4.25! THE LISTENERS is hard to define into any one genre: it's historical fiction about the occupation of a luxury hotel during the Second World War and the high stakes political chess-board that followed, inspired by the real-world takeover of famous luxury hotels like the Greenbriar and The Homestead in West Virginia in the 1940s. But this is simultaneously a subtle magical realism which offers a gentle conversation about the law of attraction, the latent power of a location, land, nature, and the confluence of all these things. It's also a literary fiction narrative about classism and class consciousness, a commentary on Eugenics practices, and about the complexity of human nature.

All of that to say, this is a typical Stiefvater.

June, the General Manager of the Avallon Hotel, finds herself and her beloved hotel taken over by the war efforts in order to 'house' detained Axis diplomats during the Second World War (read: Nazis and Nazi symphathisers). What follows is a study of complex personal histories, trauma, classism, nostalgia, geo-politics and human sentiment. For me, what shines the most is the granular detail we get in the novel; this is a story about human nature, and Stiefvater constructs a detailed examination of each character on the page, a vista of complex stories all conveyed through the meticulous workings of a luxury hotel, the Avallon. Our setting is a character all on its own, a grandious beast whose inner machinations form the backbone of our plot, and which allow Stiefvater to introduce a tale of the horrors of history as she asks the question: what would you do, if you had to deeply understand, and therefore humanise, a group of people who found themselves on the wrong side of history? The hotel is a masterful vehicle to explore the moral and emotional challenge of seeing humanity in everyone, and is brought to life through Stiefvater's typically evocative description and witty characters.

I am a huge fan of Stiefvater's work, and am one of the countless admirers of The Raven Cycle, a deeply unique magical realism series; therefore, whenever I see the words 'Maggie Stiefvater' and 'new novel' I am eagerly in line awaiting whatever treats she will unwrap for us with the precision of a well polished author. However, I do think that THE LISTENERS requires a disclaimer: this will not be the Stiefvater book for everyone. Liking TRC will not necessarily mean you can transpose the same expectation onto this work. I do however, think that it works exactly for that reason. THE LISTENERS is a major departure from TRC, and to compare them would be an injustice; but there is something so inherently dangerously whimsical about Maggie's prose and the magic she weaves throughout the pages.

While THE LISTENERS is not the same, and shouldn't be, as TRC, I feel that there is the same intrinsic slippery magic in authentic human characteristics and subtle fantastical elements which make this definitively, a Stiefvater Novel (TM).

The setting is where we have the majority of what you could call 'magical realism', though admittedly, this reads much more like a historical fiction novel than it does magical realism. The sweetwater, the water system that runs through the Appalachian mountains in West Virginia and underneath the foundations of the Avallon, where this novel is set, is the vehicle through which this becomes that Stiefvater Novel (TM). The water itself is a conduit of the emotions of the people around it, in the hotel and in the people who call the mountain home, and there is a constant subtle warning throughout the book: the water should not turn. June is connected to the sweetwater, as is Agent Tucker, as is the very hotel itself, and it runs a current throughout the novel, acting as an indicator of the state of things as we go. It picks up on distress, on ill-feeling, and is June's constant companion, her compass and her burden to carry.

While I found the concept of the sweetwater delightful - deliciously whimsical with an edge of darkness so typical of Stiefvater's work - I found that I wanted more of this sentient landscape. Stiefvater is a brilliant when it comes to introducing the natural landscape as a mover of the needle, keeping our characters in conversation with the land and themselves as a consequence; Maggie's land is never just land, it is a character, a plot point, a living setting which compounds so many of the comments and discussions her work is having. With this in mind, and with the joy that comes with Cabeswater in The Raven Cycle, I wish the sweetwater had more of a presence within the plot aside from it's actions and tangible impact at the end of the novel. We see a great deal of June's monitoring of the sweetwater, but not too much of the water itself as the active participant it is supposed to be. June lives under the constantly draining knowledge that she must do everything in her power to stop the water turning, and yet, this feels a touch like a 'ticking clock' which runs out of batteries - the promise of the sweetwater as our magical realism conflict point doesn't quite live up to what it could.

That said, I am a huge fan of Stiefvater's creativity when it comes to her magical realism, and how this manifests in her work - and while I would have loved more from our sweetwater, I cannot deny that it gave THE LISTENERS the perfect little twist of fantasy, alongside its other ever-so slightly magical aspects.

However, onto characters.

June, our FMC, is one I admired: headstrong and smart, and Maggie keeps this narrative in constant tension with the politics of being a woman during the Second World War. There's a deep conversation about class politics that we see demonstrated in June's identity as a working-class woman who scaled her way through grit, determination, hard work and unrelenting dedication up the ranks of the hotel staff to become General Manager at the Avallon Hotel. However, though she is taken under the wing of the aristocratic former owner, she is never quite fully allowed into the sphere of the ultra-wealthy, and of the other General Managers of similar calibre hotels. This creates the kind of time-sensitive social tension that makes THE LISTENERS a brilliant piece of historical fiction. June is a woman who walks through a door which, for many at the time, would have been firmly closed; but she is still kept on the outskirts, and in this Maggie creates a microcosm of the much wider issue of class and gender politics during this timeframe.

I will say, I did enjoy Agent Tucker as a foil to June, and as her romantic interest - but I wanted more from his backstory. I wanted to better understand his decision, with the traumatic incident he suffers in the mountain's mines years ago in mind, to join the FBI, and how that was the course of action that suited his character. I found their dialogue softly engaging, but he was not necessarily super memorable as a character for me. I enjoyed their romance, but found that had he not been the romantic interest, his place in the narrative would have been lessened. All that to say, I wanted a little more flavour on the bones of our Agent Tucker.

With regards to our characters, one major point for me which gave the book its heart and soul was Hannelore! During Maggie's tour in the UK, it also became staggeringly clear that this was an aspect of THE LISTENERS which sits near and dear to her heart, and as a consequence this is the character who, for me, shines the brightest.

Hannelore, the daughter of two of the 'guests' staying in the Avallon, was probably my favourite character. Through her, we learn about the stories of various characters in this book, which adds increasing emotional impact to the narrative as a whole. I found that through Hannelore, I was able to better connect with the humanity on the page, and she was a vital lens through which the interconnected stories of the people who found themselves at Avallon all became more emotionally available to me.

Naturally, seeing the (real-world inspired) fate of people with mental health requirements - specifically people with autism - during this time frame is unsettling and disturbing to say the least. This is, of course, the point. It is also a situation or topic which requires a careful hand, and Stiefvater approaches this with remarkable sensitivty and tact. Hannelore's character is written exceptionally well; her thought process reflects both a high level of intelligence and the perspective of a child, and it is through her that I think the weight of the Avallon's plot is felt the most keenly.

The balance of accurately conveying a perspective which is realistically believeable as a child in such a complex scenario, but is also a vital lens through which we realise the emotional stakes and the very real, very human impact of this shifting, politically charged timeframe, is difficult. But Stiefvater achieves it effortlessly with Hannelore. I loved her, and I loved the relationship that she develops with June. This was my favourite character dynamic of the whole book, and to be honest I feel it carried much of the plot more than the romance. As while I enjoyed the romantic subplot and I found myself rooting for June and our romantic interest, I found that their alignment did not provide the same emotional stakes and tension that June and Hannelore did.

Themes? Let's dive in.

There are some BIG topics touched on within this work, and while not all of them are handled with the depth that I think they require, Stiefvater handles these topics with the kind of grace and delicacy you would expect from someone who wrote The Raven Cycle.

I do however, think that while much of what occurs in the Avallon Hotel is indeed, as mentioned, a microcosm of the world-wide happenings at the time - and thus is a small, contained lens through which we can understand the sheer scale of the complexity of world politics and social sentiment - I think the narrative suffers a touch of trying to hit on too many of the massive and deeply layered themes of the timeframe. Of course, all reading, and therefore all works, are political, and it would be ill-fitting to address the occupation of luxury hotels by Axis diplomats without also making the novel a commentary on the much wider political landscape.

However, there are actions that June takes which I think should have been more obviously denounced, for it to sit 100% well with me; I also think that the nature of the racism, misyogny and the ethics surrounding the treatment of people with autism spectrum disorder during this time are so vast, that it is almost unavoidable that in trying to create a narrative which taps into all of these interconnected issues, some are given more weight than others due to the constraints of the plot, novel length and chosen characterisations.

But I think that as a work of historical fiction it dives deeply into the era, conveying in an engaging way much of the complexity and sentiment, as well as the fraught geo-politics, of this time frame, in an active dialogue with the past through our characters and our setting.

Overall, when you combine Stiefvater's signature prose style with emotive and socio-political themes, it makes for an emotive read. While this won't be a Stiefvater book for everyone, if you're a fan of historical settings, political intrique, twisty, slippery, almost-there magic, romance subplots, gorgeous and complex character studies, and books which are gently magical historical fiction with a hazy, slow-paced quality while simultaneously crammed with humanstic and geo-political commentaries, this is your book.

3.5 stars

The premise was really interesting and a completely different vibe to Maggie's other books. I'm a huge fan of The Raven Cycle and her YA, the change into Adult and historical fiction was surprising!

The writing was beautiful, as always.
The plot was a bit slow and the characters fell a bit flat.

In the mountains of West Virginia stands the Avallon Hotel. It is the ultimate in luxury and the staff are held to a high standard by June (Hoss) the manager. The hotelis built over the Sweetwater springs that add a certain magic to the location. June has steered the hotel through the difficult years of the Depression, but now as the war has involved the US, the hotel will need to undergo another transformation. Its remoter location is a perfect place to house the many VIPs from Japan, Germany, Italy and other potential enemies. Of course the US government need to know what is going on, so the whole place is bugged with FBI and the like always listening.

I had never read anything by this author but the premise of this book sounded interesting & I was not disappointed. The large cast of characters were well drawn and the magical qualities of the Sweetwater cast a spell over the place. I loved June, a strong woman who believed in what she did. The various stories of different nationals were fascinating. Overall it was a great read. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book. It is one I'll remember for a long time.

Thanks to NetGalley and Headline for the arc!

🌟🌟🌟/5

This was my first Maggie Stiefvater book and although I went in without any expectations carried over from her YA fantasy novels, I was left rather disappointed. I love historical fiction and magical realism and feel that incredible stories are often created when the two come together. This could've been a 5 star read, especially given that luxury hotels are one of my favourite settings.

Here's what I loved:
● This was a transportive read. Stiefvater's Avallon was gorgeously described with such attention to detail that I was completely immersed. The hotel was described as the height of luxury and I could genuinely feel that decadence. The setting felt very well researched.
● Out of the three main characters, June was the only one that I felt was fleshed out. The way she kept the hotel running in such dreadful times was an important theme here. It was really fun to read about the aspects of hotel management.
● Something about Stiefvater's prose just WORKED for me. There's a certain...intelligence to her writing style.
● Each of the side characters felt distinct in the way they had their quirks and contributed to the story.
● The sweetwater was a great plot device! It added the tiniest touch of magic to a story otherwise grounded in reality. I loved the sense of ambiguity surrounding it.
● The ending was great!

Here's what didn't work for me:
● 'The Listeners' had the perfect setup, but unfortunately that was pretty much what the novel was about. There wasn't much beyond the exploration of the setting and the circumstances and that, more than anything, made the plot a snoozefest. A lot of the book felt like a great character study but there wasn't much of a plot. I couldn't concentrate for long and found myself unwilling to pick the book up after putting it down.
● The pacing wasn't great. I kept hoping that the plot would show up sometime but it just didn't.
● Tucker was my least favourite character and I couldn't bring myself to care about him (except for perhaps that one reveal towards the end). There WAS the tiniest spark in the romance between him and June and I wish it had been explored in depth.
● Hannelore was an amazing character with a great neurodivergent rep, so I was a bit disappointed when I didn't get to see much of her in the book.

For me, 'The Listeners' felt like a case of 'someone gathered all of the right ingredients but didn't bother to cook'. It's not a bad book, but definitely one that didn't live up to the potential, because SO MUCH could've been done in those 400 pages.

Dnf 30%. I wanted to get into this as I’d heard good things about this author but I found it way too slow and found that the different parts didn’t come together well for me.

I genuinely don't know what to say. The blurb was interesting, the writing is alright, but what is actually happening in the book. I couldn't tell. The romance, the history, secluded hotel, love all of these but for some reason in this book they didn't really work for me.

DNF at 24%

I'm new to the author, but I requested this book because I'd heard good things early this year on Goodreads. Unfortunately, this book was all over the place, and I found the writing to be jarring.

There are vague descriptions of water that can heal everything, and an FBI agent who is suspicious of this. We have two main POVs of the agent and June Hudson, the general manager of the Avallon, who has given her life to making the hotel what it is. Neither of them interested me.

If you're a fan of historical fiction, perhaps this might be for you.

Thanks to Netgalley & Headline for the e-copy.

Based on true events, this is a really interesting facet of America’s entrance to WWII. After the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor in 1941, the Government had to work out what to do with all the foreign diplomats in the country that now needed to be expelled – Germans, Italians and Japanese. While negotiating with the Axis powers to send them home in exchange for Americans now stuck in these Axis countries, the Government arranged for them to be held in hotels until they could be sent home.

Maggie Stiefvater has created a story around a fictional luxury hotel, the Avalon, that was told it had to oust its current guests and take in three hundred diplomats and Nazi sympathisers. Situated high in the Appalachian mountains, the Avalon offered unrivalled luxury where guests’ every whim and heart’s desire was filled. June Hudson, the General Manager of the Avalon is at first shocked that she has to turn out all their guests, many who have been coming every year to take the healing waters of the hot springs that the hotel was renowned for. However, she must adapt to looking after the diplomats as well as the FBI, sent to spy on them, a job that becomes even more difficult as rationing starts to lead to shortages of goods and her staff dwindles as men are recruited or drafted for the war.

I really enjoyed the concept of this historical fiction, imagining the difficulties of hosting this group of people from different countries, some Nazi sympathisers, and others trying to find a way to stay in America. It’s not long before people become bored and fractious with waiting and divide into factions. Woven into the story is a touch of magical realism as the water feeding the hot spring reacts to the mood and feelings of the hotel occupants. Somehow June is able to sooth the waters (although how this happened wasn’t well explained.) Overall, I enjoyed the prose, the descriptions of the setting and the hotel and some intriguing characters. I can see the novel making a great movie with the right actors.

This was a great premise although it didn't quite gel for me. The different elements felt a bit disparate and the set-up seemed overly complicated. I really liked some of the cameos though, especially 411, and found the historical note at the end really interesting.

An unusual book but most enjoyable about a hotel in the Alps which is 'invaded' by Nazis during the war. There is a slight magical element which adds a slightly different twist to the story but the story itself unfolds nicely and recognises issues during the war. I would probably read another by this author as I did enjoy the different take on a story.

An interesting read focusing on a less well explored aspect of WW2 history - the arrests of politically important figures within and associated with the Nazi regime. Although I found it to be enjoyable overall, I wish the mystical aspect surrounding the water was better explored and explained. I also found it difficult to become fully immersed in the story and found myself skim-reading at times.

Even though it was richly written and had a vivid atmosphere, the pacing was too achingly slow and the plot itself failed to interest me. I felt removed from the characters, so there wasn’t anything to get me invested in the story. Even the magical realism didn’t get me intrigued. Unfortunately, I wouldn't recommend it.

I was a fan of Stiefvater's YA books when I was a teenager, so I was intrigued by her first venture into adult fantasy. I would recommend this for people who enjoyed ALL THE CROOKED SAINTS rather than fans of Shiver.

I preface the next bit of complaining with the fact that I enjoyed this book. I had a few days off and sped through it in that time, not inclined to put it down. That said, there were moments it was insufferable. Stiefvater's tendency towards atmosphere over substance was at its most intense in THE LISTENERS. It is a story about two - maybe three - people that nonetheless played at having an ensemble cast, which meant that the asides for exposition were never ending. It's something Stiefvater does well, the delivery of context and flashbacks as a story within a story, a few paragraphs explaining a character's past as a way to illustrate their feelings in the present, or to introduce a would-be ensemble member. A valuable tool, used in moderation. There was no moderation here. It made this a book that prioritised a sense of time and place over plot, that wallowed in character moments for the sake of character moments, rather than treating characters as vehicles for the narrative (I can't believe I'm complaining that a book is TOO character-focused for my taste. I didn't know that was possible). Also, it just got repetitive. We get it, June is a wild mountain woman with a barely controlled mountain accent, yadda yadda.

There are things I always enjoy about Stiefvater's writing, her prose the chief among them, but after a while this wallowing soured me on the pretty turns of phrase, because it felt like language for the sake of language - candy and dessert, a treat in moderation, but lacking the satisfaction of a filling meal. So why have I still rated it four stars? Like I said, I enjoyed it. Though it's distracting at times, the prose really is gorgeous. It had a gothic vibe that's up my street. I loved the romantic tensions, and how that plot line got tied up. The climax in general was nailbiting. I look forward to seeing what the author writes in the adult space in the future.

I rated this 4.75 stars but rounded up to 5.

This was a historical fiction/romance with a magical element. It was a bit out of my usual genre but a fantastic read. The book follows a woman who is the GM for a luxury hotel in West Virginia in the late 1930s and early 1940s. As WWII begins the US and other countries are faced with the question of what to do with the diplomats. Based on real historical events, the story follows an FBI agent who is sent to bring a group of diplomats to take over hotel which is known for luxury and its healing sweet water.

The characters are quirky, interesting and filled with contradictions. The emotions are poignant and real without being overwrought. And just when I think I’ve read everything there is to know about WWII I discover some new challenging aspect.

The book is so well researched and beautifully written that it’s a real pleasure to read it. You feel easily invested in many of the characters and really care what will happen to them. You feel mixed feelings and moral dilemmas as well as the pain of loss. And the air of mystery about the hotel and “what’s in the water” lingers in the most delicious way.

This is a fantastic read especially for those who enjoy historical fiction if any kind. Thank you to Net Galley for giving me an ARC of this book to read in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to netgalley for the advanced reader copy of this book. This was a great magical read. Loved the writing style.

I was pretty excited to dive into this. I've heard only the most amazing things about Stiefvater (and I'm probably the only person on this planet left that hasn't red her ya series) and the premise of "The Listeners" was intriguing. Historical fiction mixed with some magical realism written by an author famous for her gorgeous writing style? Count me in!

And there really is nothing to complain about when it comes to the writing style. It's probably the one thing I really enjoyed about this novel, because sadly, on the whole it didn't give me what I was looking for. The descriptions are sumptious, the details are stunning, Stiefvater definitely knows how to make a setting come to life. I could truly see the Avallon in my mind.
Unfortunately, I wasn't drawn in by the characters nor the plot, which only happens rare and in between truly. There is just not much going on, the stakes felt incredibly low for a story about WW2, and the intriguing premise that focused on an aspect of WW2 history I never really thought about couldn't hold up my interest on its own. While June is, conceptually, a great protagonist I simply never warmed up to her. The writing felt detached, the emotions didn't manage to leave the page. None of the other characters were in any way more interesting than the role they were playing in the story, I couldn't grasp most of their personalities. The romance (which I honestly didn't expect at all nor did I need it) felt completely unnecessary and weirdly shoehorned in. In a way it felt almost like a disservice to June as a character. The love interest, who's one of the pov characters (though mostly the book is written from June's perspective) is also just very dull despite his interesting backstory.
Nothing truly happens despite a lot of things being set up in the text. Emotions are written about, yet often not felt nor do they really have any consequence. We learn of people hating to serve the Nazi diplomats because the Nazis are responsible for the death of a loved one, yet it's barely more than one conversation that leads nowhere in the end. I was expecting a lot more emotional turmoil based on the premise.
The most exciting part happened in the last few pages of the novel, and I enjoyed that one. It also involves the only side characters I really did care about. But it was just too little too late for me - I was, most of all, just bored throughout my reading and thought about dnf-ing when I hit the 50% mark- The subject matter is just too interesting to dnf, at least for me.

So yeah, read it if you're interested in the history, don't expect too much magical realism but enjoy the beautifully described setting, and be prepared for a weirdly paced glimpse into American diplomacy during WW2 and the effect it had on the people that were involuntarily pushed to be part of it.

I really enjoy Maggie's writing and unique storytelling! If you like historical fiction, magical realism, mystery and eerie world building, you will probably enjoy this!

I'm a little torn on this one; while the writing feels accomplished and the storyline is one that appeals to me, there was something I didn't quite connect with. This author is well loved for their teen-fantasy stories, and I believe this is their transition into adult writing, and it kinda feels like it. Not the writing itself, that's beautiful, but the reach of the novel. I FEELS like she's trying to write for adults, and it seems a little forced. Like she was trying to remind herself as she went along... I do think with more adult novels under her belt this could be an author I come back to, so I eagerly wait to see what story she offers us next.

This is set in a West Virginia hotel that's been commandeered to hold Axis diplomats in the aftermath of Pearl Harbor. It covers the staff as they try to deal with providing luxurious accommodation to people who are part of the enemy, but in particular the hotel's manager June and FBI agent Tucker. For me this was a case of the blurb being better than the book itself. The pacing of this was too slow for me, and the magical realism elements didn't ever seem to come to fruition the way that I was expecting them too.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher Headline for the digital ARC, it has not affected my honest review.

TW: war, references to suicide, racism, Nazis, ableism, mental illness

January 1942, West Virginia. A month since the attack on Pearl Harbor. High in the depths of the Appalachian Mountains a hotel named The Avallon sits containing incredible opulence and healing hot springs infused with magic. June Hudson is the General Manager and works hard to make sure that every guest who visits goes away with a sense of unrivalled luxury and extravagance. It all seems a little too perfect, but June knows the price that the magical waters demand for it. Soon enough June’s carefully fabricated life at the Avallon is thrown into uproar- the hotel is commandeered by the government to host 300 people, from Nazi sympathisers to diplomats from other countries and their families, until they can be removed from the USA. June tries to face the challenge head on, but when the FBI descends on the hotel as guards to keep an eye and ear on their prisoners, she is forced into a complicated alliance with Tucker Minnick, one of the FBI agents. He has his own history with the Avallon and returning there is his worst nightmare, especially as the magical water calls endlessly to him. Brought together and fighting a growing attraction, June and Tucker have to decide if the price of luxury- and safety- is even worth it. In the middle of this is Hannelore, the daughter of a German diplomat who loves to sing in numbers but never speaks, seeing everything and hiding a secret of her own.

The first adult novel from the incredible Maggie Stiefvater, who wrote one of my all time favourite series, ‘The Listeners’ is one of the most unique takes on historical fiction I’ve ever read. Set against the backdrop of real events, it immerses you rapidly in the world of the Avallon, their close knit staff (many who, like June, have nowhere else to go) and the lives of the owners, the wealthy Gilfoyle family. When everything is thrown into chaos I loved how June tries to stay cool and collected, even as every system she’s ever built is taken from her. The sense of tension and distrust from this book is palpable, you can feel it even before the diplomats arrive and it grows once the FBI set up shop with their listening devices. The language in this book is really different from ‘The Raven Cycle’- it feels like reading a 1940s novel which is incredible with its detail; this works so well and the lyricism and slight unreality of Maggie Stiefvater’s words are still really prominent. June and Tucker are deeply complicated and similar characters, hiding so many secrets and presenting the world with fake faces. The way that the Avallon affects them, and the connection they share with the magical waters, was one of my favourite parts. I really enjoyed the fact that we never fully know why the Avallon is the way it is and that the entire story is a slow burn. This is one of those books that needs to be appreciated and unwrapped piece by piece, just like the mysteries inside the hotel and the characters (particularly Hannelore and the guest in Room 411). I was also delighted by the inclusion of the dachshunds and I wish we’d seen more of them!