The White Hornet - The Viper and the Urchin #5

Awesome Characters! Great Book!
The-White-Hornet is book 5 in The Viper and The Urchin series.
There is lots of action in this book, like the others, and there are also a few secrets revealed about what makes some of the characters tick.
I loved this book!
It's a cliff hanger, so you should grab the next one quick, because you won't want to miss either one.
Fun, Fun Fun!

The-White-Hornet is book 5 in The Viper and The Urchin series.
There is lots of action in this book, like the others, and there are also a few secrets revealed about what makes some of the characters tick.
I loved this book!
It's a cliff hanger, so you should grab the next one quick, because you won't want to miss either one.
Fun, Fun Fun!

I loved this book
I loved this book. I am so heavily invested in all the characters that I will be devastated when this series comes to an end. As well as excellent characters it has a fast paced plot with plenty of excitement. Intrigue at court and a lot of people who are acting from mysterious motives. I highly recommend the whole series, I find it hard to imagine anyone not liking these books.

I loved this book. I am so heavily invested in all the characters that I will be devastated when this series comes to an end. As well as excellent characters it has a fast paced plot with plenty of excitement. Intrigue at court and a lot of people who are acting from mysterious motives. I highly recommend the whole series, I find it hard to imagine anyone not liking these books.

Another grand adventure!
every book in the series just keeps getting better. Simply amazing. Waiting for the next one!

every book in the series just keeps getting better. Simply amazing. Waiting for the next one!

Please note: this review contains minor spoilers for the previous four books in this series.
If you�ve been following my reviews for a while, you�ll know that there is very little negative I have to say about the Viper and the Urchin series. This instalment is no different.

In The-White-Hornet, the gang are undercover in the neighbouring country of Airnia, on a spy mission for the Old Girl. They have no idea who they can trust, and at any moment, their covers could be blown�

There was so much intrigue going on. I loved seeing the political machinations inside the House of Bel, even as I hated basically everyone there.

There are some really great character moments, from Adelma using alcohol to try to hide how much recent conflicts in Damsport have affected her (and the others noticing anyway), to Rory and Rafe setting some ground rules in their burgeoning relationship and Longinus finding out more about his family.

I really enjoyed Rory dealing with the Airnian fashions. Rory is no noblewoman, so having to put up with bustles and corsets was very much not to her liking and it was incredibly entertaining. XD

Speaking of Airnia, the descriptions were fantastic. I felt like I was in the middle of a steampunk Imperial Russia with all the descriptions of cold and snow and heated carriages, and enormous coats and pelts. A far cry from muggy Damsport.

This is the first book in the series to end on a cliffhanger, and the next book will be out in a few months. I�m intrigued to see how our team goes as they continue to navigate among their enemies!

(Thank you to Celine Jeanjean for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for a review. This did not affect my opinions in any way)

If you�ve been following my reviews for a while, you�ll know that there is very little negative I have to say about the Viper and the Urchin series. This instalment is no different.

In The-White-Hornet, the gang are undercover in the neighbouring country of Airnia, on a spy mission for the Old Girl. They have no idea who they can trust, and at any moment, their covers could be blown�

There was so much intrigue going on. I loved seeing the political machinations inside the House of Bel, even as I hated basically everyone there.

There are some really great character moments, from Adelma using alcohol to try to hide how much recent conflicts in Damsport have affected her (and the others noticing anyway), to Rory and Rafe setting some ground rules in their burgeoning relationship and Longinus finding out more about his family.

I really enjoyed Rory dealing with the Airnian fashions. Rory is no noblewoman, so having to put up with bustles and corsets was very much not to her liking and it was incredibly entertaining. XD

Speaking of Airnia, the descriptions were fantastic. I felt like I was in the middle of a steampunk Imperial Russia with all the descriptions of cold and snow and heated carriages, and enormous coats and pelts. A far cry from muggy Damsport.

This is the first book in the series to end on a cliffhanger, and the next book will be out in a few months. I�m intrigued to see how our team goes as they continue to navigate among their enemies!

(Thank you to Celine Jeanjean for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for a review. This did not affect my opinions in any way)

Entertaining read
I�ve throughly enjoyed reading the previous installments, and the latest is no exception. And the cliffhanger ending isn�t as bad as some others have been. All in all an entertaining read. I received an ARC, and also wound up buying the ebook once it was released.
One person found this helpful

I�ve throughly enjoyed reading the previous installments, and the latest is no exception. And the cliffhanger ending isn�t as bad as some others have been. All in all an entertaining read. I received an ARC, and also wound up buying the ebook once it was released.
One person found this helpful

My Favorite Steampunk Series!
As I read the opening paragraph, I remembered the end of The-Doll-Maker, book 4 in this series. Longinus was left with a mission. Find out if what his evil sister told him is true � Mother is still alive.
"Some events change a man�s life so definitively that everything becomes defined in relation to this one moment. Such a milestone divides all other points in one�s life into Before and After."
Reading this paragraph, I figured Longinus was about to do something incredibly brave, if not well thought out.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I give you� the Cape."
Ah yes, the author reminded me immediately that Longinus� definition of words such as milestone do not necessarily match up to my definitions. I few paragraphs later in that chapter, we find Rory being fitted out for a fine dress with corsets, ruffles and hoops. She rebels as you would expect a confirmed street urchin to rebel. Not at all appreciative of the fine clothes.
And this is just one reason why I love this series so much! My favorite characters in all of steampunkdom � Longinus and Rory � are so amazing. Drawn in such delightful details and portrayed with emotion and enthusiasm, these two characters are the heart of the story.
In The-White-Hornet, Rory, Longinus, Rafe, Cruikshank and Adelma are far from home in the Airnian Empire. Their mission is to find out who is still an ally to Damsport. And while they are there, Longinus will be searching out the truth of his sister�s pronouncement. The goal is to get to the palace, but before they can do that, they will need to navigate the incredibly snobbish social network. This involves tracking down people that will help, pretending to be someone they are not and getting into all sorts of trouble.
The titular The-White-Hornet is a spymaster who works for the Emperor. Unless she is working for herself. Enigmatic and doubtless dangerous, she seems to be tracking the Damsians, with a special interest in Longinus. Never knowing who The-White-Hornet is or why she is interested in our crew makes the mission all that more dangerous � and interesting.
Eventually Rory and Rafe connect with a man who seems to help them but also seems to hinder them. Rory and Rafe use him to get what they want. Sounds terrible doesn�t it. They use him. Simeon is a strange man with strange habits and seems to appear in their path at strange times. From the moment he appeared in the story, I felt he was important, but had no idea how he would play into that importance.
The slowly evolving romance between Rory and Rafe continues to grow. Still slowly and still sweet, it is just the right amount to mix in with the wild adventures they are involved in.
Near the end, time is running out for our crew because their concocted identities will not last much longer. By the end of The-White-Hornet, they have been in many wild and precarious situations, each one getting them closer to their mission. But not all the way.
Now normally, a cliffhanger ending would have me steaming. I do not like cliffhangers. But I was warned. ?? The blurb for this book ends with �Please note: this book has a cliffhanger ending. The next instalment will be out early 2020 if you�d rather wait until you can read both books together.�
The-White-Hornet is another non-stop adventure in the highly entertaining The Viper and the Urchin series. If you haven�t read the series, I highly recommend you do so now. 2020 is not that far off. You will want to be caught up when the next book arrives!
Thanks to the author who provided a copy of her book in exchange for my honest review.
(I think Capes are pretty awesome too!)

As I read the opening paragraph, I remembered the end of The-Doll-Maker, book 4 in this series. Longinus was left with a mission. Find out if what his evil sister told him is true � Mother is still alive.
"Some events change a man�s life so definitively that everything becomes defined in relation to this one moment. Such a milestone divides all other points in one�s life into Before and After."
Reading this paragraph, I figured Longinus was about to do something incredibly brave, if not well thought out.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I give you� the Cape."
Ah yes, the author reminded me immediately that Longinus� definition of words such as milestone do not necessarily match up to my definitions. I few paragraphs later in that chapter, we find Rory being fitted out for a fine dress with corsets, ruffles and hoops. She rebels as you would expect a confirmed street urchin to rebel. Not at all appreciative of the fine clothes.
And this is just one reason why I love this series so much! My favorite characters in all of steampunkdom � Longinus and Rory � are so amazing. Drawn in such delightful details and portrayed with emotion and enthusiasm, these two characters are the heart of the story.
In The-White-Hornet, Rory, Longinus, Rafe, Cruikshank and Adelma are far from home in the Airnian Empire. Their mission is to find out who is still an ally to Damsport. And while they are there, Longinus will be searching out the truth of his sister�s pronouncement. The goal is to get to the palace, but before they can do that, they will need to navigate the incredibly snobbish social network. This involves tracking down people that will help, pretending to be someone they are not and getting into all sorts of trouble.
The titular The-White-Hornet is a spymaster who works for the Emperor. Unless she is working for herself. Enigmatic and doubtless dangerous, she seems to be tracking the Damsians, with a special interest in Longinus. Never knowing who The-White-Hornet is or why she is interested in our crew makes the mission all that more dangerous � and interesting.
Eventually Rory and Rafe connect with a man who seems to help them but also seems to hinder them. Rory and Rafe use him to get what they want. Sounds terrible doesn�t it. They use him. Simeon is a strange man with strange habits and seems to appear in their path at strange times. From the moment he appeared in the story, I felt he was important, but had no idea how he would play into that importance.
The slowly evolving romance between Rory and Rafe continues to grow. Still slowly and still sweet, it is just the right amount to mix in with the wild adventures they are involved in.
Near the end, time is running out for our crew because their concocted identities will not last much longer. By the end of The-White-Hornet, they have been in many wild and precarious situations, each one getting them closer to their mission. But not all the way.
Now normally, a cliffhanger ending would have me steaming. I do not like cliffhangers. But I was warned. ?? The blurb for this book ends with �Please note: this book has a cliffhanger ending. The next instalment will be out early 2020 if you�d rather wait until you can read both books together.�
The-White-Hornet is another non-stop adventure in the highly entertaining The Viper and the Urchin series. If you haven�t read the series, I highly recommend you do so now. 2020 is not that far off. You will want to be caught up when the next book arrives!
Thanks to the author who provided a copy of her book in exchange for my honest review.
(I think Capes are pretty awesome too!)

Heading into Enemy territory
This is a very exciting installment. If you haven't read the series yet, start with the-bloodless-assassin. There's also a free pre-quel on Celine's site, that's worth while signing up for.
In this latest installment, familiar characters head into enemy territory. Where in previous books, the Emperor has been stirring up trouble in Damsport, this time, our heros head into the heart of Airnia. One for revenge, one to keep Damsport safe, but everyone also there to support Longinus in his search for his family. Fully expecting to be surrounded by an evil enemy nation, they're surprised to find themselves relating to Airnians just as people.
A well paced book, I enjoyed an entertaining read, and how each different character views their new surroundings differently. In this story, the setting is in a very different location, and Celine's done a brilliant job of world building, and highlighting differences between different cultures.
I can't wait for the next book.

This is a very exciting installment. If you haven't read the series yet, start with the-bloodless-assassin. There's also a free pre-quel on Celine's site, that's worth while signing up for.
In this latest installment, familiar characters head into enemy territory. Where in previous books, the Emperor has been stirring up trouble in Damsport, this time, our heros head into the heart of Airnia. One for revenge, one to keep Damsport safe, but everyone also there to support Longinus in his search for his family. Fully expecting to be surrounded by an evil enemy nation, they're surprised to find themselves relating to Airnians just as people.
A well paced book, I enjoyed an entertaining read, and how each different character views their new surroundings differently. In this story, the setting is in a very different location, and Celine's done a brilliant job of world building, and highlighting differences between different cultures.
I can't wait for the next book.

I confess. I am love with the characters created by Celine Jeanjean and anxiously await each new adventure.
This time they find themselves in the city of Bel Stadd, a manufacturing center with ice, snow, and biting winds year-round. They are there to find out who is betraying their country’s secrets to the Emperor of Airia as he plans an invasion of Damsia.
Rory, Longinus, and Rafe are disguised as very wealthy merchants interested in selling and manufacturing a new kind of weaponry. Adelma and Cruikshank play the part of Northern Airian workers looking for positions in an ammunition's plant. The plan is come to the attention of someone of influence at court and from there to discover the traitors.
At the same time, Longinus, following a message from his sister, believes his mother may be a prisoner here. For a long time, he has believed she is dead. His search leads him to even more family mysteries, as well as endangering them all.

Who or What is The-White-Hornet?
I confess. I am love with the characters created by Celine Jeanjean and anxiously await each new adventure.
This time they find themselves in the city of Bel Stadd, a manufacturing center with ice, snow, and biting winds year-round. They are there to find out who is betraying their country�s secrets to the Emperor of Airia as he plans an invasion of Damsia.
Rory, Longinus, and Rafe are disguised as very wealthy merchants interested in selling and manufacturing a new kind of weaponry. Adelma and Cruikshank play the part of Northern Airian workers looking for positions in an ammunition's plant. The plan is come to the attention of someone of influence at court and from there to discover the traitors.
At the same time, Longinus, following a message from his sister, believes his mother may be a prisoner here. For a long time, he has believed she is dead. His search leads him to even more family mysteries, as well as endangering them all.

Steampunk intrigue
Once again Celine Jeanjean has delivered an exciting and suspenseful continuation of Rory and Longinus and crew�s adventures. Just when everything seems lost, the story takes new twists that keep it going. A worthy sequel to the series. Celine, hurry up with the next installment!

Once again Celine Jeanjean has delivered an exciting and suspenseful continuation of Rory and Longinus and crew�s adventures. Just when everything seems lost, the story takes new twists that keep it going. A worthy sequel to the series. Celine, hurry up with the next installment!

I confess. I am love with the characters created by Celine Jeanjean and anxiously await each new adventure.
This time they find themselves in the city of Bel Stadd, a manufacturing center with ice, snow, and biting winds year-round. They are there to find out who is betraying their country�s secrets to the Emperor of Airia as he plans an invasion of Damsia.
Rory, Longinus, and Rafe are disguised as very wealthy merchants interested in selling and manufacturing a new kind of weaponry. Adelma and Cruikshank play the part of Northern Airian workers looking for positions in an ammunition's plant. The plan is come to the attention of someone of influence at court and from there to discover the traitors.
At the same time, Longinus, following a message from his sister, believes his mother may be a prisoner here. For a long time, he has believed she is dead. His search leads him to even more family mysteries, as well as endangering them all.

Speeding along without stops!
Or downstairs, in Adelma�s case!
The story carries you along quickly, sometimes jumping from plot thread to plot thread while still exploring all the personal goings-on with the characters we have come to know so well. All of them are out of their depth� with the mission, with the changes in their lives, with the weather� (it is nothing like Damsport!). There is also a new player on the field (well two really, but you only meet one). He is interesting, and I wonder what part he will end up playing. Whether he is going to be a friend or foe (or both), remains to be seen. One thing�s for sure, he has his own reasons for doing what he is doing.
A lot goes on in this book, and I found myself reading through it quickly. My suggestion though, don�t make the same mistake. It is too easy to blow past something that will come up later. In fact, I have no doubt I will be referencing back to this book when the next one comes out to see what I have missed.
All in all, there are a lot more questions than answers, but it will be interesting to see how it all ties together. Hopefully the next book twists all those plot threads up into a proper skein. And fair warning, while this book does not end with a cliffhanger, the story is far from over when we leave our group of heroes.
I received an ARC of this book for my honest review, but as with all the others, I will also be purchasing it because it was an interesting read with a cast of characters that I enjoy reading about.
One person found this helpful

Amazing scenes, superb characters
Once again, Longinus and Rory are part of a team engaged in espionage on behalf of the Marchioness of Damsport. Leaving the warmth of their home, Cruikshank, the clever engineer, Adelma, the strong, hard-drinking smuggler and Rafe, a handsome Varanguard, have travelled north with them to Arnia, fearing the Emperor intends to reconquer Damsport.
The fledgling romance between Rafe and Rory is beginning to blossom as they act out their parts of a noble but poor aristocrat and his rich but unsophisticated fianc�. Soon the need for Rory to act independently and Rafe�s shame in admitting a weakness from his past, cause misunderstanding and distance between them. Meanwhile Longinus creeps through the frozen city at night in search of information about his lost father and missing mother.
Increasingly Rory�s efforts lead her into greater danger as she puts her trust in the dissipated Airian, Simeon. While she and Rafe escape the authorities over the rooftops, Adelma, Cruikshank and Longinus attempt a daring diversion which nearly kills them all. But the greatest peril is the cold and ice of the unwelcoming city.
There are two parts to this story. First, during Rory�s visits to the House of Bel, we read fascinating descriptions of room after room of indulgence and desire where she finds no-one will help her until she learns the importance of gossip. The second and most exciting part describes the dangers and heroism of the five vivid characters as they fight, flee and help each other against weapons, soldiers and hostile weather. Another rollicking adventure of this likeable, if eccentric group.