Hi folks, I have been absolutely remiss. Like ABSOLUTELY REMISS. I realized that I have forced so many of my IRL friends (including many book/fandom friends) to read these stories, that I’ve gushed about them on my instagram stories, that I am currently working on one of the most intimidating cosplays of my life due to a scene from this series—and yet I hadn’t shared a full review. To be fair, I did read the first book when I was in the middle of my… lapse that happened in posting from 2023-2024.1But I am horrified and honestly just appalled that I have failed you all. Because I. Am. Obsessed. Now I need you to be too.
First, to set the stage. Modern NYC, however in the last 20 years or so the world was alerted that monsters were real and the bloodbath began at ground zero. What I love is we are living in a slightly post-apocalyptic world except… it feels so real. There are still cell phones (for the rich ofc) the city is still standing, but now humanity has to deal with the fact that they aren’t the top of the food chain. This has already given us a fantastical setting, with enough familiar of our world that it’s easy to wrap your head around. Then you immediately go on a heist with Kierse McKenna our slightly damaged and absolutely badass FMC and things don’t go exactly to plan.
Beauty—and very proud thief with a smart mouth—meets the beast in chapter one, and all it took was that first meeting to have me enthralled. Graves is mysterious, also damaged, has a giant library and an actual black cat and is just begging for us to get to know him (which is the last thing that he would want). These two and filled in with a well rounded cast of supporting character that all have their own lives, backstories, and desires. Some of them don’t realize this isn’t their book *cough* looking at you Lorcan *cough*.
If you want high stakes political fantasy intrigue but set in today’s world? Kyla has you covered. Kierse and Grave’s initial meeting and the subsequent job he offers her her to work is so intriguing and yet, only a small piece of the puzzle. The world building in this series is so fun. The different mafia/mob type factors of monsters who now run the city is so well plotted out. There are layers beyond what Kierse and the rest of the humans know are happening. And us as the reader get to slowly peel away the information (it has layers like an onion, definitely not like a cake).
I found this book at the pretty little bookshop by my mother’s house. It had pretty edges and I then read it while traveling on a work trip that summer, and little by little in the last two years I’ve become obsessed. It finally took a instagram review I saw a few months ago to realize why—also I don’t remember who the OP was, the author reposted it on her stories I am SO SORRY I can’t give credit because it was an epiphany moment. But the OP had said that she’s a vibes reader, big wieldy plots don’t generally work for her. She said that points had defintely gone over her head, but she didn’t care. And that’s when I realized why I was so obsessed. I’m not a vibes reader. I can enjoy a vibes book! They 100% deserve their place on my shelf, but I need more. This book? It delivers both the complex characters, a twisty turn plot, a giant world with a nuanced political and power structure, as well as the vibes we crave.Â
Two black cats who are trying to learn to live and work with each other while fighting (or not) their attraction long enough to trust? Delectable. The outfits that Kyla has written up? Sexy. The heists? Plotted through. The found family dynamic and messy ex situationship? DRAMA. The sprinkling in of Celtic mythology and influence? We love it all.
I loved it so much so that when I got to see Kyla at DragonCon last year I quickly figured out a cosplay to meet her—I went as thief Kierse, and slowly began planning what to wear for the release of book 3. And if you want to know more, well then you better read my review of book 2 which *spoiler* I loved even more than book 1.
And if you were wondering? The Audiobook is wonderful. I listened to it while sewing last summer and didn’t want to stop.
Looking to find The Wren in the Holly Library? Here you go:
As a side note, some of the links to Bookshop.org or Libro.fm will either provide me or an indie bookshop I support a portion of the affiliate sales if you use them to buy a book I recommend!
- To be frank scrolling back through my feed makes my heart hurt to realize how many books I’ve enjoyed and didn’t share better. So… I’m going to try to go back and write up a bunch more reviews to get out. ↩︎
my way by Starlight 
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