Hi all:
I will be on my way to Barcelona today, so if I take time to reply to your comments, don’t worry. I wanted to post this today because I hope to catch up on more reading and I didn’t want to have to post too many reviews very close to Christmas (as I know we all have other things to do). And, I had to share this book. Although the novel is not Christmassy per se, its spirit is very appropriate to this time of the year. And I loved it. Well, here it is.

Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance by Ruth Emmie Lang
“Exquisite and adventurous” —Bustle, “11 New Fiction Books You Need”
“Told with brains and heart” –Michelle Gable, New York Times bestselling author of A Paris Apartment
“Bristles with charm and curiosity” –Winston Groom, New York Times bestselling author of Forrest Gump
“A wholly original and superbly crafted work of art, Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance is a masterpiece of the imagination.” –Lori Nelson Spielman, New York Times bestselling author of The Life List and Sweet Forgiveness
“Charlotte’s Web for grown-ups who, like Weylyn Grey, have their own stories of being different, feared, brave, and loved.” –Mo Daviau, author of Every Anxious Wave
Finding magic in the ordinary.
In this warm debut novel, Ruth Emmie Lang teaches us about adventure and love in a beautifully written story full of nature and wonder.
Orphaned, raised by wolves, and the proud owner of a horned pig named Merlin, Weylyn Grey knew he wasn’t like other people. But when he single-handedly stopped that tornado on a stormy Christmas day in Oklahoma, he realized just how different he actually was.
That tornado was the first of many strange events that seem to follow Weylyn from town to town, although he doesn’t like to take credit. As amazing as these powers may appear, they tend to manifest themselves at inopportune times and places. From freak storms to trees that appear to grow over night, Weylyn’s unique abilities are a curiosity at best and at worst, a danger to himself and the woman he loves. But Mary doesn’t care. Since Weylyn saved her from an angry wolf on her eleventh birthday, she’s known that a relationship with him isn’t without its risks, but as anyone who’s met Weylyn will tell you, once he wanders into your life, you’ll wish he’d never leave.
Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance tells the story of Weylyn Grey’s life from the perspectives of the people who knew him, loved him, and even a few who thought he was just plain weird. Although he doesn’t stay in any of their lives for long, he leaves each of them with a story to tell. Stories about a boy who lives with wolves, great storms that evaporate into thin air, fireflies that make phosphorescent honey, and a house filled with spider webs and the strange man who inhabits it.
There is one story, however, that Weylyn wishes he could change: his own. But first he has to muster enough courage to knock on Mary’s front door.
Links:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Beasts-Extraordinary-Circumstance-Ruth-Emmie/dp/1250112044/
https://www.amazon.com/Beasts-Extraordinary-Circumstance-Ruth-Emmie/dp/1250112044/

About the author:
Ruth Emmie Lang was born in Glasgow, Scotland and has the red hair to prove it. When she was four years old, she immigrated to Ohio where she has lived for the last 27 years. She has since lost her Scottish accent, but still has the hair.
Ruth currently lives in Columbus, Ohio with her husband and dreams of someday owning a little house in the woods where she can write more books. Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance is her first novel.
https://www.amazon.com/Ruth-Emmie-Lang/e/B06VW16MRN/
My review
Thanks to NetGalley and to St. Martin’s Press for providing me an ARC copy of this book that I freely chose to review.
This book is a joy. Readers need to be prepared to suspend disbelief more than usual, perhaps, but from the very beginning, you realise you are in for a ride where everything will be extraordinary. Weylyn, the protagonist, is born in circumstances that his doctor never forgets, and he grows up to be more than a bit special.
I will not repeat the description of the book, which summarises quite well the main aspects of the novel. Weylyn’s story is told, mostly, from the point of view of the characters he meets along the way, and who, somehow, are changed by his presence in their lives. The story is set in the present, with interludes where a boy who literally falls on Weylyn (who lives like a hermit in the forest, with a wolf as his only company) keeps pestering him to tell him his story, and then goes back to the past, and the story is told, always in the first person, by a number of characters. As all readers know, narrators have a way of revealing a lot about themselves when they tell somebody else’s story, and this is true here. None of the narrators are unreliable, but they tell us more of their own stories through their memories of Weylyn than they do about Weylyn himself. We get to know him by the effect he has on those around him (children, adults, some of the characters —those he is closest to— her revisits over the years) and he remains a bit of a cipher, perhaps because he does not know himself or can explain himself fully either. We hear from him towards the end of the book, also in the first person, but he is not a character who defines himself by his “powers” (if that is what they are), and he never gives his talents a name, although he allows people to think whatever they like (He even tries to hide his prowess behind a pig, Merlin, insisting that the horned pig is the one who controls the weather). Despite all these points of view, the book is easy to read as each point of view is clearly delineated and their stories and narrative styles are distinct and appropriate to the characters. The writing flows well and there is enough description to spur readers’ imagination without going overboard.
In a world where children and parents have difficulty communicating, where fitting in and appearances are more important than true generosity, where politicians are self-serving and corrupt, where people stay in relationships because they don’t know how to end them, and where the interest of big corporations always trumps the needs of the common man, Weylyn is like the energy and light he manages to harvest, a ray of hope and a breath of fresh air.
Weylyn is a great character, but so are most of the other characters in the book. Some are more memorable than others, but they are all likeable and changed for the better by their interaction with Weylyn.
Although there are magical and fantastic elements in the novel, in my opinion, it fits into the category of magic realism (as the world the characters live in is our world and that is precisely why people are touched and surprised by his skills, his “specialness”). It would also fall under literary fiction, although it is a much easier read than many books classed under that label (and I feel this is a book not exclusively for adults either. There is minimal violence, clean romance, and many young characters, all distinct and likeable in their own ways).
A story for readers who love great characters and like to let their imaginations fly, not always feeling the need to remain anchored to reality. This is one of those books that we feel sorry to reach the end of and are thankful because we know their memory will remain with us. A great debut novel.
Thanks to NetGalley, to the publisher, and to the author, for this extraordinary book, thanks to all of you for reading, and remember to like, share, comment, click, and REVIEW!
Wonderful review, Olga. I’m putting this on my wishlist until the kindle price drops from the current $12.99. That’s a bit high for a kindle book.
Thanks, Michelle. Yes, most of the traditionally published books are almost (or as) expensive in Kindle format as they are in paper. A good reason to look at indie writers, for sure. But it is worth subscribing to newsletters like Bookbub, as they regularly publish reductions and offers, both of indie books and traditionally published books, and I’ve got a few for 0.99 or 1.99. Have a great week!
Thanks, Olga. Yes, I do subscribe to Bookbub and others. That’s why I never pay more than a couple of dollars for books.
Thanks, Michelle. Yes, it’s a good idea. I get a lot of new books from NetGalley, although as I request them before they are published one never knows but it is well worth it.
An amazing sounding book, Olga. All the very best with your move.
Thanks, Robbie. This time I’m only going for a few weeks to spend Xmas there and try and sort out a few things that end, but hopefully when I come back I’ll finish my arrangements and finalise the move. Have a great week!
Hi Olga! Firstly, have a safe and wonderful trip to Barcelona! This book reads interesting. I enjoy character driven stories and also love fantasy. Wonderful review! <3
Thanks, Vashti. I know it’s very difficult to find (or write) unique books, but this one is pretty special. Enchanting. Thanks very much. I’ve arrived, safe and sound. Now I just need to catch up!
Sweet review, Olga! Sounds a little like Night Circus, which I loved. So I have to take a look at this!
Thanks, Noelle. I keep hearing great things about Night Circus so I should check it out too. Thanks!
That sounds like a wonderful read, and a first novel too!
I hope that the move went OK, and you feel at home once again.
Best wishes, Pete.
Thanks, Pete. I think I have managed to confuse people. I haven’t moved yet. I will be in Barcelona for a few weeks trying to sort some things out here and spending Christmas with my mother, and then I’ll go back to the UK early next year to finalize things (including selling the house and sorting out all the paperwork).
The book is fabulous and a magical read. Have a great week.
Magic and hope in one volume? Throw in a horned pig named Merlin and how can I resist. Based on your trusted review it really does sound like something I’d enjoy.
Safe journeys my friend. You must be hugely busy and yet you’ve been kind to me today nonetheless. I hope your stay in Barcelona is peaceful yet productive. Hugs.
Thanks, Teagan. Although sometimes things get in the way, I’m always happy to check on my friends (from the blogosphere or otherwise). I hope to iron out a few things and make some arrangements while I am here before I go back to sort the final details. Have a good hump day. 😉
I hope all the devilish details are behaving themselves! 😀 Thank heaven for the weekend. Hugs.
So far, so good, although, like anywhere else, the closer we get to Xmas, the crazier things get. Have a good weekend!
Wonderful review, Olga. I think I will love the book 🙂 Magic realism sounds good for a winter evening read.
Barcelona is a city of magic and excellent writers. You will be happy there. I definitely would 🙂 Wishing you a fantastic New Year! xx
Thanks, Inese. It is a magical book and a very joyful read. I’ll keep you posted on how things go.Have a wonderful New Year and I hope 2018 will be bright and lucky for us all! Big hugs! ♥
I have a feeling that everything will be just right. And the weather is better there too <3
That is so true! Very mild at the moment! ♥
<3
Happy New Year, Inese!
Thank you!