Souleater

Ask Michelle Anything

Anna writes…

Hello, I have been a fan of these books for such a long time. but I cant remember if we see the part where Torak gets the soul eater mark or if I'm being silly and there wasn't one. If there was one please tell me what chapter it is.
I was also wondering you ever thought of writing a book with the healers when they were younger and all friends and we see the how they slowly become evil (or broken)we could see how they were raised, hurt. The trio with Toraks father, Fin-Kedinn and Tenris + love bond between Toraks mother and father and Fin-Kedinn. All of it would just be so heart-breaking/warming. Also the parallels between them and Torak would be so cool!
I love all of your work too!

Michelle Replies…

Dear Anna, thanks so much for your message, and it’s great that you like my stories.  First, to clear things up about Torak’s Soul-Eater tattoo: we don’t see it when it actually happens, which is at the end of Book 3 (SOUL EATER), but we do see it as a mini-flashback in Chapter 2 of Book 4 (OUTCAST), when Torak recalls the experience of being held down and tattooed.  So it’s understandable that you couldn’t remember either way; indeed, when I got your message, I had to scurry back to the books and check!  As for your second question, you’re not the first reader to suggest a prequel dealing with the Healers/Soul-Eaters, and/or the backstory of Torak’s parents, Fin-Kedinn and Tenris.  But while you perceptively (and persuasively) highlight how this might all work, I’m afraid that I’ve never been tempted to write such prequels,  I think mainly because we know how it all ends, and what happens to all the characters.  I hope that’s not too disappointing; and thanks again for getting in touch. With very best wishes, Michelle


Upcoming Live Events With Michelle

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Wimbledon Book Festival

October 17, 2025
Festival patron and Sunday Times bestselling author Michelle Paver will talk about her latest supernatural fiction in this live recording with Always Take Notes, a podcast for and about writers and writing.

Michelle will discuss her incredible career, from finding inspiration for Wolf Brother on Wimbledon Common to her latest novel Rainforest, which weaves Mayan culture with themes of obsession, gender and rebirth.

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The Witching Hour with Bridget Collins, Michelle Paver and Laura Shepherd-Robinson – Waterstones Canterbury

October 20, 2025

Join Bridget Collins, Michelle Paver and Laura Sheperd-Robinson as they discuss their stories in a brand new collection of ghostly tales called The Witching Hour.

In this dazzling collection of original haunted tales, thirteen bestselling and much-loved authors bring the old superstition of the witching hour to new and vivid life.
Transporting you from the smog of London to the freezing mists of Svalbard, from an Irish town riddled with rumour to a sinister English boarding school, these thirteen stories will serve as your spine tingling companion to the long hours of winter.
So curl up, light a candle, and wait for the clock to strike . . .
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Yeovil Literary Festival

October 25, 2025

An experience like no other. From a writer like no other...

Successfully published as an adult author, the Chronicles of Ancient Darkness (“Wolf Brother”) were her first books for younger readers, followed by her brilliant 5-part series set in the bronze age, Gods and Warriors. On the adult side, her first ghost story, Dark Matter, was a UK bestseller and won massive praise from reviewers and readers alike, as did her second ghost story, Thin Air.

Oxford Literary Festival 2026

March 29, 2026

The Oxford Literary Festival takes place in venues across central Oxford, such as Blackwell's bookshop, the Bodleian Library, the Sheldonian Theatre, the Weston Library, and Oxford colleges such as Christ Church and Worcester College. The festival includes international authors, journalists, intellectuals, historians, and poets.