Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Rift in the Soul by Faith Hunter Series: Soulwood #6
Published by Ace on March 5, 2024
Genres: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 382
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
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Nell Ingram draws her powers from deep in the earth, and uses them to help Psy-LED, the Psychometric Law Enforcement Division, which solves paranormal crimes. When a local vampire calls to report a dead body on her compound, Nell knows she and her team have to be ready for anything.
But the dead body is just the beginning of a mystery that involves supernaturals of all kinds, including some of the most powerful vampires in the country. As Nell gets closer to the truth, she begins to understand that the perpetrator is tracking her too—and that there is something personal about this crime. Something with roots that go almost as deep as those in Soulwood.
I was excited to be back in the world of the Soulwood series. As with most urban fantasy, I would definitely read these in order. I have read the Jane Yellowrock series which I think also helps one to understand more of the world and characters. Plus it is just great reading. The Soulwood series is a spin-off from Jane Yellowrock and I love it just as much or more.
I am so sad to say Rift in the Soul is the last book in series. I somehow didn’t realize it until I had finished reading. There is so much happening with so much to wrap up.
Personally, Nell is sharing custody of Mud with her family. The church has created a council of women to help make decisions or at least provide input. Ester has had her twin babies. Nell and Occam are planning their wedding but they don’t want it to be in the church.
Nell tells us so much of the story as she does her job with PsyLED. Firewind is in charge, although Rick LaFleur is there in the Unit as well. Soul however is on personal leave and they are starting to wonder if something has happened to her.
The “case” is a bunch of weird stuff, which is pretty typical. First, they are called out to Ming of Glass’ home. She shows them the Blood Tarot which Nell has been searching to find since it disappeared from PsyLED. Ming acts very strange and continues to be strange. She also tells them there is a body. PsyLED finds out there are more ancient vampires in town because Yummy knows one of them. The body turns out to be a boy from the church, a Lost Boy. These are boys who are cast out to live on their own. I think mostly since the elders take all the women and have multiple wives. Not many independent women want to marry them and come to live the patriarchal, second class life the church chooses for women.
Yummy ends up coming to Nell’s home to help protect her from the ancient vampires. PsyLED finds more dead Lost Boys and believes the old vampires are torturing them. When more arcenciels show up, they all believe Soul has perhaps been captured by the same ancients.
I enjoyed seeing more of Nell and her new detente with her family and continued growth in her work. The church history has much more than she knew. There are some updates and development with other members of the PsyLED team. I was glad to learn more about the arcenciels and Soul. We find out more about what is going on with some vampires. We even get some Jane Yellowrock updates. I’m certain I would read more but Rift in the Soul has a satisfying conclusion.
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About Faith Hunter
Faith Hunter, fantasy writer, was born in Louisiana and raised all over the south. She writes three Urban Fantasy series: the Skinwalker series, featuring Jane Yellowrock, a Cherokee skinwalker who hunts rogue vampires. The Soulwood series, featuring earth magic user Nell Ingram. And the Rogue Mage novels, a dark, urban, post-apocalyptic, fantasy series featuring Thorn St. Croix, a stone mage. (There is a role playing game based on the series, ROGUE MAGE.)
Under the pen name Gwen Hunter, she writes action-adventure, mysteries, and thrillers. As Faith and Gwen, she has 30+ books in print in 29 countries.
Hunter writes full-time, tries to keep house, and is a workaholic with a passion for travel, jewelry making, white-water kayaking, and writing. She and her husband love to RV, traveling with their rescued Pomeranians to whitewater rivers all over the Southeast.
I read all types of books but my favorites are urban fantasy and romantic suspense.I like some romance and some action / adventure / mystery in everything.I like sex in my books but please, only between TWO people.Intimate conversation is equally important to the sex in a book.It lets me see the characters.The other thing I enjoy is humor.
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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 24-COYER
Glad the series ended well for you. It isn’t always that way.
yes. It is a good stopping point but I would be willing to read more.
I haven’t read Faith Hunter yet, crazy I know. So glad this spinoff series was so good you didn’t even realize it was wrapping up. Sounds like a strong, solid showing.
These are really great books. Rich characters and world-building. Jane is on my list for a Read-along.
Sounds like a great series. Good to know it wrapped up on a good note.
These are great books with lots of great characters and interesting settings.
You’ve nabbed my attention. Can this series be read without having read Jane? I listened to the first three books of that series and didn’t care for it, but I’ve read other stuff by the author and did… so I’m wondering if I’d like this one. Thanks!
You certainly could read it. You might like it better. It connects with Jane and some of the characters are in both series. But you might like Nell and her upbringing in the church and only some interaction with vampires better than Jane’s heavy vampire interaction. There are things I think you would like in later Jane books like her adopted brothers too.
This is a series I hope to listen to. I love her Junkyard Cats series.
I hope you enjoy it as much as I have. I have read the ebooks but have been collecting the audio books for a reread.
I think I have the first book of the Jane Yellowrock on Audible. I started listened but I wasn’t in the mood and didn’t really settle into the story. I should go back and give it a try again.
I ended up binging the first 8 I think once I heard of the series and have kept up with all of them since. Soulwood has a bit of a different feel as Jane and Nell are very different people, but I’ve enjoyed both. They are set in the same world and they each appear in the other’s books sometimes and share some characters.
True Dead
That book is kind of near the end of the series. I can’t do that personally.
I think I started with the first Jane Yellowrock book.
That was what I did, start at the beginning of the series.
I’m dawdling through the Jane Yellowrock series as I thoroughly enjoy the quality of the writing and the way Jane is evolving in response to each of her adventures. Thank you for a fabulous review – and it’s a comfort to know there’s a spin-off series awaiting when I finally get to the end of Jane’s series:).
I really enjoy Jane Yellowrock and have considered doing a Read-along for it. There are just so many I want to do. I have read the whole series and all of Nell. But maybe half the books were read a year apart when released so a Read-along all together would be good. But I’ve opted for more books I haven’t read the last couple years.