Author: Heat: Re
Genre(s): Romance Fantasy Urban Fantasy
Tags: f-m bisexual white fae magic heist
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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...
For fans of heists, chaotic bisexuals and urban fantasy like Karen Marie Moning's Fever series, The Wren in the Holly Library is a fun return to the high days of urban fantasy--updated for 2024.
The description makes the dynamic between Kierse and Graves sound much darker than it is. Kierse is hired to steal something from Graves and he catches her. The setting is near-future dystopian, with Monsters having revealed themselves to devastating effect (for the humans) a couple of decades prior. For the last several years, there's been a truce in effect, the Monster Treaty, which Graves helped to negotiate. See, he's not all bad.
Graves catches Kierse in the act and agrees to let her live under one condition: she must help him steal something even more valuable from the leader of the Monster underworld. Linde sets up an interesting world with all kinds of supernaturals, including a were pack Kierse was formerly involved with, criminal gangs, the brothel where Kierse lived for the last few years and other groups fleshed out just enough to set the scene but not so much as to bog down the story.
This was a solid four-star read for me. It took me a while to get through because I had other commitments, but when I sat down with it I was invested. Kierse is a classic UF heroine: tragic past, strong personality, flexible morals, quippy comebacks and friends she'd do anything to protect. Likewise, Grave is very Barrons-like. He's distant but smoldering and has lots of secrets.
The Wren in the Holly Library does not stand alone, but by the end you'll be eager for the sequel. I look forward to seeing what Kierse and her allies get up to and if Graves can dig himself out of the hole he's in.
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I received a copy of this book from the publisher/publicist for review. Thoughts are my own.
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