Tome Thursday: Kynhaven

 

Hello everyone!

 

Did you miss me?

 

I know I've been a little bit behind this week, and I'm sorry about that - life suddenly got unexpectedly busy and all I could really do was hold on for the ride.

 

It's FINALLY calmed down enough that I can actually sit and type out a blog post though.

 

And oh, boy, do I have a good one.

 

I am SO thankful for picking up the first of Sarah Westill's novels completely on a whim and without knowing what I was getting myself into. I thought I'd be reading some lighthearted romance, but what I got has been so much more.

 

And so much better, too!

 

So without further ado, let's not dawdle anymore, shall we?

 

Because the next book in the saga, Kynhaven, is waiting.

 

You'll find links to all the previous books and reviews down at the bottom of this page, as always.

 

Now, to recap very quickly: Guardians of Sziveria tells the story of a group of people (ever-expanding, at that, as more interesting characters get added!) who serve their country in some form of official capacity or other. Sziveria is a nation that rose out of the rubble of a cataclysmic event which pretty much destroyed the world we live in, dropped temperatures significantly, and also subtly changed the way human DNA works.

 

See, strong skillsets are now inherited traits passed down through genetics, and people who carry them are called Gen-Heirs.

 

We've been following a few of them through three books now, and it's time to check in on their enigmatic member whose skill is based on logic, Mason.

 

The story starts when we learn Cora, his twin, was brutally murdered out in Westica, while on an assignment trying to figure out who's behind all the bad stuff that's been happening in Sziveria. Naturally, the group won't let Mason head out on his own, so a few of them tag along to not only find the murderer, but learn he's basically an assassin-for-hire, and that only one person ever escaped him.

 

While the rest return home, Mason stays behind to find this girl, Jessalyn, and eventually tracks her down to a honeybee farm where she lives with her guardian, an elderly man named Wilson, and their Ruthenarian wolf (these wolves are incredibly special because they only bond with one person and can usually be commanded only by specific commands, not to mention you have to be a Gen-Heir for it).

 

Mason and Jessi (the name she goes by) hit it off pretty much right away, and we get a very lovely slow dance between the two as they circle each other and learn how to trust the other person, as both have obvious issues, Jessi more so than Mason as she was both tormented and sexually assaulted while in the hands of the assassin.

 

But Mason has a way of bringing down her walls, and he also shows her that her scars don't bother him at all - he's also willing to take her home to Sziveria with him, as his wife, after her guardian passes, but she's indecisive and he can't wait anymore, so he leaves both the promise bracelet and a wedding ring behind for her.

 

She eventually joins him, staying with Raina, Kevin's wife, since the team is on assignment at the time and trying DESPERATELY to get back home since Raina's about to pop any minute now with Kevin's firstborn child. Unfortunately, she gives birth without him there, and to complicate matters, Mason's very aristocratic and VERY snobbish mother (one of those who believes she's the only one who knows what's best for people and her sole purpose is to ensure the continuation of her line in its purest sense at all cost) drags Jessi to the family estate (more like, a small city).

 

She's forced to leave the wolf behind, as well, but thankfully he gets taken care of by the current Guardian who's in charge of the wolf teams, so Mason can pick him up once he returns, and get on scene as fast as possible to ensure Jessi is as safe as she can be.

 

See, one of the points of having her there is also that they're trying to lure out whoever had ordered the initial hit on her to begin with, as the team search for her father who she says is a high-ranking official. This is also the time during which Mason and she grow even closer, the word 'love' falling from the both of them, and at which point Mason figures out his mother is scheming to get him married to the current accountant, a high-born girl of her own choosing.

 

Jessi, on the other hand, barely survives a few other assassination attempts, but even as one of them takes down that accountant girl, she also explains to Mason later that said accountant was stealing from the family, channeling the funds to these shadowy figures who are trying to make Sziveria their own playground somehow.

 

Not to mention, remember the ridiculously annoying but dangerous guy who went after Katria first, then Raina in the previous books? Well he now goes after Jessi (thankfully she stomps on a few of his ribs in the process) and he's finally caught and apprehended so that they can maybe get some more direct answers, not that they're expecting much.

 

The entire shadowy organization is very compartmentalized and on a need-to-know basis, so no one knows TOO much and it can't tie back to anyone. However, at least Jessi is safe - until the point where Mason is on ANOTHER assignment, their wedding contract runs out, and his mother throws her out of there.

 

He corrects that one very quickly when he returns, telling her just WHO Jessi's father is (turns out, one of the highest ranking Guardians, higher even than the accountant girl was, who happens to oversee all the prisons and penitentiary units in the country, from where the shadowy figures have been gathering their slave labour and keeping him in their grasp by threatening the rest of his family, as Jessi actually has a younger sister she never knew about).

 

He also finally goes back to the town house where he used to live with his twin, where he and Jessi discover a package sent by Cora herself, the things Mason was looking for back in Westica from her investigation, which she'd had the presence of mine to send ahead of her, knowing she was being followed and would possibly die. But at least now they have something, and thanks to Jessi (also a Gen-Heir who can sense memories through touch) they have an additional asset, too.

 

Most importantly, however, Mason and Jessi have each other - and the team is stronger for it.

 

FIN.

 

Listen. LISTEN.

I am here for it. I'm here for ALL of it. I grabbed Wintersfall completely by accident and thought it was just going to be some easy rom-com with a little hint of intrigue and dystopia tossed in for good measure, but BOY have I never been happier to be wrong! Because this entire series is ON POINT.

Kynhaven continues where we left off in the previous book and, well, we probably all saw it coming, but it doesn't make things any easier. Especially as Mason is absolutely gutted by the end result.

I'm really, really loving that we're finally getting some more information on just what's going on behind the scenes, and can't wait to delve even deeper.

Mason is one of those stoic, silent type of heroes who is a TOTAL sweetheart even though he's one of the taller men around. Jessi is heartbreaking with her pain and past, but sooo strong when she overcomes it.

I keep on getting sucked more and more into this world with different players being introduced, and honestly I AM HERE FOR ALL OF THEIR BOOKS. Gimme. I'll read them all. I'll love them all. The more I read, the more I love. Where do I sign up?

 

OH RIGHT. On BookSirens, where I got this copy from for free, too.

 

So brace yourselves, everybody, because Asherwick, the story of our favourite criminal investigator Jonathon, is up next.

 

xx

*image not mine 

Levkaseon - Wintersfall - Raiventon