Book Review - Helix: Plague of Ghouls
As mentioned in my review for Helix: Blight of Exiles, I couldn't wait to jump into the next novel in the series and I can only say that I'm sorry it took me so long (this is partially due to thinking I would be bringing book 2 with me to Poland but alas the trip did not happen), but the new perk of my day job means a 40-50 minute break during which I can read so expect the review section of this website to expand exponentially in the coming months. Helix: Plague of Ghouls, takes off right after the events of book one with Ishmael and his pride of ragtag 'Tiger Dogs' making it to Varco Lake, a supposed base of operations and sanctuary for therianthropes. Things, however, aren't as easy as they seem and the group's faced with hostility from the inside due to their nature as well as other conspiracies unveiling all around them.
Once again I found myself drawn in by the characters themselves, each offering their own fleshed out story, for which to be honest I could probably spend a novella exploring.
What struck most on my heart cords in this novel was the use of language. While crafting a masterful shapeshifter tale, Flewwelling doesn't forget her Canadian roots, setting the story right in the heart of this great landmass. It's one of the stories a much younger, teenager me, begged for in the library but wasn't able to get because they just weren't well informed enough.
Though the book features much witty dialogue, I think one of my favourites has to be, "The Devil's Frozen Ass Boil, Purgatory State, Canuckistan." You won't value the line until you are standing at a bus stop for half an hour that stretched into eternity due to it being sub-zero temperatures. Did I mention high winds in this? Unknown's bane, add another -10 to that.
All in all, I was hooked yet again from beginning to end and I cannot wait to read the final chapter in the trilogy, Helix; Scourge of Bones, which just came out last week. Lovers of werewolf stories and thrillers gather around. You haven't seen anything like this!
