Here's the thing: this book suffered in my scoring because I wanted it to deliver on taking the folk story we know and love and enhancing it - instead, it read more like a prequel.

Taking the concept of Robin Hood and bringing it into a fae forest, with all the spooky socio-political implications of humanity in a magical world - that's fascinating. And Rivers doesn't shy away from the hard parts - atrocities of sexual assault, women being treated as property, the cost/strength of standing up to your abusers (even if they're family) and the 'othering' of societies more connected to the land...? Baller.

The problem lies in execution. You can call it a debut problem or call it a 'romantasy' trope problem. The end result is the same. A slight disappointment with the quality of the story once you get past the 'Robin Hood' retelling bones.

Marian's prejudice is a realistic depiction of how an indoctrinated person speaks and thinks, and it's unpleasant to read at points, which is largely the point. She's committed enough to nearly starve rather than eat fae food; the book is willing to let her prejudice cost her something real, which is more depth than lots of romantasy protagonists get. But the book that's brave enough to depict the system isn't quite brave enough to decentre the woman who generationally benefited from it. Marian gets the redemption arc; the fae characters get to be patient with her. The whole cost of her deprogramming lands on the people she was complicit in harming, and the narrative frames that as tenderness, and leaves the 'guilt' to be nicely resolved in its ending.

Meanwhile Lox (Robin) and his Merry Men slide into the background of a fated-mates plot. Rivers can absolutely write a steamy moment, despite the inevitability of Lox and Marian; I enjoyed watching them get there... but I'd have traded a good chunk of that middle section for time with the side characters or more pages after the ending.

Because Wench ends with our two main characters deciding to essentially become the Robin Hood and Maid Marian of folklore. Which is to say: the exciting part starts on the last page.

Every time I asked myself, "Why would she/he/they do that?" in this book (which happened a lot), I was left with the same answer.

On the page: a random poor girl is picked to compete in a deadly trial with a deadly royal family, with no real qualifications and no information, on behalf of a rebellion that won't tell her anything. Sending an unqualified nineteen-year-old into the most dangerous plan you've got? Seems sound. Telling her nothing, to the point where it endangers the rebellion? Perfect logic. Opening our mouths about treason in front of people we've known five minutes? The only way to stretch this into a sequel. A girl who's just been trained by her sister turning out to be genius-level handy with a blade the moment the plot needs it? Naturally. Writing a slow burn and then landing a sex scene at the 75% mark? Sounds organic to me.

Off the page, every one of those has the same unsatisfying reason. It's just not a reason that exists inside the story. It feels like someone looked at the tropes required to market a romantasy/deadly trial/enemies-to-lovers story and dropped them onto the characters, with no thought for how stupid it makes everything and everyone.

Which is a shame, because there's a decent idea here. The setting is interesting even though we spend little time in it, and the political machinations are gestured at with enough shape that you can see the better book behind them (presumably to be fleshed out later). The romance is mostly handled with real restraint for something sold as romantasy, which is exactly why that 75% scene sticks out.

This wasn't a hate read. It's the kind of book that's an easy read for vibes. The trouble is that vibes is where the idea started and where it stopped, and yet somehow there are a whole lot of pages to read.

Terrible news for me personally to have loved this book as much as I did. This got 5 stars from me because it made me go through a whole character arc, not because it's a perfect book. If you've heard about the MMC yearning, I want to say up front, I think WTMH delivers on that front 10x over

I started with a desperate desire to DNF through the prologue (literally promising myself if I made it 100 pages in, that I could stop); but by the middle of the book, I had literally cried about a fictional dragon, and by the end, I had devoured the book in one sitting.

Now. I do have a lot of criticisms. The prose, particularly in the early book, is... a lot. Like eyeroll and DNF kind of a lot. Like we just discovered what metaphors are and want to use them every other line a lot.

The way time passes for the characters is very handwavy. Multiple flashbacks + I have absolutely no idea how long these characters live meant I was just vibing with no understanding... is 100 years a long time? Are they like elves? I still need answers!!

And to be honest, the amount of 'unique' world-building terminology was absolutely overwhelming. Nothing was grounded in a way that let me use my pre-existing life/fantasy knowledge to get up to speed quickly. I had to repeatedly refer to the glossary to understand what a character was saying/doing/holding. It took ages for me to realise essentially the main 4 gods are the 4 elements (like Avatar), and people have affinities for one/multiple types of magic.

There are so many place names, people names, and item names (the list goes on) that I literally couldn't recall or explain what they meant if my life was on the line.

Probably the 'make or break' problem for most readers is that the overarching plot was one of the weakest parts of this story. Normally I'm a plot reader, so this is something that would cause me to DNF. For me, something about the characters in WTMH and the constant desire to turn the next page saved it. I think I stayed engaged because the tension/subplot points in each chapter were normally fleshed out with moments of tension, emotion, and character development. It was just that the 'big' plot reveals (particularly at the end) were sometimes predictable, or just didn't hold the same emotional weight for me as a reader as some of the smaller moments. E.g., there were certain character deaths that I felt were narratively/character-impactful, but as a reader, it felt like a 'told, not shown' moment.

But there were also some moments of really good writing craft The moons being the graves/dead bodies of dragons was SO UNIQUE and poignant, and definitely a highlight for me.

Kaan was far and away my favourite despite most of the book being from Raeve's POV. His character consistently pushed up against 'normal' MMC tropes, and his grief, leadership and softness were given as much page time as his attractiveness and power. He's probably a more well-rounded person than Raeve, which is why it's so easy to root for him. I do think WTMH deserves its flowers for writing main characters that felt like fundamentally complex characters, rather than having their characteristics land into clear trope categories.

I also found that Raeve's memories/amnesia was handled really well, so even though I was frustrated as a reader by her choosing to protect herself, it didn't come across as naive, illogical or 'convenient for plot reasons' that made me annoyed with the author. It felt like a very human response, even when it was cowardly.

So, my TLDR? There are a lot of overcomplicated parts to this story and world that ask the reader to put in more effort than they really should have to. But if you're willing to put in that effort and not penalise WTMH too harshly for that requirement, its a really enjoyable read.

I think this a good book, but not a great one. A lot of the deductions I’m counting against Shadow Reaper are felt up front in the first 30% - 50% of the novel. By the time I got to the final pages, I found I’d had a good time and a lot of my complaints were resolved in principle. The world building is fun, if a little predictable, and the journal entries really fleshed out the magic system beyond what we would have seen only from Viri’s POV. I will be picking up the sequel, which I have quite high hopes for.

So, pacing. Pacing was a major complaint for me from the beginning. The inciting incident arrived really late, and before that, all that drove the plot seemed to be the ‘inevitable’ will they won’t they between our two romantic leads. Not that their banter wasn’t fantastic, but in the early stages of the book it just didn’t feel like enough to carry the backbone of the plot. Once the plot got moving, so did the romance, and the kisses? 😳 steamy. I also liked how consistent Reeve’s character was, he refused to let Viri’s self denial cause conflict between them and I genuinely found him so funny. (“Why aren’t you stumbling?” “Because I learned to walk as a child” made me laugh out loud.)

The side characters I suspect will flourish in later books, I think our exposure to them was hamstrung by the POV sticking close with Viri, so despite hints that they are all interesting and distinct with found family vibes, that doesn’t deliver on the page in this book. Like genuinely, Viri’s two best friends take a lot of incredibly drastic revelations in stride - great friends but more time sitting with those moments could have added some real complexity and character development.

Throughout my read I left myself increasingly passionate voice notes about craft. There were early scenes that I felt were just out of character info/lore dumps and while on ending the book I didn’t necessarily feel the same, it still reduced the actual enjoyment of reading when I had to suffer through those scenes the first time.

I also spent most of the book predicting things and then being proven right within a chapter or two, which I suspect is all part of the way Noni crafts her plots/misdirections. Super frustrating btw to introduce a magic item that compels truth, and then not have it be a factor at exactly the moment Viri is agonising over whether Reeve is lying, despite the fact he’s still got Wonder Woman’s lasso (the fillium?) on him. Future reveals notwithstanding.

My complaint about the reveals is that they didn’t always feel like an “aha” moment as the pieces shifted, so even though some of the twists were legitimately unpredictable and those were immensely enjoyable, others felt like an ‘oh’ well that’s why that boring thing happened. I couldn’t help but to compare it to Dark Heir, whose twists made me immediately reread the book to catch what I missed.

The fact that Viri is seventeen was a fact I had to remind myself of constantly. Her insistence on keeping a narrow minded opinion of the world and people, jumping to conclusions, and her self denial were FRUSTRATING… but they’re probably believable of a teenager. Lots of YA books tend to have overly competent/mature main characters, so I feel like I need to give Noni her flowers for making a teenage FMC.

It all depends on what you value in a book, but to me, from the first chapter I was hooked. The narrative voice was immediately distinct and interesting, the tension sustained throughout, and the reveals were satisfying (whether they were predictable or not). It feels like a classic dark fantasy. Peaky Blinders with a touch of magic.

The plot does move at what appears to be a break-neck pace in every single chapter-which wasn’t off putting to me, but definitely comes at the cost of side character development. I think maybe our main character is a little too ‘good person’ to be super realistic, strong morals (no drugs, no rape, no taxing people beyond their means) + a bit of murder… but it meant the dark parts of the world didn’t get legitimately depressing. Which is an authorial choice I can respect.

I felt like the romantic subplot was well done, but it also felt a bit unnecessary, the book would have been just as strong without it and it seemed to be more in service of plots in future books. I do have some slight nerves around the change in scale of plot/setting in future books could be challenging to pull off, this book is a fantastic first in the series.

Keshe Chow has written a fascinating world and also a completely unoriginal set of main characters. Strange Familiars leans heavy on the trope of obsessive 'hatred' that everyone knows is actually just obsession. It's a typical Drarry/Dramione fanfic trope stacked on top of other romantasy tropes to draw in readers who enjoy that relationship dynamic without actually doing the work to build it itself.

Not to be entirely ruthless, but while I can’t confirm this is a reskinned fanfiction, it's not far off: the rich, born into magic, blonde boy with scars almost certainly from his wealthy/powerful and cruel father, with his tragic backstory; the poor genius girl with her constant studying, her unmagical family, her frizzy curly hair as the brightest witch in her class. The two of them competing for first in their year… I could go on.

On top of that, I don't think the marketing has done her any favours, because everything about the cover and the blurb say: this is a story about magical beasts, familiars, veterinarian academic rivals; and it all gets swept aside fairly quickly for a wider 'magic surge' conspiracy plot. It's not that the actual plot of the book is boring or bad, just that it doesn't live up to the expectations I suspect most readers have going into it.

I picked up the book wanting to explore the vet school/familiar magic/academic rivals angle, and finished the book still wanting that to happen. We meet everyone seven years into their training, in the lead up to their final exams, so the setting exists mostly as backdrop while the plot happens elsewhere. Chow is a vet, and her expertise shines in the scenes in the vet hospital and the school, even if the medical detail got to be tedious occasionally.

I think the author does do a good job of subtly weaving into the book the additional work people without privilege have to do just to reach a level playing field with those born into wealth and magic. Magic as a purchasable commodity is interesting too, though I got confused about what it actually is (is it like food, as we see Gwen buy it from a vending machine, or like money, given that Harrisford can do it by transaction on his phone)? I completely understood the broader capitalist critique of the world and the way the rebellion was classified as terrorists. But the actual details of the magic system remain cloudy to me.

Because we start our story seven years into their rivalry, none of it is on the page. Not their wins, their losses, their banter, their expertise… we only see it in flashback. I used to judge you for being poor, but I stopped feeling that way two years ago. I excelled in that class years ago which is how I'm going to get out of this current situation. Everything has to be spelled out for us, because we weren't there for it.

And this is a story that moves fast considering it's got seven years of backstory. It's not that the rivalry wasn’t believable, it's that the book wants to have its cake and eat it too. I can believe in years of grounded, established dislike, but then I struggle to believe the author when she’s trying to convince me their rivalry is solvable in a couple of weeks and a few one-on-one conversations. That requires me to suspend my disbelief and assume that they had never seriously talked in seven years? Because they were always in love (even if they didn't know it), we don't actually get to watch them fall for each other. We get them in denial about each other from page one. That was a much less satisfying journey to be a part of.

The tension between Harrisford and Gwendolynne is almost entirely made up of repeated incidents of unnecessary miscommunication, and given that they are both ADULTS, I found it a particularly frustrating author choice. Every one of their friends knows these two are in love. Even when their actions say entirely one thing, they both seem determined to believe the opposite (presumably something in the last 7 years is the explanation for this). We're inside Harrisford’s head, so we know the real emotions behind his actions. Then we're in Gwen’s POV watching his actions and his body language, but she makes wild leaps of logic to think the worst of him despite what her eyes say. So when he panics and runs away after they kiss, we know he's panicking. Gwen reads it as him playing her. Despite the fact that running from a kiss would be the worst possible way to end a 'trap' or a 'prank'. Maybe Gwen doesn't really get people and feelings. Maybe she's autistic coded. Maybe she's seen Harrisford do this before. But I haven't. So I'm not right there with her in the tension, I'm annoyed she's jumping to conclusions. I'm watching an otherwise exceptionally clever woman determinedly believe the worst about a man we can both see didn't mean it that way. Like, you assume he's just gunning for first in the year for VIBES? Not worth even a brief discussion to understand each other and talk about what you’re both competing so hard for?

That's not to say there aren't things I enjoyed! I enjoyed a lot. Percy was fabulous, though again, Gwen frustrated me when she had more empathy for him before he could talk. He was clearly treated badly for years, maybe he has some trauma he needs to work through? The twist with Pudding was unexpected, even if the 'patient 39' plot line was predictable.

Me being a lawyer also meant I got unnecessarily worked up about Harrisford’s trust fund. He drains a third of it to buy an illegal spell and then like two days later takes another third. He presumably is the beneficiary, so someone else administers it (see a later page about needing to take out money in cash so it doesn't raise more flags with his accountant) meaning there's now a paper trail for a very large sum going to an illegal transaction. Also, that's not really how trusts work. Why wouldn't it just be his bank account if he's old enough to have access to the full trust fund?

Also the rules about vets not using magic on humans and vice versa for doctors seemed to be worldbuilding for convenience? We're told it's against the law, but Gwen heals people repeatedly (under life/death) and there's no apparent tracking or consequence. I'd get the rules if they had any way to track or enforce it? And what makes an animal a familiar vs just a regular lizard/cat. Unclear. Can a wizard/witch bond with any animal and that makes the animal a familiar?

Despite enjoying the book well enough, I'm nervous about the sequel. We end Book 1 with both of our main characters knowing exactly how the other feels, and likely separated for a large chunk of Book 2; which removes the only tension device (the two of them and their miscommunications) the author has really been using. When rivals turn lovers, the author better be pretty skilled to keep the tension up without having to walk back their relationship progress.