Title: Hawk & Sparrow
Author: Ayana Gray
Genre: Fantasy, YA
Rating: 4 out of 5
Vesper Evans has always resented Basalton’s high society, and the sorcery that provides them with a luxurious life unimaginable to most. Orphaned as a child and rescued by the editor of The Basalton Globe, Vesper is now an ambitious reporter determined to keep her newspaper afloat.
While covering a lavish society gala, Vesper happens upon a shocking scene: the murdered body of a man she had spoken with just minutes before. Several of the powerful magical elite may want the man dead, but the prime suspect is wealthy industrialist Maximilian Kite.
Max soon makes Vesper a tempting offer: Find the culprit and restore his reputation in exchange for a substantial fee. Despite her distaste for Max’s world, Vesper agrees—the money would save the Globe, and the story would be the scoop of a lifetime. There’s only one catch: In order for her to infiltrate society, the two must pose as a courting couple.
Their investigation takes them from the highest echelons of privilege to the seediest backstreets of Basalton. As they unearth the city’s secrets and scandals, Vesper finds herself in grave danger—while falling for one of the most infuriating, arrogant, handsome men she has ever met . . .
I thoroughly enjoyed the world this was set in (except for the lack of women’s rights). It felt like the 1920s, which is a favorite of mine. I actually found Vesper’s disdain for anyone in high society a bit off-putting: not that she didn’t have some good points, but she was guilty of the exact same kind of prejudice she accused all of them of.
I enjoyed the mystery of trying to figure out what was going on and who was behind everything, and there were plenty of red herrings to keep me guessing. I loved the interactions between Max and Vesper and how they both influenced each other. This was a solid, engrossing read.
Ayana Gray is a bestselling author. Hawk & Sparrow is her newest novel.
(Galley courtesy of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group | Balzer + Bray in exchange for an honest review.)
Tomorrow Is Another Day 