Hawk & Sparrow out now from Balzer + Bray; 352 pages
Content Warning: Death, murder, gun violence, misogyny, alcohol
About the Author: “Ayana Gray is a New York Times-bestselling author of speculative fiction. Her works have been translated in more than a dozen languages across five continents and have received critical acclaim at the state and national level. Originally from Atlanta, Georgia, she now lives and writes in Arkansas” (Bio from author’s website).
Find Ayana Gray on the following platforms:
Vesper Evans is determined to make a name for herself as a journalist at The Basalton Globe, even when the men she encounters in her line of work make it clear they don’t think she belongs. When she is invited to the unveiling of the Gladwell Machine, an invention that allows ordinary citizens to use sorcery, she gets the perfect opportunity to cover the next big invention. There, she meets Maximillian Kite, an elite sorcerer who seems to love challenging and antagonizing her. But when inventor Francis Gladwell is murdered, Maximillian becomes the prime suspect. Vesper finds herself helping Maximillian clear his name, and the deeper they dig, the more dangerous their investigation becomes. Between solving Gladwell’s murder and staying ahead of whoever is hunting them down, Vesper has little time to figure out why the sorcerer she once couldn’t stand is starting to mean something more to her.
Hawk & Sparrow feels like it was written specifically for my reading taste. As a self-proclaimed fall girl who is obsessed with murder mysteries, the combination of a Gilded Age setting, crisp autumn atmosphere, and women pushing against the expectations placed on them had me hooked from the first couple of pages. Vesper quickly became one of my favorite protagonists in a very long time. As a black woman, I connected with her experience of being underestimated, especially in a world where women were expected to stay within certain boundaries. Watching Vesper and the other women in this story challenge those expectations was one of my favorite parts. Maximillian definitely got on my nerves at first, but I loved seeing how his relationship with Vesper developed. I’ll admit, I was a bit worried the romance might overtake the murder mystery, but Gray balances the two storylines perfectly. While I had my guesses about who the killer would be, the most satisfying part of a murder mystery to me has never really been the who, but the why. What happened to someone that led them to believe murder was their only option? Hawk & Sparrow answers that question beautifully, making the reveal satisfying even when some of my guesses were wrong. I am in desperate need of a sequel, but I’m more than satisfied with the ending. I would happily read more of Vesper and Maximillian’s adventures, and I can already tell this will be one of my favorite books of the year.
Pine Reads Review would like to thank Fierce Reads and Balzer + Bray for sending us an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change before final publication.
Keonte Emerson, Pine Reads Review Co-Assistant Director, Lead Writer, and Social Media Manager