I loved the historical details of this novel - set in 1942, shortly after Pearl Harbour when the American authorities need to decide what to do with German and Japanese (and allies) diplomats and staff, all of whom are now considered enemy elements. They negotiate to swap them for American staff in Germany, Italy and Japan and in order to do that they round these people up and lodge them in hotels prior to departure across the Atlantic.
The Avallon hotel is fictional setting for a group of these diplomats. It is a place of high luxury where every curtesy is extended to the guests even if they are German. But the hotel has a secret - it is located above the streams of 'sweetwater' - and keeping the water on side is done at a cost to the general manager, Hoss. This background gives the hotel a mysterious and rather ominous feeling - something I would actually have liked to have seen more of in the book.
There is a large cast of characters, of whom June (Hoss) is the main character. Some these people don't get much of a story and little characterisation and possibly play second fiddle to the hotel itself which is almost a character in its own right. June finds herself drawn into the hunt for secrets among the diplomats at the hotel as FBI Agent Tucker Minnick and his men eavesdrop on everyone.
As the story develops both June and Tucker struggle with who they are and where their loyalties lie.
This is an unusual blend of historical fiction and magical realism and whilst I enjoyed it, I didn't feel it quite achieved either category completely. The pacing was a bit slow at times, but ultimately the interest in the hotel kept me reading to the end.
With thanks to Netgalley and Headline for an arc copy in return for an honest review.

A fabulous read. Although the hotel and story was a work of fiction, it was based on a lot of what really happened at that time. Highly recommended story, following the lives of foreign aliens put up in American hotels during World War II. I was so happy to receive an advance reader copy and leave this review willingly.

I was super excited to see Stiefvater doing an adult book, and while I'm not usually a fan of historical fiction (this is set in 1942), the setup of the manager of a luxury hotel with magical water having to deal with hosting Axis power diplomats (including Nazis) was instantly intriguing to me.

Content warnings include: racism, Nazis, ableism, autistic child character has a meltdown, suicide attempt; Mentions of: euthanasia, genocide, sterilization.

Stiefvater's writing, as usual, is one of the big plus points here. It's just a delight to read. A bit more mature, a bit less whimsical than her other books, but there is still plenty of magic and wittiness and just a lot of fun to read.

The plot was very vibes based, despite being very grounded around the hotel being more or less forced to host the Axis Power/Nazi (and other) diplomats and their staff. Despite there being plenty of tension due to the delicate nature of the politics, there were lighthearted and merry moments, often facilitated through the (seemingly) effortless luxury and ease of the hotel and the highly skilled employees. That was one of my favourite parts of the book, to read about the hard work the hotel employees, and June, the hotel manager, in particular, put in to make the luxury feel effortless while tayloring each guest's experienced to their liking, without them even noticing.

But the shadow of the war happening was ever present as well - there is plenty of classism, racism, xenophobia and ableism going on, not to mention the horrors or war and poverty.

While June is the main protagonist, there are occasional chapters told from the POV of an FBI agent who has a past, and of a non-verbal autistic child, the daughter of a German diplomat. Hannelore's POV was fascinating in particular. It is heavily implied that June is autistic as well. (I personally read it as autism at least, it is not labelled as such on-page.)

Another part of the plot is the sweetwater, the magical water that flows through the region where the hotel is located. I'll be honest and say I expected a bit more from it. What exactly is up with the water is never really said, and while I enjoy a good mystery, and not every answer needs to be spelled out... I wanted more from it. Overall it played a pretty minor role and honestly could have very easily been excluded without any big changes. The few details that we got were cool, just... not quite enough for me. If there is a change between the final version and the review copy I read, I hope it's the involvement of the sweetwater.

There is a romance subplot that is not super present in the book, but kinda picks up towards the end. Picks up so much, in fact, that I was almost confused by the strength of the characters' feelings at the end? I don't think more romance would have been needed, I even think that could have distracted from the rest, but I personally was a bit blindsided by how the two characters ended up.

Another thing that stumped me a bit was the involvement/importance of 411. I don't want to say much about it as I do not want to give anything away, but at the same time, I'm not sure what there is to give away because I did not see how it mattered at all? It must have gone completely over my head, and if someone wants to fill me in I'd appreciate it!

Overall this was a great read, super intriguing, with fun characters and a bittersweet and sometimes chilling undertone.

Maggie Stiefvater is one of my all time favourite authors - I feel like I need to start off my review by saying that because I may be a tad biased - but every time someone asks me why she's one of my favourites, all I need to do is just point to any of her titles and say 'read this and you will be transported to a dazzling alternate reality.' Stiefvater never fails to impress, even when I've come to know her as a strong voice in the YA genre - her debut to adult fiction still maintains that whimsical charm. To be honest, when I read the synopsis I didn't think this story was going to be for me, but I wanted to give it a try for Maggie - I'm glad I did! While I did feel that some of the historical references would go over the average reader's head (mine included), most of the time it didn't matter. The reader is still able to be thoroughly absorbed in this story, one that seems to ring a little too true in today's world. Stiefvater can always breathe a bit of magic into every story she weaves and this is no exception - a unique glimpse into the human condition that contains themes that will resonate with today's readers, plus of course a splash of the powerful mountain sweetwater. I'd recommend this story to fans of historical fiction, but not just any fans, ones who can handle a dash of intrigue and whimsy as well.

I was asked to review this book by NetGalley

1942 - West Virginia, the hotel is Avallon a luxury hotel with a spa, which is being run by manager June, but things change when the family agree a secret pact to allow Nazi to stay. there is a juggling act to please these Nazi and mindful men and women are off to fight a war the Nazi started

FBI agent has an ear to the walls but he s harbouring a secret too.

There is a juggle between running the hotel and the danger of the occupants. and the safety of June also.

Interesting storyline as normally we would expect a story from London but this story has a different slant and really interesting

Recommended read due for publication June 3rd 2025.

This book has a little bit of everything Maggie Stiefvater likes to write. It has niche historical facts, a vaguely indiscernible but certainly interesting nature based magic system, and a group of weirdos stuck together trying to sort out a problem. I’m also a keen lover of historical fiction, especially involving WWII and *especially* when it has a touch of speculative elements. This is quite a slow moving book to start but as the pieces start to fall, they really fall. I loved June so much - her complicated relationship to the Avallon and the sweetwater, her care for her staff and dogged determination to do the right thing. The Listeners shows us was Maggie does best - creates characters you can root for. And I’m going to love it everytime!

Maggie Stiefvater’s The Listeners is a mesmerizing blend of historical fiction and eerie magic, set against the backdrop of WWII. The prose is lush and immersive, effortlessly transporting readers to the misty mountains of West Virginia and the opulent halls of the Avallon Hotel. Hauntingly beautiful, with a spellbinding mystery—I couldn’t put it down!

Maggie has done it again.

I love love loveeeee everything Maggie writes and this new book in the adult space is beautiful.

Its full of the mundane and characters that are all soooo different living in this hotel but that under lying magic is always there. Just under the surface like the sweet water.

I loved June and and the swapping of POV, honestly I was worried going into this as its a historical fantasy and I am not used to that genre. But man I loved it, shes smashed this one out of the park. I cant wait to meet her in June!!!!

3.5/5 ⭐️
The thing with Maggie’s work is you’re gonna have beautiful writing, a location that basically a character of itself, and plot that sorta nonexistent and you gotta squint.

I really struggle to get into this book, it could mostly been me because I’m not huge on historical fiction especially WWII, however, I do really like Maggie’s writing style. I was definitely captivated the most in June POV, the hotel in general as well as the magical realism with it all specifically the sweetwater.

I want to try again via audiobook once it’s released as I find myself enjoying more odd, slower writing via audio. However, if you enjoy a slower book, historical fiction, with magical realism. The Listener would be a great fit for you.

SPOILER FREE REVIEW!
I really struggled with this book, and I’m so sad that I did. It took me so long to get through and to be honest I think most of that was probably a me issue, not necessarily a story problem.
This is Maggie Steivater’s debut adult book but I think it read more like a YA book. I think if I was in a reading mood then I could have got through it a lot quicker.
I’d say this book is odd. I love The Scorpio Races by this author, and enjoyed The Raven Boys books too, those could also be described as odd I guess. I think I just didn’t gel with this story despite the summary sounding really interesting to me.
If you enjoy this author’s other books then you might enjoy this too? I’d say it is probably worth a try.

I’ve heard a lot of good things about Maggie Stiefvater’s YA books, so I was looking forward to picking up her first adult novel. The Listeners is an intriguing mix of historical fiction with some magical realism running beneath the surface. I love the idea of a mountain hotel where the water is almost a living entity in and of itself, picking up on the moods of the staff and guests, and influencing it in turn. It’s June’s, the general manager, job to keep the water happy, which often comes at a cost to herself.

She faces her biggest challenge yet when the government commandeers the hotel during WWII in order to hold Axis diplomats while an exchange is arranged for Allied diplomats overseas. Even as the FBI hunts for secrets among them, June is forced to balance the need to maintain the Avallon’s reputation for luxury and elegance with her own moral qualms about having to serve enemies of the state.

June is a compelling main character, a woman in charge at a time when that would have been very unusual. But it is clear to see why the staff respect and care for her so. The supporting cast of characters is great as well — with such a big hotel, there are lots of interesting personalities for us to meet. June’s story is tangled with that of FBI agent Tucker Minnow’s, their romance developing as we finally come to learn more about Tucker’s backstory. I do have to say that the romance between the two seemed to come completely out of left field. I didn’t sense any tension or interest between the characters in the first part of the story, and then suddenly they were keen on each other. It would have been nice to see that aspect of the story built up a little more.

This is definitely a slower paced novel, with a focus on character rather than plot, and a dreamy, atmospheric writing style. Some things still feel unresolved at the end of the novel, and it did feel like the writing was rather vague in parts - for example, I’m still not entirely clear on what the deal is with 411. Perhaps I missed it, but I think some of the reveals in the story were potentially so subtle they could easily be missed. The plot, when it was there, was also a little meandering, and it wasn’t always clear where things were going.

I do feel like the magical element of the sweet water could have been played up a little more, as could have the relations between all of the delegations within the hotel. The story focuses mainly on the Germans, which is perhaps understandable, but the Japanese and Italian characters are relegated to the background - potentially more could have been brought out here. I also understand that June’s job is to run a luxury hotel for anyone, no matter the terrible things they do outside its walls, but it feels like the atrocities many of these diplomats’ countries have performed is sort of glossed over. June does have a few moments of conflicting emotion, but I personally think they could have been stronger and more present. Sometimes it feels like the acts of the war have been somewhat forgotten, and we end up with a relatively lighthearted story in places.

The story does have a really interesting premise, and if you are looking for a unique book set in WWII which is not directly focused on the fighting itself, definitely check this one out.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the ARC!

This is my first book by Maggie Stiefvater, and I have to say, if all of her work is so alive with atmosphere and vibes, it won't be my last.

You won't find fantasy here. This is a historical novel based on true events, crossed with magical realism. And while the magic is intriguing, it is in the background, while woven into the story seamlessly.

There is the Avallon hotel, a luxury establishment, finding itself amidst WWII and having to host Nazi diplomats. There is June, running the hotel and having to find her own path in these cruel times. There are other guests of the Avallon that are very unique characters, including dachshunds.
And there is the sweetwater, the heart of the hotel, and source of the magic.

The story consists of three POVs and a plot that is all atmosphere and little to no action. This book is not about a heavy plot though (the theme itself is already providing plenty of that), it is of the quiet kind, looking into the hearts of the characters and the hotel itself. It's more like a river flowing, but you're always in fear of the flood hitting.

Stiefvater has found a very unique aspect of WWII, and has taken some true events to weave them in with her fiction and added magical elements.

4/5 stars

Thank you @netgalley and @headlinebooks for the eARC!

#TheListeners #Netgalley #Bookstagram #MaggieStiefvater

Some of Maggie Stiefvater’s books seem to take a while to warm to. They are a slow, beautifully crafted immersion in something normal, maybe familiar, yet utterly strange. This is one of them.

The first few chapters set all the scenes. Since we’re in a luxury hotel about to be over-run by a pack of secret service agents, there are a lot of characters. Some I never got my head around, but others became clearer as they emerged from their stereotypes. Most of the hotel staff never suffered from that problem, and after a short while, neither did the enforced guests.

Stiefvater has returned to her love of history to painstakingly combine the intricacies of post-Pearl Harbor America with the post-Depression mountain mining communities. And the luxury of the super-rich and others who think they are above the law. It’s a magical combination, pervaded throughout by Stiefvater’s legends. It’s not really fantasy, but maybe it’s magical realism. Above all, it’s a story of duty, politics, right-wing arrogance, and acceptance of others.

The Listeners is beautiful, intriguing, and gripping. After those first three chapters, I couldn’t stop reading.

This is the first Maggie Stiefvater book I’ve read, so I came into it a blank slate, expecting a solid historical fiction novel with some speculative elements. That’s exactly what this book delivers—though it’s quite particular in its style, and because of that, it won’t be to everyone’s taste.

The Listeners is set in 1942 at a luxury hotel called Avalon in the Appalachian region of West Virginia. Due to an agreement between its owner and the U.S. government, the hotel is converted into an internment site for Axis dignitaries—Germans, Italians, and Japanese nationals—who are awaiting deportation. The story centers on June, Avalon’s general manager. The hotel, once a glamorous retreat for the wealthy, is uniquely located near a mountain spring known as sweetwater, which introduces the book’s speculative element.

It’s clear the novel is thoroughly researched. Stiefvater goes to great lengths to root the story in actual historical events, and that effort shines through. You can feel both her dedication and her passion in the details. The fascinating historical context—Nazis in an American hotel during World War II—is one of the book’s greatest strengths. The second, without question, is the character work. June is a standout, as is FBI agent Tucker Minnick, but even the side characters—hotel staff, the owner’s family, and the interned dignitaries—are layered and compelling.

Readers hoping for a fast-paced plot may be disappointed, as this isn’t a story driven by action. That didn’t bother me—I tend to prefer character-driven narratives—but it’s worth noting. My biggest quibble is the underused speculative element of the sweetwater. It’s an intriguing concept, but in my opinion, not fully integrated into the story. The main plot could have unfolded just as well without it, which made it feel like a missed opportunity.

Still, I really enjoyed this book. It’s a great pick for historical fiction fans, especially those who appreciate rich atmosphere, thoughtful characters, and a slow-burn narrative.

Thank you NetGalley, Headline and Maggie Stiefvater for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was one of my most anticipated releases of the year, since the Raven Boys is one of my favorite books of all time, and though it was nothing like I expected, I truly loved it.

If you’re the kind of person who need a strong plot to keep going, maybe this isn’t the book for you, the beginning was kind of slow, and for a long time I just felt like I had no idea where the story was going, which made me feel really confused, but at some point I realized that I had to slow down and take everything in, every word, every sentence was there for a reason, and once I started taking my time with the book, that's when I finally got to enjoy the reading experience and to appreciate the gorgeous prose, which has always been one of my favorite things in Maggie Stiefvater’s books.

I feel like this is the kind of book that’s meant to be reread, and every time you do so, you’ll appreciate it even more. For now I’m giving it 4 stars, but I just have the feeling that this could increase upon a reread.

Also, would really recommend reading it in the colder months of the year, the vibes and atmosphere are just incredible.

America has just joined world war two, and a Luxury hotel in the Appalachian mountains host been taken over by the FBI to house German, Japanese, and Swiss diplomats, as well as Nazi sympathisers. June Hudson is the general manager, she knows the all of the mysteries of the hotel, and the secrets of all the guests. Based on true events this is a tale about love, betrayal, secrets, and the devil's maths. 'Deep down she knew that overcoming adversity successfully wasn't the same as being unaffected by it'...Read it!

It's been a long time since I last read a Maggie Stiefvater book and I forgot just how enchanting they are. I was lucky enough to get my hands on an uncorrected proof of this book through work and wow!! What a book! Maggie has a way of writing about a magic in such a subtle way without revealing too much, like describing something out of the corner of your eye, leaving the true magic to the imagination. I loved her depiction of character, the inner workings of the hotel, the sweetwater, the dachshunds, the tangled politics of the diplomats and the second world war, and simply her way of describing the world. Pure magic!

Thank you to NetGalley and Headline Review for this ARC!

“The Listeners” is a beautifully atmospheric read which shows us a different view of WWII and how it affected those in America, but more than that it is the story of a wonderfully unique cast of characters as the war comes to directly affect their own little world – the Avallon Hotel. The story is told from three distinct POVs as we follow the effect that the stay of the Nazis and Nazi sympathisers has on the hotel and the sweetwater which makes it the luxury stay that it is.

I will be the first to admit that I wasn’t sure what to expect of this book going in. As most probably everyone else who planned on reading this book I am a huge fan of Stiefvater’s Raven Cycle (and Dreamers trilogy!), but unlike some other reviews I’ve seen, I didn’t go into this expecting a similar experience (why anyone would think that it would be, based on the description, is beyond me anyway). So my expectations were pretty average, but I was quickly blown away.

I think this book is a quiet one. The focus is a lot on individual characters and the relationships they have with each other, as well as the relationship they have with the sweetwater. Despite being set during WWII this is not an action-laden book. What it is, however, is a beautifully crafted, atmospheric work, which has an entire building feeling like one of the characters, leaving you wanting to travel there to see its beauty and luxury for yourself.

Really the element of this book one must compliment the most are its characters. Not just the three whose POV we get to read from, but every single significant character felt like their own person, someone you couldn’t help but either love or hate. Some of them gave me real affectionate, protective feelings, while others just made me want to kick them. But the human (and animal) characters aside, I most enjoyed the way the sweetwater was portrayed. I really dislike putting anything even vaguely spoiler-y into ARC reviews, so I shall stop here, but just know Stiefvater managed to give an element of nature a personality, even goals I would say.

Another facet that was handled very nicely is the way that the individual diplomats, ordinary people and celebrities of the enemy powers were portrayed. It would’ve been easy to simply make all of them this stereotypical, one-sided bad guy and be done with it, but instead we see characters who are undeniably more victim than perpetrator, ones who are kind and ones who are rude, and yes, also those that are evil are treated with more care than just being “bad” – they are given a personality, internal/external conflicts, all while never denying the inherent badness of their goals and beliefs.

The romance in this is, I would say, far from its most relevant part, which is good because in my eyes it is unfortunately also the least well executed part of this book. There is not much I can say that isn’t a spoiler, but just know that I think this book would’ve been equally good without the romance element that we ended up with.

On the elements of this work’s historical correctness I am embarrassed to say I can’t judge much, since my education regarding WWII was, as expected for a German, more focused on our wrongdoings and their effects on Europe, but from the things I do know it certainly appeared to be very well researched and respectful of the topic.

Overall I wouldn’t recommend this book to people just looking for The Raven Cycle 2.0, but I would greatly recommend this book to fellow lovers of historical fiction who want a beautifully crafted work which looks at the effect of the ongoing WWII on a specific and unique cast of characters, with a wonderfully executed element of magical realism. If one of the foremost things you liked about TRC is how Stiefvater writes, rather than just what she writes, you will love this.

I'm going to be so honest, I don't really know how I feel about this book. I read the Raven Cycle almost 10 years ago, and to this day it remains one of my favourite series. I was SO excited when I heard Maggie was writing her adult debut and SCREAMED when Hachette Australia reached out to see if I would like a proof to read and review! The Listeners is very different to anything Maggie has written before - it's a historical fiction with a hint of magical realism, and whilst I have read and enjoyed books in that genre, I don't typically go for books set during the war so this was a little different for me! The synopsis also isn't something I was quite expecting, but I trust Maggie so I was keen regardless.

I do enjoy Maggie's writing overall, I felt as though I was transported into the Avallon and was actually in there amongst all of the luxurious chaos. I really did enjoy June's character and getting to know her, I loved her unique story and was so interested to find out how she became the general manager of the Avallon when the odds would've been stacked against her. I enjoyed her relationship with the staff and with the hotel itself, her character really worked to draw me in to the story and captivated me!

I think where things fell a little flat for me, personally, was with the progression of the actual plot of the book and the other characters. I was expecting a little more action and mystery, with more about the diplomats and their relations, as well as a deeper dive into the Sweetwater and the mystery surrounding the hotel's relationship with it! I'm still not completely sure how it all works or what really happened with it to be quite honest, things felt quite vague so I didn't really capture the entire essence of it all. I definitely could see that the historical aspects of the book were very well researched, however, and that absolutely came across as I was reading!

The other characters didn't seem to have quite the same depth for me as June did, the hotel employees and diplomats felt like people popping in and out when needed, and even Tucker didn't really capture my attention. I think the romance also seemed to come out of nowhere, I wasn't really seeing the tensions building or emotions forming between the characters throughout the first half of the book, and then things suddenly picked up and I was here like 👁️👄👁️

There are a few other things that had me hemming and hawing, but I don't want to go into detail about those as we're still a ways out from publication and would love to see what other people think when more reviews appear. Thank you Hachette Australia and Headline for providing me with an early review copy!

This took a bit of an effort to get into as it starts off quite slowly but I was so glad I stuck with it.

The Listeners tells a WW2 story from an entirely new angle. The tale of the Avallon a luxury hotel and its staff who has to host diplomats from enemy nations while peace with the Allies is discussed.

There’s a great cast of characters here - special shout out to insightful and feisty June (and who could forget the dachshunds!) - and a thread of the supernatural infuses the story.

Once this story had me, it had me and I was sad to check out of the Avallon whent the end came.