Headlines & Hydras

Terra Haven Chronicles #2

by Rebecca Chastain

With her gargoyle companion at her side, Kylie chases the most dangerous story of her life. Dive back into the extraordinary new series filled with elemental magic, mythic creatures, and heroic gargoyles today!
Pursuing the story of a lifetime is supposed to be Kylie’s greatest achievement, not her biggest regret. It certainly isn’t supposed to be personal.
When her latest lead points to deadly, banned spells pilfered from her parents’ business, Kylie is too late to spare her parents from being thrust into the headlines—or to prevent herself from being dragged into the spotlight with them.
Every journalist in the city pounces on the scandal, but none with more relish and venom than Nathan. Kylie’s rival at the Terra Haven Chronicle has vowed to destroy Kylie’s career. He’s more than willing to implode the lives of anyone she loves if it will enable him to enact his vengeance.
Kylie must recover the stolen spells before her life, and her parents’ lives, are ruined.
With her loyal gargoyle companion, Quinn, at her side, Kylie plunges into the perilous investigation. She’s faced danger before, but this time is If she fails, her parents will lose their livelihood. To succeed, she will have to sacrifice her dream story.
But first she has to survive.
Pick up your copy of this action-packed fantasy today!
PRAISE FOR THE TERRA HAVEN CHRONICLES
" fun and fast paced and...full of interesting supernatural creatures" Feeling Fictional
"there is never a dull moment " Amazon Review
"packed with everything that initially drew me to the Gargoyle Guardian strong world-building, unique magic , derring-do and narrow escapes, and well-rounded characters " Witches & Pagans
READING ORDER
TERRA HAVEN CHRONICLES Deadlines & Dryads (prequel) Leads & LynxesHeadlines & HydrasMuckrakers & Minotaurs
GARGOYLE GUARDIAN CHRONICLES Magic of the GargoylesCurse of the GargoylesSecret of the GargoylesLured (a newsletter-exclusive novella)

Genres: Romance, Fantasy

418 pages, Paperback

First published May 18, 2021

About the author

REBECCA CHASTAIN is a feminist, animal advocate, and nature devotee. She believes empathy is a hero’s trait and love is a motive, an inside job, and a transformative energy that shapes each person’s world. She is the USA Today bestselling author of the Gargoyle Guardian Chronicles series, the Terra Haven Chronicles series that begins with Deadlines & Dryads, and the Madison Fox urban fantasy series.

FULL LIST OF SERIES







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BOX SETS

[bc:A Fistful of Magic|56651668|A Fistful of Magic (Madison Fox #1-3)|Rebecca Chastain|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/comp...

Reviews

[Dianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kylie is that heroine who has pluck, knows pain and makes me smile! She is the perfect misunderstood character who plows forward into the flames.

With her gargoyle, Quinn, by her side, they are a dynamic and magical team who will go where wise men fear to traverse to investigate a story or save her family from ruin.

Rebeca Chastain has used her own sense of creative magic and created another fast-paced, twisted, yet light tale that will hold readers spellbound from start to finish. HEADLINES & HYDRAS explodes with an exciting atmosphere, holds a touch of possible romance for our plucky Kylie.

Wonderful characters, fascinating magic, nasty villains and one more fabulous adventure to fall into! Definitely a hidden gem in the gold mine of reading!

I received a complimentary ARC edition from Rebeca Chastain! This is my honest and voluntary review.

Series: Terra Haven Chronicles - Book 2
Publisher : Mind Your Muse Books (May 18, 2021)
Genre: Alternative History | Fantasy
Print length : 386 pages
Available from: Amazon
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoughts after beta reading:

Headlines and Hydras is the second full length book in Rebecca Chastain's Terra Haven Chronicles and follows on immediately after events in Leads and Lynxes. It's hard to say much about this book without giving spoilers for the first so since neither have been published yet I'll keep this very vague until 2020.

Full disclosure, I beta read this story for the author because she knows I'm a such a huge fan of this world but that hasn't affected my rating. Kylie has always been a brilliant character and I'm loving her spin off series so far, this world is interesting, I love the elemental magic, the gargoyles are all fantastic & I enjoy how many different weird and wonderful magical creatures we're getting to meet.

I'll be rereading this when a finished version has been published so I'll write a full review then but if you're a fan of the Gargoyle Guardian Chronicles then you're going to love this series.

[Terri Schrandt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Headlines and Hydras is Chastain’s second full-length book in the Terra Haven Chronicles featuring Kylie and Quinn. A Terra Haven resident and best friends with gargoyle healer, Mika, Kylie is a journalist on a quest to discover her story of a lifetime through a magical, everlasting tree that bestows life-changing seeds on its askers as highlighted in Leads and Lynxes. Struggling to find her story, Kylie’s seed evolves and leads her on exciting and dangerous adventures involving hideous hydras, storm-chasing thunderbirds, a horrible harpy, and snarky, upper-crust society mavens. With a splash of romance to satisfy anyone, it is Kylie’s special relationship with her gargoyle Quinn that truly warms your heart. Kylie’s pluck and steadfast concern for her parents, friends and of course, the gargoyles, makes her a heroine for our times.

Chastain creates a believable fantasy world full of magic and mythical creatures that will leave the reader wanting more stories!

To really appreciate the engaging gargoyles who live in Terra Haven, read the series that starts it all, The Gargoyle Guardian Chronicles. I guarantee you have read nothing like this series and the spin-off series where gargoyles are front and center.

I received a complimentary ARC edition and this is my honest and voluntary review.

[Rebecca Chastain]

Dive back into the extraordinary new series filled with elemental magic, mythic creatures, and heroic gargoyles today!

SERIES READING ORDER

Deadlines & Dryads (Book 0.5)
Leads & Lynxes (Book 1)
Headlines & Hydras (Book 2)

Get Headlines & Hydras today!

SERIES EXTRAS

If you're interested in more stories featuring Kylie and Quinn, check out the Terra Haven Novels Behind the Scenes extras page on my website. There you'll find:

*"The Once-in-a-Lifetime Question," a short story that takes place after the events in Deadlines & Dryads, and before the events of Secret of the Gargoyles.

AVAILABLE FORMATS

Headlines & Hydras is available in ebook, audio, and print.

For signed copies, email rebecca@rebeeccachastain.com.

[Doty Montgomery · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fast paced twisted story with friends, allies, frenemies and enemies. Kylie and Quinn are good smart companions, an undercover heiress and a gargoyle. She is recovering from her last adventure had made a bad decision involving a Harpy bent on terrorizing her. Now owing the harpy a debt, she can collect anytine. A suck-up reporter has outed her, she was trying to make it on her own, not use her familey's name to open doors or get favors. She is getting involved trying to clear her familily's name, and goes from a story, to losing her job. now she is determined to clear the family's bussiness from wrong doing involving dangerious spell and hexes that are missing. She will survive with the help of Grant, and Quinn at her side as they trying to find and return the stolen items. not losing their lives, proving the family's business is not involved in the theifs.

[Chantalle Van den Heever]

Headlines and Hydras book 2 of the Terra Haven chronicles written by Rebecca Chastain was exciting and compelling to read. The story is about a journalist trying to save her parents from ruin, using clues that sends her on dangerous and exciting adventures.

If you are in the mood to read a fun, exciting and clean romance about magical beasts and magical wards then stay tuned and have fun reading this book with me.

[Phyllis · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great series. Full of excitement and adventure. I started the first chapter of book 2, then realized I was missing a lot of background so I bought the first book and was not disappointed. I can't wait for the 3rd book in the series. All of the characters are amazing but really loved Kylie and Quinn. I was given an ARC and am voluntarily reviewing it.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful follow-up to the first book. There is action, adventure, defined characters, clues to be followed, and parents to be saved. This is a fast and easy read that is entertaining and engaging. I liked this book. I voluntarily read an ARC and this is my honest review.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a little pandemic reading burnout when I started this but over the last few days I raced through the bulk of the book and had a really great time doing so. There was quite a bit of action, a little romance and a lot of personal upheaval for Kylie. Luckily, book 3 was just released so on with the story!

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

One Sentence Summary: Junior journalist Kylie's real identity has come out, and her debt to harpy Zipporah has come due, all while her parents face a theft at their transportation company, and Kylie will do anything to clear their names.

I'm so excited to have gotten the chance to review this one! Headlines & Hydras was one of my most anticipated reads this year. I fell in love with Kylie, Quinn, and Grant last year in the prequel and first book, Leads & Lynxes, and could not wait for the next one. Kylie makes me think of an older Nancy Drew with magic, so it was easy to fall in love with her and all the magic and mythical creatures makes my heart sigh with contentment.

Overall

Headlines & Hydras is a worthy sequel to the first book. Not only is every detail, every characterization perfectly consistent, but the characters and their relationships grow and deepen, and the overarching mystery becomes an even more tangled mess. The world is also vividly broadened, bringing everything from opulent estates to the deadly home of dangerous creatures. The mystery in this book was a little too easy, but there are more questions about the overarching mystery that just makes everything more puzzling and complicated. Headlines & Hydras not only delivers the fantasy, mystery, and romance, but it also tightens the overarching story, preparing for what I think could only be an incredible, potentially explosive ending.

Extended Thoughts

Headlines & Hydras picks up right after the events of the first book, Leads & Lynxes. Not only has Kylie's real identity been outed, by her journalistic nemesis no less, but the theft from the first book is only the first in a string. And it all leads back to Kylie's parents' transportation company, Airstrong, who shipped all the stolen items.

Kylie's life gets a lot more complicated. Not only is she dealing with the ramifications for having kept her real identity a secret, but she's also thrust back into the life she willingly left while no one believes her. A twisted trap seems to be springing around her, and she's desperate to prove she and her parents are innocent. Oh, and the harpy she still owes? She wants more stolen, forbidden objects, or Kylie might have to pay with her life.

There are so many reasons why I'm in love with the Terra Haven Chronicles. From the strong, spunky female lead to one of the most adorable creature companions to the mystery and the magic and romance, this series literally has everything I adore across multiple genres.

What I love best, though, are the characters. Kylie is like an all grown up version of Nancy Drew with magic. She's smart, spunky, doggedly pursues a story, and has no problems leaping into danger. Provided, of course, her two favorite male companions are with her. Quinn is her young gargoyle companion and I could not love him more. He's young, so sometimes comes across as adorably childish, but he's so protective and loyal it just melts my heart. Then there's Kylie's love interest, Captain Grant Monaghan of the Federal Pentagon Defense. Not only is he very physically attractive, but he's also smart, protective, capable, and completely understands keeping Kylie from a story is pointless.

While I love the relationship between Kylie and Quinn, I adore the romance in this series. In this second book, things warm up considerably, but it never overtakes the story. Kylie and Grant have their moments, and they're so sweet and fun and I just want more. But they're also balanced by serious matters and a complete understanding of each other and their professional needs and goals. They're a well-balanced duo teetering on the edge of friends and lovers, and I love every minute of it.

I really liked how Headlines & Hydras really tightened up the overall story. It was a little hard to tell what direction everything was headed in from the first book, but the second book, instead of suffering from the middle book syndrome, really starts to pull the threads together. I loved how Kylie's personal and professional lives clashed and all the consequences she had to deal with. It sometimes felt like one thing after another, but it also showcased just how strong and resilient Kylie is. What initially felt like disparate threads became a veritable knot with secrets and questions at every turn.

The Terra Haven Chronicles appear to be revolving around, not just individual mysteries in each book that contribute to the overarching one, but also mysteries deftly woven through the whole series to really turn it into a cohesive whole. They make the series seem like one, big ongoing story divided into separate parts. There were times when one was more present than the others and times when I almost forgot about them, but Chastain very skillfully brought them each back in throughout the book.

As for the individual mystery in Headlines & Hydras, my single criticism is it was a little too easy and short. Most of the story focused on the ramifications of Kylie hiding her true identity and place in society, though I did enjoy her painful foray back into it, leaving little room for her to solve the mystery of who took a batch of banned spells and their location. The mystery solving doesn't really ramp up until the second half and was seemingly "solved" so early I'm not sure if it can really accurately be called a mystery, but then I was just so swept away with the danger and action that just never seemed to pause that I didn't mind.

As a fantasy, Headlines & Hydras delivers on the magic, the mythical creatures, and the world. Since this is already an established world, most of the building in this book felt focused on the new area Kylie explores. It really came to life to me and I really enjoyed the history that came with it. It was wonderful to get to see some dangerous magic and read all about the dangers Kylie, Quinn, and Grant encounter. There also seems to be quite a lot of mythical birds in this series. But I liked how this book extended the world. It was fun to wander around with the upper echelons of society and sink into the swampy home of dangerous birds while using the familiar city of Terra Haven as a launching pad.

Headlines & Hydras is a fantastic, worthy sequel to Leads & Lynxes. It continues to deliver on the fantasy, mystery, and romance fronts while providing an ever deepening mess for Kylie to figure out.

Thank you to Rebecca Chastain for a review copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Sharon Squires · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely Brilliant

I thought the first book "Leads & Lynxes" was one of the best I'd ever read, but "Headlines & Hydras" has eclipsed it! Absolutely Brilliant storyline & the characters are so real that I love some & hate those who make Kylie's life hell. The gargoyles are fantastic & I love all the creatures who appear. I just pre-ordered book 3 as I know it'll be awesome too. Thank you Rebecca from such an immersive world.

[M.A.SPRIGGS · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable read

A well written and fast paced action packed story. I loved the Gargoyle Guardian series and am really enjoying this spin off series also. Full of fantastical creatures, magic and mystery. Highly recommend.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok

This was entertaining but I'm getting annoyed with Kylie's character. Thank goodness for Quinn, some the gargoyle is the best character in this series so far. Hopefully the last book is more interesting.

[Lynne Page · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good book by Rebecca Chastain! Wholesome goodness and exciting adventure. I'm not sure how she manages to pack that much excitement into a book, but she does!

[Cherry Mischievous · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hydra

[Image Source: Greg Rutkowski]

My Thoughts:

I love Leads & Lynxes! This book has the same compelling story telling quality and beautiful world building! Unfortunately, it also has the "too stupid to live" (tstl) in spades! **face-palm** ...This book would probably have been read faster if not for the tstl. The stupidity made me want to have breaks from the book. Thus, the pace was a whole lot slower than this book would have been read otherwise.

The ending of course is a cliffhanger. There is a third book after all. The plot, though it ended the story in this book, it also left a lot to be desired like, they never caught the real culprit...

I still love the way Cindy Kay make Quinn sound young and cute!!

I probably have already said most of what I have to say about this book in my reviews of previous books in this series. So, I am an old fan by now. Nevertheless, it is true that this book is a fun read, tstl and all!

Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 4.5
Character development = 4
Story itself = 4
Writing Style = 4
Ending = 3.5
World building = 5
Cover art = 5
Pace = 3.5
Plot = 4
Narration = 5

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5

[Kathy Floyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome Series!

Magical and terrifying at the same time. Once I read the first book I had to have the second. I haven't enjoyed such a magical journey with as many heart stopping moments in a long time. I'm so looking forward to the third book in the series!

[Beth Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

My only complaint about these books continues to be that they are too short! They end far too quickly. I am crossing my fingers that more stories are coming from this author!! I highly recommend these books!