Alas.. I still love the premise of these stories, but I found this one unnecessarily violent, awash in not very believable machismo, and at times, it all felt contrived. Especially some of the sexual glamour.

The constant physical violence the protagonist endured tested my own endurance, both of us slogging through endless descriptions of pain, suffering, etc. Very annoying.

And I felt that the mysterious back story of who these people are, the magic of the songs and wind, why they are at odds with one another, etc. was increasingly convoluted.

I wanted SO much to like this as much as "The Hum and the Shiver," but I was, in the end, disappointed. Waiting for the next one in hopes of best 2 out of three. ( )

Often it seems that the second book in a series isn't nearly as good as the first. With this book, that is not the case. I am now much more inclined to read the third book in the series than I was going in. ( )

These books always follow a pattern - an outsider comes to Cloud County, some to find ancestors, others drawn to it because they have a bit Tufa. This book is no different. We have Rob Quillen coming to town to look for a song that will help him heal his broken heart. A contestant on an 'American Idol' like TV show, tragedy entered when his girlfriend died in a crash, making him well known in America as tragic figure, to be pitied.

As always the writing is beautiful, the story is slow and meandery. Information is told in bits and pieces, often within a completely different context. As for the story, its fairly typical- in that an outsider comes in and he mostly spends the time meandering incomprehensibly while become friends with someone in the clan.

As for the ending, I wasn't sure I liked it. A lot of characters said "this is now permanent, you best let her/him/it go", and instead, everyone got what they needed. ( )

Very enjoyable. Interesting view of American Fae origins and Appalachian culture in general. Mystery was interesting enough to keep me going. ( )

I'm currently listening through every book in the Tufa series before I start reading The Fairies of Sadieville, the latest book in the series that will be published in April. I'm right on the fifth book, the one before The Fairies of Sadieville, so I'm sure I will get to The Fairies of Sadieville before the pub.date!

In the first book of the Tufa series, The Hum and the Shiver are we introduced to the strange people that live in the Smoky Mountains. The Tufas is said to have been there before the Native Americans arrived in the United States and this book gives more clues to what they really are...

Musician Rob Quillen comes to Cloud County, Tennessee looking for a special song that will take away his heartache. But, he gets more than he bargains for when he gets caught up in a power struggle between two different groups of Tufas. For the people on the outside of the community is the Tufas one group of similar looking people, but there has been a power between those that follow Rockhouse Hicks and those that follow Mandalay Harris for a long time. And it the woods a wisp of a thing, a feral girl is running screaming, for when the last leaf falls from the Widow's Three, then the curse that has made what she is will finally be the end of her...

We were introduced to Bliss Overbay in the first book that starred Bronwyn Hyatt, the war heroine (a great book as well, read it). In this book, however, is Brownwyn taking a step back and it's Bliss time to be in the center as she tries to figure out how Rob Quillen can see things only a true Tufa can see. I found this book to be an absolute delight to listen to, just like the first book. As a big fan of urban fantasy, do I love the Tufa people that have so many interesting secrets. And, I love how this book gives away some more secrets about them. Also, the storyline about the wisp of a thing is so heartbreaking.

I recommend this series warmly! ( )