Book 36, 2024

[chez_jae]

Rift in the Soul by Faith Hunter

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



I stayed up past my bedtime last night to finish Rift in the Soul by Faith Hunter. It's the 6th book in her "Soulwood" urban fantasy series, starring Nell Ingram, a paranormal of indeterminate origin and a member of the paranormal investigative unit, PsyLED.

When the local MOC vampire, Ming Zhane, contacts PsyLED to report a dead body on her property, Nell responds to the call along with her boss, Rick, and her boss-boss, FireWind. Nell notes that Ming and the other vamps are acting strangely, and the discovery of the dead body is only the beginning of a puzzle that involves ancient, powerful vampires, a deck of cards known as the Blood Tarot, and the interdimensional creatures called arcenciels. Nell later realizes she's been used as bait and that she is now a target of the vamps who seek the Blood Tarot. When they trespass on her property, Soulwood, Nell uses her connection to the land to defend herself and her sisters. This time, however, her sisters step up to help her. It will take their combined plant magic to defend their home, thwart their enemies, and save their friends. Oh, and Nell is in the midst of planning her wedding, too.

Captivating and difficult to set aside. Hunter is a deft writer who manages to combine top-notch world building with fast paced plots and violent battles, and she also injects both romance and humor into her stories to balance them out. I enjoy Nell's relationship with Occam, and her determination to do what needs to be done, even at her own peril.

Favorite lines:
♦ "Well, that's good they got souls. Now when they die they can go to hell like proper evil beings."
♦ "Don't get your throat torn out or your head ripped off." // "Not on my list of ways to die." // "You have a list of ways to die?" // "You don't?"

Loved it! Five stars