Wraith by Helen Harper was recommended in one of the Facebook groups I belong to. I snagged the audio so I could listen over my long commute, but it is also available free on Kindle Unlimited. I was (un)lucky enough to spend over 5 hours in a car on Sunday, which gave me ample time to listen to the entire book. This was my first Helen Harper read and I was quite pleased. While I generally felt that it could have been better developed into a longer and stronger novel, if not a series, the flaws were minor compared to my enjoyment of the story.
At the beginning of the story, we find ourselves immersed in Sterling, Scotland, a modern day city that is currently without its modern amenities due to an occupation by Goblins. Now, this might be the audio, but here’s where it got a little froggy. It appears as though two Goblin factions, the Gneiss and the Filit (which I had to look up because on audio they sound like Nice and Filet), are fighting for control of Sterling, which has, for some reason or another, been abandoned by the rest of the world. I think it was explained as a lose-the-battle-win-the-war tactic?? Either way, the people of Sterling are suffering under Goblin rule where they are starved and desperate for salvation.
In walks our MC, Saiya (cool name), a take-no-shit girl, struggling to survive with the rest of humanity. Only, she isn’t human. She’s a wraith, which means she can separate from her shadow and send it off to do her bidding, provided she has a safe place to stash her physical body. She uses her abilities to ferret out secret information and sell it. It’s kept her alive this long, but now it just might be the death of her when she’s captured by one of her targets. Wraiths can only be separated from their shadows for 24 hours and the time is ticking for her to reunite her two halves or die trying. Of course, the situation gets more complicated when the “man” who captures her shadow turns out to be one of only 50 dark elves still living in Scotland.
If you didn’t catch it already, there’s a bit of enemies-to-lovers in this one. The main plot adventure prevents this from being wholly PNR and the romance takes a bit of a backdoor though it is prominent in the story. My one complaint about this book would be that the romance didn’t feel as believable as I would have hoped. I’m sure this could have been remedied if it were >300 pages, but I loved this cast of characters individually. Gabriel, the dark elf, is protective, but endearing. Saiya is tough as nails, but knows how to use her femininity to appear meek. The Goblins are dreadful and most of the humans are surprisingly gritty and more than a bit salty, which I love.
This story attacks prejudices under the guise of fantasy. We see all the best and worst that humankind has to offer from racial biases and backstabbing to love and sacrifice. In the end, it is only with trust and unity that the Goblins can be overcome and the town of Sterling freed.
Recommended for readers that want a short stand-alone Urban Fantasy with a lot of action and a bit of romance.