Rough Justice

I received a copy of Rough Justice from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

As per usual, Kelley Armstrong is fabulous.

I really liked Rough Justice, and it was so much fun to get back into Cainesville. My biggest hope is that Armstrong keeps giving us these novellas (and maybe another novel?!?!?!?) because I will buy and/or read anything that she puts out!

Like the blurb says, RJ picks up with Liv, Gabriel, and Ricky after the events of Rituals. By this point, the trio has been balancing in their new dynamic for the last six months. Since she's agreed to try and find a way to support both the Cwn and the Tylweth Teg, Liv has to go on her first official hunt to mete out the Cwn's justice- albeit it swift, rough, and uncompromising.

However, Liv wouldn't be Liv without asking some questions. When she can't blindly follow the huntsmen's verdict, she and Gabriel get involved in an investigation to find out if the intended victim has truly earned the justice of the hunt.

Fans of Ricky should dig into Rough Justice- even though our glimpses of Ricky are very brief, there's something beautiful in the way that he starts to develop his role in the hunt. There's a lot of potential here for him to keep growing into his role as Arawn, and I'm hoping that there's some further development on the horizon for him. Fair warning- Ricky doesn't get a lot of page time, but I'd still count RJ as a "must-read" for lovers of the series.

Fans of Liv and Gabriel will love Rough Justice. Armstrong delivers scenes from both perspectives, so we get that multi-faceted view of their world, and their relationship, that is one of my favorite parts of this series. Even after six months, the pair is still learning how to function as a romantic couple, and I love that Armstrong stays true to their personalities (and especially Gabriel's history).

They make progress in how they relate to and communicate with each other, but it's a realistic progression, one that's believable and as amusing as always. I think that she does character growth very well, and it's wonderful to see Liv and Gabriel get to know each other more intimately as they continue to figure out what the other needs and how to give it to them. Not to mention, there's a lovely scene at the end that had me cheering (I've been on team Gabriel since the first novel).

Minor spoilers (depending on how sensitive you are)...
Rough Justice also shows that the series has such magnificent potential even though some major events are "closed" by Rituals. Armstrong leaves openings for further stories, and I really hope that she takes advantage of them. With new issues on the rise with Rose, Seanna, and Liv's developing place as a shared Matilda, I don't see how any fan could stop from wanting more.

A great continuation of the Cainsville series. I liked seeing how Liv's decision from the previous novels is working regarding her continued relationships with Gabriel and Ricky. In "Rough Justice," Liv has to confront her feelings regarding her first hunt as Mallt-y-Nos, Matilda of the Hunt. She delves into the concept of guilt as viewed by the Cŵn, specific as to whether Keith Johnson is truly guilty but also how and when the Cŵn determine guilt. With Gabriel's help, she looks into what actually happened between Johnson and the Nansens and there are a lot of surprising twists to what they uncover.

Gabriel is true to character, but Liv knows him well enough to help him learn to trust her more by talking about what he's feeling, thus allowing their relationship to grow. Additionally, Gabriel has to face conflicting developments with Seanna and Rose.

While Ricky doesn't play a large part in this particular novella, we see how he approaches his first hunt as Arawn, Lord of the Otherworld and legendary king of the Cŵn Annwn.

Kelley Armstrong is an amazing author and I look forward to everything she writes. "Rough Justice" is just one more example of how she presents characters and situations that grab your attention and keep you interested throughout. I'm looking forward to further developments in this series and hope there are many more short stories and/or novellas to follow.

Kelley Armstrong never lets us down! Cainsville residents live on and off the page just as the rest of her stories. Immediately you are part of the story...and it's difficult to break away to everyday life. Olivia and friends are as real as my neighbors and friends. I've been recommending Kelley Armstrong books for many years and will continue to do so as long as she keeps writing!

This is a novella that takes place after the fifth and final Cainsville novel. I loved this continuation of the Cainsville series. It was wonderful to be able to go back and re-visit all these characters that I know and love. It was a great story and I liked seeing how everyone had adjusted to their new positions in the Hunt.

We get to see how Olivia, Gabriel, and Ricky are making their interesting situation work to their advantage. We also see how Liv struggles with the Hunt and letting the Hunt decide who is guilty and innocent.

This book focuses around a man who the Hunt thinks is guilty but Liv feels may not be guilty. Liv and Gabriel work to find out the true story behind why the Hunt chose this man to eliminate.

Overall this was a wonderful addition to the Cainsville series. I absolutely adored the Cainsville series and was so excited to get a little bit more of it. Highly recommended to fans of the Cainsville series. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this as a stand alone; there is just too much background missing.

Love Armstrong's Cainsville series!! This takes Olivia on her first hunt and reveals the power her attendance emits. She possesses blood of two powerful fae groups and her challenge to embrace both. Loved reading about the characters and what has been happening since the last novel. Powerful author with skill at creating amazing characters and their worlds. "A copy of this book was provided by Subterranean Press via Netgalley with no requirements for a review. Comments here are my honest opinion." Loved the cover art!!

Kelley Armstrong is an amazing author. Characters who have heart and feelings..Matilda of the hunt with the rest of the team dispense punishment to the guilty. The one who is being hunted now may or may not be guilty. Matilda needs to know for sure before she feels comfortable with this particular case. It's rough justice but needed. If you've never read any of her books, I suggest you start today. You won't be disappointed. I received this book from Net Galley for an honest review.

Rough Justice is a nice little follow on to the Cainsville series. It has just enough of all the elements of the series - the Fae in the form of the Wild Hunt, visions, Liv, Ricky and Gabriel - all wrapped up in a case for Liv to solve when her first Hunt leaves her with doubts about the guilt of the hunted. I really enjoyed returning to the world and seeing life after Liv's big decision, this short worked so well that I would love to see future installments.

This review is for the ARC courtesy of Subterranean Press via NetGalley. Release date 6/30/2018

Fans of Kelley Armstong’s recently ended but fabulous Cainsville series will accept any crumb from the Cainsville table. In Rough Justice we have a tasty, rich, heavily iced cupcake. A cupcake, not a cake because this is a novella.
Olivia is on her first Wild Hunt (Cŵn Annwn) serving as the Malit-y-Nos, Matilda of the Hunt. The Wild Hunt secures justice for the fae by having their hounds harvest souls of those humans who have killed fae but escaped justice in the human world.
However Olivia being Olivia has questions about the guilt of this target.
So Olivia will do what Olivia does best and will want to investigate, therefore derailing her and Ricky’s first Hunt as Annwn, King of the Otherworld.
Ricky being Ricky will do what he always does and support anything Olivia does. He is not a major character in Rough Justice as this is mostly Olivia showing her chops during an increasingly tricky investigation.
Gabriel being Gabriel will do what he always does and hide something from Olivia. For her own good of course. He will be at her side throughout her investigation. Gabriel is still not comfortable as Gwyn ap Nudd, king of the TylwythTeg, the fae.
The Cainsville magic is present as always in Armstrong’s books. Delighting and charming the reader; enticing us into the world of the fae and Cŵn Annwn.
. The story is terrific, Cainsville great, the Cŵn Annwn thrilling; but reading about Olivia, Gabriel and Ricky is the ultimate treat.
Armstrong excels in her endings. The ending for Rituals was one of the best I have ever read, lovely and touching. The ending for Rough Justice is extremely satisfying too, but still leaves readers wanting more. Much more.
The hardcover of Rough Justice is featuring illustrations by Xaviere Daumaire , judging by his covers, they are beautiful.
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

Continuing stories that center on the same cast of characters, advancing their relationships yet complete in themselves, face a number of hurdles. Whether linked short stories, novellas in this case, or entire novels, they must furnish enough backstory and setting to orient the reader. The first episode is in many ways the easiest; everything is new, nothing taken for granted. Often the protagonist explores the world via the plot, taking the reader along. In subsequent stories, the task requires progressively higher levels of finesse to give the reader the necessary history and detail in a smooth, unobtrusive fashion without interrupting the dynamic flow of action. Too much information will becalm the reader in a Sargasso Sea of exposition; too little creates disorientation and puzzlement.

At the same time, each story must stand on its own in terms of plot: inciting event, reversal, tension building to a resolution, and so forth. Not all ends need to be neatly tied up, but the reader should finish with a sense of satisfaction.

Rough Justice succeeds to a greater or less degree in these areas. Two concepts drive the story: a set of characters, avatars of ancient Welsh figures, who lead the Hunt, giant black red-eyed hounds and all, while wrestling with their previous incarnations and present lives (an attorney, a PI, and an ex-biker, all living just outside present day Chicago); and a very nifty murder mystery, complete with twisty turns, devious motives, and red herrings. PI Olivia (“Mathilda of the Hunt”) is on the brink of ordering the deadly finale to her first Hunt when her qualms allow the condemned man to escape. The Huntsmen claim to have an infallible supernatural method of determining guilt according to their “rough justice,” but Olivia isn’t convinced. She and her lover, attorney Gabriel (Gwynn in the old story) investigate what turns into a double murder/coverup/setup. That part is sneaky enough to please anyone who loves a puzzle.

The problems arise with the way the ancient Welsh myths play out in the lives of Olivia, Gabriel, and Ricky (Arawn). There’s an enormous amount of backstory and lore including how these three learned of their past lives, their roles in the Hunt, history and rules for same, the romantic triangle between Mathilda, Gwynn, and Arawn and how it relates to Olivia, Gabriel, and Ricky (or not). Plus the personal stories, relationships, and dark secrets of the three modern characters. This is where Rough Justice succeeds less well.

A certain amount of this setting and history is of course necessary but much more is presented in ways that paralyze the forward momentum of the pot. Although the story opens with the dramatic Hunt, it’s soon bogged down in backstory and long discussions of why the head Huntsman would set newbie Olivia up with a questionable verdict (and the question of whether the Huntsman is manipulating Olivia is never resolved).

On the other hand, Gabriel’s abusive, now-senile mother is being cared for by two women whose roles and relationships were never clear to me – family, professional caregivers, or fae guardians who strangely know little of Gabriel’s childhood? Therein lies the problem of trying to develop novel-length subplots in novella-sized chunks while reiterating everything that has gone before.

The setting and characters are intriguing enough to interest me in searching out the earlier installments of “Cainsville Tales” and certainly looking out for newer ones, especially if they contain similarly fascinating mysteries, but I can’t help thinking this tale would work better as a single-volume novel.

I said it in my review of Lost Souls and I'll say it here: I love Kelley Armstrong's Cainsville series!!! It's just too much fun. This novella takes place after the final book, with Olivia in charge of her first hunt with the cwn annwn and it doesn't go as planned. She'll have to use her detective skills to figure it out.

This entry in the series will work for those familiar with the series and those who aren't. It's a fun little fae related mystery with a splash of love story that anyone who likes those things will enjoy. But like Lost Souls, those familiar with the series will understand the ins and outs of the character relationships and stuff. It's an added bonus and those who haven't read the series won't suffer from not getting it.

4/5 stars Kelley Armstrong is amazing! :)