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REVIEW: Oak King Holly King by Sebastian Nothwell
Oak King Holly King – Sebastian Nothwell
Shrike, the Butcher of Blackthorn, is a legendary warrior of the fae realms. When he wins a tournament in the Court of the Silver Wheel, its queen names him her Oak King – a figurehead destined to die in a ritual duel to invoke the change of seasons. Shrike is determined to survive. Even if it means he must put his heart as well as his life into a mere mortal’s hands.
Wren Lofthouse, a London clerk, has long ago resigned himself to a life of tedium and given up his fanciful dreams. When a medieval-looking brute arrives at his office to murmur of destiny, he’s inclined to think his old enemies are playing an elaborate prank. Still, he can’t help feeling intrigued by the bizarre-yet-handsome stranger and his fantastical ramblings, whose presence stirs up emotions Wren has tried to lock away in the withered husk of his heart.
As Shrike whisks Wren away to a world of Wild Hunts and arcane rites, Wren is freed from the repression of Victorian society. But both the fae and mortal realms prove treacherous to their growing bond. Wren and Shrike must fight side-by-side to see who will claim victory – Oak King or Holly King.
Oak King Holly King by Sebastian Nothwell retells Celtic folklore into a gay romance. The Oak King, symbolizing light, defeats the Holly King, who represents darkness. The Holly King is reborn, defeats the Oak King, and the cycle continues, reflecting the changing seasons.
The story begins amidst battle. Shrike, known as Butcher, wins the tournament and is made Oak King, essentially sentenced to death by the Queen of the Silver Wheel. Not wanting to die, he seeks someone to help him defeat the Holly King. His scrying leads him to Wren Lofthouse, a London clerk.
Wren thought Shrike was an actor hired by his former friends to prank him. Skeptical but drawn to the man, he let himself be taken to the fae realms as proof that Shrike is indeed who he claims to be. Although confused as to how he, a mere clerk, could aid a fae, he and Shrike struck an alliance that blossomed into something more.
I was unfamiliar with the pagan tale of the Oak and Holly Kings and the Snow Queen, but this is the kind of story I would have devoured as a child. The retelling cast the Snow Queen as a petty monarch who took the ruling king as lover, only to callously, some even said cruelly, disregard them for the next winning king.
Some of the fae lore is familiar, such as that true names are closely guarded secrets and iron weakens the fae. The fae realm is not described in detail, but it is full of fantastical creatures who apparently love to party. Scenes of note usually happened during a chaotic gathering full of carousing fae, overflowing with wine and noisy with music.
Shrike was formerly a knave before he was crowned, a solitary creature and a man of few words who lived in Blackthorn surrounded by enchanted briar. He’s a leathersmith whose craft is highly prized in the realm. He hates the Snow Queen and avoids the court like a plague. He, however, adores his human and sticks with Wren even when the Snow Queen throws a curveball.
I love Wren! He’s pretty much smittened with Shrike from the get-go. He’s an unassuming clerk with artistic inclinations. He has to shove that under the floorboards because the world is not ready for his creations, a.k.a. manuscripts of the man love variety. He can think fast on his feet, resourceful and cunning, and always willing to help, even if the person in need is loathsome. He got himself and Shrike out of several tight spots.
The book draws on the homoeroticism of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, as well as Apollo and Patroclus. I was super amused that Wren was basically winging it, i.e., inventing magical rituals based on English folklore to aid Shrike. And they actually worked!
The story is somewhat unusual because the plot is convoluted. At the same time, it was long and slow going with nothing much happening during the middle part, but I wasn’t bored.
I was charmed by the sweet, cozy domesticity and the slice-of-life feels when Shrike and Wren were spending time at the Blackthorn, and Shrike was showing Wren around the fae realm. These moments were tender and idyllic, like golden summer afternoons. I wanted it to last forever.
But alas, they not only had to deal with fae business, but also tricky human affairs. Wren’s boss, Mr. Grigsby’s ward, the ward’s uncle, and the ward’s fiancée all called for the lawyer’s assistance to untangle their mess. Wren had to take action on Mr. Grigsby’s behalf. This part, especially the uncle, was nasty, but it added a lot of tension and excitement to the proceedings.
Mr. Grigsby is my favorite character. At first glance, he seemed like a bumbling old man, but he’s no fool. I enjoyed the scenes when the old lawyer showed his gravitas and put idiots to shame. He’s also super kind to Wren. I’m looking forward to the next book because there’s a short story there that promises good things for this kindly old man.
I’m glad there is Book 2 because the ending is too abrupt.
Overall, Oak King Holly King is a wonderful retelling of a well-known folk tale into a gentle romance with a clever resolution to the eternal battle of the kings. Albeit languidly paced, it’s nonetheless twisty and enchanting!
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: The Oak & Holly Kings
Artist: The Dolmen
Album: Winter Solstice
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OAK KING HOLLY KING: Amazon UK | Audiobook
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RELEASE TOUR: The Rade by Katey Hawthorne (Excerpt)
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NEW RELEASE BLITZ: Lemniscate by Sean Ian O’Meidhir & Connal Braginsky (Excerpt)
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BOOK BLITZ: The Wicked Lies of Habren Faire by Anna Fiteni
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BLOG TOUR: Office of the Lost by J. Scott Coatsworth & Kim Fielding (Excerpt & Giveaway)
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NEW RELEASE BLITZ: Sin Eaters by Katherine Lentes (Excerpt & Giveaway)
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COVER REVEAL: Luca by Eryn Hawk
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REVIEW: Secondhand Skin by Hailey Turner
Soulbound: Secondhand Skin – Hailey Turner
Nothing says you can’t steal a heart. Keeping it though? That’s another problem.
Wade Espinoza knows a thing or two about hoards. As a dragon, he’s got plenty. What he doesn’t have is a relationship, and he swears he’s not looking for one. But when he’s sent to Boston to answer a cry for help from another pack, he’s drawn into a mess of fae bargains centered around a selkie who Wade instantly becomes obsessed with.
Riordan Maguire is struggling to keep his selkie clan out of the clutches of a fae lord who will do anything to take over their territory. Partnering with the Boston god pack means coming face-to-face with the first person he’s ever wanted to willingly give his sealskin. Too bad Wade isn’t local and is something altogether strange that Riordan isn’t sure he can trust.
Amidst a growing danger in the streets and Boston Harbor, Wade and Riordan are desperate to find a way to keep everyone safe. For bargains are dangerous things to break, but so are hearts. Wade isn’t willing to shatter either of theirs in a race against time that could see Riordan torn from him forever.
Secondhand Skin is an exciting new standalone novel set in Hailey Turner’s best-selling Soulbound Universe focusing on Wade Espinoza.
Like most MM romance readers, I have an undying love for Patrick and Jono and the Soulbound series by Hailey Turner. But I confess, I got stuck in the middle of the series because my lazy reader brain could not handle recalling all the details of the previous installments and the many things happening in the present.
One of the most unforgettable characters was Wade Espinoza, the teen dragon Patrick and Jono rescued from slavery. Wade, like all dragons, has a bottomless pit for a stomach.
I still recall with amusement the scenes where Patrick wondered how he could stretch his government salary because, at the rate he was going, Wade could eat them out of house and home. I really loved Patrick for this.
Secondhand Skin is Wade’s book. Now 23 years old, Wade has grown into a confident (sometimes overly so), irreverent, fun-loving, sassy, protective, and loyal dragon so adept at hiding his true identity that even powerful beings can’t tell what he is. Still, a bottomless pit.
His pack gave him a mission to go to Boston to help the dire of the Boston god pack, Ella, find her alphas abducted by an evil fae, Niall. This led him to cross paths again with the selkie, Riordan, whom he met at Gerard and Orla’s wedding.
The Maguire clan is in dire straits. The same evil fae was responsible for attacking Saoirse and stealing her sealskin. Riordan and his older brother Donal were given the ultimatum to hand over their sister or Riordan. And as the clan leader, Riordan handing himself over means handing over the clan.
So Wade, Ella and the Maguires banded together to deal with the Niall problem.
I’m not too familiar with Western folklore so at first I thought selkies were seahorses. The Maguire siblings actually shift into seals! How cute! The relationship between the Maguire siblings is one of my favorite parts.
A selkie’s most precious possession is their sealskin, which can transform into anything, like a leather jacket for Riordan. Owning a selkie’s sealskin means you can control the selkie. The sealskin is usually gifted to their mates.
Wade was taught a few tricks by one of the toughest negotiators, Sage, fae-trained lawyer, tiger shifter, and wife to billionaire seer Merek. Our boy also inherited most of Patrick’s brash, not-taking-any-of-your-shit, kamikaze style of dealing with a problem.
The difference between Patrick and Wade is Patrick will throw himself directly in the line of fire to save someone despite knowing he might not survive. Wade will throw himself directly in the line of fire to save someone with all the confidence that he won’t even be scratched.
Personally, I thought his characterization here was Gary Stu-ish, like an overpowered anime character. Magic has no effect on him so he’s hardly threatened by anything. If someone becomes too inconvenient, he knows he can just eat them.
He bulldozed his way into high-level fae homes and gets away with disrespect because of his pack’s reputation and when he releases his dragon-y aura, it intimidates people. Also, he’s on a first-name basis with god-tier folks many people feared.
He doesn’t worry about spending millions of dollars bribing Carmen the succubus and her master the psycho vampire Lucien because, very conveniently, Wade has a billionaire in his pack.
So apart from a tragic past, our boy really had it easy, relatively. He even found his mate, Riordan. I loved how the selkie’s calmer energy grounded Wade’s more excitable one.
I miss the days when our heroes went through hoops of fire in their adventures. Here, it’s the Maguire clan that is put through the wringer.
But mini gripe aside, this is the same fast-paced, action-packed, completely engrossing magical romp we loved from Hailey Turner. The sass and humor were spot on and the fight scenes! There’s nothing like the Soulbound fight scenes!
These are easily some of the most jaw-dropping, high-stakes battles between our heroes and pissed-off gods/goddesses with fabulous displays of magic and no-punches-pulled derring-do. The cameos from the folks we loved and loved to hate since the beginning of the series were cherries on top of this spectacular chaos and mayhem.
The blurb said this could be read as a standalone but I recommend delving into the Soulbound main series first since many references and characters were mentioned.
Secondhand Skin is Wade coming into his own. His adventure is filled with excitement, magic, supernatural creatures, and a pack that always has his back. Overall, a rip-roaring addition to the Soulbound universe!
Rating:
4.5 Stars – perfection is only half a step awaySoundtrack: I Am Your Skin
Artist: The Bravery
Album: Stir The Blood
If you like my content, please consider using my Amazon affiliate links below to buy your copy of Secondhand Skin. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying Amazon purchases at no additional cost to you.
SECONDHAND SKIN: Kindle I Audiobook
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NEW RELEASE BLITZ: The Monster Within by Marguerite Labbe (Excerpt & Giveaway)
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RELEASE BLITZ: Secondhand Skin by Hailey Turner
