Hello, everyone! Today I’m reviewing The Inn at the Foot of Mount Vengeance by Chiara Bullen. This cozy fantasy was published yesterday. So, it should be available wherever you buy your books. Did I enjoy my stay at the inn? Read on to find out!

BEHIND EVERY HERO, THERE’S A HISTORIAN
An ambitious young scholar is sent to research the mysteries of an adventurer’s inn – only to uncover a centuries-old secret in this heart-warming and poignant fantasy.

Mount Vengeance is legendary, a monumental climb with a dragon at its peak.
For most, it’s an adventure, or a quest to prove themselves worthy of fame and glory.
For Ainsworth, it’s perfect thesis material.

Ainsworth Gladsly, ambitious young scholar, research fellow and up-and-coming historian is finally ready to make his mark on the world. When his supervisor learns of a rustic inn at the foot of the legendary Mount Vengeance, she sends him to be the first to document the exploits of the bold adventurers who face the perils of the mountain – and the dragon said to inhabit it.

But the inn is far from the sophisticated city life he’s grown to love, and even as he grudgingly warms to its rustic charm – and its lovely innkeeper, Honey – the mystery of the mountain refuses to reveal itself. Worse, Ainsworth can’t find evidence that anyone has ever undertaken the climb – every adventurer comes to the inn, stays for a single night, and then returns home.

And with Ainsworth’s reputation as an academic on the line, it’s a mystery he can’t allow to remain unsolved – even if he has to push the adventurers up the mountain himself.

***Thank you to Del Rey for providing an advanced copy of the book via NetGalley. My review contains my honest thoughts about my reading experience.***

I’ll be honest. I wasn’t expecting to love The Inn at the Foot of Mount Vengeance nearly as much as I did. It’s rare to find a book that speaks to your soul and reflects so many of your own thoughts and feelings back to you. This was that book for me. Will everyone love it? Probably not. It is painstakingly slow in pace with almost no stakes at all. The focus is on the main character’s growth and getting to build relationships with all of the side characters. Found family and found home are the heart of the book, and most of the story felt like a big hug.

The main focus of The Inn at the Foot of Mount Vengeance was Ainsworth Gladsly, a snooty scholar who was forced by his supervisor to do field research at the isolated inn. Ainsworth arrived at the inn fueled by ambition to discover something new that would catapult his career to new heights. Needless to say, he did not enjoy the provincial nature of the inn and thought that he was better than everyone else because of his education and his status as a scholar. He started out pretty unlikeable, but as he slowly settled into life at the inn, it became clear that his obsession with maintaining appearances and finding success was a wall erected because he didn’t think he was good enough to be a scholar because of his low-class background. Over the course of the story, he tore the wall down piece by piece and let the real Ainsworth shine through for the first time in so long, which made him realize how unhappy he’d really been all this time pretending to be someone he wasn’t. It was a realistic and beautiful story of growth and learning to accept one’s innate self-worth.

As for the other characters in The Inn at the Foot of Mount Vengeance, they were all fabulous. The inn was staffed with a truly quirky group of people, and I loved that the story took the time to let the reader get to know each of them and their histories. They all illustrated that someone’s life doesn’t have to be glitzy, glamorous, or renowned to be meaningful. Many of their backgrounds, along with Ainsworth’s, drove home the theme that ambition for its own sake is often destructive and leads to a life of loneliness that is lacking in authenticity. That doesn’t mean that hard work toward one’s goals is bad, just that you shouldn’t throw away who you are for the sake of getting ahead. The inn’s staff knew from experience that it didn’t end well, and all of the character work did a great job of showing that lesson from different points of view.

Other than the focus on the characters, The Inn at the Foot of Mount Vengeance spent most of its time trying to unravel the mystery of why all of the adventurers turned back from their quests after a night’s stay at the inn. I enjoyed following Ainsworth as he used his research skills to try to get to the bottom of things. The ending was satisfying even though I’d guessed a lot of it from pretty early on. I do wish the book had addressed the reactions of the staff to the answers about the inn’s “curse.” The story ended right before they were about to find out, and it felt like a missed opportunity.

I did love the world-building in The Inn at the Foot of Mount Vengeance, too. There were so many cool creatures, and all of the locales felt lived in. The descriptions of food were divine, and I was pleasantly surprised to find some recipes in the back of the book. I’d love to try them and get a taste of the treats being served at the inn.

All in all, The Inn at the Foot of Mount Vengeance is definitely a book I recommend if you are looking for something with a slow pace, homey feel, and character work with lots of depth. It would be a great addition to any cozy fantasy collection. Therefore, I rate it 4.5 out of 5 stars.

There you have it! My thoughts on The Inn at the Foot of Mount Vengeance by Chiara Bullen. I’ve already got a finished copy reserved for me at the bookstore because I need it on my shelf, which is the highest praise I can think of. 😊 Have you read it or plan to pick it up? Let me know your thoughts down in the comments!