I enjoyed Curse on the Land very much. It is a great extension into Nell's world. I was lucky enough to do a Q&A with Faith Hunter on my blog and got insight into the creation of the Unit and its members.

Nell is a tree person and while we don't know exactly what that means, her abilities are different than anyone else's in fantasy literature today. Hunter's gift is finding new magic in what could be boring magical systems.

CURSE ON THE LAND is the second installment in the Soulwood Series and is set in the same world as Faith Hunter’s Jane Yellowrock novels. It continues the addicting story of Nell Ingram’s connection to the earth and her rising powers. This is an exciting and original urban-fantasy series filled with magic, science, cool gadgets, and plenty of paranormal going-ons.

Spook Squad, a Missing Vampire, Witches and Brother Ephraim’s Cursed Essence
Curse On the Land picks up after Nell has completed her “Spook Squad” training and jumps into a case where the residents and wildlife of Knoxville, Tennessee are acting strangely near a site that may have had psy-contamination—only Nell and the PsyLED unit find out the case is much more.

The plot in this story is terrific with twists, conspiracies, magic and science bringing all the members of the team to the forefront. I loved getting to know them better and Nell is really coming into her own as a member, while the story continues to test her growing other-like abilities.

“The earth reached up to me, knew me, and took me back into itself the way a mother hen gathers a chick beneath her wings.
I stretched out on the lawn, face and body contact with the ground, hands extended to my sides, and reached deep into the earth.
I spread myself across the life there, rich and fecund and content. I didn’t know what I was, not really, not yet, but I knew my land, and it knew me. I was home.”

From missing vampires to powerful witches to the powers of Soulwood, Faith Hunter brings readers into an exciting world of mystery and the paranormal.

Each member has an exciting back story, and in this installment, we really start to get a good feel for PsyLED team’s abilities. Rick LaFleur definitely had an interesting backstory, as well as more hints and revelations about just what Nell is. There is a slow, simmering romance developing that I really enjoyed as well and I’m excited to see where Faith Hunter takes it. My curiosity about the nature of Soulwood and Nell’s unique family background was an important aspect of this installment, making me anxious for more in the next release.

In the End

Recommended to fans of Urban Fantasy and of Faith Hunter. Curse on the Land is an exciting edition to the series and surpassed my expectations.

I love author and I fell in love this book and Nell. The woman is devious, loving , dynamic and so much more rolled into one. She just home from "Spook School" and then bang all hell breaks loose and Nell and her team have to figure out what's going on and why.

Nell is back from Spook Squad training and ready to be all that she can be. So there is a tough and capable edge to Nell but the training has given her something to relay on. Also a team is good thing for her as well. Her magical connection to her land grounds her but as she returns home something is wrong. PsyLED have a new case in Knox County about strange things in Nell’s particular flavor. What initially appears to be radioactive leaks pretty soon turns out to be a dangerous experimental mutation that has runs wild, spreading death to all it touches .

I have to say that this book set a completely different tone from Blood of the Earth. There were a few moments when it felt less about Nell and her people and more about magic, how it works and more importantly the consequences. I found this totally interesting because Nell’s magic is cool. I also really liked the growth that Nell as a character went through. She is so self contained and devoted to her family, that I like seeing who she is growing into. I also was excited to see her family developing into warmer, much more fleshed out individuals. Yay depth!

Can’t wait to see what is developing with the PsyLED team and specifically with Occam and his devoted protectiveness. Rick still drives me crazy and of course, has found himself in more trouble.