Faith Hunter is one of my all time favorite authors and Rift in the Soul did NOT disappoint! A wonderful journey back into the world of Soulwood. Highly recommend and will purchase several physical and digital copies for library collections.

In this sixth book in the Soulwood novel series, Faith Hunter continues with her superlative writing and has created a compelling story. The book picks up right from the previous books in the series, continuing the growth of Nell and her powers. Faith Hunter doesn’t lose a beat as she blends together elements of this series with her Jane Yellowrock series, allowing readers to see another aspect of the universe.
One of the reasons the story is so compelling is the growth in Nell, both as she comes into her power, embracing her abilities, facing her roots with her family and taking ownership as an officer. I love that the dilemma in the novel touches on Nell’s family and its history, how that history impacts the conflict and how Nell embraces that history, realizes more of her powers. I also love her relationship and friendships, each developing further from the previous books in the series. The ending is especially impactful.
If you like urban fantasy and are already a reader of this series, you will love how much Nell grows. If you haven’t, I would give this series a chance. Nell is an unusual character and the narrative is a compelling story, full of intrigue, drama, and personal impact to Nell. I loved how the story developed and ultimately, I love how the ending brings a close to one chapter in Nell’s life.

Rift in the Soul

Rift in the Soul is a novel in the Soulwood series, with Nell Ingram as the main character. Nell has grown and become more social with her coworkers and a couple people she’s met through her job since the beginning of the book. She had been extremely sheltered and oppressed as a young woman “in the church”, which was just a polygamist cult. Personally I have no issues with people wanting to live a polygamist life, but in the cult, women didn’t get a choice. In fact, Nell was first married as a very young woman, barely out of girlhood, to a man that had one wife already, but most importantly they lived off church property. Her husband and his first wife both passed when Nell was pretty young, leaving her open to be harassed and threatened by the men of the church. That’s a quick background of Nell’s life before PSYLed.

In this book, Nell is called to the Mithran Master of the City’s, Ming of Glass, home. Ming isn’t acting her normal crazy self, nor is her primo and closest blood servant. They want her to check out a cursed tarot deck and for her to take a boy’s body away. She finds out that she knows the dead boy and she and PSYLed have to figure out what happened to him. A vampire in Ming’s chain of command and Nell are set up as bait for a really old vampire that had been a priest during the Inquisition, but was pretty much locked away in the Vatican when he was turned into a vampire. Now, centuries later, he’s in PSYLed Unit 18’s area, which is troublesome for him!!

There’s also much discussion of Plant People and Devil Dogs, and how they relate back to the church. Some of this was discussed in an earlier book or two, including the abuse the women of the church suffered at the hands of the men.

This book is a bit heavier to read, but it is great. The whole series is, as is Jane Yellowrock’s series. They are definitely connected. It is somewhat easier if you read them all in the order of their world, which may not be the easiest to figure out. Otherwise you’ll miss bits and pieces throughout the series. Definitely recommend this to any PNR/UF or even fantasy romance stories!!it absolutely helps if you’ve read the other books in the series!

I received a free copy from NetGalley of Rift in the Soul by Faith Hunter. This is the 6th book in the series Soulwood. Soulwood is the land that Nell, a plant woman, lives on. She can communicate with her land and other land and grows tree leaves in her hair and nails when she uses her power. Her fiance is Occam, a were-cat abd they both work for Psy-Led a paranormal police type investigative team. In this book they investigate vampires and Welsh Devil Dogs which are tied to the polygamous church that Nell was raise in. I love the world building and her conversations that the characters have. I highly recommend this book

I am always afraid when I read books by Faith Hunter these days that she will be ending a series but to the best of my knowledge this was not a series ending but it did end a few things along the way. Nell has always been one of the most fascinating characters in all of science fiction/urban fantasy and I hope she never stops writing about her. This book as most of her books has plots and sub-plots and they all combine to make a riveting story which I cannot say too much in this review without giving too many spoilers away. The basic thing is that Soul seems to be missing, the fact that the relationship between Nell and her sisters adds another level of interest to this story and the land itself is treated pretty much as a living secondary character. It starts to grab you soon after starting, then there is a lull here and there between actions and discoveries and this review sounds lacking even to me but it is 5 Stars and this should not be the first book in this series you should be reading or you will be missing a LOT. 5 Stars and more if I could give them.

There is always a tons of action when it comes to any book that Faith Hunter writes, and RIFT IN THE SOUL was no exception. Nell is such a different kind of character, but she pulls you into her story and you can't help but want to read more and more.

RIFT IN THE SOUL was a great continuation of the Soulwood series. I enjoyed the storyline and the character growth. I also enjoyed some of the mentions that involve the Jane Yellowrock series. You can't go wrong with either series.

I was a bit late to the Faith Hunter game, but this is a really fun addition to the series. Strong writing, interesting plot, and great installment in an excellent series.

Faith Hunter continues her Soulwood fantasies with Rift in the Soul. Nell Ingram draws her powers from the ground in Soulwood where the trees are sentient. She works with a division of PsyLED to fix supernatural problems; The vampires are acting crazy as an angel gave them back their souls; arceniels, flying dragons, were trapped and need to be freed and Torquemada, now a vampire, is trying to bring back the inquisition. What could go wrong? Paranormal crime fiction at its best.

★ ★ ★ ★ 1/2 (rounded up)
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
---
WHAT'S RIFT IN THE SOUL ABOUT?
As is so often the case with books in this series, there's a lot going on--issues with Nell and her powers, Nell and her sisters/pets/family, and some sort of supernatural-based crime for starters. So this isn't going to be exhaustive (I hopefully never am, but I felt like I should say that here).

Nell is summoned to appear before Ming of Glass, the vampire Master of the City. They've had an interesting relationship in the past, and from the moment the two encounter each other in these pages you know things are going to be much more so. Because this book happens after the events of Final Heir and Ming and her vampires aren't quite like they were last time Nell crossed paths with them.

There's a body on Ming's land that she wants Nell to take away and investigate. Her people aren't responsible for the death--and none of them understand it. As it's on Ming's property, it's a PsyLED problem.

Before PsyLED can do anything about it, Nell catches the attention of vampires that aren't associated with Ming. And...I don't know what else to say about that beyond, drama, violence, and other tense nouns ensue.

Oh, and in the middle of all this, Nell has to prepare for Christmas with her expanding family and a wedding. Because even for a PsyLED Special Agent, there's more to life than just ancient vampires on the hunt.

THE JANE YELLOWROCK RIPPLES
I may spill a bit more from the end of the Yellowrock books than people who haven't finished might like. If that's you, read this next paragraph and then skip to the next heading, okay?

As I've said frequently when it comes to this series--if you haven't read the Jane Yellowrock books that it spun off from, you're going to be okay. You have all the information you need in the Soulwood books. However, if you have read both, you're going to get a lot more from the series.

Boy howdy, is that true here. Yes, it seemed like almost everything got resolved and wrapped up in a pretty little bow at the end of the Yellowrock series. Buuuut...there were enough things dangling to make it seem realistic and maybe allow for short stories from those characters and so on--or, for Soulwood to pick them up and do something with them.

For example--is everything peachy keen in the vampire world now? Is everyone getting along? (I think we know the answer to that) What does it mean for vampires to have their souls back? That's a bigger question than this book can really answer, but we get a peek into the answers.

There are some other things, too--but you should find those out for yourself.

I found this aspect of the novel very satisfying and it scratched an itch I didn't realize I had. We don't see Jane or hear from her directly. But we get to hear a vague update on her and a couple of familiar names pop up to help out here.

THE VAMPIRE TREE/THE GREEN KNIGHT/SOULWOOD
Every time we readers--or Nell--seem to think we all have reached some solid conclusions about Nell's abilities and her land, Hunter comes along, shakes her head at our naiveté, and shows us how little we actually get.

This is all the clearer when it comes to The Vampire Tree and The Green Knight persona. As both seem to be developing and evolving, it's understandable that we (readers andNell) keep being surprised. It's also kind of nice that we can't get complacent. Nell was rocked by some of what she experiences in this book--and, reader, you will be, too. You will almost certainly want more details--like 4+ bonus chapters just about these things (you'll know it them when you see them), and will likely have a couple of dozen questions to ask Nell and/or Hunter.

But wait, there's more. We get to see the way that Mud and Esther connect to all this--and it is not precisely the same way that Nell does.

Fans are going to sink their teeth and/or claws into this aspect of the book--and might not care that much about the plot in contrast to this. Well, that might be overstating it--but many fans would be content to hit "pause" on the action for a bit to focus on it.

SPEAKING OF THINGS THAT WE READERS THINK WE UNDERSTAND...
As one would expect, things (outside of Nell's personal life) bring us back to God's Cloud of Glory Church/cult/compound. We end up circling back to events of Blood of the Earth and Curse on the Land in troubling ways. This leads Nell to rethink some of the theories and conclusions she reached back then, and to ask uncomfortable questions.

It's only when you get a series to this kind of length that it becomes this rewarding to come back and take a second look at things like this (sorry for the vagueness). But in the light of these new circumstances, it's good that we readers and Nell get that second look. It really pays off.

I wouldn't mind a little less from this group in the future, but I don't know if that's possible given the way this series has been build. (at the same time, I don't mind seeing them, I'm just worried that it's becoming a rut)

SO, WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT RIFT IN THE SOUL?
I don't want to overstate this, but I'm not sure how I could. Nor am I going to explain this. No future Soulwood book is going to be like the ones that came before this one. Yes, yes, yes--the crimes, the monsters, the magic in each is a different kind of problem. But beyond all that, there's a lot to each of these books that take on similar shapes, and patterns--just in the characters, but outside that, too. That all changes here.

And it's a good thing--as comfortable as it is to watch the same set of investigators run down leads, do some magic, shift into wereforms/other shifts, and so on. A good, healthy series grows and develops--like, a garden or a forest (golly, why would someone think in botanical terms when it comes to this series?).

Rift in the Soul acts as a pivot point, or maybe a stepping stone between versions of these two (let's go with a stepping stone, so I don't have to keep hearing Ross Geller yell "PIVOT!" in the back of my mind). There are some hellos, some goodbyes, some..."huh, that's new." (some of which I alluded to above, a lot I haven't). This novel acts as a cap and a launching pad at the same time for the series.

It's tough to consider this book without reference to that, honestly, because so much of the warp and woof of the novel is that. But let's try: you've got some solid vampire action, you've got strange vampire action, too. Some great action scenes. Good, strong character development. Solid emotional beats that are well-executed and earned. Things might not be the same soon, but for now, this is a good time with your group of friends.

Obviously, I don't recommend this as a jumping-on point for the series, but it would be okay if you decided to. (but don't, go back to the beginning). I think you'll like the time in this world. But for people who've been with Nell and her team/work family/blood family since the beginning? You're going to walk away very pleased.

Oh, one last note before I go: Faith Hunter/Publishers: Mud deserves at least a solo-novella. You've got something great here, use it. (unless you wanted to team her up with Jane Yellowrock's Angie)

My thanks to Psst...Promotions for the invitation to participate in this tour and the materials (including the book via NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group) they provided.

Faith Hunter is the author of several urban paranormal series including the Soulwood series, which is a spin off of the Jane Yellowrock series. RIFT IN THE SOUL is book #6 in the Soulwood series. The series is an excellent example of what reader's love in this genre. I would recommend that you read all of the series in order to get the most of the world of Soulwood. There is a lot of back story that has built up through the first 5 books and the characters have seen significant development as the series matures. Faith Hunter is one of the most recommended authors on the urban paranormal FB groups to which I belong.

If you read book #5, Spells For The Dead, this book picks up where that one stopped. These characters are so familiar that to me, it was as if I was reading the same book, just turned the page. Nell Ingram is the MC. She is an unidentified species, her humanity grows a few leaves now and then. She is also a member of PsyLED, the law enforcement department that is responsible for investigating crimes that could contain a paranormal component, or as they call it....weird stuff. Nell grew up as a child in a polygamous home that was part of a strict religious community. She was first introduced to readers as a character in one of the Jane Yellowrock series but has grown through and past that story line. The series is a favorite of many readers and has it's own fan club. I recommend them often.

I wanted to enjoy this but I had a difficult time getting into it. Objectively, I see the appeal but I don’t believe I am the audience.
Thank you for the arc!

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart


Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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.

I think my mistake with this one was not realizing it was the 6th book in a series. This reminded me of back when I was younger and I was gifted the 4th Harry Potter book, and not realizing that it was the 4th book. I had never read any of the prior books. So while it was good, I also felt a bit lost the whole time. The same happened here.
However, I did find myself really intrigued. There is a whole world here built on top of the world that we know, and there are some many fantastical elements that I think separate it from the normal fantasy tropes we read. The characters are very lovable, and I found myself wanting to know more about them. I felt like I was missing something, which I’m sure was likely explained in the first 5 books! It seems almost like it can be read as a standalone, in the sense that it is a mystery and there is this paranormal case being solved, but in terms of the characters and just background of the world, I would definitely recommend reading the series from its beginning. Nevertheless, I did really enjoy the writing, the glimpse into the world this book gave me, and what a wonderful love story between Occam and Nell! Also as a resident of New Orleans, I loved all the references!!

Thank you again Berkley and Ace Books for the read!

What an outstanding story. Full of paranormal creatures, magic, fantasy and so well told. It had my complete attention right from the start.

Wackadoodle! The vampires are acting strange, young men are turning up dead, a magical item has made a reappearance and the arcenciels are circling Knoxville. Never fear, though, because PSYLed Unit Eighteen is on the case!

I really enjoyed seeing Nell, Occam, Rick, Aya and the rest of the gang in action again. Mud & Esther also play a big part in this story and I hope to see more of them in future books. We learn more about Soulwood, the vampire tree and the Green Knight and how they are connected to Nell and her sisters.

This story was action packed and kept me on the edge of my seat. The twists and turns had me guessing up until the very end. I love the evolution of Nell's character throughout this series and I hope we get more from this world.

Through NetGalley, I received a free copy of RIFT IN THE SOUL (Book 6 of the Soulwood Urban Fantasy series) by Faith Hunter in exchange for an honest review. The local vampires are reeling from getting their souls back, and some of them are using the chaos to make a power play. Those vampires are collecting powerful items and, to them, Nell, her plant people, the vampire trees, some church people, and some of her coworkers are powerful items to be exploited. This time Psy-LED is playing defense.

I like this book and the series. I recommend this book to fans of the series. I recommend this series to fans of the Jane Yellowrock urban fantasy series and to fans of urban fantasy series where everyone is still learning about what’s going on.

#RiftintheSoul #NetGalley

Thank you, Berkley Pub and Ace Books Pub, for my free book for review.

Faith Hunter's "A Rift in the Soul," the sixth entry in the acclaimed Soulwood series, deftly stands on its own, offering an accessible entry point for newcomers as well as a satisfying continuation for fans of the series. Hunter's prowess in world-building shines through, with a rich tapestry that weaves together a vivid setting and a deep history that touches on character development, political intrigue, and theological underpinnings.

One of the book's most commendable aspects is its diverse cast of characters. Not only does Hunter explore racial diversity, but she also delves into the complexities of the paranormal, providing a broad spectrum of beings that enriches the narrative.

The integration of police procedural elements is executed with finesse, following the Psyled agents as they unravel the perplexing cases of vampire murders and the kidnapping of one of their colleagues. This layer of mystery adds a compelling dimension to the urban fantasy framework.

Nell Ingram, the protagonist, is portrayed with a fascinating blend of strength and vulnerability. Her unique abilities to manipulate the earth and flora are balanced by her principled stance on not using her powers for lethal means against her foes. She navigates her journey with a strong moral compass, and there's an air of mystery surrounding her past that begs to be uncovered.

What personally resonated with me was the setting of the story—it mirrors the place I call home, which added an extra layer of excitement to the adventure. Hunter's depiction of an alternate reality, populated with vampires and other paranormal entities, is both imaginative and relatable.

A must-read for enthusiasts of the genre.

Faith Hunter's Rift in the Soul is the Sixth installment in the author's Soulwood series. Story Locale: Tennessee. Main character: Nell Ingram. Nell uses her innate magical abilities to work with an agency policing paranormals in this series set in the same world as the Jane Yellowrock novels. Nell Ingram is a Special Agent for Psy-LED, the Psychometric Law Enforcement Division, which solves paranormal crimes. This is a dangerous time for Psy-LED.

Weird stuff is happening the the vampire world. Scions are walking into the sun after getting their souls back thanks to Jane Yellowrock's actions in saving an Angel from a Demon. Nell, Rick LaFleur, and Ayatas Firewind have been called out to the local vampire's house - Ming of Glass, Master of the City of Knoxville - to retrieve a dead body. Expecting a trap - their expectations are rewarded when they are forced to defend themselves. The vampires had been acting strangely since the crowning of the Emperor of Europe, and Ming blames Nell who isn't quite human.

When Nell greets Ming of Glass, everything is off. She learns that some of Ming's Vampires have walked into the sun, and it seems that a really dangerous man named Tomas de Torquemada, who was once a Catholic priest, is looking for something called the Blood Tarot to change the world and his destiny. Interesting since Nell herself has also been searching for the Blood Tarot. Ming tries to get Nell to kill a powerful and ancient vampire, Tomas who plans to destroy everything.

Because of what happened at Ming's, and the fact that many, many factions really want to get their hands on the Bloot Tarot, Nell is given a bodyguard (Yummy aka Yvonne) to help protect her from Tomás and his vampires, black witches, blood witches, power-hungry humans, shifters, and others. We also learn that Soul, the Deputy Director of Phy-LED, and a powerful arcenciel, has been missing for 3 weeks. To make things worse, a family secret is about to be exposed, and Nell and her team need to move quickly to avoid further bloodshed.

We learn so much more about Nell’s family thanks to a very determined Nell who has had enough of her family and their secrets. As her powers grow, the same can be said of her younger sister, Mud whom she recently adopted. Mud is also gaining powers as a plant-woman, throughout Soulwood’s land. We get to see Esther, who recently divorced, and has two twin babies, now living in Soulwood, and is also gaining powers. When vamps attack, they have zero chance against the power of 3 plant women.

Nell's team is made up of witches, shifters, and empaths. Nell, who calls herself Plant Woman, fits right in with her Soulwood powers, and she now has a solid foundation of support. The team includes Occam (who she intends to marry) Ayatas (Jane's brother), T-Laine, JoJo, Tandy, Mandy (newest member) & Rick, who dare I say isn't all that bad? Nell has really come into her own, as she is a powerful woman controlling her Soulwood land and plants, and her connection to the Green Knight, protector of Soulwood, has grown stronger. Nell is in love with her cat-man, Occam, and since I am here, the Christmas time wedding is the perfect ending for this book and series? Whose to say?

4.5 STARS

Special Agent Nell Ingram’s work for PsyLED, the Psychometric Law Enforcement Division of the government, generally keeps her hands quite full helping the unit to solve paranormal crimes. Nell’s upline boss, Ayatas Firewind, receives a call from the home of MOC vampire Ming, whose mental stability is suspect, about a dead body on her property. Nell and her team must be ready for all kinds of paranormal troubles especially when vampires make demands.

Nell has several personal challenges as well including being the guardian for her teenage sister, Mindy (Mud), keeping the vampire tree and its attendant Green Knight under control, and preparing for her Christmastime wedding to her workmate, Occam. As always, Nell’s family across the road, who are part of the religious sect she grew up in, are part of not only planning her wedding, but revealing some hidden secrets about Nell’s supernatural family heritage including inbred capabilities as well as her deep connection to her land, Soulwood.

Those responsible for the crime seem to have more than a passing interest in Nell and Soulwood. Nell’s bosses, Aya and Rick LaFleur, are also very concerned because their boss, Soul, who is the top Aranciel/Rainbow Dragon around. Soul has seemingly been captured by the very evil folks they are looking for which has calamitous consequences not only for Nell and company, but possibly the whole of history concerning vampires.

It seems that evil never rests long in the vampire world so Nell and her talented crew have several challenges to overcome to save themselves as well as the world from serious harm. Nell is still coming into her own with her plant powers, fighting at times not be subsumed by her land, while keeping everyone whom she loves safe and healthy. Fans of this series will enjoy seeing their favorites especially a lot of page time with the Dark Queen Jane Yellowrock’s brother, Ayatas, and Jane’s former cheater boyfriend, Rick La Fleur, who continues to live with the consequences of his actions, but may be finally doing a little better.

As always with this series, there is quite a bit of drama, paranormal action, and a little romance to please everyone in this sixth book. Nell’s found family of Unit Eighteen as well as issues with her extended one add the personal dimension to the story which makes Nell such a compelling character.

Thanks to Netgalley and Berkley for the pre-release copy. Below is my honest review.

I love Nell Nicholson Ingram and her ragtag crew of strays that have formed not only her PsyLED team, but a little found family. This one throws them all into the middle of a very old vampire's machinations, which really gets complicated when the implications of Jane's Angel giving the vamps their souls back and removing the curse on weres comes into play. (This does beg the question - what happens to the grindylows? Because I love them!) In addition to that, Nell's connections to Soulwood *and* the creepy tree with a mind of its own also toss some crazy into the mix.

I really liked this one, and hope hope hope this isn't the end. With Jane ending last year, I'm not ready to lose Nell too. Fingers crossed!

Highly recommended, but please AT LEAST read the rest of the Soulwood series, but be warned that it does exist in the Jane Yellowrock world and is affected by events of that series as well.