White Hornet

The Viper and the Urchin #5

by Celine Jeanjean

A city of snow and wind.
A logistical nightmare when running a mission…
…or an opportunity to explore new sartorial delights?

Rory has faced many challenges in her time, but none quite so frustrating as mastering the art of walking in a corset and bustle.

She has to pass herself off as a wealthy heiress to infiltrate the House of Bel, a mysterious and highly exclusive club for Airnian high society, and of course her true identity must remain hidden at all costs.

Luckily, Longinus is on hand to advise—that is, when he’s not busy discovering the giddy delights of winter outerwear and investigating the mystery of what happened to his family.

But they soon become aware of a mysterious presence—someone paying disturbingly close attention to their every move.

Who or what is the White Hornet? What is the link to Longinus’s family?

And will Rory and the gang be able to infiltrate the House of Bel before the White Hornet uncovers their true identities?



Please note: this book has a cliffhanger ending. The next instalment will be out early 2020 if you’d rather wait until you can read both books together.

Genres: Steampunk, Fantasy, Fiction

283 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 10, 2019

About the author

Celine Jeanjean is French, grew up in the UK and now she travels the world as a nomadic writer. That makes her a tad confused about where she is from. During her travels she's watched the sun rise over Angkor Wat, lost her shoes in Vietnam, and fallen off a bamboo raft in China.

Celine writes stories that feature quirky characters and misfits, set in wondrous worlds.

Reviews

[Elizabeth Lloyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once again, Longinus and Rory are part of a team engaged in espionage on behalf of the Marchioness of Damsport. Leaving the warmth of their home, Cruikshank, the clever engineer, Adelma, the strong, hard-drinking smuggler and Rafe, a handsome Varanguard, have travelled north with them to Arnia, fearing the Emperor intends to reconquer Damsport.

The fledgling romance between Rafe and Rory is beginning to blossom as they act out their parts of a noble but poor aristocrat and his rich but unsophisticated fiancé. Soon the need for Rory to act independently and Rafe’s shame in admitting a weakness from his past, cause misunderstanding and distance between them. Meanwhile Longinus creeps through the frozen city at night in search of information about his lost father and missing mother.

Increasingly Rory’s efforts lead her into greater danger as she puts her trust in the dissipated Airian, Simeon. While she and Rafe escape the authorities over the rooftops, Adelma, Cruikshank and Longinus attempt a daring diversion which nearly kills them all. But the greatest peril is the cold and ice of the unwelcoming city.

There are two parts to this story. First, during Rory’s visits to the House of Bel, we read fascinating descriptions of room after room of indulgence and desire where she finds no-one will help her until she learns the importance of gossip. The second and most exciting part describes the dangers and heroism of the five vivid characters as they fight, flee and help each other against weapons, soldiers and hostile weather. Another rollicking adventure of this likeable, if eccentric group.

[Emily Wrayburn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review originally posted on a A Keyboard and an Open Mind 25 October 2019:

Please note: this review contains minor spoilers for the previous four books in this series.

If you’ve been following my reviews for a while, you’ll know that there is very little negative I have to say about the Viper and the Urchin series. This instalment is no different.

In White Hornet, the gang are undercover in the neighbouring country of Airnia, on a spy mission for the Old Girl. They have no idea who they can trust, and at any moment, their covers could be blown…

There was so much intrigue going on. I loved seeing the political machinations inside the House of Bel, even as I hated basically everyone there.

There are some really great character moments, from Adelma using alcohol to try to hide how much recent conflicts in Damsport have affected her (and the others noticing anyway), to Rory and Rafe setting some ground rules in their burgeoning relationship and Longinus finding out more about his family.

I really enjoyed Rory dealing with the Airnian fashions. Rory is no noblewoman, so having to put up with bustles and corsets was very much not to her liking and it was incredibly entertaining. XD

Speaking of Airnia, the descriptions were fantastic. I felt like I was in the middle of a steampunk Imperial Russia with all the descriptions of cold and snow and heated carriages, and enormous coats and pelts. A far cry from muggy Damsport.

This is the first book in the series to end on a cliffhanger, and the next book will be out in a few months. I’m intrigued to see how our team goes as they continue to navigate among their enemies!

(Thank you to Celine Jeanjean for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for a review. This did not affect my opinions in any way)

[Maureen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the start of a longer story arc; I was actually surprised when I turned the page to find the end credits.

The white hornet is a leader of something close to the emperor ... the one who is the Marchioness’s arch enemy. All they know is that the white hornet is female and Damsportian people disappear when they go into the Airnian palace.

Guess who has found their way into the palace?

No one has yet disappeared, but there’s also no way they’re leaving without having found out the information they need, which is who of Damsport’s allies have turned their cloak.

Rory and Rafe have a misunderstanding … it’s like watching Taylor and Travis fight. Heartbreaking.

[Beth Norton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow

Just as compelling as the previous books. Can not wait to read the next one. The suspense is killing me

[Trudie Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Throughly enjoying the series

With the characters growing and developing along with the stories it’s a pleasure to read this series. Fully recommend series.

[Jeanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun stream punk and magic.

[Barb Taub · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, there are two things I hate in books I’m reviewing. First is of course, the love triangle. But worse by far—a crime on the level of baby murder or taking phone calls in the theater—is the cliffhanger. And yet…author Celine Jeanjean did warn us first. She said we could just wait to read both parts until the second part comes out in a few months.

As if…I SO couldn’t wait.

This is a new book in one of my favorite series ever. More Rory the former urchin. More Longinus, the blood-averse assassin. More fantastic worldbuilding that hasn’t been seen on this scale since Gulliver set out on his travels.

And especially more hilarious interaction with Rory’s posse in classic 5-man-band style. Or as Adelma, the massive pirate captain (and doting mama), explains after telling Longinus that he is “…the pretty one of our team”—

[Quote] Well, there’s always gotta be a pretty one on the team right? Me, I’m the muscle. Cruikshank likes to play the reasonable leader. Rory’s the thief, and Rafe’s the fighter. [End Quote]

The story begins this time as Longinus’ world is rocked on its axis. He has just had an experience so profound, he knows the rest of his life will be divided into Before and After. “Ladies and gentlemen, I give you… the Cape.” While Longinus rhapsodizes lyrically about the new addition to his wardrobe, we learn their team has been sent undercover to Bel Stadd, capital of the Airnian Empire, to investigate rumors that the Empire is considering an invasion of their little independent city-state of Damsport.

Everyone on the team is out of their comfort zone. Rory, the former homeless urchin, is posing as a wealthy heiress. All the things that formerly gave her an advantage as an urchin—her small size, quickness, and ability to blend into the background—are lost as she’s squeezed into corset, high heels, and court etiquette.

Longinus, the inconveniently blood-phobic assassin, is posing as her elegant clothes horse of a cousin—which seems like type-casting. But his real goal is to uncover the secrets of his past, even though he suspects that knowledge will destroy his carefully constructed alter ego as the Viper, infallible poison-dealing assassin.

Rafe, posing as a minor member of the nobility and Rory’s fiancé, would also seem absolutely typecast. But he shares the truth of his past with Rory. “In a way, hearing about his past made her feel closer to him. He was just a broken as she was.” Both he and Rory have seen women they cared about destroyed by their partners, and both are determined to avoid marriage at all costs.

Cruikshank, the best machinist in Damsport, is Rory’s direct opposite—tall, muscular, older, a thoughtful and meticulous planner who is nominally in charge of the mission. But her role as an itinerant machinist looking for work is a nonstarter as the factories take one look at her darker skin and refuse to consider her. And her confidence in her abilities is shaken as she takes in the sheer scope and scale of Airnian technology.

And finally there’s Adelma. The hard-drinking captain of a smuggler ship is a massively powerful rage-machine whose urge to kill the Airnians responsible for her husband’s death is only barely tempered by three loves: drinking, her young son, and her smuggling ship. With the last two unavailable, she just really wants to kill Airnians. Lots.

None of them are prepared for the bitter cold and arctic reality of life in Bel Stadd—the viciously amoral court politics, the life-and-death gap between the opulence of upper class life and brutal reality of working classes, and especially the mysteriously deadly secret power known as the White Hornet, said to orchestrate shadow control over the Court and the capital. And most of all, none of them are prepared for the shock of seeing the Airnians as…people.

[Quote]Rory had grown up on stories that stoked hatred of all things Airnian, but now, looking at the people skating and laughing, that seemed crazy. Airnians were people, same as Damsians. [End Quote]

Nobody does a better job of world building than author Celine Jeanjean. As she shows us the many sides of life in the empire’s capital, her steampunk logic turns it into a three-dimensional reality. We can feel the cold, appreciate the Airnian response with elegant surroundings, understand the overriding desperation to stay warm enough.

Rory’s team continues to show us their flaws, insecurities, and self-doubt as well as intelligence, resourcefulness, humor, and wit. This is character development at its finest, the kind you can only reach by making it to book 5 in a series.

As our five spies peel back layers in the Airnian society, nothing is what it seems. Longinus isn’t sure whether his mother was a traitor and spy, or his father was a pickle-eating commoner. And he’s not sure which is worse.

As betrayal hits on every side, the group realizes their worst fears are just about to…

To be continued. (Soon, hopefully. Very soon.)

[Riley · Rating 5 out of 5]

As I read the opening paragraph, I remembered the end of The Doll Maker, book 4 in this series. Longinus was left with a mission. Find out if what his evil sister told him is true – Mother is still alive.

Some events change a man’s life so definitively that everything becomes defined in relation to this one moment. Such a milestone divides all other points in one’s life into Before and After.

Reading this paragraph, I figured Longinus was about to do something incredibly brave, if not well thought out.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you… the Cape.

Ah yes, the author reminded me immediately that Longinus’ definition of words such as milestone do not necessarily match up to my definitions. I few paragraphs later in that chapter, we find Rory being fitted out for a fine dress with corsets, ruffles and hoops. She rebels as you would expect a confirmed street urchin to rebel. Not at all appreciative of the fine clothes.

And this is just one reason why I love this series so much! My favorite characters in all of steampunkdom – Longinus and Rory – are so amazing. Drawn in such delightful details and portrayed with emotion and enthusiasm, these two characters are the heart of the story.

In The White Hornet, Rory, Longinus, Rafe, Cruikshank and Adelma are far from home in the Airnian Empire. Their mission is to find out who is still an ally to Damsport. And while they are there, Longinus will be searching out the truth of his sister’s pronouncement. The goal is to get to the palace, but before they can do that, they will need to navigate the incredibly snobbish social network. This involves tracking down people that will help, pretending to be someone they are not and getting into all sorts of trouble.

The titular White Hornet is a spymaster who works for the Emperor. Unless she is working for herself. Enigmatic and doubtless dangerous, she seems to be tracking the Damsians, with a special interest in Longinus. Never knowing who the White Hornet is or why she is interested in our crew makes the mission all that more dangerous – and interesting.

Eventually Rory and Rafe connect with a man who seems to help them but also seems to hinder them. Rory and Rafe use him to get what they want. Sounds terrible doesn’t it. They use him. Simeon is a strange man with strange habits and seems to appear in their path at strange times. From the moment he appeared in the story, I felt he was important, but had no idea how he would play into that importance.

The slowly evolving romance between Rory and Rafe continues to grow. Still slowly and still sweet, it is just the right amount to mix in with the wild adventures they are involved in.

Near the end, time is running out for our crew because their concocted identities will not last much longer. By the end of The White Hornet, they have been in many wild and precarious situations, each one getting them closer to their mission. But not all the way.

Now normally, a cliffhanger ending would have me steaming. I do not like cliffhangers. But I was warned. 🙂 The blurb for this book ends with “Please note: this book has a cliffhanger ending. The next instalment will be out early 2020 if you’d rather wait until you can read both books together.”

The White Hornet is another non-stop adventure in the highly entertaining The Viper and the Urchin series. If you haven’t read the series, I highly recommend you do so now. 2020 is not that far off. You will want to be caught up when the next book arrives!

Thanks to the author who provided a copy of her book in exchange for my honest review.

(I think Capes are pretty awesome too!)

[Marie Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! What a plot twist at the end, too!

Ms. Jeanjean did a beautiful job setting up the city of Bel Stadd, as well as delved deeply into the crazy, harsh, confusing world of palace life. You definitely know who are the pros and who are... "provincial."

I really appreciate that even after five books, we're still discovering facets of all of the characters' pasts and how these pasts affect who they are presently in the book. Cruikshank and Adelma are always a great combination as they tend to uncover a lot about each other. Longinus' work is uncovering the mystery of his family is very well done. I also really enjoy seeing Rory and Rafe's relationship develop with misunderstandings, conflicts and aspects that make them unique as a pair. So far, this one has been my favorite of the series!

[Jane Firebaugh · Rating 5 out of 5]

The White Hornet is book 5 in The Viper and The Urchin series.
There is lots of action in this book, like the others, and there are also a few secrets revealed about what makes some of the characters tick.
I loved this book!
It's a cliff hanger, so you should grab the next one quick, because you won't want to miss either one.
Fun, Fun Fun!

[Brit Andrews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Longinus has decided he is the type of man that wears capes. Rory is wearing dresses and acting the part of a lady and the whole gang is on an undercover...

On a mission to Airnia our merry band of misfits are trying to infiltrate the Airnia court. Not an easy thing to accomplish but with the help of the Marchioness they have new identities and money to aid in their efforts to make it happen. The mission is a rather personal one for Longinus who seeks to untangle the mystery of his family and their past. And his sister’s insistence that their mother is still alive. But the mission isn’t all about his familial issues, they are also trying to spy for the good of Damsport.

Gaining access to the court however is no easy task. They find a reluctant ally of sorts in Simeon, a nan with many vices and friends in high places. Completely against his will he agrees to take Rory, who has been posing as an heiress to the infamous House of Bel. A place to see and be seen and make important connections. Which dear Rory does not find easy, her social skills having always left something to be desired but she is as ever determined. Even out of her element she manages to make some progress.

While Longinus is investigating his family and Rory and Rafe are trying to access to the court, Cruikshank and Adelma are looking into the weapons being manufactured in the city. Part of their mission is to gain information in the enemy and find out if the allies of Dampsport are still allies and not enemies. No small task and with someone watching their every move they must be very careful. Adding to their problems is the mysterious White Hornet, someone no one will speak of and everyone fears. Though what this person has to do with anything else is anybody’s guess. While they manage to make allies they also manage to make enemies too. Far too quickly things dissolve into a race against time to remain free and alive. The stakes are high and the danger is real.

I absolutely love this series and everything about it and Rory and Rafe are too cute for words. And I really want to know the truth about Longinus’s family. The only bad party of this book was that it ended in a cliffhanger which sucks even if you know it’s going to happen or not I’m impatient I must know everything now. I could literally read about our Damisian heroes/misfits forever.

[Juneta Key · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has been very enjoyable series with lots of hijinks and adventure. The gang is all back and we have a couple of new additions. It is one trouble after another which kept me turning the pages. I also like the growth of the character from each story. You definitely know there will be another book as there are a lot of unanswered question yet this adventure wraps up in a satisfying way. Great series.

I volunteer to read an ARC and this is my honest opinion.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I am so heavily invested in all the characters that I will be devastated when this series comes to an end. As well as excellent characters it has a fast paced plot with plenty of excitement. Intrigue at court and a lot of people who are acting from mysterious motives. I highly recommend the whole series, I find it hard to imagine anyone not liking these books.

[Ed A · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining read

I’ve throughly enjoyed reading the previous installments, and the latest is no exception. And the cliffhanger ending isn’t as bad as some others have been. All in all an entertaining read. I received an ARC, and also wound up buying the ebook once it was released.

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intensely satisfying read

I am an avid reader and an amateur writer
, so I can appreciate a good book but this book and the series so far hasn't just been good but has been great in my opinion, I can not wait to see where the author takes us in book 6 and any future books that may or may not be published.

[Krista · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another winner in this series. I loved all the snow and cold -- it reminded me of home for 6 months of the year. The mystery and action kept me riveted, and although this book ends on a cliffhanger, the suspense only makes me all the more eager to find out what happens next.

[RB · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intriguing and kept my attention throughout. Not lightweight nor without consequences. Good extended world building, and a pleasure to revisit old friends. The scene is well set for more trouble down the road. Keel writing this series Celine!

[Ladyhawke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Booooooo

I don’t like cliff hangers... this book and the one before it didn’t get much done but tangle us in a web