A Soul to Keep

He’s waited centuries for someone to stay. She never expected to want to.

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What Is This Book About?

Reia has spent her whole life being treated like a curse. Blamed for the death of her family and shunned by her village, she’s barely surviving on the outskirts of society. So when the time comes for their once-a-decade offering to the Duskwalker—a terrifying, skull-faced creature who demands a human sacrifice in exchange for protection—Reia is given a choice: be locked away, or go with the monster. She chooses the Duskwalker, even if it means walking into the unknown.

But Orpheus is not the mindless killer she expected. Yes, he’s massive, inhuman, and has glowing eyes with a bone-white face. But beneath that, he’s something else entirely. He’s patient. Curious. Lonely. For centuries, Orpheus has taken offerings back to his realm beyond the Veil, hoping each time that maybe, just maybe, this one will stay. But none ever have. Either they leave him or… he eats them.

Until Reia.

She doesn’t flinch when he speaks. She asks questions. She sees him. And the more time they spend together, the more their connection grows. What begins as a sacrifice slowly transforms into something deeper, something neither of them expected: a bond that could challenge the boundary between monster and man, freedom and belonging, survival and love.

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The Author’s Dedication For this Book:

To all the MonsterFuckers out there, this book is for you.

Don't pretend that you've never wanted to be railed by some human-eating, dark entity that has a skull for a face - you saw that cover, you knew what you were getting yourself into, and you still chose to open this book and read.

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Quick Facts

• Title and Author: “A Soul to Keep” by Opal Reyne

• HEA: Yes

• Tropes: Alpha Male, Forced Proximity, Slow Burn

• POV: FMC, MMC

• Trigger Warnings: Death of a parent (referenced), Kidnapping, Rough Sex (but it’s consensual)

• Books in Series: 8 as of 3/28/25

• Overall Story: ★★★★

• World Building: ★★★★

• Character Development: ★★★★

• Plot: ★★★★

• Pacing: ★★★

• Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ — There is, ahem, some unique male anatomy.

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"I have waited eons for her.

For this woman that had seen Orpheus for what he was, who he was, and still wanted him. For this wonderful creature that was accepting him and allowing him to be himself as he slowly showed it to her. To be greeted in return rather than recoiled from.”

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My Take (Minor Spoilers)

Look. I didn’t expect to be charmed by a seven-foot skull-faced demon with glowing eyes that function like mood rings and a retractable tentacle-dick.

And yet… here we are.

Opal Reyne’s A Soul to Keep is what happens when you toss a virgin sacrifice trope into a forest cabin, add a cinnamon roll demon with a massage routine, and let the slow-burn tension simmer before it explodes into heat.

Let’s start with Orpheus, the Duskwalker. He’s terrifying in theory: glowing eyes, bone face, enormous body with bones on the outside. But in practice? He’s a sweetheart. He’s respectful, attentive, and just a little clueless in the best way. His emotional IQ is… developing. A Duskwalker’s intelligence is tied to how many people it has eaten, and he’s eaten a lot. That being said, his ability to talk about feelings and communicate with Reia surpasses some real-life men I’ve known. Yeah, I said that.

Orpheus has never had a real companion, so when Reia is dropped into his world, he latches on and starts trying.

At first, he just tries not to eat her.

But then he listens. He learns. He adapts. He wants to be better for her. He’s aching with loneliness, and once he gets to know Reia, he longs for her to be his bride. Even if she needs to give him her soul for that to happen.

Then there’s Reia, our “please don’t eat me” heroine. She’s been treated like garbage by her village her entire life, so when she’s offered up as a sacrifice, she’s like, “Yeah okay, honestly could be worse.” And she’s right. Because instead of death, she gets full-body oil massages and a monster who calls her my little doe and literally glows when he feels things.

Reia’s not perfect. She makes some dumb choices. There’s one moment with a particular OW (original woman) subplot (no spoilers) where I wanted to grab her by the shoulders and shake some emotional intelligence into her. But overall, I liked that she didn’t cower or whimper or try to tame the beast. She rolled with it. She accepted the bizarre and made it her new normal.

Now let’s talk tension.

This book is slow burn to the max. Like, “they don’t even kiss until you’re halfway through” slow. The buildup is rich with emotional intimacy and the kind of careful, deliberate pacing that makes every touch matter. And then... it’s on.

There are several sex scenes, each with increasing levels of spice. And yes, the anatomy is unique. There are tentacles. There is… inner retractability. There is a lot going on, and somehow it’s still tender and hot and completely immersive.

I also enjoyed the world-building. Reyne doesn’t throw everything at you at once. The lore is strange and interesting. The quiet, atmospheric pace gives the world time to breathe. The forest setting, the Veil, the demons, the rules of Orpheus’s existence—they all felt lived in and layered.

Some readers have compared this story to The Ancient Magus’ Bride, the Japanese manga series. And I can see it. Both MMCs are massive, skull-faced beings with antlers, and both stories kick off with a young woman being handed over as some kind of offering. But beyond that, the vibes split hard. A Soul to Keep is like The Ancient Magus’ Bride's goth older sister who ran away from home, lived in the forest, and developed a monster kink.

Another reference that gets thrown around with this book is Beauty and the Beast. The fairytale is even mentioned a few times in the text, which felt a little on the nose for me, but not enough to pull me out of the story. Just a bit wink-wink, we know what we’re doing here.

Final thoughts: If you’re craving monster romance with actual emotional stakes, character growth, and deeply weird sex that somehow still makes you swoon, this book is exactly the kind of cozy chaos you’re looking for. Light a candle, lower your expectations about normal anatomy, and enjoy the ride.

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"I have desired you from the first moment you smiled at me, my little doe."- Orpheus

“Come, little human.” He gestured his hand out to present more of his left arm to her. “Let me melt your heart.”

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