Title: The Wren in the Holly Library
Author: K. A. Linde
Publisher: Red Tower Books
Publication Date: June 4, 2024
ISBN: 9781649377111
Synopsis:
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…
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Aesthetically, this book is absolutely beautiful and a gorgeous addition to anyone’s shelf. With its wrought iron imaging on the cover and edges sprayed with holly vines, it’s an absolute stunner of a book. If only I could say the same for the story inside.
I gave this book 3 stars out of 5 on Goodreads, but if I’m being honest, it’s a generous 2.5 stars. This story has so much potential and it was the intriguing description that drew me in initially. A thief, a library, and a monster? What’s not to like about that?
Unfortunately, though I loved the concept, the story fell flat for me. There’s so much tell and so little show to this novel, I really couldn’t get myself lost in the story. We’re told Kierse is a thief, and a great one at that, but we never really see her steal in anything successfully or in any sort of prolific manner. We are told Graves is an incredibly powerful monster, but we don’t see him do anything that supports the statement or goes above and beyond what anyone else can do in the story.
There is very little time spent on world building and the pacing of character backstory and development is off so the plot never really flows. The conflict is brief and over too quickly, leaving the reader ultimately unsatisfied and disconnected from the triumphs and failures. The dialogue is very surface level and often feels unnatural and stiff. It felt like a chore to read and I only kept going with the hope that it would get better. I acknowledge that this book is not meant to be the next great novel and is purely fun and fluff, but even on the fun and fluff level, it didn’t quite hit the mark. I’m sad to say I was let down.
I hate to give a bad review, but other than this book’s overall look, there’s little that I have to say that I enjoyed. Perhaps you’ll like it more than I did, and I truly hope you do.
Happy reading!
Worn Pages and Ink 