Enjoyed it but it wasn't my favorite by the author. I have so many mixed feelings. I really liked the story up until the end. It seemed so anticlimactic. It started off so well- scary house on an island, ghosts, creepy caretakers and family secrets. There was so much mysterious stuff happening. Then everything is explained away in one rainy night, which Anni didn't even remember and then poof everything is right again. The story was dark, creepy and ghostly and so much was going on that couldn't be explained and simply offering some food made it better. I felt like there was more to learn about the characters. I didn't love any of them because there was so much I didn't know about them. There was definitely a story behind Meri and Martin. How long have they been at Metsan Valo? Do they age? Yale was so mad about his inheritance and then just drops it out of nowhere. What about Charles? There was so much I wanted to know about these people. Can Anni ever leave Metsan Valo for long periods of time or will the vaki start to rebel? I would have given the book four stars, until everything was explained away so easily.

Definitely recommend giving the book a try. Loved getting see a few people from previous books.
Look forward to reading more books by the author. Love the cover of the book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Lake Union Publishing through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

4.5 stars

This book sucked me in a way that for that alone deserved 5 stars.
I'm still not sure what it was that held me so much in this story that I didn't stop reading until I was done.
I think in the end what won me the most was the vibe of the story, we have here a kind of mysterious vibe, of suspense and maybe even a little bit of horror.
I really liked the mystery that the author brings, even though you know kind what's happening, it's really cool to see our protagonist discover all by herself.
Some people are not going to like the whole mystery solving very much, I think you have to suspend your disbelief and accept that this story is like that, I didn't really care because I thought the author was working to make the ending something like that so it didn't come out of anywhere even thou I was wanting and hoping it would be something more in the end.
The author's simple and fluid writing together with the short chapters make this book a great reading experience for me.
But what made me read this book quickly was wanting to know what's going on.
Making it clear that I don't think this is a horror book but if you like me are pretty scared and don't like horror books I highly recommend this book even more now in October if you want to get into the spooky reads vibe because I think it fits a lot and I loved reading it in October, it made my reading month start really well and in the spooky vibe!

The Keepers of Metsan Valo is an atmospheric novel that combines mystery, intrigue a touch of gothic, folk lore and mystical fairies. We all love to believe in fairies.

Anni and her family return to the her Grandmother's home for the reading of her Grandmother's Will.

Family adds that element of tension as they arrive one by one for the reading

The house is located on Lake Superior and you can feel the cold, hear the waves and the old house creak.

No spoilers here just pick up your copy and get lost between the walls of Metsan Valo and hope the fairies protect you.

Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an atmospheric intriguing read.

Unfortunately this was a DNF for me. I paused at about the halfway mark and I'm not really sure I'll go back to it. The book started off strong; a really interesting prologue followed by an intriguing first couple of chapters. However, that's where events seemed to stagnate.

I was really looking forward to the folklore element of the book, and perhaps there would be more further in, however, not a lot happens in the first half of the book. I found the pace quite slow and when bizarre things happen to the characters they seem to lack the urgency or appropriate reactions you'd expect from them. One incident in particular sees a character in a very dangerous predicament and yet the following morning it's sort of forgotten about by all involved except for a throwaway comment or two. There was also the weird way in which our MC and her twin kind of made fun of their kind of troubled mother and this really was quite off-putting.

There were some positives that I did enjoy; the sibling relationship I really enjoyed (albeit not the way they were towards their mother), the family dynamics surrounding a death rung true and felt real, the first couple of chapters were gripping.

Unfortunately, this wasn't my cup of tea but I am sure it will be the right fit for someone else. Based off what I did enjoy, rating of 2.5 stars.

I love Wendy Webb, especially in the fall. I recognized some of the auxiliary characters from other books and I love how she has created a whole world! I really enjoyed Finnish supernatural elements. I feel like I really need to restart all of her books and read them in publishing date order. She is a favorite author and this book goes in line with that.
As for the story itself, it was fast paced and with the perfect amount of spook. The characters were all likable and relatable. I really love Anni and Theo’s relationship. And Arden was fun too. I have questions about Martin and Meri……maybe they will be answered in another book.

Wendy Webb’s newest book, The Keepers of Metsan Valo, is filled with magical realism that explores the questions “If the folktales and legends in your heritage were true, what would they look like in modern times?” and “Are the people who believe these stories eccentric, slightly off-kilter, or just more in touch with the natural world?”

Metsan Valo is the Halla family home on an island on Lake Superior. Annalise “Anni” Halla returns after a ten-year absence for her grandmother’s funeral. As soon as she arrives at the home, strange things start to happen, first to her, then to her twin brother, Theo. As the story continues, creepy things happen to her mother Arden and to her Aunt Gloria. And who is the man who Aunt Gloria married after a whirlwind romance?

Taika “Mummo” Hallo was of Finnish descent and often told tales about the Vaki who lived in the forest surrounding Metsan Valo. Prior to her death, Mummo prepared a video will for her two daughters, three grandchildren, and one great-grandchild to explain her wishes. In the video, she tells her family about their female Finnish ancestors who were able to command the weather, animals, and befriend the Vaki. She gives nominal gifts to her daughters and Anni’s cousin, Vicki. The rest of the estate is to be divided between Anni and Theo, but Mummo leaves Metsan Valo to Anni alone.

Is there a relationship between the mysterious events and the folklore? The housekeepers give Anni an ancient book, which possibly holds the answers. Only it is written in Finnish, a language Anni cannot read. Plus, she is too busy dealing with the current events to have time to look at it. But until she does, things keep getting eerier.

While I rarely read Gothic novels, I liked this story. With Halloween only a few weeks away, tis the season for such books! There is nothing gory or gruesome, nor is it scary. I enjoyed the humor of the funny dialogue between Anni and Theo. And there is a budding romance between Anni and the lawyer for the estate. A few things bothered me, especially that Anni, who lived in Paris, never came to visit a single time in ten years. If I was Mummo, I probably would have written her out of my will for that alone.

3.5-stars rounded up to 4. Thanks to Ashley V. at Lake Union Publishing for my advanced reader copy. This novel will be published on October 5, 2021

This was a middle of the road read for me.

Pros: I love reading about old spooky houses and add in an inheritance I'm totally interested. Plot wise this was right up my alley. It was certainly a fast read and I read in a matter of hours.

Cons: A con was also a pro. It was a fast read, but felt the story and characters lacked depth. which is why I read it so quickly. The story was just that, a story, I felt it could have dealt more into the history of the house and made the scenes involving past inhabitants a little bit longer. It seemed like it was just a quick blip and then back to the present. I would have enjoyed more of the history of it all. The characters also were really one-dimensional. The only character that we seemed to get any real feel for was Anni, it seemed everyone else was just there as a supporting cast but with no character development.. The folklore seemed to be thrown in sporadically and we circle back to it at the end, but it felt just thrown in. Which leads me to the ending, it just seemed anti-climatic.

It wasn't a bad read at all just was expecting a little more atmosphere and spookiness. I also was hoping for a little bit more from Meri and Martin - I was certain something odd was going on with them but I was wrong.(Unless I missed something).

Final Note: I hope I never hear the word "Darling" again. It was way overused and makes me cringe just to write it.

I do love Wendy Webb's books, this just wasn't my favorite.

Thanks to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for my advanced copy

Actual rating: 2.5 stars.
I love Wendy Webb's books, but unfortunately this one fell flat for me.
I think my problem was that <i>The Keepers of Metsan Valo</i> was too much like Webb's two previous novels - a girl at a turning point in her life arrives at Lake Superior and is involved in supernatural things.
As usual, I really loved the setting, it was definitely my favourite part of the story. I liked Anni's relationship with her twin brother, and the folklore was interesting, but apart from that I didn't find the plot to be very surprising or exciting, and I found myself a little bored.
I'm still looking forward to Webb's next book, but this one didn't impress me.

Family secrets, lies, and Finnish folklore! This is an unusual novel about Anni, who has retuned to the family home on Lake Superior after the death of her grandmother. There's jockeying for inheritance, there's anger, there's all the sort of things that happen in these circumstances. And then there's the forest. I was not familiar with the folklore, which is smartly incorporated to make this quite Gothic in tone so I learned a bit (always a plus). Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. An interesting read - don't miss the afterword.

Reuniting to discover what Taika Halla left in her will, her adult grandchildren Annalise and Theo encounter modern crimes and old folk tales that have settled over Metsan Valo.

I put this book down at about 50%. Nothing really drew me in to read further than that, but I can't place my finger on why. It was hard to determine where the book was set, and Annalise just didn't capture me as a protagonist should. We hadn't really learned much about her or her brother by that point, other than that they had failing relationships and a kooky but seemly lovable mom. I didn't get to the folklore, but based on other reviews, this was weaved in well by the author.

Note: I received a free ebook copy of Metsan Valo from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

“I am here to carry on your traditions. I promise you they will not dissipate in the wind…” and isn’t that what we’d like as the story of our lives comes to a close? Webb’s tale of family, friendship and enchantment pulled me in and kept me there until the end. Not your typical fiction, this has a touch of magic but the myths and legends that are woven into the fabric of the tale make it that much richer. I enjoyed this one with its nuances of self discovery and carrying the familial torch through the passage of time.

Take me away to the shores of Lake Superior. My GOD I love the world that Wendy Webb creates. Sure - there's always something supernatural going on and someone always dies but there's always something magical and romantic and haunting and beautiful there too.

Anni returns to Metsan Valo because her beloved Mummo has died and the entire family has gathered to pay their last respects. Anni's twin arrives next and they are quickly attacked by fireflies - then they get stuck in a sauna - and then he just walks off the dock into the lake. Then their mother disappears - throw in a handsome lawyer, a new Uncle, a somewhat creepy groundskeeper and a book that appears to be hundreds of years old and you have a Wendy Webb book.

Like previous stories, we also have familiar characters and locations - Gary and LuAnne appear as does the diner - the inn and the bookstore. Did I cry as much as I did with Brynn Wilder - no, but this was still an excellent story.

I am a massive fan of Wendy's stories and can't wait to see where she takes us next.

Another creepy Gothic tale from Webb. A family gathers at an ancestral home steeped in secrets, lies, and mysteries. I have read all of Webb's books but the last few, including this one, are starting to feel like just reworkings of her oft-used tropes. Not altogether unlikable, just not as original as she used to be.
I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

I always enjoy Wendy Webb's novels. For me, they're a total escape - a "vacation" to an area of the U.S. that is beautiful, wild and mysterious. Her characters are well developed, interesting and not dysfunctional. they feel like friends. I enjoy all of the supernatural happenings that occur. There's very much a sense of "home", in her stories and definitely in this one. Highly recommend if you enjoy a light gothic mystery.

Fiction or folklore?

A family reunion at Metsan Valo is imminent due to the untimely death of Taika Halla, mistress of the manor. She is grandmother to Annalise and Theo, who return to their childhood home for the reading of their mummo’s will. As soon as they return, strange mystical occurrences begin to happen, which seem to reinforce the strange stories they have heard over the years. Is the house enchanted by the vaki who live in the forest? Annalise must figure out her role in the family in order to stop a succession of bad events that seems to threaten her relatives’ lives.

Wendy Webb is one of my go to authors when I want to read a good gothic tale. I have read all of her books and enjoy learning about the Lake Superior small town life and the people who live there in this reoccurring setting.

In The Keepers of Metsan Valo, we revisit characters who have been stars in her previous books. It is nice to follow a common thread throughout her writing and feel like you are part of this small town community. Unfortunately, a significant amount of time is spent describing the setting instead of furthering the plot. While familiar, this time I felt like this pattern became too repetitive. The same formula seemed to be more tired this time around, as the plot unfolded too slowly and wasn’t supported by hooks that really resonated with me. The writing itself also felt too simplistic. Webb mentions in the acknowledgments that she used a different method for writing this book than in the previous ones, and I don’t feel like it was as successful. However, I did enjoy learning more about Finnish folklore, but feel it wasn’t enough to carry the plot of this tale.

While this wasn’t my favorite book by this author, I will absolutely continue to read about these wonderful characters who I have come to know and love!

2.5/5 stars rounded up

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union publishing for the ARC of The Keepers of Metsan Valo in exchange for an honest review.

The Vaki

This is a story of a magical forest where little people called the Vaki either protect or make mischief. It is the story of Anni who inherits her grandmother's home and becomes the mistress of Metsan Valo.

It is a story of a family estranged from each other that get together at Metsan Valo because of the death of their mom and grandmother. The cast of characters are an assorted lot. Anni and Theo the twins who are closest to their grandmother and have spent summers at Metsan Valo. The Caretakers Meri and Martin. Their aunt Gloria who just married a man no one knew anything about name Charles. Their cousin Vicky, her husband Yale and her two children, and finally their bohemian mother Arden.

An ancestral home on an island off Lake Superior. The beauty and the quaintness of the small town and the people that live there. The beauty of the beach and of Lake Superior. The forests and the wildlife that lives within.

Mystery abounds and romance is in the air. Strange happening in the night and bizarre behaviors take place with no logical explanation. The book is a magical book filled with suspense and mystery which will pull you in and not let you go until you finish the last page.

I enjoyed reading this book and I know that you will too. I recommend it.

Thanks to Wendy Webb, Lake Union Publishing, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy of the book for my honest review.

Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

PUBLICATION DAY: October 5, 2021

SUMMARY:
This is the story of the Valla family, and their long history on an island in Lake Superior...the gothic and wonderful Metsan Valo. Anni has recently returned to her childhood home, after learning of the death of her beloved grandmother Mummo. As the rest of the clan arrives, mystery after mystery occurs, until Anni wonders what her purpose is? Should she stay and become the caretaker of her beloved ancestral home? Or does fate have other plans for her?

PROS and CONS:
It always amazes me how Wendy Webb seems just off everyone’s radar...she’s amazing. If you love gothic settings, spooky vibes, great plot (and just a touch of the supernatural) - she’s the gal for you!! In no way is this book a thriller so don’t go in expecting that. Rather, it is a well researched book with fairy tale elements that a lover of gothic fiction is sure to enjoy.

READ IT?
Wendy Webb is a great author, I look forward to reading her next!!! I’ll admit this one wasn’t my favourite of hers (I think The End of Temperance Dare is my all time fave) but she always delivers on setting and characters.

3.5 Stars

Magical realism? Check.

Folklore, folklore, folklore? Check, check, check (and folklore of the actual folk and lore variety, not the TSwift variety). Bonus check? It’s based in a folklore and mythology I am not too familiar with. Sure, we all know of the Viking tales of Thor and Odin and the Valkyries, but how much do we know of the mythology of the Finns and Samis, the Vikings own neighbors?

A family going off the rails? Check.

A gothic and almost otherworldly setting? Check and check again.

This book had it all for me. I adore all of the above things so, in some ways, I feel like I’m the exact audience for this book. This was a great title to kick off spooky book season. Though, upon reflection, this book isn’t so much spooky as it is tied back to a time and people where the natural world was a lot bigger, a lot more incomprehensible, and therefore requiring of a supernatural way to explain things.

Highly recommended.

Sadly I'm giving up on this one. I had expected it to be more gothic ghost story and it turned out to not really be that scary.

I also felt annoyed with the twins and their mockery towards their mother, and just felt that their life was one of so much privilege it was sickening.

By Wendy Webb

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.

I’m no stranger to Wendy Webb’s books. I’ve read them all. So when I was given a change to read the eARC of this book by NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing (in exchange for an honest review), I jumped at the chance. I read the whole book in under 24 hours.

This book took me by surprise. I’m used to high levels of creepiness, dark corners, shadows taking on a life of their own and weird dolls with insane smiles on their faces. Wendy Webb knows how to write an intensely dark novel with enough scare to keep you up at night.

So you can imagine my surprise to find not a whole lot of that in this book. The story was good - really good. There are some eerie moments and some minor shivers down the spine but nothing to what I’m used to coming from this author. I’m not going to lie when I say I was a bit disappointed. There is a bit of a supernatural element to it along with a fair amount of folklore but the scare factor wasn’t there at all.

That being said, the folklore and antiquity of this family was nicely written. As with most Wendy Webb books, the house is its own character and you’re left with a few questions here and there. You also really get to know the Halle family and experience their nuances and get to dig deep into their relationships.

This story is about family. It’s about family history, particularly the Halla family history. It’s about ancient stories laced in the supernatural whose magic has survived the generations. It’s about a young girl stepping into the role she was born to play superseding those that came before her and taking the reins of an ancient magic that surrounds her home. It’s about the folklore weaved in and out of her past and moving her into her future.

And it’s about forgiveness, love and the ability to overlook the flaws we see in those close to us.

One thing I really loved was the way characters and places from Wendy Webb’s previous stories were laced throughout this book. It felt like a little “thank you” to all of us who’ve read all of her previous books. I almost felt like I was coming home to visit some of my favorite haunts of Wharton. That was a really nice surprise and I loved every bit of it.

If you’re looking for a traditional ghost story, this book isn’t it. If you’re looking for dark and sinister, this isn’t it. If you’re looking for a light read with some mild shivers and a quick read, this book is for you.