Metsan Valo is an ancient family house on Lake Superior. After her Mummo’s (grandmother) death, Anni Halla goes back to the house to meet the rest of the family and know about Mummo’s will. Anni and Theo, her twin brother, grew up in Metsan Velo, listening to stories about forests, vaki (forest spirits), and the pact between the Halla family and vaki.
As the family arrives, one after another, tension fills the house, and mysterious events take place around them. The caretakers, Martin and Meri, talk in circles and don’t make much sense. Why are the woods angry? Who wants to harm the family that’s still grieving the loss of their beloved elder?
Even before Anni can find answers, a tragedy strikes, followed by another. Things are spiraling out of control, and Anni has no idea how to find a way out. Can she believe in her Mummo’s tales and find a solution before it is too late?
This is my first book by the author, and I thoroughly enjoyed her prose. It is evocative and strong. The setting is my ever favorite- an old home in a forest full of secrets. The hint of paranormal suspense and the setting are the main reasons I requested this book.
The characters are well-written, and some of them have a surreal touch. This complements the storyline very well. The relationship between the twins felt warm, loving, and comforting. The family drama is controlled and sorted (a little too easily solved, maybe).
I liked how Anni is neither overly eager to believe in the folklore. But at the same time, she doesn’t hesitate to consider the possibility. It added to her character and made her quite real.
The suspense builds during the first half and continues in the second. The consistent increase in suspense led me to believe that there would one a major climax (a showdown of sorts) to match the rise. That’s where I was disappointed. The climax drifted and settled without any drama. I kept waiting for it, and the ends were already being tied and tidied.
That one scene I felt was crucial to the central plot was mentioned in less than a page (more as an afterthought)! What started as a 4 + book ended up less than 4. Still, the book has closure and even a happy ending. And I could finish it in two days (though I read past my reading time).
I’ve added 2-3 previous books of the author to my TBR just to enjoy her prose and the paranormal elements. Some reviewers mentioned this book is different from the previous ones, and that got me curious. Let’s see how I feel about them.
Overall, The Keepers of Metsan Velo is a lovely book if you like the same elements as I do. However, don’t expect much in terms of unfolding the suspense and acting on it.
Thank you, NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing, for the ARC.

P.S: I’m off to read more about vaki and Nordic folklore.

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This book just isn’t for me. It’s a shame as I quite liked the author’s Halcyon Crane and Brynn Wilder books. The characters and the folklore stories are not interesting me after a number of chapters. .

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to try an ARC.

Metsan Valo is a place of magic and wonder. After the death of her beloved grandmother, Anni returns to her childhood home and is told of the secrets of her ancestors. This is a beautiful tale of ancestors and magic. Wendy Webb did a splendid job of bringing folklore to life.

So, my first impression of this novel turned out to be wrong, I admit it. I started out irritated with how the author was jamming the ambiance down my throat. I lost count of how many times the words "ancient" and "ancestors" were used in the first few chapters. I get it. The house is old and has been in the family forever. Once I got past that, the story began to pull me in. I am a sucker for stories that take place on the Great Lakes, especially Lake Superior. Superior is constantly bitter cold and killer storms actually happen, it's a great setting for creepy and strange.

Once the plot began to fully form, I ripped through this book. There was just enough of the supernatural to keep it spooky and the family dynamics added another spicy layer. A wacky Mom, grumpy cousins, caretakers who flit in and out being all cryptic... there's something for everyone! When the weird becomes dangerous, it's up to the twins, Anni and her brother to figure out what is really going on before someone ends up dead. I always know a book has "gotten me" when I think about it in my non-reading times. This one definitely showed up in my thoughts when I was supposed to be, I don't know, folding laundry or helping with math. Give it a shot!

Little bit of magic, little bit of mystery. What starts out as a return to the family home to read the last will and testament of the matron of Metsan Vallo leads to a series of unexplained accidents, mystical connections and an eerie pair of housekeepers. The next keeper of the house, a young woman who was closely connected to her grandmother (previous owner), will discover what she needs to know to continue the legacy of this wonderful home. I loved it! I have read all of Wendy Wax's books and will continue to do so

What a magical unique story. I have read a few books by Wendy Webb and they all have a way of transporting you vividly into the story. This book was well written and very descriptive.

I enjoed learning some Finnish folklore as well as uncovering secrets behind Metsan Valo.

Omg! I love this book. I recently found Wendy Webb books this year. Started off reading daughters of the lake and just became obsessed sith her writing. To the point where i read 5 books by her this year alone. And thank you lake union publishing for approving my request.

I love that all her books are centered around Wharton and Lake Superior. The writing was phenomenal and out of this world. The readon why i love her writing and her novels so much is that fact it doesnt feel like your reading it feels more like a movie ot a tv show. This alone is why im obsessed each novel gets better everytime i read a new one. And this was right up there. And became my favorite after the end of temperance dare

THE KEEPERS OF METSAN VALO is about a family reeling from the death of the matriarch and the legacy she left behind. It is also mystical and magical, exploring Finnish folklore about the unseen creatures that inhabit forests throughout the world and the power they hold. And Webb also skillfully weaves this story in to her previous book about Wharton county. It was a delight!

This is a fun story about two twins whose grandmother has passed away and left them with an isolated house on an island. I enjoyed reading about these characters and I really liked the paranormal aspects of this story. The imagery was really well done and I was able to imagine I was there at Metsan Valo with Anni and Theo.

A book quite unlike one I have read before. This book is a mystery with supernatural overtones. It is actually a very good read.
Quite a short read and I managed to get through this book in one sitting. I’ll be definitely on the lookout for future releases by this author

'The Keepers of Metsan Valo' is a story set beat Lake Superior where a family is brought together due the loss of their beloved grandmother. Once back they find themselves at the heart of a strange mystery.

This was a dark magical realism story that featured folklore, creepy relatives, and a beguiling mystery. I have read my share of magical realism stories, usually taking place in the southern United States full of charm and wit, but this was a darker interpretation that had a captivating supernatural puzzle that had me hooked from the first page.

I am glad this story didn’t venture far into the fantasy realm, because the folkloric elements could have taken it there. Instead, the author made this story about the power of ancestry and the magic that can be found in every family if one looks hard enough. There were unique characters and spooky scenes that made this a very enjoyable read. The author did a great job at keeping the story suspenseful and leaving some questions unanswered.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for a copy of this book to review!

The Keepers of Metsan Valo
by Wendy Webb

Supernatural mystery

I love this author's earlier work. “The Tale of Halcyon Crane”, “The Vanishing” and “The End of Temperance Dare”. I gobbled these books up and really loved them. Unfortunately, the last two novels by this author were totally different and I was really disappointed. The writing is good, Ms. Webb is an excellent novelist however, in my opinion, I wish she would return to her old Gothic mystery style stories.

The Keepers of Metsan Valo is a story of a woman who inherits her grandmother’s mansion which comes along with some unique and mysterious elements. The plot grabbed me but overall I just could not get into this book. I have greatly enjoyed her other novels so much that I cannot in good conscience give a bad review and I don’t feel like this book deserves a bad review. It just wasn’t for me.

Mestan Valo is an Ancient House built by Anni’s ancestors, the Halla Family lately owned and managed by her grandmother Taika Halla (Mummo). The twins, Anni and Theo, spent most of their summer vacation each year at Mestan Valo, with Mummo. They grew up listening to Folk stories about the land surrounding the house. Stories about the Vaki, spirits of ancient Finnish mythology..

After about 10 years, they reunite at Mestan Valo on the news of the sudden death of Mummo. Even though Mummo died of prolonged disease, her death took them by surprise as she kept her health condition a secret from them all. As the family gathered to hear Mummo’s last wishes and take share in her wealth, Anni and Theo experienced serious troubles.

Apart from episodes like break-ins, accidents, and illness, they also witnessed strange supernatural events. Anni, of the twins, is more often troubled with the secrets of her family since her return to Mesto Valo. She is made to believe that the folklore they grew up listening to might be in fact the true history of their family. Hearing whispers and blurring spirit visions came to Anni often yet felt illusionary. While the lives of her family were at stake Anni discovers her role in all of it and how it is connected to the stories her grandmother recited when she was young, to Vaki.

A perfect thriller with the right amount of supernatural essence added. This has to be the author’s best book so far, and if not, I am missing out on something extremely thrilling. Because this story was beyond compare in this genre.
A real page-turner. And I mean it. I read every word just to not miss out on anything important. At no point did I feel any unwanted stretch in the story, no part of it bored me even a slight bit. And though I was so eager to reach the climax, I took my time to enjoy the Spine chilling story.

Delicious, intriguing mystery with supernatural elements dancing with spirits and unique urban legends premise! I’m sold!

I already enjoyed the previous works of the author! So as soon as I read the blurb about mystical creatures lurking around forest, sky, sending messages to connect with people and a gothic mansion theme with so many secrets, I was so intrigued!

Story starts with Finnish family gathering at Metsan Valo, such a unique family house located at Lake Superior ( a famous location the author’s most works take place in) Twins Anni and Theo spent their entire childhood in this house with their grandmother Mummo and raised with her urban legend stories she’s told them.

Then Anni moved to Paris and spent there last 10 years of her life, planning to visit Mummo for spending time with her. But unfortunately she kept her sickness as secret and the news about her sudden death shocks her.

Entire family returns back to the house not for emotional reasons but mostly learning about their share from the will. Unfortunately most of them get unsatisfied, even furious after finding out they don’t get what they hope for.

Anni deals with more serious problems including seeing unsettled spirits lurking around the forest and quickly disappearing. She realizes the stories her Mummo told at her childhood time and the spirits called Vaki are real. But what kind of message they try to send? What should she do for making things right?

And a sudden death makes things more complicated!

Complex, various, layered, varied characters, great waltz between claustrophobic mystery meets supernatural thriller with lyrical story telling skills of the author turn into this into unique literature feast I highly recommend!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.

The matriarch of the Halla family has passed away and her family gathers at her home, Metsan Valo, to hear the reading of the will. As soon as they arrive unexplained things start happening. The forest surrounding the home has been the center of many Finnish folklore tales. Could they be true ? Who is behind all the trouble and threats to the family ?
I enjoyed this book and the spooky atmosphere but I was annoyed that the characters said the name of the house, Metsan Valo, multiple times in each chapter. If I took a drink every time I read the words Metsan Valo I would've been drunk by chapter four.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book for review.

'The Keepers of Metsan Valo' is a story set around Lake Superior where a family is brought together due to a loss and finds themselves at the heart of a strange mystery that may have something to do with the eerie woods surrounding their family home.

This was a dark magical realism story that featured folklore, creepy relatives, and a beguiling mystery. I have read my share of magical realism stories, usually taking place in the southern United States full of charm and wit, but this was a darker interpretation that had a captivating supernatural puzzle that had me hooked from the first page. As a Canadian, I absolutely loved the northern setting which is often missing from this genre.

I am glad this story didn’t venture far into the fantasy realm, because the folkloric elements could have taken it there. Instead, the author made this story about the power of ancestry and the magic that can be found in every family if one looks hard enough. There were quirky characters and spooky scenes that made this a very enjoyable read for me. The author did a great job at keeping the story suspenseful and leaving some questions unanswered.

I would highly recommend this book for fans of southern gothic magical realism and magical women’s fiction who are looking for something a little different.

Thank you to the publisher for providing this ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This novel gradually transforms from a crime thriller with a supernatural undercurrent into a tale of the supernatural. As such it makes for a good read and it is an excellent story about stories and their power. The heroine, Annalise Halla, returns to Metsan Valo, the family seat of the title, in order, so she thinks, to lay her late and beloved grandmother to rest. In the process she has some terrifying experiences before she learns that, for centuries, the wealth, prestige and indeed “power” of the Halla family has depended on at least one member of the family always being in communion with the Vaki, which the author uses to mean the elemental spirits from Finnish folklore (the story, though, is set in a small community on Lake Superior). Annalise does not know whether to believe any of this, and she certainly does not know whether she really wants to get involved with the Vaki, should they really exist!

It becomes clear that the help which the Vaki give to the Halla family comes at a price, the dilemma is whether or not to pay this, but a more pertinent question is whether or not Annalise is really being given any choice at all. The author’s view of the Vaki ends up being a little rose-tinted, and it is worth pointing the reader towards other novels which offer another view. Sally Magnusson’s “The Ninth Child” has a very clear message that Scotland’s equivalent to the Vaki are completely ruthless and delight in sacrifice rather than mercy.

The big problem with most modern treatments of folklore about the Vaki and similar beings from other cultures, is that they habitually confute a beneficial balance of nature with keeping on the good side of (paying unfailing homage to) supernatural beings who are wholly unnatural. They, themselves, do not obey or respect the laws of nature, nor do they love anyone but those who love them -and that entirely on their own terms. To commune with such is to abandon both the physical laws of nature and any objective moral law by which one may tell good from bad.

This book may be read and enjoyed as a fairy story, which is precisely what it is. It is telling, though, that the large white dog called “Pascal”, the bravest and most sensible character in the book, is left stranded by the author as soon as she takes the story towards honouring the Halla family’s ancient bargain with the Vaki.

I love this author's stories, they never disappoint. This newest one is full of mystery and wonder surrounding the beautiful Metsan Valo, a home on Lake Superior that was built by Anni's Finnish family many generations ago. The house is surrounded by a forest that's full of enchantment, if her grandmother Mummo's, tales are to be believed. It's her passing that brings Anni and her close family members back to Metsan Valo. They are all in a bit of a shock, as Mummo didn't tell anyone that she was sick. Anni had been planning a visit to stay for a few months and is saddened that it didn't happen. She and her twin brother, Theo, spent much of their childhood with Mummo while their mother, Arden, flitted about, traveling here and there, and they forged a lifelong bond with their grandmother like no other.

Unfortunately, the rest of Anni's family has less sentimental reasons for returning, their only interest is in her will. And when they discover just how Mummo has, or has not, gifted each of them, tensions run high. Soon Anni believes it's not just the family that's unsettled, but also the spirits of the forest. Strange occurrences take place - whispers and visions come to Anni, then disappear in the next instant. The elderly caretakers of Metsan Valo, Martin and Meri, share sideways glances and reference new beginnings. Anni begins to wonder if Mummo wasn't telling mere folk tales over the years, but instead true stories of their family's ancient ways. Is it that hard to believe that such a magical place could in fact, be more alive than anyone thinks? Mummo did say that her spirit would continue to watch over them all, so why is there unrest?

This story shares it's setting and many characters from the author's previous books, and it's fun to see the familiar faces wound into new tales. The mystical elements of Metsan Valo and it's forests are described beautifully, you can envision yourself walking among the trees, watching the lake as the water seethes and comes alive. I did feel that perhaps there was too much of an otherworldly element, particularly as an explanation for specific events. At times, there wasn't much for the characters to do except sit back and let the magical atmosphere take center stage. It was hard to truly connect with Anni when she seemed more like an extension of Metsan Valo than a person inhabiting it. But maybe that is the idea?

WoW! This was a beautiful book with some super natural added to the mix! The mystery here I absolutely loved! This book was a quick and well written!
The story honestly is what I loved most! I haven't read anything quite like it before...... Actually fun!