A real spooky page-turner! It’s good, interesting, and moody. The Lake Superior setting is beautiful and well rendered. The terrain, along with the house called Metsan Valo, are almost characters themselves, as is key with great gothic fiction.

Anni is returning to her child home on beautiful Lake Superior after many years away. Unfortunately, her return is not for a happy reason, but because of the recent death of her cherished grandmother. Even though initially resistant, Anni finds she is glad to be back in near the water and among the trees. Yet, strange things are afoot at Metsan Valo, and the keepers of the place seem to know more than they are saying. Can Anni and her twin brother figure out the mysterious happenings before it is too late? A true gothic classic.

Everything tied up in a nice, happy bow at the end. Although I think I would have preferred a spooky cliffhanger.

Recommended for fans of Daphne DuMaurier and Susanna Kearsley or for your next book club!

A big thank you to Wendy Web, Lake Union Publishing, and NetGalley, for providing a complimentary Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for this honest review.

To grab a copy of The Keepers of Metsan Valo for yourself, head on over to www.BookShop.org – the online bookstore that gives 75% of each book’s profit margin back to independent bookshops. Find yours at https://bookshop.org/lists/best-fiction-of-2021.

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Thank you to Netgalley, the publishing hosue and the author for the opportunity to read acomplimentary copy of this book in return for a review based upon my honest opinion.

A gothic house on a small Finnish isalnd with a history of vaki (the narutal mythilogical creature of nature), the death of the matriarch of the family, strange happenings; so many things that should have led to a fanatastic edge of your seat book. This book fell flat for me, though. It was too slow and as much as I enjoyed the main characters I just found the story dragged on and on.

Anni and Theo remember summers spent in this Lake Superior homestead. Full of wonder, magic and tales of Finnish spirits that roam the woods and run amuck. The keeper of all of this wonder is the children's grandmother, Taika, however the next time they are reunited at this home is for her death. Suddenly things in the woods shift, and not for the better. As family members arrive of the funeral, Anni and Theo experience things that that cannot be explained. Fireflies surround them, doors lock on their own, and images appear out of nowhere causing deadly consequences. As things escalade it's up to Anni to figure out if the stories of her ancestors and the spirits are a warning or a guide.



This novel was a breath of fresh air. Fast paced, easy language, and a new story line not quite discovered yet. I'm mostly of Nordic ancestry so it's always fascinating to read folklore or a story about it. While the novel focuses mostly on Anni, I do think the little background lives of the characters add color to the novel, especially Theo and their mother. While I enjoyed actual supernatural occurrences in this book, I did feel like the author could have added more of an edge to it. Made it more dramatic and spookier. Other than that, I enjoyed it and would read other works from this author.

Rate: 4/5

Fiction

Author: Wendy Webb

This was a very unique story and it compels me to tune in to my surroundings and my world. I take that for granted. Beautifully written this story will stay with you long after you finish.
Many thanks to Lake Union Publishing and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

What an intriguing story that keep me reading into all hours of the night. This is my first book by Wendy Webb and it won't be my last. Metsan Valo is a family home set on Lake Superior. When the matriarch dies, Anni returns for her grandmother's funeral and the reading of the will. The book blurb tells this so much better than I can so here it is:
The spirits of Nordic folklore come calling in this entrancing tale of family secrets and ancient mysteries by the #1 Amazon Charts bestselling author of The Haunting of Brynn Wilder.

In Metsan Valo, her family home on Lake Superior, Anni Halla’s beloved grandmother has died. Among her fond memories, what Anni remembers most vividly is her grandmother’s eerie yet enchanting storytelling. By firelight she spun tall tales of spirits in the nearby forest and waters who could heal—or harm—on a whim. But of course those were only stories…

The reading of the will now occasions a family reunion. Anni and her twin brother, their almost otherworldly mother, and relatives Anni hasn’t seen in forever—some with good reason—are all brought back together under one roof that strains to hold all their tension. But it’s not just Annie’s family who is unsettled. Whispers wind through the woods. Laughter bursts from bubbling streams. Raps from unseen hands rupture on the walls. Fireflies swarm and nightmares stir. With each odd occurrence, Anni fears that her return has invited less a welcoming and more a warning.

When another tragedy strikes near home, Anni must dive headfirst into the mysterious happenings to discover the truth about her home, her family, and the wooded island’s ancient lore. Plunging into the past may be the only way to save her family from whatever bedevils Metsan Valo
A great story that weaves Legends of the Norse into an unforgettable story. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I hadn’t read Wendy Webb before this book, but I was drawn to her combination of Finnish folklore and the dynamics of a family brought together in their ancestral home by a lake. The author says it is dedicated to her own ancestors and I could feel the reverence and care in the story. Anni Halla
is living in Paris when she hears of the death of her grandmother. Her ‘Mummo’ lived on her estate at Metsan Valo and Anni can remember spending idyllic summers there when she was a child. The estate was built by her great-grandparents and now the family begin to gather and wonder about who will be the new keeper of the estate, Anni hosts alongside her twin brother, as the family mourn together and wait to hear the will read. Unexpectedly, their grandmother refers to Finnish folklore in her will and spirits that may or may not inhabit the house. This explains a few of the strange ‘happenings’ that have occurred since the family have returned. The setting is wonderfully dream-like, the family are lovely and close, and they clearly loved their grandmother. I wondered whether they would be as close after the will was read? That concern aside, this book was like a meditation for me. I felt myself sinking into the author’s world, and it was so relaxing. I felt like I’d been forest bathing! I’d be very keen on reading some of her previous novels.

Anni Halla and all of her relatives have been summoned to their old home called Metsan Valo whose meaning is "Forest Light" on Lake Superior for the funeral and a family reunion of sorts for the reading of the will from their beloved grandmother (Mummo), who had unexpectedly passed away. Anni recalls so many memories of her Mummo telling old Nordic stories of the eerie, enchanted forest surrounding Metsan Valo with the magical little people (Vaki) and talking animals also whispering brooks and all living things that lived within these woods. Some tales would tell of the trickery, spells and mischievous encounters of some of the little folk while other stories told of the magical powers that the Vaki possessed over the land, wind and waters belonging to Metsan Valo. Anni knew these were all old Finnish folklore passed down through the generations but It always seemed Mummo truly believed in these tales and wanted Anni and her family to be aware and respect her feelings and to always be respectful of the woodland and their inhabitants. From the first night Anni arrives she has mixed feelings about her childhood home and begins to experience whispers and shadows and feelings of something ominous in their midst yet she refuses to believe in something otherworldly behind the strange occurrences that begin to multiply and create tension and arguments among the family Anni has always felt happiness and security whenever she stayed at Metsan Valo from her earliest memories as a child and throughout the years so why now is she uncomfortable and feeling fearful with a sense of foreboding when all she ever felt before was love and warmth. When another tragedy strikes the family, Anni knows she must delve into the history of Metsan Valo and explore the hidden secrets of the island to ensure the safety of her family because someone or something malevolent is trying to use fear as a message to make Anni leave Metsan Valo.

I truly enjoyed this eerie and mysterious story that was so uniquely different. There was always an air of spookiness and mystical drama throughout which had me turning the pages very quickly. Wendy Webb was an excellent storyteller and I was hanging onto every word of the history of Metsan Valo and the enchanted forest. Lovely descriptions of the scenery of the forest and the nearby small town on the island had me wanting to know more about all who chose to live on this beautiful island. I can only describe this book as a magical story treat for adults and a great fun to learn some of the Nordic folklore that was researched by this author and spun into a creative and enchanting story of her own. This was my first book by Wendy Webb but it certainly won't be my last. I highly recommend this novel to any reader who wants to escape and live in a fantasy world for a few hours.

I want to thank the publisher "Lake Union Publishing" and Netgalley for the. opportunity to read this wonderful story and any thoughts or opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!

I have given this whimsical book a rating of 4 ENCHANTING 🌟🌟🌟🌟 STARS!!

This is the 4th or 5th Webb novel that I have read and not particularly enjoyed. I would still purchase this for the library as many readers enjoy her work, but not my cup of tea.

The Keepers of Metsan Valo by Wendy Webb

I absolutely loved this book! The mystical Finnish folklore played a big part of it. The suspense kept building with all the supernatural events. It makes you believe that there is a lot of truth to all the ancient folklore stories.

I will definitely read more books by this author.

Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an e-ARC for my honest review.

#NetGalley #TheKeepersofMetsanValo

Haunting and great! I knew immediately I’d love it, because I also loved The Haunting of Brynn Wilder!

4.5/5. No one does atmospheric gothic stories like Wendy Webb. When Anni goes back to her childhood refuge after her grandmother dies she starts to feel like the house has shifted without her grandmother there to oversee it. When her twin, Theo arrives they both start to experience things that can’t be explained.

This book is very much about honoring your culture, stories, family and tradition. It’s also about coming into your own.

This is another fun Wendy Webb book based in the Lake Superior area with some Finnish folklore mixed in.

This one was not as spooky as her other books, but it did have a fairly decent amount of fantasy tied in. I do wish there was a little more of it, but I was still entertained. The pace of the book was perfect, but the end felt kind of abrupt.

Thanks Netgalley and publisher for the digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

When Anni's grandmother passes, she returns to her family home with her relatives. Delving into the history behind her grandmothers storytelling she discovers the truth behind the legends. A heartwarming sotry..

Family drama. Nordic folklore. Mystical elements. Gothic aesthetics.

Anni Halla’s family home, Metsan Valo, sits on an island on Lake Superior. It was built by her great-grandparents and was the home of her recently deceased Mammo (grandmother). Since Anni’s childhood, Mammo told her the most enchanting stories about the forest edging the estate being full of spirits, demons and danger. About the folk that lived in the forest and in the water, that could harm you or help you, depending on their whim.

After her passing, Anni’s family are instructed to meet at the island estate for the reading of her grandmothers will; a family reunion of sorts.

Anni and her twin brother Theo, arrive first to greet their extended family who bring tension into the home. The twins opt to stay on the estate during their remaining time there. They both experience unexplainable, malevolent happenings. Life really spirals out of control after their mother’s home in town is broken in to, not once but twice, leading to (once again, unexplainable) accidents and disappearances thereafter. With the odd phenomena happening to her family, Anni remembers Mammo’s stories, and plunges headfirst reading about her families past, finding out who she is, and what needs to be done to stop the danger her family is in.

I loved the surreal, wonderfully atmospheric setting and how well the story encompasses and builds itself around Finnish folklore, which, interesting enough, is inspired by the authors own Finnish ancestry.

I’ve also read Daughters of the Lake, and have since wanted to read her backlist.

Do you have a favorite Wendy Webb book?

*Thanks to Lake Union Publishing via NetGalley for kindly providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Keepers of Metsan Valo was different to anything I’ve ever read before.

The plot was compelling and mysterious and I couldn’t read fast enough to find out what would happen next. It was easy to read and kept me turning the pages.

I found it hard to keep up with the characters and kept getting them mixed up. I’m not 100% why and it might have just been me!

The setting and atmosphere were my favourite part of this book. The only word to describe this book is magical. You can literally feel the magic oozing off the pages, sucking you into the story and the town. Even the strange occurrences made me want to dive into the book and explore everything and be more involved in the book.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and author, for a chance to read and review this book!

The Keepers of Metsan Valo is a generational thriller/mystery.
Anni is the main character, and Metsan Valo is the name of her ancestral home on a small island in Lake Superior. Anni's beloved grandma (Mummo) has just passed away, and because of various situations, the Home is left to Anni.

Her grandma always told her stories about the vaki- little people who could be helpful or spiteful.
Anni is ultimately given an ancient book which in a magical way helps her to understand what to do.
In the meantime, until she figures things out, many family members are in peril.

Although you could kind of guess what was going to happen early on, there were enough red herrings that you weren't sure. Parts of the story were scary, but not terrifying.
I thought it was a pretty good book, if a tad predictable.

My thanks to NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for my honest review.

I have been a long time fan of Wendy Webb's gothic themed novels, often reading them in the Fall when a book embedded in gothic atmosphere and folklore and hints of ghosts, secrets, and darkness are a welcome reading vibe. I was excited to have the chance to read this book early to prepare for my gothic reading season and appreciate the ARC from NetGalley and and Lake Union Publishing. Thank you!

Ms. Webb has an elegant way of integrating past stories, often family histories and folklore themes, into a present day story, connecting past and present in a seamless manner and making effective, well developed connections across time and characters and this skill is again on display in The Keepers of Metsan Valo. While her books might ask for suspension of belief due to the use of folklore and ghost story like themes, that is not hard for the reader because she weaves in elements of mystery with an effective atmosphere in her books; the goal of her writing is to entertain, to celebrate a history of her family, a place, and a context and to introduce some moody mystery and this is well done. I found it easy to connect with Anni's story, the complex family coming together facing a family loss is a theme that resonates with me and many readers, and the uncovering of hidden secrets and family/local lore is well paced and fun to read.

This book was another fun, welcome, and engaging, fast read for me from Ms. Webb, one of my more favorites of hers

reviews copied to BN and Amazon and goodreads!

When Anni and her twin Theo return to their grandmother's home on an island in Lake Superior, settling the estate becomes the smallest part of their story. Both have relationships to work out, and there are other relatives with agendas of their own involved in the larger picture. Strange things happen--ghosts? tree spirits? a murderer? Webb incorporates some Finnish folklore in this one. Although totally freestanding, this book fits into the loose collection of Webb's other contemporary Lake Superior gothics, and is one of her best. Terrific read!

A mansion in the middle of the woods, Finnish folklore and a family reunion going wrong.

The mistress of Metsan Valo died and the family is coming together for the reading of her will. The guest list: twins - Anni and Theo - who were practically raised by their grandma; their mother, Arden, a free spirit, loving but chaotic; aunt Gloria who has just remarried and she's bringing her mysterious, new husband with her; cousin Vicky, who hasn't really spent much time at Metsan Valo, her husband Yale (who no one really likes) and their daughter, Lichen, who is more interested in her phone than what's happening around her. And then there are Meri and Martin, who have been helping out at the house as long as anyone can remember.
Once the family has gathered, odd things start happening. The twins are attacked by a swarm of fireflies, Anni is seeing things she's not sure are real, then their family home gets broken into.. And that's just the beginning.

I enjoyed the creepy elements in this story and the atmosphere Wendy Webb has created. I also liked the characters, who were relatable and fun to follow. The plot had enough surprises to keep me engaged and not enough to lose me. I didn't like the writing that much, with some phrases sounding a bit artificial. Finally, the resolution was pretty simple, which made the whole plot lose its importance a bit for me. All in all it was a fun read, great for the spooky season.

Thank you to Netgalley, Lake Union Publishing and the author for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I should start by saying that I read Daughters of the Lake, which is by the same author and set in the same place, but I have not yet read the author's second book in this series. However, some of the characters were familiar and I had the feeling that I was reuniting with old friends.

Where Daughters of the Lake was a chilling ghost story, The Keepers of Metsan Valo is steeped in local folklore and seems more of an homage to Nordic folktales than a haunting tale, per se.

This author's work is easy to read and I enjoyed the direct dialogue and frankness of the characters. I do think that this novel lacked a bit of the creepy atmosphere that usually resonates in a gothic mystery.

Still an enjoyable read, 3.5 stars from me.