Title: Westside.
Writer(s): W.M. Akers.
Publisher: Harper Voyager.
Format: Advance Review Copy.
Release Date: May 7th 2019.
Pages: 304.
Genre(s): Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Mystery.
ISBN13: 9780062853998.
My Overall Rating: ★★★★☆.
Have you ever been drawn by a book by the marketing behind it that casually compares it to authors or books that you have loved in the past with all your heart? While I remain skeptical most of the time, I sometimes land upon some that make the most tantalizing comparisons that I would have never imagined possible. From W.M. Akers, readers get to enjoy an unimaginable concoction of historical fiction, mystery, and fantasy in what is being praised as a story with hints of Caleb Carr’s ability to create vivid atmospheres and Neil Gaiman’s imaginative power. If you believe that I wasn’t sold already sold by the sound of that, let me tell you that the blurb made it all even more compelling, with little to no chance that I could ever turn my back on this little gem.
What is Westside about? Set in 1921, the city of New York finds itself split in two where violence and hostility reign in the Westside, while peace and prosperity conquer the Eastside. Following a young detective who specializes in “small mysteries”, the story begins with the case of a missing white leather glove that tosses Gilda Carr on a wild goose chase that leads her deeper into unknown territory with hints of bootlegging, smuggling and corruption at the heart of it all. Despite what she deeply desires, she finds herself stuck in a chain of questions and answers that lead her to uncover the truth behind herself, her parents and the city in which she lives. Uncovering the truth behind the mundane questions of the townfolks might have helped her avoid grief so far, but the things she’s about to discover will bring her to face the truth head-on, even if it means she’ll need to spill some blood along the way.
For a stand-alone novel, this story was a ride that never stopped for a second to allow the reader to take a breath. Not only is the world in which you’re immersed is mysteriously enchanting thanks to the unusual disappearings that let you believe that the night takes a life of its own when you least expect it, the story continuously dished out countless side-plots with little mysteries that kept you wondering what exactly was going on and who was responsible for everything. W.M. Akers’ portrayal of the city was also brilliantly handled and allowed the reader to feel like there were always eyes watching over your back as the heroine embraced her role as a private detective and challenged herself to the fullest throughout the whole story. After all, the things she dares to do, despite the adversity she faces, is quite impressive. The fast-paced story also turned out to be an advantage as it constantly fed the reader with backstory and clues to understand the bigger scheme at play.
Where Westside might have stumbled a bit was in the number of characters who were presented throughout the story. Although it might have been a bit excessive, it still kept the plot refreshing and dynamic as it gave the author room to work with more players and develop the various mysteries that crawled around the streets of New York. Let’s not forget to mention that even with the relatively huge number of characters, they all never seemed unidimensional or unnecessary. Their personalities simply shone despite the darkness in which they bathed. While they might evolve in accordance with the city, the city also seemed to transform according to its citizens. In fact, the time frame—especially how the author played with the Prohibition era—made this low-fantasy story just that much more intriguing and captivating, as it allowed the author to discretely play with historical elements.
Westside is a stylish and creative mystery that beautifully balances its fantasy elements with thrilling action scenes in a sinister and enigmatic alternate Manhattan.
Thank you to Harper Collins Canada for sending me a copy for review!
Roars and Echoes 
Yes yes I have been drawn to books thanks to comparisons lol And I love when the main character unearth secrets about her family the town etc! It semms that you’ve had a great time Lashaan!
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I actually hate the comparisons most of the time, but this one piqued my curiosity and worked for the better 😂 It’s definitely a great book to pick up, Sophie!
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Oooh wow… I like wild good chases. This seems like a different read. Great review the book seems to have enchanted you.
Another side point – we like hand, don’t we? The previous book also had hand as the cover… 😂
Need to check this book. Based on the cover, I would have never read it. Thanks to you, I go to amazon
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Hahaha thanks Shalini! I too found it funny that they both had hands on their cover 😂 they are at least pretty covers! But yes, you should totally check it out! 😜
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Wonderful review!
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Thank you so much, Nicki! ❤️
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Prohibition Era eh? I’ll definitely be avoiding it then 🙂 After my debacle of the Great Gatsby, I’ve realized I just don’t like the 1910-1930 era.
I have to say, I am surprised you were drawn in by comparison to other authors. Color me cynical, but that is now a real offputting thing for me. If I see it on a book, I think “indie” or something else even less complimentary 😀
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Hahah interesting 😂 I love it for all the criminality in particular, especially the good ol’ gangsters of that time!
Well, in all honesty, I usually stay away from books who have those kinds of comparisons, but this time I was super curious since the combo was unusual.
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One of my favorite authors is of this era; Dashell Hammett. The U.S. was still a wild place back then, and various metropolitan areas acted with autonomy. Gangsters, boot-legging, and lots of pow-pows flooded cities. Sounds like a fun read. Nice review.
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I too love all the gangsters, bootlegging and politics of that time. The lifestyle, clothing, attitude was just so unique 😂 I’ll have to look into that author hahah Thanks for reading, Icky! 😁
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I really enjoyed this one as well, great review
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Thank you! I appreciate that a lot! ☺️
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I had seen this one and was intrigued. I’m happy you enjoyed it… going on my TBR. I love the premise of this one.
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Thank you, sir! It is indeed worth checking out if you ever get the chance!
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On my list!
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Huh, I like that era, but for itself. I wonder how a recent book would depict that wild time. Sounds like you enjoyed it 🙂
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I wonder too! Then again, it’s not a pure depiction of the era, but I wonder what a book written in that era and set in that era is like too 😮
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Omg this sounds SO GOOD. I love the idea of searching for a solution to a ‘small mystery’ leading to some gigantic conspiracy!
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I had the same impression before picking this book up too! I enjoyed my ride, that’s for sure! 😁
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Wow, this book sounds so cool!! 😍 I really like the cover too hahaha, I could definitely pick it randomly in a bookshop 😂
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Hahaha I’d have picked it up just for the cover too 😂
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Wonderful review sir and I actually really like the sound of this, seems mysterious and atmospheric with some great world-building. May have to check it out!
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Thank you, good sir! I appreciate it! It’s a pretty solid mix of historical fiction with fantasy. I mean… I could totally see a Prohibition-era Batman within this world hahahh
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Wow, what an exciting idea – I mean, we’ve head ‘Gotham by Gaslight’ so why the heck has this not been tackled?
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Amazing review! Now I have to add it to my list of books to read because I want to know what she discovers haha, sounds like a great book!
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Thanks, Juliette! 😁 It’s a quick and nice read if you like a nice mystery novel, with a little dose of fantasy!
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I’m with ya… often wary of books that are compared to other authors / stories, etc.
This sounds like a cool story – i’m defo interested. It takes a certain skill to maintain a large host of characters efficiently, so it can easily go both ways 🙂
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Yep, it was probably the exception to the rule and I’m glad it was because it was a great stand-alone story to check out! 😁
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Excellent review! 😀 This sounds really interesting, and what a cool mashup of genres. 🙂 Definitely adding this to my TBR list!
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Thank you! I love this mashup in particular too hahah Glad to put it in on your radar! 😁
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