Reviewed by Cheryl

TITLE:  Unknown

SERIES: Rath and Rune Book 3

AUTHOR: Jordan L Hawk

PUBLISHER: Self Published

LENGTH: 218 pages

RELEASE DATE: August 11, 2023

BLURB:

Librarian Sebastian Rath and his lover Vesper Rune continue their search for the evil Books of the Bound. But in the meantime, the young men in Sebastian’s social circle start dying.

Though the deaths look like self-administered poisonings, Sebastian soon comes to realize a killer is at work. And not just any murderer, but one wielding the dark power of the Book of Bone.

To stop a madman, Sebastian must choose whether or not to embrace the unsettling powers gifted to him by the previous Books. Because if he fails to stop the killer, Ves could be the next target.

REVIEW:

It’s no secret that I’m a long-time fan of the author and their most recent book most certainly did not disappoint. All the familiar characters are here and the author, as usual, accompanies them with a host of secondary characters that leap off the page, fully rounded and with a life of their own. Sadly for a few of them, that life doesn’t last long.

A mysterious murderer murdering in a mysterious way has our friends flummoxed and threatens one of Sebastian’s most secret joys. I find the way that the author manages to mix magic and mundane, and find new and intricate ways the magic enhances the mundane, or in this case makes it far more deadly.

The author has a real talent for writing background. The secondary, and even minor, characters have richness and importance. My favourite nugget from this story is a glimpse at Sebastian’s sister’s unorthodox approach to marriage. One of her “husbands” turns up and the author takes the opportunity to drop in some fascinating facts about the art of carving whalebone.

As well as being fascinating and enthralling in itself, the story enhances the overarching narrative and moves it forward. Another visit from Ves’ family reminds us they are still out there and prove a real threat to Ves and Noct. And yet they are given life and have an more of an existence than a simple villain.

There are so many threads and details, I don’t know how the author manages to not only keep them all in hand but also remembers to tweak them all regularly to make sure we keep them all in mind even when this particular story doesn’t affect them directly. I’m impressed.

I absolutely recommend this story. It’s a diamond in its own right and fits into the crown perfectly

RATING:

BUY LINKS: 

Amazon