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bookbeaut 's review for:
Blood of the Earth
by Faith Hunter
This was a lot different from the Mercy Thompson series, which was refreshing for me. I haven't read the Thompson entry in which Nell first appears, but I decided to give it a go anyway and I'm glad I did.
It's still got the cadence of the Mercy Thompson series - Hunter does a lot of little details, mundane, every-day stuff that can get kind of slow in the Mercy books. But that style makes a lot more sense with Nell. It was much more valuable to have little details spelled out like that, because that's the way Nell works. Methodically, with precision, sorting through the things that are on her mind. I really loved her character, and I felt a lot for her as she discovers different things about her past in this book.
I also loved the side characters - especially the PsyLed team. Occam's gentleness with Nell was so sweet. Tandy's ability to read her was really special, too, and the way she takes care of him is wonderful. I feel the other members of the team weren't explored much, but that's okay. In a series, you've got time to do that. Like I said, I hadn't finished the Mercy Thompson series yet so I didn't have a good frame of reference for where Rick was at, but I greatly appreciated him not being a love interest in this installment. I think it makes for a better arc for him.
I also loved the descriptions of Nell's magic. She's not sure if she's good or evil or what, and I found it fascinating to read (unlike in the Mercy series - I usually skip over all the spiritual parts). There's a good texture to the way her magic works that makes it fun to read.
There were a few things that didn't quite make sense, plot threads that kind of just unraveled and were left that way and not in the sense that they were left dangling for the next installment - just like, woosh, vanished. That was a bit annoying. And in some parts, the sequence of events was a little shaky.
Overall, though, I really enjoyed this book. It feels like a special story with Nell in the forefront. I am looking forward to her next installment very much.
It's still got the cadence of the Mercy Thompson series - Hunter does a lot of little details, mundane, every-day stuff that can get kind of slow in the Mercy books. But that style makes a lot more sense with Nell. It was much more valuable to have little details spelled out like that, because that's the way Nell works. Methodically, with precision, sorting through the things that are on her mind. I really loved her character, and I felt a lot for her as she discovers different things about her past in this book.
I also loved the side characters - especially the PsyLed team. Occam's gentleness with Nell was so sweet. Tandy's ability to read her was really special, too, and the way she takes care of him is wonderful. I feel the other members of the team weren't explored much, but that's okay. In a series, you've got time to do that. Like I said, I hadn't finished the Mercy Thompson series yet so I didn't have a good frame of reference for where Rick was at, but I greatly appreciated him not being a love interest in this installment. I think it makes for a better arc for him.
I also loved the descriptions of Nell's magic. She's not sure if she's good or evil or what, and I found it fascinating to read (unlike in the Mercy series - I usually skip over all the spiritual parts). There's a good texture to the way her magic works that makes it fun to read.
There were a few things that didn't quite make sense, plot threads that kind of just unraveled and were left that way
Spoiler
the whole "Gog and Magog" thing? Where all Nell's family are using a code word and told to get their guns - it kind of just...disappears?Overall, though, I really enjoyed this book. It feels like a special story with Nell in the forefront. I am looking forward to her next installment very much.