As a child, Maggie's home was attacked by monsters and she was the only survivor, saved by the immortal hero Neizghání. He raised and trained her for As a child, Maggie's home was attacked by monsters and she was the only survivor, saved by the immortal hero Neizghání. He raised and trained her for years, then disappeared. Maggie is left to scrabble out a subsistence lifestyle hunting monsters and brooding over Neizghání's last words to her. Then signs start appearing that point to Neizghání as the cause of attacks on villages, and Maggie teams up with the nephew of one of her few friends to figure out what's going on and how to stop it.
The good: I would love to read far more in this setting. Basically, climate change destroyed much of civilization but before it could destroy part of North America, the Navajo gods created miraculous turquoise walls that saved their people. Not only is this using a different mythology than most fantasy, there are all these great world building details about how life in this new world works. And I want to go to the club/market for immortals and clan-powered people!
Fine but not great: Maggie is basically a tightly-wound ball of pain and trauma, and I don't think a single scene went by where she didn't lash out at herself or someone else. It's understandable but didn't leave me wanting to read more from her. Also she apparently didn't notice (view spoiler)[Kai using clan powers to convince people of things the entire book, whereas I thought it was obvious from his very first appearance (hide spoiler)], doesn't have a sense of humor or any interests besides monster hunting.
Did not like: the plot. I have no idea why (view spoiler)[Maggie and Kai are sure they have to kill Neizghání, I have no idea why Maggie kills Kai at the end, I have no idea why she's sure Kai will come back...Coyote reveals he was behind Maggie's grandmother's death, her torment, and all the monster attacks, and Maggie kills him very quickly and easily? So much so that I think maybe that was just his vessel and he'll be back? And then after learning that Coyote was behind the attacks, why does Neizghání still need be imprisoned? (hide spoiler)] I was totally confused about everyone's motivations for the the last 15% of this novel....more
Aster Simmons has no family, no money, no prospects...luckily for her she has a clever mind, and so earns her bread by breaking codes for the war offiAster Simmons has no family, no money, no prospects...luckily for her she has a clever mind, and so earns her bread by breaking codes for the war office in Regency England. Meanwhile, captain of the Highland Wolves (a group of secret werewolves who clearly aren't trying that hard to keep their secret) Hamish Logan is sent to find the spy in the war office....more
This is really two books in one. One is the story of Darcy Patel, who wrote a YA paranormal romance while in high school, had it immediately accepted This is really two books in one. One is the story of Darcy Patel, who wrote a YA paranormal romance while in high school, had it immediately accepted by an agent and publisher, and is now spending the year writing in New York City instead of going to college. Her first year as an independent adult contains a lot of learning about the city, herself, the publishing industry, falling in love for the first time...I quite liked Darcy and her friends, although I didn't always believe in them. They felt a little too relatable and familiar, if that makes sense, as though I'd read their banter before. Sagan, Darcy's little sister, and a famous YA writer that Darcy goes on tour with all felt a little more stagey than I was happy with.
The other story is the one Darcy wrote, with its chapters alternating with the writer's. It took me a few chapters to realize what I was reading. A few chapters later there's a great moment when Darcy is talking about editing her book and I realized that what I was reading was the finished product of her book, not the one she was writing at that moment. This story is about Lizzie, whose brush with death leads her to become a psychopomp, a bridge for ghosts to reach the afterlife. I liked Lizzie at least as much as Darcy, and her conversations and friendships felt even more real. I was intrigued by all the psychopomp business.
All told, this book really got and kept my attention in just the way other quality works by Westerfeld have. At times I didn't want to put it down. It dragged a bit near the end, but I think only in comparison. I very much look forward to a sequel....more
Genie Lo is an overachiever. When it turns out she's the reincarnation of a mythical companion of the Monkey King, she even overachieves about that. TGenie Lo is an overachiever. When it turns out she's the reincarnation of a mythical companion of the Monkey King, she even overachieves about that. This book has so much great stuff about parents' ambition, personal ambition, culture clashes, feminism, growing up, the abdication of responsibility... But my personal favorite moment of this book was when a demon kidnaps Genie's best friend and she. will not. have it....more
Cat is on the run, trying desperately to hide her sought-after magical powers. But a hunky warrior named Griffin discovers one of her powers, kidnaps Cat is on the run, trying desperately to hide her sought-after magical powers. But a hunky warrior named Griffin discovers one of her powers, kidnaps her, and tries to force her to work for his queen. They have a tempestuous relationship that inevitably ends with them in love.
The plot is fast-paced. The world building and magic system aren't stale; they're actually my favorite part of this. And I could totally understand why Cat and Griffin are attracted to each other. But this was way too much of a cliched bodice-ripper romance for me to enjoy, and I ended up feeling impatient with the book for focusing so much on Cat and Griffin's passion for each other when that was the part I was the least interested in. ...more
There are werewolves in Mercy Falls. Unlike their fictional counterparts, these werewolves don't transform with the moon or by choice, but instead shiThere are werewolves in Mercy Falls. Unlike their fictional counterparts, these werewolves don't transform with the moon or by choice, but instead shift into mindless wolf form when there's a drop in temperature, and shift back to human form come summer. Early in this trilogy, overachiever Grace saved a young werewolf's life and fell in love. Together, they (view spoiler)[figured out how to cure the temperature-controlling shifting. But it turns out that the cure was only temporary, and even now that Sam's cure is still working, Grace's has worn off, and she is living the dangerous life of a wild animal. Even worse, a planned extermination of the wolf pack is being planned by the humans of Mercy Falls, who have grown scared and angry after one too many "wild animal" attacks. With the help of suicidal rock star Cole and selfish Isabel, can Sam and Grace save themselves, and the rest of the werewolf pack? (hide spoiler)]
I think there were too many POV characters for this book. Each brought something new to the table and had their own fairly distinct narrative voice, but at the same time, it's a relatively slim plot and time period covered, so telling the tale through four characters feels a little like padding. I still really like Grace and Sam's relationship; it's a great mixture of teenage-first-love and been-through-a-lot-together mature love. I didn't entirely like the ending. (view spoiler)[For at least twenty years these werewolves have been killing people or turning them into werewolves, sometimes nonconsensually (like Sam and Grace). And given that almost all (if not all) of the werepack was in full beast form, with little chance of having a human mind again, it's not like killing them would have entirely been like killing humans. Frankly, I think this trilogy made a good case for how dangerous the wolves were, but a very bad case for why they should be allowed to roam free. (hide spoiler)]...more
A collection of short stories about love and monsters. In the pros column, there's a broad range of monsters and types of love--this isn't just a collA collection of short stories about love and monsters. In the pros column, there's a broad range of monsters and types of love--this isn't just a collection filled with the usual kinds of vampires and romantic love. In the cons column, these stories are far heavier on the horror and disturbing content than I prefer.
Paolo Bacigalupi, "Moirabe's Children." Alanie and her step-brother escape a terrifying father and flee toward kraken. I am not into stories about fathers raping children, so I hated this story for that plot element, but it's definitely written well and the ending is powerful.
Cassandra Clare, "Old Souls." I've disliked everything I've read by Clare, but I actually liked this. It's a little heavy handed, but I liked the idea of a girl with memories she wants to lose communing with a memory-vampire in a nursing home.
Holly Black, "Ten Rules for Being an Intergalactic Smuggler (the successful kind)." Tera wants to be a smuggler like her cool uncle, not a boring homesteader, so she hides out on his space ship. Adventures ensue, and she has to figure out how to survive and thrive on her own. I particularly liked the section when she steps foot on her first space station and is both relieved and disappointed that no one tries to sell her drugs or kidnap her.
MT Anderson, "Quick Hill." Thwait is a sweet guy who's in love with a troubled girl at school, but his dying town needs him to marry the local hill to keep them all safe. The sacrifice of one man's individuality and future for an entire town is well told, but the delivery is super dark, holy shit. Anderson's Feed also messed me up, so I guess I should have expected it.
Nathan Ballingrud, "The Diabolist." The only daughter of a dead metaphysical pathologist and his greatest work commune over their shared love of him. They'll do whatever it takes to bring him back. This is a flat-out horror story.
Patrick Ness, "This Whole Demoning Thing." Like her friends and family, Angela is a demon, but just because she breathes fire and is covered in scales doesn't mean she doesn't have a kind heart. By performing in a band, she becomes free to reveal her true self. I liked this!
Sara Rees Brennan, "Wings in the Morning." I got this collection from the library for the sole purpose of reading this story. It's a companion/sequel to The Turn of the Story, in which prickly Elliot accidentally becomes bffs with warriors Serene and Luke and tries to save a fantasy kingdom. This story is told from Luke's point of view, which is not quite as fun as Elliot's. Also, I'm happy for ONE boy to be oblivious to his feelings and the feelings of others, but not both of them. So although I really enjoyed this story, it's not quite what I was hoping for.
Nalo Hopkinson, "Left Foot, Right." Jenna lost her baby and sister in a car crash, and has been haunted ever since. In trying to placate her sister's ghost by throwing shoes into a swamp, she encounters a manifestation of her miscarriage and somehow comes to terms with both losses. Frankly, I didn't get this or like it.
G Carl Purcell, "The Mercurials." Blank Itzikoff wants a mercurial of his own, so he repeatedly sneaks off into the tainted lands where they live. This is set in a confusing post-apocapytic land that gradually becomes clearer, and as it becomes clear what's happening, I got more and more horrified. Why is there nothing NICE in this collection?
Dylan Horrocks, "Kitty Capulet and the Invention of Underwater Photography." Kitty's father is a famous indie musician, and she follows him around the world as he tours. She's lonely, and then makes tentative friends with a mysterious boy who only appears near a stream. When she tells him about a proposed development that will destroy the stream, his reaction reveals that not only is he no mere boy, but that she has to convince everyone to stop the development. Fine but forgettable. The only interesting part of this story was the choice of a New Zealand myth for the monster.
Nik Houser, "Son of Abyss." This starts out with what I thought was a cute opener, "It was Mom's idea for me and Dad to build the blood altar in the garage. She said it would be a bonding experience." but then grows so dark and disturbing (mutilation! torture! animal death! incest! abuse!) that just remembering it upsets me. The world building is actually pretty cool (I especially liked Transgression Day, when everyone commits one transgression in hopes of making their souls too heavy to be taken up to heaven and turned into mindless worshippers of a goddess) but I hated this story.
K Jennings, "A Small Wild Magic." A man inherits a djinni from his great-aunt, and makes some pretty paltry and sweet wishes. Too short and lightweight for me.
Kelly Link, "The New Boyfriend." Immy isn't sure whether she loves or hates her friend Ainslie. What she is sure of is that she loves Ainslie's new robot Boyfriend. First she sabotages it, then she steals it for her own. I liked Immy struggling with friendship and what love feels like, and I liked the ghostly twist to this. But I didn't like the ending, which ends so open endedly, and like Immy never learned any lesson at all, that I was left unsure of the point of the whole thing.
Joshua Lewis, "The Woods Hide in Plain Sight." Em comes home after her first semester away at college and tries to figure out if she's changed and/or if the friends and places she's left behind have. I really liked this: Em and her friends are unique but recognizable, their friendship dynamics felt familiar and realistic, and their reactions to Ricard, a supposed vampire, in their midst, were great.
Alice Sola Kim, "Mothers, Lock Up Your Daughters Because They are Terrifying." First off, great title. Second off, great concept: a trio of Korean adoptees become friends and do a dark ritual for kicks. Surprisingly, the ritual works: they get successively possessed with something that calls itself Mom and loves, criticizes, and helps them just like they want their original moms to have done. Some are happier about this than others. ...more
After Beth is kicked out of school for tagging, she runs away--only to save the life of the prince of the London streets, Filius. Filius is the child After Beth is kicked out of school for tagging, she runs away--only to save the life of the prince of the London streets, Filius. Filius is the child and presumed heir of the goddess of London, who mysteriously disappeared seventeen years ago and hasn't been seen or heard from since. He is in the midst of a battle with Reach, the Crane King, for control of London. Excited by the magic of the streets, and with nothing else to do, Beth declares herself his ally. But will her bravery and his powers be enough to defeat a being with an insatiable hunger for destruction?
I wasn't convinced by the fantasy worldbuilding here--I liked some of it, but the light beings just didn't work for me, and overall the descriptions of the various magical tribes of London felt a bit too tangled. I couldn't figure out how all these beings interacted and worked; I wanted there to be more of a sense of the ecosystem of magical London, I guess. The pacing and focus of this book felt off as well, as though the author flung every single issue he wanted to address (grief! betrayal! friendship! molestation! abandonment! loyalty! art! loneliness!) into the book but wasn't thoughtful about how much emphasis to give each part, or how to incorporate it into the overall narrative. I did enjoy parts of this, most particularly Beth's bravery and eventual powers, and her relationship with Pen. And the explanation for the goddess's absence was a great one that I frankly did not see coming. But the battles just didn't work for me as action sequences, and the ending is like fifteen epilogues all crammed one after another. ...more
Grace, Sam and Isabel deal with the fallout of shiver. Sam is still trying to get used to being human instead of wolf during winter, and even bigger,Grace, Sam and Isabel deal with the fallout of shiver. Sam is still trying to get used to being human instead of wolf during winter, and even bigger, the prospect of having a while human lifespan ahead of him. Grace and he cling to reach other against the mundane but powerful challenges to their relationship. Isabel, meanwhile, is grieving the loss of her brother and trying to figure out how to operate in a world with werewolves. Her chance encounters with Cole, a new werewolf with demons aplenty, are unexpectedly helpful.
The place of this book isn't thrilling, but I liked the portrayal of relationships, romantic or other. For many YA books I struggle to see what characters see in each other, or how they relate, but in these I totally buy their pull....more
Sara has a boring office job and lives as mundane a life as she can manage, but her innate magical ability will not stay tamped down. One fateful nap Sara has a boring office job and lives as mundane a life as she can manage, but her innate magical ability will not stay tamped down. One fateful nap under a tree attracts the attention of a hot elf, and soon she's embroiled in the dangerous magical world she tried to leave behind.
Boring main character in a not well thought out world. I got about halfway through and realized I didn't care about anyone or believe in the story, so I dropped it. If I had more patience for romance tropes and lower expectations for fantasy I might have liked this more....more
Ah Lee is supposed to go to school and be a good girl, but then she falls in love with a classmate. How can she date with a grandmother and a great-grAh Lee is supposed to go to school and be a good girl, but then she falls in love with a classmate. How can she date with a grandmother and a great-grandmother and innumerable aunts keeping watch over her? And how can she have a relationship without revealing that she died at 16 and has been killing and eating humans ever since?
Hilarious and touching and lovely. Each of the characters has so much personality, and I love the way Ah Lee's family works....more
A surprisingly strong collection of stories about characters from Armstrong's Otherworld novels. Some provide insight into side characters. Others filA surprisingly strong collection of stories about characters from Armstrong's Otherworld novels. Some provide insight into side characters. Others fill in gaps in the lives of protagonists like Eve Levine.
I enjoyed the longest story of the lot, in which Paige and Lucas investigate a possible vampire attack. Besides giving us a view into their domestic life (which I quite enjoyed--to me, their relationship feels the most real and lived-in of all the romances in the Otherworld), it also gives depth to the benefits and strictures of Cabal life. Lucas distanced himself from the Cabals long ago, but is beginning to think that a closer connection might be useful. Sean, on the other hand, is the heir to the other largest Cabal, and he has chosen to try to change the organization from within. He finds that doing so is more painful and difficult than he'd imagined. The contrast isn't belabored within the story, but it is interesting.
The least successful story, for me, covered Clayton falling in love with Elena pre-Bitten, when he was a hotshot young professor and she was his beautiful student. He's immediately enamored with her and so offers her a job as his TA (even though she's an undergrad) to keep her around. Eventually they start dating and get engaged. Clayton, however, is a werewolf sworn to secrecy about the supernatural, and to ensure this the Alpha won't allow anyone to be in a serious relationship with a human. (view spoiler)[Clayton can't bear to give Elena up but also doesn't want to disobey his Alpha and be cast out of his family, so he bites Elena. Nonconsensually turning someone into a werewolf is pretty shitty, but to make his act even worse, he knows that no adult has been successfully turned before. His bite pretty much condemns her to death. Since writing this backstory into Bitten, Armstrong seems to have realized how incredibly fucked up it is, and has given Clayton a sob story and some softening in an attempt to make Elena's eventual marriage to Clayton (the man who lied to her and basically tried to kill her) seem less twisted. But seeing the world through Clayton's eyes doesn't make his decision to turn Elena any less horrific; instead, it makes it clear that he was absolutely clear-headed and knew exactly what he was doing. Suuuuper icky. I never liked him or the werewolf-centric books in general (the constant rape threats to Elena from all the other werewolves get old fast), but this short story just cemented my dislike. (hide spoiler)]...more
Two soldiers from opposite sides of an intergalactic war fall in love and go on the run. They are hunted by bounty hunters, hungry ghosts, and even PrTwo soldiers from opposite sides of an intergalactic war fall in love and go on the run. They are hunted by bounty hunters, hungry ghosts, and even Prince Robot IV, who has a television for a head. It's weird and gory and wonderful, and I can't wait to read more of it. Vaughan's writing is good and imaginative, and Staples's art is my favorite type of illustration, with clean lines, realistic body types, recognizable faces, and a good sense of movement....more
Monsters are real, and the whole world knows. That doesn't mean monsters have equal civil rights, however. A series of gruesome murders put Vicky and Monsters are real, and the whole world knows. That doesn't mean monsters have equal civil rights, however. A series of gruesome murders put Vicky and the other paranormals of Boston under an enforced curfew, which is bad news, since Vicky is the only one who might be able to catch the killer.
There's some development of the relationship between Vicky and her family--her sister gave up her shapeshifting powers in hope of leading a normal life, and is terrified that her daughter may develop the powers. Mab's origins are also revealed. But really, this book didn't have much urgency to it. Vicky continues to win fights using Mab's powers or random good luck. She's still completely out-matched by Pryce and the Morfan. And the fight scenes are actually getting less well written. I might continue with this series, because I like Vicky as a character, but I hope this Pryce storyline gets resolved soon....more
A collection of stories, some better than the others. Although all concern the para/super/unnatural, not all of them relate to romantic love, or even A collection of stories, some better than the others. Although all concern the para/super/unnatural, not all of them relate to romantic love, or even love in general.
Michelle Zink, "The Assassin's Apprentice." Clunkily written, with poorly developed characters, a mere sketch of a romance, and sprinkled with malapropisms(ex: "They moved silently through the shadows of our world, doing their duty without worldly aplomb or association.")
Diana Peterfreund, "Errant." Marvelous. In medieval France, a unicorn hunter negotiates with a family to stage a traditional unicorn hunt. Fantastic characterization done entirely through the details and choices of their lives, complex relationships and moral decisions. Not sure why this is in a paranormal love collection, though, because by the end of the story Gitta and Elise are friends and haven't even had a thought about romance.
Karen Mahoney, "The Spirit Jar." A fairly new vampire helps a half-djinn free the soul of his dead ex-girlfriend. I liked all of the characters, and the action was well written. This seems to be part of a larger series--I'll try to track it down.
Justine Musk, "Lost." (view spoiler)[Hades tries to train a young woman to help the souls of the dead. (hide spoiler)] Once I figured out what was going on, I wanted this to have been spookier and tinged with more sadness. I wish the main character had had a few more qualms.
Sarah Rees Brennan, "The Spy Who Never Grew Up." Peter Pan becomes a secret agent, and eventually gets Wendy's descendent to help him on his spy missions. Fabulous, a bit dizzying, very funny--all the things I've learned to expect from Brennan.
Becca Fitzpatrick, "Dungeons of Langeais." An angel tortured a young duc into swearing fealty, and ever since has possessed him once a year for the last two centuries. The duc has discovered that the angel loves a woman, and uses her to bargain for his freedom. I have no idea who I was supposed to find sympathetic in this story, nor do I really know what happened. It's clearly part of a larger tale, and without knowing it this short story is basically unintelligible.
Caitlin Kittredge, "Behind the Red Door." A punk teen in a small town finds love in a haunted house. Creepy, spooky, twisty. Great imagery, very believable characters. Totally pulled me in!
Carrie Ryan, "Hare Moon." In the world of the Forest of Hands and Teeth, a young woman has to choose between duty to her village and her love for an outsider. (view spoiler)[This is the origin story of Sister Tabitha. (hide spoiler)] I liked this much better than Ryan's books, actually.
Michelle Rowen, "Familiar." A witch-in-training picks a kitten to be her familiar, only to find out the kitten is really a hottie shapeshifter on the run. So boring I couldn't finish it.
Rachel Vincent, "Fearless." A foster girl is annoyed to be sent to a group home, but horrified when she realizes that none of the other girls are afraid of anything. Sabine is a mara that feeds on nightmares, and without them she'll starve. (view spoiler)[I really liked the talk about consent with a mind-controlling boyfriend that she had, and the twist on negative emotions this story gave. The home's cook is sucking all the negative emotions around her and replacing them with positive ones, expecting the girls to become useful and good members of society. Sabine points out that this is unfair--these girls have earned their fear and anger, and it's part of them. Yet still, Sabine is a monster who multiplies the fear of those around her...I liked how complex the morality in this story was, and that no one person or viewpoint seemed to be totally correct. (hide spoiler)]
Daniel Marks, "Vermillion." Am I supposed to like Velvet and Nick? They seem awful. As soon as they meet Amie they're calling her schizophrenic and making fun of her large ears. When Amie compliments Velvet's hairstyle, Velvet internally guffaws and makes yet more jokes about Amies gigantic ears. Then they start talking about their favorite foods:
"The barbecue pork with hot mustard was my favorite." Nick's eyes rolled into the back of his head as he searched for the pleasurable memory. "Fried chicken feet at Uncle's Dim Sum." Amie added, trying to join in. Velvet startled, her mouth agape. "Chicken's feet?" "Oh yeah, they're so delicious...and so crunchy. You could just suck the skin right off the bone..." The girl continued to wax nostalgic about her disturbing meal, while Velvet glanced at Nick, happy to see that his face was as sour as hers. Uncle's Dim Sum must have been a mental institution. Maybe Amie just thought it was a Chinese restaurant...She glanced back at Amie and noticed that, at some point during the exchange, she'd stopped talking about gross things that weren't actually food and was staring directly at the two of them.
Sooo that was horrible. It's rapidly followed by lots of talk about how slutty Amie is (I started counting the number of times she's called a slut and literally lost count) and fat jokes. (view spoiler)[And then it turns out Amie was evil all along, and everyone is like "way to go, Nick and Velvet, you two are the best!" Very weird. (hide spoiler)]
Maggie Stiefvater, "The Hounds of Ulster." Overly stylized and the narrator's descriptions of their music are too precious. That said, (view spoiler)[I liked the last minute reveal that the narrator is a girl, and how that alters my perception of her decision to shave her head. And I liked that she doesn't convince her friend to stay away from the fairies with a guitar riff or a confession of love, either of which I'd have expected--instead, they have a conversation and she doesn't save him at all. (hide spoiler)]
Daniel Waters, "Many Happy Returns." Not a good writer, ex: "He yelled orders, people moved. Cal Wilson was running. Mike moved. Other than she-of-the-fluttering-eyelids, none of the other bodies on the ground had moved. Cal Wilson ran over too." Uh, yeah, I got that he ran over, thanks. Although the writing and tense choices are clunky, I actually quite liked this story, about a grieving father and his daughter's zombie boyfriend coming together....more
In Deadtown Vicky encountered the demon who killed her father and marked her for possession. She thought she'd bound him--but it seems that instead, hIn Deadtown Vicky encountered the demon who killed her father and marked her for possession. She thought she'd bound him--but it seems that instead, he's bound her. Meanwhile, a spirit of ravenous hunger has descended upon Boston, which is only worsening the tense relations between paranormal Americans and norms. (In this universe, paranormals are public knowledge but aren't considered human in most states; even in Massachusetts they are relegated to a ghetto, can only travel with permits, and their deaths aren't considered worthy of investigation by the police force. Vicky's on-and-off werewolf boyfriend is a lawyer constantly tries to get equal rights. It's a cool undercurrent to the series, because the characters accept the situation pretty calmly, while we readers are aghast.) Vicky returns to Wales to train with her wise aunt Mab, but all her martial skill may not save her--or the world.
The pacing is a little episodic, but overall Holzner does a good job of providing several little fights to remind us of Vicky's skills, one large problem to solve in this book, and hints of coming threats. Vicky herself is competent and sensible; I wish she had a little more interior life but I am thrilled that she isn't constantly pondering her romantic prospects....more
Anna was turned into a werewolf against her will and brutalized for years. Someone else's peril gave her the push she needed to call in the Marok's enAnna was turned into a werewolf against her will and brutalized for years. Someone else's peril gave her the push she needed to call in the Marok's enforcer. When Charles arrived in Chicago, they each realized that they were in love. Within a week, they'd resolved the pack's dysfunction (by killing most of the pack) and then Anna moved to live with Charles. About a day after arriving in the weird little community the Marok's pack (made mostly of wolves either too vulnerable or too dangerous for other packs), Charles and Anna are given a mission: find and stop whatever's been killing hikers. They stomp through the snow for a couple days, find the person responsible, some fights happen, they win, and then they get married. Sure, they've known each other for less than two weeks. Sure, Anna was emotionally and sexually abused for years until just two weeks ago. But hey, their wolves recognize either other as mates, so...Also features Asil, a wolf so old that he has a perpetually jaded and borderline suicidal outlook on life. Although I quite liked him in Briggs's Mercy Thompson series, hearing his internal monolog makes him feel implausible and thinly characterized.
What was really amazing about this book is that despite all the action and romance, it is so boring that I fell asleep most times I tried to read it. It actually, literally operated as a soporific. I don't know if it's just because I don't like the characters or what, but I found this series nigh unreadable....more
Anna is a young waitress who was forcibly Changed into a werewolf. Her pack abuses and rapes her, but the final straw is the death of a teenager. AnnaAnna is a young waitress who was forcibly Changed into a werewolf. Her pack abuses and rapes her, but the final straw is the death of a teenager. Anna calls in the Marrock's enforcer, Charles. He immediately sees how twisted and abusive the pack has become, and with Anna's help he kills the baddies.
I love Briggs's Mercy Thompson series, so I was thrilled to find a new series set in the same world. But alas, I really disliked this. Anna is such a sad-sack that I actually started giggling at her woebegone, martyred POV at one point. She's basically Little Nell. Charles, whose main traits seem to be his Native heritage and long black hair, isn't any more interesting. The mystery of what messed up Anna's werewolf pack is so, so incredibly obvious that I was insulted either character wasted a page wondering about it, let alone making it stretch the entire book. Not much plot! Not much characterization! Just a whole lot of Anna and Charles looking at each other, wishing the other one liked them....more
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