I wanted to love this, but it's more or less a basic urban fantasy, minus a compelling lead, a dynamic cast of characters, and a real sense of urgency. The only redeeming point (and the only way it stands out from the rest) is that it's painted in rainbow colours.

I. LOVED. IT! such a great book with a very original and well-executed concept. I truly appreciated the queer positivity this book portrayed and the characters were all so well written, I got attached to so many of them! A must read for urban-fantasy readers, especially those looking for queer rep in this genre. 5 stars

I really liked this book! It was very interesting and good characterization! I would definitely recommend!

Crack the Spine is the perfect Urban Fantasy novel for those who love the genre as well as everyone looking for representation in their books.

Magical Fantasy., Good read , moved along nicely.
The storyline kept me engaged and wanting more
Great main Character development

Crack the Spine: The Wayward Series by Wade Lewellyn-Hughes

Every so often, a book lays down the truth and surprises you with it. That was this book for me.

While not Wade Lewellyn-Hughes's debut novel, I believe he is still in the "new" category of published authors and this book absolutely blew me away.

What did this book get right?

Story:

The story of Wayward Investigations, of which this is the first - of many, I hope - is compelling, engaging, and interesting. I feel like it leans heavily on its characters, but that's not a bad thing. They are, in my opinion, the author's finest resources, so I'd be disappointed if he didn't use them. The first chapter draws you in with a mysterious situation and the rest that follow take part from the perspective of the main protagonist, Kendall. I feel like I got to know her throughout the book, and she's exactly the right type of badass to be the center of this type of story. I think the story's two main points of interest are its cast of characters and its setting. It takes place in a few of the southern United States, present day. There would be nothing surprising or interesting about this if the story didn't account for two major things: first, the world isn't quite the same as we know - or think we know - it to be today, and second, there are fewer bigoted reactions and there's more general acceptance towards the 2SLGBTQIA+ cast than I would imagine, living in one of those southern states, today.

Setting:

The bulk of the story takes place in and around New Orleans, Louisiana, a place which, sadly, I've only driven past. It's portrayed as a vibrant city as colored with history and culture as it is with tourism and 'hipness'. The book also introduces us to a seedy underworld, mostly online, of buyers and sellers of body parts, mostly of the magical creature variety, to be used in who-knows-what for who-knows-why. It's an honest living, I guess. The morality range of the main characters, from somewhere in 'good' to 'gray', makes the 'sales' aspect a bit of a touchy subject. They have a goal, and this is how they they're going to get there, and that goal is so far on the 'good' side that a little 'gray' mixed in as a source of income to afford their dream shouldn't hurt anyone. Right? We'll see.

Oh, speaking of magical creatures, monsters, boogeymen, will o' wisps, leshies, goblins, incubuses, you name it - they're all real. If there are folk legends of a magical, mythical, or mystical being somewhere in the world, odds are at least someone in Wayward Investigations knows of them.

Suspense:

I'm not usually the type of reader to pick up thrillers or mystery or horror novels, and so I neither know how to classify this one (other than 'supernatural), nor do I have the typical "biting my nails" or "can't put the book down" reactions I suppose some of those types of readers might have. If you have those responses, good on you! I hope this book elicits that for you. I just don't think I can immerse myself in fiction when I'm required to view it with a somewhat critical eye. Regardless, even though I was reading this with that critical eye, I think I held onto my Kindle longer than I needed to, telling my husband "hold on" a bit more often than was necessary, because I didn't really want to put down the book. There are several reasons for that, as I'll get to, but the pacing of the novel was very well done. There was enough action and suspense to draw me in without overwhelming me.

Pacing:

This is like the suspense category, but where that deals with me feeling possessed to continue turning the page, the pacing of the novel is more about how much happens in a set amount of time and space, like a chapter or a scene. Lewellyn-Hughes masterfully balanced the action with the explanations. He managed to show us what was happening while explaining to us what each supernatural creature looked like and what their abilities were. It was a tall order and he got it right. Again, I felt neither over- or underwhelmed, and never, ever bored. I was usually acting as Kendall's extrasensory perception, attempting to discern threats she may not be aware of. I was mistaken on most accounts.

Character Development & Personalities, ie. Creating Good-as-Real People for Me to Fawn Over:

I really felt like I was one of the crew. I wanted to be. I felt like these were people I did know, would know, could know, if only I had the right circumstances. I felt like I belonged with them, in their "wayward" halfway house. As an often overlooked member of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, the representation of varying identities nourished me. Almost every character with a name - basically every character worth knowing and remembering - fell on the beautiful Queer spectrum. That I read it one month after Pride didn't even dampen my joy and delight in meeting and getting to know these characters. The book isn't long enough for there to be massive character development, but we do see changes, especially the protagonist's emotional maturation.

Style and Tone:

This book is categorized in the Kindle store as "LGBTQ+ Fantasy Fiction" but I think it could also fit right in with "Urban Fantasy". I think the style and tone match that well. It was easy to read, without overly lengthy or florid descriptions of people, places, or things. Information is given when needed, and it seemed to always be the perfect amount. I never walked away from a scene feeling like I didn't understand what happened or know what someone or -thing looked like, so I think Lewellyn-Hughes has the whole show-don't-tell thing mastered. I didn't question it while reading it, and, while I should probably pay a bit more attention to the things like that, I think that's a sign of a book well-authored.

Who is this book for?

I think this book was written for someone a lot like me. I may even be a member of the author's ideal target audience. So I guess I'll tell you why that is. I'm a Queer woman who places high significance on found families and friendship-communities based on shared identities and experiences. I struggled as a kid, outcast for just about everything about myself: my disabilities, my appearance, size, shape, interests, personality, religion, home life, and the family into which I had been born. Knowing what it's like to be an outcast, and knowing what it's like to be a member of a community in which so many people struggle with homelessness (because of bigoted people unable to swallow their pride long enough to recognize their child is still the same person they were before they came out, and love and accept them just the same, along with unfair policing methods and a system that offers too few safety nets for 2SLGBTQIA+ folx of all ages, but especially those with mental illness, as often goes with the territory of abuse) and I realize that's a terribly lengthy and possibly even nonsensical sentence at this point, but I think you should know that seeing all of this directly affects how I see the world. It has shaped me. It has formed me. It has made me who I am. Seeing so much suffering - so much pointless suffering - I can't help but be highly sensitive to the experiences of others, I can't help but be empathic and sympathetic to the situations of every individual in need, whatever their story. I may not agree with them. I may not even like them. But the least I can do is try to listen and understand their story, their pain.

The idea of there being something of a magical wayward house for the Queer is immensely intriguing and satisfying to me. Many of us begin our lives as victims - of circumstance and of abuse - and what a way to wrest back control of your own life than in the arms of a community of people like you, all working towards a common goal? Add in the magic aspect, and this book felt like it was written for me, as though it was exactly what I wanted and just hadn't thought to look for, hadn't known such a perfect combination and intersection of things could exist in a book.

Lastly, a section I wish I didn't have to write, content warnings. (I wish I didn't have to write it because I wish none of us carried trauma, not because I don't want to do the work of warning you.)

Content Warnings:

For some of you, the content of this book may be prohibitive in choosing whether or not to read it.

In this book there are mentions of abuse against members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community (I think it was mental only). There is mention of family members rejecting transgender people when they came out.

There are scenes that deal with corpses, some in states of decay, although I don't think they were described in any kind of gag-inducing detail.

There is mention of police brutality, though it does not occur on the pages. Corruption does occur, but not to a deep extent.

Because of how the world interacts with a Black woman protagonist, racism is on Kendall's mind more than just a little bit.

There are scenes involving kidnapping and abuse, including people being physically bound against their will, and scenes involving drugging and human trafficking.

There weren't any overt depictions of sexual abuse, but there were sexual themes in the kidnappings, such as humans being stripped down, dressed in undergarments (off-page), and staged to look a role while auctioned to monsters of both human and nonhuman kind.

There are monsters who can bend humans' sexual attraction and love to their will, creating a power imbalance and leaving room for all kinds of abuse. An example of something you might be familiar with would be a succubus, a female demon who can bend those attracted to women to obey and love her, no matter what their minds and free will choose, because those cease to exist around the demon.

Related to the succubus, some human victims equate love with abuse, whilst under the spell of a monster. They might be perfectly reasonable otherwise, but while locked in that monster's gaze, they believe they are in love with it and that "love" takes precedence over all else.

There is some romantic rejection and average awkwardness as a result.

If it helps ease your fears, I have been through many experiences that make these situations traumatic to relive, and I didn't have any problem reading Crack the Spine. I found it enjoyable, although not always a 'light' or 'easy' read in its subject matter. I don't suppose that any book that hovers near the crime category makes for easy reading, but without the tough bits, we wouldn't have the suspense we crave.

I wholeheartedly recommend Crack the Spine: The Wayward Series by Wade Lewellyn-Hughes, especially if you are a member of the Queer community or an ally who likes urban monster suspense stories. This was a genre I wouldn't ordinarily reach for, but I will definitely be on the lookout for additional books in this series. I received an ARC for review from NetGalley (thank you to them and to Wisdom, Wonder & Whimsy Books), but I also purchased the Kindle edition after it was released.

This fantasy offering was a delight that I was not expecting. With some of my favourite tropes including found family. I enjoyed this one from start to finish. It had heart, action, mystery and again lots of action.
We follow Kendall and he friends/family as they encounter supernatural creatures of all kinds as they try and solve the mystery of a missing woman.
There were some gruesome scenes and it did deal with some heavier topics like human trafficking, SA, homophobia/transphobia.
But there were also lighter and heartwarming moments.
This one is worth a read.

This a pretty solid start to an urban fantasy series.

The raw elements are pretty good, but the execution could use some work. I am excited to see what else the author will write in the rest of this series as well as future ones.

I loved this book! The characters are all real and different, and feel like they truly are a found family. I also loved the mystery, although there were a few too many false endings for my tastes. Can't wait to see what the author comes up with next!

Crack the Spine is the first book in The Wayward Series by Wade Lewellyn-Hughes. Fulfilling bounties on the supernatural requires a balance between safety and profit. Kendall Blake and the Wayward Investigations team walk this line with one goal in mind: to create a haven for runaway LGBTQ+ youth living on the streets of New Orleans, easy food for the darkness seldom discussed outside of fairy tales. But real estate is anything but cheap and selling the feu follet they catch in the swamps isn’t bringing in the cash they need. Enter Frankie Singh. Her childhood friend has gone missing in what appears to be a very sophisticated abduction. The fact it began with a murder in Portland has already skewed the balance beyond Wayward Investigations’ threshold. But they needed the money. Unraveling the mystery of what happened to her friend forces them deeper into the shadows and puts their own magical abilities to the test. Even tough-as-nails Kendall wonders if they made a mistake in trying to find her once she is staring down her gun into the glowing eyes of an incubus.

Crack the Spine is a solid urban fantasy, but I have to admit that I had one problem with it. While it is the first in a series it felt like there was something leading up to this point, or that there should have been. I searched a bit, and while there are other books by the author I could find nothing that struck me as offering the answers of how the group in Wayward Investigations came together and formed their found family style bonds. However, I did like the major players and the story itself. I thought there were some great moments, and a couple I had to go back and re read because I was not sure if I missed something. I like the world that was created here, and the efforts of Kendall and her friends. There are plenty of mysteries and questions left in my mind at the end of this book, and I will read the next to see if I get those answered, and some more back story.

Crack the Spine is a good urban fantasy, and I liked many aspects of the read. I believe I will give the second book a try when it comes out and decide after that read if I want to stick with the series.

Thank you NetGalley for a free copy of this book!

Unfortunately I had to DNF about halfway through. The writing was a lot of telling over showing and overwrought descriptions which made it difficult to get into.

This book took forever for me to be able to get into and finish. The prologue didn’t lead into chapter one, and I even had to go hack and re-read it after I finished the book for it to make sense. There are so many made-up names/titles for “beings” without any explanation of them or what they mean/are/do that it was sooo hard to follow and make myself keep reading. That being said, the last couple of pages have me really considering purchasing book two just to read the resolution to the cliffhanger!

Crack the spine is a supernatural detective novel.. What drew me to this book was the LGBTQ representation in the plot and that it sounded like a supernatural show in written form, The book starts off with a murder and back and forth dialog,

There may be potential for a good story for anyone who can get past the writing style however I could not. Right away I knew the style of writing was not for me. Unfortunately I only got 15% in to the book before I DNF it. The characters did not draw me in as I expected. I may try again at a later time.

I always love myself a good fantasy book, and this one did not disappoint. A new urban fantasy that will fall in love with reading all over again.

Crack the Spine exhibited authentic representation of diversity. The LGBTQ representation was precise and immaculate.

The author skillfully weaves together a complex plot with well-developed characters, creating a story that is both thought-provoking and suspenseful.

One of the strengths of this book is the way in which the author delves into the psyche of the main character, exploring the depths of her fears and desires.

It is a well-written and engaging book that is sure to leave you thinking long after you turn the final page.

I am so excited for the second book of the series, I just know I am going to LOVE it. Looking forward to the release of book 2.

I love urban Fixtion with a romantic edge. It’s one of my all time favorite tropes and I enjoyed exploring it more here.

Crack the spine was great! I cannot wait for book two in the wayward series!
Quick and easy to read yet not lacking in depth and storyline. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 star read.

This book is the first of a new urban fantasy series set in New Orleans. The agency is made up of a group of diverse people that have been brought together by a sassy mother figure and their own unique experiences. They hunt and dispose of the supernatural entities that are plaguing the human world.

I loved the premise of this book! I am a huge lover of urban fantasy and this book did not disappoint. The LGBTQ+ representation was awesome! These diverse characters were at the central heart of this book and were not secondary in any way! I loved the glimpses we got into each individual’s life. I have questions, but am hoping the next book will give me the answers that I seek!

What I did not like was the lack of information about the really obscure supernatural creatures. I think a bit more information in the text would have definitely helped.

Overall, a great book! I can’t wait for the next in the series.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5

A fantasy book with a pretty cover & a promise of LGBTQ+ representation were all I needed to know I wanted to read this book. Those things were not nearly enough for me to understand how much I would fall in love with this story and the incredibly real characters inside.

I took extensive notes while reading. It's helpful to be able to skim through after I am done, and see things I liked, things I didn't, important plot points, questions I have as I go, predictions, etc. Nearly every single opinion I scrawled is just unabashed fan-girling.

Minor spoilers ahead.

The story starts off with an intriguing opening. It's the evening of Tara's 21st birthday. She comes home, chats with her best friend, Frankie, gets ready for bed, and then a strange, otherworldly man is in her doorway, and nothing is the same.

From there, we meet the team of Wayward Investigations. Kendall, Jian, Leif, & Diego, operating under the wing of Marcélite. Immediately, I loved Kendall & Jian, both individually, and their dynamic together. It took a little more time to appreciate Leif & Diego, but not much. It stuck out to me that all of them feel like real people. They have shared experiences, and also individual thoughts, wants, strengths, flaws, and histories.

And this is where Wade Lewellyn-Hughes absolutely shines. While most of us who are LGBTQ+ ourselves want more representation, it's often not done well, if we get it at all. How many books have I read, shows have watched, movies have I seen where if they bother with queer characters, they're either killed off early, or their whole personality is just being 'the gay one'? Not here though. The main characters are a combination of POCs and not, queer and not, and it never feels forced, and yet, also never forgotten. It's a fine line to walk, and this book has perfect balance.

Now, at this point, I should admit, with these characters, this book could have been about absolutely nothing and I would have had a good time. But, that little mysterious opener from the beginning? Oh it unfolds into a well crafted ride. I'll stop here for fear of giving away too much of the story, but there's action, laughs, moments that made my heart hurt, and moments that made it feel full. And though this is the first book of the series, and definitely still plenty of of places for the story to go, I didn't feel like I was left hanging.

This will very easily be making my top 5 books of the year, and possibly top 3.

An interesting urban fantasy where a group of very different characters who have found themselves together to ultimately establish a refuge for runaways and those living on the streets, particularly of the LBQT community, in New Orleans. However, the way they are raising the money is a little bit different for they are bounty hunters of the dangerous things that go bump-in-the-night. There latest case involved a woman who mysteriously disappears from her apartment one night and the murder of her grandmother hundred of miles away at the same time. But as they investigate, they discover this may be way above their abilities and resources. Will they survive if they decide to help? Can they live with themselves if they don't?

The characters in this book turn most stereotypes on their heads but are still well-rounded characters and very believable. Diversity in the characters and their personalities is an important part of this book but it is a good story as well. Sometimes the flow was a little awkward but overall a good book and great characters. The world needs more diversity and representation of the LBQT community.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest opinion.

I really enjoyed this book, and look forward to the next part of Kendall's story, and watching this family grow!