As Hunter eased us into the world of Soulwood, she used her primary character, Jane Yellowrock, to introduce us to Nell, a young widow fighting against the efforts of a cult-like church to return to the fold. The first two novels involved spillover from Jane’s world, but in Flame in the Dark, Nell is on her own and in the thick of it. She has been accepted as a junior member of the PsyLED team, and as the book opens, she is doing grunt work after an attack on a powerful senator.
The great thing about Hunter’s novels is that she mixes action and mystery with heart and soul. As the pursuit for the assassin becomes more dangerous, the group begins to speculate that the killer is a member of an unknown paranormal group. Nell herself is attacked and nearly killed as she finds a critical piece of evidence. There are burning houses and exploding cars, and a young boy who can cause burns with a single touch.
But at the same time as the investigation, life goes on for Nell. Occam is continuing his pursuit of her, inviting her to dinner. Her relationship with her family is better than ever; in fact, the family is making efforts to send eligible bachelors to Nell in hopes that she will return to the church and help modernize it. The PsyLED team has accepted her as a member, no longer making accommodations for her newness and her lack of “townie” ways. Lastly, Nell’s sister Mud has come of age and appears to have the same powers that Nell has.
Hunter’s skill as a writer comes as she intertwines Nell’s every-day, ongoing life with PsyLED’s adventurous day job. The descriptions of the group meetings always involve food, and the office has a set up for changing and sleeping. The PsyLED group has become Nell’s second family, one for whom she would risk her life, as she does in this story.

Love The Soulwood Series!!!! I have enjoyed seeing Nell evolve through out the books and can not wait to see where she goes. Also love seeing characters from Jane Yellowrock world also.. Cannot wait for more Nell.

Flame in the Dark must be my most highly anticipated book of 2017. Not only are the two previous books on my top 3 of 2016, I adore the main character. And the support crew. And the worldbuilding. And the unfinished business. Okay, I love everything about this series. It has the best from the Jane Yellowrock universe, without the focus on vampire politics (which I kinda hate and only tolerate because Jane and her crew are so good). So yeah, it sucked me right in.

I am loving Nell's growth. Sure, there was a moment where I kinda screamed "what? No no no no, I don't like it. Faith Hunter cannot do that to me and my precious characters".  I get the why it was there. It was needed. I don't have to like, have I? And Nell's justification for her decision didn't set well with me either. Good thing her actions proved what her heart really felt, otherwise I's be terrible upset.

As usual, the mystery and the parts involved and context was very well put, intricate and with dept. 

And the ending, although not being a cliffhanger - thank the writing gods - leaves you wanting for more. It would be a good ending for a trilogy. Knowing we are going to have more, makes it perfect. For now.

5 fiery stars. I said it before, and will say it again. PICK THE BOOKS AND START READING THEM. It will be worth it. I Promise.

I'm very happy that Faith Hunter decided to expand her Jane Yellowrock world to include Nell Ingram in it. She's a smart heroine who thinks before acting. Her strength comes from the land. Her power comes from Soulwood. Nell is able to communicate with the land and if necessary defend herself using it.

In this latest installment, Nell has finished spook school and now she's the new probie with Unit 18 for the PsyLED. She's getting used to her job and learning the natural interactions outside the Cloud Glory Church sect. The rest of the team is composed of Rick LaFleur, T. Laine, Occam, Jojo and Tandy.

At the beginning of the novel, Unit 18 gets assigned a new case. It has a paranormal component to it and Nell will be very useful in helping determine what is attacking several important families. The case is full of suspense. As always, Nell's intelligence and power of deduction are a great asset to the team. The baddies in this one gave me the creeps. Nasty things!

Flame in the Dark is full of character development. Not only for Nell but for the rest of the team too. Of course, the one which was the most impressive was Nell's. She's learning about her true power and how to use it. She's also helping her younger sister "Mud" understand she's not human either. Nell has learned from her past mistakes and she wants to protect Mud from her family and her own power.

Nell will also have to deal with other thorns in her way. There's the issue of the vampire tree who seems to be getting more powerful but also more demanding, and of what to do with evil Brother Ephraim, who seems ready to attack her.

In regards to the romance, slowly but surely Occam is becoming Nell's leading man. He's a very patient man who's smart enough to give Nell time to adjust to a life outside the "church". Yet, he made his intentions towards her clear as day.

Don't hesitate to grab Flame in the Dark. Faith Hunter knows how to write great Urban Fantasy!

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by Ace Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Soulwood series is so freaking unique and captivating that I simply cannot get enough of it. The diverse cast of paranormal characters, supernatural abilities, and action and suspense keep me glued to the page from the first word to the very last. I definitely recommend that you start this series from the beginning so you have the full story on our diverse cast of characters.

Nell Ingram, our special agent and widder woman from East Tennessee continues to surprise and evolve from her cult/church upbringing. I have really enjoyed watching Nell blossom (literally) and grow into an independent woman, who has become slightly more worldly with each book. Her common sense approach to life is refreshing, and her new experiences out in the world away from the church are usually humorous as all get out.

I particularly like Nell's budding romantic flirtation and relationship with Occam, our southern werecat. Occam's fun and flirty banter always makes me smile, and I can imagine that "Nell, sugar" drawl perfectly in my ear. There were some tense moments involving Occam in this book, and I did get a little teary toward the end. But I am really looking forward to this unfolding relationship and can't wait for Occam to teach Nell how a woman should be treated.

Nell's little sister, Mindy (Mud), also featured more heavily in this installment, and she is an awesome little girl. Mud and Nell have so much in common, and I think having Mud around will show us a different side to Nell. It will be interesting to see if interacting with Mud and her family more will bring Nell closer to the church, or if Nell will be able to bring the church out of their backwards thinking ways.

But the main gist of this story was all about the action and suspense, and our PsyLED Unit 18 coming together to find the new paranormal baddie. This particular villian is very hot and seems to be targeting a very powerful political family in Tennessee. With active shooters and pyromaniacs running around, the team seemed to be one step behind and in danger much of the time. But Nell always persists and seems to get the important job done despite her lack of education and world experience. The suspense plot was definitely interested and well-planned. The whole of the story moved along at a fast clip and kept me motivated to read this book in one sitting. (The only down side being now that I am finished, I have a book hangover that I know is going to last a while!)

I commend Faith Hunter on her imagination because Nell is something wholly unique in urban fantasy. I do hope this series is as long-running as Jane Yellowrock as I enjoy both series immensely. Not to mention, I love that the series are set in two of my old home towns - Knoxville and New Orleans. So much fun!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received from the publisher, Ace and Roc Books.

With so much going on FLAME IN THE DARK takes us even deeper into the world of Soulwood.

FLAME IN THE DARK was not an easy installment for Nell. She has to overcome quite a bit, but evolves with every experience. I always love that Faith Hunter lets us learn about Nell and what she can do right along with her instead of having us play catch up.

Not only is a lot revealed about Nell and what she can do, but the rest of the PsyLED team continues to develop and grow too. I truly enjoy each and every one of them and love learning new things about them. We even get a little bit of progress on a brewing romance in FLAME IN THE DARK.

The storyline is a full one. There are a lot of things happening in FLAME IN THE DARK and although there isn't much downtime, I still found some parts of the book to be a little on the slow side. But even with the slow parts, I still had no problem keeping interested in what was happening. In the future, I would love to see Nell and Jane interacting some more. For now, I will keep my eyes open for book four.

* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Review goes live on Butterfly-o-Meter Books on Dec 8 2017 at 00.00 am gmt+2 and will show up on Goodreads sometime later.

In a Flutter: Imaginative and intriguing
Fluttering Thoughts:
Worldbuilding: Knoxville, Tennessee setting. I love the PsyLED concept. Rich paranormal world: were-creatures, witches, vampires, plus original elements like the arcanciel, grindilow, gwyllgi.
Characters: Nell is getting better and better at this living on her own thing. Maybe too good, lol. Purr baby, purr – enough said. I liked seeing her grow as an investigator too. It was satisfying to see her come into her own and grow a twig or two, hehe. I loved how she came back to herself and her plans, how she handled things.
I really love Occam too, because he’s so sweet and supportive, plus so feline, hehe. I really love felines, what can I say? xD
Plot: The Urban Fantasy procedural side is really awesome and I enjoyed the investigative process. The slow burn romantic element is yummy and sweet. Events have a nice alert tempo.
Writing: Third person, past tense narrative, Nell’s POV.
Curb Appeal: Cool cover, hooking blurb – impulsive buy material for my UF moods.

I recommend Flame in the Dark to fans of Urban Fantasy procedurals and stories involving strong heroines making a place for themselves in a complex world full of perils and adventure.

The Soulwood series has satisfied my hunger for thought provoking Urban Fantasy. Nell Ingram, ex-Church Woman, has grown into her role as a PsyLED investigator. As in the past, probie Nell seems to have the skills to solve the mystery. Her affinity to read the land has evolved her sleuthing skills, but has also evolved her innate affinity with nature. So much so that she has to groom her budding leaves and twigs from her limbs and hair.

The mystery introduces us to another dangerous supernatural species. Every novel is like a Star Trek exploration to another planet, except for we haven’t left Earth! We get an inside look at the team that comprises PsyLED and also the relationships that have developed. Part of Nell’s charm is the fact that even though she was married at 15, she is new to dating, or courting as she calls it. There are two men who want Nell’s attention but only one that she wants back. She finally has the confidence to explore that side of herself and in the next novel I’m hoping we will get to see her actually take that leap into womanhood.

We learn a little more of the inner workings of the Church as her sister Mud matures into a young woman and we see all that entails within the church. Nell is determined to save Mud from her fate. So not only do we see Nell start to build new relationships but we also see her change her old ones.

If you are looking to fill an Urban Fantasy hole this series will certainly do the trick. Faith Hunter continues in the world she built for her Jane Yellowrock series, but Soulwood’s Nell is a brighter beacon in part because her life is young in comparison to Jane’s. The tone of this series is also a little lighter, the dialog bringing moments of humor to pretty dark scenes making me look forward to those small flames in the dark. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❣️

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for my honest review and it was honest.

Total. Book. Hangover. I immediately started this entire series all over again because I just can not get enough of Hunter’s Soulwood characters. Yes, I did re-read Flame in the Dark and I’m sure I will be re-reading it again! It was that good!

Nell raised as a “churchwoman” and now a probe member of the SciLED team is using her cunning and ability to see past the norm to solve complex crimes. I love how she uses her churchwoman speak to her advantage and carefully conceals her genius intelligence. Hunter writes characters that evolve right before our eyes and Nell is one of my favorites.

Flame in the Dark blends an urban fantasy, suspense thriller, and paranormal romance all in one and I absolutely LOVED IT.

I received this ARC copy of Flame in the Dark from Berkley Publishing Group - Ace. This is my honest and voluntary review. Flame in the Dark is set for publication Dec. 5, 2017.

My Rating: 5 Stars
Written by: Faith Hunter
Series: A Soulwood Novel
Sequence in Series: Book 3
Mass Market Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Ace
Publication Date: December 5, 2017
ISBN-10: 0451473337
ISBN-13: 978-0451473332
Genre: Urban Fantasy

Itunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/flam...
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Flame-Soulwood...
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/flam...

Don't Miss Tome Tender's Blog Tour Post December 5, 2017 *Enter the Rafflecopter for a chance to win one of 3 sets of the 1st and 2nd Soulwood Books ( BLOOD OF THE EARTH and CURSE ON THE LAND ) or one $50 Amazon gift card (US residents only)

Reviewed for: http://tometender.blogspot.com

18 likes

I've always enjoyed the Jane Yellowrock series by Faith Hunter but hadn't read any of the Soulwood spin-offs.
Now I need to go back and read the first two in another great series! Thank you NetGalley & Faith Hunter.

Nell is now a fully integrated member of PsyLED Unit 18, and in this book the team takes on a paranormal case of multiple attempts at murder and spontaneous fire at each scene. They don’t know what the creature is and Nell is the only one who can sense the creature. It’s not long before the case turns into something darker and ghostly sinister.

I like the Jane Yelllowrock series but I find Nell so much more interesting. Nell’s powers are growing, and She’s coming a little closer to understanding what she is and can do. I like Nell, want to know more about her life, both personality and professionally, and especially to find out more about what kind of paranormal being she really is. Nell’s slow slow slow relationship with Occam is microscopically growing. There is just a bit of time spent on developing the other members of the team, including Rick has finally learned to shift into his werepanther.

This book was awesome. It's Nell on her land, using her magic to hunt and take down evil. This is my favorite book in the series so far.

In Flame in the Dark, Nell Ingram, now a fully integrated member of PsyLED Unit 18, and her unit are called out to an attack at a political fundraiser. Upon arriving, its clear that there’s no paranormal aspect to the attack since it was a sniper attack and its unknown if a politician or one of the Mithrans were the target. Due to that, PsyLED aren’t in charge but need to help out. After a couple more attacks, it becomes clear that some paranormal creature is targeting a senator and his family so PsyLED have to find out what’s after the senator and why is it attacking him. Luckily, thanks to her abilities in communing with the land and animals, Nell is the only one who can sense the creature. However, as the investigates goes on it soon turns into something darker and sinister especially once certain secrets are revealed and not everyone are what they say are.

Overall, Flame in the Dark was well written and as always was a gripping thrill ride to read! Nell is no longer the churchwoman we first met back in the novella with Jane Yellowrock. Nell is finally turning into a confident and independent woman who is not afraid to stand up for herself and to be heard. Yet, as we see in Flame in the Dark, Nell still struggles to distance herself from the ways and practices of the church she was raised in. Especially since her family are still devoted followers to the church and Nell wants to help her younger sister, Mindy or better known as Mud, who’s a lot like Nell. Nonetheless, Nell proved to us and herself that she’s not going to be the old Nell again and is determined to move forward in her new life. Now in case you were wondering if this is the final installment to the Soulwood series, I doubt it. Once you read Flame in the Dark, you’ll realize that Faith Hunter will most likely write another book. So let’s look forward to hearing the news of another installment to the Soulwood series!


*I received Flame In The Dark from Berkley Publishing Group via Netgalley in return for an honest review.*

In their latest case, Nell Ingram and her team at Psy-LED find themselves in a supporting role for the FBI and Secret Service who are investigating an attack on a local Senator. The team knows the assailant is supernatural, but it will take some time for them to prove it so they can take over the case. The mystery is slow moving with lots of dead ends, though I’m wondering if some of them will come up later in one of Hunter’s series. In the end, what they find is a really unique take on a rarely-seen supernatural type.

One of my favorite things about this series is the Unit Eighteen team, this sort of band of misfits that welcomes Nell with open arms. In Flame in the Dark she continues the progress she made in the previous book toward feeling like part of the team and also feeling like a “normal person,” as opposed to a “church woman.” The two worlds collide in her love life when her family tries to set her up a man from the church. Meanwhile, Nell is trying to come to terms with her feelings for her teammate Occam. I love them together, but they have some have awkward moments while she tries to figure things out.

I also enjoy watching Nell explore her powers but, perhaps because we still don’t know exactly what she is or what she can do, I can’t help thinking that Nell’s magic is just weird – dark and interesting and wholly original, but still weird. To be fair, I think that about Jane Yellowrock’s magic sometimes too. Like Jane, learning as she goes doesn’t always go well for Nell. She makes mistakes and has to figure out how to fix them. But she’s finally gained enough confidence in her abilities that she decides to mentor her sister Mud, which I love. And I like the way Nell, and the series in general, tries to balance the belief that not everything about the church she grew up in is bad with the idea that Mud needs to be rescued. (I’ll bet Hunter didn’t expect talk of child brides to be quite so topical.)

But in that decision to train her sister, there’s also a sense that Nell is defective and doesn’t want Mud to turn out like her. When combined with what’s happening with another character at the end, I felt like this book is telling me that it’s not okay to be broken. After Nell’s worked so hard to accept her powers and her past, that feels wrong. As much as I enjoyed the mystery and the romance, I was left feeling uncomfortable at the end of the book.

Events in the most recent Jane Yellowrock book, Cold Reign, are also mentioned in Flame in the Dark. It’s not enough that you’d be confused if you aren’t reading Jane’s series but if you are, I’d be sure you were caught up before starting this one.

Flame in the Dark is the third installment in author Faith Hunter's
Soulwood series. Special Agent Nell Ingram is a probationary paranormal investigator for PsyLED. She has found a home among Unit Eighteen which includes team leader Rick LaFleur (were-leopard), T. Laine (witch), Occam (were-panther), Jojo (IT Specialist), and Tandy (empath). As the story begins, someone is targeting an influential US Senator who is pro-paranormal rights and his family. What's curious is that at every incident involving the Senator or his family, there are also incidences of fire at the scene.

Since this is a high profile case, Nell and team are joined by Soul, an Arcencial (rainbow dragon), who is now Assistant Director of PsyLED. Soul has now been involved in both Jane Yellowrock's series as well as Nell's. She is a character that you want to avoid making angry at all costs. Between the last book, Curse on the Land, and this story, things have changed quite a bit for the team. Rick, who is now able to shift during the full moon thanks to Nell, has arrived back in Knoxville after spending time with Jane and her team. One could say that he is emotionally bereft and out on a limb and still isn't over how things ended between them.

Meanwhile, Nell is starting to fully understand her abilities. Abilities that allow her to track and use land to help solve investigations. Abilities that allow her to heal herself whenever she gets badly injured by using the land. Abilities that allow her to claim the land using her own blood. She's also physically changing. Let me repeat what I already said about Nell. Just because Nell is a former Church woman who tends to fall back on her church speak, doesn't mean that she's not learned or smart. When given the chance, she is more than capable of figuring out things without people on her team having to explain things to her repeatedly.

The author tempts readers by revealing what Jane has told Nell about what she is. It's also runs in her sister Mindy aka Mud's veins. This dynamic should be interesting going forward. This book is also filled with curious relationship dynamics. If you've Cold Reign, you know that there is trouble on the horizon which is affecting every single Mithran in the US. I mentioned this because Ming of Glass's scion Yummy does a bit of a catch up with Nell and I loved their dynamics. I loved the fact that they could temper themselves long enough to work pretty solidly together. I also loved Yummy's nickname for Nell. Nell & Occam seem to be drifting into uncharted territory for Nell. Occam still owes Nell a date, while her own family is pushing her towards someone else.

I'm rooting for Nell and Occam since they're not human and don't have to worry about one of the grindylow's killing them if they end up covered in blood. While I wasn't a fan of the additional interest in Nell, you can't ignore it. Not when her family is still part of the Church she left behind. While I was happy that Nell finally let her family in on her secret, I will never accept polygamy. It is abhorrent. I don't believe that a 12-year old child is capable of making adult decisions when it comes to being forced into marrying a much, much older man for his second or third wife. The public is fixated on sexual abuse claims on the news these days, but why are we ignoring what is happening to these young girls?

The following is a short story featuring Occam. I hope you enjoy it!

The third book in Faith Hunter’s amazing Soulwood series, FLAME IN THE DARK, excels at ramping the tension of a mystery while the fascinating protagonist, Nell Ingram, continues to shine.

Nell Ingram is an agent with PsyLed, a government agency that investigates the paranormal, the agents of which each have their own abilities. Nell is tied to the earth, in particular, to her land, Soulwood. Through it she can sense things, and the land takes care of her by healing her when need be.

When a powerful senator is nearly killed, Nell’s team is called to investigate. But things are not as they appear, and their assassin seems to be able to disappear at will. Intriguing, diabolical, and complex, the plot flows from one point to the next as Nell and the team put the pieces of this puzzle together.

The secondary characters continue to make this a series worth reading, and the budding relationships Nell has with her Psyled “family” and herself makes for captivating reading.

Then there’s the matter of a problem on Nell’s land, one she’s been putting off fixing for too long. And her relationship with a certain werecat develops, but not fast enough for me.

FLAME IN THE DARK can be read as a standalone but is best enjoyed as the third in this incredibly rich and detailed world. Kudos to Ms. Hunter for getting better with each book, and I can’t wait to see what happens next.

A HIGHLY Recommended Read

SJ, Romance Junkies

This is the first book I've read in this series bust selected it because I think the Jane Yellowrock series is fantastic, I will go back and read the others in this series since it was interesting. Neil is in a team who is dealing with a mysterious attacks on a family. You also have Neil dealing with family issues and issues within the team to make it more than a one sided story.

Yeah, another book in this series! I really hope we get a 4th one*, because I'm really enjoying this series and these characters! The mysteries are intriguing, and this world, I just absolutely love being in it!

I really enjoy being in Nell's head. She has a different way at looking at things, and I enjoy seeing things how she does! One great thing for this book, is we learn more about what she is, and how to help avoid her sister facing a similar fate by learning from her mistakes, so that was really awesome!

The mystery in this book was really intriguing! That the guy basically disappeared, that he left a trail of dying things in his wake, it doesn't add up to anything good! This family just doesn't have any luck, having all this death and destruction follow them! The mystery was a fantastic element of this book, and I absolutely loved it! We got a bit more of this world and the Arcinels, so that was just great!

I really enjoyed how things ended, because facing the bad guy wasn't as close to the end as other books! There was one plotline that's been carried across all 3 books, and it's kinda a two-parter-the church guy she feed to her land, and the vampire tree. And I loved how she dealt with both! Oh, and her relationship with Occam, it takes a definite turn to somewhere it's been hinting since the beginning! It made the ending so satisfying!

This was such a great book, and I can't wait for Nell's next adventure, and Jane's next one, too!

*I knew this, have since January, but I forgot, that Soulwood is going to be a 5 book series at least! Yeah!

WOW! First off let me point out that while I LOVE Jane Yellowrock and this whole world, she is pretty unique BUT there has never been another heroine like Nell, she is the most original character in urban fantasy in many years.

This time she seems to be up against something they can't even identify and add that to the normal trials and tribulations of a woman who had spent her whole life as a "churchwoman" in a near cult-like existence, she is proving to be one heck of a strong heroine.

Nell is in touch with the world around us like no other heroine ever and that has some serious pros and cons, add more into the mix that her sister is exhibiting signs of being like Nell.

This story has a lot going on and you can't scan any pages or you might miss something important and a lot of it is just Nell learning how to be normal as she can.

I won't drone on, this was just an absolutely exceptional story but I have to do some digging since it was written like it could be the last one and I sure hope it is not.

5 Stars easy

★ ★ ★ ★ 1/2 (rounded up)
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
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Rookie Agent Nell Ingram and her PsyLED team start this novel in a multi-agency investigation into an attack on a political fundraiser -- with a focus on one family in particular. There's no obvious paranormal aspect to the attack, so PsyLED isn't in the lead, but there's enough to keep them hanging around the investigation. If for no other reason than the local vampires are interested in what's going on. Soon, other attacks occur, making it even clearer that one family is the target. As the team starts to investigate that family, more questions are raised and secrets are revealed. But it's a long while before the secrets and questions lead to anything useful for preventing further loss of life.

The presence of the vampires is a nice bonus -- they were present a little in Blood of the Earth, but not really in Curse on the Land. Nell's still struggling to make up for a faux pas in her initial exposure to the vampires -- and a couple of them seem to be enjoying her discomfort. I enjoy seeing Hunter's particular brand of vampires running around without Jane and her stakes, as long as she doesn't return to this particular well too much in this series, the Vamps' presence will be a plus.

The PsyLED case itself is a little on the tepid side -- it's far easier for readers to figure out what's going on than it is for the characters, and that always hurts the stories somewhat. But -- wow. What's actually going on when the team finally puts all the pieces together? Wow -- just wow. It makes putting up with their earlier slowness utterly worth it (also, the reader won't be as correct as they thought they were for a long time). Basically, if you find yourself getting annoyed with this story, your patience will be rewarded. Probably more than rewarded.

Speaking of patience, Nell needs to exercise a good deal of it with her family, who are still struggling with understanding just what's going on with her (and they don't know it all!) and her move for independence from the cult she's left. It's clearly, and understandably, difficult to continue to distance herself from the ways and practices she was raised in, while trying to strengthen the ties with the family members still in the church. Meanwhile, the church does seem to be trying to change their practice -- moving to orthopraxy, without much of a move towards orthodoxy. That kind of thing isn't really going to work in the long run -- but then again, Hunter's not writing a realistic account of a movement in a religious group -- so it's not anything to get worked up over. Anyway, Nell puts her foot down on a couple of fronts and draws on some of what she's learned in working with others, to be able handle her family in a way that hopefully gets through to them. She's also making some smart moves regarding her sister, Mud/Mindy, who seems to share a lot of abilities and inclinations with Nell. I can't wait to see what Hunter's got up her sleeve with this.

While this is really Nell's book (and series), there's a great ensemble of characters here. Particularly in the PsyLED team. I'd have preferred a better use of the team, and for the second book in a row, I wondered why Hunter didn't use some of the characters as well as she did in the first book. Maybe this is just me asking for more for Tandy to do.

There's some satisfying development on the Brother Ephriam/foreign entity in Soulwood front (that'll make sense to readers of the series), and regarding the "Vampire Tree." Which just might be the creepiest floral entity I've ever read about -- and it's creepier than a lot of fauna, too. I'm particularly glad about the Brother Ephriam development, I was afraid that things were going to go on too long with that without any real shift in the status quo.

There's also a stronger look at Nell's romantic life here -- her taking the first steps in exploring a real romantic relationship (in contrast to that marriage she was in), and maybe even getting her first "Improperly Proper Kiss." There's just enough romance story allow the reader to see her grow in this way (in addition to all the others she's growing in), just one more step towards her fulfillment -- but not so much that it's the novel's focus.

One of the pluses (and minuses) about this series all along has been how hard it is to simply say what Nell Ingram is. With most UF you can summarize things briefly: She can see dead people, he's a wizard PI, she's a skinwalker vampire hunter, he's the world's oldest living druid, she's a changeling PI, she's a ridiculously named werewolf who has a radio talk show, and so on . . . Nell's a, um. Well. There's magic, and powers over growing things, but no real spells, per se. See what I mean? This is a pain when trying to describe it to others, or even in knowing what to expect from her stories. And Hunter takes full advantage of this, she'll have Nell do whatever at any point in time, and as long as it sort of relates to what she started off doing in Book 1, you buy it. By the same token, I can imagine that might be too much of a blank slate for Hunter -- there are no well-established strengths/weaknesses/tropes to play with. There are things that Nell does here that just blows me away -- and that has a lot to do with Hunter creating this magic creature/race on her own.

When I say that Hunter takes full advantage of this -- I should say I thought she had been for the past two books -- she really lets loose with it this time.

Let me try to sum up this rambling post: this is a slow burn of a novel -- it puts down roots and grows like Nell's plants, and eventually blossoms into something that's great to look at. Be patient with it, watch the growth, and you'll be rewarded. Because when things get going -- they really get going, and it's almost too much to take in. I vacillated a lot about what to rate this -- I argued myself into 4-Stars and then into 5 and back into 4 and so on a few times. but because I really don't place too much weight on the stars, really, I just stopped and split the difference. For those who've been around for the previous two books this is a must read -- if this was going to be the last in the series, it'd be a decent way to leave (thankfully, Soulwood isn't a trilogy); for Yellowrock fans who haven't tried this series yet, you'll appreciate it; and if you've never tried either -- take a dip into this world, but I'll warn you: you'll end up reading all the others.

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from Berkley Publishing Group via NetGalley in exchange for this post -- thanks to both for this. Thanks also to Let’s Talk! Promotions for the opportunity to take part in this book tour. My opinions about the book remain my own.