A chance encounter at the hairdresser brought this book to my attention and I’m very glad it happened. So thank you to my hairdresser for fitting me in and introducing me to the author in the basin next to me.
Welcome to Blackwood is Khaiah Thomson’s debut novel and she has smashed it out of the park with an engaging, well written story.
It is set in the lush, secretive town of Blackwood. The descriptions are fantastic and I want to live there. Not even for all the supernatural shenanigans, but for the absolutely beautiful setting. It has the forest, beach and small town vibes. It sounds like heaven.
I saw a review for this that said if you like Twilight, you will like this. And yes, I agree, but I must point out that the angst is low in this book and there is no 100 year old being staring at a 16yr old while she is sleeping for months on end, so it won’t give you creep vibes.
Freya has moved around all her life, trying to hide what she is from the world. But after a guy tries to assault her and she defends herself, her mother decides it’s time to head back to their home town. The town of Blackwood. Blackwood is full of shifters, empaths, telepaths and lots of other flavours of supers. It’s an exclusive town, if you will, and the hope is that Freya will be protected there. Not long after arriving though, Freya realises that creeps come in all shapes and sizes and she needs to make some hard decisions about how she wants her life to go. Freya makes friends, meets a sexy boy from a rival pack and even gets a job, but it seems that those who killed her dad are now after her and they will use whatever they can to get their hands on her power.
Freya is a kickass main character. I was rooting for her the whole way through. I wanted to punch people in the face for her, I wanted to tell her that her feelings where valid and I wanted to punch her mum in the boob. Because those who loved her, may have had what they considered her best interests in mind, but they crossed so many boundaries. Freya was determined, sweet and so sassy. She is thrown into a completely foreign situation and the girl handles it with grace. She continuously does the best she can with the information she has. She is a little naïve, but it’s understandable.
This book has Beau… You want Beau in your life. The other side characters are great, but again, it has Beau.
I loved the small town politics, the pack rivals, the many flavours of supernaturals and I loved watching Freya learn to embrace who she is and what she is capable of. This was such an easy engaging read, I read it in one sitting. Yes, there was lots of coffee the next day. It’s fast paced, no fluff and I’m very much looking forward to book 2. I need to know what Freya gets up to next.
Maxine's Obsessions 
Hallo, Hallo Maxine,
Ooh! I love chance encounters — they sometimes can lead to such wonderfully wicked conversations and/or discoveries! Glad this one yielded to a book you loved to read!! Yeah I was never the target demographic for “Twilight” and the only reason I saw the film (never read the series!) is because I was beyond burnt out and needed inspiration during my first #Nanowrimo — Mum took me as a surprise and I walked out of it with a renewed sense of what I wanted to do with my story and of course, those lush scenes that involved the scenery of the Pacific NW. Brought back happy memories and I loved the canopy scene for that reason because I always wondered what it would be like to up that high and see everything round you. The closest I came was in Yucatan peninsula when I climbed pyramids.
Natural settings, wildlife, etc — I heart those myself and sometimes I get really invested and involved in the natural environments of the stories I’m reading. You know — why does this book sound so familiar to me!? I wonder if its crossed paths with me!?!? Huh. Now I have one to add to my TBR for 2022!!! (see? still advanced planning! lol)
One question!? Does it have a lot of violence in it or is it more psychological suspense or paranormal suspense!? Anything I’d need to worry about content wise that might be a warning? I tend to be a sensitive reader so I wanted to ask before I mark it on my TBR. Just by your review, I think I could really soak into Freya’s life and world. Thanks for sharing and sharing such a curiously fantastical series.
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Hi Jorie, Thank you so much for your awesome comment. I appreciate it. So there were a couple of moments where consent was not given, it was on guy kissing without permission and another trying to kiss Freya without her consent. There is a point in which she is imprisoned and forced to survive a bit of torture, It triggers her powers and someone is killed.
They are the only ones I can think of, I hope that helps. The book is quite fast paced so it doesn’t dwell on these instances and explain them in detail.
I love how far in advance you plan your reads. It’s fantastic that you are so organised. 🙂
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Hmm.. if the torture isn’t graphically described I might be okay with this. That was the only thing that seemed like it would be an issue for me. I might see if I can get this through my library and see how it goes from there. I appreciate your feedback and willingness to talk about those points with me as it helps me understand the story and the content therein.
Ooh! Goodness. I try (to be organised) but yesterday my plans unravelled a bit as I lost traction in my readings. Today will be a better day, I’m sure.
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Hooray for finding new authors in unlikely places (now I REALLY want to get a haircut :D)
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