The Wren in the Holly Library by K.A. Linde Series: The Oak and Holly Cycle #1
on June 4, 2024
Genres: Fiction / Fantasy / Paranormal, Fiction / Fantasy / Urban, Fiction / Romance / Fantasy
Pages: 400
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781649374226Thirteen years ago, monsters emerged from the shadows and plunged Kierse’s world into a cataclysmic war of near-total destruction. The New York City she knew so well collapsed practically overnight.
In the wake of that carnage, the Monster Treaty was created. A truce...of sorts.
But tonight, Kierse—a gifted and fearless thief—will break that treaty. She’ll enter the Holly Library...not knowing it’s the home of a monster.
He’s charming. Quietly alluring. Terrifying. But he knows talent when he sees it; it’s just a matter of finding her price.
Now she’s locked into a dangerous bargain with a creature unlike any other. She’ll sacrifice her freedom. She’ll offer her skills. Together, they’ll put their own futures at risk.
But he’s been playing a game across centuries—and once she joins in, there will be no escape...
I don’t know what it is about romantasy that falls flat for me most of the time. I really, really wanted to love this book and actually expected this to be a 4 or 5 star read. But sadly, that is not the case.
The characters themselves were quite boring, as was the relationship. I didn’t care about Kierse or Graves one bit. The amount of times that it was hammered in that Kierse was this amazing thief was annoying. We get it, let’s move on. Besides that, all we know about Kierse is that she was abandoned and grew up on the streets. Graves was the typical romantasy male lead (think Rysand, Xaden, etc.), moody, mysterious, and magical. I didn’t feel like there was anything that stood out about him.
The side characters were much more fascinating to me. Kierse’s best friends (family), Ethan and Gen, were so adorable, and I found them much more interesting to read about. Even Nate and Lorcan’s characters were much more interesting. I’m really hoping the next books feature more of Lorcan, Gen, and Ethan.
Now, a complete 180 on my feelings to talk about the world building. Wow! I knew this was a fantasy, but I was not expecting a dystopian New York City after a war between Monsters and Humans took place. I loved all of this! It was such a cool idea, and all I wanted was to know more about the Monster War and the dystopian world. I also really love the blending of Irish mythology into this fantasy world.
I do still plan on reading the rest of the series (I already own The Robin on the Oak Throne) and am interested to see were this story goes.
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