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Whyborne & Griffin #10
Balefire
Whyborne’s Endicott relatives have returned to collect on the promise he made to help them take back their ancestral manor from an evil cult. In exchange, they’ll give him the key to deciphering the Wisborg Codex, which Whyborne needs to learn how to stop the masters.
To that end, Whyborne, his husband Griffin, and their friends Iskander and Christine travel to a small island off the coast of Cornwall. But when they arrive at Balefire Manor, Whyborne must not only face the evil within the ancient mansion, but the painful truth about his own destiny.
To that end, Whyborne, his husband Griffin, and their friends Iskander and Christine travel to a small island off the coast of Cornwall. But when they arrive at Balefire Manor, Whyborne must not only face the evil within the ancient mansion, but the painful truth about his own destiny.
242 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 13, 2018
103 people are currently reading
771 people want to read
About the author
Jordan L. Hawk
84 books2,636 followersJordan L. Hawk is a trans author from North Carolina. Childhood tales of mountain ghosts and mysterious creatures gave him a life-long love of things that go bump in the night. When he isn’t writing, he brews his own beer and tries to keep the cats from destroying the house. His best-selling Whyborne & Griffin series (beginning with Widdershins) can be found in print, ebook, and audiobook.
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July 15, 2018Penultimate W&G book, and the plot has thickened intensely as our heroes head off to Cornwall to help Whyborne's family and have to save the world on the way. If you like paranormal historical weird, you're probably already reading this series, and if not start at book 1 for heaven's sake.
Very much focused on the horror/adventure rather than the romance, which is hardly surprising at book 10 in a series, and can I just say props to this author for *not* whipping up a romantic conflict or putting the love affair in jeopardy every time. If they nearly break up every book, I'm going to think they don't belong together by like #4 let alone #10. So this is very much focused on the intense Widdershins mythos and world, and makes for a lovely exciting horrifying read if you've followed along. As ever the supporting cast is a joy and there are plenty of laugh out loud lines. Happy sigh.
Very much focused on the horror/adventure rather than the romance, which is hardly surprising at book 10 in a series, and can I just say props to this author for *not* whipping up a romantic conflict or putting the love affair in jeopardy every time. If they nearly break up every book, I'm going to think they don't belong together by like #4 let alone #10. So this is very much focused on the intense Widdershins mythos and world, and makes for a lovely exciting horrifying read if you've followed along. As ever the supporting cast is a joy and there are plenty of laugh out loud lines. Happy sigh.
June 1, 2020
What do you do when the entire world is telling you to stay put? When your own misgivings are screaming bloody murder at the mere thought of another journey? Percival Endicott Whyborne for one, will heroically throw himself in danger. If said danger-throwing will piss off his father, so much the better. #thuglife
So dear reader, pack your bags for Cornwall, monsters, evil sorcerers, unexpected developments, and a whole lot of world building. For bonus points, your get to take mummy dearest, and steal some much deserved sexy times with your husband. Once you get there however, all bets are off...
Oooh this was so much fun! There was plenty of comic relief to be had, a bit of sensual interlude, and several action sequences to keep you on the edge of your seat. But most importantly: something to eat!
I'm not sure if my enjoyment had anything to do with the break I took from the series and the genre in general, or maybe I was just in the right mindset to enjoy a fast-paced action-packed novella. Things are found out, alliances are forged, and the inevitable bad guy is looming just beyond the horizon.
Score: 4/5 stars
To all those of you gloating about reading it all in one sitting: I was savoring it, OK?! That said, my body is now ready for the final installment.
============================================
Review of book 1: Widdershins
Review of book 1.5: Eidolon
Review of book 2: Threshold
Review of book 3: Stormhaven
Review of book 3.5: Remnant: A Caldwell & Feximal/Whyborne & Griffin Mystery
Review of book 4: Necropolis
Review of book 5: Bloodline
Review of book 6: Hoarfrost
Review of book 7: Maelstrom
Review of book 8: Fallow
Review of book 8.5: Undertow
Review of book 9: Draakenwood
Review of book 11: Deosil
So dear reader, pack your bags for Cornwall, monsters, evil sorcerers, unexpected developments, and a whole lot of world building. For bonus points, your get to take mummy dearest, and steal some much deserved sexy times with your husband. Once you get there however, all bets are off...
Oooh this was so much fun! There was plenty of comic relief to be had, a bit of sensual interlude, and several action sequences to keep you on the edge of your seat. But most importantly: something to eat!
I'm not sure if my enjoyment had anything to do with the break I took from the series and the genre in general, or maybe I was just in the right mindset to enjoy a fast-paced action-packed novella. Things are found out, alliances are forged, and the inevitable bad guy is looming just beyond the horizon.
Score: 4/5 stars
To all those of you gloating about reading it all in one sitting: I was savoring it, OK?! That said, my body is now ready for the final installment.
============================================
Review of book 1: Widdershins
Review of book 1.5: Eidolon
Review of book 2: Threshold
Review of book 3: Stormhaven
Review of book 3.5: Remnant: A Caldwell & Feximal/Whyborne & Griffin Mystery
Review of book 4: Necropolis
Review of book 5: Bloodline
Review of book 6: Hoarfrost
Review of book 7: Maelstrom
Review of book 8: Fallow
Review of book 8.5: Undertow
Review of book 9: Draakenwood
Review of book 11: Deosil
October 25, 2020
Real Rating: 4.75* of five
That, my chick-a-biddies, was a hellacious ride! More after I have knit the ravel'd sleave of care with some z's. Be sure to read my 14 notes & highlights. I don't plan to cover these things in my review.
The next-to-last entry in this long-running series. The idea makes me a bit sad, but really when I think about it, this is a great time to go out: The ultimate threat to the humanity of Terra is about to rip its way through the veil of ignorance that traps us cattle in this vale of tears and kick ass.
Not if Dr. Percival Endicott Whyborne, tall geeky sorcerer, and his dearly beloved husband the ex-Pinkerton Griffin Flaherty, have a tiny tiny thread of the hope of a chance, they aren't.
This is something I treasure about reading these books: The superhero who's saving the world for the Great Unwashed is a gay goofus with the social skills of a teenager and no reason whatsoever to do the job he's doing. The world of Widdershins, Gilded Age America, hates fags. He's never been anything resembling straight. And *still* he saves the world the ungrateful jackasses infest with their seething rage at his audacity to claim love and happiness with another wounded survivor of straight people's hate.
You can have all those lushly muscled Captain What's-its and bounteously bosomed -womans and -girls. I'll take lanky, cranky, and awkward Whyborne every damn time. It matters to see yourself, the best part of yourself hopefully but yourself, in the tropes that dominate the age you live in. When Whyborne is done making the world safe for the people who want to make his world unsafe, he goes to his beloved Griffin for comfort and joy. And yes, that means sex. Usually two or three steamy scenes. I feel like y'all heterosexuals should be made to read some of our sex scenes since yours are flippin' EVERYWHERE and we should just belt the eff up and watch/read/encounter them because they're normal.
Common, perhaps; not normal. Normal is an individual calibration to the world.
If this book held a disappointment for me, it was the one-and-only intimate scene between Whyborne and Griffin. I get it; this is a hectic book with multiple battles being fought; but damn. One little bitty round of easy-to-clean spoodging smacks of adolescent exploration, not two men in their 30s expressing their established and ongoing desire for each other.
And then I remember the stakes looming over the men....
Yeah, pretty much the only thing you could squeeze in, eh what, Author Hawk? Book 11 can't come soon enough and I don't ever want to see it because it's the last and how dare you not keep writing these delicious stories and yeah, it's time to let these poor bastards rest.
No, I'm not conflicted at all. Why do you ask?
That, my chick-a-biddies, was a hellacious ride! More after I have knit the ravel'd sleave of care with some z's. Be sure to read my 14 notes & highlights. I don't plan to cover these things in my review.
The next-to-last entry in this long-running series. The idea makes me a bit sad, but really when I think about it, this is a great time to go out: The ultimate threat to the humanity of Terra is about to rip its way through the veil of ignorance that traps us cattle in this vale of tears and kick ass.
Not if Dr. Percival Endicott Whyborne, tall geeky sorcerer, and his dearly beloved husband the ex-Pinkerton Griffin Flaherty, have a tiny tiny thread of the hope of a chance, they aren't.
This is something I treasure about reading these books: The superhero who's saving the world for the Great Unwashed is a gay goofus with the social skills of a teenager and no reason whatsoever to do the job he's doing. The world of Widdershins, Gilded Age America, hates fags. He's never been anything resembling straight. And *still* he saves the world the ungrateful jackasses infest with their seething rage at his audacity to claim love and happiness with another wounded survivor of straight people's hate.
You can have all those lushly muscled Captain What's-its and bounteously bosomed -womans and -girls. I'll take lanky, cranky, and awkward Whyborne every damn time. It matters to see yourself, the best part of yourself hopefully but yourself, in the tropes that dominate the age you live in. When Whyborne is done making the world safe for the people who want to make his world unsafe, he goes to his beloved Griffin for comfort and joy. And yes, that means sex. Usually two or three steamy scenes. I feel like y'all heterosexuals should be made to read some of our sex scenes since yours are flippin' EVERYWHERE and we should just belt the eff up and watch/read/encounter them because they're normal.
Common, perhaps; not normal. Normal is an individual calibration to the world.
If this book held a disappointment for me, it was the one-and-only intimate scene between Whyborne and Griffin. I get it; this is a hectic book with multiple battles being fought; but damn. One little bitty round of easy-to-clean spoodging smacks of adolescent exploration, not two men in their 30s expressing their established and ongoing desire for each other.
And then I remember the stakes looming over the men....
Yeah, pretty much the only thing you could squeeze in, eh what, Author Hawk? Book 11 can't come soon enough and I don't ever want to see it because it's the last and how dare you not keep writing these delicious stories and yeah, it's time to let these poor bastards rest.
No, I'm not conflicted at all. Why do you ask?
October 14, 2019
3.5 Stars
Those god damn Endicotts! Seriously, I can’t stand the lot of them. And considering how heavily this tenth book revolved around those sanctimonious bastards, I must admit, my enjoyment was noticeably impacted.
In truth, Balefire might actually be my least favourite novel in the series. But never fear, it was still a solid and relevant addition to the bigger series.
Because they’re awesome and good and heroes to their last breaths, Whyborne, Griffin, and their closest companions, answer a call for help from the Endicotts. Their mission is to travel to England and assist the Endicotts in reclaiming their stronghold, Balefire manor, presumably from the Fideles who have magically cut off Balefire’s island home from the rest of the world.
It seems like a risky mission, undoubtedly, especially when you factor in the disdain the Endicotts have always shown Whyborne (the “abomination”), but when Whyborne and his friends learn that there are Endicotts trapped in Balefire, including many children, they dive in to help however they can.
The rescue gets dicey and the situation is not what it first appears, but that doesn’t stop these beloved characters from risking their lives to do what’s right.
If I’m being honest, I found a lot of the histories and mythology stuff a little confusing at times. Yet, that’s the least of my problems, considering that I legitimately still have trouble wrapping my little head around all the magic lore we’ve already been over a million times. Truthfully, I still don’t fully get who the masters are and what the maelstrom is or how the arcane power works or what purpose Whyborne and Persephone serve in the larger scheme of things... but my confusion surely lies in my own addled mind.
What I do get and absolutely love are the characters and their relationships. Whyborne and Griffin will always be a favourite book couple of mine and I’m still convinced that Christine is the best female character to ever grace the pages of an M/M series. I adore all the characters who matter to Whyborne and I’m certainly invested in the outcome of their story, it’s just a shame I didn’t love this instalment as much as the ones that came before it.
Now only one more book to go and the adventure is over forever! Gah!
Those god damn Endicotts! Seriously, I can’t stand the lot of them. And considering how heavily this tenth book revolved around those sanctimonious bastards, I must admit, my enjoyment was noticeably impacted.
In truth, Balefire might actually be my least favourite novel in the series. But never fear, it was still a solid and relevant addition to the bigger series.
Because they’re awesome and good and heroes to their last breaths, Whyborne, Griffin, and their closest companions, answer a call for help from the Endicotts. Their mission is to travel to England and assist the Endicotts in reclaiming their stronghold, Balefire manor, presumably from the Fideles who have magically cut off Balefire’s island home from the rest of the world.
It seems like a risky mission, undoubtedly, especially when you factor in the disdain the Endicotts have always shown Whyborne (the “abomination”), but when Whyborne and his friends learn that there are Endicotts trapped in Balefire, including many children, they dive in to help however they can.
The rescue gets dicey and the situation is not what it first appears, but that doesn’t stop these beloved characters from risking their lives to do what’s right.
If I’m being honest, I found a lot of the histories and mythology stuff a little confusing at times. Yet, that’s the least of my problems, considering that I legitimately still have trouble wrapping my little head around all the magic lore we’ve already been over a million times. Truthfully, I still don’t fully get who the masters are and what the maelstrom is or how the arcane power works or what purpose Whyborne and Persephone serve in the larger scheme of things... but my confusion surely lies in my own addled mind.
What I do get and absolutely love are the characters and their relationships. Whyborne and Griffin will always be a favourite book couple of mine and I’m still convinced that Christine is the best female character to ever grace the pages of an M/M series. I adore all the characters who matter to Whyborne and I’m certainly invested in the outcome of their story, it’s just a shame I didn’t love this instalment as much as the ones that came before it.
Now only one more book to go and the adventure is over forever! Gah!
October 13, 2019
excited for the next book because i want to see how everything ends, but i also don’t want it to end, and i’m scared some of my faves will die....... y i k e s
July 23, 2018
Whyborne & Griffin is one of the few series that I would recommend without hesitation or reservation. Of course Balefire was a 5-star read.
I’ve been in a bit of a m/m reading slump lately. Call me Awful Luck Anne, but I keep picking up books that I am unable to finish, books that lack the diversity that I want or deserve an "F" for blatant fetishizing or, most innocuously but also most commonly, feature tropes that simply don’t work for me. Like I am 99% sure that I am the only m/m reader who dislikes age gaps and while I have taken my assigned seat in the corner, I have fewer books to keep me occupied here.
That said, my slump made me appreciate Balefire all the more. The penultimate (I'm not crying, I'm NOT) installment of Whyborne & Griffin is masterfully crafted, a thrilling, amusing, and poignant magical mystery tour. A Whyborne & Griffin novel can offer the comfort of a hot cup of tea on a cold day. It can induce cackles of laughter rivaling our witch friends' as they currently hunt Jabba the Trump and his cult (let's hope they succeed, and soon). It can incite such terror that when you are home alone and hear a noise upstairs, you feel compelled to grab a knife before you go investigate. Not that I've done that or anything...
To me, that is the beauty of the series - that it can be so many things, that it can make you FEEL so many things. Good fiction books do that. Good fiction books also reflect our world. The queer and POC representation in both Whyborne & Griffin and Hawk's Restless Spirits series is ample and thoughtful. I appreciate that Hawk, unlike some historical romance authors (I'm really, really, really biting my tongue here), recognizes the importance of showing that POC and queer people lived and loved, that they deserve to have their stories told, that they can have happily-ever-afters.
I’ll go now, mainly to prevent this from becoming one of the more fangirliest fangirl reviews (although it's probably too late for that). But before I go, I want to reassert that Whyborne and Griffin are one of my favorite married couples to read about, that Christine and Heliabel have utterly delightful moments here, that I love that world of Widdershins and beyond.
Fans of the series will enjoy Balefire. And if you're not yet a fan of the series, I suggest you get on that - and soon.
Read for SBTB July - September 2018 Quarterly Challenge: A book with a married couple.
I’ve been in a bit of a m/m reading slump lately. Call me Awful Luck Anne, but I keep picking up books that I am unable to finish, books that lack the diversity that I want or deserve an "F" for blatant fetishizing or, most innocuously but also most commonly, feature tropes that simply don’t work for me. Like I am 99% sure that I am the only m/m reader who dislikes age gaps and while I have taken my assigned seat in the corner, I have fewer books to keep me occupied here.
That said, my slump made me appreciate Balefire all the more. The penultimate (I'm not crying, I'm NOT) installment of Whyborne & Griffin is masterfully crafted, a thrilling, amusing, and poignant magical mystery tour. A Whyborne & Griffin novel can offer the comfort of a hot cup of tea on a cold day. It can induce cackles of laughter rivaling our witch friends' as they currently hunt Jabba the Trump and his cult (let's hope they succeed, and soon). It can incite such terror that when you are home alone and hear a noise upstairs, you feel compelled to grab a knife before you go investigate. Not that I've done that or anything...
To me, that is the beauty of the series - that it can be so many things, that it can make you FEEL so many things. Good fiction books do that. Good fiction books also reflect our world. The queer and POC representation in both Whyborne & Griffin and Hawk's Restless Spirits series is ample and thoughtful. I appreciate that Hawk, unlike some historical romance authors (I'm really, really, really biting my tongue here), recognizes the importance of showing that POC and queer people lived and loved, that they deserve to have their stories told, that they can have happily-ever-afters.
I’ll go now, mainly to prevent this from becoming one of the more fangirliest fangirl reviews (although it's probably too late for that). But before I go, I want to reassert that Whyborne and Griffin are one of my favorite married couples to read about, that Christine and Heliabel have utterly delightful moments here, that I love that world of Widdershins and beyond.
Fans of the series will enjoy Balefire. And if you're not yet a fan of the series, I suggest you get on that - and soon.
Read for SBTB July - September 2018 Quarterly Challenge: A book with a married couple.
December 12, 2018
4 Stars
Despite my despair in knowing that this is the second to the last book, it in no way failed on the romance, action, or the horror.
As always, our heroes and their band of loyal friends and family are once again challenged by those that fear and serve the otherworldly Masters and their minions. New terrible revelations and a seemingly unbeatable foe awaits Whyborne and Griffin but never fear! Though there is loss, a new vital piece of knowledge is gained which will be the key to destroying the evil that’s inevitably coming.
Deosil is just on the horizon and too soon enough! I don’t want to say goodbye to this lovely duo!
Despite my despair in knowing that this is the second to the last book, it in no way failed on the romance, action, or the horror.
As always, our heroes and their band of loyal friends and family are once again challenged by those that fear and serve the otherworldly Masters and their minions. New terrible revelations and a seemingly unbeatable foe awaits Whyborne and Griffin but never fear! Though there is loss, a new vital piece of knowledge is gained which will be the key to destroying the evil that’s inevitably coming.
Deosil is just on the horizon and too soon enough! I don’t want to say goodbye to this lovely duo!
July 29, 2018
So, anyone who has been following my reviews knows I have been binge reading this series. I have read nothing else for 14 days. This one was bitter-sweet for me because it's the last available one and has only left me wanting more and more. I tried to read it slow but just could not bring myself to put it down.
It is action packed almost from the first page. Our team of amazing characters travels to Balefire Manor to help Whyborne's Endicott relatives take back their island. It is nonstop from there on to the last page.
This series is the first time I have read anything by Jordan Hawk and it won't be the last. The writing is captivating and the characters are created in a way that makes you want to be in their world and be a part of their family. I feel like I have an investment in their lives.
The last sentence in the book from Jordan about brought me to tears. I know there is more to come but I can't help but be sad that at some point the adventure will be over. This series is leaving me with a massive book hangover and I'm sure it will take me some time to get over it.
If you have not read this series, PICK IT UP. It has everything you could ever hope for from romance to adventure. You surely will not be disappointed.
It is action packed almost from the first page. Our team of amazing characters travels to Balefire Manor to help Whyborne's Endicott relatives take back their island. It is nonstop from there on to the last page.
This series is the first time I have read anything by Jordan Hawk and it won't be the last. The writing is captivating and the characters are created in a way that makes you want to be in their world and be a part of their family. I feel like I have an investment in their lives.
The last sentence in the book from Jordan about brought me to tears. I know there is more to come but I can't help but be sad that at some point the adventure will be over. This series is leaving me with a massive book hangover and I'm sure it will take me some time to get over it.
If you have not read this series, PICK IT UP. It has everything you could ever hope for from romance to adventure. You surely will not be disappointed.
May 21, 2019
5/21/2019 Re-read. I loved it as much if not more when I read it last summer!
Wow, what a book! It just keeps getting better and better! Ms Hawk has outdone herself again. I loved every page. If I tried to describe any part of it in this review it would be one huge spoiler. But I can say one thing - amazing! What was different about this one was the fact that it had less downtime for Whyborne and the crew - from about 30% of the book you just pull on your big boy/girl panties, put on your seat belt and hold on! It's a roller coaster of an adventure! So detailed you can picture it all in your mind. Some secrets are revealed, more mysteries uncovered but yet so many new questions you want to know answers to. When the book ends you want to know when the next (and the last book *ugly angry tears*) will come out.
Thrilling, fast-paced, fascinating magical journey! I highly recommend it! Enough said!
P.S. Christine stole part of the show per the norm. :-)
Wow, what a book! It just keeps getting better and better! Ms Hawk has outdone herself again. I loved every page. If I tried to describe any part of it in this review it would be one huge spoiler. But I can say one thing - amazing! What was different about this one was the fact that it had less downtime for Whyborne and the crew - from about 30% of the book you just pull on your big boy/girl panties, put on your seat belt and hold on! It's a roller coaster of an adventure! So detailed you can picture it all in your mind. Some secrets are revealed, more mysteries uncovered but yet so many new questions you want to know answers to. When the book ends you want to know when the next (and the last book *ugly angry tears*) will come out.
Thrilling, fast-paced, fascinating magical journey! I highly recommend it! Enough said!
P.S. Christine stole part of the show per the norm. :-)
April 26, 2019
"Well done, Whyborne." Christine ran back to clap me on the arm, then leaned in to peer at my face. "Oh dear."
"What?"
" Didn't you used to have eyebrows?"
"Curse it."
I have to say that it hurts me to have to write this review since this is the last book in this series which is currently released. Nothing about the final installment has been made known yet, besides the title which doesn't really give anything away. I don't want to think too much that there is only going to be one book left and then I'll never be able to read about Whyborne and the others again. It is a very painful thought. I wish that this series could go on forever, but I know well enough that's not going to happen. Only a girl can dream right?
This series has become one of my favorites that I've ever read and over the course of these ten books I've enclosed all of its characters into my heart and I will gladly fight battles and monstrous entities with my bare hands if I could protect them, I probably can't.
Justinian turned his back to Whyborne. "I hope you're ready to meet your maker."
Ival returned his stare coolly. "I'm an atheist."
In this book our beloved Widdershins is traded for Cornwall where Whyborne, Griffin, Christine and Iskander travel to a small island near the coast. We get to meet more people from the Endicott family, which raises some doubt since not all of Whyborne's encounters with his cousins had gone well. It makes you wonder who you can trust after all.
Because were at a strange place with creepy surroundings I felt rather anxious, especially since we were constantly surrounded by Endicott's and the Masters are getting closer, which didn't exactly reassure me. I'm still waiting for the moment where one of the characters that I love will die because it's bound to happen with all of these monsters they've faced.
He turned his head and kissed my palm. "I love you, Ival. More than I could have imagined, that long ago night."
The romance between Griffin and Whyborne still waters my plants. After ten books my love for them hasn't diminished and I've only grown to love them even more, which I didn't think would be possible. They've come such a long way since the beginning of this series and seeing everything that they've encountered together makes me proud of them. They're still madly in love with one another and that will remain that way.
At first Griffin was cautious when Whyborne began to develop magic, but over the years he has started to support his husband even more. Griffin is well aware how powerful Whyborne truly is and that he has a part of the Maelstrom inside of him, but that doesn't change how he feels for him. He supports him in the best way that he can. Their immensely supportive and caring towards an another, it's so healthy. I already miss them.
"I can't believe they didn't have lemons," Christine complained. "What sort of place doesn't have lemons?"
Also just the friendships/sibling bonds between Iskander, Christine, Whyborne and Griffin made my heart jolt every time. They really see each other as family . If that doesn't make you want to tear up I don't know what will? This series has managed to weave its way into my world and I've grown to care about everyone as if they are my own family, which they aren't.
Before I started this series I had never read a book by Jordan L. Hawk before, but now I cannot imagine my life without them anymore. I've read these ten books in such a rapid pace, like it was almost impossible for me to put them down I was constantly reading them because I had to know what was going to happen next. Therefore Jordan has become one of my favorite authors, and this one of my favorite series, even though it's not finished yet.
So I will dread the release of the next installment of this series because it will be the end. Maybe I need to bribe Jordan to make sure everyone will get a happy ending.
"I swore I would be with him in sickness and in health. There was exception for kidnapping by monstrous entities from beyond the bounds of the world."
Books in the series:
1,) Widdershins ★★★★★
1.5.) Eidolon ★★★★★
2.) Treshold ★★★★
3.) Stormhaven ★★★★★
3.4.) Carousel ★★★★
3.5.) Remnant ★★★
4.) Necropolis ★★★★★
5.) Bloodline ★★★★★
6.) Hoarfrost ★★★★★
7.) Maelstrom ★★★★★
8.) Fallow ★★★★
8.5.) Undertow ★★★★★
9.) Draakenwood ★★★★★
↠ Genre:Paranormal, Historic, LGTBIA
↠ Pov: First Person - Male
↠ Type: Book 10 out of 11 of the Whyborn & Griffin Series
↠ Rating: 5 stars
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January 12, 2020
I knew from the blurb this was going to be a difficult read for me. The Endicotts have proved to be a throughly unpleasant lot and I wasn’t looking forward to more of them. But more of them I got.
While I’m unhappy that I didn’t enjoy the penultimate book. I’m moving straight onto the final one with fingers firmly crossed.
November 20, 2019
Reread review 11/19/19:
Another great BR with Teal, Elena, Cristina, Rosa and Shile.
I can't believe it's almost over! The good news is these stories will always be here to reread. The sad news is there's only one new (full-length) adventure with these characters. I can always keep my fingers crossed for more short stories. :D
I forgot how much action is in this one. As soon as they get to England, no one gets any time to rest and it's all a great big push to the finale. Make sure you have plenty of time to read this once you start, because you might find it hard to put down. I also forgot that
Just one more to go... :(
Original review 7/21/18:
This was another fun adventure with Ival and Griffin and the whole gang. The Endicotts are back, and there's trouble afoot across the pond.
Our first encounter with the Endicott family was less than ideal, and the rivalry lends great tension to the story even before we get to Balefire. Hawk keeps expanding the universe he's created and it always feels authentic. He clearly planned this out from the start, instead of winging it like many authors do. We get more hints about the purpose of the maelstrom and Ival's and Persephone's connection to it.
It was a little predictable in some places, and since this took place outside Widdershins, we don't get to spend much time with some of the side characters. We get to see some Endicotts who aren't awful.
I'm saddened to see that this is the penultimate book in the series. I'm going to have to do a reread of the whole series before the next one comes out.
Another great BR with Teal, Elena, Cristina, Rosa and Shile.
I can't believe it's almost over! The good news is these stories will always be here to reread. The sad news is there's only one new (full-length) adventure with these characters. I can always keep my fingers crossed for more short stories. :D
I forgot how much action is in this one. As soon as they get to England, no one gets any time to rest and it's all a great big push to the finale. Make sure you have plenty of time to read this once you start, because you might find it hard to put down. I also forgot that
Just one more to go... :(
Original review 7/21/18:
This was another fun adventure with Ival and Griffin and the whole gang. The Endicotts are back, and there's trouble afoot across the pond.
Our first encounter with the Endicott family was less than ideal, and the rivalry lends great tension to the story even before we get to Balefire. Hawk keeps expanding the universe he's created and it always feels authentic. He clearly planned this out from the start, instead of winging it like many authors do. We get more hints about the purpose of the maelstrom and Ival's and Persephone's connection to it.
It was a little predictable in some places, and since this took place outside Widdershins, we don't get to spend much time with some of the side characters. We get to see some Endicotts who aren't awful.
I'm saddened to see that this is the penultimate book in the series. I'm going to have to do a reread of the whole series before the next one comes out.
November 16, 2019
4.5 stars
If you’ve already read the previous nine books, chances are you know exactly what to expect from this one, at least in general terms because, I don’t know about you, but I’m always surprised by each book and its revelations.
Another adventure for Whyborne and his friends, another step closer to saving the world; while they are at it, sit back and enjoy the usual awesome plot and characters.
Jordan L. Hawk did it again, with another great installment, and I can’t believe it’s almost over, only one more book to go. I wish it was already next year and at the same time I wish I never had to say goodbye to these characters and this series.
If you’ve already read the previous nine books, chances are you know exactly what to expect from this one, at least in general terms because, I don’t know about you, but I’m always surprised by each book and its revelations.
Another adventure for Whyborne and his friends, another step closer to saving the world; while they are at it, sit back and enjoy the usual awesome plot and characters.
Jordan L. Hawk did it again, with another great installment, and I can’t believe it’s almost over, only one more book to go. I wish it was already next year and at the same time I wish I never had to say goodbye to these characters and this series.
July 15, 2018
Where we have:
A woman who needs sustenance
A family with no proper sense of normality
A love which keeps growing
And oh, monsters who need dealing with
in other words another Hawk par excellance.
Talk about onion and layers, Hawk is so able to do that, keep peeling away exposing this bit, than that bit and making sense while doing so, a feat in this world. A master weaver at work.
A woman who needs sustenance
A family with no proper sense of normality
A love which keeps growing
And oh, monsters who need dealing with
in other words another Hawk par excellance.
Talk about onion and layers, Hawk is so able to do that, keep peeling away exposing this bit, than that bit and making sense while doing so, a feat in this world. A master weaver at work.
July 22, 2019
Audiobook reviewSometimes you have to have luck on your side. I started listening to this series a couple of months ago and basically binged every audiobook in about a week. And after finishing Draakenwood I resigned myself to a long wait for Balefire. I mean it’s been almost two years since the last book was published, and there was no real news of when the next one was going to be produced, let alone being published. Believe me, I looked. Then one day in the end of June I saw that not only had Balefire a date, it had been released! To say that I had a grin on my face that day and had a happy warm feeling in the days to come was an understatement.
The, extended, gang is travelling outside Widdershins once more. This time it’s to a small island off the coast of Cornwall where Whyborne promised his help in aiding the Endicotts taking back Balefire from evil. Once there they are in for a number of surprises and dangers– if you’ve read the previous nine books you know what I mean. We learn more about the Endicott side of the family, their secrets and role in all of this. But we also learn more about what’s destiny has in store for Whyborne and his part when the Masters arises. Nothing is clear mind you, because the word Jordan L. Hawk has created is full of twists and turns interwoven with mythology and fantastical creatures and dangers at every turn. It’s all connected in some way and not easily understandable. But that’s also what makes these books so much fun, an adventure that I for sure can’t get enough of.
You can feel it in the air, in the people. In their interactions and conversations. Everything is coated in this mixed feeling of dread and anticipation. The big bad is coming and that final epic battle is not far off the horizon. It’s not here yet, but preparations are made and alliances formed. Alliances that in the beginning were unthinkable when this all started. They aren’t always comfortable, but hey you can’t expect to unquestioningly trust the people that more than once tried to kill you and your friends. But it makes for an all the better read for us.
Julian G. Simmons might just be synonymous with this series, and these people. He is all of them, he knows them and the feel of this series. He’s a part of it. So for some the wait for Balefire has been long, but it’s a wait that was worth it, because listening to this series wouldn’t have been the same without him. Just like he’s done before he brought it all to life, made you feel like you were fighting beside Whyborne and Griffin, Christine and Iskander, fighting the creatures hell bent on destroying them all. It was so poignant you could feel the cold of the ocean and the rush before each battle. It was amazing from start to finish.
Balefire is the same but different from the previous books. It’s the same people, and have the same feel to it. Yet at the same time, this time you truly felt that it was part of something much larger and infinitely more dangerous. Whereas previously we’d been dealing with the big bad here and now and then have gone on to celebrate a job well done once defeated. This time there’s no celebration, it’s more of a checkpoint to be crossed off in order to face and defeat the Masters in the coming battle.
I can’t wait to see what Hawk has in store for us with Deosil, but I know one thing; it’s going to be epic!
A copy of this book was generously provided by the narrator in exchange for an honest review
July 13, 2018
A Joyfully Jay review.
4.75 stars
Wow, Jordan L. Hawk has done it again. I am a huge fan of the author’s writing, and will read pretty much anything Hawk writes. But the Whyborne & Griffin series is arguably the author’s most well-known and beloved work, and Balefire is the perfect example of why. As always, Hawk manages to combine the romance between Whyborne and Griffin with an exciting and thrilling magical suspense, all while tying the story together with the larger series plot. At this, the tenth book in the series, things are all interconnecting from previous books and Hawk masterfully weaves pieces together from the larger story. For that reason, you really need to be familiar with prior books for this one to work well, but given that this is in my top all time handful of favorite book series, trust me, it is no hardship.
Read Jay’s review in its entirety here.
4.75 stars
Wow, Jordan L. Hawk has done it again. I am a huge fan of the author’s writing, and will read pretty much anything Hawk writes. But the Whyborne & Griffin series is arguably the author’s most well-known and beloved work, and Balefire is the perfect example of why. As always, Hawk manages to combine the romance between Whyborne and Griffin with an exciting and thrilling magical suspense, all while tying the story together with the larger series plot. At this, the tenth book in the series, things are all interconnecting from previous books and Hawk masterfully weaves pieces together from the larger story. For that reason, you really need to be familiar with prior books for this one to work well, but given that this is in my top all time handful of favorite book series, trust me, it is no hardship.
Read Jay’s review in its entirety here.
August 11, 2020
Nooooo! There’s just one more book left! 😱
Balefire was just as amazing as the previous installments, but that’s not really surprising. There’s no end to Whyborne’s family trouble… Seriously, the poor man can’t catch a break. 😂 I really liked the way the situation with his bigoted cousins was resolved, though. Good amount of action in this one! Also, compared to some of the previous books, the level of creepiness went back up - those tentacle-faced Endicotts and Nyarlathotep’s true form were damned scary!
Can’t wait for the big finale!
Balefire was just as amazing as the previous installments, but that’s not really surprising. There’s no end to Whyborne’s family trouble… Seriously, the poor man can’t catch a break. 😂 I really liked the way the situation with his bigoted cousins was resolved, though. Good amount of action in this one! Also, compared to some of the previous books, the level of creepiness went back up - those tentacle-faced Endicotts and Nyarlathotep’s true form were damned scary!
Can’t wait for the big finale!
August 3, 2018
Who loves this series?! I love this series! I'm going to be so sad when it ends, although I'm also going to be happy that it doesn't turn into one of those series that never official ends and thus runs out of steam.
This is, without a doubt, one of my absolute favorite series of all time. I love the MCs, I love the supporting cast, I just love everything. So wonderful! I want to write all manner of things, but I don't even know what to do other than gush. We're encountering more characters that are new or relatively new, and I'm loving them to, which is frustrating on a certain level because I know we won't get to spend much time with them. There's only one book left!
This is, without a doubt, one of my absolute favorite series of all time. I love the MCs, I love the supporting cast, I just love everything. So wonderful! I want to write all manner of things, but I don't even know what to do other than gush. We're encountering more characters that are new or relatively new, and I'm loving them to, which is frustrating on a certain level because I know we won't get to spend much time with them. There's only one book left!
December 28, 2023
Re-read - Dec 2023
Review
Oh dear, only one more to go. I'm scared to finish this series, lucky i can reread and reread again.
This story wasn't as bad as i thought it would be when i read it was all about the Endicotts. Despite all the bad things the one villian did i still didn't hate him as much as Theo and Fiona.
Much less romance in this one which is a little sad. I hope that doesn't get pushed too much to the sideline in the last one. I need my Whyborne and Griffin fix!!
Review
Oh dear, only one more to go. I'm scared to finish this series, lucky i can reread and reread again.
This story wasn't as bad as i thought it would be when i read it was all about the Endicotts. Despite all the bad things the one villian did i still didn't hate him as much as Theo and Fiona.
Much less romance in this one which is a little sad. I hope that doesn't get pushed too much to the sideline in the last one. I need my Whyborne and Griffin fix!!
August 9, 2020
Book Reaction: https://neverhollowed.com/2018/08/12/...
Rating: 5 Stars - absolutely perfect
Rating: 5 Stars - absolutely perfect
November 8, 2020
Practically ZERO romance. Lots of action and adventure tho. Interesting enuf to keep me...interested.
On to the LAST book!
On to the LAST book!
August 29, 2018
Balefire (Whyborne & Griffin #10)
By Jordan L. Hawk
Published by the author, 2018
Four stars
“I’m really just a fellow who gets paid to translate what other people find.”
In the penultimate book in the Whyborne and Griffin series, we see the absurdity of Percival Endicott Whyborne’s self-deprecation. Jordan Hawk takes us over the top, to great effect, visually and emotionally. In the course of this series we’ve watched the meek, beaten-down Whyborne gradually rise up, both through the gradual realization of his magical powers, and through his love for the ex-Pinkerton Griffin Flaherty. But Whyborne has never become an egotist, full of himself and arrogant in his new-found power. He has ever been forgiving of his misbegotten family, and endlessly caring and grateful for the friendship of his colleague Christine and her husband Iskander. All Percival really wants is for things to go back to normal, so he can sit in his office at the Ladysmith Museum and translate fragments of long-dead languages. He wants his home and his cat and his husband.
Fate has other plans for Whyborne. Even as he and his cohort try to prepare themselves for the expected return of an alien master race to rule the earth, others continue to distract him from his work. This time the ruthless and arrogant Endicotts, cousins of Whyborne through his non-human mother, show up in Widdershins to seek his help. Something bad has happened at Balefire Manor, the Endicott stronghold off the Cornish coast. Knowing that the Endicotts have something he needs, Percival agrees, and then concedes when his beloved, his mother and his friends all insist on joining him. They are definitely all for one and one for all, this group, and that’s one of the core pleasures of this book. Whyborne is not a hero alone; he is part of a team, each with different skills, each of whom is essential for the success of the others.
The action is even more operatically violent and cinematic in its visual descriptions than any of the previous books in the series. I was blown away by the last few chapters, my emotions stretched to breaking as I fretted about this gang of oddballs whom I’ve grown to care about as I’ve read the series. There is plenty of tragedy and redemption here, and a grand confrontations of good and evil that satisfies the soul. You really can’t ask for much more in a book like this.
The world of Widdershins has always been a little off for me. However, despite the long-since-jumped-the-shark plotline of the series, and the not-quite-careful-enough quasi-historical world Hawk creates (I’m a curator and a scholar of the 19th century, and thus pretty hard to please), I cannot help but be drawn to Hawk’s wonderful characters and carefully drawn emotion. Even the sinister Niles Whyborne, selfish patriarch of the Whyborne financial dynasty, has evolved into a complex, layered character. The proto-feminist feistiness of Christine Putnam-Barnett is endlessly appealing; the tomboy archaeologist who finds love with a half-English Egyptian. Whyborne’s half-human mother, Heliabel, and his rediscovered twin sister Persephone, provide a surreal, alien love for our gentle hero, providing him with the kind of happy family he has never experienced otherwise. And, of course, Griffin Flaherty, the brash, masculine detective-for-hire, who falls for the disheveled, brilliant, and timid curator, and becomes the center of his being—the essential romantic hero who sweeps the damsel away to happy ever after. The fact that Whyborne is both a man and has all the real power just makes Hawk’s twisted romantic model all the more piquant.
I look forward to the final book in the series, but know that I’ll be sad to say goodbye to Widdershins and its denizens.
By Jordan L. Hawk
Published by the author, 2018
Four stars
“I’m really just a fellow who gets paid to translate what other people find.”
In the penultimate book in the Whyborne and Griffin series, we see the absurdity of Percival Endicott Whyborne’s self-deprecation. Jordan Hawk takes us over the top, to great effect, visually and emotionally. In the course of this series we’ve watched the meek, beaten-down Whyborne gradually rise up, both through the gradual realization of his magical powers, and through his love for the ex-Pinkerton Griffin Flaherty. But Whyborne has never become an egotist, full of himself and arrogant in his new-found power. He has ever been forgiving of his misbegotten family, and endlessly caring and grateful for the friendship of his colleague Christine and her husband Iskander. All Percival really wants is for things to go back to normal, so he can sit in his office at the Ladysmith Museum and translate fragments of long-dead languages. He wants his home and his cat and his husband.
Fate has other plans for Whyborne. Even as he and his cohort try to prepare themselves for the expected return of an alien master race to rule the earth, others continue to distract him from his work. This time the ruthless and arrogant Endicotts, cousins of Whyborne through his non-human mother, show up in Widdershins to seek his help. Something bad has happened at Balefire Manor, the Endicott stronghold off the Cornish coast. Knowing that the Endicotts have something he needs, Percival agrees, and then concedes when his beloved, his mother and his friends all insist on joining him. They are definitely all for one and one for all, this group, and that’s one of the core pleasures of this book. Whyborne is not a hero alone; he is part of a team, each with different skills, each of whom is essential for the success of the others.
The action is even more operatically violent and cinematic in its visual descriptions than any of the previous books in the series. I was blown away by the last few chapters, my emotions stretched to breaking as I fretted about this gang of oddballs whom I’ve grown to care about as I’ve read the series. There is plenty of tragedy and redemption here, and a grand confrontations of good and evil that satisfies the soul. You really can’t ask for much more in a book like this.
The world of Widdershins has always been a little off for me. However, despite the long-since-jumped-the-shark plotline of the series, and the not-quite-careful-enough quasi-historical world Hawk creates (I’m a curator and a scholar of the 19th century, and thus pretty hard to please), I cannot help but be drawn to Hawk’s wonderful characters and carefully drawn emotion. Even the sinister Niles Whyborne, selfish patriarch of the Whyborne financial dynasty, has evolved into a complex, layered character. The proto-feminist feistiness of Christine Putnam-Barnett is endlessly appealing; the tomboy archaeologist who finds love with a half-English Egyptian. Whyborne’s half-human mother, Heliabel, and his rediscovered twin sister Persephone, provide a surreal, alien love for our gentle hero, providing him with the kind of happy family he has never experienced otherwise. And, of course, Griffin Flaherty, the brash, masculine detective-for-hire, who falls for the disheveled, brilliant, and timid curator, and becomes the center of his being—the essential romantic hero who sweeps the damsel away to happy ever after. The fact that Whyborne is both a man and has all the real power just makes Hawk’s twisted romantic model all the more piquant.
I look forward to the final book in the series, but know that I’ll be sad to say goodbye to Widdershins and its denizens.
August 18, 2018
4.5 stars from me. Things are really hotting up now with only one more story to go 😭 in the series. Not a lot of time for romance in this one, the gang are much too busy trying to stop Nyarlothotep from summoning the Masters, and agree to a 'request' from those ruddy untrustworthy Endicotts [and they are!!] to travel to the Isles of Scilly [right off the bottom of Cornwall]. Ival discovers an ally to help him channel the arcane energy around Balefire and the redoubtable Christine has some special news. I will really miss this series when the time comes....but don't we say that about all of our faves 😕.
July 15, 2018
3.5 stars
Ahh....back with my boyfriend Griffin *heart eyes*
This was good but not one of my favorites in the series. There was an excessive (for me) talk about the maelstrom and how the magic all weaves together. I felt my eyes glaze over a few times and I skimmed some parts. The best part was the characters, especially Christine. She stole this entire story.
You're going to feel terrible when you get to the end though because there's an author note that says the next book will be the last one. The. Last. One. *throws self on bed sobbing*
Ahh....back with my boyfriend Griffin *heart eyes*
This was good but not one of my favorites in the series. There was an excessive (for me) talk about the maelstrom and how the magic all weaves together. I felt my eyes glaze over a few times and I skimmed some parts. The best part was the characters, especially Christine. She stole this entire story.
You're going to feel terrible when you get to the end though because there's an author note that says the next book will be the last one. The. Last. One. *throws self on bed sobbing*
July 29, 2018
Another fabulous installment from Whybourne & Griffin - these poor guys really do have the weight of the world on their shoulders! As darkness looms and evil around the world grows, Whybourne, Griffin and friends face the ultimate challenges to fight the blackness and bring about peace. Things are really hotting up and honestly I can only hope these guys catch a break eventually. Another great read in this paranormal world
March 5, 2021
What a great read! I fundamentally have no issues with this book at all, really. Despite how long it looks like it took me to read -- had some unpleasant real life things happened recently so it was just that I started it and put it aside for 10+ days then read it all over the last 2. I'm almost surprised how solid I found this and how fun it was to read (although I shouldn't, given my enjoyment of the series so far). It's just that second-last books are hard -- honestly maybe harder than last ones imo -- you have to be getting everything into place, you have to build the stakes properly, and you've got to still have a solid story. Hawk hit every point on that list and he hit it with style. Loved the action in this, the characters, the plot -- it all just worked, and I completely enjoyed it.
Some additional thoughts, all spoilers:
Some additional thoughts, all spoilers:
May 16, 2021
Griffin inclinò la testa. «Qualcosa non va, mio caro?» «Oh, nulla.» O tutto. Avevo collocato delle pericolose creature nella selva che costeggiava una città abitata. C’era un lunghissimo elenco di persone che mi volevano morto. La fine del mondo era prossima e non sapevo come fermarla.
4,5 - Siamo ormai prossimi al termine di questa lunghissima serie (sono undici volumi in tutto, escluse le novelle) e sono lieta di affermare che la mia curiosità di lettrice non ha ancora avuto cedimenti. Semplicemente, ogni libro è differente dall'altro.
Ogni volta la vicenda muta, non ci sono schemi fissi, non ci sono scene scontate, quindi davvero non si sa cosa aspettarsi. E ciò rende ancor più elettrizzante la lettura.
Se si eccettua la presenza del magico quartetto (la coppia principale Ival & Griffin, Chris e il suo Iskander), sempre adorabili (Chris, peraltro, qui è grandiosa), l'ambientazione ci porta di nuovo lontani da Widdershins e dal vortice cittadino, niente meno che in viaggio verso il maniero nemico degli Endicott, i terribili "cugini" che hanno cercato spesso di far fuori il ramo ibrido degli Whyborne così come i ketoi.
Quindi, nel momento in cui si presentano con il classico ramoscello d'ulivo a chiedere aiuto, ma solo perchè non hanno alternative fattibili, non è che i nostri siano così entusiasti nell'accettare. Ma l'obiettivo è troppo importante, l'Esterno e i Padroni rischiano di entrare da quel luogo, dopo essere stati sinora respinti, e ogni battaglia è vitale per vincere la guerra finale.
Si tratta di un episodio tutto azione, seppur intervallato da siparietti, battute e sorprese, che lascia un po' in disparte l'aspetto romantico (ma tanto i lettori conoscono già bene il profondo amore che lega Ival e il suo Griffin) per far prevalere invece l'approfondimento del progetto che ormai da secoli viene portato avanti dai due fronti arcani, uno che mira a riportare umani, umbrae e ketoi in schiavitù, e quello contrapposto che... si prefigge "altro" (in realtà è tutto un dipanarsi che viene svelato a poco a poco, e le domande sono ancora moltissime, tuttora in attesa di risposta).
Anche stavolta troviamo una rivisitazione singolare di valori come amicizia, famiglia, lealtà e onore, nella connotazione che danno loro i nostri eroi, rendendoli migliori, liberi e sinceri, al di là delle ipocrisie e dei pregiudizi della società d'inizio novecento (anche se non è che cento anni dopo la mentalità sia così cambiata...).
Ormai è come se i Whyborne fossero nostri parenti, la tensione è in crescendo, persino all'ultima pagina, per cui l'undicesimo romanzo si fa attendere più che mai.
In ogni caso anche questo molto consigliato, come l'intera serie!
PS. Certo che a Widdershins andrei solo come turista.
4,5 - Siamo ormai prossimi al termine di questa lunghissima serie (sono undici volumi in tutto, escluse le novelle) e sono lieta di affermare che la mia curiosità di lettrice non ha ancora avuto cedimenti. Semplicemente, ogni libro è differente dall'altro.
Ogni volta la vicenda muta, non ci sono schemi fissi, non ci sono scene scontate, quindi davvero non si sa cosa aspettarsi. E ciò rende ancor più elettrizzante la lettura.
Se si eccettua la presenza del magico quartetto (la coppia principale Ival & Griffin, Chris e il suo Iskander), sempre adorabili (Chris, peraltro, qui è grandiosa), l'ambientazione ci porta di nuovo lontani da Widdershins e dal vortice cittadino, niente meno che in viaggio verso il maniero nemico degli Endicott, i terribili "cugini" che hanno cercato spesso di far fuori il ramo ibrido degli Whyborne così come i ketoi.
Quindi, nel momento in cui si presentano con il classico ramoscello d'ulivo a chiedere aiuto, ma solo perchè non hanno alternative fattibili, non è che i nostri siano così entusiasti nell'accettare. Ma l'obiettivo è troppo importante, l'Esterno e i Padroni rischiano di entrare da quel luogo, dopo essere stati sinora respinti, e ogni battaglia è vitale per vincere la guerra finale.
Si tratta di un episodio tutto azione, seppur intervallato da siparietti, battute e sorprese, che lascia un po' in disparte l'aspetto romantico (ma tanto i lettori conoscono già bene il profondo amore che lega Ival e il suo Griffin) per far prevalere invece l'approfondimento del progetto che ormai da secoli viene portato avanti dai due fronti arcani, uno che mira a riportare umani, umbrae e ketoi in schiavitù, e quello contrapposto che... si prefigge "altro" (in realtà è tutto un dipanarsi che viene svelato a poco a poco, e le domande sono ancora moltissime, tuttora in attesa di risposta).
Anche stavolta troviamo una rivisitazione singolare di valori come amicizia, famiglia, lealtà e onore, nella connotazione che danno loro i nostri eroi, rendendoli migliori, liberi e sinceri, al di là delle ipocrisie e dei pregiudizi della società d'inizio novecento (anche se non è che cento anni dopo la mentalità sia così cambiata...).
Ormai è come se i Whyborne fossero nostri parenti, la tensione è in crescendo, persino all'ultima pagina, per cui l'undicesimo romanzo si fa attendere più che mai.
In ogni caso anche questo molto consigliato, come l'intera serie!
PS. Certo che a Widdershins andrei solo come turista.
September 17, 2018
Honestly, I dont even know what to write in these reviews after 10 books of consistent plot and romance? So heres my bullet review:
* Somehow, the quality still keeps getting better, this one is probably my favourite of the second half, and thats saying something
* Christine is still the love of my life and Im absolutely delighted with certain developments and am excited to see what happens next ;)
* Jordan did the impossible: they managed to make me cry over fucking Stanford
* Heliabel was absolutely incredible in here, and also made me cry
* Jordan also did the other impossible: they introduced a completely new character and had me cry over them in under two pages
* There was a lot of crying is what Im trying to say
* Whyborne is such a little technology gremlin, I adore him
* I love Rufus and Hattie Endicott and want them to be members of the main team
* That big fight tho, noice
* Seriously, I cried over Stanford, of all people
* That scene near the start with Persophone and Whyborne "playing around" with Whyborne whining to his father about Persephone being a giant meanie had me in stitches
* I love Niles Whyborne and if he dies in the final book, I will lose all my shit
* Which reminds me, what do you mean this is the penultimate book, Whyborne is not allowed to end
* Ever
* Never ever
* I know Im missing something but this book was so good it blew my mind
* I DONT WANT THE SERIES TO BE OVER YET COME ON
* Somehow, the quality still keeps getting better, this one is probably my favourite of the second half, and thats saying something
* Christine is still the love of my life and Im absolutely delighted with certain developments and am excited to see what happens next ;)
* Jordan did the impossible: they managed to make me cry over fucking Stanford
* Heliabel was absolutely incredible in here, and also made me cry
* Jordan also did the other impossible: they introduced a completely new character and had me cry over them in under two pages
* There was a lot of crying is what Im trying to say
* Whyborne is such a little technology gremlin, I adore him
* I love Rufus and Hattie Endicott and want them to be members of the main team
* That big fight tho, noice
* Seriously, I cried over Stanford, of all people
* That scene near the start with Persophone and Whyborne "playing around" with Whyborne whining to his father about Persephone being a giant meanie had me in stitches
* I love Niles Whyborne and if he dies in the final book, I will lose all my shit
* Which reminds me, what do you mean this is the penultimate book, Whyborne is not allowed to end
* Ever
* Never ever
* I know Im missing something but this book was so good it blew my mind
* I DONT WANT THE SERIES TO BE OVER YET COME ON
August 19, 2018
I had buy-in before even opening this book: it's set in gloriously mystical Cornwall. *happy sigh*
Course, my buy-in originated with book one of this series, Widdershins, and these characters in one of the best trios in modern fiction, and the ceaseless imagination of Jordan Hawk.
This story is all about the magic and adventure and danger, and the further building of this chosen family despite the horror and loss surrounding them this trip. Well, yes, they technically go on a hop across the pond, but it's not filled dancing all night and sleeping all day. The rats and rat bastards have their gross, selfish, deadly agenda and our Widdershins gang is determined to save the world from it.
Hawk's ability to give us action adventure in a vein similar to our beloved Indiana Jones is on fiyah: the adrenalized crescendos, the craftily placed respites that afford the smallest opportunities of breath catching, and of course the complete surrounding of us by the full blown perilous atmosphere in which our all too human superheroes attempt to defeat the magical baddies.
On the flip side, we do get less of the personal side of things. There are moments that made me cackle, awwww, and maintain my love for these people, but they're supporting characters, as it were, to the plot.
Christine is still the end all be all of badassery, with mama bear Heliabel right on her cudgel-wielding heels. Their baldly evident love for their peeps is motivational and swoony.
This isn't the most well-penned collection of word type things from Hawk among their lengthy collection of works, but it also doesn't matter: their continued trend of trying new things, allowing these characters to progress, learn, fail, and love, and willingness to share all of this with us farrrr outweigh any bumps in practicality of presentation.
Even more, those blips are beautifully shoved aside with moments like this:
Q: I expanded my focus, searching for Morgen. For a moment, I thought I’d made a mistake, missed her passing. But she hung like a wisp in the abyss of light, barely more substantial than a thought.
Gah!
I love Ival and Grif and this entire Widdershins world, and this is a hella exciting next chapter in it. Having fun while reading: you betchur sweet bippy!
Course, my buy-in originated with book one of this series, Widdershins, and these characters in one of the best trios in modern fiction, and the ceaseless imagination of Jordan Hawk.
This story is all about the magic and adventure and danger, and the further building of this chosen family despite the horror and loss surrounding them this trip. Well, yes, they technically go on a hop across the pond, but it's not filled dancing all night and sleeping all day. The rats and rat bastards have their gross, selfish, deadly agenda and our Widdershins gang is determined to save the world from it.
Hawk's ability to give us action adventure in a vein similar to our beloved Indiana Jones is on fiyah: the adrenalized crescendos, the craftily placed respites that afford the smallest opportunities of breath catching, and of course the complete surrounding of us by the full blown perilous atmosphere in which our all too human superheroes attempt to defeat the magical baddies.
On the flip side, we do get less of the personal side of things. There are moments that made me cackle, awwww, and maintain my love for these people, but they're supporting characters, as it were, to the plot.
Christine is still the end all be all of badassery, with mama bear Heliabel right on her cudgel-wielding heels. Their baldly evident love for their peeps is motivational and swoony.
This isn't the most well-penned collection of word type things from Hawk among their lengthy collection of works, but it also doesn't matter: their continued trend of trying new things, allowing these characters to progress, learn, fail, and love, and willingness to share all of this with us farrrr outweigh any bumps in practicality of presentation.
Even more, those blips are beautifully shoved aside with moments like this:
Q: I expanded my focus, searching for Morgen. For a moment, I thought I’d made a mistake, missed her passing. But she hung like a wisp in the abyss of light, barely more substantial than a thought.
Gah!
I love Ival and Grif and this entire Widdershins world, and this is a hella exciting next chapter in it. Having fun while reading: you betchur sweet bippy!
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