My favourite thing about a fantasy read is when an author manages to surprise me with regard to the way they design the world. Can they take a well known theme, flip it on its head and create something new? Or better yet, can they create something never seen before and sell it with skill? As a reader, I have greatly enjoyed reads that fall under either of these styles.
The Wren in the Holly Library, interestingly, takes space under both of these categories and makes the journey a slightly familiar and wholly unique one. For me, this book straddled an extremely interesting line between a cosy read and a gritty one.
The Wren in the Holly Library hits the floor running from page one. Author K.A. Linde chose a fantastic way to introduce her primary characters by placing them in their comfort zones and then pulling the string that would launch them straight into one another’s orbit. The world-building and character set-up in this book happens in the background on every page, working its rules and stories quietly, but surely. The world is definitely unique, which works greatly in its favour to ensure we’re not predicting anything beyond what Linde wants us to know, which likely means anything you do predict she probably wanted you to know.
Linde executes an excellent move with the writing and story-telling techniques. She pulls a magician’s act by feeding us a pretty little distraction that we’re piecing together in our minds, while she enacts a surprise reveal that raises our eyebrows. The writing in this book has you turning page after page without realising it and soon you’re reading the acknowledgements, surprised you’re done. Linde chooses an interesting form of narration for her book. While the primary narrator is the female protagonist, Kierse (and reads in third person perspective), there are some important moments where the perspective shifts to a character you’d never expect has some insight to offer for the reader. This insight then adds another thread of intrigue or information toward the unveiling of the plot. With emotion, humour, action, suspense, and romance, Linde has all our attention riveted to her words.
The plot of the book has many layers to it and each layer has its own story, significance and purpose. It was extremely interesting seeing the personal stories of all the characters, who all have their own goals to achieve. All of these little backstories and information feed into: the plot; the slow and mysterious unravelling of the world-building; the increase in the intrigue and stakes; the answering of some of the questions the author raises and finally the unveiling of further mysteries as a set up for book two. I would say that the plot supported by the writing is the strongest most enthralling aspect of The Wren in the Holly Library.
The pace in this book is both wonderfully even and swift. The speed at which the romance is built, information is offered, secrets are set-up and revealed is surprisingly fast without compromising on the time a reader would need to assimilate all this. For the first time, it wasn’t the romance in a story that kept me glued to the pages of the book—which for a romance-lover is a big deal—but a certain magic and heart that shines through in every page. Yes, I will also admit that I’m not as invested in the romance in this book, but I would describe this book as more character driven than anything else and I was extremely interested in the life, past and future of the character driving the story forward. The author has also included a lot of diversity in the book and that’s always something that warms every reader’s heart.
The main female and male characters are both shrouded in a great deal of mystery—one out of choice and the other unaware of it—leaving their identities for you as a reader to watch unravel. Reading about the characters understanding both themselves and one another is another interesting aspect woven into the story that reels our interests in until the very last page. I think every single interaction between the characters has great meaning and effect on the plot, which means there were barely any scenes/dialogues that existed without a purpose. There were both secondary and tertiary characters that surround the protagonists and they were all introduced fantastically with lasting impact. Each character held a distinct personality, backstory and role in the book and every page of their presence was evidence of it.
With memorable dialogue, drama, mystery, action, romance and intrigue, The Wren in the Holly Library is a fantastic book to get lost into on a stormy night. Please do check content warnings, the book deals with difficult content that can be triggering for some.
The Wren in the Holly Library is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore.
Will you be picking up The Wren in the Holly Library? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
Can you love the dark when you know what it hides?
Some things aren’t supposed to exist outside of our imagination.
Thirteen years ago, monsters emerged from the shadows and plunged Kierse’s world into a cataclysmic war of near-total destruction. The New York City she knew so well collapsed practically overnight.
In the wake of that carnage, the Monster Treaty was created. A truce…of sorts.
But tonight, Kierse―a gifted and fearless thief―will break that treaty. She’ll enter the Holly Library…not knowing it’s the home of a monster.
He’s charming. Quietly alluring. Terrifying. But he knows talent when he sees it; it’s just a matter of finding her price.
Now she’s locked into a dangerous bargain with a creature unlike any other. She’ll sacrifice her freedom. She’ll offer her skills. Together, they’ll put their own futures at risk.
But he’s been playing a game across centuries―and once she joins in, there will be no escape…
