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THE BOOKISH ADVENTURE TAG: Widdershins (Whyborne & Griffin)
Rules:
Imagine that you are an intrepid literary adventurer- braving the harsh bookish wilderness, traversing jungles of pages and slashing through vines of words. Where in the vast world of books would you go?
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REVIEW: Badlands by Morgan Brice
Badlands – Morgan Brice
Medium and clairvoyant Simon Kincaide owns a Myrtle Beach boardwalk shop where he runs ghost tours, holds séances, and offers private psychic readings, making a fresh start after his abilities cost him his lover and his job as a folklore professor. Jaded cop Vic D’Amato saw something supernatural he couldn’t explain during a shootout several years ago in Pittsburgh and relocated to Myrtle Beach to leave the past behind, still skeptical about the paranormal. But when the search for a serial killer hits a dead end, Vic battles his skepticism to ask Simon for help. As the body count rises, Simon’s involvement makes him a target, and a suspect. But Simon can’t say no, even if it costs him his life and heart.
The blurb grabbed my attention and Badlands reminded me of Psycop by Jordan Castillo Price with a teensy wee bit of that Whyborne & Griffin and The Secret Casebook of Simon Feximal vibe. It has the same paranormal/urban fantasy/romance blend as the other series but it has it’s own distinct flavor that is just as interesting.
Although, I was neutral about the romance part at first. But I was also like that with Vic and Jacob from Psycop and now I couldn’t get enough of the two. So the romance. Simon is cute, Vic D’Amato is good looking, they met, sparks flew, one couldn’t get the other out of their mind and so on. Nothing we haven’t seen before until Simon was dragged into the precinct and Vic wasn’t there to back him up. The look on Simon’s face and Vic helpless on the other side of the glass , I was feeling that moment. Hang on, guys!
What really carried the entire book was the unputdownable murder mystery mixed in with the supernatural. As if a serial killer isn’t bad enough, we get a serial killer stealing psychic energies and gaining magical powers from each kill. Although the suspense and mystery kept me turning the page, it wasn’t as tight as I would have liked because the two men’s thoughts kept circling back to each other which was kind of minimized tension from the build-up. The book splits evenly between romance and the rest but I preferred it to be more detective work less thinking about getting into each others pants because people are dying here, detective.
I was in the dark as to who the killer was. I made a bad guess as usual and suspected Jay, the tattoo artist. Stupid, I know. This is why I don’t try to play detective when reading mysteries. Best to just let the whole thing unfold without preconceive notions. Simon, however, would have made a great detective if he hadn’t become a uni professor. When he got some clues, he totally ran with it and came up with a lot of breakthroughs and insider information that unfortunately made him seem like the killer. Hence, him being interrogated by Ross.
This needs to be said, but I think Ross wins the Best Partner award for not only putting up with Vic’s temper all the time, covering his ass from the Captain, being the voice of reason and a loyal friend but also doing ALL the paper work in the aftermath of the debacle. You owe him, Vic. Big time.
As for the world-building, I like how the Badlands world is set-up and that it is connected with books from Morgan Brice’s other series. Myrtle Beach is home to many people with psychic abilities, most of them untrained and keeping low key. Simon sees himself as kind of like their mentor slash caretaker. I like the idea of having a network of psychic spies and I want see the Skeleton Crew in action again in the next books.
Badlands is a strong first book of a very promising series. We have two very likable MCs, an enjoyable mystery and great setting. Morgan Brice vividly bought Myrtle Beach to life with its crowd of tourists, quirky shops and even quirkier locals. I’m definitely in for another visit.
P.S.
Psycop review here
Whyborne & Griffin review here
The Secret Casebook of Simon Feximal review hereI received a copy of Badlands from Darkwind Press via Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: Psychic City (Voodoo City)
Artist: Yacht
Album: See Mystery Lights -
REVIEW: Remnant: A Caldwell & Feximal/Whyborne & Griffin Mystery by K.J. Charles & Jordan L. Hawk
Remnant: A Caldwell & Feximal/Whyborne & Griffin Mystery – K.J. Charles & Jordan L. Hawk
London, 1899. The beautiful people are dying…
A malevolent power is attacking London’s bright young things, and the only clue to what’s happening is written in ancient Egyptian script. As ghost-hunter Simon Feximal and his companion Robert Caldwell investigate the mysterious deaths, the arrival in London of a notorious scholar-sorcerer seems to hold the answer to more than one of their problems.
A quiet break in London while en route to Egypt turns dramatic for Dr Percival Endicott Whyborne and his lover Griffin Flaherty when they encounter the hostile ghost-hunter. Feximal clearly suspects the worst of Whyborne – and his flirtatious sidekick seems to think a great deal too well of Griffin…
Jordan L Hawk’s heroes Whyborne and Griffin meet KJ Charles’ occult detectives from the Secret Casebook of Simon Feximal in a mystery that takes all four lovers through the decadent underworld of Victorian London in pursuit of an ancient and deadly evil.
While I don’t particularly care for Caldwell and Feximal, I love this story as it gave me a glimpse of Whyborne and Griffin from a third person point of view. Whyborne’s view of humanity is as misanthropic and hilarious as ever. As usual, Griffin charmed his way around but his devotion to Whyborne is as strong as ever. “Gay Victorian occult investigators” should be a thing.
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bits(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20880073-remnant)
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LGBTQ+ Historical Icons Tag
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REVIEW: Unhallowed by Jordan L. Hawk
Rath and Rune: Unhallowed – Jordan L. Hawk
Monsters. Murder. Librarians.
Librarian Sebastian Rath is the only one who believes his friend Kelly O’Neil disappeared due to foul play. But without any clues or outside assistance, there’s nothing he can do to prove it.
When bookbinder Vesper Rune is hired to fill the vacancy left by O’Neil, he receives an ominous letter warning him to leave. After he saves Sebastian from a pair of threatening men, the two decide to join forces and get to the truth about what happened to O’Neil.
But Vesper is hiding secrets of his own, ones he doesn’t dare let anyone learn. Secrets that grow ever more dangerous as his desire for Sebastian deepens.
Because Kelly O’Neil was murdered. And if Sebastian and Ves don’t act quickly enough, they’ll be the next to die.
I mentioned somewhere on this blog that when I grow up, I want to be a Ladysmith Librarian, ready to defend the world against Outside forces with my trusty dictionary. I’m still waiting for my summons from Mr. Quinn, which is to me what a Hogwarts letter is to an HP fan.
Every Whyborne and Griffin fan knows what the Ladysmith Museum and its Library mean to the entire series. It was almost a character itself, holding a certain mystique that intrigued me to no end. So I was beyond overjoyed that we get an closer look at the inner workings of this fantastical library through the eyes of the very Librarians themselves!
Well, technically, its Archivist and its Book Binder.
Sebastian Rath and Vesper Rune are our heroes. Sebastian is a character I typically describe as likable. This is because I liked him, his co-workers like him but I don’t think he would really stand out as a secondary character. As the MC, he has admirable characteristics and some distinguishing quirks but I have yet to connect with him like I did with Vesper. Combining him with Ves though, they’re good together. The author did a great job making their dynamics stand out from those of the original series.
Vesper is my cinnamon roll. He’s very good at giving hugs. Raised in a cult by a fanatical mother, endured years of abuse, he and his brother, Nocturne, ran away. They lived in the ever present fear of being found out. He agreed to infiltrate the library for a sorcerer who promised to break the curse he and Noct are under.
Majority of the story was spent with him working hard to conceal his true nature. Ves’s knowledge of the real world was mostly limited to what his mother and grandfather taught him and his brother. Which is a load of occult mumbo jumbo, fearsome fighting skills and top-notched book binding techniques.
Unhallowed is set in 1910, 8 years after what should have been the end of the world, something that Ves and Noct were supposed to help bring about. Widdershins is now a different place. Still considered weird by outsiders but more accepting of the otherworldly as Ves was shocked to find out.
The world building is immersive. There is the Widdershin mythos we all know and love but seen through fresh eyes. You get a great sense of the labyrinthine library and the kind of work it takes to run the place. We also get some background on the illicit rare books trade and hear about Ves’s strong opinions on page margins.
The plot was a combination of paranormal, mystery and romance. It took place over the course of several days but it feels like the timeline is stretched because a lot of things were happening. Nonetheless, the story moved smoothly along. It tackled dark subjects, had a bit of angst but overall, the tone was light and humorous. It did a great job exploring the rich history of the original series, adding more delights to uncover. There were sinister secrets, crazy cults, dangerous books, mind-boggling designs, mad architects, evil necromancers and an unexpected love affair that answered some of my burning questions.
Rath and Rune has a great supporting cast, starting with Noct, who’s totally adorbs, the mysterious Mr. Quinn, the Head Librarian, Irene, Librarian and sorceress from the Endicott family, Bonnie, Sebastian’s sister and Mortimer, Librarian and Irene’s fiance. He was an obnoxious, annoying character who I developed an unlikely soft spot for because I’m kind of tickled with the idea of him and Irene. I hope the author gives them a nice story arc.
I love the direction this spin-off is heading! Unhallowed is a wonderful return to a beloved town with new characters to love and intriguing story arcs to keep you hooked. It’s a great start to another grand magical adventure that promises high-intensity book binding and pure-hearted weapons of mass destruction. If you love Whyborne and Griffin, curious about the Ladysmith library, and/or in the mood for some highly appealing wriggling bits, do read now!
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: Unhallowed
Artist: Sunstained
Album: Quiet My Demons
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UNHALLOWED
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ABC BOOK CHALLENGE – M
This seems like a fun challenge to participate it. Let’s see how many letters I can get.
M is monsters, murder and the Manic Street Preachers.
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RAPID FIRE BOOK TAG
This is a rapid fire book tag where I answer the first thing that pops in my head. Borrowed from The Bibliophile Girl
E-Book Or Physical Book?
Physical books. They so much easier on the eyes, literally and figuratively
Paperback Or Hardback?
Paperback. I am not into hardback books. I know they’r pretty to look at but they’re heavy and I hate dealing with the book jacket.
Online Or In-Store Book Shopping?
In store definitely. Online shopping has infinite choices but nothing compares to being surrounded by books. And smelling them.
Trilogies Or Series?
Trilogies. Only because there are less books to wait for.
Heroes Or Villains?
I almost always go for the villains. They’re more interesting and nuanced. I love finding out their backstories.
A Book You Want Everyone To Read?
review here Recommend An Underrated Author?
Claire Davis & Al Stewart. This writer duo writes some of the cutest, most heartwarming LGBT+ stories there is.
The Last Book You Finished?
review here Weirdest Thing You’ve Used As A Bookmark?
The edge of the bedsheet since I read in bed. Also, waterbottle that doubles as paperweight.
Used Books: Yes Or No?
Yes. I like the smell of old books. I also love discovering scribbles, notes and forgotten bookmarks inside used books.
Top Three Favourite Genres?
MM, mystery and fantasy
Borrow Or Buy?
Buy. I can’t remember how many times I have contemplated not returning books to the library because I love them so much. So I just bought my own stuff
Character Or Plot?
Oooh, tough one. Hmm… maybe I’ll lean towards plot because I hate that going nowhere feel.
Long Or Short Books?
Short and preferably gay. I lose patience for books that go and on.
Name The First Three Books You Think Of
Prisoner review here
How To Be A Normal Person review here
Where Death Meets The Devil review hereBooks That Make You Laugh Or Cry?
Laugh. I hate the melodramatic
Our World Or Fictional?
Fictional, no contest there. Widdershins is calling me!
Audiobooks: Yes Or No?
Yes, definitely. I have always wondered how people can work with computers all day, go home, read and blog without getting their visions impaired. I need those audiobooks to give my eyes rest. Also, I love how the characters come alive in the hands of a great narrator.
Do You Ever Judge A Book By Its Cover?
All the time. As an avid reader of MM, I’d be the first to say that majority of the covers are cringe-inducing.
Book To Movie Or Book To TV?
Neither really. If pressed, I’d say TV has the better format to capture all the book’s elements
A Movie Or TV Show That You Preferred To The Book?
Legally Blonde is way better as a movie than a book. I also like how the movie Like Water for Chocolates took almost everything from the book quite literally.
Series Or Standalones?
Standalones. Waiting for that next book always kills me.
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ABC BOOK CHALLENGE – A
This seems like a fun challenge to participate it. Let’s see how many letters I can get.
A is A.I., aliens and adventures.
MOST MEMORABLE READS WITH THE LETTER A:
review here Murderbot is one of the most relatable characters I have come across with. Anyone who would just rather Netflix and chill than mingle with the hoi poloi will see themselves nodding at Murderbot’s life-choices.
This is best experienced as an audiobook since it’s narrated by Kevin R. Free who always does a spot on job at bringing introverted curmudgeons and misanthropes to life. He is also the voice of Christopher ‘Kit’ Holmes, the over-thinking and self-absorbed amateur sleuth of the Holmes & Moriarity series by Josh Lanyon.This H.P. Lovecraft creation stood out not because I liked it but because it was such a mind-numbing litany of architectural details, I actually felt my brain going dry.
For a much more entertaining and readable version, I recommend Hoarfrost, Whyborne and Griffin‘s adventure in Alaska.review here Who could forget Charl, the pure and kind-hearted merchant who helped Damen and Laurent out of an awkward and very dangerous situation?
This has some of the funniest and fluffiest Captive Prince moments.
When horror master Clive Barker creates a children’s book, it comes out magical and extraordinary. I have always loved how over the top his imagination is and Abarat is a classic example of this.
Also I was shipping Candy and Christopher Carrion. Yeah, creepy. I know.
Always a favorite. I love how you can mine the Wonderland world with a lot of story ideas.
For the gay version, witness the Hatter fall in love in Mad About The Hatter by Dakota Chase.
BOOKS ON MY TBR
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Whyborne & Griffin: Balefire – Jordan L. Hawk
Whyborne’s Endicott relatives have returned to collect on the promise he made to help them take back their ancestral manor from an evil cult. In exchange, they’ll give him the key to deciphering the Wisborg Codex, which Whyborne needs to learn how to stop the masters.
To that end, Whyborne, his husband Griffin, and their friends Iskander and Christine travel to a small island off the coast of Cornwall. But when they arrive at Balefire Manor, Whyborne must not only face the evil within the ancient mansion, but the painful truth about his own destiny.
I can’t believe we’re almost at the end…
It has been quite a ride and ten books in, I’m still feeling the thrill. In fact, I think Balefire is the best book yet!
Reading the previous installments is definitely a must and I strongly recommend the Whyborne & Griffin series for those into paranormal historical because this is one of the best series out there.
Balefire has our quartet, Whyborne and his husband Griffin, Iskander and Christine, traveling across the Pond to help the Endicotts take back their mansion in exchange for the key to the Wisborg Codex. I love that the story almost instantly gets into the action with some major laugh out loud moments to break the tension. And there is tension aplenty. Whyborne and friends do not trust the Endicotts, the Endicotts consider Whyborne an abomination and the ketoi are making demands.
Hell yeah, Christine! Our girl is in dire need of sustenance. In her condition, she’s craving for lemons but she’s still fighting monsters in that devil may care badass way of hers. I’m also glad to see Heliabel has a major role in the story as Persephone’s emissary. The Whyborne Matriarch can fight as ferociously as the best of them.
The romance was not the focus in this installment but that is understandable. Saving the world took precedence and I greatly approved the fact that Jordan L. Hawk did not push the usual romance conflicts as Whyborne and Griffin are already married and it would be tiresome if they go through big misunderstandings or almost break ups every time. Instead we are treated with tender moments that speak volumes of the deep love between the two. Even Iskander and Christine had their moments.
Jordan L. Hawk did a great job connecting all the threads and then amping up the volume by introducing another interesting magic system, having Whyborne do more mindblowing spells and just generally making things more action- packed and fast-paced.
The author not only made good use of Lovecraftian mythos but she was also able to deftly include Arthurian legends to the mix.
Our favorite bad guy from the Outside made his appearance and he is still bent on making Whyborne surrender. Whyborne, stubborn man that he is, is holding his ground with some help from an ancient being. Although it still seems we are not any closer to seeing these Masters, I am already feeling the excitement of the final showdown.
And now for some burning questions:
How would Widdershins be now that the Endicotts are in town? What would their lives be like when our quartet becomes a quintet? What would Whyborne find in the Wisborg Codex? And who would survive the battle with the Masters?
The adventures of Whyborne, Griffin, and their friends will conclude in
Deosil, Whyborne & Griffin Book 11.Rating:
5 Stars – absolutely perfectSoundtrack: Long & Lost
Artist: Florence + the Machine
Album: How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40281878-balefire)
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Whyborne & Griffin: Draakenwood – Jordan L. Hawk
Someone is killing members of the old families…and the evidence points to Whyborne.
Widdershins has been unusually quiet for months. But now a mysterious creature from the Outside is on the loose, assassinating members of the town’s old families by draining their blood. Whyborne and Griffin set out to solve the mystery—but as the evidence piles up, the police begin to suspect Whyborne himself is the murderer.
Now Whyborne must both clear his name and stop the horrors the monster threatens to unleash. His only hope: an alliance with his old enemies the Endicotts.
Because something terrible lurks in the Draakenwood, and it will stop at nothing to seize control of the maelstrom itself.
Draakenwood is the ninth book in the Whyborne & Griffin series, where magic, mystery, and m/m romance collide with Victorian era America.
Niles apparently likes giving Griffin gifts. That Niles accepts Griffin as Whyborne’s husband and treats him as such are major points in his favor and I’m glad he and Whyborne are getting along albeit grudgingly.
Miss Parkhurst and Persephone’s relationship was finally revealed to Whyborne and it is one of the funniest scenes in the book. That Miss Parkhurst finally had major page time was long overdue and well-deserved.
Detective Tilton is another recurring character I like. That he knows how things work in Widdershins and what’s going on between Whyborne and Griffin but kept it to himself makes him a good ally.
Iskander meets somebody who has connections with his mother. That he had to have a fight about it with Christine was a pity but I’m glad that he, like Griffin, found a true home and family.
Whyborne and Persephone work in tandem to do some awesome mindblowing magic. That it was Stanford who…, well…why is it always Stanford?
Draakenwood gripped me from the start. I really like it when the focus is Widdershins and I have always been curious about the Old Families. Here, the Fidelus plot was continued and Endicott cousins show up. Personally I’m hoping these long awaited masters would make their appearance already. But, as expected of the series, we’re in for a lot of action and nail biting moments in between moments of romance and comedy. This is already book 9 and I’m still as excited about this series as I was when I started. That it ended with a cliffhanger promises of more W&G goodness to come.
Rating
4.5 – perfection is only half a step awaySoundtrack: Bad Blood
Artist: Royal Trux
Album:(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33506227-draakenwood)
