• Blood of the Earth

  • Soulwood, Book 1
  • By: Faith Hunter
  • Narrated by: Khristine Hvam
  • Length: 15 hrs and 35 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (4,388 ratings)

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Blood of the Earth  By  cover art

Blood of the Earth

By: Faith Hunter
Narrated by: Khristine Hvam
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Publisher's summary

Set in the same world as the New York Times best-selling Jane Yellowrock novels, an all-new series starring Nell Ingram, who wields powers as old as the earth.

When Nell Ingram met skinwalker Jane Yellowrock, she was almost alone in the world, exiled by both choice and fear from the cult she was raised in, defending herself with the magic she drew from her deep connection to the forest that surrounds her.

Now, Jane has referred Nell to PsyLED, a Homeland Security agency policing paranormals, and agent Rick LaFleur has shown up at Nell's doorstep. His appearance forces her out of her isolated life into an investigation that leads to the vampire Blood Master of Nashville.

Nell has a team - and a mission. But to find the Master's kidnapped vassal, Nell and the PsyLED team will be forced to go deep into the heart of the very cult Nell fears, infiltrating the cult and a humans-only terrorist group before time runs out....

©2016 Faith Hunter (P)2016 Audible, Inc.

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What listeners say about Blood of the Earth

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Faith Hunter hits it out of the Park!

Any additional comments?

Blood of the Earth is a spin-off from the popular Jane Yellowrock series. Ms. Hunter has done a great job creating a book that stands alone, so it is not necessary to read any of the Jane Yellowrock novels before starting Blood of the Earth. And even more impressive is the complete lack of the dread "InfoDump". Background information is added bit by bit as part of the natural flow of the narrative. Amazing writing.

The story follows Nell, a magic user with a connection to the old growth forest on her farm. Earth Magic, Blood Magic, Nasty Cult leaders, Vampires, and Law enforcement types hunting an assortment of evil doers keep the action going cover to cover.

For fans of the original Jane Yellowrock series, the major crossover character is PsyLed Special agent Rick LaFleur. Who many will be happy to know, is not a happy camper. Jane is frequently mentioned, Alex Younger makes a brief contribution, as does the Vampire Clan Glass (one of the twin Ming sisters clan). Paka the African Black Leopard mate to Rick, is part of the PsyLed team chasing the bad guys. (Things that make you go hummm,,, watch for Paka's effect on Nell's feral cats)

Kristine Hvam does her usual wonderful job with the narration.

Great writing, interesting world, new characters, a compelling woman who grows into herself in the course of the book. Highly recommended for long time fans, or first time readers. And the best part? The second book in the trilogy with be out later this year!!!!

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92 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Didn't love it. Didn't hate it. But...

This felt like a watered down version of the TRUE BLOOD tv show. There was a lot of potential and there was some new ideas on magic. But my mind wandered. Characters were so so.

The Narrator really leaned into the southern twang. It did not go over well with me. That's probably where the real downfall of this was.

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30 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Something Old and Something New :-)

Faith Hunter steps outside of her beloved Jane Yellowrock series to give us something old and something new.

This series follows the PhyLed unit of Jane's ex-boyfriend, Rick, as he works a case with new recruits. Our leading lady is an exiled cult member, Nell, who has to adjust to having so many new people and gadgets in her world.

The development of Nell's character is the best part of the book. To watch her go from a sheltered church girl to a smart mouthed consultant for Rick is quite humorous. Not sure if it was intended, but the book gives some hope to those Jane+Rick fans.

The book hits on topics like under age marriage, submissive women, and church cults. I feel like Faith Hunter did a great job of telling the story without trying to force the reader to feel a certain way towards those controversial topics.

Overall, this isn't Jane Yellowrock. It reminds me of a diet soda... Better than nothing but doesn't pack a punch like the real thing. There isn't alot of action. The characters have milder personalities The books main focus is introducing the characters. It's a good first book and the makings of a great series.

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28 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Soulwood Rocks

You do not need to know the Jane Yellowrock books to read this first book of the Soulwood Trilogy. But this book is just as good as any Jane Yellowrock novel, and gives us a peak into characters introduced through those books. This is a fast paced novel, and it will leave you wanting the next book to be out tomorrow.

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24 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

if you like Jane...

If you like Jane Yellow rock, you will love Nell!
While both of Faith Hunter's protagonists are searching for self, Nell has further to go. She is softer than Jane, yet tough in her own right. Hunter has given us a complex story as well as a new team of characters to care about. For those who love Jane Yellow rock, there are crossover characters from that series. I was happy to see Rick again, and see how life is treating him without Jane. I admit, I want more Nell, more than I want more Jane. I never thought that was possible.

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21 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Very good start to the series :)

4 stars

This was a very good start to this series. I've read the Jane Yellowrock series, including [book:Off the Grid|25379472] which is the short story that Nell was introduced in but I don't think you need to read the Yellowrock series for this story to make sense. I will admit that since I'm a fan of Jane, I had a bit of discomfort reading about Rick and his weird pseudo relationship with Paca. Thankfully, that relationship isn't concentrated on too heavily once Rick and Paca are introduced so it can be somewhat ignored after a bit.

Nell is a woman that was raised in a cult. The cult is a church group that believes in living off the grid, not trusting the government and practicing multiple wife marriages. The leader of the church tried to claim Nell as his wife when she was barely 12 years old. She managed to escape this fate but ended up on her own, plagued by the church men who try to force her to come back to the cult whether she wants to go or not.

In [book:Off the Grid|25379472], Jane Yellowrock contacted Nell looking for info on the cult because members had kidnapped a vampire that Jane had been tasked with getting back. Jane had contacted Rick to see about hooking Nell up with PsyLED, a Homeland Security agency policing paranormals, thinking her association with them might provide her some protection from the cult. Rick shows up eventually for Nell's help with a local issue but his arrival is almost too late. Nell agrees to work with the team but since she's been on her own for years, she has some trouble being around people constantly.

Nell isn't exactly human...she has a strong connection to the earth and plants, especially those on her land. As she starts working with the team, she starts to learn more about what she can and can't do. Some of it is gratifying but some is a bit scary for a girl raised under strict bible precepts. TBH, the whole situation pushes Nell out of her comfort zone because although she's been on her own for years, she's been more of a hermit and never actually broke out of the behavioral niche the cult had stuck her in. As Nell learns more about herself, she starts to break out of her shell and live life. When the story ends, the current crisis has been handled but Nell is firmly involved with the PsyLED team and will be working with them in the future.

I thought this story was very enjoyable. I liked Nell as the heroine. She's smart and logical while also being kind and caring (but not in a pushover way). I also liked seeing her learning to stick up for herself more and breaking away from the restrictions she and others had put on her. There's no romance in this story. It seems like there could be an attraction to someone (no, not Rick!) but it's barely a hint right now (a hint I like) so we'll have to see where things go in the next book. Overall, I liked this story very much and would recommend it. :)

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17 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Wonderful narration made this book.

While Nell is a great character and the paranormal aspects of the story are very intriguing to me, there was SO MUCH emphasis on menial tasks throughout this book that I’m certain I would have been bored if not for the narrator’s lovely voice and soothing accent. I’m interested to see what happens with Nell and the rest of the team but I’m afraid the romance I’m rooting for (ha) will move at a glacial pace.

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16 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Wow!

Blood of the Earth is simply amazing! The plot grabs you from the beginning, and doesn't let go! Nell is a strong woman who is full of sass, and has to overcome her past in order to help do what's right. It was very well written, and the plot twists flowed together. And for the Jane Yellowrock readers, Ricky Bo gets some very nice karmic payback! Faith Hunter did a wonderful job, and I can't wait to read book 2!

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    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

Childish

I don’t normally write a review, but I am a fan of science fiction and mysteries , but I was only able to listen to the first hour w/o thinking that this book is meant for pre teens and if so, I am silly for not knowing that . So I wanted to write a review so other people don’t make the same mistake I did.

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15 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

blah, blah, blah

blah, blah,blah...after listening to 7 chapters of 50% of cliches... I don't think I can stand any more...get along with the story!

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12 people found this helpful