The Jack of Souls by Stephen C. Merlino is the beginning of a new fantasy series that should please the fans of The Lord of the Rings Trilogy! The story begins with Harric trying to survive his mother’s curse and it just becomes more interesting from there. I enjoyed the varied lifestyles and history of each of the characters. Caris gets along with horses better than with people, Harric struggles against the memory and “haunting” of his mother, the immortal beings deal with eccentricity and gluttony and several other characters add to this mix. Delightful fantasy that is well paced! I am looking forward to the rest of this series!