Caffeinated Reviewer | (Mostly) Human Resources by Grace Viall
30th Sep
Sophia Rose is here with a review of (Mostly) Human Resources by Grace Viall. Come see what she thinks of this first in series, dark urban fantasy that dabbles in horror.
(Mostly) Human Resources
by Grace Viall
Series: Entity Case Files #1
Genres: Urban Fantasy
Source: Publisher
Purchase*: Amazon | Audible | Libro.fm *affiliate
Rating: 
Amongst mountains as old as time, the jackalopes and ghouls are the least of your worries.
Working in Human Resources was not what Alexys had in mind when she joined Entity, the company who categorise and manage the monsters and cryptids of the world. But after her dad was killed as a Warden in the Appalachian Mountains, she was filled with noble ideas of carrying on his legacy… from behind the safety of a desk.
But when one of her new Wardens, Elliot, goes missing, her chances of promotion go missing too. Determined to find him safe and sound, she marches off into the mountains to find him herself.
Because Elliot had been talking about sightings of a highly dangerous and never-recorded monster, The Hollow Walker, and she’s promised herself that no Warden will ever die on her watch.
Meanwhile Nic, Director of Research and Cataloguing, is not one to ignore the words ‘never-recorded’. With Alexys, his work nemesis, leading the charge into the mountains, he’s not going to let her have all the fun. If he can be the youngest Entity employee to discover a new monster, his name will go down in the annals of cryptozoology… and if it means spending some extra time with Alexys then he’s not one to argue.
But Alexys and Nic are about to discover why the Appalachian Mountains are the last place you want to find yourself after dark.
Sophia Rose’s Review
When one of her Wardens goes missing, a paper-pushing human resources worker hits the trail into the dark Appalachians where cryptids and legends are reality. Grace Viall’s nature meets gothic urban fantasy opener had my attention from the moment I spotted title, cover, and blurb.
In a world where the monsters are real, of course there is a business that tracks and hunts monsters. Alexys works for them in charge of scheduling trained Wardens to follow up on sitings, tag and analyze new finds, and take care of monsters gone bad. Her father was a Warden and died. Alexys wants to continue his legacy, but from the safety of her desk. She warned Elliott away from this assignment, but he went after the ‘Hollow Man’ anyway. She’s determined to find him and leaves her files and computer behind to take to the trail. Annoyingly, Nic, a workplace rival is determined to tag along to find Elliott. Turns out Nic was the one who egged the young guy on.
Out on the trail, things are dark and there are more than whiskey-sipping jackalopes populating the woods. Alexys is untrained and far from prepared, but she’s determined. Slowly, she and Nic get past their irascible and illogical workplace rivalry and raillery turns to banter as they learn to work together because the monsters are playing for keeps. The secrets of the Appalachia are not ready to come to light.
I was half-way through when I started to get an inkling that Mostly Human Resources was setting things up for a long haul and the plot was building toward something longer than a standalone read. Turns out, upon investigation, this is the first in a trilogy. There is no cliffhanger, but it does change a reader’s mindset to know how the story arc is going to flow.
There is some level of resolution, but Alexys and Nic (if I’m right that they are a romance pair) still have a ways to go on that count.
Another surprise came when, wow, this slid right past gritty urban fantasy and bumped into horror with some grisly monster antics. There is a balance though because the light bantering of the lead pair swings things back the other direction. But, yeah, fair warning for us squeamish types.
I confess that Alexys is a character I’m on the fence about. She pulled some impulsive stupids including the big choice to dash out into those woods armed with nothing, but determination and lacking any skills. She has some contrary motives, too. I raised an eyebrow that one of her motivations to finding Elliott was losing a promotion and tarnishing her dad’s legacy? Yeah, not very heroic even if its natural. And, the rivalry with Nic was thinly-veiled envy because he got the job she wanted. I’ll give it some patience as there are more books and she was growing plenty in this one.
The jewel in it all were the descriptions of the Appalachian region, the lore, and that ability to instill a spooky, mystical atmosphere that makes one believes there are indeed amazing beings out there in the woods. I was intrigued by the Entity company, Wardens, and researchers into all things cryptid and legend.
The story is building to something and hints including certain other characters give one a tingly sense of anticipation for what comes next.
So, really dark urban fantasy and maybe even horror. You determine if that attracts you or sends you to your blanket fort.
About Grace Viall
Having been raised on the edge of the Appalachian Mountains by a pair of bookworms, Grace Viall can usually be found in a randomly selected state park or forest gathering inspiration for her monster-filled fantasy projects. Grace is currently living in Maryland (US) with her husband and two dogs and is an avid reader and book hoarder. She grew up with a grandfather who loved to spin stories around campfires, and that love of storytelling has stayed with her as she pursues her career as an author. Grace’s hope is to give a new life to old stories but with her own special twist.
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About Sophia Rose
Sophia is a quiet though curious gal who dabbles in cooking, book reviewing, and gardening. Encouraged and supported by an incredible man and loving family. A Northern Californian transplant to the Great Lakes Region of the US. Lover of Jane Austen, Baseball, Cats, Scooby Doo, and Chocolate.
About Kimberly
Kimberly is a coffee loving book addict who reads and listens to fictional stories in all genres. Whovian, Ravenclaw, Howler and proud Nonna. She owns and manages Caffeinated PR. The coffee is always on and she is ready to chat.
