THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERSet in the same world as Faith Hunter’s bestselling Jane Yellowrock novels, the fourth Soulwood novel stars Nell Ingram, who channels her power from the earth.Nell can draw magic from the land around her, and lately she’s been using it to help the Psy-Law Enforcement Division, which solves paranormal crimes. Joining the team at PsyLED has allowed her to learn more … has allowed her to learn more about her powers and the world she always shunned–and to find true friends.
Head agent Rick LaFleur shifts into a panther when the moon calls him, but this time, something has gone wrong. Rick calls Nell from a riverbank–he’s naked, with no memory of how he came to be there, and there’s a dead black cat, sacrificed in a witch circle and killed by black magic, lying next to him.
Then more animals turn up dead, and team rushes to investigate. A blood-witch is out to kill. But when it seems as if their leader is involved in the crime, the bonds that hold the team together could shatter at any moment.
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Nell has joined the PsyLED team which allows her to learn more about her powers and to make friends, which she’s definitely going to need when a blood-witch sets out to kill. The story is full of wonderfully strong, bold characters that readers can really get behind as they cheer them on and the magical side and uniqueness of these characters adds lots of spice and intrigue to the story. There’s a bit of upset between the team members as it seems as though the bad guy is targeting Rick which adds to the sense of expectation and suspense, especially as the more the team discovers, the more they realize that they are in a race to stop the bad guy from unleashing an apocalyptic event.
The fast paced plot flows smoothly throughout the story ensuring that readers are completely enthralled by all the adrenaline pumping excitement, thrilling intrigue and dangerous bad guys. Nell not only is working on the case that has quite a few unexpected twists and some very malicious happenings, she also has to deal with some personal family issues and of course she also has to handle the Church and their opposition against her ‘evil’ ways. This keeps things real interesting so there’s never a dull moment to be found and the conclusion to this story is one explosive and energetic endeavor that has readers biting their nails in apprehension and expectation.
5 STARS
A+ rating! Hunter is you typical over achiever. The Soulwood Series has a voice of its own. A slow souther cadence that have you day dreaming with sweet tea, on a porch swing. Until your falling and the tea is spilling. With action, shifting, and spell casting, your never sure what way it will turn next . The conections are so real between charaters. The friendships, the love interests, and the frennamies with their own agendas. Who’s in charge and following who’s lead. With this review you may think I had not read the book. I have, twice, but I am not giving anything away.
Nell is awesome. The action and characters keep me interested tell the last page. I am always so sorry for the book to end. I love the fact that sex is not a big deal in Faith’s book. The action and lead female character are all self aware and are able to move forward without needing a man. If you have not tried this series do not miss it. It is fun; action pack book with characters you would love to meet.
I received this ARC for an honest review. This is not a stand alone book. I love how Nell grows through this series. She developed more self confidence, and you want to yell YES! Nell is learning how to manage having her younger sister Mudd and her job at the same time. Nell and Occam’s relationship is changing….how? You must read the book. In this book, Ming of Glass, the MOC of Knoxville, is being attacked. Nell and the spook group must find out why. Also, someone is targeting Rick LaFleur the leader of the spook group. Faith Hunter leads us through twist and turns and you will love every minute! I highly recommend!
There was a time where fantasy books were a thousand pages long and only attempted by dedicated craftsmen (and women) who would put aside everything and take a year or more to write each volume; who had to rely on paperbacks or hardcovers to sell their books with no Amazon to use for advertising. So there wasn’t quite so much competition, and we always knew when we bought a book by an author like that, we were buying quality and we would love the work. We have definitely evolved as a literary species. These days everyone and their brother is writing a book, some ok, some good and some even great. But most are getting lost in the multitude of UF and Fantasy books being e-published.
Then there’s Faith Hunter. She has singly taken me back to the days where I would get my paperback in the mail and disappear for days until I was finished with the book I’d just bought. Now, when I see a Soulwood book has come out, or a Jane Yellowrock for that matter, I get so excited I feel almost giddy. And my husband knows that food will be pizza and hotdogs until I’m have finished reading. I hold her in complete awe for being able to create a world inside our world that can capture me and hold me until the last word is read. She is in a class by herself when it comes to Urban Fantasy, and someone all UF authors should aspire to emulate.
Soulwood is a creation that is so complete, so in depth that we feel as if we know the people, feel the feelings, react to the magic and live their lives with them to such an extent that we find it difficult to come back when we’re done. Nell is a singular character like no other I have encountered. She isn’t just some country bumpkin who has discovered magic. She is not just some druid that communes with the earth. She is a part of the earth, her soul melded so closely that the earth reacts to her as she does to the earth. Trees grow on her land when she feeds it, and often grow from her when she needs protection. She can feel when the earth is happy, sad, hurting, hungry and just plain peaceful. And I know I’m not giving her nearly as much justice as Faith gives her in Soulwood. She is definitely a “one off”.
She has also surrounded herself with people like were-leopard Occam who is a delight of a male. He is complicated as all magical creatures tend to be, yet his love for Nell is as simple as it gets. Or people like Rick, yes, our Ricky Bo from Jane Yellowrock, who we find out now has been quite the tortured soul all these years that we’ve seen him as something of a rogue. Then there is Tandy who is an empath, created from a most freakish accident and is scarred in the most bizarre way (where did you come up with the description of his “scars”?), but is the kindest soul who feels too much of what everyone around him is feeling. And T. Laine, or Lainie, our resident witch, who is just as strong as strong can be, and feisty as someone with her strength often is. Of course there is a hacker, Jo Jo, who is just as talented as our Alex from JY is, and gets them into wherever they need to go to find the information that keeps all their ops running smoothly. A host of characters, one more interesting than the next, and equally as engaging.
I won’t go into the story, as anything I could say would end up including spoilers, which I don’t want to do. What I will say is a lot of questions are answered in this volume of the Soulwood story, and I for one couldn’t put it down until I reached the end. Which of course just left me hungry for more.
I’m also not going to insult Faith Hunter by pretending my meager opinion means much, so I won’t do my usual Well Done at the end. It seems too…paltry to describe how I feel about her works.
What I will say is, you amaze me, each and every time you put words to paper and allow me to read them. I am, truly, in awe. Thank you for bringing back the old fashioned epic novel that takes me days to absorb, but moments to appreciate. I didn’t think you could top Jane Yellowrock. But I now believe you can’t help but top everything you write with everything you write next. I do so love your mind.
Audiobook review: Circle of the Moon is likely my favorite in the series. Nell has really come into herself in her new role while still balancing and working on familial relationships left behind. The story is entertaining, clean smexy, and has plenty of mystery! Looking forward to the next book! The narrator did a fantastic job!
Circle of the Moon advances Nell’s journey away from her Churchwoman background towards a “city” life. Her magic gets stronger and she has to constantly fight the urge to kill for her land, Soulwood, but she is also in a more maternal role with becoming the guardian of her younger sister Mud, who also has earth magic tendencies similar to Nell’s. Her tentative feelings for Occam resolve into want and his feelings for Nell into love. It is so easy to love them as a couple because it’s a healing kind of love where they are better together than apart. Nell’s character wasn’t the only one evolving in Circle of the Moon. Tandy seemed to be taking on some new characteristics that I’m curious to see where they lead in future novels. Rick, also, went through quite a evolution and of course being at the center of they mystery he would, but I felt different towards him after seeing what he was going through. More sympathetic to him? I think I am!
The thing about Faith Hunter novels that always amazes me is how she intertwines a few plots so that they seem separate and then all of a sudden converge onto the same path. This novel was no different. Although the Church was more of a subplot than in previous novels, her “adoption” of Mud kept her family in the story. Her romance with Occam was stronger than in previous books because she is finally ready to move forward towards a relationship with him. The mystery was fabulous. I’d imagine if I had kept pace with the Jane Yellowrock series I may have been just a little more informed over Rick’s background but I really didn’t care. I was caught up in the action, the characters, and the resolution of this case. It was great reading and I enjoyed it thoroughly!
I was given a free ARC of this book for my honest opinion and it was honest!
4.5 of 5 stars
Faith Hunter’s CIRCLE OF THE MOON is a thrilling experience. Psy-Law Enforcement Probation agent Nell helps the Head agent Rick LaFleur investigate witch circles that are targeting him and using dark magic.
For me, this was one of those stories that kept getting better the more you read it. The beginning felt a little slow, but there was a lot of pertinent information that was relevant to the rest of the story. The details that have gone into this story is impressive. The plot was creative and original. The investigation had a lot of unexpected twists. I like how the story tied into the Jane Yellowrock novels.
The characters are well developed. They learned a lot and grew throughout the story. Nell is an interesting character. I like that she has unique abilities. They played a fascinating role in the novel. CIRCLE OF THE MOON was skillfully written. I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.
In the fourth Soulwood novel, Nell Ingram is working on getting custody of her little sister, Mindy (Mud) Nicholson and that also entails bringing her house into the 21st century. Along with all of that, her job with the PsyLED has her working the night shift and worrying about child care, because bringing Mud to work with her isn’t a great idea. There’s a blood-witch creating witch circles, which seem to be affecting her boss, Rick LaFleur, and the unit must figure out how vampires are also involved, as well as put a stop to the dangerous black magic workings. Nell is learning more about her powers, getting to know her boyfriend Occam better, and trying to help Rick fight the magic that is calling to him. I love seeing Nell becoming a better special agent, a great big sister, a strong, independent woman, and a very dangerous paranormal being who has some abilities that she keeps to herself, but will use whatever is necessary to protect her team and her loved ones. The relationship with Occam is sweet and it’s nice to see both of them find some happiness after the hard lives they’ve both had. I loved the conclusion and epilogue, and look forward to reading the next story to see what happens next.
I love this addition to the Soulwood series and I am totally enjoying the character development as Nell comes into her own with her job and in her personal life. Not the first book in the series, so I would not recommend this as a stand-alone, but this series should not be missed. Faith Hunter absolutely rocks!
Nells life as a paranormal detective continues but it’s not been easy. She’s the rookie in her unit and feeling just a touch unsure about her new boss who is Jane Yellowrocks somewhat mysterious brother. Someone is testing a curse, creating magical circles and killing animals in sacrifice. Nells got enough troubles with trying to persuade the authorities that she’s capable of looking after her younger sister Mud and as temperatures rise both literally and figuratively Nell has to deal with bloodlust, black magic and a Vampire turf war !
I loved it but then again I really enjoy reading about this former church woman who is slowly but surely embracing modern life. I want her to have romance and yes I’m firmly in the Occam camp but the author just keeps teasing us with snippets and possibilities although whenever he drawls “sugar” it surely is as they say panty melting !
Faith Hunter is such a master craftsman of urban fantasy. All of her books – Jane Yellowrock/ Soulwood world are just so dense and layered… in plot, in backstory, and in the characters. The Soulwood books are the spinoffs and if you have not read Dark Queen, the latest Yellowrock book, be prepared for some spoilers because there is some overlap.
Nell, our heroine, has grown so much over the course of this series. She started off as this— I don’t want to say backward, but off-grid woman who has never known I truly modern life. She grew up as part of a polygamist cult and lives in the middle of the woods in a house off the power and water lines. But while she may never truly be free of her upbringing and the impact of its effects, she has now embraced a lot of the modern world in her job as a probationary Psy-Led agent. Not only that, she is bringing her sister, Mud, along with her. Nell is working towards adopting the 12-year-old, but has to make a few more changes to her lifestyle in order for that to happen.
In the meantime, she is continuing to develop a relationship with Occam and I absolutely adore these two together. Occam is really the perfect hero for her. He is so respectful and patient and willing to be beta to her alpha, to let her set all of the terms of their relationship so that she can feel comfortable with it. It is just lovely.
And while this budding romance wrapped up a lot of my heartstrings, believe it or not, the real star of this story is Rick Lefleur. I hated Rick so much in the Jane Yellowrock books, that in conversation about him I would call him Rick the Dick. I thought I would never be able to have any sympathy for him at all, but it is amazing how the different perspective from a different narrator changes how I feel about him. I would never, never want him with Jane. And I hate him through her lens. But through Nell’s eyes, he is actually quite tragic.
Someone or something is targeting Rick or maybe Rick is just getting caught in the crosshairs, but either way something is making him lose control of his cat. Something is aging him. And Nell and her coworkers need to dig deep into Rick’s past to try to solve the mystery. We learn more details about things we’ve been introduced to in previous books and novellas, but a much more complete picture of Rick is painted here than ever before. And I’ll admit, I’m kind of sad for him.
Some great love to hate villains here. Not only in Rick’s past, but with Nell’s old church as well.
Awesome secondary characters as always, from the other members of the Psy-Led team, to Yummy and Ming’s vampires, Nell’s family, and even a few new faces.
A very, very well-crafted book, with the amazing detail I’ve come to expect from Faith Hunter. A lot of threads here, but I was able to follow it better then some of the more intricate Janeyellow Rock books from the past. Overall, a fantastic book and I am so glad there is at least another one still to come in this series. I highly recommend.
Circle of the Moon by Faith Hunter is the fourth book in her Soulwood series and it is truly gripping from beginning to end. This was probably my favorite book in the series thus far. I laughed. I squealed. I scowled. I bit my lip with envy. I shook my head with annoyance. This book had me all over the place and I loved every minute of it and couldn’t get enough. I know that this book and the characters are fiction, but I am honestly jealous as hell of Nell because she has such a wonderful man in Occam. This book is so intense that there were moments that I forgot to breathe. So if you’re thinking of getting this book…grab it and clear your schedule!
Circle of the Moon reunites readers with PsyLED and all of the dangers that surround them. It seems that Nell really gets hammered in this book as danger stalks the unit. Rick is being called to witch circles. There is no known reason at this point, but with each calling it gets stronger, worse and Rick ages. The team is scrambling to find out what is going on. Nell is dealing with her own issues at home with her sister Mud. Nell is working to gain custody of her sister to protect her from the church who would either want to kill her or marry her. It honestly seems like neither Nell nor Rick can catch a break in this book. They both are dealing with one “fire” after another after another. I think that my heart breaks for Rick the most in this book. He’s struggling with his cat and then this black magic mess starts up. He’s caught and to an extent has no idea why, but then it turns out that Rick is keeping secrets. Secrets that, if Rick had shared with the team, could have put the team on the right path to finding out who is behind the dark acts.
This book was honestly one of the hardest ones to put down. Every time I had to put it down my brain was crawling to find out what happened next. I loved the development of the romance between Nell and Occam. I’m honestly over here like…does a man like Occam truly exist? And where can I find/meet him? LOL! When the pieces of the puzzle begin to come together I’m practically on pins and needles. The author does a fantastic job teasing with moments of where you think that the story is about to wrap up and then the pedal hits the metal with a burst of action, danger and thrilling moments. I’ll fully admit that I’m a bit behind with the Jane Yellowrock series, but boy do some serious secrets come jumping out in this book! My jaw dropped more than once and I’m going to be scampering off to jump back on the Yellowrock series to catch up on what all has been happening.
There honestly isn’t much that I can complain about concerning this book. There are a couple minor errors that managed to slip through to publishing, but nothing too bad that will distract or detract from the overall storyline. The author does a fantastic job wrapping up all the questions and loose ends of this story.
I am rating this book 5 out of 5 stars. This book gave me everything I could want from start to finish…for the most part. I could have done with a touch more romance. (wink) LOL! But this book was truly captivating and kept me coming back for more. I honestly can’t wait for the next book in this series. If you have read the previous books…grab this one now! If you curious…what are you waiting for?! Grab these books and dive in, but be prepared to cross over into Jane Yellowrock’s world if you already haven’t. A truly fantastic series that just keeps getting better with each book.
Wow a page turner
It got me hooked and I had to buy the rest. Excellent urban fantasy.