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The Harpy Series #1
The Harpy
Charity Blake survived a nightmare. Now she is one.
Punk-rock runaway Charity Blake becomes a Harpy at night—a treacherous mythical monster who preys upon men just like the ones who abused her. Struggling through an endless stream of crappy coffee shop jobs, revolted stares, and self-isolation during the day, Charity longs to turn into the beast at night. Doing the right thing in all the wrong ways suits her.
But a Harpy’s life belongs in Hell—the gruesome Wood of Suicides, where the Harpy queen offers Charity just what she’s looking for: a home where she can reign supreme and leave behind the agony of her past. The choice to stay in Hell would be easy, were it not for a rock-and-roll neighbor who loves her for the woman she is—even when he discovers the creature she becomes—and unexpected new friends with their own deranged pasts and desires who see Charity as their savior. But salvation isn’t in the cards for Charity. Not when her friends see through her vicious attitude and fall in love with her power as the Harpy.
Struggling between the life of an injured outcast and the grizzly champion of a blood-red hellscape, Charity must thwart her friends’ craving for her power enough to fear her corruption—and determine once and for all where her salvation lies: in eternal revenge or mortal love.
Punk-rock runaway Charity Blake becomes a Harpy at night—a treacherous mythical monster who preys upon men just like the ones who abused her. Struggling through an endless stream of crappy coffee shop jobs, revolted stares, and self-isolation during the day, Charity longs to turn into the beast at night. Doing the right thing in all the wrong ways suits her.
But a Harpy’s life belongs in Hell—the gruesome Wood of Suicides, where the Harpy queen offers Charity just what she’s looking for: a home where she can reign supreme and leave behind the agony of her past. The choice to stay in Hell would be easy, were it not for a rock-and-roll neighbor who loves her for the woman she is—even when he discovers the creature she becomes—and unexpected new friends with their own deranged pasts and desires who see Charity as their savior. But salvation isn’t in the cards for Charity. Not when her friends see through her vicious attitude and fall in love with her power as the Harpy.
Struggling between the life of an injured outcast and the grizzly champion of a blood-red hellscape, Charity must thwart her friends’ craving for her power enough to fear her corruption—and determine once and for all where her salvation lies: in eternal revenge or mortal love.
294 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2018
26 people are currently reading
93 people want to read
About the author
Julie Hutchings
19 books76 followersJulie Hutchings is a pizza hoarding, coffee swilling, beer guzzling, karate loving book geek with a love of all things creepy and obscure. She lives in America's Hometown of Plymouth, Massachusetts with her hilarious husband and two genius children.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
November 18, 2018
This book is pretty dark, you should know that going in. It’s like the dark alley shortcut you shouldn’t take on the way home from the bar but know you’re going to anyway. If you have a trigger, this book will set it off.
You know the part in the Twilight books (yeah, I read them, so what?) Anyway, remember when Bella so desperately wanted to be turned into a monster, but a nice one, who used her powers for good. The protagonist in this book is the opposite of that. She wants to be a monster too . . . so she can exact vengeance on the dirt bags of the world. Mostly by ripping them apart and eating bits of them.
In a way, it’s like being saved by a unicorn. No really, think about that. Imagine you’re in a filthy alley (hey, you chose to go this way), huddled against a dumpster. A monster (could be a troll, ogre, Jehovah's Witness, whatever you personally find terrifying) looms over you with a knotty club, a rusty knife, or a copy of the Watchtower. At the last possible moment before getting clubbed, stabbed, or proselytized to, a unicorn gallops in and saves you. How would that work? How would a unicorn, a creature clearly lacking opposable thumbs, save you? More than likely, the unicorn would ram its spiral horn through the monster’s chest, showering you with torrents of blood, chunks of pale pink lungs, and shattered bits of bleached white ribs.
And the smell. Oh god, the smell. As if the dumpster you were huddled against didn’t smell bad enough. Now there’s a stench like rusted metal and rotten meat from the blood and innards, and that’s before the monster’s bowels let go. Yeah. That just happened. What then? Once the unicorn manages to shake the impaled monster off its horn (no thanks to you) by tossing its head vigorously and manically pawing with its forelegs, what do you do?
While you ponder, the unicorn stares at you. It blinks the blood out of its eyes awaiting your decision. Sure, its back half is still a pristine white, but the front half looks like a cheerleader’s uniform in a slasher movie. Don’t ask the unicorn for advice, it can’t talk. This one’s on you, what choice will you make?
If you think you’d avert your eyes and mumble your thankyous before scrambling out of the mouth of the alley to run the rest of the way home, the whole time swearing you’ll never spend another night chasing Jager bombs with shots of bottom shelf tequila, pausing only to be noisily sick on the sidewalk as you rest one hand against the rough exterior brick of a dentist’s office, then this book is not for you.
But, if you’d climb aboard the unicorn and lean against the back of its head, letting the cooling blood soak into the front of your favorite t-shirt as you wrap your fingers in its gore-soaked mane before the two of you ride off into the darkness searching for others to save, then this is most definitely the book for you.
You know the part in the Twilight books (yeah, I read them, so what?) Anyway, remember when Bella so desperately wanted to be turned into a monster, but a nice one, who used her powers for good. The protagonist in this book is the opposite of that. She wants to be a monster too . . . so she can exact vengeance on the dirt bags of the world. Mostly by ripping them apart and eating bits of them.
In a way, it’s like being saved by a unicorn. No really, think about that. Imagine you’re in a filthy alley (hey, you chose to go this way), huddled against a dumpster. A monster (could be a troll, ogre, Jehovah's Witness, whatever you personally find terrifying) looms over you with a knotty club, a rusty knife, or a copy of the Watchtower. At the last possible moment before getting clubbed, stabbed, or proselytized to, a unicorn gallops in and saves you. How would that work? How would a unicorn, a creature clearly lacking opposable thumbs, save you? More than likely, the unicorn would ram its spiral horn through the monster’s chest, showering you with torrents of blood, chunks of pale pink lungs, and shattered bits of bleached white ribs.
And the smell. Oh god, the smell. As if the dumpster you were huddled against didn’t smell bad enough. Now there’s a stench like rusted metal and rotten meat from the blood and innards, and that’s before the monster’s bowels let go. Yeah. That just happened. What then? Once the unicorn manages to shake the impaled monster off its horn (no thanks to you) by tossing its head vigorously and manically pawing with its forelegs, what do you do?
While you ponder, the unicorn stares at you. It blinks the blood out of its eyes awaiting your decision. Sure, its back half is still a pristine white, but the front half looks like a cheerleader’s uniform in a slasher movie. Don’t ask the unicorn for advice, it can’t talk. This one’s on you, what choice will you make?
If you think you’d avert your eyes and mumble your thankyous before scrambling out of the mouth of the alley to run the rest of the way home, the whole time swearing you’ll never spend another night chasing Jager bombs with shots of bottom shelf tequila, pausing only to be noisily sick on the sidewalk as you rest one hand against the rough exterior brick of a dentist’s office, then this book is not for you.
But, if you’d climb aboard the unicorn and lean against the back of its head, letting the cooling blood soak into the front of your favorite t-shirt as you wrap your fingers in its gore-soaked mane before the two of you ride off into the darkness searching for others to save, then this is most definitely the book for you.
February 2, 2021
3.5 stars!
The Harpy is a story about predators and prey. Specifically, it’s about the main character, Charity, turning into a bird-like monster and using that to defy her past and to prevent the same thing from happening to others.
It took a few chapters for Charity to grow on me. It wasn’t until she turned into a harpy that I really started to root for her and feel for her. I liked how her friends Jen, Evan, and Robbie wiggled their way into her life. For someone who would prefer to be alone, she found herself in the middle of quite a bit of drama. First, Charity tries to help Jen with relationship issues, then Evan asks her to help him, and of course, Robbie.
Robbie, Robbie, Robbie.
He made me catch my breath at the end.
I didn’t know much going into this book, except that it was dark. I’m not an overly sensitive reader, but even a few parts of the book were too dark for me. However, the ending made it all worth it. Charity had to decide whether or not to be the harpy or to be human.
~I was gifted an audio copy of The Harpy in exchange for an honest review~
The Harpy is a story about predators and prey. Specifically, it’s about the main character, Charity, turning into a bird-like monster and using that to defy her past and to prevent the same thing from happening to others.
It took a few chapters for Charity to grow on me. It wasn’t until she turned into a harpy that I really started to root for her and feel for her. I liked how her friends Jen, Evan, and Robbie wiggled their way into her life. For someone who would prefer to be alone, she found herself in the middle of quite a bit of drama. First, Charity tries to help Jen with relationship issues, then Evan asks her to help him, and of course, Robbie.
Robbie, Robbie, Robbie.
He made me catch my breath at the end.
I didn’t know much going into this book, except that it was dark. I’m not an overly sensitive reader, but even a few parts of the book were too dark for me. However, the ending made it all worth it. Charity had to decide whether or not to be the harpy or to be human.
~I was gifted an audio copy of The Harpy in exchange for an honest review~
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April 8, 2019
I devoured this book! Yes, it is dark, and it jumps right in with no apologies, which hooked me immediately. Hutchings’ masterful weaving of mythology with the familiar, along with sharp dialogue and believable characters makes this ride so enjoyable, not to mention visceral and well-paced. I loved Charity’s straight-talking, what you see is what you get personality (although of course there’s far more to her than you see, it turns out), and the supporting cast each has their own baggage and individual issues that made me eager to find out how this could all possibly turn out. Damaged people faced with difficult decisions, but with a glimmer of hope. A fast-paced, tightly plotted, and superbly written story.
January 31, 2019
The Harpy, by Julie Hutchings is dark. Characters deal with abuse, violence, and a touch of gore when they deserve it. Charity is a flawed protagonist, but who wouldn’t be with the same backstory? Always snarky, with brutally honest look at humanity’s underbelly, The Harpy is an excellent voyage into darkness. Characters are not who and what they claim to be, and everything’s fair game. If you like your stories dark, and your protagonists covered in blood, then this is the book for you.
April 18, 2023
I greedily devoured this book. Loved it!
Having visited Plymouth quite a few times, I appreciated the local mentions all the more.
This book grabbed my attention and wouldn’t let go. I look forward to reading the second book in the series.
Having visited Plymouth quite a few times, I appreciated the local mentions all the more.
This book grabbed my attention and wouldn’t let go. I look forward to reading the second book in the series.
May 6, 2024
This novel features a complex character wrestling with her history of abuse in a raw and unapologetic manner and while there are moments that I don’t like her, or her thought process, it remains an interesting and engaging read.
September 16, 2019
I heard about this book on Chuck Wendig’s blog. So I ordered it from my local online store in print, I love paperbacks, and it languished on my TBR for a while. The gorgeous cover and blurb had me move it up a bit…
But… Reviews and the interview mentioned above had me thinking that this was a young adult dark fantasy novel. It’s not. The main character is twenty-three – which squarely puts her either in new adult or adult fiction. Seeing as the plot is about who she is, who she wants to be and what she has to do to get there, I’m classifying it as “New Adult”. Saying it is Dark Fantasy is a stretch: some things are added to the story to gross-out and shock readers. I’m classifying it as “Horror”.
I get that the character, Charity/Hazel, is angry, broken, tormented by her past, but the swearing and blasphemy got a bit much.
It took quite a while to get to the Harpy/Wood of Suicides aspect of the book, but it did read at a fast-paced speed even if you have to deal with various monsters sexually assaulting innocent girls/women while Charity as a Harpy hunts them down and eats them in the most gross ways.
The queen of the Harpies is a great antagonist. The Wood of Suicides is terrifying. The various Harpies with their distinct personalities make for a great background to the struggle within Charity.
I didn’t like Evan from the start. I did like Robbie, though. And Jen… some people can’t be helped – especially if they don’t want to be helped.
Charity/Hazel has a great character arc, lots of inner conflict, loads of external conflict, and she finally chooses to accept life and all the good it has to offer (no spoilers!).
Keegan is my favourite character.
I knew going in that this would be a tough read. I had hoped that the mythological aspect would be used to show what had happened to Charity through metaphors and what-not (the way it is done in Dark Fantasy), but the explicit details of what had happened to her as a child and what happened to her friends and those she saves as a Harpy made it a difficult read. I’ve read enough of those types of books in women’s fiction – stark reality should live there. I’m not shying away from the topic, but this book is so full of triggers for those who had been abused that there is no way for them to enjoy Charity’s vengeful Harpy-side before throwing the book aside and seeking out their psychiatrists. This book, in my opinion, is supposed to be a way for Charity to stop running from her past, own her decisions, and start healing from what had been done to her. And looking at the author’s note, it is supposed to do the same for readers.
A good book. Only read if you can stomach horror.
Star rating:
Editing: 4 stars
Premise: 4 stars
Wonder: 4 stars
Trigger warning: abduction, violence, death, torture, murder, allusions to sexual assault, rape, blasphemy, cursing
Overall: 4 stars
Total = 4 stars
But… Reviews and the interview mentioned above had me thinking that this was a young adult dark fantasy novel. It’s not. The main character is twenty-three – which squarely puts her either in new adult or adult fiction. Seeing as the plot is about who she is, who she wants to be and what she has to do to get there, I’m classifying it as “New Adult”. Saying it is Dark Fantasy is a stretch: some things are added to the story to gross-out and shock readers. I’m classifying it as “Horror”.
I get that the character, Charity/Hazel, is angry, broken, tormented by her past, but the swearing and blasphemy got a bit much.
It took quite a while to get to the Harpy/Wood of Suicides aspect of the book, but it did read at a fast-paced speed even if you have to deal with various monsters sexually assaulting innocent girls/women while Charity as a Harpy hunts them down and eats them in the most gross ways.
The queen of the Harpies is a great antagonist. The Wood of Suicides is terrifying. The various Harpies with their distinct personalities make for a great background to the struggle within Charity.
I didn’t like Evan from the start. I did like Robbie, though. And Jen… some people can’t be helped – especially if they don’t want to be helped.
Charity/Hazel has a great character arc, lots of inner conflict, loads of external conflict, and she finally chooses to accept life and all the good it has to offer (no spoilers!).
Keegan is my favourite character.
I knew going in that this would be a tough read. I had hoped that the mythological aspect would be used to show what had happened to Charity through metaphors and what-not (the way it is done in Dark Fantasy), but the explicit details of what had happened to her as a child and what happened to her friends and those she saves as a Harpy made it a difficult read. I’ve read enough of those types of books in women’s fiction – stark reality should live there. I’m not shying away from the topic, but this book is so full of triggers for those who had been abused that there is no way for them to enjoy Charity’s vengeful Harpy-side before throwing the book aside and seeking out their psychiatrists. This book, in my opinion, is supposed to be a way for Charity to stop running from her past, own her decisions, and start healing from what had been done to her. And looking at the author’s note, it is supposed to do the same for readers.
A good book. Only read if you can stomach horror.
Star rating:
Editing: 4 stars
Premise: 4 stars
Wonder: 4 stars
Trigger warning: abduction, violence, death, torture, murder, allusions to sexual assault, rape, blasphemy, cursing
Overall: 4 stars
Total = 4 stars
August 27, 2020
Charity Blake hasn’t exactly had a great run of life. She’d say it’s been fucking awful, thanks for asking. Until, one day, and quite literally out of the blue, she grows wings and claws, and the ability to avenge herself on the dirtbag men who terrorize the weak and trusting: Disemboweling would-be rapists. Literally shredding a man hurting a young girl, eating pieces of him until she’s physically ill. Charity has never felt more powerful, more alive, more herself. But as she is pulled more and more into the world of the Harpy, she has to make choices: Be a monster, and give up her friends and the chance at love with her neighbor Robby, or stay human, with all the pain and vulnerability that comes with it?
Julie Hutchings is the author of the Shinigami Vampire series and The Wind Between Worlds, among other titles. The Harpy is her latest work and deals with difficult subject matter, including abuse, sexual violence, vengeance, and how to find the strength to survive these horrors.
The book employs beautiful language and imagery, allowing the reader to revel in the brutality of Charity’s new life. Charity’s struggle with her own humanity (or lack thereof) is as emotional as it is relatable. Hutchings has a remarkable gift to infuse the alien and inconceivable with familiarity, and portray the mundane and ordinary in a light that paints it equal parts paradisian and yet uncomfortable. I never knew how much I could both love and grow to be deeply unsettled by people watching in Dunkin’ Donuts.
If there’s a weakness to this book at all, it is perhaps that Charity never quite questions her transformation until very late in the story, and that the climax, while intense and ultimately satisfying, resolves too quickly and efficiently, leaving the reader hungry for more. More answers, more justice for those operating behind the curtain of it all.
In the end, The Harpy successfully pays off the promise of its premise. It is a master class in examining unflinchingly the darker parts of our humanity. I, for one, cannot wait for future adventures in store for this most unlikely of anti-heroines.
Highly recommended!
Julie Hutchings is the author of the Shinigami Vampire series and The Wind Between Worlds, among other titles. The Harpy is her latest work and deals with difficult subject matter, including abuse, sexual violence, vengeance, and how to find the strength to survive these horrors.
The book employs beautiful language and imagery, allowing the reader to revel in the brutality of Charity’s new life. Charity’s struggle with her own humanity (or lack thereof) is as emotional as it is relatable. Hutchings has a remarkable gift to infuse the alien and inconceivable with familiarity, and portray the mundane and ordinary in a light that paints it equal parts paradisian and yet uncomfortable. I never knew how much I could both love and grow to be deeply unsettled by people watching in Dunkin’ Donuts.
If there’s a weakness to this book at all, it is perhaps that Charity never quite questions her transformation until very late in the story, and that the climax, while intense and ultimately satisfying, resolves too quickly and efficiently, leaving the reader hungry for more. More answers, more justice for those operating behind the curtain of it all.
In the end, The Harpy successfully pays off the promise of its premise. It is a master class in examining unflinchingly the darker parts of our humanity. I, for one, cannot wait for future adventures in store for this most unlikely of anti-heroines.
Highly recommended!
January 7, 2019
A well written, dark story of Charity as she chooses to live with pain or power, live with the shadows of her past or soar free, destroying those who deserve it. I had to keep reading to see what she chooses! So many scenes will remain in my mind forever. So much emotion in these words. And in the blackness of hurt and the crisscrossing of scars...Keegan, a ray of light. Keegan is my favorite.
July 13, 2021
Great to read again! So full of messy emotion and life and trauma.
April 5, 2022
2.5 Not what I was hoping for.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews