Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

16 year old Ella’s mother dies in a tragic accident and she has to move to an odd little town in Indiana with her distant aunt she doesn’t even know. She soon makes two friends, another newcomer, Sam and a thespian named Sarah. Then things really get weird. Can the friends figure out what’s going on in Napper? Do they want to?

First, let me say that I mistakenly read some reviews after I received the book but before I read it. People started talking about LOTS of POVs, well, I am not a fan of the multiple POV at all, more than two and it’s basically torture for me. So, I was scared. I said I’d read it, so I was going to, but I was NOT excited. Let me just say, I’m not sure what the heck that was all about. There are a lot of characters, and several plotlines to cross, this is true. But, the book is told in the 3rd person, so there are not multiple POVs, there are simply multiple plotlines that do not cross until the second half of the book. The worst part of many POVs, especially with short spurts and fast switches, is it makes it impossible for me to get attached to characters, and I am a HUGELY character driven reader. That was not a problem at all with Grey Lore for me. I was attached enough to Ella and Sam to root for them, and attached enough to Sarah too. I liked them all a lot. I’d also read that they were a bit flat as characters. I did not find this to be the case. Character-wise, I was 100% on board with this book.

What kept this book from being a 5 star read for me? It was a SLOW starter. Like, maybe they needed a tougher editor. That first half was a whole lot of nothing, a little set up and a lot of hints, but good grief. The whole thing just felt UNENDING. So much hinting and half communicating and wandering, blah blah. Once stuff started happening in the second half and we started getting somewhere and making progress, it was great, but I was so exhausted with it all it was less…successful? Impactful? Fun?

It was a clever, unique story that was well written, but could have done with some editing for pacing. The “retelling” threads woven in were fun. The town was great, a little bit weird and quirky, which is right up my alley. And, I loved the three friends and the “witch”. There were actually plenty of characters to like and/or love. Overall I liked this story quite a lot. I’m sad, because if it weren’t for the pacing it could have been abject love. But, it was good, I would be interested giving the series at least one more book to see if the pacing gets better. Sometimes that “First Book Syndrome” is a rough road.

I was confused during most of this. I couldn't connect the voices to the wolves or anything else that happened. I was really excited about a dark fairytale with a twist, but the writing wasn't my favourite and there were too many POVs for me to keep track of.

This was all around a good book. Strong characters and a strong plot! It was hard for me to put it down!

This was an interesting take on werewolves. I enjoyed the mysterious scene setting at the beginning. It fell down gof me on the POV shifts - there were too many for this size book and not all were necessary. There didn't seem to be enough revealed as payoff as you went on either which became frustrating especially when coupled with the broken up story sections. I liked it and I enjoyed tge characters but I found it very annoying at times too.

3.5 Stars...

Here's the truth, I like this book but there are just some things that keep bugging me making me not to like Grey Lore.

The synopsis really caught my interest that's why I requested this book from Netgalley. And maybe first quarter of the book, I felt contented and somehow enjoying the reading. In fact I thought the this is so fairytale-like. I liked it. The tone that was set at the beginning was so mysterious, the chapters were divided into different parts, each part seemed cut so abruptly that I was always left wondering and asking what was that about or what will happen next. And so it was thrilling and of course I couldn't help but keep on reading.

Sadly, I grew tired of it. Sometimes, not revealing many things about the story or plot keeps the mystery going on but I think the approach used in this book isn't just very appealing and satisfying. See, each chapter is composed of many parts and most of the times each part was told in different POVs. Like in one chapter, there would be at least three POVs. Multiple POVs are okay but putting few or several POVs in one chapter isn't just that appealing especially if in every cut of POV the reader wasn't left satisfied.

Maybe after first quarter reading this, I'm not anymore thrilled to know the what's and why's, instead I'm frustrated. And Jesus Christ there are just too many POVs. I think it would have been better if the story sticks with Ella, Sara and Sam's POV... Besides the synopsis said, and I quote:

Ella, with her new friends, Sam and Sarah, might be able to find out what the strange occurrences mean. Except that they’re all being pulled in different directions by people who love them; and some who don’t.

If the story, whole story, was told thru their eyes, and little by little reveal to the readers what they FIND OUT, that would be more exciting. And I'm more interested on THEM, and what the occurrences in their town affect them...

I'm sorry I can't stop talking about POVs because really it made the story less beautiful and interesting. Because of this problem, the significance of Ella and her friends being the protagonists have been degraded. Not to mention I didn't get to connect with these three as well. They seem so bland.

On the other hand, I loves wolves. And like I said earlier I love the tone of this book and the idea of the wolves in their town was very thrilling. The mysterious killings. I also love the pace of this story. It's fast paced and maybe that's why I still got to finish this one. Now you may ask how on earth does a fast paced book have a bland protagonists.

I already said why... It's the multiple POVs... There is always something happening in the story but that doesn't mean our main characters are always doing something interesting.

Overall though I still recommend this book. If you want to be in a fairytale mood, this one is for you, with it's mysterious and dark tone.

I received a copy of Grey Lore by Jean Knight Pace and Jacob Kennedy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was intrigued by the summary and really wanted to like this novel, but it was a chore at times to keep reading because I just did not connect with the main character, Ella. The plot could have been pulled together better - more linear and mystery shoehorned in - and the characters developed better. There were flashes of real goodness, but then the story would get bogged down or off track a little.

I would try reading another book by these authors to see if the a future novel would improve in pacing and character development, but I wouldn't recommend this novel.

This book was absolutely fantastic. The world, the mythology and folklore, and the magic were all brilliantly done. This book is one of the reasons I love to read from lesser known authors, there are some absolute diamonds out there and it would be a tragedy to never know of them.

Review of Grey Lore by Jean Knight Pace and Jacob Kennedy

In the interests of full disclosure, I was sent an ARC of this book by the publisher through NetGalley for review purposes. All my reviews, good, bad, or indifferent, are based on my own opinion and from my personal viewpoint. They are also spoiler free.

Grey Lore has an interesting premise for its fantasy world which is not the run-of-the-mill werewolf legend.

It reads like a mystery novel set in a fantasy world. The three teenagers each discover different pieces of the puzzle and must combine all of the pieces into the truth, then overcome numerous obstacles, including doubting their own sanity at times, to find a way to prevent the looming catastrophe.

Well-written, the story starts slowly and gradually builds to a satisfying conclusion. The closer to the end of the story, the faster the pages turned.

Fun read. I recommend it.

I give it 4 stars.

Book Review Rating System
1 star Not even worth the $1 at the used bookstore
2 stars Worth the $1
3 stars Worth the time to read
4 stars Good book! Earns bookshelf space
5 stars Great book! Start hunt for more books by this author

A wonderful story with fantastical creatures and lovely morals

"Not all wolves are bad. And not all men are good. And most are unfortunately stuck somewhere in between".

Living in a small town in Indianapolis with her dull, distant aunt was never Ella's plan. But then again, neither was it to become an orphan after her mother's accident. Life in Napper is slow, quiet, and definitely uneventful. Until Ella starts hearing voices from creatures that are not supposed to talk. Is she slowly loosing her mind? Or are there things out there she never had imagined would be true?

Along with her two new friends, Sam and Sarah, the young girl will find herself in the middle of more action than she had expected in this place. Fate seems to have a lot in place for all of them, and not everyone on their road to discovery is there to help them. A peculiar and unique past unravels for each of them, but their choices are what will ultimately define them!

Prepare yourself for some of the most intricately woven plot you will ever find in a book. Gorgeous storytelling, detailed narrative, unexpected twists are all woven together in this amazingly strange story. This is more than a book for the fans of fiction. This is a world of lore and tales within a larger one, a modern fairy tale that encases so many others. Grey Lore shows you how fairy tales are made. Sometimes subtly, other times less so, the reader sees how the battle of good and evil and the heroes and the villains of real life are what moves humanity to create its myths and legends.

Fast paced and with no lack of plot, the story keeps you hooked from the first page up to the very last. Expertly managing to avoid cliches, it also creates an air of mystery around characters, keeping you guessing about their pasts, as well as their intentions. There is a fun game of the reader involved, in which you will desperately try to find the culprits and the villains. It is not as easy as it looks - which makes it even more fun to be involved with. By the time the pieces of the puzzle fit together, the reader has reached the climax of the story.

As a fantasy enthusiast, I was completely engrossed in the story. Having read dozens, if not hundreds, of fantasy books, I have to admit that it is very difficult to bump into a unique structure in a book, and a different plot than what hides in most fantasy books. I can happily declare that Grey Lore was one of those rare occasions where a book absolutely (and happily) surprises you.

There's a lot more I could say about the book, but I definitely do not want to spoil any of the fun you can have with it. So I will wrap up, saying that I strongly recommend reading this, especially for the fantasy genre enthusiasts.

This book sounded wonderful in the description. Trust me it was a good book. I feel that the author could have done a little more to the backstory before the very end because throughout the book I felt a little confused about what the backstory was on Ella's & Sam's story lines. It was an engaging read though and I do look forward to more in the series. Just hope the author give a little more backstory that is not completely wrapped in riddles.

A great story about werewolfs and adventures. A little slow sometimes but overall a great book.

I couldn’t put it down! A great story full of lore and friendship and horror.

“It seems to me that great sacrifices bring about great gifts. Unusual gifts. Miraculous gifts.” ~ Grey Lore

Pace and Kennedy deliver a fast-paced, gripping story in Grey Lore that blends reality and folklore so masterfully that the two seem inseparable.

Summary:

When Ella’s mother dies in a tragic accident, she’s sent off to Napper, Indiana, to live with her aunt. The town is small, with seemingly nothing much going for it. Ella doesn’t exactly fit in, but then again, neither do the two friends she makes. Sam lives in a trailer, the son of a traveling vacuum salesman with hardly a dollar to his name, hoping to make enough sales in Napper to keep food on their table. Sarah is the daughter of fairly well-off parents, but is bored with her lifestyle and looking for something exciting or, at the very least, something more to life than her current humdrum existence.

Things don’t stay dull for very long. Ella is sure she’s hearing dogs talk during the full moon, and afraid of being thrown in the local asylum, she tells no one. Instead, she seeks solace in the few things she has left that were her mother’s. Namely, the stories her mother had written down and hidden, the ones she used to tell Ella at bedtime. Lore about werewolves and metals and darker times. She’s comforted to have pages her mother wrote in her own hand, stories that had been told from her own lips, but things like that don’t happen in reality, right?

Still, there are wolves roaming the woods in and around the town, not to mention a serial killer whose MO includes a silver bullet and the removal of the victim’s teeth. One thing’s for sure: Napper isn’t nearly as boring as the three kids had first believed.

The Good:

- The character voices were great. They were easy to read, engaging, and sounded very much like teenagers, which made me laugh sometimes at their teen brain (in a good way) and their sarcasm. They were all very relatable, and I found myself rooting for them.

- The mystery! My goodness, the mystery. Or mysteries, since there were a lot of them. The story was masterfully written so that it unfolds, little by little, while still keeping its secrets. Try as I may, I didn’t quite piece it all together until I was obviously meant to, even though I’m usually really good at guessing endings. I find the unpredictability refreshing, and I just had to keep reading so I could solve everything.

- The folklore and themes that are woven through the story are fantastic. They’re meaningful and give a lot of depth to the story. Some of them are retellings of stories that we know and love, like Little Red Riding Hood, but sometimes retellings don’t have happy endings, right? The folklore motif played a big part, and I really enjoyed not only the depth it added to the story, but the questions it surfaced and the way it made me, as a reader, really think about both the lore and the overall book.

- The world-building is wonderful. It’s actually quite in depth, and I loved learning how rich this alternate world is, but it wasn’t cumbersome. There were no giant info dumps that had my eyes glazing over. The tidbits were slipped naturally into the story, and I found that I was eager to learn more every time they came up.

- I don’t know, everything? As far as books go, this had it all. Mystery, puzzles, action, romance, lore, and wolves. I happen to be a big fan of wolves. If you’re more of a cat person, there’s also a cat, and he’s snarky and fantastic.

The Bad:

- There were still some loose threads. One of the villain’s motives didn’t make sense to me. I wasn’t sure what their endgame was or what they were hoping to gain from their actions, because it actually seemed to be contrary to what they said motivated them to do the things they did. (I’m being intentionally vague. Is it working?) There was also one character in particular that stood out as having been alluded to serving a very important purpose, and it seemed like they had the potential to be a vital fulcrum, if you will, someone to turn the tide of the story. All that setup, however, seemed to sort of just fall by the wayside, and he never appears again in the ending, and there’s no real conclusion to his arc.

- The ending. I mean, it wasn’t bad, I suppose. It was happy, which is more or less what I might expect for a YA novel. But it was too neat and clean. With how high the stakes were and how dramatic the climax was, there was no real denouement, just an epilogue that feels a little too “happily ever after,” but not in the neat sort that would tie into the folklore feel. It just felt too unrealistic, too rainbows and sunshine for me after everything.

- This wasn’t really a negative for me (but it wasn’t necessarily a positive, either), and I know that some people likely will find it annoying, so I’ll mention it. The point of view in this book is all over the place. There are no markers for what point of view it’s in until a name is used, and in some instances, to up the suspense factor, no names are used (like in the antagonist point of views). Because there’s no steady rhyme or reason to the switching of the point of views, it was sometimes hard to know whose point of view I was in or where/when things were happening, so I was occasionally confused. That being said, the changing point of views were highly effective in building the suspense and unfolding the mystery little by little, so I think the book would have lost a lot of the power it had were it written any other way. So this isn’t so much a bad as a heads up. If you can’t stand the constantly switching point of views, then this maybe isn’t for you.

Overall:

I simply could not put this book down. To the point where my husband threatened to divorce me if I didn’t turn the light off so he could get some sleep. I considered it, I really did, just to find out what happens. But, you know, he’s kind of handy to have around, and I’ve put all this time into training him.

From the very start of the book, I was hooked, and I remained hooked through the whole thing. There were very few, if any, slow sections, and no parts that jumped out where I thought, Well, I could probably put it down here and take a break. Very rarely does that ever happen.

Grey Lore definitely earned its five-star rating, and I can’t recommend it enough. I enjoyed it so much, in fact, that I will be checking out Grey Stone, the other book Jean Knight Pace and Jacob Kennedy wrote together. I just hope there will be more books in the future, as this is a world I would love to revisit.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.