What do you think?
Quaking Soul
This was it. This was Na’rina’s chance to prove to her mother and the dryad Council she could navigate the mythic and human worlds. With night hanging over the city, all she needs to do is sneak in unseen, attend a mythic meeting, and report back. If only she knew who had called the meeting in the first place.
Na’rina’s a young Drydanda, destined to be Queen of the Dryads, or tree nymphs. Her world—fauns, nymphs, dwarves—hides in plain sight from the more populated human world. As long as they remain myth, they remain safe.
He’s come to warn them but he’s a wer-im, a werecat, who was banished centuries ago with the rest of his species for burning the dryad’s trees. But humans captured his leader and dozens of other mythical creatures as well. If the mythic world is to survive, he must forge alliances.
When Na’rina’s mother goes missing, she finds the violent, banished wer-im her only allies. She soon realizes that everything she’s been taught in preparation for leadership appears to be wrong. Who can Na’rina trust while attempting to keep the dryads alive in her mother’s absence? As she quickly discovers, the fate of the mythical world rests on her decisions.
Excerpt:
“I must go!” Na’rina scrambled to her feet but the Wer-Kadis stalled her with a hand.
“Where?”
“Home. My mother’s dying!” Na’rina ducked under his arm. She made it three steps before he blocked her path. She ducked to the side and he moved to block the cave’s entrance. Desperate, Na’rina darted forward but he locked his arms around her.
“Why?” she sobbed, pummeling his shoulders with her fists.
“I have my reasons,” the Wer-Kadis answered.
Na’rina’s zoi aima, her lifeblood or energy, rippled from her core outward into her palms where she pressed them against the Wer-Kadis’ chest. She shot the zoi aima into him. He flinched but his hold tightened.
Desperate, Na’rina gathered more into her palms. She cringed this time when the lifeblood shot from her hands.
He groaned, but her attack only stiffened his hold. Na’rina whimpered and began gathering a third attack.
About to release it, Na’rina froze when the Wer-Kadis gritted against her ear. “Unless you’re willing to kill me, stop.”
Na’rina’s a young Drydanda, destined to be Queen of the Dryads, or tree nymphs. Her world—fauns, nymphs, dwarves—hides in plain sight from the more populated human world. As long as they remain myth, they remain safe.
He’s come to warn them but he’s a wer-im, a werecat, who was banished centuries ago with the rest of his species for burning the dryad’s trees. But humans captured his leader and dozens of other mythical creatures as well. If the mythic world is to survive, he must forge alliances.
When Na’rina’s mother goes missing, she finds the violent, banished wer-im her only allies. She soon realizes that everything she’s been taught in preparation for leadership appears to be wrong. Who can Na’rina trust while attempting to keep the dryads alive in her mother’s absence? As she quickly discovers, the fate of the mythical world rests on her decisions.
Excerpt:
“I must go!” Na’rina scrambled to her feet but the Wer-Kadis stalled her with a hand.
“Where?”
“Home. My mother’s dying!” Na’rina ducked under his arm. She made it three steps before he blocked her path. She ducked to the side and he moved to block the cave’s entrance. Desperate, Na’rina darted forward but he locked his arms around her.
“Why?” she sobbed, pummeling his shoulders with her fists.
“I have my reasons,” the Wer-Kadis answered.
Na’rina’s zoi aima, her lifeblood or energy, rippled from her core outward into her palms where she pressed them against the Wer-Kadis’ chest. She shot the zoi aima into him. He flinched but his hold tightened.
Desperate, Na’rina gathered more into her palms. She cringed this time when the lifeblood shot from her hands.
He groaned, but her attack only stiffened his hold. Na’rina whimpered and began gathering a third attack.
About to release it, Na’rina froze when the Wer-Kadis gritted against her ear. “Unless you’re willing to kill me, stop.”
586 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 15, 2021
About the author
Jennifer M. Zeiger
9 books24 followersJennifer M Zeiger grew up in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado exploring every tree and cave she could find. Each new adventure fed her imagination, and, when she went to college, she was one of the rare students who knew exactly what degree she wanted because writing was her passion.
So in 2008, she earned her Bachelor's degree in English. And she's still exploring the world, expanding her horizons from Colorado to include everything from Washington State where the trees grow like giants to Germany where castles abound and the history is so thick you can feel it in the air! She lives with her husband, Nate, and their Bengal mix cat, who's better known as the Writing Sidekick. Her simple joys include coffee, chocolate, the occasional glass of scotch, good books, and exploring the world God created.
Her books include the multi-ending adventure Discarded Dragons and Zap Dragon, and her Hidden Mythics urban fantasy series including Quaking Soul and Theos Rising.
Visit her online at jenniferzeiger.com for current details.
So in 2008, she earned her Bachelor's degree in English. And she's still exploring the world, expanding her horizons from Colorado to include everything from Washington State where the trees grow like giants to Germany where castles abound and the history is so thick you can feel it in the air! She lives with her husband, Nate, and their Bengal mix cat, who's better known as the Writing Sidekick. Her simple joys include coffee, chocolate, the occasional glass of scotch, good books, and exploring the world God created.
Her books include the multi-ending adventure Discarded Dragons and Zap Dragon, and her Hidden Mythics urban fantasy series including Quaking Soul and Theos Rising.
Visit her online at jenniferzeiger.com for current details.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
May 18, 2021
~About
Quaking Soul is a fantasy novel set in the modern United States of America. From the start, we learn that humans have been destroying trees and capturing Mythics. Why? No-one knows. But Na’rina, Dryad Ambassador (filling in for her mother) intends to find out. Partnering up with a Wer-im, a supposed enemy of her people seems like the worst move possible, however, Na’rina has little choice. Together, the pair must forge a plan, to find Na’rina’s mother and figure out who is attacking their kind and more importantly, why. The continued survival of the Mythics rests on their shoulders.
~Main Characters
Na’rina, a Dryad and daughter to the Mother Drydanda immediately came across as a responsible young woman, who took her duties seriously. She was determined to do whatever she could to find her mother and learn more about the human’s interference with the Mythics. One particularly fascinating thing about her was her ability to see Zoi-aima (a living thing’s life energy) and manipulate it to her own ends. Although Na’rina carried a heavy burden throughout her journey, acting as a leader in her mother’s stead, she eventually managed to overcome her personal doubts and rose to the occasion spectacularly. Because of this, she has become one of my favourite fictional characters.
The Wer-im which shares Na’rina’s perilous journey, known as Icarus, provided a nice contrast to her character. He was mysterious and protective, taking bold and cunning moves toward their goal, where Na’rina was more cautious. He seemed to be a creature of action, never one for backing down. Over the course of the story, his bond with Na’rina, despite their status as potential enemies, only served to grow stronger, and had me heavily invested in their friendship.
Although there were numerous other characters mentioned, the only other who really stood out was Silas, Icarus’ mentor and former Wer-im leader. From the moment I met him, he appeared curious, asking far too many questions about Na’rina’s mother and hinting at future surprises in the story. His friendship with Icarus was somewhat strained, shifting back and forth between moments of fighting and disagreement, and a sense of casual comararderie.
Overall, the characters were well crafted, each with their own worries and desires, which played out against each-other.
~Likes
-Quaking Soul was a fascinating story of mythical creatures, humanity, and the fight for survival against all odds. There was much to like about it and as usual, I’ve included a bulleted list below:
-The culture of the various Mythic races was intriguing, especially that of the Dryads. The way they touch trees in greeting especially stood out to me as I often do this when walking my dog through a nearby forest. I don’t know why I do it: it’s just a peculiar compulsion to see if I can feel their energy. Therefore, seeing this reflected back at me in a book was surprising and oddly familiar.
-The history of the Dryads and the banishment of the Wer-im was gradually expanded upon as the story continued and helped to provide additional context to the main plot, as well as the race’s various biases.
-The third-person, close narration allowed me to experience things through Na’rina’s eyes, providing a great level of insight into a range of problems, both individual and historical.
-The growing friendship between Na’rina and Icarus was very moving, providing a softer emotional touch to a more action-packed tale.
~Memorable Quotes
Six main quotes stood out to me over the course of this novel.
‘Some lessons are harder to learn than others.’
‘Because they acted first doesn’t mean violence was the correct way to respond.’
‘She’d found her knowledge to be skewed, deceiving even, about these creatures. What’s true and what’s created by bitter resentment from a bloody war?’
‘When the world spins beyond control, reconnect with who you are.’
‘There’s always a way to forgive.’
‘We all carry scars. You are not in this alone.
These various quotes dealt with themes of vengeance, life lessons, painful pasts, and forgiveness. As such, each had me pausing, mid-read, to absorb the wisdom they were trying to impart.
~Overview
Overall, Quaking Soul: Hidden Mythics was a fabulous story exploring old rivalries and the power of uniting, in order to survive.
My Rating: 5 stars.
Recommended to: lovers of urban fantasy, mythical beings, and conflicts between such beings and humanity. A true tale of survival, secrets, and forgiveness.
May 27, 2021
I love fiction, and especially fiction that is a page-turner. To be fair, I usually don’t go for adventure fantasy, but I will follow the Hidden Mystics series because the first one was SO good!
Quaking Soul gripped me from page 1. I wanted to know what would happen next, so I finished the book in a week. Plan a vacation so you have time to read this book (or plan on getting no sleep); You won’t want to put this book down!
Jennifer M. Zeigler’s writing style keeps the action going while not forgetting the storyline. I’m not a big fan of action scenes, but Jennifer knows how to make it work! The many unexpected and clever twists and turns in the plotline keep me from getting bored. Predictable plotlines drive me crazy. Even worse are characters who do things out of character—you expect them to behave in accordance with their personalities. In Quaking Soul, the unpredictability of actions in addition to the predictability of her characters is a careful balance and Jennifer does it with ease. Her talents shine is this novel, and I can’t wait to read the next book from her. What a treat.
Thank you, Jennifer, for delighting me and your many other readers with such a great novel!
I have received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. (And then, I bought a half-dozen copies to give away!)
Quaking Soul gripped me from page 1. I wanted to know what would happen next, so I finished the book in a week. Plan a vacation so you have time to read this book (or plan on getting no sleep); You won’t want to put this book down!
Jennifer M. Zeigler’s writing style keeps the action going while not forgetting the storyline. I’m not a big fan of action scenes, but Jennifer knows how to make it work! The many unexpected and clever twists and turns in the plotline keep me from getting bored. Predictable plotlines drive me crazy. Even worse are characters who do things out of character—you expect them to behave in accordance with their personalities. In Quaking Soul, the unpredictability of actions in addition to the predictability of her characters is a careful balance and Jennifer does it with ease. Her talents shine is this novel, and I can’t wait to read the next book from her. What a treat.
Thank you, Jennifer, for delighting me and your many other readers with such a great novel!
I have received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. (And then, I bought a half-dozen copies to give away!)
March 28, 2026
Beautiful writing and honestly the most intricate world building I’ve seen!!
February 2, 2022
One Sentence Summary: When young dryad Na’rina takes her mother’s place at a meeting with other mythical creatures, a banished wer-im warns them humans are capturing mythical creatures, and when her mother turns up missing, it’s up to Na’rina and the wer-im to find her and save the mythical world.
Overall
Quaking Soul tells the story of a young dryad trying to show she’s ready to be the next Queen of the Dryads, as well as humans finding out mythical creatures exist and wanting to study them. This is a wonderful story of two worlds colliding and one dryad’s journey to learning more about the wider world and who she is. While not exceptionally layered and complex as it’s meant to appeal to a wide audience, it definitely has something to offer to everyone and has some excellent twists that really make for a stand out ending. I loved how everything about this book really worked hand in hand together to create an amazing story with a spectacular world and wonderful characters I want to spend more time with. The world building really shines in this novel, but it’s just one part of what makes Quaking Soul an exceptional read.
Extended Thoughts
As future leader of the dryads, Na’rina takes her mother’s place at an impromptu meeting called by another mystic creature. The banished wer-im come with a warning that humans are essentially kidnapping mythical creatures. When Na’rina’s own mother turns up missing, she has no choice but to team up with the wer-im.
Together, they learn to trust and work together while working to figure out what the humans want the mythic creatures for. But there are deeper rumblings in the mythic world, ones that have ties to Na’rina and her family.
This review has been a long time coming. I read this over a year ago, but am still stumped at how to properly review a book written by a wonderful blogging friend, not to mention the gorgeous book itself. It’s listed as YA, which is not a genre I enjoy, but I felt Quaking Soul straddled everything from upper MG all the way to adult. It’s clean enough for younger audiences, but offers enough complexity for older readers. One of my favorite things about this book was that it really felt like it’s for everyone. There’s obviously the fantasy, but also a bit of mystery, a bit of family history, and a bit of romance. I also adored the rich natural world introduced to the reader. It’s extraordinarily detailed without being overwhelming and so perfectly captured the relationship between the mythical creatures and nature. But the characters are also not to be missed. Na’rina is a wonderful dryad full of innocence and the desire to do what she must. I loved watching her grow over the course of the story, and I certainly wouldn’t mind having her abilities.
I have to start with the world building because it’s one of the defining things about this book to me. Forests are one my favorite settings in a fantasy novel, and Quaking Soul just pushed the envelope with what I want and need in it. I’m still utterly amazing at how incredible, detailed, and lush the world is. A mythical world intertwined with our own, it really brings the natural world to the forefront. It’s gorgeous and so reverent. I absolutely loved that trees weren’t just referred to as trees, but were oaks, pines, spruces, etc. Every tree felt unique, and it’s so incredibly fitting as Na’rina is a dryad, a wood spirit. I’m just left speechless at how amazing the world is, how detailed without being too much, how it’s just naturally woven in. I love books with strong world building, and this is one of the strongest I’ve ever read. Opening up the book felt very much like stepping out into nature. Then there’s the magic. It felt both powerful and subtle and I loved that it was essentially a living thing’s life energy. There were limits, but also felt like a powerful thing to me.
Not to be outdone are the characters. Na’rina is the star of this book, and she really shines. The next Queen of the Drayds, she wants to prove to her mother and the Dryad Council that she’s ready. Of course, she’s a bit more innocent and naive than she thinks, but, essentially left on her own after the failed meeting of mythics, she has no choice but to figure out what to do, and to grow from it. I love that, thinking back, she felt so innocent and almost child-like at the beginning, but definitely felt more like a force by the end. This is as much her journey as it is a story of figuring out why humans have been capturing mythic creatures. She’s helped along by some incredible characters, and must learn to trust, to lead. I felt her growth was both subtle and powerful. There aren’t any annoying leaps and bounds, but, instead, quiet shifts that show her potential and readiness so who she is at the end makes complete sense. Then there’s Icarus, the wer-im Na’rina ends up working closely with. Even though he’s a banished wer-im, I adored him from the start. I always got the feeling of there being something more about him, and reading his relationship with Na’rina was so much fun. He’s older and more experienced than Na’rina, providing another side of the story, but he’s so protective of her and it’s so sweet.
Quaking Soul offers a story of mythic creatures and humans. Our worlds overlap, and we’re not supposed to know about theirs. But someone finds out and wants to learn more, to experiment. It’s horrifying and the fear from the mythical creatures was palpable. I really enjoyed how the two worlds collided, in more than one way. I also loved how layered it ended up being and how it all pulled together for an incredible ending. If anything, I wish there had been a bit more complexity, but Quaking Soul is meant to appeal to a wide audience. I did really enjoy the ending, when revelations and history are revealed, and it really made everything come together so beautifully I didn’t even want more layers. In some ways it felt like it wrapped up just a little too neatly, but it was also logical, tied up the story lines, and was consistent with the rest of the story.
Quaking Soul really shines when it comes to the world building, but it also provides an incredible backdrop that also ties into the story at hand and the characters themselves. I loved how they were all inextricably tied together to create a rich story. Everything about it was extremely well-executed and offered an extraordinarily smooth reading experience, making it a huge pleasure to read and immerse myself in it. The story moves without becoming bogged down, but also avoids being too quick. The detailed world and exceptional world building felt like it really paced the story, bringing in more details to give the characters and reader a chance to breathe and enough action to keep the reader’s attention and the pages flipping.
Overall, Quaking Soul is the kind of story that can and will appeal to a wide audience. It definitely has something to offer everyone, including a bit of mystery and a bit of romance. Everything about it works really well together and I loved that nothing felt like it came out of left field. The story builds and the characters grow naturally. The world building really shone for me, but everything about it was extremely well-done.
Overall
Quaking Soul tells the story of a young dryad trying to show she’s ready to be the next Queen of the Dryads, as well as humans finding out mythical creatures exist and wanting to study them. This is a wonderful story of two worlds colliding and one dryad’s journey to learning more about the wider world and who she is. While not exceptionally layered and complex as it’s meant to appeal to a wide audience, it definitely has something to offer to everyone and has some excellent twists that really make for a stand out ending. I loved how everything about this book really worked hand in hand together to create an amazing story with a spectacular world and wonderful characters I want to spend more time with. The world building really shines in this novel, but it’s just one part of what makes Quaking Soul an exceptional read.
Extended Thoughts
As future leader of the dryads, Na’rina takes her mother’s place at an impromptu meeting called by another mystic creature. The banished wer-im come with a warning that humans are essentially kidnapping mythical creatures. When Na’rina’s own mother turns up missing, she has no choice but to team up with the wer-im.
Together, they learn to trust and work together while working to figure out what the humans want the mythic creatures for. But there are deeper rumblings in the mythic world, ones that have ties to Na’rina and her family.
This review has been a long time coming. I read this over a year ago, but am still stumped at how to properly review a book written by a wonderful blogging friend, not to mention the gorgeous book itself. It’s listed as YA, which is not a genre I enjoy, but I felt Quaking Soul straddled everything from upper MG all the way to adult. It’s clean enough for younger audiences, but offers enough complexity for older readers. One of my favorite things about this book was that it really felt like it’s for everyone. There’s obviously the fantasy, but also a bit of mystery, a bit of family history, and a bit of romance. I also adored the rich natural world introduced to the reader. It’s extraordinarily detailed without being overwhelming and so perfectly captured the relationship between the mythical creatures and nature. But the characters are also not to be missed. Na’rina is a wonderful dryad full of innocence and the desire to do what she must. I loved watching her grow over the course of the story, and I certainly wouldn’t mind having her abilities.
I have to start with the world building because it’s one of the defining things about this book to me. Forests are one my favorite settings in a fantasy novel, and Quaking Soul just pushed the envelope with what I want and need in it. I’m still utterly amazing at how incredible, detailed, and lush the world is. A mythical world intertwined with our own, it really brings the natural world to the forefront. It’s gorgeous and so reverent. I absolutely loved that trees weren’t just referred to as trees, but were oaks, pines, spruces, etc. Every tree felt unique, and it’s so incredibly fitting as Na’rina is a dryad, a wood spirit. I’m just left speechless at how amazing the world is, how detailed without being too much, how it’s just naturally woven in. I love books with strong world building, and this is one of the strongest I’ve ever read. Opening up the book felt very much like stepping out into nature. Then there’s the magic. It felt both powerful and subtle and I loved that it was essentially a living thing’s life energy. There were limits, but also felt like a powerful thing to me.
Not to be outdone are the characters. Na’rina is the star of this book, and she really shines. The next Queen of the Drayds, she wants to prove to her mother and the Dryad Council that she’s ready. Of course, she’s a bit more innocent and naive than she thinks, but, essentially left on her own after the failed meeting of mythics, she has no choice but to figure out what to do, and to grow from it. I love that, thinking back, she felt so innocent and almost child-like at the beginning, but definitely felt more like a force by the end. This is as much her journey as it is a story of figuring out why humans have been capturing mythic creatures. She’s helped along by some incredible characters, and must learn to trust, to lead. I felt her growth was both subtle and powerful. There aren’t any annoying leaps and bounds, but, instead, quiet shifts that show her potential and readiness so who she is at the end makes complete sense. Then there’s Icarus, the wer-im Na’rina ends up working closely with. Even though he’s a banished wer-im, I adored him from the start. I always got the feeling of there being something more about him, and reading his relationship with Na’rina was so much fun. He’s older and more experienced than Na’rina, providing another side of the story, but he’s so protective of her and it’s so sweet.
Quaking Soul offers a story of mythic creatures and humans. Our worlds overlap, and we’re not supposed to know about theirs. But someone finds out and wants to learn more, to experiment. It’s horrifying and the fear from the mythical creatures was palpable. I really enjoyed how the two worlds collided, in more than one way. I also loved how layered it ended up being and how it all pulled together for an incredible ending. If anything, I wish there had been a bit more complexity, but Quaking Soul is meant to appeal to a wide audience. I did really enjoy the ending, when revelations and history are revealed, and it really made everything come together so beautifully I didn’t even want more layers. In some ways it felt like it wrapped up just a little too neatly, but it was also logical, tied up the story lines, and was consistent with the rest of the story.
Quaking Soul really shines when it comes to the world building, but it also provides an incredible backdrop that also ties into the story at hand and the characters themselves. I loved how they were all inextricably tied together to create a rich story. Everything about it was extremely well-executed and offered an extraordinarily smooth reading experience, making it a huge pleasure to read and immerse myself in it. The story moves without becoming bogged down, but also avoids being too quick. The detailed world and exceptional world building felt like it really paced the story, bringing in more details to give the characters and reader a chance to breathe and enough action to keep the reader’s attention and the pages flipping.
Overall, Quaking Soul is the kind of story that can and will appeal to a wide audience. It definitely has something to offer everyone, including a bit of mystery and a bit of romance. Everything about it works really well together and I loved that nothing felt like it came out of left field. The story builds and the characters grow naturally. The world building really shone for me, but everything about it was extremely well-done.
July 18, 2021
This is a little bit off my normal genre. It seemed like a slow start (there is an glossary of creatures and terms in the back, very useful), with new characters and circumstances to learn. It really started picking up quickly and the ending was very exciting. It is interesting seeing what would be fantasy type characters in the modern day and how they interact, I really liked how the author handled it. If you are looking for something a little different and well written this is it.
July 28, 2022
This book is a definite page-turner. It is a fresh take on Dryad mythology and well worth the read. The author has crafted a world within our world which works to draw the reader into the depths of this world of mythics. I really can't recommend this book enough. I'm glad it's book 1 in a series and cannot wait for the next book. Buy it now and read, you won't regret it.
January 7, 2022
I purchased this book from a local South Carolina author at a comic con. Little did I know how obsessed I would get. It is extremely well written and I can't wait for the next book in the series as the world Jennifer created is amazing!!
April 24, 2025
was a great modern take on the ancient dryads! couldn't put it down! was a real page turner! loved the plot twists I didn't see coming! highly recommend adding this book to your bookshelf if you like greek mythology!
October 7, 2024
"Quaking Soul" is the debut novel of Zeiger, which is to say she has written books before but never a full-length novel. Her writing proficiency shows through in the physical construction of her words and sentences, while lack of experience in the novel format leads to common mistakes like exposition dumps. The book is certainly ambitious. At least a dozen mythic races are overlaid on our world, each with its own prejudices and history. The world, however, suffers a bit in the details of political structure, daily life, and general societal details. For example, I could not tell you how many dryads exist. The main character, Na’rina, is next in line to rule the dryads, but is she responsible for forty? Four hundred? Four thousand? This lack of detail is felt across the board and makes the world a shell of what it could have been. The characters are okay. Secondary characters often have a one-dimensional nature and exist to fulfill a few objectives to move the plot forward. Lack of well-roundedness of side and secondary characters meant I could not imagine what they are doing when offscreen. It is almost as if they cease to exist or freeze in time when not on the page. The main characters are better, and though their motivations can be nebulous at times, they are sufficient to sustain the plot and provide a bit of intrigue. The plot is bloated and suffers from a slow start and somewhat repetitive middle. Random encounters are used to spice up the action and, admittedly, keep things going at a decent clip. In the final act, the actions picks up nicely, and the book ends on a high note, making "Quaking Soul" is a fairly solid story and respectable debut showing. It would make a good read for people who enjoy more slow-paced stories.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews