GtPGKogPYT4p61R1biicqBXsUzo" /> Google+ Book Review: Blood of the Earth (Soulwood #1) by Faith Hunter (spoiler free) | I Smell Sheep

Friday, July 22, 2016

Book Review: Blood of the Earth (Soulwood #1) by Faith Hunter (spoiler free)

Blood of the Earth (Soulwood #1)
by Faith Hunter
August 2nd 2016 by Roc
Mass Market Paperback, 384 pages
Set in the same world as the New York Times bestselling Jane Yellowrock novels, an all-new series starring Nell Ingram, who wields powers as old as the earth.

When Nell Ingram met skinwalker Jane Yellowrock, she was almost alone in the world, exiled by both choice and fear from the cult she was raised in, defending herself with the magic she drew from her deep connection to the forest that surrounds her.

Now, Jane has referred Nell to PsyLED, a Homeland Security agency policing paranormals, and agent Rick LaFleur has shown up at Nell’s doorstep. His appearance forces her out of her isolated life into an investigation that leads to the vampire Blood Master of Nashville.

Nell has a team—and a mission. But to find the Master’s kidnapped vassal, Nell and the PsyLED team will be forced to go deep into the heart of the very cult Nell fears, infiltrating the cult and a humans-only terrorist group before time runs out.


Blood of the Earth is the debut from Faith Hunter's new urban fantasy series Soulwood. It revolves around Nell Ingram...and there is no way to sum up this character in a few words...she is complicatedly delicious. I finished the book days ago, but wasn't quite sure how convey the essence of the story in a way for you to understand. So after days of thinking on it I came up with:

If some books are kind of like eating Jello Brand cheesecake (light and fluffy and sweet)...then Blood of the Earth would be like eating NY cheesecake (dense, heavy and filling)

Yup, that's the best I could come up with <G>. But you get my point...I hope. Anyway, this story is a combination of mystery, crime solving and the supernatural. It has a dark edge, but there is some humor too (Nell's reaction to eating her first Krispy Kream donut and piece of pizza). Nell's character, just like any supernatural character, is hyper-sensory (is that even a word?). Every sense is engage and Faith conveys this to the reader. In the beginning I felt the sensory descriptions were over done, but it evened out quickly.

Nell...I really like this character. She is part Sherlock Holmes, yet part naive, and also too wise for her age...you have to read it to understand. At the beginning of the story Nell has no idea what she is, but she is intimately (and kind of in a creepy way) connected to the earth, especially her woods. She is unsure if her connection is good or evil. By the end of the book Nell does find out exactly what she is and will need to figure out how to use it.

There is a great supporting cast of other characters that Nell lets into her life. Each complex  and with backstories just waiting to be told. My favorite is Tandy. He is an empath and part of the PsyLED team Nell ends up working with. I love how Faith portrays what the life of an empath is like. It was easy to connect with this character and you just want to protect this little cinnamon roll from the world.

As with any first book in a new series, when there is so much world building, you get overloaded with information, but I have no doubt this will smooth out and it didn't keep me from enjoying this story.

4.5 "feed me!" Sheep




SharonS



About the Author:
Faith Hunter, fantasy writer, was born in Louisiana and raised all over the south. She writes three Urban Fantasy series: the Skinwalker series, featuring Jane Yellowrock, a Cherokee skinwalker who hunts rogue vampires. The Soulwood series, featuring earth magic user Nell Ingram. And the Rogue Mage novels, a dark, urban, post-apocalyptic, fantasy series featuring Thorn St. Croix, a stone mage. (There is a role playing game based on the series, ROGUE MAGE.)

Under the pen name Gwen Hunter, she writes action-adventure, mysteries, and thrillers. As Faith and Gwen, she has 30+ books in print in 29 countries.

Hunter writes full-time, tries to keep house, and is a workaholic with a passion for travel, jewelry making, white-water kayaking, and writing. She and her husband love to RV, traveling with their rescued Pomeranians to whitewater rivers all over the Southeast.

10 comments:

  1. Can't wait for this book to come out! Already pre-ordered.

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  2. SQUEE! Great review! Can't wait!

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  3. Great review, makes the wait a little easier.

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    1. glad to hear it! Not too much longer to wait :) come back and tell me what you thought of it!

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  4. I think everyone so far I've seen read this one really enjoyed it. One day hopefully I'll get there :D

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    1. yeah, it is a good story...about a really cool character

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  5. Can't wait for this book, and the follow-up in November!

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  6. Can't wait for this book, and the follow-up in November!

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