Rating: 4.5/5
I’m so excited to celebrate the first day of pride month by releasing my review for Oak King Holly King!!!!
Sebastian Nothwell is an author who holds a special place on my shelves. I was first introduced to his work when I stumbled across Mr. Warren’s Profession. As someone who wasn’t a fan of historical romance, this book drew me in and began my journey into queer historical literature. When Sebastian reached out asking if I’d like to receive a digital review copy of Oak King Holly King, I couldn’t say yes fast enough. It’s not every day that an author you admire reaches out to provide a review copy. (It was one of the most exciting things in the world, and I can’t thank him enough.)
As I began to read Oak King Holly King, I knew it was going to rank highly in my favorite books of 2024. I haven’t read anything similar to it in recent memory. This book has a fascinating structure that drew me in. I can’t quite put my finger on how to appropriately convey it— the closest description I can think of would to be define the story as a perfect amalgamation of slice of life, adventure, romance, and a healthy dose of the fantastical. It truly instilled a sense of immersion that was set to a leisurely pace. I saw that another reviewer appropriately described the reading experience of this book as “patience,” and I couldn’t agree more! Although the book immediately begins by introducing the conundrum of Shrike being crowned as Oak King, the reader is eased into the universe, its rules of magic, and the inner workings of the human and fae realms. The story takes place over seasons and provides a wonderful opportunity for true full entanglement into this stunning world. I’ve read so many fast-paced books recently, that the slower pace was a breath of fresh air that allowed the reader to savor the growing relationship between Shrike and Wren and the journeys our main and supporting cast embarked on.
The writing style is also superb! I’m usually not a fan of exceedingly descriptive writing styles, but I think it worked well for this story. I also loved the fact that the author incorporated Victorian speech – it was the cherry on top of the immersive experience. And the two love interests – Shrike and Wren – were such a delight. I don’t mind insta-love whatsoever and these two had fantastic chemistry! And the spicy scenes sprinkled throughout the story were a lovely little surprise.
I also enjoyed the fact that we aren’t limited to one “big bad” or overarching conflict within the book. Rather, the reader gets to explore an enticing mystery surrounding Wren’s human acquaintances in addition to the external conflicts that Shrike and Wren face within the fae realm. The plot twists really started hitting hard in the latter half of the book, and I was buckled up and ready to go every step of the way.
While there were some questions that I still need answers to – like how did Wren come to have magic and what were the purpose of Shrike’s antlers – I do enjoy an unanswered mystery now and again. They keep me coming back to the universe to devour even more stories – I’m eyeing you Tales from Blackthorn Briar. Overall, if you’re a fan of mysteries, leisurely paced fantasy/historical romances, a dash of spice, and sweet love interests, then this is the book for you.
As I began to read Oak King Holly King, I knew it was going to rank highly in my favorite books of 2024. I haven’t read anything similar to it in recent memory. This book has a fascinating structure that drew me in. I can’t quite put my finger on how to appropriately convey it— the closest description I can think of would to be define the story as a perfect amalgamation of slice of life, adventure, romance, and a healthy dose of the fantastical. It truly instilled a sense of immersion that was set to a leisurely pace. I saw that another reviewer appropriately described the reading experience of this book as “patience,” and I couldn’t agree more! Although the book immediately begins by introducing the conundrum of Shrike being crowned as Oak King, the reader is eased into the universe, its rules of magic, and the inner workings of the human and fae realms. The story takes place over seasons and provides a wonderful opportunity for true full entanglement into this stunning world. I’ve read so many fast-paced books recently, that the slower pace was a breath of fresh air that allowed the reader to savor the growing relationship between Shrike and Wren and the journeys our main and supporting cast embarked on.
The writing style is also superb! I’m usually not a fan of exceedingly descriptive writing styles, but I think it worked well for this story. I also loved the fact that the author incorporated Victorian speech – it was the cherry on top of the immersive experience. And the two love interests – Shrike and Wren – were such a delight. I don’t mind insta-love whatsoever and these two had fantastic chemistry! And the spicy scenes sprinkled throughout the story were a lovely little surprise.
I also enjoyed the fact that we aren’t limited to one “big bad” or overarching conflict within the book. Rather, the reader gets to explore an enticing mystery surrounding Wren’s human acquaintances in addition to the external conflicts that Shrike and Wren face within the fae realm. The plot twists really started hitting hard in the latter half of the book, and I was buckled up and ready to go every step of the way.
While there were some questions that I still need answers to – like how did Wren come to have magic and what were the purpose of Shrike’s antlers – I do enjoy an unanswered mystery now and again. They keep me coming back to the universe to devour even more stories – I’m eyeing you Tales from Blackthorn Briar. Overall, if you’re a fan of mysteries, leisurely paced fantasy/historical romances, a dash of spice, and sweet love interests, then this is the book for you.
Comments
Post a Comment