Broken Soul by Faith Hunter – a Review

Broken Soul
Jane Yellowrock series – Book #8
by Faith Hunter
Release Date: October 7, 2014

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Description:
When the Master of the city of New Orleans asks Jane to improve security for a future visit from a delegation of European vampires, she names an exorbitant price—and Leo is willing to pay. That’s because the European vamps want Leo’s territory, and he knows that he needs Jane to prevent a total bloodbath. Leo, however, doesn’t mention how this new job will change Jane’s life or the danger it will bring her and her team.

Jane has more to worry about than some greedy vampires. There’s a vicious creature stalking the streets of New Orleans, and its agenda seems to be ripping Leo and her to pieces. Now Jane just has to figure out how to kill something she can’t even see….

Review:

Broken Soul by Faith Hunter is the 8^th book in her wonderful Jane Yellowrock series. This is one of my favorite series that I always wait impatiently for the next book. Jane is a skinwalker, with the soul of a mountain lion as part of her. When this series started out, Beast (Jane’s other part) was a big part of Jane, but we didn’t get to see much of her. Over time, Beast has become a bit more equal with Jane, and their power together is lethal. I love Jane… I love Beast, and love listening to them talk to each other. In Broken Soul, Jane learns more from Beast the things they can do together, which makes them an awesome combo that can’t be beat.

Faith Hunter has taken us on this journey slowly through the years of watching Jane become what she is today, opening herself to family, friends, love and Beast. Best of all in this book, we finally get what we have all been waiting for. Bruiser.   I have said over the last few books, that Jane needed to dump Rick (who I do not like) and allow Bruiser into her life. Sigh…. Thank you, Faith. Read this book to find out more about Jane and Bruiser, not to mention Beast. Lol However, Leo’s reaction to Jane and Bruiser will blow your mind.

As the story starts, Jane as Leo’s (Master of the City) Enforcer, is in the midst of beefing up security in Leo’s mansion, as well as the new one being built. The European Vamps are coming soon for a visit, and they must be prepared for the possible threats on Leo’s territory. It was fun to watch Jane and other security staff practice with the top vamps how to handle swords, since the European Vamps use that weapon of choice. Unfortunately, they were unprepared for an attack from another dark source from Europe that is now in New Orleans, and puts them all in danger. We learn about the secrets Leo has kept from Jane and others, that also drew this dark group (known as Satan’s 3) to come before the arrival in a couple of months of the European Vamps. They are determined to bring down Leo, take all the secret magical items; including finding a mythical creature, L’arcenciels, a creature of light, who have dangerous abilities, which this group wants. From here on in, the adventure is non-stop action, fighting, danger, with lives lost. A very exciting, tense, pulse-pounding story that finds Jane thick in the middle, as this dark group wants her too. I will not be giving out spoilers, so you need to read this book to find out more.

Faith continually gives us wonderful new characters in this series. Eli and the Kid are now part of Jane’s team, and I love their relationship, giving us a feel of family togetherness. Derek is now training as Leo’s Enforcer, to take over from Jane, eventually. All the vamps that are part of Leo, are part of this story, which made this a lot of fun early on. One of the best parts of this story was Bruiser coming face to face with Beast. Oh I fell more in love with Bruiser. Please please Faith, keep Jane with Bruiser. Though there is a small part of me that wonders what it would be like with her and Leo. Lol

I continue to have the utmost respect for Faith Hunter. She gives us so much detail and at times complex, of Vampire history, current Vampire Politics, Mythical creatures that we remained glued to our seat in fear of missing any important information. With that said, this was also one of the most exciting books. Faith has done a marvelous job with the growth of Jane, and Beast. I cannot wait for the next book. If you have not read this series, you need to do so, as each book gets better and better.

Reviewed by Barb

New York Times bestselling author Faith Hunter writes dark urban fantasy and paranormal urban thrillers.

Her long-running, bestselling, Skinwalker series features Jane Yellowrock, a hunter of rogue-vampires. Her Rogue Mage novels, a dark, urban fantasy series features Thorn St. Croix, a stone mage in a post-apocalyptic, alternate reality. She has a new paranormal crime solving series featuring Nell Nicholson Ingram, who can siphon away the magic of others, to be released in late 2015.

Under the pen name Gwen Hunter, she has written action adventure, mysteries, thrillers, women’s fiction, a medical thriller series, and even historical religious fiction. As Gwen, she is a winner of the WH Smith Literary Award for Fresh Talent in 1995 in the UK, and won a Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award in 2008. Under all her pen names, she has over 30 books in print in 29 countries.

Faith Hunter writes full-time, and is a workaholic. Faith researches in great detail, and tries everything her characters do. Research led to her life’s passion – jewelry making, white-water kayaking, travel, all which appear in and are used in her novels. Jewelry making was the occupation of two of her characters: Thorn St. Croix, the Rogue Mage, and the main character of Blood Stone, written by her pen name, Gwen Hunter. She fell in love with it. The jewelry she makes and wears is often given as promo items to fans who come to her signings, and is used as prizes in contests. Check her Facebook Fan Page for pics of her jewelry.

She and her husband love to RV, traveling with their rescued Pomeranians to Whitewater Rivers all over the Southeast. (The poms don’t whitewater. The pampered dogs stay in the RV in lazy, air-conditioned comfort!)

 Faith is a founding member of MagicalWords, a writing forum at www.magicalwords.net geared to helping writers of fantasy and other genres. And she is a voracious reader.  

You can learn more about Faith at the following links:
Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads