerous hunt for a nightmare creature, he must wrestle with both his own failing mind and the terrors of the Nine Realms. Meanwhile, Korthe, a mercenary sharpened by rage and vengeance, cuts through enemies with ruthless precision, only to discover that her quest for retribution is entangled in a conspiracy far larger than she imagined. Drawn together by manipulation and circumstance, both Idd and Korthe are maneuvered into roles they never sought—pawns in a conflict stretching beyond their comprehension. Their violent paths hurtle toward an inevitable reckoning, one that could either preserve the Nine Realms or doom them to ruin. Written with raw intensity, layered mythology, and a bleak philosophical edge, Soulless’s debut probes what remains of choice and humanity beneath the shadow of the Moon-Gods.
E. P. Soulless is a no-holds-barred author with an innate sense of psychology and an understanding of what makes people tick. These qualities are built in every facet of this well-crafted novel for a blistering debut that pushes Grimdark into bold new territories. Idd is a deeply flawed yet hauntingly sympathetic protagonist, and readers will be immediately swept into the powerful character drama at play. His character is brought to life with dynamic dialogue touches and subtle mood creation that tells you everything you need to know without ever spelling it out for you. This investment and clue-dropping make it all the more interesting to see the tale from Korthe’s side, whose mercenary quest is equal parts ferocious and tragic, filling in the gaps where the desire for high-stakes action injects itself into the psychological plot. The balance is sophisticated, and the concept of the parasitic curse is a chillingly original feature that is well-utilized and will keep readers guessing. Soulless crafts a tale that is fully detailed and thought out in every aspect, steeped in philosophy and brutality in a world that balances its cosmic scale with intimate character struggles seamlessly. Every page of Cryosurge drips with atmosphere, menace, and raw energy for a story that forces readers to confront the darkest corners of humanity, and one that comes highly recommended indeed.
