I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own. 

In Don Sawyer’s The Tunnels of Buda, the second book in the Soul Catcher series, a deadly conspiracy finds a cabal of masters using magic and sorcery to enslave the populace, and two people fighting an unimaginable power under the Buda Castle.

The Synopsis

Don Sawyer’s THE TUNNELS OF BUDA, the second romantic fantasy thriller in the Soul Catcher series, in which a magical gem maker and an empath struggle against a hideous conspiracy of evil headquartered in a maze of fantastic tunnels deep below Hungary’s Buda Castle.

The Mester is dead or maimed and the black stone used to control his network of gem makers is in Barbara and Zoltan’s hands. But as Zoltan discovered in the ruin bars of Budapest from a former associate, who turned up beheaded and his hands cut off, the Mester was just a small part of a much larger cabal, an ancient Order dating back to Aristotle and beyond. The Order has one goal: to convince the populace that there are masters divinely intended to rule and slaves meant only to obey.

Using magic and sorcery, both ancient and modern, they will stop at nothing to protect the rule of the aristoi.

But this time the “slaves” are fighting back, drawing on the knowledge and skills from many traditions and backgrounds, including magic of their own, to battle this shadowy cabal and its message of fear, division and hopelessness.

In The Tunnels of Buda Zoltan, the 110-year-old gem maker and Barbara, empath and gem wielder, veer in new and terrifying directions, facing evil on an unimagined scale. They are drawn to the lair of the Justin, so powerful he controls the minds of all around him and who commands the Company, a hidden underground futuristic complex that serves as the hub of the Order’s monstrous conspiracy to enact the darkest of Nietzsche’s Weltanschauung.

Barbara and Zoltan find new allies and diabolical enemies as they fight for their lives in the mines and ancient tunnels deep below Buda Castle in Budapest.

The Review

This was an incredible sequel to the author’s first book in the series. The wealth of world-building the author poured into this narrative was perfectly paired with the depth of character development that went into this story. Zoltan and Barbara’s connection and emotional bond as they traverse the tunnels under Budapest and the action as they face these conspirators coming for them allowed this story to shine brightly. 

The way the author was able to delve into the personal relationships of these characters and expand upon the mythos of this series while still connecting readers to more prominent themes was incredible. As the story progressed, the way the characters challenged the cynical nature of the Company and their drive to esnlave humanity for their own needs by believing in the power of love and the fight for freedom stood out, elevating the natural progression of the mystery behind this conspiracy and the rich setting of the Castle as well.

The Verdict

Memorable, action-packed, and gripping in its delivery, author Don Sawyer’s upcoming novel “The Tunnels of Buda” is a fantastic read and a great addition to the Soul Catcher series. The twists and turns this narrative faces, and the richly developed cast of characters, gave this novel the push needed to cement the universe the author crafted into place and bring readers in. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy on May 27th, 2025!

Rating: 10/10

About the Author

Don Sawyer, writer and educator, grew up in Michigan and moved to Canada in the 1960s.

Don has worked with youth and adults from many cultural backgrounds and in a variety of locales. A world of opportunity and experiences opened up after he left a PhD program in Modern Chinese History, from teaching in a small Newfoundland outport, to training community workers in West Africa, to teaching First Nations adults in BC, to designing a climate change action course for Jamaican youth.

Before moving to Ontario, Don lived and worked in Salmon Arm BC for more than thirty years. There he taught adult education, served as the Chair of the Okanagan University College (OUC) Adult Basic Education Department, and acted as the Curriculum Director for the Native Adult Education Resource Centre.

https://www.donsawyer.org/