[Book Review] What The Fang? By Stacey Kennedy & CoffeeAM Jack Frost Flavored Coffee

Title: What The Fang?
Series: Undead Ever After #1
Author: Stacey Kennedy
Publication date: January 25th 2022
Page Count: 198 pages
Age Rating: Adult (explicit sexual scenes, language, blood, violence)
How I got my hot little hands on it: Received a copy to review
Publisher’s page: What The Fang

Sink your teeth into this irresistible forbidden romance from USA Today bestselling author Stacey Kennedy about the vampire Warden of Charleston and the new-in-town witch who’s causing him all kinds of trouble…

Willa Farrington’s magic is broken. Shunned by her coven for failing to pass the Summer Solstice Rite, Willa escapes to the one place no witch belongs – Charleston, a city that belongs to vampires. Determined to embrace her new life, Willa opens Cauldron Boil Books, and unexpectedly finds some friends among the vampires…

Until one terrible night Willa ends up on the wrong side of a pair of fangs. Thankfully, her captor’s plan is ruined when Killian Constantine, the drop-dead gorgeous Warden of Charleston, shows up to save her. But just when Willa thinks she’s safe, Killian, rumored to be the most feared vampire in the city, furiously demands to know why she – a witch – telepathically called him for help.

Intent on finding answers, the two embark on a journey to unravel the mystery behind Willa’s attack and their unusual connection. As they get closer to the truth, the fiery passion between them ignites. But their forbidden romance isn’t making them many friends, and just as Willa starts to think that her entire existence is a lie, deadlier forces come out of the shadows. She will need to believe in her malfunctioning magic, trust bloodthirsty vampires, and cross her fingers that she and Killian make it out together… and that neither end up dead.

My Review

What The Fang? is set in the American South about twenty years after a war between vampires and humans ends. Vampires have been given control of Charleston, New Orleans, and Savannah, ruled by The Vampire King who lives in a large plantation west of the Mississippi River.

Most witches steer clear of vampires, but not Willa Farrington. Having been banished by her own kind for her lack of magic, Willa decides to make her home right in the middle of vampire-run Charleston, opening a book store and making some new vamp friends.

One evening while closing up shop, a random vampire attacks Willa. The powerless witch somehow manages to send out a telepathic cry for help – a cry heard by the fearsome, silver-eyed vampire Warden of Charleston, Killian Constantine, who swoops in to rescue her.

The chemistry is immediate and intense between Killian and Willa and I was surprised by how long it takes them to give in to the heat between them (page-wise, in book time it was only a few days). Really the whole book takes place in a matter of days. From the moment she’s first attacked, poor Willa is hit with revelation after revelation, about herself and pretty much her entire existence, while trying to figure out her connection to Killian and why she’s suddenly the target of a group of vampires.

A lot happens for such a relatively short book (under 200 pages). There’s a lot of discoveries made, a lot of worldbuilding, a lot of action, a healthy amount of *spice*, and a whole cast of characters – my favorite part of the book was actually the secondary characters. From an adorable pet dragon, to a pair of ride-or-die vampire best friends, and even Killian’s staff, the secondary characters really give a lot of heart to the story and I would love to see them given more page time in future books.

All in all, What The Fang? is a fast-paced, quick read packed full of likeable, interesting supernatural characters and an intricate, twisting plot that left me invested in the series and eager to read what happens next.

One of the first things about Killian that draws Willa in (outside of his strength, good looks, and determination to protect her) is his “pine tree in the thick of winter” scent. How could I not pair this book with CoffeeAM Jack Frost Flavored Coffee, a blend literally said to “evoke the feeling of silence amidst a pine forest covered in a blanket of freshly fallen snow with each sip” with it’s Irish cream, chocolate, and dash of peppermint flavor.