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Tufa #2
Wisp of a Thing
Alex Bledsoe’s The Hum and the Shiver was named one of the Best Fiction Books of 2011 by Kirkus Reviews. Now with Wisp of a Thing Bledsoe returns to the isolated ridges and hollows of the Smoky Mountains to spin an equally enchanting tale of music and magic older than the hills….
Touched by a very public tragedy, musician Rob Quillen comes to Cloud County, Tennessee, in search of a song that might ease his aching heart. All he knows of the mysterious and reclusive Tufa is what he has read on the internet: they are an enigmatic clan of swarthy, black-haired mountain people whose historical roots are lost in myth and controversy. Some people say that when the first white settlers came to the Appalachians centuries ago, they found the Tufa already there. Others hint that Tufa blood brings special gifts.
Rob finds both music and mystery in the mountains. Close-lipped locals guard their secrets, even as Rob gets caught up in a subtle power struggle he can’t begin to comprehend. A vacationing wife goes missing, raising suspicions of foul play, and a strange feral girl runs wild in the woods, howling in the night like a lost spirit.
Change is coming to Cloud County, and only the night wind knows what part Rob will play when the last leaf falls from the Widow’s Tree…and a timeless curse must be broken at last.
Touched by a very public tragedy, musician Rob Quillen comes to Cloud County, Tennessee, in search of a song that might ease his aching heart. All he knows of the mysterious and reclusive Tufa is what he has read on the internet: they are an enigmatic clan of swarthy, black-haired mountain people whose historical roots are lost in myth and controversy. Some people say that when the first white settlers came to the Appalachians centuries ago, they found the Tufa already there. Others hint that Tufa blood brings special gifts.
Rob finds both music and mystery in the mountains. Close-lipped locals guard their secrets, even as Rob gets caught up in a subtle power struggle he can’t begin to comprehend. A vacationing wife goes missing, raising suspicions of foul play, and a strange feral girl runs wild in the woods, howling in the night like a lost spirit.
Change is coming to Cloud County, and only the night wind knows what part Rob will play when the last leaf falls from the Widow’s Tree…and a timeless curse must be broken at last.
349 pages, Hardcover
First published June 18, 2013
About the author
Alex Bledsoe
62 books792 followersI grew up in west Tennessee an hour north of Graceland (home of Elvis) and twenty minutes from Nutbush (home of Tina Turner). I've been a reporter, editor, photographer and door-to-door vacuum cleaner salesman. I now live in a big yellow house in Wisconsin, write before six in the morning and try to teach my two kids to act like they've been to town before.
I write the Tufa novels (The Hum and the Shiver, Wisp of a Thing, Long Black Curl and Chapel of Ease), as well as the Eddie LaCrosse series (The Sword-Edged Blonde, Burn Me Deadly, Dark Jenny, Wake of the Bloody Angel and He Drank, and Saw the Spider). the Firefly Witch ebook chapbooks, and two "vampsloitation" novels set in 1975 Memphis (Blood Groove and The Girls with Games of Blood).
I write the Tufa novels (The Hum and the Shiver, Wisp of a Thing, Long Black Curl and Chapel of Ease), as well as the Eddie LaCrosse series (The Sword-Edged Blonde, Burn Me Deadly, Dark Jenny, Wake of the Bloody Angel and He Drank, and Saw the Spider). the Firefly Witch ebook chapbooks, and two "vampsloitation" novels set in 1975 Memphis (Blood Groove and The Girls with Games of Blood).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 320 reviews
February 10, 2018
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!
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!
August 2, 2015
More reviews @ The BiblioSanctum
Rob Quillen is a musician known for being one of the final contestants on a reality show called So You Think You Can Sing? Despite that, Rob really isn’t one of those fifteen minute famer types and really loves music. After the tragic death of his girlfriend in a plane crash, he’s directed by a mysterious stranger to go to Cloud County, Tennessee where he’ll learn a song that will mend broken hearts. Rob is not a Tufa, but is often mistaken as one because of his looks, which he attributes to being part Filipino. As strange as the stranger’s words are to him, Rob travels to Needsville in search of this musical balm for his soul. He’s not sure if he believes he’ll find it, but he needs something to take his mind off his tragedy and get him away from people who know his face. What he finds in Needsville is mystery, an ages old power struggle, and secrets that could change the Tufa forever. Caught in the middle of this all is the sister of one the First Daughters, a feral Tufa woman who roams the woods.
This second book proved to be much more political in terms of how the Tufa live and what their future holds. As I mentioned in the last book, despite most people thinking the Tufa are all one people, they are actually two factions who are vying for power. The true villain of these books–who is actually both father and villain, in a sense–has his plots revealed more. Unlike the two villains of the last book, there’s more depth to this character and his villainy. His presence means more to the Tufa people, and his possible demise also leaves all the Tufa in a state of flux, wondering what will happen to them if he ceases to exist. This book explores the depths of cruelty and how deep hatred can run, even for those people should protect and love. Bledsoe plays around with some interesting lore and ideas where the Tufa are concerned, and I’ve enjoyed seeing where he takes their story.
I can’t stress enough that these are not pretty, flowery books. There’s plenty of violence and language. Life in the mountains is hard, even for the Tufas. Because there’s more focus on finding out who and what the Tufa are, you don’t get as many snatches of random songs as in the last book instead you get more portents and history, especially the history of where this bad blood comes from. However, the songs you do get in this book tell stories just as powerful as the last, and you get longer, fleshed out musical tales, which makes up for it because it probably all evens out in the end. Beauty is expressed in their music, but still there’s so much tragedy in it, as well, expressing the ordeals and hardships of the Tufa life.
I did listen to this one nearly the whole way through this time, but I was able to better pay attention this time even with Rudnicki’s deep, lulling voice. I think it helped tremendously that there was only one narrator for this book instead of having various breaks in the story as the narrator changes. That works for some stories, but this definitely benefited from only having one narrator. Still no singing, though, so if you’re interested in these books because you expect to get some off-key narrator singing, don’t bother. The verses are chanted, which is probably the best deal for the narrator and readers alike.
These books do an amazing job of being very accessible to new readers and acting as standalones. Sure, the same characters show up, but Bledsoe provides an amazing amount of context to what they mean to the story, even down to having some passages read almost exactly the same from the previous books. You won’t get lost regardless of which book you start with it seems, but for even more context about the Tufa, I’m sure you should get around to reading the first book at some point as the politics seem to be becoming a larger focal point now than in the first book where it was only beginning to burgeon, even though you know something’s simmering underneath the surface.
I wasn’t supremely happy with the wording of the very last line of the ending or the “epilogue” type thing that follows, especially depending on how the next story goes as far as that “epilogue” goes. Rob could sometimes come off as a “special snowflake” since he is definitely not Tufa. I liked that he didn’t learn that somewhere on his great-great-great grandmother’s side he had a Tufa relative, but there were times when things were just a little too convenient for Rob. Also, it would’ve been nice to learn more about Rob and his anger issues. I did like that, even though Rob wasn’t Tufa, he had the music in his soul and didn’t need that qualifier to make him a musician who had music in his bones. I found this story just as engaging as the first as more of the Tufa’s true nature comes to light. This also means that the story becomes more whimsical as readers learn more truths about the Tufa people. Whether you prefer the more grounded magical realism of the first book or the magical realism blended with magical fantasy of this one will totally be up to you as the reader. I enjoyed both. Side note: A painting mentioned in both this book and the prior book is a real painting. I had to go stare at it a while on Wikipedia.
Rob Quillen is a musician known for being one of the final contestants on a reality show called So You Think You Can Sing? Despite that, Rob really isn’t one of those fifteen minute famer types and really loves music. After the tragic death of his girlfriend in a plane crash, he’s directed by a mysterious stranger to go to Cloud County, Tennessee where he’ll learn a song that will mend broken hearts. Rob is not a Tufa, but is often mistaken as one because of his looks, which he attributes to being part Filipino. As strange as the stranger’s words are to him, Rob travels to Needsville in search of this musical balm for his soul. He’s not sure if he believes he’ll find it, but he needs something to take his mind off his tragedy and get him away from people who know his face. What he finds in Needsville is mystery, an ages old power struggle, and secrets that could change the Tufa forever. Caught in the middle of this all is the sister of one the First Daughters, a feral Tufa woman who roams the woods.
This second book proved to be much more political in terms of how the Tufa live and what their future holds. As I mentioned in the last book, despite most people thinking the Tufa are all one people, they are actually two factions who are vying for power. The true villain of these books–who is actually both father and villain, in a sense–has his plots revealed more. Unlike the two villains of the last book, there’s more depth to this character and his villainy. His presence means more to the Tufa people, and his possible demise also leaves all the Tufa in a state of flux, wondering what will happen to them if he ceases to exist. This book explores the depths of cruelty and how deep hatred can run, even for those people should protect and love. Bledsoe plays around with some interesting lore and ideas where the Tufa are concerned, and I’ve enjoyed seeing where he takes their story.
I can’t stress enough that these are not pretty, flowery books. There’s plenty of violence and language. Life in the mountains is hard, even for the Tufas. Because there’s more focus on finding out who and what the Tufa are, you don’t get as many snatches of random songs as in the last book instead you get more portents and history, especially the history of where this bad blood comes from. However, the songs you do get in this book tell stories just as powerful as the last, and you get longer, fleshed out musical tales, which makes up for it because it probably all evens out in the end. Beauty is expressed in their music, but still there’s so much tragedy in it, as well, expressing the ordeals and hardships of the Tufa life.
I did listen to this one nearly the whole way through this time, but I was able to better pay attention this time even with Rudnicki’s deep, lulling voice. I think it helped tremendously that there was only one narrator for this book instead of having various breaks in the story as the narrator changes. That works for some stories, but this definitely benefited from only having one narrator. Still no singing, though, so if you’re interested in these books because you expect to get some off-key narrator singing, don’t bother. The verses are chanted, which is probably the best deal for the narrator and readers alike.
These books do an amazing job of being very accessible to new readers and acting as standalones. Sure, the same characters show up, but Bledsoe provides an amazing amount of context to what they mean to the story, even down to having some passages read almost exactly the same from the previous books. You won’t get lost regardless of which book you start with it seems, but for even more context about the Tufa, I’m sure you should get around to reading the first book at some point as the politics seem to be becoming a larger focal point now than in the first book where it was only beginning to burgeon, even though you know something’s simmering underneath the surface.
I wasn’t supremely happy with the wording of the very last line of the ending or the “epilogue” type thing that follows, especially depending on how the next story goes as far as that “epilogue” goes. Rob could sometimes come off as a “special snowflake” since he is definitely not Tufa. I liked that he didn’t learn that somewhere on his great-great-great grandmother’s side he had a Tufa relative, but there were times when things were just a little too convenient for Rob. Also, it would’ve been nice to learn more about Rob and his anger issues. I did like that, even though Rob wasn’t Tufa, he had the music in his soul and didn’t need that qualifier to make him a musician who had music in his bones. I found this story just as engaging as the first as more of the Tufa’s true nature comes to light. This also means that the story becomes more whimsical as readers learn more truths about the Tufa people. Whether you prefer the more grounded magical realism of the first book or the magical realism blended with magical fantasy of this one will totally be up to you as the reader. I enjoyed both. Side note: A painting mentioned in both this book and the prior book is a real painting. I had to go stare at it a while on Wikipedia.
March 19, 2017
Ahhh. . . a real treat of a read and a worthy follow-up to his 2011 book "The Hum and the Shiver." This man can't write fast enough to please me: I want MORE about his fantastical 'Tufa' people in the the Tennessee mountains. This is clever, creative world-making for those who like their fantasy firmly grounded in an otherwise ordinary world, and who relish the notion that music can have transformative power. Aspiring musician Rob Quillen feels called to Cloud County after a personal tragedy and finds he has an unexpected role to play in a struggle for power among the area's peculiar Tufa, the black-haired mountain folk who may or may not be more than they seem and whose 'first daughters' wield quiet authority. The ending gives hope that there may be another novel about the young woman Curnen, who almost became the 'wisp' of the title -- although Bledsoe, tantalizingly, did NOT follow up much on Bronwyn HYatt's story from the first novel, but took readers off on a totally new tangent here. I'm hooked. No need to read the first book before diving into this one.
I need to find an audio version of one of these books and see if someone has managed to find music to echo the tunes so eloquently described here!
[Did find an audio CD later -- no music on it. Rats!]
I need to find an audio version of one of these books and see if someone has managed to find music to echo the tunes so eloquently described here!
[Did find an audio CD later -- no music on it. Rats!]
June 22, 2013
This book is a treasure; a feast for mind and heart and soul. Vibrant, lyrical, and filled with the beauty of music and the wildness of the mountains--as well as the harsh realities of living amid a strange people who are both more and less than human. It is the ultimate modern fairy tale. Its spirit will resonate in my bones long after the specific words have faded from memory. It may be a novel, but it is not a work of fiction. Just the opposite, for it contains the essence of all that is real and true about life. Including, of course, a difficult, believable, and satisfying tale of love.
And don't let my babbling admiration for this book (and its author) mislead you. This is also simply a rousing good story, which will grab you on page one and not let you go until you reach the end.
Five stars and a round of applause for Alex Bledsoe. This is his best book yet. (And that's really saying something.)
And don't let my babbling admiration for this book (and its author) mislead you. This is also simply a rousing good story, which will grab you on page one and not let you go until you reach the end.
Five stars and a round of applause for Alex Bledsoe. This is his best book yet. (And that's really saying something.)
January 5, 2020
This is Fantasy with a touch of Magical Realism. It is also book #2 in the Tufa series. I liked the story line a little more with this one than I did with the first book. The characters were more interesting, and plus it was a different cast compared to the first in this series. There was also a strong theme of doing the right thing just because it was the right thing to do. This was more like 3.5 stars, but I will round up to 4.
January 17, 2018
My previous exposure to Alex Bledsoe had been through several of his Eddie LaCrosse books, which I enjoyed as good pulpy fun. I had heard of his Tufa series, though, and it sounded intriguing, so when the second book in the series popped up at our annual library sale, I snapped it up. This week, when I had one of those evenings where I was working but most of my time could be spent sitting and reading, I took this and another book with me. The other book, Seanan McGuire's Chaos Choreography, I ended up loaning to another person working the event, and she loved it, but I did not get to read it.
Note: The rest of this review has been withheld due to the changes in Goodreads policy and enforcement. You can read why I came to this decision here.
In the meantime, you can read the entire review at Smorgasbook
Note: The rest of this review has been withheld due to the changes in Goodreads policy and enforcement. You can read why I came to this decision here.
In the meantime, you can read the entire review at Smorgasbook
January 28, 2021
Notes:
Currently on Audible Plus
You have to "go with the flow" for parts of this book but it's worth it. Bledsoe is one of the authors that can piece together a story that has the old timey feel of the Grimm's Fairy Tales and have it take place in the now. It's hard to mix the sharp edge of danger that the real stories held and hold onto a haze of magic.
Really enjoy the way the stories are layering and connecting together. =)
Currently on Audible Plus
You have to "go with the flow" for parts of this book but it's worth it. Bledsoe is one of the authors that can piece together a story that has the old timey feel of the Grimm's Fairy Tales and have it take place in the now. It's hard to mix the sharp edge of danger that the real stories held and hold onto a haze of magic.
Really enjoy the way the stories are layering and connecting together. =)
September 1, 2018
2.5 stars... This second book in Alex Bledsoe's "Tufa" series was interesting, and gave us more of an entry into the world, magic, and music of the Tufa people. This "urban fantasy" series, which I think of more as "rural fantasy," is very character-driven. The characterizations are what hold the story together, in my opinion, as the plot threads do not all quite connect. However, I experienced a growing dislike of the main character, a musician and troubled outsider named Rob, and that took away some of the enjoyment. Though his quest to find a "healing song" was relatable, his nasty temper was never fully explained. The lead Tufa characters, such as Bliss, Curnen, Mandalay, and even Rockaway, were more fun to get to know. There were also more revelations about the clans' "historical" fairy beginnings.
*** The character Bliss Overbay, first introduced in book one, has a major role in this sequel. The author, Alex Bledsoe, gives us several strong women in this tale, including Bliss. She is initially portrayed as a competent leader, a sort of "regent" for her side of the clans. There's an interesting split between her private 'human' life and its concerns, and her less-frequent public appearances as a mesmerizing singer. She is still somewhat of a mystery, and while she also uses her (unexplained) magic infrequently, it is clearly powerful stuff. However: once Rob's motivations become the driving force in the plot, there are times when Bliss responds almost subserviently. For example, "fearing" his anger, when previously she'd threatened to take his life. Her potency in her role as a leader completely devolved, in unbelievable ways, as Rob's choices took over the plot.
There are too many other characters to go into detail about, here, but some I hope to see more of, in book three.
Spoiler Alert AND Trigger Warning, to follow:
In one thread of the plot, a side character named Stoney was basically a serial sexual-abuser with a magical ability to draw women to him: this created a base for a certain plot element, but also angered me, in that nothing was done to stop him, and his actions were virtually tolerated by most characters. Yes, this is a fantasy series, and fiction stories are pretend. Bad things happen. The best fairytales have darkness and a touch of violence. But with a realistic, present-day setting, I wanted him to be stopped. Instead, when one of the most admirable characters has a chance to do so, she instead makes a choice that will keep the Tufa hidden and together, but will also continue the status quo. At this point, I examined this mainly admirable character's overall actions throughout the book, and found them inconsistent: too often based on what was required to keep the plot rolling, rather than on what her character's established personality (as a sort of guardian) would cause her to do. I was disappointed by what I felt was unrealistic in the theme of the tale, and angered by the casual attitude toward rape.
*** I should add that there are thankfully no graphic descriptions, at the very least.
There were some other generalizations about "hillbillies" and "mountain people" that also began to become annoying. I understand that the author is from West Tennessee himself, and feels entitled to characterize a group that he finds familiar, even while adding in his own fae theme. Nonetheless, in this tale, the majority of the hillbilly bad guys were overweight, or cooking meth, or had a 'heavy' or 'bony' brow and chewing tobacco stains down the front of their denim overalls (*** while in human form). In contrast, the good hillbillies were thin and attractive, and they dressed a tad better. Also, it was obvious that in this close-to-a-fairytale world, clear demarcations were needed between Good and Evil. It was just that these demarcations became too stereotypical when the hillbilly element was over-emphasized.
I suppose it comes down to many of the subtleties having been lost that were present in the first book.
Bledsoe's debut Tufa book, The Hum and the Shiver, had a yearning, aching, grieving feeling, somewhat similar to Winter's Bone (by Daniel Woodrell), that was lost in this second book, Wisp of a Thing. I do plan to read the next Tufa book, whose blurb sounds promising, and possibly continue after that. I hope to rediscover some of the gritty magic from the The Hum and the Shiver, with far fewer of the things that annoyed me personally.
*** Edited later in the day: downgraded from 3 stars to 2.5, because the longer I reflect, this tale disappointed me far more than it entertained me. Certain comments added at the asterisks.
*** The character Bliss Overbay, first introduced in book one, has a major role in this sequel. The author, Alex Bledsoe, gives us several strong women in this tale, including Bliss. She is initially portrayed as a competent leader, a sort of "regent" for her side of the clans. There's an interesting split between her private 'human' life and its concerns, and her less-frequent public appearances as a mesmerizing singer. She is still somewhat of a mystery, and while she also uses her (unexplained) magic infrequently, it is clearly powerful stuff. However: once Rob's motivations become the driving force in the plot, there are times when Bliss responds almost subserviently. For example, "fearing" his anger, when previously she'd threatened to take his life. Her potency in her role as a leader completely devolved, in unbelievable ways, as Rob's choices took over the plot.
There are too many other characters to go into detail about, here, but some I hope to see more of, in book three.
Spoiler Alert AND Trigger Warning, to follow:
In one thread of the plot, a side character named Stoney was basically a serial sexual-abuser with a magical ability to draw women to him: this created a base for a certain plot element, but also angered me, in that nothing was done to stop him, and his actions were virtually tolerated by most characters. Yes, this is a fantasy series, and fiction stories are pretend. Bad things happen. The best fairytales have darkness and a touch of violence. But with a realistic, present-day setting, I wanted him to be stopped. Instead, when one of the most admirable characters has a chance to do so, she instead makes a choice that will keep the Tufa hidden and together, but will also continue the status quo. At this point, I examined this mainly admirable character's overall actions throughout the book, and found them inconsistent: too often based on what was required to keep the plot rolling, rather than on what her character's established personality (as a sort of guardian) would cause her to do. I was disappointed by what I felt was unrealistic in the theme of the tale, and angered by the casual attitude toward rape.
*** I should add that there are thankfully no graphic descriptions, at the very least.
There were some other generalizations about "hillbillies" and "mountain people" that also began to become annoying. I understand that the author is from West Tennessee himself, and feels entitled to characterize a group that he finds familiar, even while adding in his own fae theme. Nonetheless, in this tale, the majority of the hillbilly bad guys were overweight, or cooking meth, or had a 'heavy' or 'bony' brow and chewing tobacco stains down the front of their denim overalls (*** while in human form). In contrast, the good hillbillies were thin and attractive, and they dressed a tad better. Also, it was obvious that in this close-to-a-fairytale world, clear demarcations were needed between Good and Evil. It was just that these demarcations became too stereotypical when the hillbilly element was over-emphasized.
I suppose it comes down to many of the subtleties having been lost that were present in the first book.
Bledsoe's debut Tufa book, The Hum and the Shiver, had a yearning, aching, grieving feeling, somewhat similar to Winter's Bone (by Daniel Woodrell), that was lost in this second book, Wisp of a Thing. I do plan to read the next Tufa book, whose blurb sounds promising, and possibly continue after that. I hope to rediscover some of the gritty magic from the The Hum and the Shiver, with far fewer of the things that annoyed me personally.
*** Edited later in the day: downgraded from 3 stars to 2.5, because the longer I reflect, this tale disappointed me far more than it entertained me. Certain comments added at the asterisks.
Read
January 10, 2024I enjoyed this outing into the present-day world of the Appalachian Fae. Singer-songwriter Rob travels to Needsville (love the name), Tennessee, looking for a song that will sing away his grief at the loss of his girlfriend. Guy that told him about the song was wearing sequins but they were backstage at the Opry at the time, so never mind. In Needsville he finds what he needs and then some, at considerable personal risk.
Strong sense of place and some solid characters, starting with Rob, who has unexpected depths, and the part-Fae, part not population of Cloud County. There is Doyle the mechanic and his Fae-lovestruck wife, Berklee. There is the truly icky Rockhouse Hicks and his wounded daughter/slash/lover Curnen (more ick, Bledsoe's really pulling out all the stops on putting a new twist on that old marrying-their-sister back country trope). Especially there is Bliss Overbay, the I have to say pretty laissez-faire guardian of this motley crew, as in she's ready to kill Rob before the night winds tell her not to (just roll with it). Some good lines, too, like
The building's interior seemed bigger inside than it had appeared outside, like a hillbilly TARDIS.
and
"Germs and Jesus, that's all I ever hear about," the boy said in a voice too weary for his age. "Germs and Jesus. And you know something? You can't see neither one of them."
Definitely a book that will keep you out of the woods. At least these woods. Worth reading.
Strong sense of place and some solid characters, starting with Rob, who has unexpected depths, and the part-Fae, part not population of Cloud County. There is Doyle the mechanic and his Fae-lovestruck wife, Berklee. There is the truly icky Rockhouse Hicks and his wounded daughter/slash/lover Curnen (more ick, Bledsoe's really pulling out all the stops on putting a new twist on that old marrying-their-sister back country trope). Especially there is Bliss Overbay, the I have to say pretty laissez-faire guardian of this motley crew, as in she's ready to kill Rob before the night winds tell her not to (just roll with it). Some good lines, too, like
The building's interior seemed bigger inside than it had appeared outside, like a hillbilly TARDIS.
and
"Germs and Jesus, that's all I ever hear about," the boy said in a voice too weary for his age. "Germs and Jesus. And you know something? You can't see neither one of them."
Definitely a book that will keep you out of the woods. At least these woods. Worth reading.
March 29, 2024
Just a wonderful book and beautiful story. Good and evil wrapped up with a big bow. On to the next one!
June 20, 2016
Music, magic, broken hearts -- the thing country music is made of. In this case, though, it is to cope with one, that makes singer/songwriter Rob Quillen head to Cloud County. He was a contestant on a talent search TV show, who very publicly, very tragically, experienced the death of his sweetheart. He heads to mountains in search of a song he's heard of which will ease his heart, erase the pain. What he finds instead are the Tufa, a people who predate earliest settlers, and who may, or may not (must most likely may) have faerie blood in them, either diluted or full. As Rob begins his search for words written in stone, he encounters locals, many of whom are none too happy to have him in their town. He also attracts the attentions of a feral girl who prowls the area. At the same time, another visitor to the area has gone missing.
When I read the first book in this series of Bledsoe's, The Hum and the Shiver, I really liked it. I was out in search of the next book that my book club is reading, but saw this on the shelf of new arrivals, and grabbed it with glee. Bledsoe didn't disappoint. Nor did he make this a sequel, though some characters have cameos in this book from the last. Instead, it is another tale of the Tufas, and has made me a happy reader.
When I read the first book in this series of Bledsoe's, The Hum and the Shiver, I really liked it. I was out in search of the next book that my book club is reading, but saw this on the shelf of new arrivals, and grabbed it with glee. Bledsoe didn't disappoint. Nor did he make this a sequel, though some characters have cameos in this book from the last. Instead, it is another tale of the Tufas, and has made me a happy reader.
January 15, 2015
Casually picked up at the "new books" section at the library. Enthralling story and fascinating characters. A bluegrass musician, Rob, grief-stricken after the death of his girlfriend, is told by another musician to go to a certain town in Tennessee in the Smokies and to search for a particular song, that it would heal his broken heart and it would "be on a hill, carved in stone." So he sets out on his quest. The inhabitants of the small town, the Tufa, are a closed eccentric society: magical and musical. They are suspicious of outsiders, and even sinister. The book is a combination of fantasy/mystery with even a whiff of horror. A girl has been cursed and becomes feral. If by the time the last leaf falls from what the villagers call the Widow's Tree, she will become a wisp of a thing. Rob searches for the song and becomes involved in the politics of the town, uncovering secrets long hidden and rousing the animosity of some of the inhabitants. The novel becomes a race against time.
This novel was not my usual reading material, but I couldn't tear myself away. The author based his fictional insular society on one actually existing in the Appalachians: the Melungeons and their legends.
This novel was not my usual reading material, but I couldn't tear myself away. The author based his fictional insular society on one actually existing in the Appalachians: the Melungeons and their legends.
July 25, 2018
Not bad! I like this one much more than the first in the series The Hum and the Shiver. There are no romance type sex scenes. The setting is as all the Tuffa books in the Appalachian mountains and as always, music plays an important role. I'd recommend this to people who like Urban fantasy with a more artistic bend!
February 28, 2021
I found Wisp of a Thing to be just as oddly engaging as the first Tufa book (the Hum and the Shiver), but overall I liked it a lot less. Mainly I think because the main character, Rob, was just so overwhelmingly unlikable. And not in, like, a compelling way. He's not the kind of arsehole you'd hate in real but is still a lot of fun to follow around for a book. It's more mundane. I've known a Rob or two. Guys that have very strong opinions about what counts as "real music." Guys who act like they're not proud of their tempers but secretly they are. Petty, petulant guys who sulk and say 'whatever' when you don't do what they want, who check out your "curves" and say hey, you can't blame me for looking haha.
Sorry, I could go on for a while here.
He's not a hero I was exactly rooting for, is my point.
My other huge issue with this book was the character of Stoney. A full-blooded Tufa man with a magic dick. A woman spends a night with Stoney and she'll spend the rest of her life literally wasting away for the want of more. Or she'll just kill herself. The book has this undercurrent of contempt for the woman Stoney leaves behind. Even though, get this, they LITERALLY CAN NOT RESIST HIM.
Early in the book Stoney pretty much kidnaps an out-of-town woman, and the police think her husband did it. Rob's supposed motivated for much of the novel is finding the woman so she can confirm she left of her own will so her husband will be off the hook. Except she didn't leave of her own will. But everyone keeps acting like her going off with Stoney Magic-Dick is something she had control over.
Spoiler alert; in the end she runs away from him and is hit by a car and killed. Rob doesn't know or care because he forgets all about her once he sees for himself that she's trailing after Stoney "willingly."
So, yeah. A largely unpleasant book with a few brief moments that recalled how wonderful Hum and the Shiver was.
Sorry, I could go on for a while here.
He's not a hero I was exactly rooting for, is my point.
My other huge issue with this book was the character of Stoney. A full-blooded Tufa man with a magic dick. A woman spends a night with Stoney and she'll spend the rest of her life literally wasting away for the want of more. Or she'll just kill herself. The book has this undercurrent of contempt for the woman Stoney leaves behind. Even though, get this, they LITERALLY CAN NOT RESIST HIM.
Early in the book Stoney pretty much kidnaps an out-of-town woman, and the police think her husband did it. Rob's supposed motivated for much of the novel is finding the woman so she can confirm she left of her own will so her husband will be off the hook. Except she didn't leave of her own will. But everyone keeps acting like her going off with Stoney Magic-Dick is something she had control over.
Spoiler alert; in the end she runs away from him and is hit by a car and killed. Rob doesn't know or care because he forgets all about her once he sees for himself that she's trailing after Stoney "willingly."
So, yeah. A largely unpleasant book with a few brief moments that recalled how wonderful Hum and the Shiver was.
October 1, 2019
I expected the second book in the Tufa series to continue Bronwyn's story, but in fact she barely makes more than a cameo. Instead, Wisp of a Thing is more traditional contemporary fantasy, less PNR.
Rob Quillen is introduced to us as a Muggle outsider who comes to Cloud County on a strange sort of quest. The winner of an "America's Got Talent"-style reality show, his girlfriend died flying to his finale, and now Quillen is a very broody, angry, grieving musician with a streak of bad boy; yes, he's a typical PNR protagonist. Except when he runs into the Tufa, he finds out there are much badder boys on the block.
Bliss, one of the First Daughters of the Tufa, has been given signs by "the Night Winds" that there is something special about Quillen. I kind of assumed this meant they'd end up screwing, but the story delays that for quite a while while Bliss tries to figure out why this stranger is bumbling around in Cloud County triggering signs and portents all over the place. Rob Quillen also looks like a Tufa. This is brought up by nearly everyone who meets him, though he says it's just because of his Filipina mother, and Bliss insists that she's quite sure he doesn't have a drop of Tufa blood in him.
Our boy Rob winds up in the middle of a Tufa turf war, and what was hinted at in the previous book is spelled out in this one, as we get the actual origins of the Tufa, and why they're split into two hostile camps. I liked Wisp of a Thing better than the first book, because there was less pointless sex, because Bliss is less whiny than Bronwyn, and because we actually got deeper into the fantasy roots of the series, making it more American Fantasy than Paranormal Romance.
Rob Quillen is introduced to us as a Muggle outsider who comes to Cloud County on a strange sort of quest. The winner of an "America's Got Talent"-style reality show, his girlfriend died flying to his finale, and now Quillen is a very broody, angry, grieving musician with a streak of bad boy; yes, he's a typical PNR protagonist. Except when he runs into the Tufa, he finds out there are much badder boys on the block.
Bliss, one of the First Daughters of the Tufa, has been given signs by "the Night Winds" that there is something special about Quillen. I kind of assumed this meant they'd end up screwing, but the story delays that for quite a while while Bliss tries to figure out why this stranger is bumbling around in Cloud County triggering signs and portents all over the place. Rob Quillen also looks like a Tufa. This is brought up by nearly everyone who meets him, though he says it's just because of his Filipina mother, and Bliss insists that she's quite sure he doesn't have a drop of Tufa blood in him.
Our boy Rob winds up in the middle of a Tufa turf war, and what was hinted at in the previous book is spelled out in this one, as we get the actual origins of the Tufa, and why they're split into two hostile camps. I liked Wisp of a Thing better than the first book, because there was less pointless sex, because Bliss is less whiny than Bronwyn, and because we actually got deeper into the fantasy roots of the series, making it more American Fantasy than Paranormal Romance.
December 26, 2018
I usually find contemporary fantasy a little hokey or at least find it harder to suspend disbelief while reading it than in historical fantasy or secondary world fantasy. But while reading this, my only thought was that I should never have waited so long to revisit the world of the Tufa. Mixing mountain music and family feuds with the traditions of the faerie world is spot on. Bledsoe handles characters well too. This story of a singing show contestant turned into tragic figure in the public eye sucked me in from the start. He retreats to the mountain country in search of a mythical song that might help him find solace but he's digging into dangerous territory that threatens the dark faerie faction.
I will have to move forward to book three with less delay. This is an author that more people should be reading. Recommended for fantasy fans, romantics, music lovers and mountain culture fans.
I will have to move forward to book three with less delay. This is an author that more people should be reading. Recommended for fantasy fans, romantics, music lovers and mountain culture fans.
October 5, 2018
What a ride! While the first book in this series was good but didn't blow me away... this one did. I finished it in the early hours of the morning and can't wait to continue with book three. There is just something very cool to find a series with so many books already published - I'm going to live in this world for several more books now.
What I really appreciate is that there is romance included but the romances are not sweet. They are real and don't take the limelight; something I hate when I want to read a fantasy story.
I'd give this book a 4.3 rating and a shout out to my urban fantasy readers friends - go and read that series.
What I really appreciate is that there is romance included but the romances are not sweet. They are real and don't take the limelight; something I hate when I want to read a fantasy story.
I'd give this book a 4.3 rating and a shout out to my urban fantasy readers friends - go and read that series.
March 8, 2018
Whoa, my second Tufa book. I fall into these books like slipping into a deep pool in. forest. It's quiet as only a deep forest can, and magic...its all around.
Final rating: 3.75
I'm afraid I may becoming obsessed with the Tufa. Book 2 and it was almost as good as Book 1, there were just a few places where I felt dialog didn't ring quite to true and grated on me. But the setting, Appalachia, the people of Cloud County and magic and the music. With this book l could swear I heard the music of the Tufa.
Final rating: 3.75
I'm afraid I may becoming obsessed with the Tufa. Book 2 and it was almost as good as Book 1, there were just a few places where I felt dialog didn't ring quite to true and grated on me. But the setting, Appalachia, the people of Cloud County and magic and the music. With this book l could swear I heard the music of the Tufa.
November 18, 2020
Really enjoying this world filled with hillbilly fae people. Crazy stuff happens, it keeps you entertained.
Looking forward to the next one.
Looking forward to the next one.
September 8, 2013
The Tufa, first brought to us in Alex Bledsoe's terrific novel The Hum And The Shiver, are back in Wisp Of A Thing. Legend says that when the first white men made it to the Smoky Mountains the Tufa were already there. When the first tribes of nomads crossed from Asia into the Americans to become the native culture, the Tufa were there.
In Wisp of a Thing we find out even more who the Tufa are and the clan war that is tearing them apart. Central to this tale is the wild young girl roaming the woods and how her history ties the two clans together and will also tear them asunder.
"I'm just tired of finding that girl in my Dumpster," she snapped. "Get it stopped, or I'll stop it for you."
In a drawl so slow, it seemed to suspend time, the old man said, "When the last leaf falls from the Widow's Tree this year, she'll be done for good. No coming back. No bothering anyone no more. Nobody'll find her bones, and before next spring, nobody'll even remember her. She'll be a wisp of a thing."
Rob Quillen comes to Cloud County in search of the Tufa, in search of a song to heal his grief. A minor celebrity known more for the tragedy of his life than the music he plays, he is searching for a promised song of the Tufa that will heal his broken heart. But the songs of the Tufa are only for the Tufa and not outsiders.
Bliss Overbay is a first daughter of the Tufa and protector of her clan until the young clan leader can come of age. She sees Rob as an outsider but soon comes to realize that he may become central to healing the Tufa people and saving their race from its own self destruction. That Rob and the girl in the woods may tie the future of the Tufa together and save them all from the future she sees so clearly coming toward them. But can she help Rob find the song to sing.
Can they do it before the last leaf falls? Before the Tufa are destroyed by a mad king? Before Rob losses himself completely. Before the lost girl just becomes a wisp of a thing.
In Wisp of a Thing we find out even more who the Tufa are and the clan war that is tearing them apart. Central to this tale is the wild young girl roaming the woods and how her history ties the two clans together and will also tear them asunder.
"I'm just tired of finding that girl in my Dumpster," she snapped. "Get it stopped, or I'll stop it for you."
In a drawl so slow, it seemed to suspend time, the old man said, "When the last leaf falls from the Widow's Tree this year, she'll be done for good. No coming back. No bothering anyone no more. Nobody'll find her bones, and before next spring, nobody'll even remember her. She'll be a wisp of a thing."
Rob Quillen comes to Cloud County in search of the Tufa, in search of a song to heal his grief. A minor celebrity known more for the tragedy of his life than the music he plays, he is searching for a promised song of the Tufa that will heal his broken heart. But the songs of the Tufa are only for the Tufa and not outsiders.
Bliss Overbay is a first daughter of the Tufa and protector of her clan until the young clan leader can come of age. She sees Rob as an outsider but soon comes to realize that he may become central to healing the Tufa people and saving their race from its own self destruction. That Rob and the girl in the woods may tie the future of the Tufa together and save them all from the future she sees so clearly coming toward them. But can she help Rob find the song to sing.
Can they do it before the last leaf falls? Before the Tufa are destroyed by a mad king? Before Rob losses himself completely. Before the lost girl just becomes a wisp of a thing.
August 12, 2013
Sometimes it is a good choice to read outside your comfort zone. I usually don't read Science Fiction, Horror, or Fantasy, but I often select books from the New Books section. Wisp of a Thing caught my eye and then it caught my imagination.
I started reading and discovered the setting was a small town deep in the Smoky Mountains; there is a reason it is the most visited national park in the United States other than its proximity to many states. It is calming, mystical, and inspirational.
The main character is a winner of the So You Thought You Could Sing television show. After being chosen one of the two finalists,, Rob Quillen, pleaded with his girlfriend, insisted on by the producers, to fly to the final show. Her plane crashed killing Anna and Rob had to go on live television. After the show, a man dressed in cowboy gear told him words carved in stone in a town named Needsville, Tennessee could heal a broken heart. With plenty of money and time, he researched the Tufa people on the internet, rented a car, and headed for Tennessee.
He finds a clan of swarthy, black-haired mountain people whose historical roots are lost in myth. People say when the first white settlers came, the Tufa were already there. Rob finds music abounds with a style that preceded Bill Monroe. He gets caught up in a power struggle between two powerful leaders, a vacationing wife goes missing, and a strange feral girl haunts the woods.
Change is coming and only the night wind knows what part Rob will paly when the last leaf falls. The novel is eerie, unworldly, haunting, and mesmerizing.u
I started reading and discovered the setting was a small town deep in the Smoky Mountains; there is a reason it is the most visited national park in the United States other than its proximity to many states. It is calming, mystical, and inspirational.
The main character is a winner of the So You Thought You Could Sing television show. After being chosen one of the two finalists,, Rob Quillen, pleaded with his girlfriend, insisted on by the producers, to fly to the final show. Her plane crashed killing Anna and Rob had to go on live television. After the show, a man dressed in cowboy gear told him words carved in stone in a town named Needsville, Tennessee could heal a broken heart. With plenty of money and time, he researched the Tufa people on the internet, rented a car, and headed for Tennessee.
He finds a clan of swarthy, black-haired mountain people whose historical roots are lost in myth. People say when the first white settlers came, the Tufa were already there. Rob finds music abounds with a style that preceded Bill Monroe. He gets caught up in a power struggle between two powerful leaders, a vacationing wife goes missing, and a strange feral girl haunts the woods.
Change is coming and only the night wind knows what part Rob will paly when the last leaf falls. The novel is eerie, unworldly, haunting, and mesmerizing.u
May 3, 2014
As much as I enjoyed The Hum and the Shiver, I didn't care quite as much for Wisp of a Thing.
To start with: it takes a lot of what was inferred and hinted about the Tufa (even allowing for the revelation at the end) and makes it explicit. Part of what I enjoyed about the first book were piecing the hints together and making guesses based on what I knew about certain mythologies and folk tales. Having it all laid out... kind of takes the magic away, in a lot of ways.
The other problem I have is that it feels like it falls to the Dances With Wolves/Last Samurai/Avatar problem in that an outsider comes in and proves to be even better at being part of the native community than some of the natives themselves. Even though Rob Quillen is demonstrably NOT Tufa - he's half-Filipino - he connects to them via their music and a seemingly instinctual grasp of their secrets in a way that no other outsider has. He's practically a better Tufa than some of the elders. And while this IS commented on - the characters speculate on just why this is - it still feels a little colonialist in many ways. Never mind that the Tufa don't actually exist; the closest thing I could think would be if somebody joined up with Irish Travellers or Roma and just happened to fit in and be the secret to solving a problem spanning decades that none of the people could fix.
That being said: it's still enjoyable. But in making the occult more overt, it loses something that made the first book more... well, magical.
To start with: it takes a lot of what was inferred and hinted about the Tufa (even allowing for the revelation at the end) and makes it explicit. Part of what I enjoyed about the first book were piecing the hints together and making guesses based on what I knew about certain mythologies and folk tales. Having it all laid out... kind of takes the magic away, in a lot of ways.
The other problem I have is that it feels like it falls to the Dances With Wolves/Last Samurai/Avatar problem in that an outsider comes in and proves to be even better at being part of the native community than some of the natives themselves. Even though Rob Quillen is demonstrably NOT Tufa - he's half-Filipino - he connects to them via their music and a seemingly instinctual grasp of their secrets in a way that no other outsider has. He's practically a better Tufa than some of the elders. And while this IS commented on - the characters speculate on just why this is - it still feels a little colonialist in many ways. Never mind that the Tufa don't actually exist; the closest thing I could think would be if somebody joined up with Irish Travellers or Roma and just happened to fit in and be the secret to solving a problem spanning decades that none of the people could fix.
That being said: it's still enjoyable. But in making the occult more overt, it loses something that made the first book more... well, magical.
August 6, 2013
Not as breath-taking as the first one, but I think that's just because I knew the secret already. I can't wait to find out what's in Bliss's lake!
March 16, 2017
This rural contemporary fantasy series has a unique feel. Alex Bledsoe has a talent for setting and character. And he also gives his books a very Southern feel- I don't know much about country or bluegrass music, but it's an important part of his books. I can hear each characters' accent and see the way they move. There's a lot of life and passion in these books, as well as the tragedy of the old folk songs.
The Tufa (old world Fae or fairies) have settled into their little corner of the Smokies and won't be dug out. They have had two factions in conflict for what seems an eternity, but there hasn't been outright war yet. Rockhouse Hicks and Bliss Overbay represent each faction- Unseelie and Seelie, if you look at it through the folklore lens. This does lead to a bit of predestination due to bloodlines- blood will tell, and if you are born on the wrong side you're born into bootlegging, meth making, inbreeding and selfishness. I suppose that's the case for many these days, anyway.
This is the second book in which an outsider comes into Cloud County and stirs things up. This time it's a young musician named Rob Quillen. He's come into a small amount of fame through a reality TV music competition, but has experienced a recent tragedy as well. I loved reading about how the modern music industry relates to old songs and stories, and how even an immortal Fae can hear the call of Music City. Bliss Overbay, First Daughter of the Tufa and no one to be trifled with, is also an EMT in order to make a living and has to worry about taking too many days off in order to deal with a Tufa issue. Fairies have their gatherings in roadhouses and in bootlegging caverns. The juxtaposition of myth and mundaneness made everything feel a bit larger than life, legendary.
There's a bit of squick in the romance of the book- I'm not sure if it's even technically a romance, but there's a couple riding off at the end. I'm not sure I liked or needed that part. That's my only complaint, though, and I'll happily read the next.
The Tufa (old world Fae or fairies) have settled into their little corner of the Smokies and won't be dug out. They have had two factions in conflict for what seems an eternity, but there hasn't been outright war yet. Rockhouse Hicks and Bliss Overbay represent each faction- Unseelie and Seelie, if you look at it through the folklore lens. This does lead to a bit of predestination due to bloodlines- blood will tell, and if you are born on the wrong side you're born into bootlegging, meth making, inbreeding and selfishness. I suppose that's the case for many these days, anyway.
This is the second book in which an outsider comes into Cloud County and stirs things up. This time it's a young musician named Rob Quillen. He's come into a small amount of fame through a reality TV music competition, but has experienced a recent tragedy as well. I loved reading about how the modern music industry relates to old songs and stories, and how even an immortal Fae can hear the call of Music City. Bliss Overbay, First Daughter of the Tufa and no one to be trifled with, is also an EMT in order to make a living and has to worry about taking too many days off in order to deal with a Tufa issue. Fairies have their gatherings in roadhouses and in bootlegging caverns. The juxtaposition of myth and mundaneness made everything feel a bit larger than life, legendary.
There's a bit of squick in the romance of the book- I'm not sure if it's even technically a romance, but there's a couple riding off at the end. I'm not sure I liked or needed that part. That's my only complaint, though, and I'll happily read the next.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 17, 2023
Rating: 1 out of 5
If you’re in the market for a poorly plotted soap opera set in rural Tennessee with creepy sex scenes look no further! I present to you Wisp of a Thing! As a fair warning, both my patience and temper were hanging on by a wisp, and boy let me tell you, that wisp transformed into action as I threw my Kindle away in disgust as a supposedly heartbroken man goes down on a mentally ill woman with the cognitive ability of a child. The cherry on top being that she had already sexually assaulted him twice. Good grief where to start on this one? I have a tendency to rant and rave but sheesh, let’s not throw gas on the flames.
I really wanted to like these books, they had so much potential, and the author is truly a solid writer, their sentences and linguistic flow are great. Sadly, I cannot continue the book or the series. I’ve stopped at 51% and just skimmed the remainder. The plot is lacking, the characters are nauseatingly contradictory and flat, and the main ‘plot point’ is simply keeping the reader in the dark when dealing with all the world-building elements.
See my review of the first book for more specific aggravations, they continued in the second book unabated.
Plot: 1 out of 5
Setting: 1 out of 5
Characters: 1 out of 5 (if I could give a negative for this I would)
Writing style: 3 out of 5
Personal Enjoyment: 1 out of 5
If you’re in the market for a poorly plotted soap opera set in rural Tennessee with creepy sex scenes look no further! I present to you Wisp of a Thing! As a fair warning, both my patience and temper were hanging on by a wisp, and boy let me tell you, that wisp transformed into action as I threw my Kindle away in disgust as a supposedly heartbroken man goes down on a mentally ill woman with the cognitive ability of a child. The cherry on top being that she had already sexually assaulted him twice. Good grief where to start on this one? I have a tendency to rant and rave but sheesh, let’s not throw gas on the flames.
I really wanted to like these books, they had so much potential, and the author is truly a solid writer, their sentences and linguistic flow are great. Sadly, I cannot continue the book or the series. I’ve stopped at 51% and just skimmed the remainder. The plot is lacking, the characters are nauseatingly contradictory and flat, and the main ‘plot point’ is simply keeping the reader in the dark when dealing with all the world-building elements.
See my review of the first book for more specific aggravations, they continued in the second book unabated.
Plot: 1 out of 5
Setting: 1 out of 5
Characters: 1 out of 5 (if I could give a negative for this I would)
Writing style: 3 out of 5
Personal Enjoyment: 1 out of 5
September 22, 2019
The real genius of the Tufa Novels is the lyrical harmonization of the prose with the storyline. The writing itself tells the story like a song. There are verses that capture the heart; then there are these jumps to related, though not contiguous, lines, and they all come together as if touched by magic. As a reader, I never had to stop and ask why or how - the melody was strong enough that I could trust it to take me somewhere worth going.
In the same way, the Tufa trust the night winds. And in the same way, it leads them to somewhere beautiful.
If you love music, read these books. Sit back, relax, and allow them tell you their stories. I'm looking forward to the next book so that I can do it all over again.
In the same way, the Tufa trust the night winds. And in the same way, it leads them to somewhere beautiful.
If you love music, read these books. Sit back, relax, and allow them tell you their stories. I'm looking forward to the next book so that I can do it all over again.
April 2, 2017
Grieving musician Rob Quillen goes to an Apalachian Tufa community in search of a song that will heal his broken heart.
Good thing: The politics and interplay of Tufa society are fascinating. I like that the previous book's main character had a cameo here.
Bad thing: The 'romance' made me cringe a bit.
This second book in the series nicely fleshes things out. I'll definitely be reading the next book and am looking forward to seeing what comes next for the town.
Good thing: The politics and interplay of Tufa society are fascinating. I like that the previous book's main character had a cameo here.
Bad thing: The 'romance' made me cringe a bit.
This second book in the series nicely fleshes things out. I'll definitely be reading the next book and am looking forward to seeing what comes next for the town.
August 5, 2019
I liked book 2 of the Tufa series at least as much as I liked book 1. As I speculated in my review of its predecessor, Bledsoe gets a little more into who & what the Tufa are and where they came from, and Wisp of a Thing features cameos from a few of the more memorable characters from The Hum and the Shiver while introducing plenty of new major and minor characters. I've already reserved my copy of the next in the series, Long Black Curl!
July 14, 2019
I liked the title and read where this story was based in the Appalachian backwoods of Tennessee. Sounded like a good story to be told about some of the hill people. I was a bit taken aback when I realized the characters were fictional. I finished this book but would not have cared much if I had lost it somewhere along the way.
May 18, 2018
I have fallen in love with this series. Think contemporary Appalachian tale of the Fae with the magic of music woven throughout the story. I happily suspend disbelief and get pulled right in to this world.
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