Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

Soul Land by Natalia Clarke engages the reader through lovely language and imagery. I'm looking forward to showing several of these lines to my students as mentor texts to inspire their own writing!

This was such a lovely poetry collection. It was different from others I've read before. It showed a deep and personal connection to Scotland, the heritage, and the culture. I normally read poetry to relate to what is being said. This was rather hard for me to connect to since I have no connection at all to Scotland. Regardless, it was very beautiful. I loved what I read and wish it was longer.

This poetry collection reminded me why I love nature so much, and has also made me want to travel to Scotland and experience the wonderful feeling Clarke conveys though her poems. It felt like taking a stroll through her homeland, whilst actually being inside my house, unable to relax and connect with nature.

*I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for the free poetry collection.*

This poetry collection is very spiritual and deals with Scotland, nature, and - most of all - the feeling of connection or being at home somewhere. I'm personally not an overly spiritual person and I found the majority of the poems blunt. They didn't touch me even though I love Scotland, I speak Scottish-Gaelic and I have spent months there. The poems didn't even scratch the surface, I don't know. Maybe I'm not in the mood for this sort of poetry, being stuck at home, missing everything terrible, but this poetry collection didn't help at all.

2,5-3 Stars

This collection was incredibly unique. It painted a beautiful picture with its words, and I fell in love with every single one of them.

So beautiful. It really takes a special poetry book to maintain my interest and this one did. Gentle yet powerful. Highly recommended for poetry fans, and those who are open to new things.

Soul Land spoke to me and my love of Scotland. The pictures that Natalia Clarke’s poems paint in my eye made me long for a trip out into the Highlands.

Soul Land is a poetry collection written by Natalia Clarke. It reveals a powerful personal account through a deep connection to Scotland. I didn't like this book simply because it didn't appeal to me as much as other poetry books do. However, I'm curious to try other books by the same author, maybe another one will surprise me in a good way. Rating: 2/5 stars

**Thank you Netgalley and publisher for giving me an electronic ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.**

The only thing that I didn't like about this book was how short it was! Soul Land is like a bunch of love poems to Scotland and my favorite one was, I Know You. I recommend this book to anyone that loves poems and Scotland.

I enjoyed this, though felt it could have been longer. Despite being drawn to Scotland myself, I didn't quite click with this collection like I hoped. It is a worthwhile read nonetheless, with some beautiful descriptions and exploration of spirituality and love through nature.

I've read a decent amount of poetry, especially in the last couple of months, and Soul Land was very unique from all the others I've read. I really enjoyed how descriptive the poems were and the beautiful picture the author painted with each poem. It was surprisingly very short so it was a quick, fun read.

“I touched the earth with my bare feet and felt the sweet song of a morning breeze.”

Calming nature poetry about Scotland that will make you want to pick up a walking stick and wander through Scotland’s beautiful landscape and relax your spirit.

I really didn't like this collection. I didn't understand the point and the writing seemed bland to me. It was a collection of poems about Scotland but it was a waste of time for me to read. I didnt want to finish it, but I did and I'm wondering why I bothered.

Disclaimer - I received a free digital download of this book on NetGalley in return for an honest review.

As an avid reader of poetry, I found this collection to be completely different from anything I’d previously read. This was my first time experiencing transpersonal poetry and at the very talented hands of Natalia Clarke, I’ve found it a most enjoyable one!

One thing I wasn’t entirely comfortable with was the layout, but I think that is mostly due to the fact that I have a preferred layout of poetry that makes it more digestible and enjoyable for me.

This poetry collection really was a love letter to Scotland and how the author feels about Scotland. There was some beautiful imagery and wonderful phrases that painted a picture of the wildness and beauty of Scotland.

I did really enjoy the poems and language, but wished it was a little longer. I would have loved to read more since I did feel it was a bit short. Still, a lot of the images inspired by her words were wonderful and definitely make you feel like you can see the landscape she's describing.

I wanted to like this, but I felt like these poems were forced. There weren’t many poems to begin with.

Nature is a very important part in our lives, and maybe we don't appreciate it enough. The search for what nature has to say to us is big, we need to connect with nature and disconnect from the rest. I love Scotland, and all the vast green areas it has. It is undoubtely one of the best places to get in touch with nature and aprpeciate it. To listen to it, and to emerge in it.
This books takes us there, but could also be any other place you can connect with nature. I did enjoy some of the poems written, but not all of them. Also, I wished it would have been a little bit longer, with a little more poetry in orther for me to enjoy.