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lourdes_chapters_we_love's review against another edition
3.0
Review: https://chapterswelove.com/2017/09/08/at-the-table-of-wolves-by-kay-kenyon/
colossal's review against another edition
4.0
In an alternate Europe where paranormal talents began to appear in the general population after the Great War, tensions are building between England and Germany again. The rise of the Nazis and their advanced research into the talents they have available have created opportunities for them that England is ill-prepared for.
Kim Tavistock has recently returned to England from work in America as a journalist. At the secret English talent research facility of Monkton Hall where she is a test subject she becomes involved is espionage when it is suspected that the head of the facility is a German spy. Soon she is swept up in activities outside of the facility, and with the unknown involvement of her own father who is part of British Intelligence. Whether she realizes it or not, Kim is a player in a deadly game.
I thought this was terrific, and fairly typical of Kenyon's work. She has a genius for creating interesting characters and putting them in prolonged positions of jeopardy. The small flaw being the "prolonged" part, where the suspense is maintained for a long time because different players in the action are simply unaware of knowledge that the others are party to. Like very few writers that tend to drag things out though, Kenyon's writing is good enough to make the suspense worthwhile sitting through, and while this book is the first of a series, it does have a satisfying conclusion in this volume.
Highly recommended.
Kim Tavistock has recently returned to England from work in America as a journalist. At the secret English talent research facility of Monkton Hall where she is a test subject she becomes involved is espionage when it is suspected that the head of the facility is a German spy. Soon she is swept up in activities outside of the facility, and with the unknown involvement of her own father who is part of British Intelligence. Whether she realizes it or not, Kim is a player in a deadly game.
I thought this was terrific, and fairly typical of Kenyon's work. She has a genius for creating interesting characters and putting them in prolonged positions of jeopardy. The small flaw being the "prolonged" part, where the suspense is maintained for a long time because different players in the action are simply unaware of knowledge that the others are party to. Like very few writers that tend to drag things out though, Kenyon's writing is good enough to make the suspense worthwhile sitting through, and while this book is the first of a series, it does have a satisfying conclusion in this volume.
Highly recommended.
lilystorygrid's review
5.0
Dealt with multiple characters well.
Played out film-like, easy to read and imagine.
Enjoyable story.
Played out film-like, easy to read and imagine.
Enjoyable story.
kbskibum's review against another edition
4.0
it was good, there however were more slow parts. am excited for the next book.
plantedbypiggies's review against another edition
4.0
In 1936, Germany's invasive streak is starting to become more noticeable. Weeks earlier, Rhineland was taken. While most of Europe is questioning what to do, England hasn't officially taken a position. But, of course, their espionage teams have begun monitoring for a Jerry invasion.
Since the end of World War I, a new resource is available: Talents. It's not entirely clear why, but supernatural abilities have begun to bloom, sometimes in the most unexpected people.
Kim Tavistock is one of those people. A British/American dual citizen, she has returned to her father's homeland. Her career as an investigative reporter in America has collapsed, and she's looking for a way to put her skills to use. Her Talent is spill; people share private, personal information with her. Just the perfect ability for a spy to have.
This book has a great story, but it's far less action-packed than what I expected. I think that was due to the cover. It's got an imposing, tense air. Those planes flying across bring up mental images of the bombing of London. The portrait of Kim is reminiscent of Hayley Atwell as Agent Carter. The promo copy on Simon and Schuster's website actually name checks Agent Carter along with Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. I was expecting more behind-the-lines burglary and espionage flavored by superpowers.
Instead, the book has a high amount of social interaction, making the le Carré comparison more apt. Many of the important scenes are set in high society countryside weekends and fancy luncheons. The crux of information gathering in the story is gossip. Due to her Talent, Kim excels at this. Kenyon makes a fascinating choice, though, by making Kim uncomfortable with her ability. She has no issues with her former role as an investigative reporter; but she wants people to like her for who she is. Kim doesn't want to betray people's trust, even unintentionally.
A major theme of the book is the dangers of a spy's life. By dint of the craft, one can't share information with those close. Kim isn't the only one who faces this issue. Her father, Julian, is a spy as well. Unlike Kim, Julian is working for H.R.M.'s government. The conflict between these two spies is at the crux of the story. They've been estranged for years. Now, both want to develop a closer relationship with each other. However, they each feel their secrets are too insurmountable. Kenyon is familiar with the theme of daughter/father conflict. It's a huge driver in her epic science fantasy series, The Entire and the Rose. It's not surprising to see her return to it in The Dark Talents.
One thing I particularly appreciated about At the Table of Wolves was the examination of modern events of the time. It's easy to look back at WWII and draw clear, black-and-white ideological lines. Kenyon captures the confusion of the time, though. A lot of people around the world thought that Hitler wasn't so bad. Even King Edward VIII (who reigned from January to December 1936) had pro-Nazi tendencies. After his abdication, Edward and his wife actually visited Hitler in Germany, and there were numerous rumors. Early in the book Kim mistakenly believes that her father is actually a supporter of Hitler, describing him as "something of a Nazi."
While the book is largely well done, there are a few flies in the ointment. The largest is the written use of accents in the story. The Tavistocks, being landed gentry, have servants. Their accents are thick and hard to read. It comes down to personal taste, but I have a hard time reading accents as they're written. It looks awful on the page. Also, it immediately hearkens back to the first time I saw it done -- the moles of Redwall. If it didn't make me think immediately of a children's book, I may be more lenient.
Overall, though, the story is breezily written, and is easy to follow. As mentioned before, the intrigue is a bit low-key compared to expectations, but it's very well paced and enjoyable.
Since the end of World War I, a new resource is available: Talents. It's not entirely clear why, but supernatural abilities have begun to bloom, sometimes in the most unexpected people.
Kim Tavistock is one of those people. A British/American dual citizen, she has returned to her father's homeland. Her career as an investigative reporter in America has collapsed, and she's looking for a way to put her skills to use. Her Talent is spill; people share private, personal information with her. Just the perfect ability for a spy to have.
This book has a great story, but it's far less action-packed than what I expected. I think that was due to the cover. It's got an imposing, tense air. Those planes flying across bring up mental images of the bombing of London. The portrait of Kim is reminiscent of Hayley Atwell as Agent Carter. The promo copy on Simon and Schuster's website actually name checks Agent Carter along with Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. I was expecting more behind-the-lines burglary and espionage flavored by superpowers.
Instead, the book has a high amount of social interaction, making the le Carré comparison more apt. Many of the important scenes are set in high society countryside weekends and fancy luncheons. The crux of information gathering in the story is gossip. Due to her Talent, Kim excels at this. Kenyon makes a fascinating choice, though, by making Kim uncomfortable with her ability. She has no issues with her former role as an investigative reporter; but she wants people to like her for who she is. Kim doesn't want to betray people's trust, even unintentionally.
A major theme of the book is the dangers of a spy's life. By dint of the craft, one can't share information with those close. Kim isn't the only one who faces this issue. Her father, Julian, is a spy as well. Unlike Kim, Julian is working for H.R.M.'s government. The conflict between these two spies is at the crux of the story. They've been estranged for years. Now, both want to develop a closer relationship with each other. However, they each feel their secrets are too insurmountable. Kenyon is familiar with the theme of daughter/father conflict. It's a huge driver in her epic science fantasy series, The Entire and the Rose. It's not surprising to see her return to it in The Dark Talents.
One thing I particularly appreciated about At the Table of Wolves was the examination of modern events of the time. It's easy to look back at WWII and draw clear, black-and-white ideological lines. Kenyon captures the confusion of the time, though. A lot of people around the world thought that Hitler wasn't so bad. Even King Edward VIII (who reigned from January to December 1936) had pro-Nazi tendencies. After his abdication, Edward and his wife actually visited Hitler in Germany, and there were numerous rumors. Early in the book Kim mistakenly believes that her father is actually a supporter of Hitler, describing him as "something of a Nazi."
While the book is largely well done, there are a few flies in the ointment. The largest is the written use of accents in the story. The Tavistocks, being landed gentry, have servants. Their accents are thick and hard to read. It comes down to personal taste, but I have a hard time reading accents as they're written. It looks awful on the page. Also, it immediately hearkens back to the first time I saw it done -- the moles of Redwall. If it didn't make me think immediately of a children's book, I may be more lenient.
Overall, though, the story is breezily written, and is easy to follow. As mentioned before, the intrigue is a bit low-key compared to expectations, but it's very well paced and enjoyable.
lsneal's review against another edition
3.0
This was a fun and reasonably suspenseful read - an alternate/fantasy history version of a classic 1930s British mystery/thriller. The heroine, a woman in her early 30s, is a little too naive for belief, but not to throw-the-book-across-the-room levels, at least for me.
sistermagpie's review
3.0
I can't say this book didn't draw me in, since as I was getting to the end I missed my subway stop. But at the same time, I can't say it always worked for me. It takes place in an AU England where it's the even of WWII and something called "The Bloom" has happened--people have developed psychic abilities. The heroine has something called "The Spill" which makes people sometimes tell her secrets and she's recruited (and then volunteers without permission) to be a spy to stop an invasion by Germany.
The plot works well enough, but for me it takes a lot of reason to convince me that something as huge as WWII and espionage needs a fantasy aspect and this didn't really do it. Also I often found the different Talents, as they're called, frustratingly plot-device-y. It's the same problem I have with psychics solving mysteries. Rather than someone figuring out something organically they just get a flash through their psychic abilities--a flash that's just mysterious enough to not solve the whole mystery at once.
The plot works well enough, but for me it takes a lot of reason to convince me that something as huge as WWII and espionage needs a fantasy aspect and this didn't really do it. Also I often found the different Talents, as they're called, frustratingly plot-device-y. It's the same problem I have with psychics solving mysteries. Rather than someone figuring out something organically they just get a flash through their psychic abilities--a flash that's just mysterious enough to not solve the whole mystery at once.
ailsabristow's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book. The premise alone had me completely hooked: after World War I, strange “Talents” begin to appear in the population, a result of the psychic trauma. Some seem fairly innocuous, others more troubling. But in the 1930s, both England and Germany are trying to figure out how best to weaponize these talents for a coming war.
The heroine of this book has a talent—“the spill”—which prompts people to tell her their secrets. Useful in her career as a journalist, but difficult when trying to make friends. And, of course, she soon gets caught up in a plot to thwart German aggression.
Kenyon does a stellar job of weaving together actual historical events with the fantastic elements of this alternate universe. I love how she sensitively draws in the politics of the day. After all, how would different sections of society respond to the sudden emergence of paranormal Talents? There’s a wide range of responses to this, from indifference to hostility, that feels very true to life. The subplot involving Kim’s maid, Rose, was also a moving exploration of how quickly anger and fear of perceived “outsiders” can spread, in a way that was more nuanced than you often see in WWII fiction (where the British never display any ugly prejudice in contrast to the evil Germans).
Kim is an endearing heroine, who’s Talent leaves her isolated from others. She’s resourceful, but a little pigheaded and often out of her depth. Her mistakes have consequences, and she is certainly far from perfect. The complexity of her relationships with other characters, particularly her father, was another highlight of this book for me.
I was thrilled to learn there is a sequel to this book; I can’t wait to see what’s next!
The heroine of this book has a talent—“the spill”—which prompts people to tell her their secrets. Useful in her career as a journalist, but difficult when trying to make friends. And, of course, she soon gets caught up in a plot to thwart German aggression.
Kenyon does a stellar job of weaving together actual historical events with the fantastic elements of this alternate universe. I love how she sensitively draws in the politics of the day. After all, how would different sections of society respond to the sudden emergence of paranormal Talents? There’s a wide range of responses to this, from indifference to hostility, that feels very true to life. The subplot involving Kim’s maid, Rose, was also a moving exploration of how quickly anger and fear of perceived “outsiders” can spread, in a way that was more nuanced than you often see in WWII fiction (where the British never display any ugly prejudice in contrast to the evil Germans).
Kim is an endearing heroine, who’s Talent leaves her isolated from others. She’s resourceful, but a little pigheaded and often out of her depth. Her mistakes have consequences, and she is certainly far from perfect. The complexity of her relationships with other characters, particularly her father, was another highlight of this book for me.
I was thrilled to learn there is a sequel to this book; I can’t wait to see what’s next!
cultureulterior's review against another edition
2.0
Anachronistic worldbuilding and language which is completely unsuitable for the setting