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setaian's review against another edition
4.0
Nell Ingram returns with her team of supernatural law enforcement officers. In this book they're on the hunt for a coven of witches that have cast a working that is going haywire and killing people.
So...
There is some good and some not so good.
The very best part of this book is Nell Ingram on her own land. When it's just her and her soulwood I loved it. When the story is small and measured it feels right. I would enjoy a book just about her weeding her garden.
What doesn't really work for me is the guns and gadgets. The law enforcement jargon. The glocks and the CSI. All of that really makes the story feel like a shake and bake romantic suspense. Throw in a car chase, a shoot out and search warrant and voila! There's your book.
It feels easy. And it also feels like an opportunity lost. An opportunity for something truly original.
It's good so 4 Stars. But it's good in the same way as a 100 other books.
So...
There is some good and some not so good.
The very best part of this book is Nell Ingram on her own land. When it's just her and her soulwood I loved it. When the story is small and measured it feels right. I would enjoy a book just about her weeding her garden.
What doesn't really work for me is the guns and gadgets. The law enforcement jargon. The glocks and the CSI. All of that really makes the story feel like a shake and bake romantic suspense. Throw in a car chase, a shoot out and search warrant and voila! There's your book.
It feels easy. And it also feels like an opportunity lost. An opportunity for something truly original.
It's good so 4 Stars. But it's good in the same way as a 100 other books.
amyiw's review against another edition
5.0
4 1/2
This was as good as the first. My only complaint is it got a bit detailed in spots, but the details frequently are interesting or important, not always.
So for those that love or hate Ricky poo from Jane Yellowrock, he has been suffering during the last book and he is a mess at the beginning of this one. We then don't see a lot of him and Parker, just enough. Then near the end, things come to a head. I thought it would end in a total cliffhanger but it didn't, yea. Parker is a piece of work, not quite a spoiler but I'll hide it, Nell is loyal to hers even if they haven't shown loyalty to her.
This one has a lot less of the church, if any. There is her family though they don't play as strong a role. It is more of a side, and the loyalty and support she has for them. She makes more of a connection with her brother and it was nice.
All the characters grow more on you and you still want to know more of many of them.
I'll definitely read on.
This was as good as the first. My only complaint is it got a bit detailed in spots, but the details frequently are interesting or important, not always.
So for those that love or hate Ricky poo from Jane Yellowrock, he has been suffering during the last book and he is a mess at the beginning of this one. We then don't see a lot of him and Parker, just enough. Then near the end, things come to a head. I thought it would end in a total cliffhanger but it didn't, yea. Parker is a piece of work, not quite a spoiler but I'll hide it,
Spoiler
That she invites Nell back to Africa shows how little she knows Nell,This one has a lot less of the church, if any. There is her family though they don't play as strong a role. It is more of a side, and the loyalty and support she has for them. She makes more of a connection with her brother and it was nice.
All the characters grow more on you and you still want to know more of many of them.
I'll definitely read on.
bookfessional's review against another edition
4.0
Reviewed by: Rabid Reads
When I found out that Faith Hunter, author of beloved JANE YELLOWROCK series, was writing a new urban fantasy series about fae in my backyard (Oak Ridge, TN), I whooped.
Literally. Out loud. At a convention. It was kind of embarrassing.
*whispers* I got over it.
And after the awesomeness that was this second installment, I even feel justified. Not that I'm surprised. B/c Faith Hunter.
BUT.
If you're familiar with my reviews of the aforementioned JANE YELLOWROCK series, you know my one reservation was that Rick Lafleur (the slimeball) is a significant character in this spin-off from Jane's world.
I loathe him. LOATHE. L-O-A-T-H-E.
I'm not sure, but he might even be the inspiration behind the creation of my hate-loathe-despise-and-abominate shelf on Goodreads.
But we were told that Rick doesn't get off unscathed, doesn't get to skip off into the sunset and live happily ever after, after he didthething (which elicited another vocal response, this time of RAGE--an author who can provoke such visceral responses speaks for herself, doesn't she?), and in CURSE ON THE LAND we finally see that promise come to fruition.
*is gleeful* *maybe even smirks*
And do I feel sorry for him in the aftermath? That would be a resounding NO.
2. Which ultimately means he's free of her. *waves goodbye to Paka*
3. Now that he's all alone, his life a shambles, maybe he'll be forced to take a good look at the decisions that led him to his current place of misery and *rolls eyes* regret. Make some changes and whatnot.
As long as those changes don't involve him trying to make things right with Jane. If she ever, and I do mean EVER, takes him back, I will lose my bloody mind.
Actions must have consequences. How else is a lesson learned supposed to stick?
Moving on from my Rick rant, SOULWOOD #2 has much more to offer than resolution to long harbored resentment of a member of Nell's supporting cast.
You: Like what?
Me: Things like Old Ones slumbering deep in the earth.
You: Old Ones?
Me: Ancient and powerful entities best left undisturbed . . .
Which of course is going to take some doing from Nell and her PsyLED cohorts.
Are they successful?
READ THE BOOK. *winks*
And that's not all. There's also Knoxville turning into an alien landscape of black slime mold and scary flowering outgrowths, revived Nazi plots, corporate espionage, escalation of individual's superpowers and the resulting abuse, lions and tigers and bears, oh my!
So, I repeat, READ THE BOOK. Highly recommended.
When I found out that Faith Hunter, author of beloved JANE YELLOWROCK series, was writing a new urban fantasy series about fae in my backyard (Oak Ridge, TN), I whooped.
Literally. Out loud. At a convention. It was kind of embarrassing.
*whispers* I got over it.
And after the awesomeness that was this second installment, I even feel justified. Not that I'm surprised. B/c Faith Hunter.
BUT.
If you're familiar with my reviews of the aforementioned JANE YELLOWROCK series, you know my one reservation was that Rick Lafleur (the slimeball) is a significant character in this spin-off from Jane's world.
I loathe him. LOATHE. L-O-A-T-H-E.
I'm not sure, but he might even be the inspiration behind the creation of my hate-loathe-despise-and-abominate shelf on Goodreads.
But we were told that Rick doesn't get off unscathed, doesn't get to skip off into the sunset and live happily ever after, after he didthething (which elicited another vocal response, this time of RAGE--an author who can provoke such visceral responses speaks for herself, doesn't she?), and in CURSE ON THE LAND we finally see that promise come to fruition.
*is gleeful* *maybe even smirks*
And do I feel sorry for him in the aftermath? That would be a resounding NO.
Spoiler
1. Finding out part of what made him follow Paka out of that vamp party was her own personal flavor of magic ensorcelling him didn't make me any less angry, b/c let's face it--he'd probably have done it anyway, the inconstant bastard. AND we found out right before he's (somewhat?) healed from the effects, so not a lot time to contemplate the possibility of misjudgment (b/c fine now, so who cares?).2. Which ultimately means he's free of her. *waves goodbye to Paka*
3. Now that he's all alone, his life a shambles, maybe he'll be forced to take a good look at the decisions that led him to his current place of misery and *rolls eyes* regret. Make some changes and whatnot.
As long as those changes don't involve him trying to make things right with Jane. If she ever, and I do mean EVER, takes him back, I will lose my bloody mind.
Actions must have consequences. How else is a lesson learned supposed to stick?
Moving on from my Rick rant, SOULWOOD #2 has much more to offer than resolution to long harbored resentment of a member of Nell's supporting cast.
You: Like what?
Me: Things like Old Ones slumbering deep in the earth.
You: Old Ones?
Me: Ancient and powerful entities best left undisturbed . . .
Which of course is going to take some doing from Nell and her PsyLED cohorts.
Are they successful?
READ THE BOOK. *winks*
And that's not all. There's also Knoxville turning into an alien landscape of black slime mold and scary flowering outgrowths, revived Nazi plots, corporate espionage, escalation of individual's superpowers and the resulting abuse, lions and tigers and bears, oh my!
So, I repeat, READ THE BOOK. Highly recommended.
shelfquest's review against another edition
4.0
In the second book of the Soulwood series we see Nell in her first PSYLED investigation after a group of deer and geese are found behaving oddly, then all die.
Throughout the book there was a minor storyline about Nell's land; I was glad to finally see her get somewhere with that at the end of the book and stop casually wondering what was wrong with it and saying she'd deal with it later.
Overall, I really liked this book. It advances some great stories, gives us a hint at the furure of Nell's possible love life, and we see Ricky Bo kind of finally catch a break. I know a lot of people do NOT like Rick, but I have a soft spot for him for some reason. If you like the Jane Yellowrock series, definitely give this one a try!
I received an advanced copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Throughout the book there was a minor storyline about Nell's land; I was glad to finally see her get somewhere with that at the end of the book and stop casually wondering what was wrong with it and saying she'd deal with it later.
Overall, I really liked this book. It advances some great stories, gives us a hint at the furure of Nell's possible love life, and we see Ricky Bo kind of finally catch a break. I know a lot of people do NOT like Rick, but I have a soft spot for him for some reason. If you like the Jane Yellowrock series, definitely give this one a try!
I received an advanced copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
drey72's review against another edition
4.0
drey’s thoughts:
It’s official! Nell is now a part of PsyLED, Unit Eighteen, and has the Spook School training to prove it. But before she has time to rest up after training, Nell’s pulled into an investigation – and finds evil and radiation poisoning the land…
And other presences. Singing, dancing, slumbering presences, in addition to Brother Ephraim’s pulsing evil beneath Soulwood.
The Plot: Curse on the Land is messy and gritty and icky, and all of it is part and parcel of Faith Hunter’s descriptive, detailed world building. So now you’re warned before you get to the bodies – and there are lots of bodies in Curse on the Land.
Which means Nell’s investigating the logical – and paranormal – reasons for said bodies, while trying to hide that thing-she-did-to-Brother-Ephraim. And, of course there’s a deadline.
The Characters: I really liked how much Nell grows in Curse on the Land. She’s more comfortable being herself, she’s getting better at accepting help, and she’s working on being open to friendships.
I also – and I hate to say this, after what he put Jane through – feel sorry for Rick. And I’m not saying another word on this; you’ll have to read the book for yourself to find out why.
The Story: There’s so much going on in Curse on the Land that it could take a while to absorb everything. Sure, there’s the deaths to investigate, which takes up a lot of the book. There’s also character growth, and not just Nell’s. And local histories to dig into, team dynamics to get used to, family relationships to rebuild and regrow, wicked trees to (attempt to) contain, and ginormous presences to keep asleep. I’m sure if I re-read Curse on the Land right now, I’ll find something else that I missed in the first few go-rounds.
Which is just another excuse reason to pick it up again. 😉
drey’s rating: Excellent!This review was originally posted on drey's library
It’s official! Nell is now a part of PsyLED, Unit Eighteen, and has the Spook School training to prove it. But before she has time to rest up after training, Nell’s pulled into an investigation – and finds evil and radiation poisoning the land…
And other presences. Singing, dancing, slumbering presences, in addition to Brother Ephraim’s pulsing evil beneath Soulwood.
The Plot: Curse on the Land is messy and gritty and icky, and all of it is part and parcel of Faith Hunter’s descriptive, detailed world building. So now you’re warned before you get to the bodies – and there are lots of bodies in Curse on the Land.
Which means Nell’s investigating the logical – and paranormal – reasons for said bodies, while trying to hide that thing-she-did-to-Brother-Ephraim. And, of course there’s a deadline.
The Characters: I really liked how much Nell grows in Curse on the Land. She’s more comfortable being herself, she’s getting better at accepting help, and she’s working on being open to friendships.
I also – and I hate to say this, after what he put Jane through – feel sorry for Rick. And I’m not saying another word on this; you’ll have to read the book for yourself to find out why.
The Story: There’s so much going on in Curse on the Land that it could take a while to absorb everything. Sure, there’s the deaths to investigate, which takes up a lot of the book. There’s also character growth, and not just Nell’s. And local histories to dig into, team dynamics to get used to, family relationships to rebuild and regrow, wicked trees to (attempt to) contain, and ginormous presences to keep asleep. I’m sure if I re-read Curse on the Land right now, I’ll find something else that I missed in the first few go-rounds.
Which is just another excuse reason to pick it up again. 😉
drey’s rating: Excellent!This review was originally posted on drey's library
lindca's review against another edition
4.0
I had my doubts about both this new series and its protagonist, Nell, but no longer. Nell is an atypical UF heroine, with her odd backwoods cult background and her unusual power/affinity to the land, not exactly the usual kickass, in your face kind of ability. Yet she is very smart, and her nonhuman characteristics, which she continues to develop and discover for herself, make her unique and interesting in a very crowded UF field.
The story itself also is atypical, more of a mystery which centers on supernatural elements than most UF tales. It dragged a bit at times as the team struggled without much success to find answers, but overall, it was a very satisfying story. The main problem was resolved, Nell learned more about her own abilities, and the storyline of Rick and Paka, spilled over from the Jane Yellowrock books, had some significant movement. Given Rick's regrets and suffering over the course of these books, I don't even hate him anymore, though maybe a little more suffering would be okay. ;)
This book solidified my like for Nell and this new series. Now I have two ongoing Faith Hunter series to look forward to and enjoy.
The story itself also is atypical, more of a mystery which centers on supernatural elements than most UF tales. It dragged a bit at times as the team struggled without much success to find answers, but overall, it was a very satisfying story. The main problem was resolved, Nell learned more about her own abilities, and the storyline of Rick and Paka, spilled over from the Jane Yellowrock books, had some significant movement. Given Rick's regrets and suffering over the course of these books, I don't even hate him anymore, though maybe a little more suffering would be okay. ;)
This book solidified my like for Nell and this new series. Now I have two ongoing Faith Hunter series to look forward to and enjoy.
bookwormbunny's review against another edition
5.0
Curse on the Land by Faith Hunter is the return of Nell, the changing of her life, and a new danger that threatens many all around. Change is coming in more ways than one and the question is – can Nell rise to the challenges that are coming her way? Is she going to be strong enough to face the danger that threatens lives?
Curse on the Land is an engaging addition to the Soulwood series. Nell is growing up more thanks to the PsyLed team and her time at Spook School. She’s learned quite a bit and of course, the cat is out of the bag concerning her. But more than one secret will be out of the bag in this book. A dangerous thing has been let loose in the area and it is interesting to follow the story as Nell and the others work to uncover what exactly is going on. This book is full of danger and I have to admit that I like how most of it is unseen but ever prevalent. I also appreciate that the danger is on multiple fronts. You just never really know where it’s going to come from. There are places in this book where the author had me literally sitting forward as I was so eager to learn what was happen next. I love edge-of-your-seat stories like that. This history that the author works and weaves into this story is truly fascinating and left me page-turning.
There isn’t anything that I don’t like about this book. We get a nice little hint of some potential romance, lots of danger, some history, and a ton of suspense. I will say this though…I am REALLY hopeful that something begins to bloom between Nell and Occam.
I am more than happy to rate this book 5 out of 5 stars. This story is engaging, multi-layered and well done. While this story focuses less on Nell’s past (i.e. the church) I applaud that the author keeps it a part of the story because it is her history. There are some surprising revelations that truly connect the dots in certain scenarios and makes me curious as to the ripple effect that it will have in both series. I’m looking forward to the next book in this series and future books by this author.
Curse on the Land is an engaging addition to the Soulwood series. Nell is growing up more thanks to the PsyLed team and her time at Spook School. She’s learned quite a bit and of course, the cat is out of the bag concerning her. But more than one secret will be out of the bag in this book. A dangerous thing has been let loose in the area and it is interesting to follow the story as Nell and the others work to uncover what exactly is going on. This book is full of danger and I have to admit that I like how most of it is unseen but ever prevalent. I also appreciate that the danger is on multiple fronts. You just never really know where it’s going to come from. There are places in this book where the author had me literally sitting forward as I was so eager to learn what was happen next. I love edge-of-your-seat stories like that. This history that the author works and weaves into this story is truly fascinating and left me page-turning.
There isn’t anything that I don’t like about this book. We get a nice little hint of some potential romance, lots of danger, some history, and a ton of suspense. I will say this though…I am REALLY hopeful that something begins to bloom between Nell and Occam.
I am more than happy to rate this book 5 out of 5 stars. This story is engaging, multi-layered and well done. While this story focuses less on Nell’s past (i.e. the church) I applaud that the author keeps it a part of the story because it is her history. There are some surprising revelations that truly connect the dots in certain scenarios and makes me curious as to the ripple effect that it will have in both series. I’m looking forward to the next book in this series and future books by this author.
book_realm_revisions's review against another edition
5.0
Loving this series as well as the Skinwalker series! I can't wait for book 3!
jephers's review against another edition
4.0
Lots of great detail....sooooo much detail. But it also feels like vital stuff nearing the end of the story happens off-panel. And you can tell there's a long background event building with Brother Aphrem.
slc333's review against another edition
4.0
I love Nell, the magic is interesting and a little different and I officially don’t hate Rick anymore – I feel too sorry for the poor bastard. Looking forward to the next one.