Tag: Fallible Justice

Book Review – Echo Murder by Laura Laakso

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My reaction when my ARC arrived.

Echo Murder (June 4, 2019, published by Louise Walters Books) is the second installment in the ongoing Wilde Investigations Series, and it is a worthy successor to Fallible Justice (you can find my review of FJ here). Laakso dives right in where Fallible Justice left off, as Yannia Wilde leaves Old London to travel home. This trip gives us more insight into the world Yannia comes from, the conclave of the Wild Folk, drawing us deeper into a past she can’t escape and illuminating the choices that will drive her future. Her betrothed, Dearon, dominates the beginning of this book, and Laakso does a great job illustrating the complicated history between them without dumping the information. Quite frankly, I want to know more!

Yannia continues to struggle with her need for connection to her old life and her desire to live life on her own terms, a theme which, for better or worse, underlies every choice she makes. Laakso takes her time with this follow up, allowing readers to revel in the world she’s built. The mystery itself was unique and intriguing, not like anything I’ve seen before. But while it wasn’t entirely a surprise, the ending was well crafted and does not disappoint.

Overall, Echo Murder, like Fallible Justice, was an enjoyable and addictive read. I’ve barely closed the book and already I am itching for the next one to come. If you enjoy Laakso’s writing, I also highly recommend following her on Twitter – @LLaaksoWriter. She’s very personable and (Bonus!) occasionally drops hints or teasers for upcoming works.

Happy reading!

Book Review – Fallible Justice by Laura Laakso

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So I have a problem… I love to read. Honestly, I wrote my own current work in progress because I was dying to read it, not because I was so terribly keen on the writing process itself. But! As I’ve embraced the idea that I also love to write, I’ve discovered a whole new world filled with other authors – authors I might never have otherwise encountered in the course of my daily life.

One of those authors is Laura Laakso, who wrote the forthcoming Fallible Justice (November 8, 2018, published by Louise Walters Books). I met Laakso via a Facebook group for writers-with-very-little-time-to-write, 10 Minute Novelists. I caught a glimpse of the blurb for her new book, and when she asked for advance readers, I jumped at the chance.

And I am so, so glad that I did.

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Fallible Justice is Laakso’s debut fantasy novel, about an unusual detective named Yannia Wilde. True to her name, Yannia is wild – she’s an outsider in London, a member of the Wild Folk, and wildness is in her blood. Step into her shoes for a few minutes, and you will see this is no exaggeration.

But I don’t want to spend a whole lot of time regurgitating things you can glean for yourself from the blurb. The important thing to me is that with Fallible Justice, Laakso deftly manages the elusive trick of making the pages and the words disappear, leaving nothing between the reader and the story. When I think back to the reading process, what I see are not words on a page but vivid memories of Laakso’s characters – Yannia, Karrion, Lady Bergamon, Wishearth, and so many more.

Overall, the story is an intriguing mix of old and new, fanciful and mundane. Beyond that, though, the story has stayed with me. My brain continues to tumble various plot points around like a tumbler polishing stones. I was lucky enough to have a few moments to chat privately with Laakso about some of my questions – and I did have one or two at the end – which has only whetted my appetite for the next installment in her series.  I don’t want to give away a bunch of spoilers, but I will say that Laakso stays true to her characters and the story – no matter where that leads.

Fallible Justice is an overall excellent read, and very much worth your time and treasure.

This review is based on an ARC from Louise Walters Books. Thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.