Sworn to the Night by Craig Schaefer Series: Wisdom's Grave Trilogy #1
Published by Brilliance Audio Genres: Mystery, Urban Fantasy
Length: hours, minutes
Format: Audiobook
Source: Purchased
Goodreads
Amazon, Audible
Marie Reinhart is an NYPD detective on the trail of a serial killer. When she sleeps, though, she dreams of other lives; she dreams of being a knight, in strange wars and strange worlds. On the other side of the city, Nessa Roth is a college professor trapped in a loveless marriage, an unwilling prop in a political dynasty. She's also a fledgling witch, weaving poppets and tiny spells behind closed doors.
When Marie's case draws her into Nessa's path, sparks fly. What comes next is more than a furtive whirlwind affair; it's the first pebbles of an avalanche. Nessa and Marie are the victims of a curse that has pursued them across countless lifetimes; a doom designed to trap them in a twisted living fairy tale, with their romance fated to end in misery and death.
They aren't going out without a fight. As they race to uncover the truth, forces are in motion across the country. In Las Vegas, a professional thief is sent on a deadly heist. In a Detroit back alley, witches gather under the guidance of a mysterious woman in red. Just outside New York, an abandoned zoo becomes the hunting-ground for servants of a savage and alien king. The occult underground is taking sides and forming lines of battle. Time is running out, and Nessa and Marie have one chance to save themselves, break the curse, and demand justice.
This time, they're writing their own ending.
Craig Schaefer is always a win for me. I really like that he writes complex characters which really swing the spectrum and are never all good or all bad. He is also willing to take risks and kill off a character or two, in sometimes brutal ways. Sworn to the Night is the first book in the Wisdoms Grave trilogy. This one is set in the same world as two of his other series Harmony Black and Daniel Faust and while some characters from those books make an appearance you do not need to have read them. I would however highly recommend reading his other series The Revanche Cycle first though, one because it is high octane fantastic and two because Marie and Nessa were one of the character arcs, in their pervious incarnation. Trust me – it will make total sense.
Marie is a cop investigating a series of brutal murders. She has always wanted to protect the innocent, and serve justice to those who deserve it. She meets Nessa while investigating her husband and is drawn to her is a way she never felt before. Is it too bad or a good thing Marie thinks Nessa’s husband is a serial killer? As they spend time together, they discover so much about themselves and a little about the strange wheel of time they are on doomed to meet, fall in love and both dies in horrific ways. Someone/something really dreamt up an elaborate version of purgatory for them. It might take tapping into all of their past incarnations to figure out how to get out of the mess they are in and figure out a why to break the wheel they are trapped on.
I wasn’t sure how much I would like this going in. Nessa is a witch and in the Revanche cycle, well let’s just say she was not a “good” witch. She was brutal, cruel and protected all those who were hers fiercely. You both hated and respected her. She is a less cruel version of herself in this incarnation and much easier to have as a main character. Marie is our good girl character but she falls in love with a monster; it is stretching her sense of right and wrong maybe just a little. However, I really rooted for them in this book and enjoyed the set up story to their trilogy. I’m so excited to see how The Witch and Her Knight finally figure out how to break the chains of the wheel they are on.
Narration:
I really can’t say enough good things about Susannah Jones. She is one of my favorite narrators as I love her voice and how well she portrays all the characters in any story she narrates. She is fantastic at really bringing an entire cast to life and making me feel all the emotions of the characters. I listened to this at my usual 1.5x speed.
Listen to a clip:Â HERE
About Craig Schaefer
Craig Schaefer’s books have taken readers across a modern America mired in occult mysteries, from the seamy criminal underworld of the Daniel Faust series; to the supernatural espionage and intrigue of the Harmony Black series; to the apocalyptic parallel worlds of the Wisdom’s Grave trilogy.
He currently lives in North Carolina, where he can be found haunting museums, libraries, abandoned crossroads, and other places where dark fantasy authors tend to congregate.
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I haven’t tried this author yet but he’s got titles in KU so I should while I have that subscription
I’ve read quite a few of his books and really enjoy his writing. I only read the first Daniel Faust book but I’ll make it back to that series. His Revanche Cycle is really my favorite so far because it was more fantasy and it was pretty high octane through the entire series.
Oh you have my attention with this one, sounds so intriguing
I finished the trilogy in about 1.5 weeks. I really like what he did with the story. He has a really good way of twisting mythology and worldbuilding.
Oh wow Robin, this one sounds so intriguing and I am not sure I have tried out that narrator. Will have to look him up soon.
Thanks for the review of this one.
Savannah is really good. She has done quite a few romance type novels. She did the entire Rock Chick series, some of Laura Thalassa’s books and she was part of the Blackthorn and Grim series too. She has over 100 titles under her belt.
Sounds good. Thanks for sharing.
I had a great time with this entire series.