Narration by Khristine Hvam
Lovers of Urban Fantasy are surely familiar with either or both of the Jane Yellowrock or Soulwood series by Faith Hunter. My latest series listen in these interrelated series is the third installment of the Soulwood series, Flame in the Dark. While prior to Book 3 the Soulwood series was primarily focused on world building with only the minor hint at romance, I’m happy to say that we finally have a romance thread to this fantastic, creative UF listen! In fact, Flame in the Dark ushers in this new era with even the potential for a love triangle! We also are treated to another fantasy paranormal villain that continues to make this already thrilling and highly unique series even more highly complex and a pleasure to unravel. Topping off a great story is the splendid continued narration by returning narrator, Khristine Hvam, who really brings this story to life!
Flame in the Dark pretty much takes place soon after the end of book 2, Curse on the Land. Nell is still a probationary officer with PsyLED, a government organization that investigates paranormal crimes. In this book, the PsyLED team is investigating an assassination attempt on a Senator. While the Senator was fortunate enough to get away, others in his family are not so fortunate and there is a ton of devastation left in the wake as the likely supernatural being at fault appears to have a magical burning ability. However, nothing could prepare the team for the intricate suspense plot that they ultimately have to unravel.
Nestled in between this high action suspense plot that is resolved over the course of this book are a number of secondary plots, the resolution of which may potentially span the entire series. The first is a recurring theme around Nell’s sister who is still trapped in the midst of the cult like church which also practices polygamy that she herself was born into and which her parents and other siblings are still members of. As her sister has now hit puberty and is considered to be of a marriageable age by the church folk, Nell’s sister is potentially in even greater danger. This makes Nell even more desperate in this installment to find a way to help her.
The second overarching theme relates to Nell herself who is still learning how to live in the world outside of the church. Chief among these considerations is her realization of her identity as a woman. Though she was married at a very young age while still a member of her church, she has never experienced what it’s like to have a normal romantic relationship. In Flame in the Dark we see two potential romantic paths develop for Nell: One that will take her back to the past and one which could potentially pave a way for a HEA in her new world.
Which HEA will Nell choose to pursue? Moreover, will she be able to save her sister from the church before it’s too late? And last but not least will Nell and her PsyLED team be able to stop the evil behind the attacks on the Senator and his family?
Khristine Hvam, the narrator of both this series and the Jane Yellowrock series returns as narrator in Flame in the Dark. As always, Ms. Hvam can be counted on for both remarkable consistency across books in the voices she has created for each character as well personality appropriate voices for each character. Ms. Hvam’s voicing for each character immediately brings me back into the story no matter how long it’s been in between listens. Given that in this case it was almost exactly a year, Ms. Hvam’s narration is even more impressive.
Perhaps my favorite aspect of Ms. Hvam’s narration is her characterization of Nell. Sounding just like you would imagine a woman raised in a small Southern town would–particularly one that wasn’t allowed any exposure to the outside world–Ms. Hvam expertly brings Nell to life! Additionally, Ms. Hvam is able to seamlessly switch back and forth between the various “church folk” and the more modern city dwelling PsyLED team and other related characters. She also does a great job with pacing, allowing the listener to sit back and listen without needing to rewind at any point and also allowing the listener to let the narration fade into the background as the listener is transported into the story.
All in all, I’m still really enjoying the Soulwood series. I will say that I don’t think this book grabbed my attention as fully and completely as some of the prior books, but I think that may have been due to the incredibly intricate plot. The fantasy element of this listen is so unique that I often found myself having to stop the audiobook to ponder the story Ms. Hunter is building in order to make sure to fully appreciate it. The romantic in me found the potential love interest angle of this story to be the most intriguing, and now I can’t wait to see if Nell will find her HEA in future books.
BJ
Buy Flame in the Dark by Faith Hunter on Amazon
