The Inn at the Foot of Mount Vengeance by Chiara Bullen ~ a Review

by MK French

Ainsworth is an ambitious research fellow, and his supervisor hears about the rumored Misnich Inn at the foot of Mount Vengeance. Ainsworth must document the adventurers, and he gradually warms to its rustic charm and its innkeeper, Honey. Ainsworth can’t find evidence that anyone has ever climbed the mountain. His reputation is on the line, so he starts to push the adventurers up the mountain himself.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

July 202; Del Rey; 978-0593982693
audio, ebook, print (352 pages); cozy fantasy

We meet Ainsworth en route to the inn, and he's a self-important scholar who resents being there. He insults the people and the location, and wants nothing more than to return to the city library he came from. We see for ourselves that adventurers make their way to the inn, intent on climbing the mountain, and change their minds to go home in the morning. He doesn't understand it and is upset his book will go nowhere; he's at the inn far longer than he expected to be. This allows him to get to know the inn's workers and get a sense of the area around the inn. As he does, Ainsworth loosens up, is less beholden to the idea of a proper scholar that he absorbed, and starts to figure out what is truly important to him.

At first, we think Ainsworth is an awful snob, but a lot of it is the influence of the liver he left behind. We soon realize that Ainsworth had been emotionally manipulated and physically abused; his supervisor had done him a favor by separating the two so Ainsworth could figure out what he really wants. I had an idea about Honey's identity from the start, but Ainsworth doesn't figure out everything until the end. At that point, he stands up for himself and chooses what his future will be. This book follows Ainsworth and his growth as a person, learning to trust himself. It's a cozy story, and Ainsworth grows up more as it progresses. 

Buy The Inn at the Foot of Mount Vengeance at Amazon

Born and raised in New York City, M.K. French started writing stories when very young, dreaming of different worlds and places to visit. She always had an interest in folklore, fairy tales, and the macabre, which has definitely influenced her work. She currently lives in the Midwest with her husband, three young children, and a golden retriever.

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