"At The Table of Wolves"

"At The Table of Wolves" is the first book in the Dark Talents series by Kay Kenyon, an American science fiction and fantasy author from Wenatchee, Wa.  It was released in 2017 followed by the second book in 2018 and is the first of her work that I've read but it will not be the last.

Kim Tavistock is the daughter of an American woman and her father is English aristocracy.  When Kim's parents divorced, she went to America with her mother but has recently returned to England to live on her father's (Julian) estate.  Julian is rarely at home -- off tending to business affairs which Kim has her doubts about.  In reality he is part of a secret government organization and cannot share with Kim his real work.  Kim's only (and much loved)  brother was killed in the last war and she's still mourning his death.

This novel is set before the start of World War II when the Nazi's were coming to power in Germany.  Julian's organization is much worried about the possibility of another war but the government in power wants to pretend all is well and ignores their warnings.

The historical aspects of the book are interesting threaded in with the novel's "Bloom" theory.  New "talents" are appearing throughout the world and they will likely change the way the next war is waged.  Kim herself has the "spill" talent which means people confide in her and share information without meaning to which means Julian has to be very careful around his daughter.

Kim is also a freelance journalist and, using this as her cover, begins to investigate a woman her father has been seeing who has a German friend.  Kim thinks she might be a spy and is worried about her own father's political leanings.  When she spends a weekend at this woman's house and meets her brother and a German visitor, Kim's "adventure" begins as well as her own espionage work and fight for her life.  pazt