You can find this review and all of my others over at www.readbookrepeat.wordpress.com

Actual rating of 3.5

Viola Thorn isn't your normal Saloon owner. She's a grifter from way back and she can also see and talk to ghosts. She thinks that she's put her past behind her when a spirit shows up during a relaxing, hot spring bath, to prove her wrong. Curiosity gets the better of her when the ghost speaks a quote that could only come from one person - her ex-partner, Peter. When she discovers that Peter is in fact trying to warn her of the plot that lead to his demise, she can't help but jump at the chance to right the wrongs of yesteryear and atone for breaking Peter's heart, even if that means having to embrace the gift that she has being trying to hard to forget.

This took me two starts to get into it. I remember choosing it in my kindle earlier this year, I started reading it but something about it just put me off. When I picked it up the second time, last week, as I've been slowly whittling down my Netgalley TBR list to something that is more normal, I almost put it down again, but I figured it deserved a bit more of a chance. So what I'm going to say straight off the bat is, if you pick this book up and the first chapter or two are a bit of a struggle, push through because the story does get better and more flowy. I feel that the first chapter odd, for some reason that I can't even pinpoint, reads quite clunky and unnatural. I can't even tell you why, because I honestly don't know, this is just the feel that I've gotten both times that I've picked it up. The opening of a book can really set the scene for the remainder, however, I feel that the rest of the story is so much better in this case.

It's not entirely what I was expecting, but I still enjoyed the story. It's set in the 1800s (I think? I've just had a major brain fart), so that kinda threw me off, and it's got a real spaghetti western feel about it at first. Vi is a clairvoyant and she owns a saloon in town. She is interrupted by a ghost who wants her to finish a job in order to protect his wife. What follows is another thing I was expecting, it's just a segue into how the ghost's wife becomes a main player in the story. She ends up tagging along with Vi, when the story picks up the pace a little and something actually starts to happen. Before this point, it felt very slice of lifey to me. Like Vi is just going about her day then BAM! Quote from a former partner appears and the story unfolds.

The characters were well written and I enjoyed the character of Viola, she reminded me a little of myself, she doesn't really give a damn what others think about her, she just enjoys being herself. Her new found friend is enjoyable and I absolutely adore her little valet. I loved the authenticity of the time period the story is based in as well. It isn't shy about showing the racism that was still rife in the 1800s and we get to have the satisfaction of a well off woman defending those that, at the time, are less fortunate than herself.

The story itself, as said above is pretty slow to get going. Nothing is really solved in this instalment, but it sets the story up quite nicely and there is still a closure of sorts, just not a big one. It looks like this will be a story that is going to be an overarching plot that may be weaved into smaller stories in future instalments. Which is honestly something I enjoy. Not everything has to be wrapped up in the one book, but I like at least SOMETHING to be wrapped up, otherwise I'm left with way more questions that answers and I end up not enjoying the story as much because nothing was resolved.

I enjoyed the paranormal aspect to the story and I'm looking forward to seeing how it pans out in future instalments. At first I wasn't sure if this would a series I would continue, but I feel like it's definitely something that I'd like to read the next book of. The pacing could be a bit slow at times, but then, I know that this was the 'set up' book, so to speak. So I'm looking forward to even more fun times ahead. As said in the beginning, if you feel like giving up in the first chapter, try and push through because the story does get better, and the characters are quite endearing.

I am a big fan of historical fiction with a supernatural twist, which is exactly what No Rest for The Wicked is. Viola Thorne is an ex-grifter, and a clairvoyant. She's had enough of running errands for ghosts, and swears she's done. But she jumps at the chance to help when a dead stranger begs her for help. At first, it's great, until she finds out who told the ghost about her - then Vi is left to face her past, and an ex-partner. Despite her betrayal, her ex partner Peter has come to warn her - and Vi's guilty conscience drives her to try to solve his murder. Despite trying to avoid the paranormal for most of her life, now it's the only way that she can atone for the deception that broke Peter's heart.

I did feel that the pace was slower in places and rushed in others, but overall the story arc was good, and the cast of characters was interesting. I would definitely continue on the series in future.

NO REST FOR THE WICKED was a step outside of my normal genre bubble. I was really in the mood for something different, and Phoebe Darqueling had exactly what I was needing. Voila is a hesitant medium, seeing ghosts everywhere she goes who need her help. She tries to ignore them, but to no avail. Until one day, a spirit shows up to tell her about her husband's death. What unfolds from there is a rich and delightful story.

Ms. Darqueling, I am now a fan for life.

Addictive at first few chapters. The plot fades away fir me sometimes in the middle and ending makes me predict the book.
What a shame.....that book promised so much more. 3 stars only.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the advanced review of this book.

I was so excited to get the advanced review of this.

This book was so good!!!!! I did not know I was going to enjoy this so much. I held onto this book awhile before reading and wow, I am glad I did.

The world building and development was very well done. If I am not mistaken this was a debut novel set in a new fantasy world and a great introduction to a new series. I can not wait to see where she goes from here. I loved the characters of the story. It has a paranormal feel with a touch of historical fiction which is 2 genres I love and I was pleasantly surprised I enjoyed this as much as I did. I always love a good ghost story and the story open up with shy and determined ghost...

I highly recommend and can't wait for book 2.

"No rest for the wicked" is a fantasy/western cross. It follows Viola, a medium turned tavernowner who actually just doesn't want to not deal with ghosts. However, things changes when her friend is murdered. She decides to investigate and helps other people along the way.

After a bit of a slow start, I was drawn into the story and I could not let this book go. The characters are reasonably developed, there is a lot of interesting things happening in the books, a tad bit of history. I am normally not for the ghost stories but this one had me pleasantly suprised.

However, the worst part for me was that this is the first part in a series! I do not have patience to wait for the second part. Sometimes I think the fantasy genre has forgotten that you can also write one book and not have to write a big epos every time.

JUST ONE OF THOSE BOOKS THAT DID NOT SPEAK TO ME AT ALL

Sorry, but this one just didn't do anything for me. Most of the time I just found myself being annoyed with pretty much every part of it. Come to think of it, I can't think of a single thing, that I liked. This is one of those books that I won't remember a week from today.

WHAT I DISLIKED

Rushed: This book got off to a terrible start in my opinion because it was so rushed! So many things happened all at ones without explanation, and with a paranormal (or fantasy) novel you have to give the reader a good introduction to your world. That was definitely not accomplished here.

On repeat: If there is one thing I dislike it is repetition. Come on, why do I have to read the same thing over and over again? In this case it was the author constantly referring to the main character, Vi, as either <i>"the reluctant medium"</i> or <i>"the relapsed grifter</u>. Once it was sort of fun/clever. Twice was too much.

Build up: Or, actually, the total opposite. This book was, in a way, backward. It started off at 100 and at the halfway point hit 0. It never recovered from there.

[I received a free copy of this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review]


This book was a nice surprise. Sure, there are som things I didn't like, but overall I liked the story and the characters. It had a bit of slow start, but it certainly picked up the pace with fights with outlaws, poker bets and horse racing. I love a good ghost story, so I was intrigued by the ghosts in this story. I do feel that some of the plot lines were a bit rushed though, for example both when it comes to Tobias and to the ghost on the train. I would also have loved to get more scenes with the forces behind Mary and those wanting Vi to return to New Orleans. Also maybe a bit more depth to some of the characters. But overall I really liked this book and would definitely read the next one.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. Viola or Vi, is a former grifter clairvoyant turned reclusive saloon owner, keeping her head down low. A ghost asks for her help. She reluctantly agrees when she finds out gold is involved. After a run-in with two groups of bad guys, her partner from the past shows up to warn her of danger, only her partner is now a ghost. The people who killed him are after her. He wants her to lie low but she decides to go after them instead and along the way helps some ghosts and their loved ones move on. Being a grifter, Vi is not always a nice person but she stands up for herself and others. I really liked this story but there is one main error in that Vi doesn’t have the attitude of a woman from the 1800’s, she has more of a modern demeanor. Other than that I liked this a lot and look forward to the next book. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Viola Thorne is a clairvoyant with the ability to speak to the dead. She has left her past behind her and is content running her saloon and escaping to her farm when the mood strikes. When a ghost seeks her out on the recommendation of an old friend Viola finds herself being dragged back into a life she thought she had left behind. 

I love both fantasy and historical books, and I thought this book would be a sure hit with me as it combines both genres, but I found this book disappointing. Viola was an unlikeable character she comes across as ungrateful, and even though she has somehow created deep ties with the people around her, she is ready to flee at the first sign of trouble. The main issue I had with this book was that it just didn't keep my interest. I am a fast reader, and I found myself taking a long time to read this book, I only continued with it because I hate not to finish a book I have agreed to review. 

I received an arc of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review all thoughts and opinions are my own.

No Rest for the Wicked begins Phoebe Darqueling’s new series Mistress of None by introducing a mixed cast led by Viola Thorne–cardsharp, con artist, and runaway scam bride. As you might guess from that description, Viola is far from the traditional hero. She sees nothing heroic about herself, though if you pay attention, she fails to live up to her negative self-image as a cynical, hard-bitten grifter on an hourly basis.

Not quite true.

She lives up to it in her sarcastic, biting tongue, especially with villains on the receiving end…at least when she’s not playing the “sweet little thing” card to trick them out of harming the true innocents.

The series starts with a shy but determined ghost interrupting Viola’s bath in an isolated hot spring on an isolated farm in the middle of nowhere. So much for her attempts to begin life anew without the shadow of her schemes or her unearthly ability to talk to ghosts to haunt her.

She tries everything from a surly attitude to shocking Tobias with her nudity, but ultimately gives in when he promises a large share of gold. You’d never guess she came from a well-off family (as we later learn) with the way she believes wealth, and more importantly more wealth, is endlessly valuable. She is the owner of a bar/gambling hall down in 1871’s Sacramento, California, as well as this farm, thanks to slipping out the door on her new groom with his deeds of property.

Seems awfully simple. She’s not a nice person. Everyone should hate her, right?

Viola is far from what she appears. Her snarky humor both amuses and offers a shield to hide her soft heart, but actions speak better than words. Not only does she risk life and limb to help the ghost protect his blushing bride, but then fails to mention the gold she was promised. The widow needs it more.

Then there’s her indulgent amusement where her newly wed employees are concerned, her casual adoption of George when his parents both died, and a side mention of how she is known to accept mirrors as partial payment on bills due. She’s much more complex than she believes, and that’s before we learn the mystery of who sent Tobias in the first place, the reason she turned to swindles, or what haunts her more than any ghost ever managed.

I’m a sucker for complicated characters, but ones who have a split between self-perception and reality are the best for the simple reason that they never try to be a good person, they just are. If her actions weren’t clue enough, there’s the way people turn to her, befriend her often against her will, and stick with her despite many attempts to shed them for their own protection. This is the mixed cast I was talking about.

George is a black kid in Post-Civil War America when slavery might be outlawed, but the generations of indoctrination that allowed for it in the first place are still firmly rooted. Bonnie, Tobias’ widow with no business in the Wild West, is a sweet, innocent, young woman with a good heart and unwavering loyalty along with a sharp tongue to keep people in line. Then you have the ghosts, some short-term visitors and others there to stay. We even get to meet Viola’s last remaining family and are present for a lovely bit of sarcastic bickering seeped in layers upon layers of history and misunderstandings. The characters are dynamic and the relationships far from conflict-free.

Clearly the people are a big draw for me, but the story, or should I say stories, is intriguing and enjoyable. It’s written as a series of ghostly encounters while we learn more about Viola and glimpse the villain behind the scenes. Each episode is resolved, and the final resolution is directly tied to the overall series plot, so you get not one but several conclusions. These “side quests” offer the chance for character growth and discovery. There is no shortage of action while the mysteries deepen instead of coming to light.

Oh, and speaking of the overall plot, neither the bandits nor the loan shark, who deserve the title but are part of the smaller tales, hold a candle to the true villain. He is a shadowy mastermind with goals hidden from view except for half-understood glimpses that prove he’s willing to use this world and the next in his schemes. This advances but does not resolve in the first book, offering questions to send us tumbling into the arms of the second book in Mistress of None as soon as it’s available.

The villain’s plan is not the only lingering question, either. Going back to how the characters and their snarky interactions amuse me, there are some not so lighthearted elements to the interactions as well. I want to understand Viola’s history with her former partner, Peter. That it’s complicated is obvious. What I’m looking forward to (though that’s not quite the right description) is learning the why behind how they ended up separated. Viola’s relationship with her ghostly powers is another source of growth and discovery both in re-evaluating her history with her aunt (who also has a gift) and how what she thought established is still changing.

There were several points where I laughed aloud while others provoked sorrow, showing just how engaged I was in the characters’ lives. It’s a wild ride that kept me reading whether wrangling the ghostly world or struggling with the complexity of the human one. This is only the beginning, but it offers a solid bridge into a world and a story I’m looking forward to seeing play out.

P.S. I received this ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

No Rest For The Wicked could have been so much more. Giggle, giggle, giggle. Too much of it. I could not connect with the characters. This book just wasn't for me.

No Rest for the Wicked is a great introduction to a series that I am excited to read. Vi is a larger than life character that has the ability to see and speak to ghosts. Historical fiction with a supernatural flare, this follows VI's journey into figuring out what her true abilities are. The writing is fantastic and the imagery Darqueling provides paints a clear picture of everything taking place. I am giving this 4 stars. It is a solid introduction to the Mistress of None series. I look forward to reading more of Phoebe Darqueling's book as I really enjoyed her style of writing.

This book had so much potential. I love books that include the paranormal in some way or another, whether it be in the background details or a major piece of the plot. But this one really fell short for me. I had a hard time sticking with it and I nearly didn't finish it. But I did stick with it and in the end it wasn't bad, just poorly executed. I say this in no way to be harsh, it just could have been so much better.

Viola or 'Vi" is a shockingly independent woman for her day, she lives alone and even owns her own saloon following the goldrush in California. She is also clairvoyant. There's a lot going on with Vi to be honest.

And frankly, I didn't care for her at all. I found her obstinate and combative to the point of being a nuissance. I didn't find her strong or admirably independent, all her personality served to do was annoy me. The people around her were so unfailingly loyal to her, even when most the time she didn't deserve it.

I also found it strange that we were introduced to her character as 'Vi' and in descriptive paragraphs and scenes of action she is referred to as 'Vi,' but in lines of dialogue the other characters will address her as 'Viola.' The reverse would have made more sense. There is nothing wrong with this and its a small thing to quibble over, but it felt clunky as I was reading. But anyway, not a big deal.

She solves her every problem by gambling for the first half of the book. Even though she insinuates that this is a thing from her past that she has now distanced herself from, but it sure does seem to be her go to. And I was annoyed that after gambling over her horse and the deal isn't honored, she is annoyed with Bonnie for committing her to a rematch over cards and is ready to leave town, even though she has already shown she is adept at manipulating a game of cards and Bonnie was trying to help. This felt incredibly inconsistent with her character's personality. Her willingness to flee felt very cowardly for her character.

Her frienship with Bonnie was very instantaneous. Suddenly they're  inseperable and reliant on one another. Which again, I profess that I don't find Viola as worthy of such regard.

My biggest complaint is the modern voice that is present throughout the entirety of the book. It removes any sense of realism from the story and therefore I cannot feel that I am immersed in it. This book takes place in the late 1800's, but despite a few terms and lingo from the day thrown in for flavor, this reads in a very modern voice. The mystery is handled as I would expect of a book written for a younger audience and was honestly reminiscent of an episode of Scooby Doo. The villians were very cartoonish in regards to their anger and misdeeds.

The dialouge between characters often came across as choppy and forced, not flowing like natural conversation. And there were so many typos and forgotten words through out the book that it detracted from the flow even further. However this is not so much a reflction on the story itself as it is a reflection of the editing thay went into it.

One of my biggest hanging points in any book is the action of giggling being used too much or when it isn't befitting to a situation. Characters giggle far too much in this book for my taste. SO MUCH giggling. The number of times a character is described as giggling throughout the book reaches to at least one hundred. I will give credit that the giggling wasn't limited to only female characters as many authors will do. But no, I believe every important character was decribed as giggling at least once, except for her aunt and the villians. It drove me absolutely crazy and is likely the thing the bothered more than anything else.

Essentially none of the conflict is resolved after having been drawn out through the entirety of the book and then we have an unnecessary quasi cliffhanger to top it all off. Being only the first in the series, I can hope that the conflict will finally be resloved in the second book.

To wrap this up, this book had the ability to be so much more. Some parts of it were executed far better than others and it is still a decent read. It is occassionally amusing and there a lot of speculation over what ghosts are capable of, which is always fun. It is definitely an adventure. I would say this book would likely do better for a younger audience and I would certainly recommend it to one such a reader if they were a fan of paranormal mysteries. As a book geared toward a younger audience, I would have given a higher rating, 3.5 to 4 stars. But as it stands I see two stars as fitting.