05/01/2023

Bestseller Klune (In the Lives of Puppets) opens his Green Creek series with this slow-burning and intricate urban fantasy, originally self-published in 2015. Four years after Ox Matheson’s father abandons him and his mother in their small Oregon town, the Bennett family moves in next door, and Joe Bennett, an 11-year-old survivor of abduction, immediately imprints on 16-year-old Ox, following him everywhere. Ox eventually learns that the Bennetts are werewolves and, just before Joe turns 18, Joe asks if he can court Ox with the intention of eventually becoming his mate for life, which Ox surprises himself by agreeing to, suddenly seeing Joe in a new light. Tragedy strikes when an old enemy of the Bennetts appears and kills both Joe’s father and Ox’s mother. Joe, now pack alpha, sets off with his brothers to hunt the killer, leaving Ox with scant communication for three years. As Ox discovers surprising abilities of his own and pines for Joe, threats to the pack’s safety and curiosity about Ox’s unusual position as a human among werewolves hold readers’ attention until a final, epic showdown. Klune gets ahead of any Twilight comparisons by making the connection explicit in the text, and the immersive­—if slightly overlong—plot offers plenty of opportunities to fall in love with these characters. Fans will be delighted. (July)

"Fans will be delighted." —Publishers Weekly

"An exciting start to the [Green Creek] series." —Library Journal

"One of my new all-time favourite books!" —Giana Darling

"It's a flawless book and shows that you can take the fantastic and make it so very human. I thought the supernatural would be what grabbed me but instead it's Ox's humanity and humility and loyalty. I hope there will be more. Wildly recommended." —Mary Calmes

"The prose reads like a simple, placid little pond and then you jump in and realize it's MILES DEEP. So to conclude this terrible non-review, FIVE BAJILLION STARS." —Emma Scott

"The best part of this book is the pack mentality and how strong of a bond everyone had with each other. Beautiful and I highly recommend!" —K Webster

"Beautiful, poetic, unbelievably compelling. ALL the stars." —Juliette Cross, author of the Stay a Spell series

For The House in the Cerulean Sea
A New York Times, USA Today, and Washington Post Bestseller!
An Indie Next Pick!
An Alex Award-Winner

"I loved it. It is like being wrapped up in a big gay blanket. Simply perfect." —V.E. Schwab, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

“This book is very close to perfect.” —Seanan McGuire, New York Times bestselling author of Every Heart a Doorway

“An utterly absorbing story of tolerance, found family, and defeating bureaucracy.” —Gail Carriger, New York Times bestselling author of Soulless

“A modern fairy tale about learning your true nature and what you love and will protect. It's a beautiful book.” —Charlaine Harris, #1 New York Times bestselling author

"It will renew your faith in humanity.” —Terry Brooks, New York Times bestselling author of the Shannara series

“It’s a witty, wholesome fantasy that’s likely to cause heart-swelling.” —The Washington Post

"Readers will revel in Klune’s wit and ingenuity." —Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Remarkable.” —Amazon Book Review

For Under the Whispering Door
A New York Times, USA Today, and Indie Bestseller!
An Indie Next Pick!

“Under the Whispering Door is a kind book. It broke my heart with its unflinching understanding that grief never goes away. And then it healed me in the next breath.” —Cassandra Khaw, USA Today bestselling author of Nothing But Blackened Teeth

“There is so much to enjoy in Under the Whispering Door, but what I cherish the most is its compassion for the little things—a touch, a glance, a precious piece of dialogue—healing me, telling me that for all the strangenesses I hold, I am valued, valid—and maybe even worthy of love.” —Ryka Aoki author of Light from Uncommon Stars

“Klune's latest is a sweet tale of grief and second chances, and a ghost story about not giving up on even the most lost of souls.” —Booklist

“Tenderness, wit, and skillful worldbuilding elevate this delightful tale. Fans of queer fantasy won’t want to miss this.” —Publishers Weekly

04/01/2023

Ox Matheson's father repeatedly told him he was nothing growing up, and Ox believed it. Then, at 16, Ox meets the Bennett family, and immediately 10-year-old Joe Bennett latches onto Ox. The Bennetts quickly welcome Ox into their family, only for Ox to discover they are a pack of shapeshifting wolves. Years later, the Bennett pack is broken by a violent wolf who had previously kidnapped and tortured Joe. Joe and some of the Bennett pack leave to hunt down this rogue wolf, and Ox feels betrayed at being left behind. After three years of futile searching, Joe returns home to Ox, who has somehow created a pack of his own despite remaining human. Both Joe and Ox will need to learn to forgive and compromise to make their love and their packs stronger than ever. VERDICT The first in the popular "Green Creek" tetralogy, reissued by Tor, pairs Ox, steady as a rock, with Joe, a tornado plagued by a demon from his past. Their contrasting natures and a pack split generate lots of tension between Joe and Ox and the members of their respective packs, for an exciting start to the series.—Eve Stano

2023-05-09
A lonely man gets a second chance with his shape-shifting boyhood love in this emotional paranormal romance.

Oxnard Matheson is only 12 when his abusive father abandons him and his mother, leaving the boy to quickly step into the role of provider. For a multitude of reasons, Ox lives a solitary life though he’s desperate for connection. His dad’s cruelty dented his self-esteem. He's bullied at school because of his slow speech, and working a full-time job before becoming a teenager doesn't leave much room for a social life. A bright spot comes in the way of new neighbors—the Bennett family—who show up when Ox is 16. He’s instantly accepted by them, finding a close friend in the youngest Bennett, Joe, who’s 10. They’re an odd group, but they take a liking to Ox and soon feel close enough to reveal their secret: They're actually a pack of wolf shifters. Ox hopes they'll become a permanent fixture in the Green Creek community, and they stay for several years. But nothing good lasts forever in Ox’s world, and a devastating murder drives the Bennett family away. It's only years later, when Joe reappears, that Ox can start to address the trauma he's experienced over his frequent abandonment. The vignettes telling the story of Ox's early life feel clunky compared to Klune's more lyrical fantasy offerings. For a large part of the story, Ox is a teenager in desperate need of guidance, falling in love with someone six years his junior. While experiencing Ox’s formative years and constant yearning for connection is undoubtedly important to the story, his adulthood makes for a more compelling (and comfortable) read.

A bloated backstory makes this a “to-read” for die-hard fans only.