Heather’s Bookshelf: Myth Stalker: Wendigo Nights
Author: Shannon Lawrence
Released: 03/26/24
Genre: Urban Fantasy
“Selina stumbled over to a chair and slumped into it. She couldn’t look at him, couldn’t process anything. A roar filled her ears, and it took her a moment to realize he was talking to her. She couldn’t hear his words, could barely make out his face through a growing tunnel of black closing in on her vision.”
“Myth Stalker: Wendigo Nights” introduces Selina Moonstone. Selina’s a Myth Stalker on a mission to track and kill a Wendigo.
This isn’t Selina’s first mission. She’s trained for this since she was a little girl. Being a myth stalker is in her blood. She’s familiar with the creatures of Native American lore, but she’s never come across one so close to home. Realizing the true identity of the Wendigo, Selina sets out to seek a cure before it is too late.
During her investigation, she meets some people with similar goals. While some are more helpful than others, everyone brings something to the mission. There may even be a chance for some unexpected romance when Selina happens across a Sin Eater wrapped up in this whole thing. Will Selina and her group of misfits be able to solve the mystery of the Wendigo before it’s too late?
Trigger Warning: violence, murder including child death, animal death, sexual situations, adult language
Overall, I enjoyed this story. The tale is told through the POV of Selina who is an intelligent, strong, and determined woman/myth stalker. The past relationships with her parents (especially her father), Charles, and Nathan are especially important to the story and are told through both direct interactions with those characters as well as through memories. I found that the memories were well selected and timed throughout the book- they added a lot of important details. However, there were some pacing issues near the end of the story. I really enjoyed the first half- interspersed with personal insights, a budding romance, and held together with a thread of relationships and cryptids. I found the interactions with Oliver to be especially surprising and promising and absolutely loved the imagery involving the animals. I could see the scene with the cougar as if it were a movie. I also enjoyed some of the details and tie-ins including Steve’s background and craft. There were hints of a mystery as well, but the reveal wasn’t something the reader could have deciphered on their own. The second half/quarter of the book was more focused on a search/hunt and battle. It just didn’t seem to connect as well as the rest of the story. The ending tied everything back together and connected to the relationships formed during the tale. It tied everything up but also left enough open for a possible sequel.
I received a copy of this story in exchange of a fair and honest review.
OVERALL REVIEW:
A character-centric urban fantasy full of cryptid lore and complex relationships. Highlighted by an unexpected budding romance, some pacing inequities falter this promising tale.
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