Flame in the Dark

By: Faith Hunter

Narrated by: Khristine Hvam

Length: 13 hrs and 42 mins

Publisher's Summary

Set in the same world as Faith Hunter's New York Times best-selling Jane Yellowrock novels, the third, thrilling Soulwood novel stars Nell Ingram, who draws her powers from deep within the earth.

Nell Ingram has always known she was different. Since she was a child, she's been able to feel and channel ancient powers from deep within the earth. When she met Jane Yellowrock, her entire life changed, and she was recruited into PsyLED - the Homeland Security division that polices paranormals. But now her newly formed unit is about to take on its toughest case yet.

A powerful senator barely survives an assassination attempt that leaves many others dead - and the house he was visiting burns to the ground. Invisible to security cameras, the assassin literally disappears, and Nell's team is called in. As they track a killer they know is more - or less - than human, they unravel a web of dark intrigue and malevolent motives that tests them to their limits and beyond.

©2017 Faith Hunter (P)2017 Audible, Inc.

Loved Soulwood Book 3

I love this series, love interests more on the forefront in this novel. There are 2. Nell's family is pulling a setup for her with a man from the church. Her kitty cat (Oakum) gets a little jealous

Nell gets engrossed with a case involving a Senators family who is more than they seem. Fire-starters are involved.

6 of 6 people found this review helpful

Book is good, audio makes it better.

Khristine Hvam knocks Nell out of the park again. After reading the book, I started on the Audible version -- to "hear" the characters. I grew up in the vicinity of where Faith Hunter set Soulwood and listening reminds me of home.

I can't imagine a Nell or Jane Yellowrock book without Khristine Hvam. Just as I can't imagine not reading a book from Faith Hunter.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

A MUST LISTEN

OMG!! I bought the kindle book and the audible. So worth it. Well performed! Team Occum!!!

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Soft and Fluffy :-)

Not a review. Just my thoughts.

First off Kristine Hvam is EXCELLENT. She is my #1 Narrator. Ok now to this book.

For some reason I find it hard to write reviews of the Soulwood series. It's not bad. I pre-ordered this audible book and saved it for the weekend so I could listen in peace. It was slow paced but I was still entertained for the most part. The "investigation" I found boring. I was more interested in the magic of Soulwood and interactions with the church.... And I try hard not to compare it to Jane Yellowrock, but it always happens. I know that Faith Hunter is trying to keep the characters separate and different in their demeanor. I do understand that Nell is a softer more girly girl type character.

With that being said... this story wasn't bad per say. But it was slow and I felt like I was being forced to feel things that hadn't been earned by these characters. I also notice that I can't visualize these characters well. And one of them I always forget about until she says something... can't even remember their name now. The two who are secretly dating but everyone already knows about it... can't even remember their names and I just finished the book. I have no idea what they look like or care about them in any way.

This is a the complete opposite with Jane Yellowrock characters... I can picture Leo, The brothers, and especially Bruiser ( I love me some Bruiser). I just don't have a solid picture of any of these people but Rick and he of course came from the Yellowrock series.

Again, I didn't dislike Flame in the Dark. It was a nice calming listen while I folded clothes and cleaned out my closet. But after reading it I am itching for Jane.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Love this Series, Just Love It

I love Nell and I love love Occum.
Nell has grown and changed a lot, which is totally enjoyable, and I love how she is taking Mindy in because Mindy is funny and sassy just like Nell.

I like that Soul had a larger part in this story, and I like Tandy and JoJo. Hope T-Lane continues to have a large part too.
Rick is Rick, the jury is still out as to whether I like him or not.
I so hope the next book comes soon. Hint, Hint Faith Hunter

Khristine Hvam IS awesome. She does such a great job.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Good

The story is action packed and continues the story well. I hate the cliffhanger because I am dying for Nell to be happy in a romantic relationship. I can’t wait for the next book

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

You’ns making me wanna grows leaves

Faith Hunter does it again! The imagination and the artistry of story telling. The seamless transition from scene to scene. The slow and careful build up to the climax and the wonderful unfolding of the plot!

Nell is an amazing woman and so full of depth and layers.

I can’t wait to see it unfold in book 4!!

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Nice Addition

This third novel in the Soulwood spin-off from Faith Hunter's Yellowrock series is a good one. This is definitely a series book and you will need to read the first two Soulwood books to avoid confusion. It is not necessary to read or be a fan of the Yellowrock series as this series has a completely different feel. I've become a fan of Nell and her way of looking at the world so much so that the story is just a mere vehicle for me to explore more about her. This story is the same. The meat behind the novel is not as plot driven as the first two installments. Nell's character exploration is driving this one forward as she cements her friendships with her work team and comes to grips with who she is becoming to the backdrop of other unknown paranormal species crimes. I hope there is more to come. This novel does feel like it completes a story arch. There is no cliffhanger ending. I only hope this completion of the trilogy of Nell's becoming who she truly is pushes another three novels into being. The audio book reading was good and unobtrusive to the story. khristine Hvan brings the story to life in a natural way and is able to show the development of Nell by lightening the accent towards the end. Nice performance.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Fantastic follow up

Really enjoyed this book, couldn’t wait for it to come out after pre-ordering it. It didn’t disappoint. I hope there is more in the works for this series.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Faith did it again!

If you could sum up Flame in the Dark in three words, what would they be?

Best one yet!

What was one of the most memorable moments of Flame in the Dark?

I loved how Nell grew as a woman in this story. I loved how she tried to juggle love interests.

Which character – as performed by Khristine Hvam – was your favorite?

Besides the main character, Nell, I love Occam. Something about how Khristine reads his character brings him to life for me.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes! I unfortunately had to to go to work so I can make money to buy more of Faith Hunters books!

Any additional comments?

Besides the great story line behind the mystery Nell has to solve in this story, I loved how she really grew as a woman in this book, both in her powers, her relationships with friends and her relationships romantically.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

narrating brought this book alive

I love how these books are written and narrated, being English I wouldn't of known how to, I would of lost so much of the story

Brilliant series - a spinoff from Jane Yellowrock

This is book three which finds Nell knee deep in suitors which include Occam the werecat who would like nothing better than to pin our innocent Nell against a wall and Ben the college educated member of Gods Cloud of Glory church who would pull her back into the life she wants nothing to do with. Add that to realising her younger sister Mud is a dryad like her and she needs to help her not make the same mistakes she did when learning about herself.

Senator Toliver's family seems to be under fire whether from a bullet or strange fire, either way people are dying and unit 18 needs to find out why. Ricky-bo is still struggling with his cat (if you read the Yellowrock books too this crosses over with him returning to Nola and discovering that Jane has moved on and doesn't want anything to do with him)

As more people get hurt Nell uses her gift to work out what is happening to the land with some dire consequences.

Do love the end though......roll on book 4 please

Brill! A wonderful progression of the story

Oh this is good! Nell is a fascinating character, and her development over this book is a joy to follow. She learns a lot more about herself here, and develops far, far more than I expected - she’s one powerful lady!

Her relationship with Oakum (as I hear his name) develops here, but in an extraordinarily chaste way, compared to the average Urban Fantasy novel. It is, maybe surprisingly, all the more powerful for that slowness. To be sure, there’s a bit of church meddling that tries to put a spoke in that wheel, and push Nell to making a choice on where her life is going, but for me at least, the eventual direction was never in doubt. I just love the “properly improper kiss” that lurkes throughout the last half or so of the book!

The other characters are less featured, just voices in the background at times - I don’t think Tealane (I’m only an audio reader, so I have to guess at names) does any magic at all here. I worry about Rick, was taken aback by the very sudden appearance of another of whatever it it Pia is (my brain’s offering grindylow, but that looks just wrong!), and it’s equally sudden disappearance, and I liked that the story was allowed to unwind at the end, with loose ends, such as the vampire tree, and Mud’s future, being tackled.

This is a fine third installment of a very fine series. The ending would allow it to be the last, but I hope it isn’t. I’ve rooted around Ms Hunter’s website for clues, but it’s probably too close to the release of this one for future plans to be announced. There’s a serialised story on how Oakum (or Occam) gets his name, but it’s buried in a tour blog, so you have to be determined to get at it.

Well read, with the various characters kept clear and distinct. She does "church" speak really well!

Fantastic

The next installment of Nell's story with the team. I love this series just as much as JY and the vampires. A great pace and the continued interest of Occum is a real plus I can't wait for the next book

Decent but not the best

I had really liked the previous 2 books in this series but this one though good seemed a bit below par. It took far too long to get going - nothing really happened for the first 6 hours or so then we had a decent action section but too much personal waffle around "the church" and Nell's struggles with who she is, and what to do about a couple of potential boyfriends - thats all a bit tedious and not at all racy.

Still its OK if you like the books by Faith Hunter and worth listening to but I hope the next book in the series - if there is one - is a bit more dynamic

Khristine Hvam is on her usual form though - she could make a phone book worth listening to.

Brilliant series.

I don't know whether this series will keep going as a lot of loose ends have been tied up but I'll certainly buy the next book if so. I suspect it won't be possible to maintain the standard as I felt about the Jane Yellowrock series but I hope Faith Hunter gives it a try.

Five stars as you would expect from Faith Hunter

If you haven't read books one and two of the Soulwood Series don't read this one first. This is an excellent continuation to the series. Strong characters and a reasonably complex story line.
Nell Ingram and her PsyLED - the Homeland Security division colleagues are called in when a powerful senator and his extended family come under attack. Complex and malevolent baddies who dealt justice in a Faith Hunter way. Nell's side love story goes though many trials and tribulations.
I love the fact that there is a side comment about something that is happening to Jane Yellowrock and Leo Pellissier, Vampire Master of the City Obviously something we will read about in book 12 of the Jane Yellowrock series - can't wait!!

First class story and characters as always.

Disappointing

I was really looking forward to this book as I love the previous Soulwood stories and Faith Hunter is one of my favourite author, but unfortunately this book left me feeling rather disappointed. This storyline just didn't grab me the same way the previous books did and to be honest I found myself disliking Nell in this book. Her character is quite different in this book and it's not necessarily for the good as I actually found her rather annoying and unpleasant at times. I also found it weird that Hunter chose to introduce a love interest from the church. Considering the last two books have gone into great detail about how much she hates the church and why - not to mention the fact that she has stated on numerous occasions that she would never go back to the church or marry another churchman and is terrified of her sisters ending up married to churchmen - it seems very odd that she is suddenly considering dating someone from the same church she supposedly hates and fears. This just made her seem like a complete hypocrite. I really hope this is just a blip and not a sign of where the series is going.

0 of 1 people found this review helpful