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angie_stl's review against another edition
4.0
Great start to a new series
I've read all of the Jane Yellowrock series, whose world Soulwood is set in, so I feel like I have a decent feel for Ms Hunter's writing style. I almost gave up on Jane early on because of the overly descriptive sections of the books, but I liked the characters, especially Rick LeFleur who is now in Soulwood's world, so I stuck it out and the descriptions became shorter and a little less often. Apparently the overly descriptive style is how Ms Hunter builds her worlds, because those extremely long, overly done descriptions were back in Blood of the Earth. At one point I noticed one descriptive paragraph was longer than the page of my kindle. I'm going to stick it out with this series, hoping that it does as Jane's did and evens out, because Nell is just too interesting to give up on this early in the game!!
I've read all of the Jane Yellowrock series, whose world Soulwood is set in, so I feel like I have a decent feel for Ms Hunter's writing style. I almost gave up on Jane early on because of the overly descriptive sections of the books, but I liked the characters, especially Rick LeFleur who is now in Soulwood's world, so I stuck it out and the descriptions became shorter and a little less often. Apparently the overly descriptive style is how Ms Hunter builds her worlds, because those extremely long, overly done descriptions were back in Blood of the Earth. At one point I noticed one descriptive paragraph was longer than the page of my kindle. I'm going to stick it out with this series, hoping that it does as Jane's did and evens out, because Nell is just too interesting to give up on this early in the game!!
lyndz_'s review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
kinfolk's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
reasonpassion's review against another edition
5.0
Faith Hunter has a way of enlarging the first-person perspective that allows the reader to slip in as if they were reading a version of their own lives. The differences become no less jarring but they are experienced as a form of self-reflection. With Nell, a character as strong as she is witty, as family-centered as she is independent and prone to as many errors as the rest of us, Hunter has created a profoundly human character even as she is anything but. If you want a walk into a new world, one where the existent of vampires is actually less strange than the puritanical cult right next door, then prepare to be drawn in and not let go.
local_hat's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
pjonsson's review against another edition
3.0
I have quite enjoyed Faith Hunter’s Jane Yellowrock series so I had some hopes that I would like this one as well. Well, it is not at all a bad book. The writing is as good as one has come to expect from this author. Unfortunately I found the story to not really be my cup of tea.
The book introduces a new character in the Jane Yellowrock universe. Well, kind of new at least. She was briefly mentioned in one of the Yellowrock books. This new character is a bit of a hermit and woefully uneducated about life outside of her own little bubble.
I think this is were the story starts to disagree with me. Nell starts off being next to brainwashed by the church she was more or less born into. This church seems to be pretty much a parody of Christianity filled with a bunch of rasist and chauvinist assholes treating women like slaves good for nothing but house chores and giving birth. Unfortunately the entire book circles around these asswipes and it became way too much for me rather quickly.
Also, the main protagonist is not only pretty much the opposite of Jane Yellowrock. She does speak up for herself occasionally but, to me, there was a definite lack of spunk. Her powers is quite unique but I found them fairly uninteresting and, for lack of a better word, useless. At least when more offensive tactics were required. I guess it is just the first book so I would suppose both Nell and her powers might grow.
Obviously these are quite personal objections and other people may, and probably will, like the book a lot more. After all, the writing itself is very good and the accompanying characters, the werecats, are quite likable. I didn’t like LaFleur much in the Yellowrock series and do not like him much now either though.
I guess the bottom line for me is that it is a good book but it didn’t work that well for me. I might try having a go at the second one but I do not really feel like I am in a hurry to do so.
The book introduces a new character in the Jane Yellowrock universe. Well, kind of new at least. She was briefly mentioned in one of the Yellowrock books. This new character is a bit of a hermit and woefully uneducated about life outside of her own little bubble.
I think this is were the story starts to disagree with me. Nell starts off being next to brainwashed by the church she was more or less born into. This church seems to be pretty much a parody of Christianity filled with a bunch of rasist and chauvinist assholes treating women like slaves good for nothing but house chores and giving birth. Unfortunately the entire book circles around these asswipes and it became way too much for me rather quickly.
Also, the main protagonist is not only pretty much the opposite of Jane Yellowrock. She does speak up for herself occasionally but, to me, there was a definite lack of spunk. Her powers is quite unique but I found them fairly uninteresting and, for lack of a better word, useless. At least when more offensive tactics were required. I guess it is just the first book so I would suppose both Nell and her powers might grow.
Obviously these are quite personal objections and other people may, and probably will, like the book a lot more. After all, the writing itself is very good and the accompanying characters, the werecats, are quite likable. I didn’t like LaFleur much in the Yellowrock series and do not like him much now either though.
I guess the bottom line for me is that it is a good book but it didn’t work that well for me. I might try having a go at the second one but I do not really feel like I am in a hurry to do so.
sallyh_reads_and_paddles's review against another edition
1.0
I made it halfway. I can’t finish it. Main character jumps back and forth from being a strong female lead to a helpless country yokel.
mleetm's review against another edition
5.0
So satisfying
I loved every minute of this. There were twists and turns that I got once didn’t expect in a book. There was a wholesome feeling to the story, making me feel like this would be a great book to read as a preteen/teen. And I felt like the author managed to write so well about the characters and plot that what would have probably turned me off in other books (many references to an area I lived in for a while and my dad’s family still resides in) managed to still feel new. Seriously, she wrote about people who speak with heavy southern accents and unschooled grammar without making those same people sound ignorant at all. I usually am disgusted by attempts to capture that, and was surprisingly and happily shown the RIGHT way to do so.
I loved every minute of this. There were twists and turns that I got once didn’t expect in a book. There was a wholesome feeling to the story, making me feel like this would be a great book to read as a preteen/teen. And I felt like the author managed to write so well about the characters and plot that what would have probably turned me off in other books (many references to an area I lived in for a while and my dad’s family still resides in) managed to still feel new. Seriously, she wrote about people who speak with heavy southern accents and unschooled grammar without making those same people sound ignorant at all. I usually am disgusted by attempts to capture that, and was surprisingly and happily shown the RIGHT way to do so.
marimoose's review against another edition
4.0
Full review found at Story and Somnomancy.
Initial thoughts: A wood-fairy-thing woman who knows how to use a shotgun gets sucked into consulting for a paranormal investigative unit full of WERECATS and other non-humans. Um. YESTHANKYOUFORTHIS.
Initial thoughts: A wood-fairy-thing woman who knows how to use a shotgun gets sucked into consulting for a paranormal investigative unit full of WERECATS and other non-humans. Um. YESTHANKYOUFORTHIS.
ulrikedg's review against another edition
1.0
I was pretty sure this was a spin-off when I started listening, so I was prepared to miss some nuance from the world and for a bit of exposition to set the stage. Instead of giving readers the necessary information and moving on, the author goes on and on and on about what happened before the book started. Very little of it seems NECESSARY. The conversation between Nell and Rick covered most of the important bits, throw in a bit of internal dialog, and it's all covered. Or it should have been.
On top of the excruciatingly slow start, the lack of research is jarring. The author refers to "red deer" on the land (there are five deer species in North America: white-tailed deer, mule deer, caribou, elk, and moose). Any red deer in Tennessee are escapees from farms, a fact worth noting (imagine reading about hyena or kangaroos running wild in the US without any explanation).
Nell talks about being taught to shoot, and then uses the most abysmal and unsafe methods imaginable! I know tiny 12 year olds who learned to shoot shotguns. One was so light he literally slid back along the bench he was seated on the first time he fired. It didn't leave him with a "shoulder so bruised" he "couldn't use the arm for two weeks." Anyone familiar with a shotgun would know this! If you're that bruised, it's because you weren't holding the gun properly (pull it snuggly into your shoulder, don't give it extra room to "smack" into you). If it knocked you down, you need to lean into it. If you're worried about dislocating your shoulder, you definitely shouldn't brace your back against something solid! A 3" shell will recoil more than a 2.5" shell, but there's no indication the character is abnormally tiny, and no reason she shouldn't be able to shoot a shotgun if someone who knew anything about guns taught her.
Then there's the idea that a horny dude would over look a .32 S&W revolver in her bib overalls pocket when exposing her breasts. It weighs over a pound!
At the end of chapter 3, Nell decides to sleep with the .32 S&W in her pocket, and I realized she was TSTL. DNF
On top of the excruciatingly slow start, the lack of research is jarring. The author refers to "red deer" on the land (there are five deer species in North America: white-tailed deer, mule deer, caribou, elk, and moose). Any red deer in Tennessee are escapees from farms, a fact worth noting (imagine reading about hyena or kangaroos running wild in the US without any explanation).
Nell talks about being taught to shoot, and then uses the most abysmal and unsafe methods imaginable! I know tiny 12 year olds who learned to shoot shotguns. One was so light he literally slid back along the bench he was seated on the first time he fired. It didn't leave him with a "shoulder so bruised" he "couldn't use the arm for two weeks." Anyone familiar with a shotgun would know this! If you're that bruised, it's because you weren't holding the gun properly (pull it snuggly into your shoulder, don't give it extra room to "smack" into you). If it knocked you down, you need to lean into it. If you're worried about dislocating your shoulder, you definitely shouldn't brace your back against something solid! A 3" shell will recoil more than a 2.5" shell, but there's no indication the character is abnormally tiny, and no reason she shouldn't be able to shoot a shotgun if someone who knew anything about guns taught her.
Then there's the idea that a horny dude would over look a .32 S&W revolver in her bib overalls pocket when exposing her breasts. It weighs over a pound!
At the end of chapter 3, Nell decides to sleep with the .32 S&W in her pocket, and I realized she was TSTL. DNF