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Dark Talents #2
Serpent in the Heather
Now officially working for the Secret Intelligence Service, Kim Tavistock is back to solve another mystery—this time a serial killer with deep Nazi ties—in the sequel to At the Table of Wolves.
Summer, 1936. In England, an assassin is loose. Someone is killing young people who possess Talents. As terror overtakes Britain, Kim Tavistock, now officially employed by England’s Secret Intelligence Service, is sent on her first mission: to the remote Sulcliffe Castle in Wales, to use her cover as a journalist to infiltrate a spiritualist cult that may have ties to the murders. Meanwhile, Kim’s father, trained spy Julian Tavistock runs his own parallel investigation—and discovers the terrifying Nazi plot behind the serial killings.
Cut off from civilization, Sulcliffe Castle is perched on a forbidding headland above a circle of standing stones only visible at low tide. There, Kim shadows a ruthless baroness and her enigmatic son, plying her skills of deception and hearing the truths people most wish to hide. But as her cover disguise unravels, Kim learns that the serial killer is closing in on a person she has grown to love. Now, Kim must race against the clock not just to prevent the final ritual killing—but to turn the tide of the looming war.
Summer, 1936. In England, an assassin is loose. Someone is killing young people who possess Talents. As terror overtakes Britain, Kim Tavistock, now officially employed by England’s Secret Intelligence Service, is sent on her first mission: to the remote Sulcliffe Castle in Wales, to use her cover as a journalist to infiltrate a spiritualist cult that may have ties to the murders. Meanwhile, Kim’s father, trained spy Julian Tavistock runs his own parallel investigation—and discovers the terrifying Nazi plot behind the serial killings.
Cut off from civilization, Sulcliffe Castle is perched on a forbidding headland above a circle of standing stones only visible at low tide. There, Kim shadows a ruthless baroness and her enigmatic son, plying her skills of deception and hearing the truths people most wish to hide. But as her cover disguise unravels, Kim learns that the serial killer is closing in on a person she has grown to love. Now, Kim must race against the clock not just to prevent the final ritual killing—but to turn the tide of the looming war.
416 pages, Hardcover
First published April 10, 2018
13 people are currently reading
538 people want to read
About the author
Kay Kenyon
43 books255 followersKay Kenyon is a fantasy and science fiction author. She is now working on her 21st novel, a fantasy. She has been a finalist for the Philip K. Dick Award and several others and recently had a trilogy optioned for film, The Dark Talents: At the Table of Wolves.
Her newest fantasy series is The Arisen Worlds quartet. Book 1, The Girl Who Fell Into Myth, Book 2, Stranger in the Twisted Realm, Book 3, Servant of the Lost Power and Book 4, Keeper of the Mythos Gate. "A story of powers and magic on a grand scale.” —Louisa Morgan, author of The Secret History of Witches.
Her acclaimed 4-book series, The Entire and The Rose, has been reissued with new covers: Bright of the Sky. Called "a splendid fantasy quest" by The Washington Post.
She loves to hear from readers, and you can contact her at http://www.kaykenyon.com where you can also sign up for her newsletter.
Her newest fantasy series is The Arisen Worlds quartet. Book 1, The Girl Who Fell Into Myth, Book 2, Stranger in the Twisted Realm, Book 3, Servant of the Lost Power and Book 4, Keeper of the Mythos Gate. "A story of powers and magic on a grand scale.” —Louisa Morgan, author of The Secret History of Witches.
Her acclaimed 4-book series, The Entire and The Rose, has been reissued with new covers: Bright of the Sky. Called "a splendid fantasy quest" by The Washington Post.
She loves to hear from readers, and you can contact her at http://www.kaykenyon.com where you can also sign up for her newsletter.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
May 21, 2018
Serpent in the Heather is the second book in the Dark Talents series. This series essentially combines all of my favorite genres since it's fantasy mixed with speculative historical fiction. After the events of the first book, Kim Tavistocks is officially working for the Secret Intelligence Service. Her first official case case - a serial killer with deep Nazi ties.
I absolutely loved the magic system set up in the first book. This installment selves deeper into the mysteries surrounding the Bloom and the abilities that arose after it. Additionally, some interesting new talents are introduced. Kenyon also explores the lengths individuals will go to try to get magic of their own. Plus, there's some excellent spying. Kenyon makes it feel believable, including just enough bad timing and blunders. The plot was dark and twisty- it had the suspense of a spy thriller, the heart of a cozy mystery, and the magic of a fantasy book.
As for the characters, Kim was my favorite. She’s flawed, she makes mistakes, and she’s incredibly brave. However, I loved the secondary characters almost as much, particularly her father. All of the characters felt so lifelike and vibrant. I thought that the relationships between characters were well-done, I loved how nuanced and realistic they were.
Serpent in the Heather was a wonderful read! This series is so much fun, I can’t wait for the next installment! Definitely recommend if you’re looking for some historical fantasy.
*Disclaimer: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
I absolutely loved the magic system set up in the first book. This installment selves deeper into the mysteries surrounding the Bloom and the abilities that arose after it. Additionally, some interesting new talents are introduced. Kenyon also explores the lengths individuals will go to try to get magic of their own. Plus, there's some excellent spying. Kenyon makes it feel believable, including just enough bad timing and blunders. The plot was dark and twisty- it had the suspense of a spy thriller, the heart of a cozy mystery, and the magic of a fantasy book.
As for the characters, Kim was my favorite. She’s flawed, she makes mistakes, and she’s incredibly brave. However, I loved the secondary characters almost as much, particularly her father. All of the characters felt so lifelike and vibrant. I thought that the relationships between characters were well-done, I loved how nuanced and realistic they were.
Serpent in the Heather was a wonderful read! This series is so much fun, I can’t wait for the next installment! Definitely recommend if you’re looking for some historical fantasy.
*Disclaimer: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
July 7, 2019
The risk of doing a historical fantasy spy murder mystery is that you will nail none of them. I fear this has happened here.
As a long-time reader of F & SF, I have to say the fantasy seems like fantasy for people who don't like fantasy. Weak tea. Many powers are described, only a few are used, and that briefly and mostly offstage.
I found myself increasingly annoyed by the frequent references to the previous book and the characters thereof. If that keeps up volume 4 won't have room for an actual plot.
The mystical plot was believable, for the era. Batty mama and weak son, gullible followers.
Verhoeven's motivation was believable too, if a small stretch. Having the son fall in with him is more of a stretch, but to be fair, as we meet him he is already finally growing a spine, and we have to allow that he would have been weaker before.
I won't read any more of these, but mostly because my interests lie elsewhere.
As a long-time reader of F & SF, I have to say the fantasy seems like fantasy for people who don't like fantasy. Weak tea. Many powers are described, only a few are used, and that briefly and mostly offstage.
I found myself increasingly annoyed by the frequent references to the previous book and the characters thereof. If that keeps up volume 4 won't have room for an actual plot.
The mystical plot was believable, for the era. Batty mama and weak son, gullible followers.
Verhoeven's motivation was believable too, if a small stretch. Having the son fall in with him is more of a stretch, but to be fair, as we meet him he is already finally growing a spine, and we have to allow that he would have been weaker before.
I won't read any more of these, but mostly because my interests lie elsewhere.
February 18, 2018
There was a lot to love about Kay Kenyon's latest alternate history fantasy novel, At the Table of Wolves. So much so that I couldn't resist and decided to jump into the sequel sooner rather than later! The first installment was an introduction to what appeared to be a vaster and more ambitious tale, and I was curious to discover where the author would take her story next.
And I'm glad I did, for Serpent in the Heather is even better than its predecessor. Building on the events and storylines from At the Table of Wolves, Kenyon raised the bar higher and elevated this series to another level. Time will tell if she can continue to up her game with each new volume. And yet, given how special The Entire and the Rose turned out to be, this bodes well for things to come.
Here's the blurb:
Now officially working for the Secret Intelligence Service, Kim Tavistock is back to solve another mystery—this time a serial killer with deep Nazi ties—in the sequel to At the Table of Wolves.
Summer, 1936. In England, an assassin is loose. Someone is killing young people who possess Talents. As terror overtakes Britain, Kim Tavistock, now officially employed by England’s Secret Intelligence Service, is sent on her first mission: to the remote Sulcliffe Castle in Wales, to use her cover as a journalist to infiltrate a spiritualist cult that may have ties to the murders. Meanwhile, Kim’s father, trained spy Julian Tavistock runs his own parallel investigation—and discovers the terrifying Nazi plot behind the serial killings.
Cut off from civilization, Sulcliffe Castle is perched on a forbidding headland above a circle of standing stones only visible at low tide. There, Kim shadows a ruthless baroness and her enigmatic son, plying her skills of deception and hearing the truths people most wish to hide. But as her cover disguise unravels, Kim learns that the serial killer is closing in on a person she has grown to love. Now, Kim must race against the clock not just to prevent the final ritual killing—but to turn the tide of the looming war.
In my review of the first installment, I opined that the worldbuilding was very interesting and opened up countless possibilities. Nobody was quite sure just how the bloom came about, but it was widely believed that the deaths and the suffering engendered by World War I generated the birth of the Talents, those supernatural abilities, in ordinary men and women, especially in the countries that had dealt with the Great War. The action takes place a few months following the events of At the Table of Wolves. The Nazis have risen to power and Germany is rearming, preparing for the great conflict to come. The British, with their heads still up their asses, refuse to face the fact that war is coming again. And although they have begun their own program, they are about a decade behind the Germans in terms of training people with Talents for warfare. It felt as though there was so much room for growth concerning the Talents and I was looking forward to see what Kenyon had in store for her readers in that regard. What we saw in At the Table of Wolves barely scratched the surface and the potential for more was enormous.
We do learn more about Talents in general, but the sad truth is that the British know very little compared to their German counterparts. And though I like what we've seen thus far, I often feel that Kay Kenyon plays her cards too close to her chest. Given that we discover things at the same pace as the POV protagonists, learning such secrets by small increments is understandable but could be detrimental to the series in the long run. Here's to hoping that the third volume will open up the story in that regard. Still, the addition of Dries Verhoeven's Talent to the mix was great. We just need to see more Talents unveiled to add more layers to what is becoming a more complex tale with each new book.
In At the Table of Wolves, I enjoyed the fact that the military and the secret services had screwed up their only chance to discover what the Germans were preparing and it came down to an ordinary woman with a peculiar Talent to try to save her country. A few people with very limited resources had to find a way to obtain proof of the danger by putting their lives on the line. Ordinary people who needed to accomplish extraordinary things. And although the foiled German invasion was an eye-opener for the British, it's still up to those same few individuals to protect Great Britain from her enemies.
With both Kim Tavistock and her father Julian working as undercover agents, none of them can reveal their secret identity to the other and this builds up a lot of tension in their relationship. Having played a large role in thwarting the German's plan to conquer her country, Kim went through training in the arts of espionage. Nevertheless, she remains a somewhat raw recruit. At first exciting, it gradually dawns upon her that having a security clearance and a being a spy can be extremely hard on her private life. Her conscience is seldom at ease with what she is required to do and what she's becoming. But when her peculiar Talent appears to be the only thing that can possibly help shine some light on a series of murders, Kim has no choice but to put herself in danger once more.
Kim and her father are the main points of view throughout the novel, yet the supporting cast is made up of a number of engaging characters. Due to her Talent, Alice plays a bigger role in Serpent in the Heather, which was good. Owen Cherwell has been promoted and is not necessarily comfortable with his new functions. Dries Verhoeven offered a different, always interesting perspective. New faces such as Dorothea Coslett, Powell Coslet, Idelle Coslett, and young Martin were all compelling in disparate ways. Elsa is also back from her injuries and makes for an interesting spy. All in all, the characterization was well-done on every level.
Once again, the pace of this book was exactly what it needed to be. As the secrets between Kim and her father continue to pile up, the tension builds up toward another endgame that delivers an even more satisfying finale this time around. Events force both Kim and Julian to make dire and life-changing choices, something that should have important repercussions in future installments.
My only complaint thus far would have to be the decidedly episodic format of these two books. From now on, Kay Kenyon will have to raise the bar even higher and not just throw Kim into danger in the hope that her Talent will force someone to reveal secrets while she acts as a journalist working on a new story. Given the quality of both At the Table of Wolves and Serpent in the Heather, the potential for bigger and better things is definitely there and expectations will understandably be higher in the future. We'll have to wait and see if the author can rise to the occasion.
I commend this series to your attention. If you're looking for something different, look no further and give these two novels a shot!
For more reviews, check out www.fantasyhotlist.blogspot.com.
And I'm glad I did, for Serpent in the Heather is even better than its predecessor. Building on the events and storylines from At the Table of Wolves, Kenyon raised the bar higher and elevated this series to another level. Time will tell if she can continue to up her game with each new volume. And yet, given how special The Entire and the Rose turned out to be, this bodes well for things to come.
Here's the blurb:
Now officially working for the Secret Intelligence Service, Kim Tavistock is back to solve another mystery—this time a serial killer with deep Nazi ties—in the sequel to At the Table of Wolves.
Summer, 1936. In England, an assassin is loose. Someone is killing young people who possess Talents. As terror overtakes Britain, Kim Tavistock, now officially employed by England’s Secret Intelligence Service, is sent on her first mission: to the remote Sulcliffe Castle in Wales, to use her cover as a journalist to infiltrate a spiritualist cult that may have ties to the murders. Meanwhile, Kim’s father, trained spy Julian Tavistock runs his own parallel investigation—and discovers the terrifying Nazi plot behind the serial killings.
Cut off from civilization, Sulcliffe Castle is perched on a forbidding headland above a circle of standing stones only visible at low tide. There, Kim shadows a ruthless baroness and her enigmatic son, plying her skills of deception and hearing the truths people most wish to hide. But as her cover disguise unravels, Kim learns that the serial killer is closing in on a person she has grown to love. Now, Kim must race against the clock not just to prevent the final ritual killing—but to turn the tide of the looming war.
In my review of the first installment, I opined that the worldbuilding was very interesting and opened up countless possibilities. Nobody was quite sure just how the bloom came about, but it was widely believed that the deaths and the suffering engendered by World War I generated the birth of the Talents, those supernatural abilities, in ordinary men and women, especially in the countries that had dealt with the Great War. The action takes place a few months following the events of At the Table of Wolves. The Nazis have risen to power and Germany is rearming, preparing for the great conflict to come. The British, with their heads still up their asses, refuse to face the fact that war is coming again. And although they have begun their own program, they are about a decade behind the Germans in terms of training people with Talents for warfare. It felt as though there was so much room for growth concerning the Talents and I was looking forward to see what Kenyon had in store for her readers in that regard. What we saw in At the Table of Wolves barely scratched the surface and the potential for more was enormous.
We do learn more about Talents in general, but the sad truth is that the British know very little compared to their German counterparts. And though I like what we've seen thus far, I often feel that Kay Kenyon plays her cards too close to her chest. Given that we discover things at the same pace as the POV protagonists, learning such secrets by small increments is understandable but could be detrimental to the series in the long run. Here's to hoping that the third volume will open up the story in that regard. Still, the addition of Dries Verhoeven's Talent to the mix was great. We just need to see more Talents unveiled to add more layers to what is becoming a more complex tale with each new book.
In At the Table of Wolves, I enjoyed the fact that the military and the secret services had screwed up their only chance to discover what the Germans were preparing and it came down to an ordinary woman with a peculiar Talent to try to save her country. A few people with very limited resources had to find a way to obtain proof of the danger by putting their lives on the line. Ordinary people who needed to accomplish extraordinary things. And although the foiled German invasion was an eye-opener for the British, it's still up to those same few individuals to protect Great Britain from her enemies.
With both Kim Tavistock and her father Julian working as undercover agents, none of them can reveal their secret identity to the other and this builds up a lot of tension in their relationship. Having played a large role in thwarting the German's plan to conquer her country, Kim went through training in the arts of espionage. Nevertheless, she remains a somewhat raw recruit. At first exciting, it gradually dawns upon her that having a security clearance and a being a spy can be extremely hard on her private life. Her conscience is seldom at ease with what she is required to do and what she's becoming. But when her peculiar Talent appears to be the only thing that can possibly help shine some light on a series of murders, Kim has no choice but to put herself in danger once more.
Kim and her father are the main points of view throughout the novel, yet the supporting cast is made up of a number of engaging characters. Due to her Talent, Alice plays a bigger role in Serpent in the Heather, which was good. Owen Cherwell has been promoted and is not necessarily comfortable with his new functions. Dries Verhoeven offered a different, always interesting perspective. New faces such as Dorothea Coslett, Powell Coslet, Idelle Coslett, and young Martin were all compelling in disparate ways. Elsa is also back from her injuries and makes for an interesting spy. All in all, the characterization was well-done on every level.
Once again, the pace of this book was exactly what it needed to be. As the secrets between Kim and her father continue to pile up, the tension builds up toward another endgame that delivers an even more satisfying finale this time around. Events force both Kim and Julian to make dire and life-changing choices, something that should have important repercussions in future installments.
My only complaint thus far would have to be the decidedly episodic format of these two books. From now on, Kay Kenyon will have to raise the bar even higher and not just throw Kim into danger in the hope that her Talent will force someone to reveal secrets while she acts as a journalist working on a new story. Given the quality of both At the Table of Wolves and Serpent in the Heather, the potential for bigger and better things is definitely there and expectations will understandably be higher in the future. We'll have to wait and see if the author can rise to the occasion.
I commend this series to your attention. If you're looking for something different, look no further and give these two novels a shot!
For more reviews, check out www.fantasyhotlist.blogspot.com.
June 7, 2023
Enjoyed the twist on a 1930s ish spy novel. The father's romance was a little distracting though.
June 1, 2018
When I read the first book, At the Table of Wolves, my opinion was basically that it's not perfect, but I'm not going to nitpick. It's popular genre fiction. It doesn't have to be Shakespeare. It's just fun to read a story about a cool mutant spy lady taking on the Nazis. And all of that still largely holds true. But two books into this series, I'm finding myself increasingly frustrated by what feels like an overprotectiveness on the part of the author toward her character. I rarely feel like Kim is ever in any real danger. And on the occasions when she does manage to get into trouble, there are just way too many supporting characters who always happen to be there ready to help her out. It was particularly frustrating in this book because the ending felt so anticlimactic. Kim didn't stop the bad guys so much as she simply happened to be in the vicinity when the bad guys destroyed themselves through their own ineptitude and hubris. In fact, there's a part in the epilogue where Alice is telling Kim that she stopped the bad guys without any help, and I had to ask whether that was Alice talking to Kim or whether that was the author trying to convince the reader. It's disappointing because characters only really grow when they're allowed to get into trouble. It's still a very well written story. It's fun and well paced, and it's still fun to read about a cool mutant spy lady taking on Nazis. I'll probably give it another chance if they publish a third book. But I really hope that Kenyon lets go of the reins a little and lets Kim really get in over her head.
April 11, 2018
A great story. The second book in the Dark Talents series. Just as exciting and thrilling as the first. Set in pre- World War II Europe in a parallel world where one in a thousand people is seeing an awakening of para normal talents. The heroine is talented and a part of the British secret service. In this book she must stop a serial killer with dark talents. Other themes I find interesting and compelling in the story are the impacts of secrets and secrecy as a way of life, the very human propensity to distrust and have prejudice against people we don’t understand or who are different than we are and the impact of devastating tragedies in our lives and the effect they can have on our actions and choices. I love the book and highly recommend it.
April 10, 2018
The second novel in Kenyon's fantasy espionage series, Serpent in the Heather, is a sequel that somehow manages to avoid that second novel slump. Somebody is murdering Talents-young people with special powers-and the protagonist, Kim Tavistock, herself a Talent, must find the killer before it's too late. Kenyon is American, but manages to capture the atmosphere of wartime England nicely. My only criticism is that I did not find the book's antagonists- a castle of dastardly cultish aristocrats-quite as compelling as the first book's villain, the seductive Nazi Erich von Ritter. There's also a decided lack of both serpents and heather. Four stars.
April 11, 2018
I loved it even more than the first one and read it all in one sitting!
Those who have not read the first book, At the Table of Wolves, can ead this book without reading Book One, but you would be depriving yourself of a fabulous read.
Some interesting new information is disclosed in Serpent In the Heather. We find out a lot more about the Talents, thanks to excerpts from The Bloom Book, which I especially loved. It is a great way to explain the phenomena, and a good way to fill in information without halting the action.
I am now patiently waiting for the next book in the series. The biggest question I have going forward is, will Kim and her dad ever discover who the other *really* is?
Those who have not read the first book, At the Table of Wolves, can ead this book without reading Book One, but you would be depriving yourself of a fabulous read.
Some interesting new information is disclosed in Serpent In the Heather. We find out a lot more about the Talents, thanks to excerpts from The Bloom Book, which I especially loved. It is a great way to explain the phenomena, and a good way to fill in information without halting the action.
I am now patiently waiting for the next book in the series. The biggest question I have going forward is, will Kim and her dad ever discover who the other *really* is?
July 9, 2018
4.5 stars. After finishing the first book mid-2017 I was so excited to start the next, only to realize I'd have to wait until April 2018! Arrgh! Which because I stupidly did not pre-order, I completely forgot about. Thankfully I'm only a couple months late getting my grubby little hands on it, and it was worth every moment of wait. While I loved the first book, the plot of this one felt tighter and better written. And we finally got a deeper dive into the various talents and how they work. Suffice it to say, this book was even better (at least for me) and I can't wait for the third. Dare I ask for this to turn into a multi-book series and not a trilogy?
June 14, 2018
Liked this one way better than the previous one, probably because . Also, a more interesting set of characters/machinations/turbulent emotions.
January 20, 2022
So a year ago I read a book that was quite interesting. It was set in the 1940’s before World War II, following a woman (who has the super power to make people tell the truth) as she works as a British spy. It was quite fun, though somewhat imperfect pulpy thrill ride in the vein of Indiana Jones and Agent Carter. And even though the first book was bit slow, I felt there was nowhere else to go than up for the sequel. Here is my review of The Serpent in the Heather by Kay Kenyon.
What is it about? It follows Kim Traviscott, who is now officially an agent of the British intelligence. And after months of waiting, she has an assignment. There is a killer murdering children who have talents, AKA superpowers, and it is believed that these murders may be tied to a religious group called The Ancient Light. It is ran by a sickly old baroness and her son. So Kim goes undercover as a reporter to uncover the truth. There she tries to unravel the secrets of this family in its spooky Irish castle.
Then there is a side plot about Kim’s father, who is also a spy who is dreaming of having a normal life again. And lastly a third plot, about a boy who is helping out on Kim’s farm. He has a Talent as well, and could become the next target of the murderer.
So the good and bad. Let’s start with the good. The setting is great. This female driven 1940's spy caper with super powers is just such a fun concept. And the setting of desolate Irish island with a cult and castle was just great. And I would have to say, the family of this castle are more developed than I expected them to be. One villain particular is more of a tragic figure than a bad guy. It had some really great arcs with all of these characters. Also Julian, Kim’s father has a great arc as well with more impact than I expect. Overall everything did come together in a finale that the reader will not see coming, which is a great thing.
The bad? If you’re ready for high stakes espionage, super powers, and shoot outs with Nazis, this is not your book. In fact very little happens in this novel. Kim’s work is dull and she does every little in this novel. There was not a point where I believed she was in danger at all. Everything comes so convenient for her, that I was annoyed. I means there’s point where she comes out on top because a bad guy steps into quick sand. It was just so unbelievable how things fell in her favor, without her even have to struggle for survival at all. There was no tension, therefore no sense of adventure that I was looking for. Also there’s a choice Martin makes that is insanely dumb. It’s a choice no sane person would ever made and it really hurt the story that it developed into such a plot point. Also Kim is a bit bland. I did not realize it until the story slowed down. But there is not much to her.
Overall, I thought this would be better than the first book, but it’s much worse. It doesn’t have the pulpy fun most readers are looking for or the emotional weight of a layered main character to carry the tale at the slow points. It’s actually quite boring until the last hundred pages. At best it’s okay, but it’s not a must read.
2 smoothies out of Five.
Overall Rating: Cults, Spies, Nazis and a Big Spooky Castle are Somehow Boring
What is it about? It follows Kim Traviscott, who is now officially an agent of the British intelligence. And after months of waiting, she has an assignment. There is a killer murdering children who have talents, AKA superpowers, and it is believed that these murders may be tied to a religious group called The Ancient Light. It is ran by a sickly old baroness and her son. So Kim goes undercover as a reporter to uncover the truth. There she tries to unravel the secrets of this family in its spooky Irish castle.
Then there is a side plot about Kim’s father, who is also a spy who is dreaming of having a normal life again. And lastly a third plot, about a boy who is helping out on Kim’s farm. He has a Talent as well, and could become the next target of the murderer.
So the good and bad. Let’s start with the good. The setting is great. This female driven 1940's spy caper with super powers is just such a fun concept. And the setting of desolate Irish island with a cult and castle was just great. And I would have to say, the family of this castle are more developed than I expected them to be. One villain particular is more of a tragic figure than a bad guy. It had some really great arcs with all of these characters. Also Julian, Kim’s father has a great arc as well with more impact than I expect. Overall everything did come together in a finale that the reader will not see coming, which is a great thing.
The bad? If you’re ready for high stakes espionage, super powers, and shoot outs with Nazis, this is not your book. In fact very little happens in this novel. Kim’s work is dull and she does every little in this novel. There was not a point where I believed she was in danger at all. Everything comes so convenient for her, that I was annoyed. I means there’s point where she comes out on top because a bad guy steps into quick sand. It was just so unbelievable how things fell in her favor, without her even have to struggle for survival at all. There was no tension, therefore no sense of adventure that I was looking for. Also there’s a choice Martin makes that is insanely dumb. It’s a choice no sane person would ever made and it really hurt the story that it developed into such a plot point. Also Kim is a bit bland. I did not realize it until the story slowed down. But there is not much to her.
Overall, I thought this would be better than the first book, but it’s much worse. It doesn’t have the pulpy fun most readers are looking for or the emotional weight of a layered main character to carry the tale at the slow points. It’s actually quite boring until the last hundred pages. At best it’s okay, but it’s not a must read.
2 smoothies out of Five.
Overall Rating: Cults, Spies, Nazis and a Big Spooky Castle are Somehow Boring
October 29, 2018
I discovered the series DARK TALENTS by author KAY KENYON a year ago. I have now read both of the books. SERPENT IN THE HEATHER is the second in this series. The author imagines a world in which a few people have acquired "Talents" through no special effort.
The heroine of the series is Kim Tavistock whose "Talent" is The Spill which makes people tell her the truth without them realizing they are doing so. Other "Talents" include being able to create very cold weather, bringing on darkness in the brightest daylight and viewing previous events that happened at a location. The time is the mid to late 1930s primarily in Great Britain and in continental Europe prior to the outbreak of WWII. Germany and England are trying to gather many of these people with "Talents" for military purposes.
Kim is the daughter of a wealthy Yorkshire gentleman with public Nazi sympathies. Both daughter and father actually work for MI6 but Kim does not know that. In this story, teenagers in England and adults on the Continent who have "Talents" are being systematically murdered by unknown persons.
Kim is sent undercover as a newspaper reporter to a manor house in Wales. There, a minor baron and his seriously ill mother live and are suspected of being Nazi sympathizers. They also run a cult that may or may not be involved in the serial murders. Another of the villains is a Dutch doll collector with a dark secret in his past dating from WWI.
The feeling of living in pre WWII Europe is quite well done. Some of the story is based on real locations and events, enough so that it feels as if it could have happened this way. A very enjoyable read but do start with Book One.
GO! BUY! READ!
The heroine of the series is Kim Tavistock whose "Talent" is The Spill which makes people tell her the truth without them realizing they are doing so. Other "Talents" include being able to create very cold weather, bringing on darkness in the brightest daylight and viewing previous events that happened at a location. The time is the mid to late 1930s primarily in Great Britain and in continental Europe prior to the outbreak of WWII. Germany and England are trying to gather many of these people with "Talents" for military purposes.
Kim is the daughter of a wealthy Yorkshire gentleman with public Nazi sympathies. Both daughter and father actually work for MI6 but Kim does not know that. In this story, teenagers in England and adults on the Continent who have "Talents" are being systematically murdered by unknown persons.
Kim is sent undercover as a newspaper reporter to a manor house in Wales. There, a minor baron and his seriously ill mother live and are suspected of being Nazi sympathizers. They also run a cult that may or may not be involved in the serial murders. Another of the villains is a Dutch doll collector with a dark secret in his past dating from WWI.
The feeling of living in pre WWII Europe is quite well done. Some of the story is based on real locations and events, enough so that it feels as if it could have happened this way. A very enjoyable read but do start with Book One.
GO! BUY! READ!
May 23, 2019
4.5 stars
If I'm being super picky, the storyline in this second book was very slightly less engaging for me than the plot of book 1. This is still absolutely my kind of book though. It was great to hear more about the talents. I still love the historical setting. And the characters are as multi faceted and complex as before. I love Kim, Julian has really grown on me (sob!), Alice, Rose, Mrs Babbage, Owen... they're all brilliant. Something Kenyon does especially well is a both disturbing and sympathetic villain. This is as true for her petty antagonists as for her major ones.
In this episode, Kim is chafing whilst waiting for a legitimate mission from the Agency. A series of chilling ritual child murders sees Kim investigating a 'New Age' cult built around the Bloom of Talents at an ancient Welsh castle. Meanwhile, Julian is trying to investigate the disappearance of a Polish asset and a young boy called Martin comes forward claiming the elusive 'sight view' talent. In the world of paranormal spycraft, nothing is what it seems.
While I really want Kim to be going toe-to-toe with the paranormal Nazis, this was an important seasoning episode for her. A fast paced, clever and engaging story with plenty of action. I am going to buy book three - Nest of the Monarch - but my tbr is so huge I don't know when I'll get to it, so if the audio book is forthcoming, that would be great!
If I'm being super picky, the storyline in this second book was very slightly less engaging for me than the plot of book 1. This is still absolutely my kind of book though. It was great to hear more about the talents. I still love the historical setting. And the characters are as multi faceted and complex as before. I love Kim, Julian has really grown on me (sob!), Alice, Rose, Mrs Babbage, Owen... they're all brilliant. Something Kenyon does especially well is a both disturbing and sympathetic villain. This is as true for her petty antagonists as for her major ones.
In this episode, Kim is chafing whilst waiting for a legitimate mission from the Agency. A series of chilling ritual child murders sees Kim investigating a 'New Age' cult built around the Bloom of Talents at an ancient Welsh castle. Meanwhile, Julian is trying to investigate the disappearance of a Polish asset and a young boy called Martin comes forward claiming the elusive 'sight view' talent. In the world of paranormal spycraft, nothing is what it seems.
While I really want Kim to be going toe-to-toe with the paranormal Nazis, this was an important seasoning episode for her. A fast paced, clever and engaging story with plenty of action. I am going to buy book three - Nest of the Monarch - but my tbr is so huge I don't know when I'll get to it, so if the audio book is forthcoming, that would be great!
September 28, 2025
This book has a great deal of potential, but I don't think it achieved it. Set in WWII, it follows individuals with specific unusual gifts (think superpowers). The Allied forces want these individuals and the Axis/Nazis want them too, or to at least prevent the Allied forces from obtaining them. It's an intriguing story idea.
The story started out with a bang, but several chapters into the book, there was no clear central character, there was no clear central storyline that the characters were attempting to get to, and there were several characters in various locales and settings that were given equal attention and overly detailed description. I found that distracting.
The sense of urgency at the beginning of the story was lost a few chapters in.
With some added details and context specific to WWII Europe, the grit of it, with a clear central character and a clear goal with clear stakes presented at the beginning of the book (Prevent the Nazis from gaining certain territory? Get a spy ring out before they are caught and killed?), I think this book would be exceptional.
The story started out with a bang, but several chapters into the book, there was no clear central character, there was no clear central storyline that the characters were attempting to get to, and there were several characters in various locales and settings that were given equal attention and overly detailed description. I found that distracting.
The sense of urgency at the beginning of the story was lost a few chapters in.
With some added details and context specific to WWII Europe, the grit of it, with a clear central character and a clear goal with clear stakes presented at the beginning of the book (Prevent the Nazis from gaining certain territory? Get a spy ring out before they are caught and killed?), I think this book would be exceptional.
July 30, 2023
Following on from the first book in the series , and set in the same time period , the main characters are investigating the murder of individuals with special abilities. Beginning in Europe but soon spreading to the UK - where youngsters are targetted - it soon becomes obvious that Hitler's Germany is behind the killings . With some help from members of the English upper classes and possibly the monarchy, an assassin roams free to select and eliminate those with Talents. This story is a big disappointment after an entertaining first novel . I found the writing rather disjointed in several places with the rhythm of the original book sadly lacking .
August 26, 2018
Yet another one of those novels set in the UK and written by an American that doesn't get UK references and words, and locations quite right, even though they try (with brand-name references). An okay quick read, though I was more interested in the idea of the talents than the plot. Additionally, when I grabbed this randomly at the library, it was not clear from the labelling/cover that this was a sequel, and I kept feeling as though the author was referring to previous exploits of the characters in a way that indicated there had been a prior novel (there had been).
October 4, 2018
Love this series! It needs to be made into a tv show.
September 12, 2021
Was super excited to read this it seemed like such an amazing book ; i mean a secret undercover spy with a talent the world doesn’t know anything about trying to solve the murder of teenagers with talents as well. The author took a risk trying to mix sci-fi and murder mysteries in one book but sadly failed. Some chapters were just excruciatingly painful to read unfortunately.
And also referring to the individuals as meta humans is just a law suit waiting to happen (DC COMICS)
And also referring to the individuals as meta humans is just a law suit waiting to happen (DC COMICS)
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