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The Holly Sisters #2
The Mauler
The gang war ended. The Faery Gang and their allies emerged victorious and assumed undisputed control over crime in Woodhollow. Now the second-in-command to her sister Marla, Sydney thought she could relax. She was wrong.
From hostile dwarven guilds to scheming goblins to the black-winged Nightshade, the gang finds themselves under assault from all directions. With Marla growing more irrational with every passing day, Sydney must maneuver her way around their enemies, forge new alliances, and discover the cause of her sister's unrest.
And all the while, Sydney barrels towards a fated confrontation with a nightmare lurking just inside the dragon lord's walls...a beast whispered of in Woodhollow in hushed voices of terror and dread...the mauler.
From hostile dwarven guilds to scheming goblins to the black-winged Nightshade, the gang finds themselves under assault from all directions. With Marla growing more irrational with every passing day, Sydney must maneuver her way around their enemies, forge new alliances, and discover the cause of her sister's unrest.
And all the while, Sydney barrels towards a fated confrontation with a nightmare lurking just inside the dragon lord's walls...a beast whispered of in Woodhollow in hushed voices of terror and dread...the mauler.
478 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 28, 2020
2 people are currently reading
5 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan Pembroke
10 books46 followersJust a run-of-the-mill guy who occasionally writes some crazy things. Never met an aardvark he didn't like.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
October 26, 2020
First off, I have a major book hangover from this book. Like what do I do with myself now that it's over??? My mind is still stuck in Woodhollow even a day later and that should tell you just how immersive the book is. This book was fast paced and I read it in about a day. I just couldn't put it down. There are so many things going on, different pieces of the puzzle that you're trying to figure out right along with Sydney. You feel everything right along with Sydney and the rest of the gang, the stress, heartache, and joy. I also found the evolution of Sydney quite interesting, she's definitely more cutthroat than she was in book one. Really enjoyed the book and can't wait for book three.
September 16, 2020
Another rip- roaring adventure from the Holly sisters! These books kind of remind me of a fairytale gangster movie, ala Sam Spade. The setting is unique and fun. The two sisters are such strong personalities and characters. I love how they take charge and bounce off each other, but still have their own foibles. I enjoyed the romantic subplot. There was certainly plenty of adventure and intrigue to keep me hooked. A very well crafted novel!
August 28, 2020
This book begins shortly after the first book ended, but where the first book took a while getting under way, this one is off to a running start, and it barely stops to breathe. There's one disaster after another, getting worse by the time, and even though the immediate conflict is resolved, there's no doubt the threat remains.
The story keeps all the good things from the first one, but it all feels a little bit tighter and a little bit better this time around. It's going to be very interesting to see how the next part pans out.
What I'll whine about:
The Epilogue. I get why it's there, but it felt way too long. There were a lot of unanswered questions left at the end of the book, and the epilogue answers them a little too neatly. It might have been more interesting to leave some of these threads open.
Lord Burnside. I would have liked to have seen more of him in this book - he's a pretty cool character.
What I'll gush about:
The concept. Fairy gangsters. It may seem a bit silly at first glance, but it's actually working really well.
The setting. Although the entire book takes place within the walls of the city of Woodhollow, the world still feels large and rich. There are plenty of fantasy races, all with their own characteristics, but no humans.
Sydney. The book's main character is, for want of a better word, really cool. She's the kind of MC that I just can't help but like and root for, even when she's not being a very likable person at all (although, mostly, she is).
The story keeps all the good things from the first one, but it all feels a little bit tighter and a little bit better this time around. It's going to be very interesting to see how the next part pans out.
What I'll whine about:
The Epilogue. I get why it's there, but it felt way too long. There were a lot of unanswered questions left at the end of the book, and the epilogue answers them a little too neatly. It might have been more interesting to leave some of these threads open.
Lord Burnside. I would have liked to have seen more of him in this book - he's a pretty cool character.
What I'll gush about:
The concept. Fairy gangsters. It may seem a bit silly at first glance, but it's actually working really well.
The setting. Although the entire book takes place within the walls of the city of Woodhollow, the world still feels large and rich. There are plenty of fantasy races, all with their own characteristics, but no humans.
Sydney. The book's main character is, for want of a better word, really cool. She's the kind of MC that I just can't help but like and root for, even when she's not being a very likable person at all (although, mostly, she is).
September 6, 2020
The Mauler is absolutely enthralling!! The second book in the The Holly Sisters series starts with a bang on page 1 and never lags. Pembroke has a great gift of transporting you to Woodhollow, into the high-tense high-stakes missions and drama of the Faery Gang--where even daily life is a life threatening mission. Sydney the MC and the Gang's leader, has to navigate the gang through threats from all directions and species - including the Mauler, the Nightshade and that thing that lives under Woodhallow's boardwalk. She has to balance love, lies, betrayal and loss--in some cases due to her own decisions.
The high-paced Mauler captivates with all senses. I really didn't want to put it down.
The high-paced Mauler captivates with all senses. I really didn't want to put it down.
April 10, 2021
The Mauler is the second novel in the Holly Sisters trilogy written by Jonathan Pembroke with Rumble in Woodhollow being the first in the series and the recently published Sylvan Valley Aflame being the third book.
I would categorize The Mauler in the fantasy genre, possibly sword and sorcery.
The story takes place soon after Rumble in Woodhollow ends. The main character and her sister are leading the criminal organization of fairies. The main character manages the day-to-day operations of the organization while the sister is trying to extend the organization’s reach into legitimate enterprises.
The setting of the story takes place primarily in the city of Woodhollow with a wingless worm as the head of the city government and ogres and drakes maintaining law and order in the city. The story is populated with criminal organizations comprised of goblins, dryads, brownies, and other differet type of beings. Gnomes, trows, elves, dwarves, and other non-human beings are featured in this story as well. I do not believe there were any humans in this story.
The magic system featured in this story is the fairies would consume something called ‘crumble’ and it enables them to be stronger, faster, see and hear more clearly, and the ability to cast spells. Dryads are able use magic, but instead of consuming the crumble, each dryad can use magic if she is near her tree and the tree is alive.
The main character and her sister are three-dimensional, interesting, and I enjoyed following their stories. Mr. Pembroke did a commendable job in making some of the minor characters such as Dana, Emma, Gerry, Anders, the ogre who is the head of the law enforcement, and the pixie unique and I wanted to learn more about them as the story progressed. I felt some of the minor characters had something to do in the Mauler and added to the story which I think is missing from Rumble in Woodhollow.
I would have preferred if the story featured a bit more from the villains in the story such as Tripp, Will, Vanessa, and Jacob. I think if a part of the story was presented from one or two of the villains, I think it would provide another perspective of the events as they unfolded in the story and I would get a better understanding of their motivations and actions. Perhaps, we will learn more of why they are doing what they are doing, especially Nightshade based on the epilogue at the end of this story. This issue is really a nitpick and did not detract from my overall enjoyment of the story.
The story in The Mauler is at a pretty steady clip with no obvious plot holes or dead spots and was not a slog to read. The pacing of The Mauler is an improvement to the pacing in Rumble in Woodhollow. There is a great deal of dialogue in the Mauler, but I thought it enhanced the story and helped distinguish the characters from each other.
Mr. Pembroke did something very interesting, at least to me, in crafting a fantasy featuring non-human beings as criminals in Rumble in Woodhollow, and continued it in The Mauler, but he raised it to another level.
I rate The Mauler 4.5 stars.
I would categorize The Mauler in the fantasy genre, possibly sword and sorcery.
The story takes place soon after Rumble in Woodhollow ends. The main character and her sister are leading the criminal organization of fairies. The main character manages the day-to-day operations of the organization while the sister is trying to extend the organization’s reach into legitimate enterprises.
The setting of the story takes place primarily in the city of Woodhollow with a wingless worm as the head of the city government and ogres and drakes maintaining law and order in the city. The story is populated with criminal organizations comprised of goblins, dryads, brownies, and other differet type of beings. Gnomes, trows, elves, dwarves, and other non-human beings are featured in this story as well. I do not believe there were any humans in this story.
The magic system featured in this story is the fairies would consume something called ‘crumble’ and it enables them to be stronger, faster, see and hear more clearly, and the ability to cast spells. Dryads are able use magic, but instead of consuming the crumble, each dryad can use magic if she is near her tree and the tree is alive.
The main character and her sister are three-dimensional, interesting, and I enjoyed following their stories. Mr. Pembroke did a commendable job in making some of the minor characters such as Dana, Emma, Gerry, Anders, the ogre who is the head of the law enforcement, and the pixie unique and I wanted to learn more about them as the story progressed. I felt some of the minor characters had something to do in the Mauler and added to the story which I think is missing from Rumble in Woodhollow.
I would have preferred if the story featured a bit more from the villains in the story such as Tripp, Will, Vanessa, and Jacob. I think if a part of the story was presented from one or two of the villains, I think it would provide another perspective of the events as they unfolded in the story and I would get a better understanding of their motivations and actions. Perhaps, we will learn more of why they are doing what they are doing, especially Nightshade based on the epilogue at the end of this story. This issue is really a nitpick and did not detract from my overall enjoyment of the story.
The story in The Mauler is at a pretty steady clip with no obvious plot holes or dead spots and was not a slog to read. The pacing of The Mauler is an improvement to the pacing in Rumble in Woodhollow. There is a great deal of dialogue in the Mauler, but I thought it enhanced the story and helped distinguish the characters from each other.
Mr. Pembroke did something very interesting, at least to me, in crafting a fantasy featuring non-human beings as criminals in Rumble in Woodhollow, and continued it in The Mauler, but he raised it to another level.
I rate The Mauler 4.5 stars.
September 19, 2022
Trouble Looming
Sydney takes over some of the day to day running of the gang as Marla focuses on her own projects. The mysterious Nightshade continues to stalk Sydney, and someone works to wear the gang down bit by bit. Sydney grows more self-assured and ruthless. The politics of Woodhollow are interesting.
Sydney takes over some of the day to day running of the gang as Marla focuses on her own projects. The mysterious Nightshade continues to stalk Sydney, and someone works to wear the gang down bit by bit. Sydney grows more self-assured and ruthless. The politics of Woodhollow are interesting.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews