Cover Image: Withershynnes: In The Dark

Withershynnes: In The Dark

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The premise of the novel sounded interesting. Yet, in the opening pages I have no idea what was going on. Therefore, this book was very confusing and not well-written.

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I really wanted to like this one but ended up being bored. There was barely anything going on. I'm also not sure if this is targeted towards teens or adults. Disappointed.

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Thank you to NetGalley for approval. Loved the cover of this one, that’s what really drew me in. Great writing and good story.

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As soon as I read ‘magic realism’ and ‘medieval shape-shifting’ I was on board with this novel. The cover is so beautiful and drew me in too. I’d been wanting to read the author for a while, and since this wasn’t part of a series I could dive straight in. Mabel is the sort of heroine I love, despite this being set in medieval times she is full of determination and strength. She loves nature and when she turns thirteen, realises she can shape-shift into whatever animal she wants. We read from her viewpoint and even though there’s a magical element to the tale, she feels completely real and so does the world around her. It struck me that the author has done her historical research and because Mabel’s medieval world feels genuine to the reader, it allows the more magical elements to work.

I also loved the way he shape-shifting happens. We are party to everything that Mabel feels physically and emotionally, Instead of it just being a simple click of the fingers, there is a process and we see the aftermath of what it does to Mabel too. Mabel is a very active heroine too, dealing with the worst of her world in the shape of villains and their murderous acts, but also showing that women can fight and defend themselves. I had wondered if it would seem a bit frivolous and fairy-tale, but it doesn’t. Mabel is grounded in her world, while living outside it’s usual physical boundaries. Very enjoyable indeed.

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A lovely magical realism/murder mystery set in Savernake Forest featuring Mabel, a shapeshifter who learns she could transform into animals of her choice when she turned thirteen. In the early days she just enjoys herself shapeshifting, however as she hits her mid-twenties a murder occurs in her sleepy village. Using her skill and powers of ingenuity, she sets out to solve the mystery and bring the murderer to justice. It could so easily have been twee as it starts nice and gently, but gains momentum as the intrigue and investigation builds. An enjoyable book and the first in a series. I look forward to reading future episodes.

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★ Upon the thirteenth hour of the thirteenth day, upon her thirteenth birthday Mabel Wetherspring discovers that she is a shapeshifter ★
This was an absolutely delightful read. It starts out with a 13th century [1200 to 1212] young free girl still under the Lords law if not his overt property right after a village dance that goes off into the woods & turns around & shape shifts. The author is a medievalist so it makes sense she was able to brig this whimsical creature to life. Looking forward to more books in a series of this area

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Compared to other reviews, I definitely did not like this.

For starters, the story basically throws you in full throttle into the plot, basically smack bang on page 1. There is no build up whatsoever. I don't who the character is, who was very 1 dimensional to me (personal opinion) and I don't know about setting, not until you continue though finding out tiny piece by piece.

I was very confused by the target audience. The context has YA (albeit very simplistic) themes but the writing has no depth to it, especially the dialogue, which is filled with so many single sentences!

After reading reviews from others, it is clear that this is an appealing and enjoyable read, so I would still urge people to give it a go, if you are interested by the synopsis. The cover is gorgeous too. This just was not a read for me.

Thankyou to Netgalley and BooksGoSocial for this eARC in exchange for an honest review

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Thanks NetGalley, BooksGoSocial and Susanna M.Newstead for an ARC to review.
The first book in a new series starring Mabel, the smart fast witted shape shifter.
During one of her adventures not in a human form, she runs into a body and our medieval unique investigator begins her murder mystery solving, aided by a handsome Knight, the odd couple delve into the puzzle trying to stop the killing spree.
I absolutely loved it and looking forward to the next book.

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I must say that the cover is stunning. It has a perfect colour and the animals on it are gorgeous. It caught my attention the second I saw it and I knew it'll be a book for me! If I'd see it in the store, I'd buy it immediately.

I truly enjoyed the story of Mabel who's a shapeshifter and who can change to any animal she likes. She's exploring her village, loving being a bird. The years pass and she tried any shape she found interesting and possible (the animals bigger than her are very exhausting). During one of her adventures, she notices a body. A dead man who was murdered.

Mabel decides to investigate the case and changing into tiny animals that can go undetected, she's listening to the villagers trying to find a killer.

The characters are loveable, the plot interesting and the resolution satisfying. The only thing I'd say that the language could be improved, because I felt like I'm reading a middle grade story (which with brutal murder and cheating wives probably isn't a book for this audience) instead of an adult one.

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“It was at the thirteenth hour of the thirteenth day upon her thirteenth birthday that Mabel Wetherspring realized that she was very different from her friends and what was left of her family.”

This is the opening quote from Withershynnes: In the Dark and I felt immediately curious to know more about the main character.
This book is a medieval fantasy mystery where we get to follow Mabel Wetherspring’s journey as a shapeshifter… that accidentally stumbles upon the corpse of a villager and decides to take the investigation into her own hands, with the help of her abilities.

Mabel was a little boyish while growing, bright and a little know it all. She learned how to read and write, which was very uncommon for a woman in the 13th century. She became an orphan at the age of 13, but she was her own mistress, with a house of her own and a work at the village’s Manor. She’s resourceful and independent which makes her a very believable detective.
The plot is coherent, adding some very interesting twists and a very satisfactory outcome. It also has the introduction of a love interest with the promise of more mystery solving to come as a team.
I’ll be looking forward to reading more books in the series!

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A well written and gripping historical fantasy. I loved it and appreciated the world building and the character development.
The author is a talented storyteller and I hope to read other books
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

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This whimsical whodunit following a shape-shifting heroine and a knight protector is a lovely light read. It felt like a pleasant daydream. I loved the way the main character described their shapeshifting abilities and the way the magic system was introduced from their point of view instead of a narrator or third party.

I only had two complaints that tarnished my enjoyment of the story somewhat. The first being the main character's time and relation to other characters confuses me a little. She's a housekeeper at the Lord's manor but seems to have ample free time and lives in the village instead of within the manor which is usually what I would expect from a single woman of this time period. She is also 24 and again still unmarried which I understand is to give her the freedom she needs for storytelling purposes but it doesn't feel realistic given the time period. The other members of the village also just seem to speak freely to her and give her information without questioning why she is asking what would generally be considered prying or invasive questions.

The second issue is the romance. I love the idea of the two together but it felt like an afterthought in the story. I don't mind sudden drops into romance as long as it makes sense but there was not enough to pull these two together and the way it was added in felt like a shock. Even once I got past the initial moment of surprise the relationship dynamics still felt choppy and spliced like it wasn't supposed to be a romance yet but then it was forced to become a romance instead of a friendship to romance.

Overall, it was a good read and a sweet story but these issues would prevent me from re-reading or moving on to a sequel if it were to be put out.

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This was a really fun and interesting historical fantasy. I haven’t read many that really focus on the historical aspect of a fantasy book before at all really and this was amazing I really did enjoy this. It’s perfect for those who enjoy these type of books! 5 out of 5stars!

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Wonderful story combines fantasy and whodunit

I loved this book. It’s a simple story with no flowery language, but it is very imaginative and fun. Character development is excellent as is the setting. There is good banter between characters. As a fantasy it is great, with a good magic system that doesn’t overwhelm the story. As a whodunit it is still great, with the suspense building through the book. Both aspects of the book coalesce in a great story. There is a helpful glossary at the end of the book, which I should have read before starting the main part of the book. The author's note is worth reading as it gives additional insight into the author’s thoughts. And the map at the beginning of the book is helpful. I found the book impossible to put down. I look forward to reading more books in this series. Thank you to Negalley and BooksGoSocial for the advance reader copy.

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I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would, it was a great story that was rich with vivid descriptions magical realism and great characters

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