Blog Tour Review: The Wolf and the Water by Josie Jaffrey

Hey everyone!
Today is my stop on the Blog Tour for The Wolf and the Water (book 1 of Deluge series) by Josie Jaffrey, and I am excited to be sharing my review with you all.

A massive thank you to @The_WriteReads, and @JosieJaffrey for allowing me to be a part of the tour, and for providing me with a copy of the book, in exchange for an honest review.

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Book Blurb:

Some secrets are worth killing for.

The ancient city of Kepos sits in an isolated valley, cut off from the outside world by a towering wall. Behind it, the souls of the dead clamour for release. Or so the priesthood says.

Kala has never had any reason to doubt their word – until her father dies in suspicious circumstances that implicate the city’s high priest. She’s determined to investigate, but she has a more immediate problem: the laws of the city require her mother to remarry straight away.

Kala’s new stepfather is a monster, but his son Leon is something altogether more dangerous: kind.

With her family fractured and the investigation putting her life in danger, the last thing Kala needs is romance. She would rather ignore Leon entirely, however difficult he makes it. But when she learns the truth of what really clamours behind the wall at the end of the valley, she faces a choice: share what she knows and jeopardise her escape, or abandon him to his fate along with the rest of the city.

If she doesn’t move fast, then no one will make it out of the valley alive.

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My Review:

I recently read May Day by Josie Jaffrey for a blog tour (REVIEW HERE), hosted by The Write Reads, it was my first time reading anything by Josie, and I loved it. When the blog tour for The Wolf and the Water was announced by Dave, I had already requested an ARC on Josie’s website, and it was on its way to me. Perfect timing, and I was extremely excited to get started on it!

Once again, like with May Day, I want to start by saying how impressed I was to find that there is a full list of content warnings in the back of the book. I particularly liked that they are put at the back, because people who don’t want to read trigger warnings could easily avoid them, but those who do want to read them were told they were there, and knew where to find them.

The Wolf and the Water is the first book in Josie’s Deluge series, which is a mix of LGBT fantasy and YA historical fiction, and “follows a series of characters as they uncover devastating truths hidden in ancient landscapes”. The mythological aspect of the book is actually one of my favourite things about this story. I love an ancient historical theme, and Josie’s world building truly made it come to life. I could really see myself walking through the streets of Kepos, visualising the surroundings, and the people who live there.

I thoroughly enjoyed watching the development of the different relationships between characters, even the bad ones. There are some very intense characters in this book. But there were definitely a few stand out characters for me. Kala is an excellent protagonist, and I instantly liked her. She went through so much, but stayed incredibly strong through it all. She took a lot of shit from a lot of people, especially in regards to her disability, but she never once let it hold her back, even when she was struggling. What a fantastic female role model! Leon’s kindness, strength, sacrifice, and loyalty really shined throughout the story. He always protects the people that he loves, even if it means putting himself in danger. He’s a character that I definitely came to love. Then there is Nikos, who stood out for all of the wrong reasons… Josie wrote this character brilliantly. He’s so evil, and everything that I hate in a person, which is exactly why he is the perfect villain.

There is a lot of death and destruction in this story, and I had a few theories as to what was going on along the way, some of which turned out to be right, and others couldn’t have been more off the mark. When it comes to the final few chapters, it is so action packed and exciting, that you won’t be able to turn the pages fast enough, and then you come to the cliff hanger ending… What a way to end the book! I NEED MORE!

The Wolf and the Water is intense, thrilling, and keeps you on the edge of your seat. I’m so excited for the next book, to see how the Deluge series continues. Despite only reading two of her books, I have come to love Josie’s writing style, and I can’t wait to read more.

Once again, a massive thank you to The Write Reads and Josie Jaffrey for allowing me to be a part of the tour, and for providing me with a copy of the book, in exchange for an honest review.

I give The Wolf and the Water a 4.5 star rating!

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About The Author:

After finishing her degree in Literae Humaniores (Classics) at the University of Oxford, Josie wasn’t sure what to do with her life.

She slogged through a brief stint working for an investment bank in London during the 2008 credit crunch, then converted to law and qualified as a solicitor specialising in intellectual property. She worked at a law firm for five years before moving to a UK-based international publisher in 2016. Whilst she loved law, in the end she didn’t love it quite as much as writing, which she now does almost full time.

Josie lives in Oxford with her husband and two cats (Sparky and Gussie), who graciously permit human cohabitation in return for regular feeding and cuddles. The resulting cat fluff makes it difficult for Josie to wear black, which is largely why she gave up being a goth. Although the cats are definitely worth it, she still misses her old wardrobe.

YOU CAN FIND JOSIE HERE: 
Website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, GoodReads

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