I was actually not sure what to expect with this first in the lengthy Whyborne & Griffin series from author Jordan L. Hawk, but I was completely blown away.
The story is a supernatural fantasy set in Victorian-era New England in the title town of Widdershins. Percival Whyborne is a painfully shy linguist in the upper crust museum, who spends his days throwing himself into his work and hiding from the majority of his colleagues (most of whom either ignore him or bully him). His sole friend is determined colleague Christine, who has just returned from a successful archeological find in Egypt and whose spine of steel helps her stare down any of the stodgy males who feel a woman should not be in the field. Whyborne's life changes dramatically with the arrival of ex-Pinkerton detective Griffin, who has been tasked with investigating the death of the son of one of the museum's luminaries, whose last action was to send his father an ancient book in a strange language, which Whyborne must translate for clues. The closeted Whyborne is entranced by the enigmatic Griffin, but determined to stay at a distance. However, the translation leads to various fantastical elements, including cults, terrifying creatures, duplicity among the high society, and dredging up of the past for both men. The jeopardy throws them together and they must pool their resources to save humanity.
First off, the book succeeds in all areas. If you are looking for a riveting supernatural fantasy adventure (along the lines of Mark Frost's The List of 7), then this book is for you. It is fascinating, exciting and never stumbles over too much exposition. Hawk brilliantly sets the period and the atmosphere and then expertly develops her characters, so that you have some genuine concern for their well being and the outcome. I could not put the book down.
If you are interested in the m/m romance elements, then look no further as well. Hawk has a nice slow burn initially on the chemistry between the male leads. It is fun to read the inexorable progression of watching the sheltered, bashful Whyborne find his inner defenses knocked down one at a time by the more outgoing, but still sensitive man of action Griffin. Whyborne spends a good deal of the early chapters confused and trying to determine whether he is reading the signals correctly and Griffin is actually flirting with him. When the men finally hook up in a series of genuinely erotic trysts, Whyborne begins to blossom in all ways (including as a man of action) and Griffin's strength is tempered by some understandable shell shock from previous horrors experienced. The two main characters have a strong chemistry, nice banter and are appealing in all ways.
I enjoyed the final revelations of the book - and the addition of Christine as a third musketeer type to bolster the action and, when necessary, kick one or both of the respective men in the butts to get them back on track. The conclusion is exciting and I cannot wait to read more in this series, which is off to a stellar start. What more can one day - terrific fantasy elements, intelligent writing, lots of action and scorching m/m sex between two relatable hot characeters - I loved it. Also, a special shout out to the book cover art. Not sure who the models are standing in for Whyborne and Griffin, but they (especially Whyborne) are spitting images are how the author describes them in the novel.
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Reviews with images
This series hooked me since page one!
I have already read two books from Jordan, both in the Spirits series: Restless Spirits and Dangerous Spirits. So, I was prepared for a wonderful writing style and awesomely built characters... But nothing prepared me for Whyborne and Griffin. This book was definitly the best I've read in January and I can't wait to keep going!!
Top reviews from other countries
Daniel Higgins
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Gelungene Mischung aus Romance und paranormaler Detektivgeschichte
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