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Manners and Monsters #6
Hessians and Hellhounds
Fire erases all… even the undead....
One of London’s most recognisable Afflicted is erased from the earth in a fiery way. Whispers spread that a hellhound prowls the streets, snatching the lost souls who have escaped the afterworld. Except, Wycliff is doing no such thing—could there possibly be another such creature in London?
While Hannah and Wycliff investigate the unnatural flames, unrest grows on the streets as someone seeks to unmask how the undead women stave off rot. Someone is agitating for all Afflicted to be eradicated, in a conspiracy that will set the common Englishman against the nobles.
To save the Afflicted and stop the uprising, Wycliff must face the void that whispers his name from an inky darkness. He plans to wrest Hannah free of the curse squeezing her heart, assuming they can get out alive…
One of London’s most recognisable Afflicted is erased from the earth in a fiery way. Whispers spread that a hellhound prowls the streets, snatching the lost souls who have escaped the afterworld. Except, Wycliff is doing no such thing—could there possibly be another such creature in London?
While Hannah and Wycliff investigate the unnatural flames, unrest grows on the streets as someone seeks to unmask how the undead women stave off rot. Someone is agitating for all Afflicted to be eradicated, in a conspiracy that will set the common Englishman against the nobles.
To save the Afflicted and stop the uprising, Wycliff must face the void that whispers his name from an inky darkness. He plans to wrest Hannah free of the curse squeezing her heart, assuming they can get out alive…
326 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 6, 2021
82 people are currently reading
519 people want to read
About the author
Tilly Wallace
38 books623 followersTilly writes whimsical historical fantasy books, set in a bygone time where magic is real. With a quirky and loveable cast, her books combine vintage magic and gentle humour. Through fierce friendships her characters discover that in an uncertain world, the most loyal family is the one you create.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 133 reviews
January 30, 2022
Hessians and Hellhounds is the sixth and final full-length book in Tilly Wallace’s Manners and Monsters series, which is a historical mystery series set in a London in which supernatural and magical beings co-exist within society.
Books that fit into this genre are few and far between and so I am sad that this series is ending. I would gladly read more of it but this brings the arc of the series to a natural conclusion and so it is for the best. I had a pretty clear idea of where I thought this series would end and for the most part, I was correct, but there were still a couple aspects that were an interesting surprise to me. But those surprises also left questions in their place as the ending was quite abrupt(which was odd since the middle felt so long). I really enjoyed learning more about the origins of the Afflicted and how it was possible.
I’m not sure if I am the only one that felt that way, but this book almost felt like two separate plots put together in the same book and neither were entirely resolved. Therefore the epilogue novella will be doing double-duty to bring everything together and be a cozy Christmas novella showing Wycliff and Hannah settled at Mireworth.
I don’t want to give any spoilers, but I was very disappointed by how the wheelchair situation was handled and my reasoning is two-fold. One: it was based off the Egyptian mythology, but this directly contradicted it. And two: it was handled in an insensitive and highly abilist fashion, which I found shocking considering how the representation was handled previously in the series.
Tilly Wallace is writing a spin-off series, focusing on Hannah’s mother and her path to asserting herself as the only female mage and fighting to not allow herself or her abilities to be restricted due to her gender. I plan to read it at some point, but I’m going to catch up a bit on my TBR before doing so.
Books that fit into this genre are few and far between and so I am sad that this series is ending. I would gladly read more of it but this brings the arc of the series to a natural conclusion and so it is for the best. I had a pretty clear idea of where I thought this series would end and for the most part, I was correct, but there were still a couple aspects that were an interesting surprise to me. But those surprises also left questions in their place as the ending was quite abrupt(which was odd since the middle felt so long). I really enjoyed learning more about the origins of the Afflicted and how it was possible.
I’m not sure if I am the only one that felt that way, but this book almost felt like two separate plots put together in the same book and neither were entirely resolved. Therefore the epilogue novella will be doing double-duty to bring everything together and be a cozy Christmas novella showing Wycliff and Hannah settled at Mireworth.
I don’t want to give any spoilers, but I was very disappointed by how the wheelchair situation was handled and my reasoning is two-fold. One: it was based off the Egyptian mythology, but this directly contradicted it. And two: it was handled in an insensitive and highly abilist fashion, which I found shocking considering how the representation was handled previously in the series.
Tilly Wallace is writing a spin-off series, focusing on Hannah’s mother and her path to asserting herself as the only female mage and fighting to not allow herself or her abilities to be restricted due to her gender. I plan to read it at some point, but I’m going to catch up a bit on my TBR before doing so.
August 8, 2021
This is my favorite series of the past couple of years. I devoured the first book, Manner and Monsters, in an afternoon. and the next 4 books within a week. The world building is delightful and I am in love with the characters.
But I was a little let down by this ending...
I know Tilly is planning to tie up some of the loose ends in the Christmas novella, but I am still feeling unsatisfied.
Sixpence and Selkies leaves you on a bit of a cliff hanger with the mysterious tower, but then Hessians and Hellhounds starts up and we are back to London for another mystery. Don't get me wrong, I love the cozy mystery aspects of these books. But it felt like 2 stories were tackled in 197 pages and neither of them were really satisfactorily resolved...
I am giving this book 4 stars because I love the series and I do love where we went in the last 40 pages or so....
Tropes: #hiddenheritage #lightdoesnotequatetogood #balance
But I was a little let down by this ending...
I know Tilly is planning to tie up some of the loose ends in the Christmas novella, but I am still feeling unsatisfied.
Sixpence and Selkies leaves you on a bit of a cliff hanger with the mysterious tower, but then Hessians and Hellhounds starts up and we are back to London for another mystery. Don't get me wrong, I love the cozy mystery aspects of these books. But it felt like 2 stories were tackled in 197 pages and neither of them were really satisfactorily resolved...
I am giving this book 4 stars because I love the series and I do love where we went in the last 40 pages or so....
Tropes: #hiddenheritage #lightdoesnotequatetogood #balance
April 5, 2023
*** 4.44 ***
Almost perfect! Brilliant resolution and as always, fun and pleasant read! 😊👍
Almost perfect! Brilliant resolution and as always, fun and pleasant read! 😊👍
March 8, 2023
Someone is incinerating the Afflicted, and inciting the crouds against them. Hannah, Wycliff and Seraphina journey to the underworld to find the cure against the curse which brought on the affliction. But to go to the underworld, Hannah must die first.
The curse inside me seeks a way to defeat my mother's magic, and I would rather die on my own terms.
The curse inside me seeks a way to defeat my mother's magic, and I would rather die on my own terms.
February 3, 2022
I seem to be in the minority, but I had a really hard time with this final book in the series. It didn't hold my interest NEARLY as much as the rest of the series. A large part of that could have been that I had to read it instead of listening to it like I did the others. I think I missed the crime-solving angle that the other novels had. (There was a crime here, but it just felt like filler until they cured everybody at the end.)
April 26, 2023
I thoroughly enjoyed this series. There was a time after reading book two that I wasn't sure about it. I wasn't expecting the Thing-like hand to be added as a character and it threw me. I had a hard time taking that seriously, but maybe I wasn't supposed to take it so seriously. Anyway, I paused on reading the series after that and wasn't sure I would continue. Then, one of my Mystery Book Club friends wanted to read it, so I decided to continue on. And I'm so glad I did! Book three ended up being my favorite of the whole series. I think what really elevated book three was the marriage between Hannah and Wycliff. I enjoyed them so much as a couple in the rest of the series.
This was such a fun, whimsical series. I love everything about it from the book titles to the cover art, to the characters and story lines. And the hand ended up adding some humor to the story that I loved. It's a mashup of historical fantasy, paranormal, and cozy mystery, that also reminded me quite a lot at times of the Lady Darby Series. Although that series has no fantasy elements. Give this series a try if you like cozy mystery with paranormal elements.
There's a prequel series about Hannah's mother, Seraphina that I plan on reading too.
Review also posted at Writings of a Reader and my Facebook page.
This was such a fun, whimsical series. I love everything about it from the book titles to the cover art, to the characters and story lines. And the hand ended up adding some humor to the story that I loved. It's a mashup of historical fantasy, paranormal, and cozy mystery, that also reminded me quite a lot at times of the Lady Darby Series. Although that series has no fantasy elements. Give this series a try if you like cozy mystery with paranormal elements.
There's a prequel series about Hannah's mother, Seraphina that I plan on reading too.
Review also posted at Writings of a Reader and my Facebook page.
November 14, 2021
This conclusion to a series I thought would be my favourite leaves me in disappointed tears.
As a person who lives with chronic illness, I read Hannah's need for a monthly magic ritual as akin to my need for medication to stave off symptoms. The Afflicted, likewise, need to ingest something daily to keep their symptoms (rot) at bay. I expected a magical cure at some point and thought that I had prepared myself for it.
I had not prepared myself for Lady Miles. Lady Miles, the Afflicted and powerful mage. Lady Miles, one of the few characters who uses a wheelchair in fantasy, in her case because her husband amputated her legs at the knee to stave off rot. I was prepared for Lady Miles to have the Affliction cured—not for her to regain her legs. Her ORIGINAL legs, mind, not prosthetics.
I started feeling queasy in this book when they travelled to the afterlife and Lady Miles expounded over how good it was not to be in her wheelchair anymore. I use a wheelchair. I have never had a moment of relief when I returned home where I walk on my own (or sometimes with crutches, as the day demands). To the contrary, I have sometimes longed for my wheelchair when out of the house without it (crutches help but just don't do for long stints). To have myself, a wheelchair user, so reflected in fantasy just to have it stripped away is... heartbreaking.
If you are disabled, please save yourself the heartbreak and don't read this one.
As a person who lives with chronic illness, I read Hannah's need for a monthly magic ritual as akin to my need for medication to stave off symptoms. The Afflicted, likewise, need to ingest something daily to keep their symptoms (rot) at bay. I expected a magical cure at some point and thought that I had prepared myself for it.
I had not prepared myself for Lady Miles. Lady Miles, the Afflicted and powerful mage. Lady Miles, one of the few characters who uses a wheelchair in fantasy, in her case because her husband amputated her legs at the knee to stave off rot. I was prepared for Lady Miles to have the Affliction cured—not for her to regain her legs. Her ORIGINAL legs, mind, not prosthetics.
I started feeling queasy in this book when they travelled to the afterlife and Lady Miles expounded over how good it was not to be in her wheelchair anymore. I use a wheelchair. I have never had a moment of relief when I returned home where I walk on my own (or sometimes with crutches, as the day demands). To the contrary, I have sometimes longed for my wheelchair when out of the house without it (crutches help but just don't do for long stints). To have myself, a wheelchair user, so reflected in fantasy just to have it stripped away is... heartbreaking.
If you are disabled, please save yourself the heartbreak and don't read this one.
October 14, 2023
RATINGS:-⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
August 7, 2021
so many holes
what happens with the sarcophagus?! how can there be “no cure” and yet there is a cure?! why does mom get to go back and why does she have her body again?! the evil mage just sort of gets a talking to?! it was going well until the sudden, abrupt, dissatisfying ending.
what happens with the sarcophagus?! how can there be “no cure” and yet there is a cure?! why does mom get to go back and why does she have her body again?! the evil mage just sort of gets a talking to?! it was going well until the sudden, abrupt, dissatisfying ending.
October 16, 2021
WHAT?! This was the last book?! Fuck.
6 stars.
6 stars.
August 1, 2021
Honestly, I think this is my favorite of the Manners and Monsters books! It whizzed by as a read, making me want more, even as Hannah's story came to a close. I laughed, I cried, and I loved every minute of this book.
It combines two wonderful worlds, one full of wonder, and if you're not a great person, another full of horror. I loved the journey's end that Tilly Wallace has made for Hannah and Wycliff. The ups and downs of such a life they've led.
This thrilling conclusion will lead you down your own path, and hopefully lead you safe and sound to the other side.
This entire series has a wonderfully unique and fun universe created for it. If you like the supernatural in a historic English setting, this series ( and others written by Tilly Wallace!) is definitely for you. I fully encourage you to read it, if it's your cup of tea, I'm absolutely sure you'll enjoy it.
I'm so sad to see it end, but I think this book is an amazing end to such delightful array of characters! I've fallen in love with them all, and luckily, some of the characters may get a new book!
It combines two wonderful worlds, one full of wonder, and if you're not a great person, another full of horror. I loved the journey's end that Tilly Wallace has made for Hannah and Wycliff. The ups and downs of such a life they've led.
This thrilling conclusion will lead you down your own path, and hopefully lead you safe and sound to the other side.
This entire series has a wonderfully unique and fun universe created for it. If you like the supernatural in a historic English setting, this series ( and others written by Tilly Wallace!) is definitely for you. I fully encourage you to read it, if it's your cup of tea, I'm absolutely sure you'll enjoy it.
I'm so sad to see it end, but I think this book is an amazing end to such delightful array of characters! I've fallen in love with them all, and luckily, some of the characters may get a new book!
September 2, 2022
A good story that takes up right at the end of book 5, however many questions are still left unanswered. However, there’s still a satisfying resolution for Hannah and Wycliffe, along with Lady Sera. It would have been nice to see Hannah use her new powers more, or to learn the fate of the other afflicted. Still, this was a good series that I surprisingly enjoyed, flaws and all. Hopefully there will be more peeks into how this gothic, eccentric, adventurous family is getting along.
January 24, 2022
Great end to this series.
December 31, 2024
Oh no, how did that happen? I just ran out of books in this series...
Hessians and Hellhounds by Tilly Wallace is the last full novel in the series, only a Christmas novella after this (which I read last Christmas...)
I loved this world so much, and kinda hope we'll see these two solve more murder mysteries in the future, maybe some 20 years later, with a fixed up home?
Anyway, this cosy dark story actually had one moment so full of suspense I felt queasy for a second, before it all was balanced out with a good chuckle. It's not even that unpredictable of a scene, but with the comforting vibes (despite eating brains and murder victims), it definitely surprised me nicely.
The end is open enough to definitely allow more stories, but also complete enough to feel satisfying.
Really my only gripe is having no more books like this to read!
Hessians and Hellhounds by Tilly Wallace is the last full novel in the series, only a Christmas novella after this (which I read last Christmas...)
I loved this world so much, and kinda hope we'll see these two solve more murder mysteries in the future, maybe some 20 years later, with a fixed up home?
Anyway, this cosy dark story actually had one moment so full of suspense I felt queasy for a second, before it all was balanced out with a good chuckle. It's not even that unpredictable of a scene, but with the comforting vibes (despite eating brains and murder victims), it definitely surprised me nicely.
The end is open enough to definitely allow more stories, but also complete enough to feel satisfying.
Really my only gripe is having no more books like this to read!
March 20, 2026
I enjoyed the way this series wrapped up, though I do have a few issues that I can't ignore. (I'll get to those.) As with many final books in a 4+ book series, though, this one is much heavier on the series plot and lighter on the book plot. The book-specific plot deals with a hellhound that is seen in London and appears to be dragging the Afflicted to the fires of Hell. It's not Wycliff, though, and so back to London the family goes to see what is going on. The who/how of the Afflicted are getting burned to their second death may be a mystery to the people involved, but I felt it was easy to guess. The main goal of this book, after all, was to wrap up the series plot.
And that's where we get into some of my issues. (Spoilers follow.) First, I haven't been sure how to feel about the curse being inflicted on English women (mostly) by a French mage messing about with an Egyptian spell that he didn't understand. There's nothing wrong with the concept on paper, it just never sat quite right with me. When Wycliff & company go to the afterlife in this book, it is the Egyptian afterlife—which still feels weird to me—though there is a mention that souls see what they were expecting to see, which makes it feel less weird. The part I had most issue with, though, was that when Lady Miles returns from the afterlife, she has her regular body back from before the curse—complete with her amputated legs. I'd been greatly appreciating the disability rep in this book of having a major character in a wheelchair, and the endgame of this series just magicked that away, which doesn't feel great.
On the other hand, I do love the way the ending worked for Hannah and Wycliff. They have been acting like two sides of the same coin for most of this series, and to have that formalized by the gods in this one was a nice way to wrap up the series. I like that Hannah gets to be the light to Wycliff's dark, and that their family is happy together back in the living world. I'm glad I read the series, and though the issues I mentioned dimmed my enjoyment of this final book they did not stop me from enjoying it. It was still a very fun series to read, and I loved seeing the characters develop over the course of the six books.
And that's where we get into some of my issues. (Spoilers follow.) First, I haven't been sure how to feel about the curse being inflicted on English women (mostly) by a French mage messing about with an Egyptian spell that he didn't understand. There's nothing wrong with the concept on paper, it just never sat quite right with me. When Wycliff & company go to the afterlife in this book, it is the Egyptian afterlife—which still feels weird to me—though there is a mention that souls see what they were expecting to see, which makes it feel less weird. The part I had most issue with, though, was that when Lady Miles returns from the afterlife, she has her regular body back from before the curse—complete with her amputated legs. I'd been greatly appreciating the disability rep in this book of having a major character in a wheelchair, and the endgame of this series just magicked that away, which doesn't feel great.
On the other hand, I do love the way the ending worked for Hannah and Wycliff. They have been acting like two sides of the same coin for most of this series, and to have that formalized by the gods in this one was a nice way to wrap up the series. I like that Hannah gets to be the light to Wycliff's dark, and that their family is happy together back in the living world. I'm glad I read the series, and though the issues I mentioned dimmed my enjoyment of this final book they did not stop me from enjoying it. It was still a very fun series to read, and I loved seeing the characters develop over the course of the six books.
August 3, 2021
Satisfying Series
Great series for someone looking for a light entertaining read.
The characters are interesting and charming. Each book follows a "monster of the episode" format where Hannah and Wycliffe solve a mystery that is never quite what one would assume.
The last book does not deliver on the mystery aspect as satisfactorily as the first 5 books of the series, however it does provide a neat conclusion and fitting farewell to the characters we have spent 6 books with.
Would recommend the series for someone who wants to be entertained and engaged but does not take themselves too seriously.
Great series for someone looking for a light entertaining read.
The characters are interesting and charming. Each book follows a "monster of the episode" format where Hannah and Wycliffe solve a mystery that is never quite what one would assume.
The last book does not deliver on the mystery aspect as satisfactorily as the first 5 books of the series, however it does provide a neat conclusion and fitting farewell to the characters we have spent 6 books with.
Would recommend the series for someone who wants to be entertained and engaged but does not take themselves too seriously.
August 20, 2021
Wonderful conclusion to a series I have loved. Looking forward to the finale novella at Christmas!
January 19, 2025
Love this series. Clever, fun and well written. Enjoyable and fun with dark themes. An epic conclusion to the story. Loved it!
December 20, 2025
I loved this so much. Hannah and Wycliff forever ❤️
December 23, 2025
This was such a good series. Waiting to finish it up with the short Christmas story, but I’ll wait til December.
October 27, 2022
Hoopla audio
4 ***
4 ***
August 15, 2021
Kind of a little let down by this one since I adored all the other books in the series. The ending felt rushed with several unanswered questions and the whole middle chunk of the book felt unnecessarily long; which was strange considering that this novel was almost 100 pages shorter than all the previous books. I'm hoping that the novella coming out at the end of this year ties everything all together in a less rushed manner because I absolutely love all the characters and feel like they deserve a better wrap up than this.
September 13, 2023
I wanted to love the direction this one took I really did. I wasn’t surprised with it, not really. Once again I called the person doing the murders the moment they showed up plus a few other things. But what I’m really disappointed with is how Lady Miles regrew back legs that were removed not by the rot but by her husband. I think was just bragging to my friends about how this series treated a person needing a wheelchair of sorts and then it pulls this.
Maybe if they were prosthetics if some kind but whatever. Fiction is fiction I guess. :/
Maybe if they were prosthetics if some kind but whatever. Fiction is fiction I guess. :/
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 9, 2021
I think this was my least favorite of the series, which is a real shame because I believe, apart from a novella, that it will be the last in the series.
The main problem I think I had with it was that
Apart from that and a seemingly abrupt ending, I have really enjoyed this series and look forward to seeing what comes next from Tilly Wallace!
The main problem I think I had with it was that
Apart from that and a seemingly abrupt ending, I have really enjoyed this series and look forward to seeing what comes next from Tilly Wallace!
March 18, 2023
I've enjoyed this series but I felt like this book just fell flat.
December 3, 2024
A satisfying resolution to a series which I've really enjoyed, overall.
I did have a few quibbles about this one.
1) They spent too much time on the "mystery" before the travel into the Underworld bits, and it felt like it dragged a bit. I think maybe the mystery wasn't as developed as in some past stories, or it could also have been me sort of wanting to get to the meat of the story, and feeling like some of the beginning was too fillery - even though they did tie together nicely.
2) The bits in the Underworld were a bit dialogue/exposition heavy.
3) The ending was a bit predictable, though maybe that's to be expected, somewhat, consider the nature of the genre. I mean, was anyone ever really concerned that
4) I wish we got to see a little bit more of the secondary characters in this one, though they did get to shine in the previous book, and I guess it was fitting to focus more on the main family for this final installment.
That said, I really enjoy spending time with Hannah and Wycliffe, and while I am glad that the series resolved well, I'm also sad to see it go.
* Highly recommend the audio for this series, for those who partake.
***
One last thing - the alliterative naming convention was a bit strained in this one. Like,
I did have a few quibbles about this one.
1) They spent too much time on the "mystery" before the travel into the Underworld bits, and it felt like it dragged a bit. I think maybe the mystery wasn't as developed as in some past stories, or it could also have been me sort of wanting to get to the meat of the story, and feeling like some of the beginning was too fillery - even though they did tie together nicely.
2) The bits in the Underworld were a bit dialogue/exposition heavy.
3) The ending was a bit predictable, though maybe that's to be expected, somewhat, consider the nature of the genre. I mean, was anyone ever really concerned that
4) I wish we got to see a little bit more of the secondary characters in this one, though they did get to shine in the previous book, and I guess it was fitting to focus more on the main family for this final installment.
That said, I really enjoy spending time with Hannah and Wycliffe, and while I am glad that the series resolved well, I'm also sad to see it go.
* Highly recommend the audio for this series, for those who partake.
***
One last thing - the alliterative naming convention was a bit strained in this one. Like,
January 22, 2022
hessians & hellhounds brings us full circle
I have loved the Manners & Monsters series very much. It’s been such a joy to read. Particularly seeing Hannah and Wycliffe grow both as individuals and as a couple! Thus reading “Hessians and Hellhounds” was bittersweet - I almost was torn between wanting to rush to the end and going slowly as to have more time with these now beloved characters. But Tilly Wallace delivered a great ending to her tale - of Hannah, and Wycliffe, and of the Afflicted.
Picking up where Sixpence & Selkies left off, the sixth & final book begins with our core gang of misfits at Mireworth, eager to continue digging into its mysteries, fixing the place up, and basking in a bit of a honeymoon glow. But their little bubble bursts and we return to London for another good old unnatural murder. Tensions become high as the flames of fear against the Afflicted are being fanned, and become targets for hate and even violence. An urgent journey to the underworld in search of some manner of a cure is steeped in Egyptian mythology. It ultimately reveals many answers to some key overarching mysteries/threads of the series, as well as provides new adventures, knowledge, and beginnings for the Afflicted + the Wycliffes + even Lady Miles in the world of the living.
I have loved the Manners & Monsters series very much. It’s been such a joy to read. Particularly seeing Hannah and Wycliffe grow both as individuals and as a couple! Thus reading “Hessians and Hellhounds” was bittersweet - I almost was torn between wanting to rush to the end and going slowly as to have more time with these now beloved characters. But Tilly Wallace delivered a great ending to her tale - of Hannah, and Wycliffe, and of the Afflicted.
Picking up where Sixpence & Selkies left off, the sixth & final book begins with our core gang of misfits at Mireworth, eager to continue digging into its mysteries, fixing the place up, and basking in a bit of a honeymoon glow. But their little bubble bursts and we return to London for another good old unnatural murder. Tensions become high as the flames of fear against the Afflicted are being fanned, and become targets for hate and even violence. An urgent journey to the underworld in search of some manner of a cure is steeped in Egyptian mythology. It ultimately reveals many answers to some key overarching mysteries/threads of the series, as well as provides new adventures, knowledge, and beginnings for the Afflicted + the Wycliffes + even Lady Miles in the world of the living.
August 17, 2021
This is the final volume in an enjoyable Regency-set Fantasy series. As the story starts, Hannah and her Hellhound husband Lord Wycliff are close to discovering the secret long-hidden in his ancestral home. Then, rather to my regret, they are summoned back to London to investigate the horrific murder of one of the living dead known as the Afflicted. Someone is plotting to destroy all of the Afflicted, with Hannah's mother, the Mage Lady Seraphina a particular target. To defeat their enemies, Hannah, Seraphina and Wycliffe will have to make a desperate journey into the afterlife.
`Hessians and Hellhounds' is a dark story with little of the humour that lightened the previous volumes but it does bring the series to a surprising and satisfying conclusion. Some may find Regency manners and Ancient Egyptian magic an odd mix but it worked for me. As a heroine, gentle Hannah has always been rather overshadowed by her brilliant mother. In this last volume, Hannah's courageous choices do lead to her acquiring remarkable powers of her own but I'm still glad to know that a new series based on Lady Seraphina's backstory is planned.
October 31, 2025
I have so many complaints. In the previous book, it was mentioned that Lizzy wasn't replying to Hannah's "texts". Nothing ever came of that in the last book or this book; I thought something had happened to Lizzy and our main characters would have to save her, but who knows? Lizzy wasn't even in this book. I have no idea why her and Hannah are friends.
Secondly, I suffered through six books of gross Wycliff repeating over and over again how he's so mean, and then he met Hannah, how he hated the afflicted, then he met Hannah, repeated at least 300 times, so that they could cure the affliction, only to have that anticlimactic journey to the underworld. Normally, I would think a phrase "love beyond death" would be romantic, but every time Hannah and Wycliff repeated it (also repeated 400+ times) I cringed.
-3000 points for the mid book rant about white men writing history and how terrible they are. I get it, but it felt preachy and obnoxious.
Unfortunately, I really only enjoyed the first two books in the series, and I finished the rest just to find a cure for my curiosity. I should have dropped it earlier.
Secondly, I suffered through six books of gross Wycliff repeating over and over again how he's so mean, and then he met Hannah, how he hated the afflicted, then he met Hannah, repeated at least 300 times, so that they could cure the affliction, only to have that anticlimactic journey to the underworld. Normally, I would think a phrase "love beyond death" would be romantic, but every time Hannah and Wycliff repeated it (also repeated 400+ times) I cringed.
-3000 points for the mid book rant about white men writing history and how terrible they are. I get it, but it felt preachy and obnoxious.
Unfortunately, I really only enjoyed the first two books in the series, and I finished the rest just to find a cure for my curiosity. I should have dropped it earlier.
July 22, 2021
There is nothing quite so delightful as a gothic setting with a crumbling, old mansion. So begins the concluding novel in Tilly Wallace’s most excellent “Manners and Monsters” series.
I have enjoyed this series tremendously since it’s onset and am loath to see it end. There were so many plot lines and series elements that needed resolution, which I doubted, all respect to the author, could be satisfactorily achieved. My expectations for this book were high and, gratefully, they were amply met. Okay, exceeded.
The series as a whole, though this novel particularly, is infused with coziness and a sense of home—both within a place and within people—that is all too often missing in literature. In “Hessians and Hellhounds,” we are witness to the strong bond among Hannah, her parents, and the rest of the household. This, in combination with its unique concept and interesting characters, has been my favorite part of the series.
I receive an ARC of “Hessians and Hellhounds” and am pleased to share my thoughts on the book.
I have enjoyed this series tremendously since it’s onset and am loath to see it end. There were so many plot lines and series elements that needed resolution, which I doubted, all respect to the author, could be satisfactorily achieved. My expectations for this book were high and, gratefully, they were amply met. Okay, exceeded.
The series as a whole, though this novel particularly, is infused with coziness and a sense of home—both within a place and within people—that is all too often missing in literature. In “Hessians and Hellhounds,” we are witness to the strong bond among Hannah, her parents, and the rest of the household. This, in combination with its unique concept and interesting characters, has been my favorite part of the series.
I receive an ARC of “Hessians and Hellhounds” and am pleased to share my thoughts on the book.
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