‘If you had not already realised it, this is a very strange house you are come to.’The Scions of the House of Werth are all born normal. It is what happens afterwards that sets them apart.It is not easy being the most supernatural family in England. Nell talks to the dead; Lord Werth is too often to be found out in the churchyard at the dead of night; and the less said about Lord Bedgberry, the … said about Lord Bedgberry, the better.
Only Miss Gussie Werth has missed out on the family curse. She sups on chocolate, not blood; she’s blissfully oblivious to spectres (except for Great-Aunt Honoria, of course); and she hasn’t the smallest inclination to turn into a beast upon the full moon, and go ravening about the countryside.
But there’s more to the Wyrde than meets the eye. When a visit to a neighbouring family goes spectacularly, deliciously wrong, Gussie’s ideas about her own nature undergo a swift and serious change.
Far from being the most ordinary of the bunch, she may just prove to be the most disastrous Werth of them all…
Refined Regency manners meet gothic comedy to delightfully absurd effect in Wyrde and Wayward, a fresh new series from the author of Modern Magick and the Malykant Mysteries.
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What a weird but intriguing story. As it opens, Augusta ‘Gussie’ Werth is at the main Werth manor with the rest of the family, waiting for little Lizzie’s ‘Great Event’. Lizzie’s Wyrding should appear at the moment of the 3rd year anniversary of her birth. Instead of being feared however, the odd and macabre gifts and changes that come over each member of the Werth family are highly anticipated and prized. The Werth family are one of the most powerfully Wyrded families in England and are very proud of that fact. The one apparent exception has been Gussie. The Wyrde seems to have passed her over . . . or has it? This story has mystery, kidnapping, and people going to great lengths to gain an affinity with the Wyrde. Add in vicious books, disembodied heads, conniving dead relatives, a terrific supporting cast and you have the recipe for a spooky, unpredictable and very original story. I loved it.
What a fun book this was to read! I loved the Werth family and all its wyrded members. They reminded me somewhat of the Addams Family – weird (wyrde), quirky, supernatural, yet loveable! There is an aunt who can turn others (and herself, though not purposely) to ice, an uncle who raises the dead (literally), another aunt who trails thunderstorms in her wake, yet another who spends most of her time as a severed head (and who would have expected a severed, bloody-stumped head to be such engaging company!), a taciturn cousin who can only eat the wildlife he catches like a feral animal, and an ancient disgruntled, maniacal book. Yes a book – the Book of Werth, which must be kept imprisoned for the safety of all as it violently attacks anyone who tries to read it. Throw in a reluctant dragon and you’ve got quite a cast of characters.
Augusta “Gussie” Werth is a fabulous lead character. Watching her character develop as she discovers and learns to accept and eventually embrace her own wyrde is a delight. Gussie grows in self-confidence and unleashes her adventurous spirit once her unique wyrde is revealed to her. From that point on she’s full steam ahead in assisting the aforementioned dragon to return to his human form. After that, she ready and eager for more adventures.
The story is set in an alternative Regency England, one which may not appreciate the wyrded, but accepts them as part of society. Characters such as those described above are unnerving to the unwyrded, but not unexpected.
This is the first in the House of Werth series. I look forward to reading more especially as the ending leaves the reader hanging, but with the promise of the storyline being picked up in the next book.
Superb! The addams family in regency England! totally hilarious
It grabbed me from the start with the interesting characters and plot.
There are “strange” happenings and characters with different twists like ghosts…
There is mystery and challenges that are to be overcome as well as a understanding of the “gifts” the characters find in themselves.
This book obviously leads to the next but I look forward to reading the next.
‘Scions of the House of Werth are all born normal. It is what happens afterwards that sets them apart.
It is not easy being the most supernatural family in England. Nell talks to the dead; Lord Werth is too often to be found out in the churchyard at the dead of night; and the less said about Lord Bedgberry, the better.
Only Miss Gussie Werth has missed out on the family curse. She sups on chocolate, not blood; she’s blissfully oblivious to spectres (except for Great-Aunt Honoria, of course); and she hasn’t the smallest inclination to turn into a beast upon the full moon, and go ravening about the countryside.
But there’s more to the Wyrde than meets the eye. When a visit to a neighbouring family goes spectacularly, deliciously wrong, Gussie’s ideas about her own nature undergo a swift and serious change.
Far from being the most ordinary of the bunch, she may just prove to be the most disastrous Werth of them all…’
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Wyrde and Wayward is the first book in Charlotte E. English’s House of Werth series and is a paranormal historical fantasy which follows the Werths, a prevalent wyrded(magical) family in which individuals learn of their abilities on their third birthday.
I’m on the fence about this book. This is one of my favorite genres and it is well written with lovely and amusing characters. Gussie is sarcastic, stubborn, and not one to shy aware from adventure. I’m going to try not to give anything away, but the issue that I had with the book is that a big chunk of the first half of the book was dedicated to setting up a specific conflict for the book then seemed to change focus and veer off into another direction. Which is disappointing because I thought it was the most amusing part of the book. The issue is not really revisited in any way before the book ends, which made it feel like a lot of wasted effort that could have been introduced without quite so many chapters. Certain characters were willing to go to such lengths to carry out a plot, but when they are twarted they just let it go? That’s what I have to assume since that plotline seemed to have just been forgotten.
Overall though the story was amusing and wonderfully weird and I’ll probably continue to read the next in the series, Wyrde and Wicked and hope that it benefits from better focus.
I love this series. I hope to see it continue.