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cyhr04's review
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
wildfaeriecaps's review against another edition
5.0
Well, color me obsessed. This book was AMAZING. The detail, the separate but related worlds, the characters, the mythology. UGH! I LOVE IT SO MUCH. I can honestly tell you that I will absolutely buy anything by this author from now until forever just based on this one book. I adore Wren and Shrike. They are utter perfection. When the twist hit, I literally bolted upright in bed and shrieked "I KNEW IT!" and then grinned like a fool for a good half hour. Just.. everything about this book was so good. So. Good. PLEASE go buy a copy and read it. I'm begging you.
aphonusbalonus's review
5.0
Oh this was delightful. Some of the most gorgeous prose I’ve ever read and such a compelling magic system and beautifully written characters. Instantly one of my new auto-buy authors. Also the vibes of this story? Absolutely delightful I want to Live inside this book
And now for some of the passages I tabbed:
“Mr Grigsby, a bachelor of some sixty years, had an unfortunate resemblance to an egg balanced on stilts. ”
“And pray tell, how do the fates speak to you?”
“Through ritual.”
“What, scattering bird entrails across the cobblestones? Or do you inhale mystical vapours and babble prophecy in a stupor?”
“I made a pendulum of an acorn,” said Butcher, “and ate it.”
Wren stared at him.
Butcher did not elaborate.”
“A good man would strive to repay Mr Grigsby for his consideration and lenience by accomplishing more in the work day. As Wren filled the margins of his memorandum book with scribblings of pine trees and satyrs, he supposed he’d never been a particularly good man.”
AND BECAUSE OH MY GOD?: “I should like to see them try to hang us.”
The DEVOTION. The LOVE. Ugh. Fantastic.
Really, if you're still unsure about reading it at this point, what is wrong with you? I read it all within a day. Do you know how HARD it is to get me to sit still for that long? This book is a feat of wonder, magic, and pure love.
And now for some of the passages I tabbed:
“Mr Grigsby, a bachelor of some sixty years, had an unfortunate resemblance to an egg balanced on stilts. ”
“And pray tell, how do the fates speak to you?”
“Through ritual.”
“What, scattering bird entrails across the cobblestones? Or do you inhale mystical vapours and babble prophecy in a stupor?”
“I made a pendulum of an acorn,” said Butcher, “and ate it.”
Wren stared at him.
Butcher did not elaborate.”
“A good man would strive to repay Mr Grigsby for his consideration and lenience by accomplishing more in the work day. As Wren filled the margins of his memorandum book with scribblings of pine trees and satyrs, he supposed he’d never been a particularly good man.”
AND BECAUSE OH MY GOD?: “I should like to see them try to hang us.”
The DEVOTION. The LOVE. Ugh. Fantastic.
Really, if you're still unsure about reading it at this point, what is wrong with you? I read it all within a day. Do you know how HARD it is to get me to sit still for that long? This book is a feat of wonder, magic, and pure love.
andrewthegriffin's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
eacolgan's review
3.0
The prose and descriptions in this were beautiful, even if the characters were a bit thin and the plot was kind of all over the place. It leaned less into the fairy tale story in the last third, which was when I wanted more of it, but it was still a very decent read, and I'd definitely read more from this author.
fyarae's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
whew, where do I even begin with this beast of a book? More than 400 pages, this book took me a good few days to get through but it didn't drag it out needlessly;there's just that much to get through.
The writing is crisp and luscious, describing the strange world of the fae in the most beautiful ways. Our story opens with Shrike, a Fae man fighting for his life in a tournée for the Fae Queen. He manages to scrape out a win and kneels before the queen to receive his reward for felling all of his opponents.
The writing is crisp and luscious, describing the strange world of the fae in the most beautiful ways. Our story opens with Shrike, a Fae man fighting for his life in a tournée for the Fae Queen. He manages to scrape out a win and kneels before the queen to receive his reward for felling all of his opponents.
‘ “King,” said the Queen, “of the Oak.” The taste of victory turned to Ash on his tongue. His head shot up before he could even think of restraint. Shock parted his lips. Betrayal burned in his eyes. The Queen gazed down with an expression no less serene for the death sentence she had handed down on his head. Behind her, Judy over her left shoulder, the Holly King's mouth twitched in something almost like a smile.
The Holly king and the Oak King are part of a cycle wherein the Oak King must kill the Holly king to beckon winter, and the next Holly King must kill that Oak King to beckon summer. And so the cycle repeats with the Queen selecting the replacements halfway between each solstice. By selecting shrike to be the Oak King she is condemning him to death, something he's not too pleased about. He is determined to thwart the cycle he's been thrust unwillingly into and goes searching for the man who is destined to help him. After some rudimentary magic, he is led to the mortal world in his search.
Enter, one Wren Lofthouse, a clerk in England in the year 1844. He's a plain fellow with no friends or real life goals who spends most of his time at work and the rest of it drawing in secret. A knock on the door reveals a curiously dressed man who looks straight out of the medieval era.
’The face beneath this hat proved no less bizarre. Wren beheld a black Venetian mask, its leather tooled in a feathered pattern, with a long, pointed nose like a beak. A ragged black scarf, so full of holes that it seemed halfway between a fishing net and lace, swathed the stranger from throat to nose. Beneath the mask, two dark eyes smouldered like coals. The scent of wood-smoked–not just of a wood stove or a hearth, but that of a raging bonfire–hung in the hall. The stranger could not be the queerest sight in all of London, but by Wren's estimation he was the queerest sight in Staple Inn. Certainly the queerest figure to ever grace the chambers of Mr. Ephraim Grigsby, Esq., and clerk.’
The pair get off on an interesting foot, as Wren believes Shrike, or Butcher, as he calls himself to be some fool actor hired by his old university mates to play a cruel prank on him. Shrike decides to prove his case to Wren by taking him along to one of the scheduled hunts in the Fae world where he takes down a mystical boar creature proving that he is not of the mortal world. The pair begin puzzling out how to make sure Shrike survives his role of the Oak King, all the while they grow more tethered to each other.
Cue lots of looks of longing at each other.
Admiration, Shrike realized. Appreciation. Affection. No one had ever fixed such a gaze on Shrike before. He knew not how to answer it.
There is the forbidden aspect of their relationship as men have been sent to the gallows for homosexuality in Victorian England, something not the case in the Fae world. They work to hide how close they've become from everyone in Wren's life including my favorite character: Mr. Grigsby. He's the lawyer that Wren works for and honestly the most fatherly figure in Wren's life after his own father disowned him for his homoerotic tendencies. He's just a kind soul, always seeing the good in the worst characters the plot has to offer, and when the plot seems like he might have a dark heel turn, it surprises you by showing that he really is as pure as he appeared.
This story has some really interesting lore in it. The Fae are born in a variety of ways, Shrike in particular was born from an egg as a fledgling bird before he was pushed from the nest by his siblings and rescued and thereafter raised by a human man who stumbled into the Fae world.
The only slight qualm I have with this book is that the romance was secure by the 25% mark, and I wish there'd been a bit of a slower burn, but that's mainly a personal preference. Overall I would recommend this story with the asterisk that it really picks up around the 40% mark and it feels a little slow until then. If you're interested in a Fae story that does something different, this might be the story for you! It's filled with some really rich Fae lore and it is strongly entwined with the differences between the Fae and mortal world.
Writing Quality:9/10 beautiful writing, no notes, it's so atmospheric
Pacing:7/10 the Pacing starts out a tad slow and really picks up before the halfway mark
Plot development:7/10
Characters: 8/10 I really enjoyed the characters in this story, even the side characters.
Enjoyability: 7/10 quite enjoyable to read even when it was a bit slow.
Ease of Reading: 7/10 some of the world building tripped me up initially until I took the passages slower.
Ending: 6/10 the ending was a but unnecessarily steamy for me, more a personal thing though tbh
ellelainey's review
5.0
** I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK FOR MY READING PLEASURE **
Reviewed for Divine Magazine
~
Oak King Holly King, by Sebastian Nothwell
★★★★★
521 Pages
3rd person, dual character POV
Themes: magic, Fae, two realms, duty, , romance, politics, homophobia, fear of discovery
Genre: MM Romance, Fantasy, Historical, Fae
Triggers: historical homophobic laws, mild violence, death of secondary character, exhibitionism/public sex, sex magic
~
World-Building: ★★★★★
Heat: ★★★☆☆
Chemistry: ★★★★★
Plot: ★★★★★
Romance: ★★★★☆
~
INTRO
Oak King Holly King is an epic novel of romance, two worlds colliding, and finding the courage to be unapologetically yourself. Told through a dual POV of human, Wren, and Fae, Shrike, it takes you on a journey through Victorian London and the magical Fae realm. Blending political intrigue, magic and fairytales, with the duties of a clerk and those of the Oak King, there is plenty to be explored in this 500+ novel. Yet, it never feels overwhelming, toiling or excruciatingly long or slow reading. From page one to the final word, the story takes you on a journey through the fantastical and the mundane, without ever losing its purpose or rushing you to a conclusion. It reminded me of the epic storytelling of Ellen Kushner's Tremontaine, weaving multiple plotlines through a single story.
CHARACTERS
The story begins with a bang – right at the start of a Fae/medieval mashup battle. This sets the stage for everything that is about to happen, and I'm so glad the author let us see it in its entirely. So many times, these kind of scenes are glossed over or mentioned as the inspiration for an event, but never shown to their full. Here, there's no risk of that. Right from page one, we get to see every important event we need.
We have two main characters – Wren and Shrike. Wren is a clerk in Victorian London, trudging through a mundane life, after losing his closest friends – the Restive Quills – after the discovery of his homoerotic writings. When a mysterious man appears on his doorstep, the words “The Queen of the Court of the Silver Wheel has chosen me as her Oak King” doesn't inspire him to believe in Shrike, Fae or the quest which Shrike has come to ask him to assist with. In contrast, Shrike is in a predicament. He has just been unjustly crowned the Oak King, which is a sure death sentence to ensure the change of seasons. In an attempt to survive, Shrike discovers that Wren is somehow his only way to succeed. Thus, the two are thrown together and form an unlikely alliance. One that will have them journeying between the Fae realm and London countless times.
Wren is quite a serious character, at first. It's only through his growing friendship, then relationship with Shrike that you get to see him grow and lose his over-worked, fearful attitude, justly used to protect himself from discovery. As the Victorian era in the novel is true to history, sodomy is still illegal and punishable by death. A fact that looms over Wren's head for most of his life. Until Shrike shows him the Fae don't hold such archaic values. In the Fae realm, Wren finds his voice, his freedom and relief from the drudgery of his life so far.
Similarly, Shrike is a loner who feels shunned by most of Fae society, for deeds done long ago. Alone in his Briar, he avoids most contact with others and has a few people he would hesitate to call friends. He's quite shy, thinks little of himself, and is a perfect counterbalance for Wren's self-acceptance. Though Wren struggles with society's view of him, he's strong in his convictions, true to his word, and a little pushy and set-in-his-way, which allows Shrike to come out of his shell.
Together, they're the perfect balance, and they each offer the other something they're lacking, and support each other no matter what. Their romance is borne of acceptance and attraction, rather than instant lust and heat. Because of that, the romance is a slow burn for the first half of the book, but becomes a solid, sweet romance that not only continues throughout the rest of the novel, but flourishes and grows with time.
When it comes to secondary characters, I was intrigued by Nell and the Ambassador, as well as Tatterdemalion, who all had a part to play. Each held their own importance, but were nicely explored, with trickles of personality coming through, rather than simply appearing for their part and leaving again. Similarly, I found Flora to be extremely interesting throughout, and hated Felix as I was meant to.
PLOT
Despite beginning in the Fae realm, the book actually flits equally between the human world – London, specifically – and the Fae realm. This way, both Shrike and Wren get equal POV, and we as readers get to equally explore both worlds with them. It also helps to show how Wren is tugged between the two worlds – wanting to be with Shrike in the Fae realm, but having duty and responsibility in the human world, that he feels obligated to see through. The contrast, as well, played an important part in the plot, which I felt was a clever use of scenery and scene-setting.
I do feel that it might have been more useful to have an explanation of the Oak King and Holly King purposes and meanings earlier in the book. I felt, at the beginning, that the worldbuilding needed a bit more explanation, but it actually just happened later in the book than I would have liked. It was for a reason, so I didn't let it affect my rating, but it meant that I had to wait until Wren got an explanation of it all, at around 16%. That's a long time to wait, to understand the intricate dynamics of something that is super important to the plot, and the impetus for Shrike seeking out Wren in the first place. However, I understand why it was done...
...for the same reason it takes 30% for Shrike to battle the Holly King, which was the entire reason he asked for Wren's help. I actually appreciated that it took this long, because of the intricate plotting involved to get Shrike and Wren from total strangers to comrades in arms. There was a lot of time needed for them to become acquainted with each other, for Wren to believe Shrike was Fae in the first place, and for the whole story to be tested and proven real. For that, I thought it was clever and appropriate for the battle to wait until this point of the story, to allow all of that growth and trust between Shrike and Wren.
As I said, the plotting was intricate. There are two timelines, two realms, two main characters both with their own lives, and two parallel storylines that are interlinked by the characters. The Fae realm and Shrike have their plot – defeating the Holly King, being the Oak King, and making sure Shrike always survives each new season change – while Wren and London have their own plot – his work as a clerk for Mr Grigsby, his wardship over two wayward youngsters, and Wren's secret of being gay.
There is a lot to unpack, throughout the course of the novel, but though it felt long – it took me an unprecedented 4 days to read it, due to family stuff going on – it never felt boring or stagnant. I always felt comfortable in the story, not like it was rushing or dragging. The storyline was consistent, and despite the multitude of characters and events, it never lost focus or lost track of the little details. Everyone had their place in the story, no matter how small, and were often proven more important than they first appeared.
The discovery of a trans character was a great addition, which explained a lot, and I loved how Wren never misgendered or dead-named them after discovering their secret. Though he did both when in the presence of those who didn't know the secret, it was never malicious but to protect them.
Due to the Fae realm, there was a lot of possibility for imagination. I loved the addition of the Huldre/huldrekall (a creature I've also explored, myself) and the various creatures of the Fae realm, like centaurs and such. It really added to the diversity of the Fae realm. There's also a lot of acceptance for things that would never be acceptable in Victorian England, such as public sex, sharing partners, open relationships, sex magic, and exhibitionism.
I loved the way that Wren was used to show the Victorian English perception of these things, while Shrike found them commonplace and normal. It meant that, when they appeared, they weren't just thrown in for gratuitous sex scenes, but actually had a point to make and helped Wren cast aside his prudish British attitudes and live more freely. Accepting himself, as well as those around him.
WRITING
The story is told in appropriately Victorian language, so there were a couple of times I had to rely on Kindle's dictionary, to double check my meanings, but it was all perfectly in-keeping with the timeline of the story and the characters.
There was a lot of information in the first few pages – not in terms of info dumps, but because a lot happened. There was a battle, political intrigue, betrayal, possible corruption or collusion. All mixed perfectly with gorgeous, vivid descriptions. Opulent and scenic without becoming useless purple prose.
I loved that I never once felt like I needed to see an event that was discussed or mentioned in more detail. I never felt that any of the events explored in detail were unnecessary or unimportant to the plot. Sometimes you only realise the importance of a scene in hindsight, when the book is done, but that wasn't the case here. The book was so well plotted, so carefully woven together that EVERY event, every scene had a point, a purpose, and a meaning to the storyline as a whole.
The heat level was fairly low, which I actually liked. It meant that when there was a detailed sex scene, it was for a purpose, while the intervening events were passed over in fade-to-black fashion. This really allowed the plot and storyline to take up the most space it needed, without sacrificing too much to the heat level, except for what was important, necessary or gave the most impact.
For an ARC, yes, there were some editing issues. Some mis-spelling, one mislabelling of a character, and a super sudden ending that left me feeling a bit caught-off-guard, but otherwise it was a very clean edition. Certainly much cleaner than some ARC's I've read in the past, and the issues I did see will be easily caught during the final editing stages, so I didn't let them affect my rating.
As for the sudden ending, I felt confused – even wondered if I was missing the final pages or not – but I'm hopeful it means the story of Wren and Shrike will continue in a further book. If not, I've certainly read more unsatisfying endings. The story concluded fine, it just felt awfully sudden. Again, as this was a “me” issue, I didn't let it affect my rating. I think, if I still want more after 521 pages, then the author did their job and had me thoroughly connected to the characters and the world. Though, I certainly wouldn't have said no to an Epilogue.
OVERALL
Oak King Holly King is going on my physical bookcase as soon as payday comes around. It's one of those books that takes you away from the world and implants you into an adventure that you never want to leave. I fell in love with the characters instantly, and rooted for Wren and Shrike equally, no matter what they were facing. The secondary characters added depth and interest to an already rich story, with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing.
While I did guess some of the twists, it was only because the groundwork was laid out so well it was possible to decipher the clues, ala Agatha Christie. Putting the pieces together wouldn't have been possible without the trickling of seemingly innocuous information that came together to form a theory.
The writing was elegant, opulent and full of intricate details that allowed me to get a visual picture of everything that was happening without overdoing it. I never once felt overwhelmed by the dual storylines, the constant adventures and mishaps, nor the multitude of characters.
The pacing was perfectly plotted to give breathing space when needed, to keep the momentum of tension when necessary, and to provide moments of reflection, consideration, and – of course! – plenty of romance.
Overall, Oak King Holly King is a work of art, and it's one that I'll be revisiting in the future. As soon as I've finished devouring everything else Nothwell has ever written.
~
Favourite Quote
“Something stirred within his atrophied heart, ancient embers breathed into renewed life by the exhilaration of the hunt and by Butcher’s warm bulk in his arms.”
“Whenever you can get away…”
“I will run to you,” Wren finished for him.”
Reviewed for Divine Magazine
~
Oak King Holly King, by Sebastian Nothwell
★★★★★
521 Pages
3rd person, dual character POV
Themes: magic, Fae, two realms, duty, , romance, politics, homophobia, fear of discovery
Genre: MM Romance, Fantasy, Historical, Fae
Triggers: historical homophobic laws, mild violence, death of secondary character, exhibitionism/public sex, sex magic
~
World-Building: ★★★★★
Heat: ★★★☆☆
Chemistry: ★★★★★
Plot: ★★★★★
Romance: ★★★★☆
~
INTRO
Oak King Holly King is an epic novel of romance, two worlds colliding, and finding the courage to be unapologetically yourself. Told through a dual POV of human, Wren, and Fae, Shrike, it takes you on a journey through Victorian London and the magical Fae realm. Blending political intrigue, magic and fairytales, with the duties of a clerk and those of the Oak King, there is plenty to be explored in this 500+ novel. Yet, it never feels overwhelming, toiling or excruciatingly long or slow reading. From page one to the final word, the story takes you on a journey through the fantastical and the mundane, without ever losing its purpose or rushing you to a conclusion. It reminded me of the epic storytelling of Ellen Kushner's Tremontaine, weaving multiple plotlines through a single story.
CHARACTERS
The story begins with a bang – right at the start of a Fae/medieval mashup battle. This sets the stage for everything that is about to happen, and I'm so glad the author let us see it in its entirely. So many times, these kind of scenes are glossed over or mentioned as the inspiration for an event, but never shown to their full. Here, there's no risk of that. Right from page one, we get to see every important event we need.
We have two main characters – Wren and Shrike. Wren is a clerk in Victorian London, trudging through a mundane life, after losing his closest friends – the Restive Quills – after the discovery of his homoerotic writings. When a mysterious man appears on his doorstep, the words “The Queen of the Court of the Silver Wheel has chosen me as her Oak King” doesn't inspire him to believe in Shrike, Fae or the quest which Shrike has come to ask him to assist with. In contrast, Shrike is in a predicament. He has just been unjustly crowned the Oak King, which is a sure death sentence to ensure the change of seasons. In an attempt to survive, Shrike discovers that Wren is somehow his only way to succeed. Thus, the two are thrown together and form an unlikely alliance. One that will have them journeying between the Fae realm and London countless times.
Wren is quite a serious character, at first. It's only through his growing friendship, then relationship with Shrike that you get to see him grow and lose his over-worked, fearful attitude, justly used to protect himself from discovery. As the Victorian era in the novel is true to history, sodomy is still illegal and punishable by death. A fact that looms over Wren's head for most of his life. Until Shrike shows him the Fae don't hold such archaic values. In the Fae realm, Wren finds his voice, his freedom and relief from the drudgery of his life so far.
Similarly, Shrike is a loner who feels shunned by most of Fae society, for deeds done long ago. Alone in his Briar, he avoids most contact with others and has a few people he would hesitate to call friends. He's quite shy, thinks little of himself, and is a perfect counterbalance for Wren's self-acceptance. Though Wren struggles with society's view of him, he's strong in his convictions, true to his word, and a little pushy and set-in-his-way, which allows Shrike to come out of his shell.
Together, they're the perfect balance, and they each offer the other something they're lacking, and support each other no matter what. Their romance is borne of acceptance and attraction, rather than instant lust and heat. Because of that, the romance is a slow burn for the first half of the book, but becomes a solid, sweet romance that not only continues throughout the rest of the novel, but flourishes and grows with time.
When it comes to secondary characters, I was intrigued by Nell and the Ambassador, as well as Tatterdemalion, who all had a part to play. Each held their own importance, but were nicely explored, with trickles of personality coming through, rather than simply appearing for their part and leaving again. Similarly, I found Flora to be extremely interesting throughout, and hated Felix as I was meant to.
PLOT
Despite beginning in the Fae realm, the book actually flits equally between the human world – London, specifically – and the Fae realm. This way, both Shrike and Wren get equal POV, and we as readers get to equally explore both worlds with them. It also helps to show how Wren is tugged between the two worlds – wanting to be with Shrike in the Fae realm, but having duty and responsibility in the human world, that he feels obligated to see through. The contrast, as well, played an important part in the plot, which I felt was a clever use of scenery and scene-setting.
I do feel that it might have been more useful to have an explanation of the Oak King and Holly King purposes and meanings earlier in the book. I felt, at the beginning, that the worldbuilding needed a bit more explanation, but it actually just happened later in the book than I would have liked. It was for a reason, so I didn't let it affect my rating, but it meant that I had to wait until Wren got an explanation of it all, at around 16%. That's a long time to wait, to understand the intricate dynamics of something that is super important to the plot, and the impetus for Shrike seeking out Wren in the first place. However, I understand why it was done...
...for the same reason it takes 30% for Shrike to battle the Holly King, which was the entire reason he asked for Wren's help. I actually appreciated that it took this long, because of the intricate plotting involved to get Shrike and Wren from total strangers to comrades in arms. There was a lot of time needed for them to become acquainted with each other, for Wren to believe Shrike was Fae in the first place, and for the whole story to be tested and proven real. For that, I thought it was clever and appropriate for the battle to wait until this point of the story, to allow all of that growth and trust between Shrike and Wren.
As I said, the plotting was intricate. There are two timelines, two realms, two main characters both with their own lives, and two parallel storylines that are interlinked by the characters. The Fae realm and Shrike have their plot – defeating the Holly King, being the Oak King, and making sure Shrike always survives each new season change – while Wren and London have their own plot – his work as a clerk for Mr Grigsby, his wardship over two wayward youngsters, and Wren's secret of being gay.
There is a lot to unpack, throughout the course of the novel, but though it felt long – it took me an unprecedented 4 days to read it, due to family stuff going on – it never felt boring or stagnant. I always felt comfortable in the story, not like it was rushing or dragging. The storyline was consistent, and despite the multitude of characters and events, it never lost focus or lost track of the little details. Everyone had their place in the story, no matter how small, and were often proven more important than they first appeared.
The discovery of a trans character was a great addition, which explained a lot, and I loved how Wren never misgendered or dead-named them after discovering their secret. Though he did both when in the presence of those who didn't know the secret, it was never malicious but to protect them.
Due to the Fae realm, there was a lot of possibility for imagination. I loved the addition of the Huldre/huldrekall (a creature I've also explored, myself) and the various creatures of the Fae realm, like centaurs and such. It really added to the diversity of the Fae realm. There's also a lot of acceptance for things that would never be acceptable in Victorian England, such as public sex, sharing partners, open relationships, sex magic, and exhibitionism.
I loved the way that Wren was used to show the Victorian English perception of these things, while Shrike found them commonplace and normal. It meant that, when they appeared, they weren't just thrown in for gratuitous sex scenes, but actually had a point to make and helped Wren cast aside his prudish British attitudes and live more freely. Accepting himself, as well as those around him.
WRITING
The story is told in appropriately Victorian language, so there were a couple of times I had to rely on Kindle's dictionary, to double check my meanings, but it was all perfectly in-keeping with the timeline of the story and the characters.
There was a lot of information in the first few pages – not in terms of info dumps, but because a lot happened. There was a battle, political intrigue, betrayal, possible corruption or collusion. All mixed perfectly with gorgeous, vivid descriptions. Opulent and scenic without becoming useless purple prose.
I loved that I never once felt like I needed to see an event that was discussed or mentioned in more detail. I never felt that any of the events explored in detail were unnecessary or unimportant to the plot. Sometimes you only realise the importance of a scene in hindsight, when the book is done, but that wasn't the case here. The book was so well plotted, so carefully woven together that EVERY event, every scene had a point, a purpose, and a meaning to the storyline as a whole.
The heat level was fairly low, which I actually liked. It meant that when there was a detailed sex scene, it was for a purpose, while the intervening events were passed over in fade-to-black fashion. This really allowed the plot and storyline to take up the most space it needed, without sacrificing too much to the heat level, except for what was important, necessary or gave the most impact.
For an ARC, yes, there were some editing issues. Some mis-spelling, one mislabelling of a character, and a super sudden ending that left me feeling a bit caught-off-guard, but otherwise it was a very clean edition. Certainly much cleaner than some ARC's I've read in the past, and the issues I did see will be easily caught during the final editing stages, so I didn't let them affect my rating.
As for the sudden ending, I felt confused – even wondered if I was missing the final pages or not – but I'm hopeful it means the story of Wren and Shrike will continue in a further book. If not, I've certainly read more unsatisfying endings. The story concluded fine, it just felt awfully sudden. Again, as this was a “me” issue, I didn't let it affect my rating. I think, if I still want more after 521 pages, then the author did their job and had me thoroughly connected to the characters and the world. Though, I certainly wouldn't have said no to an Epilogue.
OVERALL
Oak King Holly King is going on my physical bookcase as soon as payday comes around. It's one of those books that takes you away from the world and implants you into an adventure that you never want to leave. I fell in love with the characters instantly, and rooted for Wren and Shrike equally, no matter what they were facing. The secondary characters added depth and interest to an already rich story, with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing.
While I did guess some of the twists, it was only because the groundwork was laid out so well it was possible to decipher the clues, ala Agatha Christie. Putting the pieces together wouldn't have been possible without the trickling of seemingly innocuous information that came together to form a theory.
The writing was elegant, opulent and full of intricate details that allowed me to get a visual picture of everything that was happening without overdoing it. I never once felt overwhelmed by the dual storylines, the constant adventures and mishaps, nor the multitude of characters.
The pacing was perfectly plotted to give breathing space when needed, to keep the momentum of tension when necessary, and to provide moments of reflection, consideration, and – of course! – plenty of romance.
Overall, Oak King Holly King is a work of art, and it's one that I'll be revisiting in the future. As soon as I've finished devouring everything else Nothwell has ever written.
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Favourite Quote
“Something stirred within his atrophied heart, ancient embers breathed into renewed life by the exhilaration of the hunt and by Butcher’s warm bulk in his arms.”
“Whenever you can get away…”
“I will run to you,” Wren finished for him.”
tessa_talbert's review
3.0
Sigh..it really ruins the romantic tension when you don't let them HAVE ANY.
The rest of the plot would have been more effective had there been more to root for.
The rest of the plot would have been more effective had there been more to root for.
jacqueleenthereadingqueen's review
4.0
As Nothwell is a new to me author, I didn't know what to expect when I started this read. It was a very fantastical historical romance. Multiple plot lines played out in both the human world and the land of the fae. At times it felt a bit long to me, but that might be because I wanted more couple time between Shrike and Wren instead poor Wren working his day to day. Homosexuality can be penalized with death in historical London so I really loved when they spent time in the fae realm. Wren could relax more there. He didn't need to worry about being so uptight and proper. It was also adorable watching Shrike the Butcher fall for the shy gentleman Wren. They both seemed to come out of their shells when they spent time together. Their love was a slower burn, but very sweet. The ending definitely surprised me, but in a really good way. I wasn't expecting it to play out the way it did. However, I would have really loved an epilogue. Once the major climax of the plot happened, the book sort of just ends. The author did not leave any true loose ends, so basically I just wanted a little more time with Wren and Shrike enjoying life together. I love discovering a new author and look forward to checking out their backlist and future releases.