Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks

A Lethal Magic Is Born in Spells for the Dead

Nell Ingram is back in the latest novel from Faith Hunter. Spells for the Dead is the fifth novel in the Soulwood series, and once again, readers are about to visit a world full of magic and paranormal. As well as killers.

Nell is an agent of PsyLed, and she has been involved in more than one unusual or terrifying case. Her team gets the cases that normal government agencies can’t handle. The ones that revolve around magic or other paranormal means.

Now, they’re all about to face something larger than they’ve ever seen. A death working is tearing through their jurisdiction, and there’s only so much time to solve the cause – and stop it – before it’s too late.

I’m going to be upfront here. Soulwood is one of my favorite series. It spins off from the world of Jane Yellowrock (another beloved series of mine), and I have consistently counted down the days for it every time. Every time, it has lived up to my expectations. Yet I’ll confess that there may be a slight amount of bias, being one of my favorites.

• Writing

Spells for the Dead is one of the most thrilling reads of the series thus far. The stakes have never been higher; the magic has never been more intriguing. Nell is officially in the deep end now, and it shows.

This novel is graphic to the extreme, taking a deep dive into the darker side of magic. (See below for a content warning). It further explored parts of the world we’ve been eager to see, answering questions while laying down more. Yet there’s still that lingering feeling that there is still so much more to explore.

One of the reasons I adore this series so much is the unique take on all of the paranormal that Nell comes across. Not to mention Nell herself. This novel, once again, highlights all of those elements, all while taking the time to introduce more.

The other highlight of the series? It merges fantasy elements with a police procedural. It has those magical elements (literally) and the harrowing moments that come from investigating any crime scene.

This crime scene is probably worse than normal, and with good reason. This story quickly became a race against time, setting the tone for the novel. It was richly detailed, intense, and full of small details worth picking up on.

Development

Unsurprisingly, Spells for the Dead was an incredibly fast-paced read. It’s yet another novel I devoured in one sitting, and I have no regrets. Thanks to the high stakes, it’s a book that doesn’t want to be put down.

The crime elements of the story force the plot onward, while elements revolving around Nell and her family allow for moments of fresh air. Given everything else that is going on, those moments are more vital than you might expect.

Despite the sense of the plot constantly moving forward, this is not a tale that once felt rushed. Nell and her team concluded at the right point in the story. Leaving plenty of time for fans to try and solve the puzzle alongside them.

Conclusion

Spells for the Dead was every bit as intense and amazing as I hoped it would be. It showcased everything that Nell had to offer. All while highlighting other parts of this world that are so worth exploring.

The combination of police procedural and paranormal works beautifully in the rest of the series. It’s perfect for fans who enjoy both, allowing readers to indulge in that rare combination.

If you haven’t heard of Soulwood, or Jane Yellowrock, I sincerely cannot recommend the series enough. It’s one of my favorite Urban Fantasy series and with good reason. The writing and character development in both series is a treasure and one I plan to hold onto with both hands.

Content Warning

Spells for the Dead is an extremely intense novel, and it contains within it a lot of detail. Specifically, these details are revolving around death and decomposition. It is essential to the plot, yet some people would probably appreciate the warning nonetheless.

This review was originally written for Word of the Nerd, but has been ported over to Quirky Cat’s Fat Stacks now that the site has shut down.

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