Sworn to the Night

The Wisdom's Grave Trilogy #1

by Craig Schaefer

Marie Reinhart is an NYPD detective on the trail of a serial killer. When she sleeps, though, she dreams of other lives; she dreams of being a knight, in strange wars and strange worlds. On the other side of the city, Nessa Roth is a college professor trapped in a loveless marriage, an unwilling prop in a political dynasty. She's also a fledgling witch, weaving poppets and tiny spells behind closed doors.

When Marie's case draws her into Nessa's path, sparks fly. What comes next is more than a furtive whirlwind affair; it's the first pebbles of an avalanche. Nessa and Marie are the victims of a curse that has pursued them across countless lifetimes; a doom designed to trap them in a twisted living fairy tale, with their romance fated to end in misery and death.

They aren't going out without a fight. As they race to uncover the truth, forces are in motion across the country. In Las Vegas, a professional thief is sent on a deadly heist. In a Detroit back alley, witches gather under the guidance of a mysterious woman in red. Just outside New York, an abandoned zoo becomes the hunting-ground for servants of a savage and alien king. The occult underground is taking sides and forming lines of battle. Time is running out, and Nessa and Marie have one chance to save themselves, break the curse, and demand justice.

This time, they're writing their own ending.

Genres: Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, LGBT, Fiction, Lesbian, Magic

431 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 2, 2018

About the author

Craig Schaefer's books have taken readers to the seamy edge of a criminal underworld drenched in shadow (the Daniel Faust series), to a world torn by war, poison and witchcraft (the Revanche Cycle), and across a modern America mired in occult mysteries and a conspiracy of lies (the Harmony Black series).

Despite this, people say he's strangely normal. Suspiciously normal, in fact. His home on the Web is www.craigschaeferbooks.com.

Reviews

[✘✘ Sarah ✘✘ (former Nefarious Breeder of Murderous Crustaceans) · Rating 3 out of 5]

January 18, 2018: you thought my original review for this book was long? Hahahaha. You're so funny sometimes, my Little Barnacles.

Okay, Rating For This Book (RFTB™), either you stop going up and down in my little head, or I'm shooting myself in the upper exoskeleton to quit thinking about you and stuff. So let's hack at you one final, last and hopefully decisive time and be done with it, shall we? "No," you say? Oops, too late.

Final Actual rating maybe: 3.25 stars.

Why? Because:

💀 No matter how hard I try, and despite my undying love and respect for Craig Schaefer's Most Tremendously Prodigious Characterization Skills (CSMTPCS™), I just cannot bring myself to like the main protagonists of the book. Worse, I am considering NOT reading the rest of this trilogy because of them. And me considering NOT reading any Schaefer book is like:



💀 I do think that the Mightily Smashing Schaeferistic Crossover (MSSC™) is absolutely fantabulous indeed. It works beautifully in Daniel Faust and Harmony Black: it's coherent, it makes sense, feels completely legitimate and makes for a rich, complex world. The problem in Sworn to the Night is that the crossover feels somehow forced. It doesn't feel like the story genuinely belongs to the Schaeferverse. On the contrary, it feels like the book has been made to fit the universe (yes, I know it isn't the case, but I just can't help feeling that way). This is particularly striking when you read scenes that feature characters from Daniel Faust and Harmony Black. Not only do they break the flow of the main plot, they also make it feel both disjointed and contrived. Is this because this is the first Wisdom's Grave instalment, which required Schaefer to bring in all the storylines and threads from his other series to set up the rest of the trilogy? Maybe. Can't say it makes me particularly eager to read book 2, though.

Now please excuse me while I drown myself in a, um, soothing cup of calming camomile tea. I'm going to need it after giving such a despicably low rating to a Craig Schaefer book.



P.S. This is Craig Schaefer's highest rated book so far! Which means it's actually pretty mind-blowing! Relief! Happiness! Hope! Utter joyousness and stuff! I obviously read Sworn to the Night pathetically wrong! Which means I'll raise my rating to 15 bloody shrimping stars the next time I read the book! Yayyyyyyy!!!!!!



[January 13, 2018]

Actual rating: 3.4 stars. Too much thinking my head does so up and down the rating goes.

Friendly warning: get a drink preferably of the alcoholic kind and grab a snack, I think we're going to be here a while.

Damn "complicated salad" this one is indeed.

Probably my least favourite Craig Schaefer book ever it is, too. Okay, so a 3.4-star rating isn't exactly disastrous, but it is kinda sorta low on the Schaefer Scale of Utter Awesomeness (SSoAA™). ← I never wrote this and you never read it.

Sigh. Where do I bloody shrimping start? Okay, let's begin with the mind-bloggling stuff. This is, hands down, the Most Gloriously Epic Crossover in the History of Most Gloriously Epic Crossovers (MGECitHoMGEC™). It is downright amazing, astounding and flabbergasting. And most wondrous, too. As Those of Impeccable Book Taste (ToIBT™) i.e. those who, like me, have read all of Schaefer's books know, Schaefer's series—Daniel Faust YUM boyfriend YUM , Harmony Black and Revanche Cycle—are all set in the same multiverse Schaeferverse. And Sworn to the Night is where it all gloriously comes together in a most, um, you know, glorious way and stuff. By the way, my Little Barnacles, although it is true that this book can be read as a standalone my Little One did and even had the nerve to rate the book 5 bloody shrimping stars! Outrageous! , if you do, you'll miss out on the all the mysterious implications and scrumptious interconnections and that would be a shame indeed and stuff.



See? Even Batty Batman thinks it's a bad idea.

Anyway, here I was, reading the first half quarter few chapters of the book and hysterically fangirling like a 13-year-old maniac on acid getting slightly enthusiastic about it all. Then the novelty starting wearing off a little. I did have few delicious Oh My Bloody Shrimping Hell It's My Boyfriend Daniel Faust Making a Luscious Appearance Episodes (OHMSHIMBDFMaLAE™) here and there, but that's about it as far as uncontrollable hysteria moderate excitement is concerned. Okay, so Spoiler Spoiler Spoiler's (not her real name) cameo got my exoskeleton all tingly and hot and super titillated and stuff, too. Same thing for Spoiler Spoiler Spoiler Spoiler's (not her real name either) cameo. Still, something wasn't really working for me here. Don't get me wrong, I still think this is Pure Epic Crossover Genius (PECG™) but that alone wasn't enough to make the book yet another Blazing Piece of Undiluted Schaefer Awesomeness (BPoUSA™). You know, the kind of story that usually makes me unleash my super smooth dance moves on you and stuff.



Sexy, huh? What can I say, rhythm is me.

Soooooooo, at this point you're probably wondering what the fish went so wrong with this book that I ended up giving it such a despicable rating. You're not? Oh well, I'll give you a most fascinating explanation anyway. I'm kind and generous like that.

① The Kinda Sorta Meh Story (KSMS™).
Let's be disgustingly honest here: I am not a fan of police procedurals. They're almost as boring as barnacle porn (don't ask). And even though there is more to this book than this, the heart of the plot is still a criminal investigation with cops doing cop things and stuff. Okay, so this not your average investigation, since it involves spoiler spoiler spoiler, but still. Captivated by it I was not. I guess it felt a bit mundane for a Schaefer story ← I'll probably burn in hell for saying this. Damn. Yay! It's my boyfriend Sandman Slim's home away from home! Go me and stuff! Another problem is that the plot moves sloooooooowly. At a much slower pace than what Schaefer has accustomed us to, anyway. Also, some events were too predictable. Also also, less action. Also also also, I kept waiting for Schaefer to surprise me with one of his wicked twists, as he usually does, but it never happened. Well, okay, so it did happen. Only I wish it hadn't. Why? Because the twist in question is nearly identical to one in Cold Spectrum. Now that really did surprise the fish out of me. I mean, this is like Ilona Andrews using the same twist twice. Bloody shrimping unimaginable, does not compute, I understand not and stuff.



Yeah, pretty much.

② Like this relationship I do not. At all.
Okay, so I have a problem with two of the characters in this story. And a major one at that. It's difficult to talk about it without spoiling the fish out of the book, but let's just say that submissive behavior IS NOT MY THING AT ALL. Top 3 mega pet peeves and stuff. I hate it hate it hate it. Of course there are dominant personalities that tend to overshadow more passive ones, but this was just too bloody shrimping much, if you ask me (and even if you don't. Ask me, I mean). I'm used to reading weird/twisted/fished off stuff and few things make me feel uncomfortable, but some scenes in this book made me really uneasy. Okayyy, I can't go on without going all spoiler-crazy on your lovely asses pincers, so here goes: Marie and Nessa. UGH. Marie is a total, complete, utter doormat. It's one of the most pathetic, revolting, infuriating things ever. I swear, I've seen barnacles less compliant that she is (don't ask). She never questions anything Nessa tells her, or asks her to do. Never ever not once absolutely not. I swear, the girl gives the word "submissive" a whole new dimension. In Revanche Cycle, Marie was also a bit submissive but she was mostly manipulated by Nessa. Here, she always does the witch's bitch's bidding most willingly, no questions asked, "oh yeah sure I'll do whatever deranged thing you tell me to who cares about the consequences I love acting as a total airhead yay and stuff." So, let's recap here: 1/Marie's a total wimp and she better get her act together in the next book otherwise I'll unleash the crustaceans on her lovely derriere and 2/I hate Nessa's guts and I hope she dies a slow, excruciating death soon. You're welcome. One-gif summary:



Yeah, even the Pathetic Rainbow-Colored Ponies (PRCP™) agree with me on that one. That should tell you something right there.

③ Disappointing secondary characters.
One-dimensional villains. In a Craig Schaefer book. Unthinkable. I'm pretty sure I read there was a law against that somewhere, actually. Can't remember what country it was, though. Papua New Guinea, maybe? Yeah, that must be it. I hear they're pretty strict with that kind of stuff over there. But I ever so slightly digress. Anyway, I'm not talking about ALL the villains in the book here, just some of them. And yes, they are deliciously wicked and sick and twisted and fished up, but they are…just that. There is no complexity there. None whatsoever. And that kinda sorta sucks. Because Schaefer is kinda sorta the king of Superbly Multi-Layered Evil Individuals (SMLEI™). Here? Err…Not so much. Even some of the good not-as-bad secondary characters lacked depth, for fish's sake! What the fishing fish is going on here?! Is this the end of the world and no one told me or something? I'm the one who's supposed to bring death and destruction and complete and utter annihilation to this planet, so I'd appreciate being kept informed of anyone's else Doom and Instant Self Combustion Plans (DaISCP™) for the universe and stuff.

Bloody shrimping hell, now I'm thinking I should have rated this book 3 stars instead of 3.5. The more my two grey cells overheat, the lower my rating goes. Damn damn damn. Okay, let's see if I can remember enough cool stuff about this book so that instantaneous spawning of little stars will ensue. Self pep-talk: Come on, Sarah! Be strong! You are nefarious! You are abominable! You are vile! You can do this!

List of random yet slightly fabulous and stupendous Sworn to the Night stuff : Marie reads Glen Cook. MARIE READS GLEN FISHING COOK. Now if that isn't worth a 10-star rating alone, I don't know what is (a Glen Cook book maybe? Hmm, quite possibly, yes). Also: cannibals exotic meat enthusiasts and the nemesis of all authority and cuties gnats and glorious rrrrrrrrrevenge and doe and chaos and dominoes and, um, quaint little restaurants and owls and Archduke Franz Ferdinand and eyeballs. YUM.



The more eyeballs, the merrier. Always. Ergo, my rating just went up again. A little. Yay and stuff.

➽ And the moral of this I'm Pretty Sure I'll Still Be Thinking This Rating Over When my Great Great Great Great Shrimpkids Have Great Great Great Great Shrimpkids Crappy Non Review (IPSISBTTROWmGGGGSHGGGGSCNR™) is: no bloody fishing idea. Just keeping my pincers crossed that, um, you know, stuff will get better in book 2. Much much much MUCH better. But hey, no pressure, Craig Schaefer. No pressure at all.

P.S. I still lurves you, Mr S. A little.



· Book 2: Detonation Boulevard ★★★★
· Book 3: Bring the Fire ★★★★

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having powered through Craig Schaefer's Daniel Faust and Harmony Black books, this was an obvious next step. Set in the same world and forming part of the overarching storyline that links all three series, this features Marie Reinhart, an NYPD Detective we met in HB book Glass Predator and, Nessa Roth, a college professor with a troubled mind. Their love-at-first-sight meeting brings chaos to their ordered but unfulfilling lives, throwing them into the fight for the future of the whole world.

The crossover aspect works well enough for those that have read everything that’s come before, though it makes me wonder how the author is going to pull it all together. Is the big final battle going to be in this series, spread out between them, or individualised by main character, which means three separate versions of the same ending? Considering I like this a lot less than the others, it’s a bit of a pisser if I have to read the other two books in this trilogy to get info on the characters I do want to see again. Here, we get both Faust and Black thrown in for side jobs, perhaps to introduce them to readers who haven’t read their series, but to get the fullest understanding of what’s going on with the plot of this novel alone, theirs should be read before starting this one. Most of the characters we’ve seen before. The Kings? The Network? All revealed in previous instalments. I haven’t read the The Complete Revanche Cycle so can’t speak to what that adds, if anything, but I haven’t felt the lack so maybe that’s not been as necessary until now. Of course, there is an almost independent storyline in this book that probably feels understandable as a standalone, but which is enhanced by things that have already happened. As a police procedural investigation into the disappearance of a young prostitute, Baby Blue, it’s pretty uninspiring, with a used-to-death scenario of ageing frat boys hunting human prey. Yawn. Everything is slowly, slowly step-by-step, with zero surprises, and little real action. The twist is even reused from Cold Spectrum. Poor form, Schaefer. A decent final battle by the end but otherwise it’s light in every fashion.

Now character is where it really lost points for me. Separately, these two women do ok. But together, what we have is one super dominant woman and her knight, I mean slave. Now this is no doubt a personal preference thing but I cannot stand it when a woman who seems to be confident, competent, and full of agency, a Detective no less, suddenly morphs into this dithery, where-am-I, who-am-I, can-I-go-for-a-wee-miss?? type of person, but only while in the company of their special other. And i’m not talking about a person who willingly chooses a submissive role in sexual play thing, I mean a change-your-whole-personality and become a piece of wet lettuce thing. The hark to a Knight-in-shining-armour fantasy makes this more romantic than either of the other series and while I’m a fan of the two women as a couple, I’m not convinced by Nessa as Mr Grey Fifty Shades of Grey. Her whole you’ll-submit-to-my-every-demand-with-no-complaint spiel is waaaay too much, put the book down or skip the section too much. Otherwise, I quite like her bad attitude, it gives her magic some serious bite, and even without the knowledge given by the Revanche cycle, it’s quite clear she’s riding the villain line.

It’s not all bad news, there are some excellent Aha! moments for those who have been paying attention. The Owl Lives. Faust lives. Ink production and distribution is explored some more. The larger story, that Great Theatre production with its repetition of Roles and Lives over the ages, is ever more tantalisingly revealed. These women get on my nerves as they’re portrayed now, but i’m hoping there might be some change in the future.

In any case, I need to know what comes next. Damn you and your addictive world, Schaefer.

[Kitty G Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

*This is one of the #SPFBO finalist for 2018*

I picked this up as a judge for the #SPFBO competition and I have to say it was a complex read with a lot going on. This story is the first in a series, but it's by no means the first book by this author set in this world, in fact I believe there are a few previous series where you get to see quite a few of the characters we encounter here.

This story starts with a police Detective, Marie, who is hunting down a killer who has been stealing prostitutes. She has an emotional connection to the case and is determined to see it through, no matter what. I actually really liked her at first for her fiery determination and grit, but as the book went on I think she did end up losing quite a lot of what I liked about her, and she became very submissive to one of the other characters.

The other major character is Nessa, a woman who is trapped in a marriage she hates and who is being drugged for a condition she's not even sure she has. Nessa is a witch who practises without her husband's knowledge and they live fairly separate lives where they can. However, as the story goes on we also learn that there is a lot more importance on Nessa than first meets the eye, and she plays a big part.

There are a lot of other cameos from characters who are presumably in the author's other works such as Harmony Black and Daniel Faust, and honestly this was all fascinating enough to make me want to go back and read all the other stories. I did not feel like I was spoiled necessarily, just ultra intrigued about who they are and how they really tie in with everything else.

At the heart of the story I would say this is an urban fantasy with some dark areas. There is some body horror at one or two points, and there is torture and abuse in the story too. It's clearly not a light-hearted read, but it's also got a lot of fun moments.

Personally I love LGBTQ+ relationships in books but this one felt a little forced. I enjoyed the concept, but there is a sense of insta-love (although we know why later on) and I think it would have been a little better if taken a little slower. I did like the sub/dom element, but again I think that this was kind of just thrust onto the reader and I think I would have preferred a little more of a build up to the characters and these feelings as I think it would have made more sense.

Overall, this one kept me reading and interested throughout, and I am certainly intrigued enough to want to read more by the author as the story was a solid one with so much happening. I want to go back and read the others in this world to find out more, and I am intrigued about where these characters will end up too. 4*s from me which is 8*s overall for #SPFBO

[Choko · Rating 5 out of 5]

*** 4.65 ***

"...“This isn’t some sweet Disney bedtime story. This is a real fairy tale. With death, and blood, and suffering. And I never promise a happy ending.”
― Craig Schaefer, Sworn to the Night..."

I have been going through the Schaeferverse in the last several months , enjoying Danny and the gang, falling in love with the meticulous and somewhat stuffy Harmony and her gang, and feeling tenderness for creatures who are monsters, but seeing them in the scope of Schaefer's lens, not being able to judge them harshly for their natures, and even appreciate their acquired goodness... Schaferverse is a harsh place to live, since it is very close to our reality, but with some demons, aliens, zombies and cannibals mixed in with the regular mobsters and petty criminals. Years ago, I also got to read the Revanche Cycle, a series of four books set in alternative world with a heavy Italian Renaissance feel to it, and there we met Marie and Nessa, the versions of the women who become our main characters in this book. You do not have to have read all of those books in order to start this series, but it would help a lot, as well as help the reader be already acquainted with the different power players in our world. This is the series in which all other series converge, some more significantly than others. And in typical Schaefer style, we get started with a thrill!

"...“Whatever the culture, whatever it’s called,” Nessa told them, “witchcraft is the traditional tool of the politically dispossessed. A court of last resort for those who have no other means of exerting power. If you’re looking for a revolution, look for a witch.”..."

I had no idea what to expect, but I was very pleased with the developments in this volume. Loved seeing our friends from all other series, loved all the hints and nods to the different factions in this multi-cultural and traditional world, and loved the way Schafer made me root with all of my heart for a character whom I used to hate, but here am given a reason to want to unleash all the power she has in order to revenge herself and all those who have suffered in the hands of those douchebags, whose evil comes from a place of non-challans and entitlement ...

"...“To be a witch,” Nessa said, “is to be an outlaw. Humanity has spent centuries trying to impose order upon the wild. To pave over the forests with cities, to replace nature in all of its beautiful chaos with rules and regulations that serve only the powerful and keep everyone else in chains. But a witch cares nothing for the authority of men. We undermine. We poison. We bring change. And that is why they hate us.”..."When my work is done, they’ll call me a villain. But that’s all right. I don’t mind. Women who refuse to submit have always been called that and worse.”"

I am so glad the author decided to treat his fans with a buffet of all the different goodies we have grown to expect from him, all in one place. Yes, some of the cameos were more of a tease, but I have faith that he is going to bring everything together! The only two things missing were Fontain and the Tweens!!!!! I really hope we see them in the next couple of books, because we are getting some of our wonderful Nix and that is, without her mother! Yay! So very excited!!!😈

"...“The world was full of liars, but memory was the most insidious of them all, the only liar that lived in your head.”..."

Now I wish you all Happy Reading and may you always find what you Need in the pages of a good Book!!! 😎😉

[Milda Page Runner · Rating 5 out of 5]

“When my work is done, they’ll call me a villain. But that’s all right. I don’t mind. Women who refuse to submit have always been called that and worse.”

Well, this was awesome. Like goosebumps over my skin awesome. For full disclosure goosebumps could be due to my cold, but still – a great read.
Highly recommended to all fantasy and UF readers. There is one caveat – you sort of need to read Daniel Faust, Harmony Black and Revanche Cycle first to get the full scope. And if you haven’t read them yet – well… What you’re waiting for?

A memory, a scene from one of her favorite books, sparked an idea. “What about a sword?” Marie asked.
“Possible,” the medical examiner told her. “The problem is that most modern swords are reproductions for collectors; they’re art pieces, not weapons. The blade that did this was incredibly sharp. And it still doesn’t explain the cauterization effect.”
“A sword which was on fire at the time,” Jefferson said. He reached for the severed arm and looked to Marie. “Or a lightsaber. Maybe we should put out an APB on Darth Vader.

“There are moments in history,” Calypso said, “when a single event changes the world. Times when one profound act sets a string of dominoes in motion. Once the dominoes start to fall, all you can do is roll along, swept up in the tide. Now, at the time, you might not realize what you’re looking at. Might not see the trigger event when it happens.”
“But in the aftermath,” she mused, “gazing upon a transformed world while you’re standing in its wreckage…”
“Hindsight is twenty-twenty.”

“To be a witch,” Nessa said, “is to be an outlaw. Humanity has spent centuries trying to impose order upon the wild. To pave over the forests with cities, to replace nature in all of its beautiful chaos with rules and regulations that serve only the powerful and keep everyone else in chains. But a witch cares nothing for the authority of men. We undermine. We poison. We bring change. And that is why they hate us.”

“Our mothers took Miltown and Valium. We drink wine. Every generation of women has their own special numbing agent. Only difference being, they popped pills behind the bathroom door while we took our particular vice public.”
“It sounds like you don’t approve,” Marie said, “yet we’re drinking wine right now.”
“Oh, I enjoy wine. What I don’t approve of is the normalization of the ritual. We are told, day in and day out, by advertisements and television shows, that gathering to drink wine is simply what women do. That it’s how we relax, how we cope. I don’t object to vices in general; it’s unquestioned and unexamined vices I detest. If one is going to drink poison for fun, as we’re doing right now, one should at least be honest about it.”
Marie cast an uncertain eye at her drink.
“Poison,” Nessa said as she took a sip, “is the wellspring of so many of life’s little pleasures.”

[lov2laf · Rating 2 out of 5]

I straight up didn't like this read. I can see where others may but it wasn't for me.

The genre is an action packed paranormal read (witches, demons, gods, whoknowswhat) with mystery and some violence. We get a number of POVs in this read but the two main leads are Marie, a police officer, and Vanessa Roth, a professor/witch. ::sigh::

First off, to like a story I need to respect the leads. And here, I didn't. Both Marie and Nessa are supposed to be rogue in their own ways but I found neither to be particularly intelligent or talented and *both* seemed mentally unstable. I could see where Schaefer tried to make these two characters more nuanced by basically having them flip their scripts playing with their meek and strong sides but, eh...I wasn't convinced and I didn't care.

Now, I've done mentally unstable before and still loved the characters. Ayla Darkleaf from S. D. Simper's "Fallen Gods" series is a complete sadist and Nico from Elizabeth Watasin's "Monster Stalker" series is teetering on her sanity but the authors injected them with some kind of charm, sense of justice, intelligence or humor that earned my respect and my affection. I just didn't get that with Marie and Nessa.

This story has a lot going on and so much so that I started getting bored and skimmed some parts. There are also quite a few characters. Unfortunately, most are two dimensional or too shallow to invest in, while others are your basic mustache twirling villains.

I haven't read Schaefer's other books and this one has POVs and chapters dedicated to characters from those other reads. Perhaps I would've benefited from their backstories. Instead, I just found the extra chapters needless and detracting.

As for romance or love story, both Nessa and Marie are seemingly heterosexual but do become an f/f couple so it falls in the "gay for you" or bisexual category. I wouldn't call this a romance though and definitely label it as instalove/soulmate. They also have a domme/sub dynamic. I generally give paranormal reads more of a pass if there's instalove but I still needed more than what this author gave.

If a reader is more into plot points and action, this might be a good read. If a reader is more into nuanced character driven stories, skip this. I didn't find it a satisfying read so I can't recommend. 2.5 stars.

[Gavin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Wisdom's Grave Trilogy is a bit of a weird series. It is set in the same world as Schaefer's Faust and Harmony books, and both those characters make cameos in this one, but it also acts as a sequel, of sorts, to his Revanche Cycle series as two of the characters in that one are back to play the lead roles for this series. I must admit that worried me a bit going into this one as I was not a big fan of Nessa and Marie's story arc in the Revanche books.

The story was decent enough. Marie Reinhart is an NYPD detective on the trail of a serial killer. Her investigation brings her into contact with Nessa Roth, a college professor and secret witch, as Nessa's husband is Marie's main suspect. Both feel an instant connection with the other and are drawn towards each other which complicates Marie's murder investigation!

I felt like the story was entertaining enough but I'm not sure how accessible it would be to readers who had not read any of Schaefer's other series as a lot of the people and the happenings in this story were set up and introduced in Schaefer's previous series. I think it definitely helped being already familiar with The Enemy and his twisted magical "story" that had both Marie and Nessa's souls caught up in a cycle of reincarnation. The Enemy was not the only familiar person who's influence was felt as the likes of the Network, Calypso (via his connection to the Roth family), Faust, Harmony, and even Nadine's crazy demon daughter made an appearance and played a part in shaping the tale! I'm not sure any of the cameos would have made sense or been as much fun to new readers.

The big downside of this series compared to Schaefer's other UF series for me was his switch from first person POV to third person POV as the storytelling method. I feel like Schaefer just writes better stories in the first person. Those tales tend to have more humour and allow me a deeper emotional connection with his characters. We got a Faust appearance in this one and his character was hurt the most. Faust in the third person was a pale shadow of the character we get in the regular Faust series. Third person Schaefer stories are still OK reads but I do feel like Revanche, and now Wisdom's Grave, are a tiny bit lacking in emotional punch when compared to the Faust and Harmony series!

I was a tad worried about this series going in as I was not a giant fan of Marie or Nessa in the Revanche books. The concern was justified as I'm still not a giant fan of the pair after reading this one. They both started out OK in this one before developing into the same sort of characters they were by the end of the Revanche books. The biggest problem for me is Nessa. She is tough to like as she is pretty much just a flat out villain character. That could be fun but where it hurts the story is in how it effects her relationship with Marie. I was never convinced while reading Revanche that Nessa cared for Marie as anything more than a tool and while she was a tiny bit better in this instalment I felt she was developing in that direction again so I'm not hopeful this will be a relationship I can buy into in the long term. Marie started well in both this books and in the Revanche before being corrupted by Nessa. Which I found frustrating last time and likely will again in this latest cycle for the pair!

I think the best thing about this series is the fact that Schaefer always tends to write fun stories and has an engaging writing style (in both the first and third person POV) so it was easy to get caught up in the happenings. The other thing he does well is write a bunch of interesting characters.

All in all I felt like this was a decent read but definitely not one of Schaefer's better books. I'm hoping Nessa and Marie do not take a further turn for the worse in the next instalment!

Rating: 3.5 stars. I'm rounding up to 4 stars mostly just because I like Schaefer as an author and 3 stars seems harsh!

Audio Note: This was narrated by Susannah Jones. I felt like she did a decent job with the audio. Though it was weird to hear her voicing the likes of Faust and Harmony during that pairs cameo appearances in this one.

[Mark Lawrence]

I've not read this book yet, but it is one of 10 finalists chosen from 300 in this year's Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off, so it's probably very good!

Find out more about the SPFBO here:
https://mark---lawrence.blogspot.com/...

See this year's finalists board here:
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[Lukasz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This isn’t some sweet Disney bedtime story. This is a real fairy tale. With death, and blood, and suffering. And I never promise a happy ending.

.

Nessa and Mari were my favorite characters in the Revanche Cycle. I was furious and devastated after Queen of the Night brutal ending. When I learned that this unlikely couple will reappear in other books, I felt relieved. Truth is, I haven’t read Daniel Faust / Harmony Black books. And yet I’m pretty sure Nessa must be Craig Schaefer’s greatest character. Prove me wrong. I dare you.

SSTN is the first book of the Wisdom's Grave trilogy. It can be read as a standalone but I think it would be wiser to treat it as a culmination of Craig Schaefer’s work. I’m pretty sure that due to my lack of Faust and Harmony Black background, I wasn’t able to fully appreciate the book. And yet it’s a five star book for me.

Marie Reinhart, an NYPD detective is on hunt. A prostitute called Baby Blue is missing. currently hunting a missing prostitute called "Baby Blue". She loves knighthood stories. Vanessa Fieri-Roth is mentally troubled professor of anthropology diagnosed with bi-polar disorder. She’s also a wife Richard Roth (senator Alton Roth’s son) who is a dangerous bastard. Nessa looks for a purpose in her life. Not an easy task when you’re on tranquilizers.

Soon their paths cross. And magic starts to happen. Black magic. Blood magic. Destruction and mayhem happen when the two meet and fight to survive and break the Wheel of Time.

What makes this new series so strong are characters. They are the key. Marie becomes the Knight. Nessa transforms into terrifying Owl we’ve seen in the Revanche Cycle books. She’s not a nice person. She can be cruel and sadistic and yet I can’t help it – I simply adore her. Marie remains an endearing character – she’s determined and driven to incarnate law / police ideals. She cares about victims no one cares about. She’s a good people. Sadly, her fate in the Cosmic Story isn’t easy. Both she and Nessa needs to pass bloody and cruel initiation.

Daniel Faust, Harmony Black and some other characters appear. I know nothing about them but the glimpses I got made me decide to immerse myself in other Schaefer’s works. The climax of the book was strong and quite terrifying.

The story is told by fantasy hack Carolyn Saunders who is captured by Network in the first chapter. I know little about her but it seems she has interesting role to play.

It’s an amazing story guys. It taster better if you already read Revanche Cycle. And it’s good news. Now you have another argument to read this excellent tetralogy. I wait impatiently for a sequel and in the meantime I’ll start to catch up on Faust / Black series.

[Mihir · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overall rating = 4 & 1/2 stars

Read full review over at Fantasy Book Critic .
Read my interview with Craig Schaefer about the stunning cover art and the book's genre.

OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: Sworn To The Night (STTN) is the culmination of a lot of threads and characters, chief among them as two whom we previously meet in The Revanche Cycle books by the author. The true inclinations about this whole "story" were first mentioned in the Revanche Cycle (book III) and then later gloriously expanded in The Castle Doctrine (Daniel Faust book 6). If that might seem confusing, then dear reader then welcome to the universe(s) of Craig Schaefer wherein everything is connected and only now (after 15 books, 1 novella & 3 short stories) are we getting to see where the connecting threads lie.

SSTN is the first book of the Wisdom's Grave trilogy but it is a book in the making from 2014 (wherein Craig first wrote the Revanche Cycle). It is a book that can be read as a standalone story but for readers who have read and enjoyed any or all of the author's previous works (the Daniel Faust books, the Harmony Black volumes, & The Revanche Cycle) will love it the most. The story begins in the future or present (depending on how you want to look at it) wherein we encounter famed fantasy hack Carolyn Saunders (first introduced in The Castle Doctrine) get picked up by an unknown group and is forced to recant the story of "the Witch & the Knight". Carolyn mentions that it's a fairy tale and a fairly grim one at that but nevertheless accedes to her captor's wishes.

We are then brought back to the past or present (depending on again your perspective) wherein we meet Marie Reinhart, an NYPD detective currently hunting a missing prostitute called "Baby blue". Eagle eyed readers might remember that we first have encountered Marie and her partner Tony in Glass Predator (Harmony Black #3) but that was only a small taste. Within this book we get to meet her fully, a determined cop who's haunted by her very tragic past (Revanche Cycle readers might have a solid inkling about this) who looks out for the small guy with an obsession. Teased by her roomate and her partner for her love of the simplistic fantasy volumes (by Carolyn Saunders) that she has devoured from her teenage years, Marie is nevertheless no less focussed on her job but some in her department don't look at it the same way. We are also introduced to Nessa (Vanessa) Fieri-Roth, the timid & mentally troubled professor and wife of Richard Roth (son of senator Alton Roth who has been in the background of both Harmony Black & Daniel Faust books). Nessa has been trying to figure out her life's purpose and her skills but is stymied within her personal and professional lives by a variety of agents.

Things take an interesting turn wherein Marie makes her way to Vanessa's home and the two characters meet each other for the first time in this lifetime. This is where the metaphorical sparks begin, of course this isn't your typical love story. Hell I'm not even sure that we can it a love story, is it love if two characters are fated to be together even if for a short time? That's a fundamental question posed in this story, are these characters truly their own or are they marionettes dancing to the tune of the "cosmic story". As far as I can, the answer to the former part is a resounding yes, they are their own people and their love is something that neither of them can explain but they feel just right for each other.

This book is solidly about characters and none shine brighter than Nessa and Marie. Infact it's Nessa who truly gets to shine as we get to see her transformation from a meak mouse into the terrifying Owl we have seen and met before. Previously when we meet Nessa in the Revanche Cycle, she seemed like a onenote villain and it's to Craig's credit that she becomes a terrifying person but one that readers get attached to. In this book as well, we get to see her descent into the Owl and it's a terrifying one. Make no mistake, Nessa is no hero and she makes no qualms about it. She and Marie have been brought together and taken apart violently over and ad infinitum. We even get to see a scene play out that was previously featured in the Revanche Cycle and it was a delight to read. For newer readers it will give them a background as to what happened before and give seasoned readers a clue as to what comes next.

Marie also takes center stage in this story and she's as terrifying as ever. Mari Renault was her previous reincarnation and as the warrior suffering from PTSD and yet striving to achieve an ideal, she stole reader's hearts (including mine). She was the hero that the world didn't deserve but yet needed. The characters who met her were bemused but no less inspired. Marie is very much in Mari's mould as the "cosmic story" dictates but is still an endearing character. When we meet her, we get to see her determination, her hard-edged obsession with the law (whom she sees as her liege) and possibly her transformation. There are other characters in the play and I won't reveal them but safe to say that there are other witches in the fray and I can't wait to read more on the main one. There are also some memorable cameo appearances from Daniel Faust, Harmony Black and a couple of other minor but important characters from the other series. Lastly as is the case with other Craig Schaefer books, characterization remains a solid point and readers will have their favorites namely a NYC librarian who's cute and badass all the same.

This book doesn't feature all out action sequences like the Harmony Black series or the noir plot twists of the Daniel Faust ones. But make no mistake, this volume is no less effective than either one of them. This book is a slow burn and one wherein the consequences are the same if not worse. I loved how the author set up the story and then let it unspool and unspool it does (in quite a horrific way). As mentioned in the blurb, there's a potential serial killer hunting prostitutes but the truth is much worse. I loved how the author explored this angle and then tied it to the Network and also to elements that have bubbled up to the surface in the recent Harmony Black books. We also get a clearer look into the production of "Ink" the designer drug that has been mentioned extensively in the Daniel Faust volumes. Especially we get a solid idea about how it's tied into the mythology of the series. What I was looking for was an explanation about the phenomenon of "The Owl Lives", which isn't quite explained but this is the first volume only and there are two more to go.

This book in my view is a like an atmospheric thriller which builds up on tension, characters and plot elements which bring it to a resounding climax. This I believe is the highlight of the book and featured the author's version of a magic vs science fight. You have to read it to be enthralled and I certainly was. Lastly remember the dual timeline I mentioned in the start with Carolyn Saunders, we get a solid twist to that plotline as well.

Since I've gushing so much about this book, one might wonder what are the drawbacks to this book and yes there are a couple (YMMV with them though). Primarily the book's pace in the start is on the slow side and slowly builds up as the chapters go along. For readers of the Faust & Black books, this might be perhaps a different experience which they might not enjoy all too well. For newer readers, this will a very personal thing, some might like it some might not. The second and last thing which stuck a craw in my mind was that the final twist on the villains is very much the same with regards to what happened in the Cold Spectrum book (Harmony Black #4). Craig Schaefer is too talented an author to be repeating this twist and I feel that there will other readers for whom this might seem the same.

CONCLUSION: Sworn To The Night is a book that leaves a mark perhaps in the same way as the Owl intends to leave one on this world. STTN is a book that is like a nine course meal, it takes its time to get to the final course but leaves you sated completely and wanting more. I loved this book from cover to cover and can't wait to read the sequel tentatively titled "Desolation Boulevard".

[Terrible Timy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't read this book as part of SPFBO, but since then it had become a finalist. My rating doesn't reflect FBR's final rating, which will be announced later as the final phase progresses.

This review was published on my blog with a few extras :)

I've got a copy from the author in exchange of an honest review.

First of all, to read this book and/or trilogy you don’t necessarily need to be familiar with Craig Schaefer’s other series, but it can give an extra perspective if you’ve read his Daniel Faust or Harmony Black books (both characters will play a part in the events described in the Wisdom’s Grave trilogy), but especially the Revanche Cycle, where Nessa and Marie appear as characters. I’ve only read two of his Daniel Faust books and I had no problem following the story, but it definitely added a bit of extra understanding to Daniel’s character.

Sworn to the Night starts off as a regular detective novel. Marie Reinhart and Tony Fisher are trying to get to the end of a serial killing that’s happening all over New York. The victims are prostitutes and aside from Marie no one thinks the murders are connected. She is determined to find the latest missing girl, Baby Blue and is convinced she’ll be dead in two weeks if they don’t save her. The evidence first lead to an Ink storage house in Monticello, then to a wealthy business man with connections, Richard Roth. This is where Marie meets Nessa Roth and her life turns upside down. She has to question everything she ever knew about herself or the world and has to pay the price for it.

“My momma, she said there comes a time in everyone’s life when the Lord gives you a test. That moment when you go up against the wall and you find out what you’re really made of, deep down inside. It ain’t about winning or losing, it’s about learning. Because once you’ve seen the truth of what you are, you can’t never run away from it.” – Harlow

Being the first book of a trilogy, Sworn to the Night was a really great set up for the rest of the series, but it also had its own story arc for which kudos to Schaefer. Which started out to be an interesting mix of mystery and urban fantasy, soon turned into total craziness. What seemed a simple serial murder, was in reality a fun activity for a pack of wealthy guys aiming to belong to the inner circle of the Network, with some rituals on the side. And a booming business of drug dealing, namely ink which spreads through America like a wildfire.

Meanwhile The Lady in Red, Dora and the Mourner set some events into motion to help Nessa discover her powers and also to bring into play Daniel Faust and Harmony Black. Their motives aren’t quite clear yet, but there are still two more books to settle these matters. Another major player I need to mention is Savannah Cross, whom I feel will play an important role in the future. She is also a bit crazy, and has some cool equipment on her disposal.

“That’s the thing about life,” Janine said. “Just when you think you’ve got it all figured out, you find out that it can always get weirder.”

How true. Now that we have most major players out of the way, let’s focus a bit on our two main characters, Nessa and Marie. To be perfectly honest, I have conflicted feelings. On one hand their romance happens too fast, it’s too close to insta-love for my taste, and that annoys me. It still has some build up, and I actually enjoyed reading about the way they get to know each other (the whole dinner scene where they share stories about their life is just pure awesomeness), the insecurity, all the thrilling and at the same time terrifying feelings that accompany a new relationship. I probably could sympathize with Marie the most in that situation. At the beginning Nessa seemed like a timid, intelligent but oppressed woman who only needed a little push, a surge of confidence to find herself. What she had become was nothing that I have expected, and I’m still not sure I like the way where this relationship heads. At the same time I can understand why Marie feels drawn to Nessa, her need to finally let the control go out of her hands a bit and allow herself to be spontaneous and wild, let go of the pressure of being the strong and dependable one. To allow herself to be vulnerable after a long time. And that takes courage. I know this all too well. Even so, subordinating herself completely is not something I can make my peace with, and don’t think she will either in the long run.

“I believe that we all have two faces. Our public face – the mask we wear, the persona we want the world to see – and our true face. The person we really are, when we’re completely unguarded and our defenses are down. There is no greater intimacy than the truth, Marie. You can stand utterly nude before your lover and never show him anything at all. Nothing that truly matters. I know, I’ve done it. Your body isn’t who you are.” – Nessa

Sworn to the Night has several plotlines and not every one of them gets an ending, but you still don’t get that unfinished feeling when you turn the last page. Just anticipation and excitement to get your hands on the next book and learn what’s going to happen. Which says a lot, especially since this book really has everything you can think of: a murder mystery, magic, super evil villains, a secret underground community which deals with a drug called ink, forbidden romance, countless dead (and mutilated) bodies, unforgettable scenes and a few twist you never see coming. A wonderfully intriguing and delightfully brutal story after which you won’t be able to resist grabbing the sequel. Schaefer brings urban fantasy to a whole new level mixing it with mystery, classical fantasy elements – witches and knights – and wrapping it into a brilliant, although totally crazy read.

[Robin (Bridge Four) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart

4.5 hearts

Craig Schaefer is always a win for me.  I really like that he writes complex characters which really swing the spectrum and are never all good or all bad.  He is also willing to take risks and kill off a character or two, in sometimes brutal ways.  Sworn to the Night is the first book in the Wisdoms Grave   trilogy.  This one is set in the same world as two of his other series Harmony Black and Daniel Faust and while some characters from those books make an appearance you do not need to have read them.  I would however highly recommend reading his other series The Revanche Cycle first though, one because it is high octane fantastic and two because Marie and Nessa were one of the character arcs, in their pervious incarnation.  Trust me - it will make total sense.

“This isn’t some sweet Disney bedtime story. This is a real fairy tale. With death, and blood, and suffering. And I never promise a happy ending.”

Marie is a cop investigating a series of brutal murders.  She has always wanted to protect the innocent, and serve justice to those who deserve it.  She meets Nessa while investigating her husband and is drawn to her is a way she never felt before.  Is it too bad or a good thing Marie thinks Nessa's husband is a serial killer?  As they spend time together, they discover so much about themselves and a little about the strange wheel of time they are on doomed to meet, fall in love and both dies in horrific ways.  Someone/something really dreamt up an elaborate version of purgatory for them.  It might take tapping into all of their past incarnations to figure out how to get out of the mess they are in and figure out a why to break the wheel they are trapped on.

I wasn't sure how much I would like this going in.  Nessa is a witch and in the Revanche cycle, well let's just say she was not a "good" witch.  She was brutal, cruel and protected all those who were hers fiercely.  You both hated and respected her.  She is a less cruel version of herself in this incarnation and much easier to have as a main character.  Marie is our good girl character but she falls in love with a monster; it is stretching her sense of right and wrong maybe just a little.  However, I really rooted for them in this book and enjoyed the set up story to their trilogy.  I'm so excited to see how The Witch and Her Knight finally figure out how to break the chains of the wheel they are on.

Narration:

I really can't say enough good things about Susannah Jones.  She is one of my favorite narrators as I love her voice and how well she portrays all the characters in any story she narrates.  She is fantastic at really bringing an entire cast to life and making me feel all the emotions of the characters.  I listened to this at my usual 1.5x speed.

Listen to a clip:  HERE

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full review is here, on my blog!~

This book follows Marie Reinhart, who is an NYPD detective investigating the disappearance/murders of several prostitutes. She’s put on administrative leave due to a shootout along the way, but despite that, she can’t stop investigating, because nobody seems to be as interesting in investigating as she is.

It’s also the story of Vanessa Roth, a college professor and amateur artist who is married to a big time real estate magnate, and isn’t very happy at all. She dabbles in witchcraft on the side, with various success.

Marie’s investigation brings her into Nessa’s path, and when the two of them meet, it’s like they can’t take their eyes off each other. Marie tends to have dreams where her and Nessa are together, but in other worlds and in other times.

At the same time, some shady shit is going down behind the scenes. A crazy brotherhood of demon-ish worshipers are hunting people in an abandoned zoo. A group of witches are causing shenanigans. A card-flinging sorcerer is tasked with retrieving an item of some importance. All while a new drug called Ink is making its way around New York, and nobody can figure out where it comes from.

I’m never expecting books to grab me right off the bat, but this one certainly did. Before I knew it, it was 5 hours into the audiobook and it was time to go home from work (yaaaay)! However, this said, I found that I liked the first half a lot more than the last half.

It was very well written, there’s some great prose and fantastic imagery here, which made the world I imagined very dark and gritty, and so I was sucked right into the world, but I ended up faltering a lot in the second half of the book because characters I had liked in the first half became profoundly different in ways that I just didn’t grab onto. So, I liked the world that was built up, but in the end… well I didn’t really like the main characters by the end.

I liked Marie at first, the cop who goes above and beyond even the law to help those she feels are in need. As the story progressed, I found that she had lost a lot of what I liked about her when Nessa and she had started a relationship and Marie became suddenly very submissive to her. I didn’t start out disliking Nessa exactly, but I didn’t ever really like her by the end of the story. There is certainly merit in her overcoming being timid and submissive to become her true dominant and witchy self, but I found that this change was far too sudden for me, and was rather jarring. It wasn’t the instalove that bothered me, as this story presented an actual reason for that, but Nessa was very suddenly ‘you’re mine and you do what I say’ and Marie was suddenly ‘yes, yes, anything for you’. I’ve no problem with a dom/sub relationship in a book, but if that was how it was going to go, I feel like there should have been more lead up to it than there was.

Perhaps there was more lead up to it though, in some of Schaefer’s other novels. This book appears to be the culmination of a few different series by this author (don’t worry, this series doesn’t necessarily require that you’ve read them), in which characters in this series, including Nessa and Marie, have played a part. I think that I probably would have enjoyed this book more had I read the series that came before it. I would probably have understood the characters’ motivations more.

I am a very character oriented person, and alas, we can’t all love everyone… but one or two characters certainly stood out to me. My favorite example here is the inclusion of a eccentric and half-crazed scientist who is also a sorcerer (because magic is science) who can conjure up fractals by casting a spell using the Mandelbrot set. Daniel Faust was another character that was intriguing as hell to me, and I think I shall further investigate that series in the future, because he sounds like he leads a rather interesting life, and he had all kinds of snark to throw at people, and I do love me some snark.

The narrator, Susannah Jones, did a pretty good job. The narration was good, but the recording was sometimes a little iffy, in that I heard background noise once or twice which, as you can imagine sort of breaks up the flow to me. But, the narration was well done in general, and I didn’t have a hard time staying engaged with the audiobook.

So, all told, I liked it but I didn’t love it. There were definitely some cool and unique ideas presented here, and some lovely writing that told an interesting story, but I just could not like Nessa no matter what I did, and considering how much Marie ends up liking Nessa, I just sort of crinkled my nose at that whole dynamic and ran with it. So it goes, as they say.

Given all that, I’d say that I had 7/10 stars of fun with this one. (Reminder that this is only my score, not the final Team Weatherwax score). Not my favorite finalist thusfar, but definitely worth the read especially if you like Urban Fantasy with some interesting magical and ritualistic elements.

[Montzalee Wittmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sworn to the Night
The Wisdom's Grave Trilogy, Book 1
By: Craig Schaefer
Narrated by: Susannah Jones
I love all of Craig Schaefer 's work and this is just as good. Great combo of detective work, magic, evil, good, touch of romance, twisted brotherhood, true friendship, unpredictable plot, and real sets of situations and supernatural activities and curses. Starting on book 2 right away.
The narration was excellent!

[Ashley Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

A quick note: You don't *have* to be familiar with Daniel Faust or Harmony Black before picking this up, but I would recommend reading the 4-book Revanche Cycle at the very least.

I don't know if I was prepared for how much this was going to focus on Marie and Nessa. I'm not mad about it, per se, because we got glimpses of Harmony and Danny. The hunting thing was... haunting. I love the reincarnation aspect of this and I'm excited to see what happens next. I can also appreciate the framing, with Carolyn telling the story.

An impressive start to a hugely ambitious project.

[Alaina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sworn to the Night was a very enjoyable read. It was a great start to the wisdom's grave series and I can't wait to dive into the next book.

Marie Reinhart is an NYPD on a hunt for a missing prostitute named baby blue. Then there's Nessa, who's a troubled professor diagnosed with bi-polar disorder. Her husband is also an asshole and I hate him. When Marie and Nessa first meet.. well, let's just say I fell in love. It was like watching a baby being born. Utterly amazing.

Now I have read the Harmony Black books and I absolutely loved them. So diving into another series by the same author?? Sign me the hell up! Falling in love with Marie and Nessa's characters were way too easy for me. I loved the magic aspect of this book because Craig just has a way of writing it. Especially when Nessa transforms into a damn owl! I love when she's the not so nice version of herself because it's Nessa one hundred percent. People have a good and bad side to them - it just happens I love both sides of Nessa.

Besides those two, characters from Harmony Black series have little appearances. Which, of course, made me fangirl a little bit! I missed that crowd of awesome people.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I can't wait to dive into the second book and I will definitely be looking into another series of Craig's.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

An finalist in the spfbo2018, a poor confusing start, well for me anyway.

But when you get past the first 20%, the characters come into the exceedingly lovely well written world building.

Nicely done with with the female characters, I am, MIND very keen to see the friend come into the story more, she seems to me more interesting than the other characters.

Highly recommended urban fantasy.

[Elena]

My first, emotional reaction to Sworn to the Night, first entry in the new Craig Schaefer's trilogy The Wisdom's Grave, which places itself at the point of convergence of all the author's other series (yes, his epic fantasy one, too) was pretty much this:



If nothing else, for the sheer awesomeness of what Schaefer means to achieve with his latest work, which aims to be the place where all of his various series meet and go boom. But the scope of the author's ambition - albeit exciting and something that, as a fan, I'm ultimately very much looking forward to seeing happening - is what, I think, prevented Sworn to the Night from truly shining.

Schaefer has to juggle with a massive cast, part of which some of his readers already know from his previous books, while new readers will meet (almost) everyone here for the first time: so the author has to put every character in place for this story to work while making sure the overall storyline he's sketching makes sense for his old readers and is intriguing enough for the new ones. And also, you know, get on with this new story.

Not an easy feat, to be sure, and one that Schaefer only partially manages to pull off. I say "partially" because despite my complaints Sworn to the Night is still a better urban fantasy than 93% of the rest out there - and a very enjoyable read even outside the boundaries of its genre. I mean, Craig Schaefer is an excellent writer, period. But this book had to meet too many expectations and it shows. The problems, in my opinion, were essentially two: the overall pace and the villains.

❶ When I said that Schaefer has to put his characters in place, I meant it literally: so he has, for example, to drag Daniel Faust all the way from Las Vegas to wherever he must go to do whatever he must do. This maneuvering takes time, actual pages where you read who's where, doing what and why. I understand it's unavoidable and, to be fair, Schaefer manages to make every scene an interesting one - but that's what they felt like, scenes. There were places where Sworn to the Night felt more like a storyboard than a book.

❷ I wrote in my review for Winter's Reach that Schaefer writes villains like no other. Well... it wasn't the case with Sworn to the Night's baddies: these people are just vile, the kind of unquestionably bad, bad people you simply want to see gone. They really didn't make for a particularly interesting read and yet Schaefer gave them a lot of attention, going as far as granting each of them his/her own POV. The problem is that being in their minds didn't grant these people any real depth: once you've established a character as a mindlessly cruel sadist and a bloodthirsty psychopath, tossing us tidbits about his secret crush on his old-time buddy or his daddy issues isn't really enough to turn him into a three-dimensional character. There's no grey area here: these folks are MEAN, they have MEAN plans and will do MEAN stuff to get what they want.

That said, there's much to like in Sworn to the Night: the usual blend of genres that Schaefer excels at mixing up - thriller, pulp, horror, action, romance, mystery, fantasy - it's here and the author makes it all work perfectly together: you'll find yourself sucker-punched more than once, thinking you were reading a certain type of story and finding yourself going in a completely different direction. And, villains aside, Schaefer proves once again what a master he is when it comes to writing three dimensional, complex characters: Nessa and Marie are a great pair (even though I personally found the very nature of their dom/sub relationship quite disturbing) and I can't wait to read where their story is going. Now that most of the major players are in position, I'm sure #2 in the trilogy will make for a truly exciting ride.

[Vigasia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can you imagine to have all your favourites fantasy characters in one book? That's what Craig Schaefer did here. Though I wish Daniel Faust and Harmony Black got some bigger role, it was good to see them. This story is not about them, it's about Nessa and Marie ... also familiar characters form other series - Revanche Cycle.

I think that Nessa is so far the most interesting character from all the series. She was my favourite in Revanche and stays so in The Sworn To The Night. I liked to see how she comes to power and goes from miserable wife to her vengeful and powerful self.

Though a little slow at the start, the ending was amazing. I think that now, when we know all the players, the action will go fast forward. Can't wait to get my hand on Detonation Boulevard.

[T.O. Munro · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was one of the finalists in the Self-Publishing Fantasy Blog Off #4 and I read and reviewed it for the Fantasy Hive as one of the participating Blogs.

This review was first published on their website on 10th May 2019

Schaefer skilfully blends genres and settings from the very start of the book’s fourth-wall-challenging set up, where an elderly fantasy novelist is kidnapped at helicopter point for interrogation by a mysterious organisation. In a scene that felt – in my imagination – like a crossover between an episode of Angela Landsbury’s “Murder She Wrote” and Stephen King’s “Misery,” the novelist chooses to answer her interlocutors by telling the story of Detective Marie Reinhardt and Professor Nessa Roth. This pair form the incandescent binary stars around which a rich variety of minor characters orbit and interact in a world system of dizzying complexity.

Sworn to the Night by Craig SchaeferMarie Reinhardt is an obsessively committed detective whose early and continued reading of trashy fantasy novels has turned her thirst to be a knight with a shield into a career as a cop with a badge. Schaefer’s depiction of her has the gritty realism of a police procedural and the noirish style of Chandler’s Marlowe. Nessa Roth, on the other hand, is a frustrated academic in a dangerous marriage, who dabbles in the occult with Wiccan enthusiasm only to find the occult dabbles back. Their paths cross – strangely not for the first time – when Marie’s pursuit of a grisly serial killer leads her to a property owned by Nessa’s husband.

There is much to praise in this extremely well-crafted and enthralling story which leaps from the pages like a contemporary horror movie. Knots of detail add depth to Schaefer’s depiction of a recognisably everyday world. However, the surface of normality is stretched and distorted by the ambitions, alliances and rivalries of supernatural forces lurking just beyond the two protagonists’ perception.

Schaefer’s writing is elegant, with many lines that caught my eye, including:

He had slick moves and better lines than a used car salesman.
“King Arthur is dead, and the Round Table isn’t hiring. So tell me… would you like to become my knight?”
Eventually she slept. Wandering through turbulent dreams, looking for clues.
Or this one evocative reference to the fallibility of our own memories, re-written as often and as much as they are re-membered:

The world was full of liars, but memory was the most insidious of them all, the only liar that lived in your head.
The story is complex but avoids my two greatest aggravations in plotting. You will have heard of the Deus ex Machina, but at the other end of the spectrum I would like to coin the phrase “periculum in stultitia” or peril by stupidity. That is that moment in horror films where the audience cry out “Don’t split up, stay together!” or “Don’t go into the spooky house!” or even “Why don’t you just go to the police/use your mobile phone!” etc. Those moments where the plot requires its characters to defy all common sense in order that the story can migrate in the direction the director/author wishes.

I mention this because one of the great strengths of Schaefer’s plotting is that the characters are all essentially sensible. They don’t do stupid shit. The consistency and rationality to their actions enhances the gritty realism of a fantastic world.

The urban mythology with which Schaefer underpins his world is complex, and at times I had to let myself just be swept along by it as a plethora of minor characters and factions each stuck their oar into Marie and Nessa’s fortunes. Although distinctive and entertaining, it took a little time for me to get a sense of where each of these characters stood on the multi-dimensional axis of good and evil. However, my favourite had to be Daniel Faust, surely the sharpest of card sharps!

Schaefer has a rich cast filling out the cosmic aspects of his urban fantasy series, so – to a degree – it appears that stars of other stories are making guest appearances in this book. Hence there is a depth and richness to these minor characters and a hint of complex “told-elsewhere” back stories. This makes them seem larger than their parts and – being so many – means a reread and refresh of key points would probably have helped my understanding. But then, being swept along in a slight haze of confusion is not unpleasant, a bit like Marie’s night spent finishing off a bottle of Glenlivet with her flatmate.

While Nessa – by the circumstance of her marriage – has few allies to support her, Marie has two great sidekicks in her police partner and her flatmate, Janine – who gets some of my favourite lines. For example.

“I’m just saying, you’re way overdue for a lover who doesn’t run on batteries. It’s a small apartment, Marie. Thin walls.”

But especially this one, in the middle of something of a struggle.

“You like that?” Janine panted. “You want some more? Never fuck with a librarian.”

But it is the interaction between Nessa and Marie that was so powerful that I made notes about it to myself many times – “… this is delicious like the meal they are having.”

As I read through this book, with my SPFBO hat on, I found myself thinking: it starts strongly and gets stronger, building to a fitting climax in a story that clearly “…will be continued.”

[Alissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book offers a rewarding urban fantasy experience, although it initially demands patience as the narrative unfolds with a gradual introduction of characters with dedicated point of views.
At first I struggled to maintain focus to avoid feeling lost among the separate scenes, however, once the foundation is laid the author accelerates the story into a captivating blend of magic, mystery, and supernatural intrigue.

No prior familiarity with the world is necessary, but I read Daniel Faust's series and have knowledge of Harmony Black. Despite being unfamiliar with the Revanche Cycle series, I discovered from other reviews that there is a connection.

Really recommended to fans of Schaefer's work and urban fantasy genre as a whole.

[XR · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was bloody good! I love Marie and Nessa together. And the whole witch and knight thing? Yeah... I dig it.

[THE BIBLIOPHILE (Rituranjan) · Rating 3 out of 5]

A spin-off trilogy set in the world of Daniel Faust series which also apparently has ties with the medieval fantasy Revanache Cycle. I enjoyed it. It reads like a cross between a police procedural and standard urban fantasy, garnished with some mythology. It's fast paced, and with Schaeffer's ergonomic prose, the narrative has a slick style to it, which works for the story pretty well.

Schaefer uses the motif of a "Story" to tell a story. I think that he somehow breaks the fourth wall here, and the Interludes are a clear indication of that. He deconstructs the fairytale archetype, and lends it a wild reckless force, filled with love, light, and darkness in equal measure. Schaefer focuses on the themes of revenge and freedom, and for a while it is what motivates the characters, but the surprise is seeing them grow out of it and see the larger scheme of things.

I love the characters of Nessa and Marie. They're non-binary, and badass as hell. They're flawed, complex, trying to rid themselves from the doomed pattern of their ever recurring lives. They're the Witch and the Knight. It's wonderful to see them grow into their roles through the trials and tribulations. And, they're empowering in a terrific manner. Also, there are cameo appearances from many familiar characters from Daniel Faust to Harmony Black. It was a delight to see them all together.

I love the action, because it integrates itself with the overarching plot of Faust series. I've already read the last two books, and they're awesome, providing answers to the mystery of the Nine Kings, God, Heaven and Hell, the magic. Nessa and Marie are now in a wild ride, and I'm content to follow them further in their adventures.

[Lawrence FitzGerald · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was trying to read Daniel Faust #9 The Locust Job and it became immediately clear that I was missing a big hunk of the story. I found out (others have known forever) there was an entire story line for the whole groundhog day reincarnation thing - The First Story.

So, okay (really not okay) I embark on this hoping against hope that it is more like a Daniel Faust book than a wretched Harmony Black. Which leads to an interesting side note.

I loved the Kenzie and Gennaro series by Dennis Lehane. He had what I thought was an extraordinary writing voice. I claimed in manic hyperbole that Dennis Lehane could write the phone book and somehow make it one of the best reads ever. Surprisingly, this proved untrue. Credit The Given Day. The Kenzie and Gennaro series was told in the first person by Kenzie and this was simply Lehane's voice for Kenzie. Sometimes authors will strike gold with a particular voice, but struggle with others. Craig Schaeffer is no different. I found the voice in Harmony Black to be a dead short to ground. (Okay, it wasn't that bad, but it wasn't Schaefer's best.)

The first half of Sworn to the Night suffers from its voice and does not come into its own until Nessa comes into hers. This might be intentional, but it is ill advised to write anything other than your best. Readers suffer and remember. (I haven't read any Lehane since.)

And this whole diversion from Faust into a new series smells like a money grab. Once again, readers suffer and remember. (I'm reading this on Kindle Unlimited so perhaps I doth protest too much.) See, all I was trying to do was read the next Faust in the series so I could continue to rummage around in his liquor cabinet. Although the one bright spot in that dimension was Nessa drinking a 'Bobby Burns'. I would have thought that was more of a Caitlin thing.

Time will tell on this series, but it seems Schaefer has almost completely neglected the potential for liquor product placement. It seems a wasted opportunity.

[Cassandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

What can I say about this book? I like it. I like it a lot. May I say thank you for given me a couple that just happens to be the same gender that really works? The story was interesting, great dialog, and plausible interactions. I can't wait for the next in the series.

I am late to the Craig Schaefer universe and I started with his latest installment. This has caused me to start ready the Harmony Black series to see how all of these characters tie together. Daniel Faust will be next.

[Darek Zawisko · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[Mē-chan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was intense and awesome.

[Luke Sweetser · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read all his works. This is by far the best yet.

Wow, where did the depth come from Mr. Schaefer? Loved this work and it far excels in depth, nuance, and shades of grey over his other novels which I've read and thoroughly enjoyed. As an aside, I liked how he wove in faust, roth, calypso, harmony, etc without you needing to know this characters for the story to flow. Made it seem like a judge through the 4th to the reader from the author. Laughed out loud about "not enjoying the fictional, fictional killing floor by Carolyn". Way to go with this in-depth paranormal, noir, murder mystery morality play, passionate love story novel. Keep 'em coming!

[ProbityDefence · Rating 1 out of 5]

A Mozart in rusty nail on chalkboard.

Unfortunately this is required reading for the harmony black and Daniel faust series.

Where each of those series have a single point of view akin to a roller-coaster or train ride this novel, aspire to have as many as possible crammed into a single book.

This makes the main characters harder to emphasise with. As soon as you begin to get into thier mind set BOOM scene change. Now you're reading about a insane doctor or an abusive husband.

This destroys the narrative flow found in the authors other books.

Rather then a roller-coaster this is a train ride where as soon as you get comfortable and used to odd smell you have to switch to another train with sticky floors and lumpy seats.
As soon as you get used to the floors and seat you have to swap to yet another train.
And another.
And another, constantly.

If you want to read the later Daniel faust or harmony black novels, this trilogy covers important context. This trilogy is set between the next books of Faust and Black so not reading it is essentially skipping a book in one of them.

So the author has more or less forced any fans of his other series to read an entire trilogy.

I do not care about the characters

I would prefer a novella which covered what you need to know to continue reading the black and faust books.

I absolutely loathe this book. It is a terrible work by an excellent author.

It is as if Mozart decided mid Career to compose an opera in the medium of vavazoola, broken glass and nails on chalkboard.

All the technical skill cannot remedy the problem of an awful choice in style.

[kartik narayanan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a huge fan of Craig Schaefer and have read all his books. Why is this important? It sets the baseline for the review of his book.

Now, many people seem to have said that it is possible to get into this book without reading the others. I beg to differ. There are numerous threads and call-backs that make them the only saving grace for this book. Without them, this book would be middling.

I am disappointed by this book (when compared to the others like the Revanche Cycle) since its only purpose seems to be setting up the next book in the series. It does this by bringing all the storylines from his shared universe - Revanche Cycle, Daniel Faust, Harmony Black - together. Hopefully the next book will actually do something with all these characters.

Read more reviews like this including Revanche Cycle on my blog Digital Amrit