River of Wrath by Alexandrea Weis & Lucas Astor
What’s it About?
Big secrets are uncovered in a small town, where murder, deceit and dark pasts are found on a regular basis.
Hardcore readers will understand when I say that every now and then we may stumble upon a book series that can only be described as literary crack. What happens on those occasions? Personally, I binge-read the series until I can’t see straight, obsess over the plot, characters, writing style, etcetera. Basically, that book series becomes my entire personality until further notice.
Fortunately, I can name all the times my obsessiveness with a book series has happened on two hands, but that only means one thing: Truly iconic, memorable book series are a rarity. The St. Benedict series is one such rarity, and River of Wrath (Vesuvian Books), the second installment of the series, is even better than the first book!
The Road so Far…
Authors Alexandrea Weis and Lucas Astor started off by reeling me in slowly with the first book, River of Ashes. We had all the elements of a great story — a disturbing, oddly handsome antagonist with a penchant for inflicting pain on unsuspecting girls; teen twin sisters who are at odds over said antagonist; a wholly relatable cast of characters pushed into situations that are creepily familiar … The list goes on.
The reader knows these people, they went to high school with these kids, found themselves in eerily similar situations during their teenage years as the cast of this series do. Then, the authors showed how quickly things can turn sour when a seemingly normal teenage experience is tainted when sinister intentions come into the equation.
After a bombshell ending, I couldn’t fathom how the authors would be able to keep me as hooked in the second book.
Will Leave Readers Breathless
A deliciously disturbing and addictive series that can only be described as literary crack.
Beau Devereaux has done his fair share of terrorizing the town of St. Benedict with his privileged, psychotic behaviour, but that was just the beginning. More bodies are being found, new characters are introduced, old characters show their true colors. Pasts, presents, and futures are being revealed. Every single page is a glorious step closer to finding out what truly happens behind closed doors in St. Benedict.
What’s more, Leslie — our protagonist — is done playing nice. The Devereaux family has taken too much from her and she enters her villain era by the end of River of Wrath. Let’s just say, I’m here for it. Luke Cross, a new, enigmatic character the authors introduce in River of Wrath, will keep you on the edge of your seat. The ghost at the abbey ruins makes a return and that whole situation will leave readers breathless.
As Addictive as a Soap Opera
The short of the long is that the St. Benedict series is as addictive as a soap opera.
River of Wrath by Weis and Astor is dark, twisted, sexy as hell for reasons I can’t explain, and I can’t get enough of it! All those juicy secrets give off Pretty Little Liars vibes. The villains have this Stefano DiMera quality to them (Days of our Lives fans will know exactly what I’m talking about). It’s as sexy as Gossip Girl, while also bringing the charm of a Gilmore Girls-esque small town into play.
River of Wrath has done absolutely everything right for me as a reader when it comes to plot, character development, and pacing. Well-written, out-of-the-box — not to mention I can’t get enough of that gorgeous cover — this is a book I’m proud to display on my bookshelf and will re-read often.
About the Authors:
Alexandrea Weis, RN-CS, PhD, is an award-winning author, screenwriter, advanced practice registered nurse, and historian who was born and raised in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Having grown up in the motion picture industry as the daughter of a director, she learned to tell stories from a different perspective. Infusing the rich tapestry of her hometown into her novels, she believes that creating vivid characters makes a story moving and memorable. The first person to give her writing advice was Tennessee Williams, a family friend.
Weis is a member of the International Thriller Writers Organization and Horror Writers Association. She lives with her husband outside of New Orleans where she is a permitted/certified wildlife rehabber with the Louisiana Wildlife & Fisheries and rescues orphaned and injured animals.
Lucas Astor is from New York, has resided in Central America and the Middle East, and traveled through Europe. He is an award-winning author and poet with a penchant for telling stories that delve into the dark side of the human psyche. He likes to explore the evil that exists, not just in the world, but right next door behind a smiling face.
Lucas has co-authored several titles with Alexandrea Weis including the St. Benedict series and the Magnus Blackwell series, as well as penned the lyrics for the Bram Stoker Awards® Nominee, Speak No Evil by Liana Gardner.
Publish Date: 1/31/2023
Genre: Fiction, Suspense
Author: Alexandrea Weis & Lucas Astor
Page Count: 320 pages
Publisher: Vesuvian Books
ISBN: 9781645480174