Wraith

This is an ubran fantasy set in Stirling, Scotland. The city has been under siege for the past three years, with one group of goblins occupying the city itself (subjecting the human population to starvation), and another group encamped just outside the city limits. Saiya is a Wraith, able to detach her shadow. She is caught up within the city, slowly starving, and trying to supplement her meagre rations by selling secrets she eavesdropped on in her shadow form. When her upstairs neighbour is arrested under suspicious circumstances, Saiya finds herself caught up in a race to prevent the goblins' plan from coming to fruition.I enjoyed Saiya's story. She was an interesting character, able to think on her feet, and willing to go that extra mile for what she believes in. Sometimes she dropped very lucky, with good fortune seeming to hand her what she needs, but for the most part she acknowledged when this was the case. There were enough other situations where her own skills provided the way forward that it didn't feel like she was being handed too much.Gabriel, an envoy of the Scottish government and one of the few Dark Elves in Scotland, was also an interesting character, though I felt he could have been developed more. The prologue follows him, and I enjoyed that glimpse of him. Once he and Saiya meet, his character isn't really given as much room to become well-rounded and realistic. Certainly the fantasy part to him, his species, could have been looked at in more depth.There's a fated romance between Saiya and Gabriel that meant that a slower development to their budding relationship is foregone. I would have preferred to seem them actually get to know, and fall for, one another. This is personal taste, as I like when the narrative brings a relationship to life. That wasn't the case here; it was just more or less thrust upon us.I also had some trouble with the setting, or at least the time period. It's supposed to be taking place in the present day, but the atmosphere doesn't feel like present day. It took a while before there were enough indicators to really place the time period, and even then it still often felt like the turn of the 20th century rather than the 21st. This meant that remarks about current pop culture, like Rihanna, were jarring and felt very out of place.All in all, I had some reservations, but for the most part I enjoyed the story. It was something a bit different, and it worked for me.

I liked the main character of this book. It's rare to get a female that is strong, but not ego centered, and capable even after she meets her love interest. I liked that. The male was a bit blah for me, no real insight into him. He's more there to fulfill the love interest role than anything else. The book is paced well and the writing is as good as it gets for genre. This book gets knocked a star for 2 things. The prejudice of the male is so... poorly and lightly dealt with. He hate wraiths but, no problem, 2 pages later, it's no biggie. Why bother with this at all? It creates some tension, but if you're going to wrap it up like that... no. And then the climax (of the story) is also poorly written. She didn't even know she could accomplish what she's suggesting and all of a sudden she not only knows how but, miracle upon miracle, it solves her heretofore unsolvable problem! Totally took me out of the story and ruined the book for me.

The book starts with a P.oV. switch and feels awesome. I like books that let you put clues together without just telling you everything. I liked the main heroine Saiya, she feels real, her circumstances feel real, she has street smarts in spades that keep you in it. The main guy, Gabriel, is a dark elf. Apparently his kind are rare and not to be trifled with. I’m excitedly reading thru their adventures........ok..... ok hhmmm...... By the time I’m well thru the middle of the book, I’m starting to wonder if this unique world of Tolkien-esque races where both magic and bombs and cars all exist is going to be explained at all. (Did I miss a book series somewhere?) (possible spoilers in this next part)Why have the humans and elves ceded this city that has a mostly human population in it to the goblins? It sounds like there was some type of previous war, but it’s completely glossed over after, I think, a single mention at the beginning.If there are dark elves, then are there also light elves? We have goblin tribes, humans and dark elves- nothing else is fleshed out, but it also isn’t mentioned that those the only 3 races either.Why are wraiths mostly used as assassins when they have trouble carrying things in shadow form and also seem weaker than the people they would be killing. If she has trouble opening doors and carrying things then as assassins they would have mucho trouble if they got in a fight. This seemed like a major hole to me.Why is she sometimes described as deadly seeming and that she can easily kill in her wraith form, but she never has killed?No mention of her parents or how she learned any of the wraith skills she has. Or why she didn’t learn any wraith skills from anyone previously.I could list a number of other holes that take this book from starting as a Wow, to just ehhh? I also was pretty disappointed by crappy things Gabriel says at the end, and which she responded to as ‘I’m very hurt, but I hope he still likes me and I’ll just save the country with him in the meantime.’ It just made no sense. Then later, after all his ‘I’ll make sure you’re safe by any means’, he just lets her drive off by herself to save the entire country and probably die trying!? I can understand trying not to fall into cliche, but it felt dizzying and became really difficult to identify with the main characters or any other characters at the end. Several side characters ended up as caricatures of the bad guy, the betrayer, the politician. Maybe this was supposed to be 2 books?I’ve read many of the authors series starting with Blood Destiny, which I started reading when she was on the 2nd book. Don’t know why this one ended up so, well, bad.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I had never read anything by the author before and the 'soul mate' bit had me a little worried as most books tend to use that as an excuse not to develop a relationship but Helen had Saiya fight against the soul mate bit and actually want a relationship, and Gabrial mentions that not all of the relationships end in roses and butterflies, there are insta sparks but its something that Saiya actually fights against and doesn't necessarily like. My only complaint is I wish a little more world building had been done, have the goblins and dark elves always been out and about in Scotland or was there a coming out, are there light elves or other creatures, that sort of thing. Overall a decent book.

I’ve been binge reading Helen Harper’s novels since the pandemic took over our lives; to me, she provides the antidote to life in lockdown with lighthearted, humorous fairytales for grownups who want to forget today’s trials and tribulations.Twelve and a bit months on, I haven’t found a book of hers that I didn’t like and Wraith is no different. I live 30 miles or so from Stirling and I enjoyed having a story set in a place I know well - even better, in my head I changed names of characters to reflect our current leaders... that worked astonishingly well!Recommended to anyone who can look sideways at life just beyond the edges of our vision where baddies get their comeuppance and our heroes find their Happy Ever Afters.

I found this book to be entertaining in parts, frustrating in others. It was as if the first quarter had been left out because their isn't any back story. I've no idea why the Wraith is as she is, what she is or why. The background is confusing because nothing is explained. With the story set in Stirling, Scotland, and Stirling being occupied and besieged by competing clans of goblins, we're not told why, or why Stirling is alone in this war. All very confusing, but when the action comes it's well told.I found the ending a touch empty because again, it isn't explained.

For me, Helen Harper is an author that I auto buy everything new she brings out and that release then goes to the top of my reading pile. I am never disappointed and Wraith was no exception to that rule. Delightfully Scottish, full of traditional pride and history this was an alternative take on the blend of human and supernatural worlds, old and modern. Saiya was an inspiring character who I immediately liked, whilst Gabriel needed to earn his respect. And earn it he did. There was point when I thought this was taking us down the fated mates trope but this steered clear of all the cliches and was at heart a romance with 2 characters falling for each other and learning to overcome the faults of each other, something I always find so believable. The story, being based on a true myth about the Stone of Scone, was compelling and I loved Saiya's ingenuity and bravery. All in all a true delight and I loved every second of it.

I have loved everything that Helen has released so far and this was no exception, it was a Standalone story set in its own universe of goblins, elves, wraiths and humans which was quite refreshing given the trend these days is to release a series of books making up the whole story and keeping the reader on the edge of their seat waiting to know what happens. This story was a bit slower paced than some of Helens other work but it was original and for a stand alone story the characters were developed well - it's always good to read a story set at home in Scotland and this one was no different!

I loved that the story was set in Stirling. I loved it was based on a seige and not the usual journey. I loved the goblins and the dark elf. But then it just got bogged down in the usual romance. It just trickled along and I got really bored.