The second novel in the Soulwood Series by Faith Hunter, Curse on the Land picks up with Nell Ingram as she is returning from Spook school to her new team. After demon dogs, she still has a dark spirit living on her land and feeding abominations, her new boss still can’t turn into his furry side, and Occum is still indicating that he is interested in pursuing a relationship with her (though that’s gonna take a few books). As she returns, they find that an odd sickness seems to be spreading, and need to figure out the source before the higher ups decide to just destroy everything.
Little bit of a confession (and this applies to all the books that were released here on out in this series before 2020), I binge read all of them. So, I think I have the stories mostly straight, and will be staying away from any and all spoilers as best as I can. Now, into the story.
I will once again rave about Hunter’s writing. I just love it. Full immersion. Though, I will admit, I think it was in this novel that I first started noticing some inconsistencies with the world. Such as there now being 2 little creatures instead of Pea, and just some assumptions about things that happened that could link back to the main series (which, upon writing this, I still haven’t read and don’t really plan on reading) causing a bit of confusion every now and again.
But, in this novel, we get to see a lot more of the team and see a full shift of most of the relationships between Nell and her team mates, with the exception of the wonderful Occum (can I get one for myself, please?). But, not a lot happens on that front, mostly just hints and the fact that he is always there.
And poor Rick. That’s… all I can say without give out major spoilers.
If you enjoy action, adventure, and a urban fantasy, this is a great novel. The writing is wonderful. 100% worth the read.
