Amy

Shades of Wicked

Revisado: 01-30-20

I don't know what took me so long to read this book. Having read Frost's Night Huntress series multiple times along with the spinoffs, I, like many others, was highly anticipating Ian getting his own story. But when Shades of Wicked came out I didn't jump at starting it. And then it got pushed further and further down my TBR pile.

Well, once I finally began the book, I didn't want to stop. It brought me back to what it is I love about Jeaniene Frost in that I want to live and breathe the stories.

Frost really does Ian justice in the first of his series. Law Guardian Veritas - whom long-time readers will recognize from the brief glimpses of her character throughout the Night Huntress world - is the perfect match for him. She's been alive long enough to know her own mind, but she's also very vulnerable and kind.

Together they're in the search for the demon Dagon who has marked Ian's soul and with whom Veritas has a mysterious score to settle. At first it's posed as an opposites-attract with a tinge of enemies-to-lovers thrown in, but the best part is seeing Ian and Veritas reveal parts of themselves to each other that they've never shown anyone else - for Ian this means not even Bones or Mencheres. And possibly learning that they're not as different as they previous thought.

I absolutely loved this story, and I remember what it is about this world that Jeaniene Frost created that I recommend so much to those who are looking for a vampire romance. Ian's book will not disappoint those who have been waiting for it for, literally, years.

On the other hand, I'm a little happy I waited because now I get to jump right into Wicked Bite. And with the emotional way Frost decided to leave things in Shades of Wicked, I'm happy there is no wait to see Ian back at it again.

And Tavia Gilbert has done such a wonderful narration. Really giving a wonderful voice to Veritas and Ian, but not sounding like she's sitting and just reading from the page, but putting true emotion and inflection into the words and dialogue. I've heard her name in the narrator sphere of audiobooks, but I think this is the first book I've listened to with her as narrator. No doubt I'll be looking for other books she narrated.

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Whispers at Seaside

Revisado: 01-23-20 El oyente recibió este título gratis

Matt Lacroux is home at Seaside for the summer having taken a sabbatical from his teaching position at Princeton. While working on a book deal, Matt is trying to figure out the next steps in his life since it seems like his aspirations of becoming a dean at his college aren't going to pan out any time soon. But being back at Seaside, he gets to reconnect with single-mom Mira whom he met at his brother's engagement party the previous year. They've kept in touch over the months, and now with Matt back for the summer he's ready to see if there can be something more between them.

Mira Savage is used to devoting all her time to working and raising her young son. No one has garnered much more attention from her except Matt Lacroux. Despite being attracted to him from the moment they met, there was always the issue of distance between them. Now that he's in Seaside for a while, Mira must actually face her attraction for him, and acknowledge that it's ok for her to have a life for herself, especially considering Matt is also wonderful to her son. But what will happen when Matt's time on the Cape comes to a close?

I thought that Andi Arndt and Sebastian York did great with the narration. They are both narrators whose names pop up quite frequently in my audiobooks. They both bring a wonderful array of inflection and tone distinctions that I love when listening to a book.

For the story, I really enjoyed getting a view of the single mother in Mira. It's true that it's never easy raising a child, let along raising a child on one's own, and I felt like Mira was a good representation of a woman who has had to do this, but with the idea that it's just something she had to do because there was no other option, and she wasn't going to dwell on the fact that she's single, Mira is out to get her work done and love her son and raise him to the best of her ability. She hasn't gone about it completely along, which obviously helps, she has a good support system in her best friend Sabrina and her two brothers. I wish we could have gotten more interactions between Mira and her brothers honestly.

For Matt, he's kind of at a crossroads in his life. He loves his job and what he does, but it's not fulfilling him as much as it used to. He's seeing his brothers and sister find their significant others and form extended families. I liked seeing kind of this natural progression in Matt's life. Just the decision of stopping and thinking about what he wants especially after already having seemingly established his goals and wants in life. I like the idea that it's ever-changing. It's not something decided definitively and that's it. But I did feel like we didn't get to see that struggle enough. Honestly, he's in Seaside and from the beginning it's clear he's going to stay in Seaside. I didn't feel the true conflict of what he was facing and I kinda wanted to feel that a little more.

Whispers at Seaside closes another chapter of the series as a whole. Meaning we've tackled the entire Lacroux family, now we're off to another. I'm assuming Mira's brothers will get a story along with Janna (featured in Embraced at Seaside with Hunter Lacroux)'s brothers. Either way, I continue to love the family ties and bonds forms and seeing them interweave with one another.

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My Big Fat Fake Wedding

Revisado: 01-13-20 El oyente recibió este título gratis

Violet has always dreams of the fairy-tale wedding. Running her own interior design business has left little time for much more than work. But when her grandfather has a health scare and outlook is grim, Violet feels the need to get down the aisle ASAP if nothing else than to let her grandfather know that she's well taken care of. Now it just remains to be seen as to who will fill the role of groom.

Ross Andrews hasn't quite gotten over his wild ways. Yes, he's reliable when it comes to getting his work done, but his personal life has still been known to be eyebrow raising at times. After one such time catches him sneaking out of a club with a married woman, Ross's father tells him the board of directors is threatening to oust Ross unless he shapes up his personal life.

Violet and Ross see in each other a means to an end. Violet can give her grandfather some piece of mind, and Ross can get his father off his back. They'll marry in an elaborate ceremony, and then down the line they'll annul it. Easy. Except for the fact that both Violet and Ross are falling for one another.

First off, I thought that Carly Robins & Joe Arden did a pretty good job of narration on this one. I've listened to a few books narrated by Joe Arden and it always takes me a minute to get used to his voice for some reason, but once I do it's smooth sailing from there. I don't believe I've ever listened to a story by Carly Robins. I liked her narration. She has a clear, sometime bubbly voice (at least for these characters) and I enjoyed her narration. I love the dual narratives. I think it adds a lot when each character's section is narrated by a different voice actor.

Now the story: Based on the book blurb I was prepared for a big mashup of enemies to lovers with a side of marriage of convenience and fake fiancee, and it's all there, but Lauren Landish seamlessly makes all the different tropes really work well together. They are almost a story within themselves telling of the movement of Violet and Ross's relationship.

Plain and simple, I just enjoyed the story. I thought the way the conflict played out was done well. Things weren't rushed, and even though it's easy to see where things will go, it never felt redundant or like a hard slog to get there. Despite maybe not making the best choices, I could sympathize with the how the characters found themselves in their individual predicaments. Mainly, I liked both Ross and Violet. I mainly enjoyed that there wasn't a "bad guy" between the two of them. They both genuinely wanted to help the other out, but together, they probably didn't go about it in the right way. Except they ended up seeing each other in a different light and opening their eyes to a love that neither of them really thought possible.

This has probably been my favorite of Lauren Landish's books that I've listened to (or read). I thought everything was balanced out really nicely. And I definitely wouldn't say no to Ross's sisters each getting their own story too.

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The Guinevere Deception

Revisado: 12-11-19

After Arthur’s defeat of The Dark Queen, magic in all forms was banished from Camelot. Meaning, Merlin was banished from Camelot. However, this does not solve all problems as the wizard has foreseen the rise of evil once again.

So, Merlin sends in Guinevere who, in his stead, will wed Arthur and become his Queen, in order to remain close to protect him and root out the evil brewing beneath Camelot’s surface.

But who really is this girl that Merlin has sent as savior? As Guinevere searches for the threats to Camelot, she’ll uncover more secrets hidden within, secrets that, if discovered, could mean the end to everything Arthur has built.

This is the second Arthurian legend retelling I’ve read this year. Although the two are wildly different in scope, I love the fact that Arthurian legend is so easily manipulated and molded. It’s a veritable treasure trove of varying accounts of this knight or that knight or this love or that love. In the hands of someone like Kiersten White who is no stranger to retellings, it becomes a magical story about a girl finding her power, finding her voice.

I loved the idea of deception. Of who is being deceived and who is committing the deception. At first seemingly believing the deception lies with Guinevere who is magic in a magicless world. It’s easy to see and identify this deception, but as Kiersten White’s story unassumingly and slowly unfolds seeing the twists of other deceptions that Guinevere couldn’t even comprehend was a treat and just signals how tangled Arthurian Legend really is.

Probably the one thing that was difficult for me to reconcile with was the idea of how young everyone is. Guinevere is sixteen, Arthur eighteen yet there’s so much talk about his quests, battles and victories that have themselves already been turned into the things of legends. It’s hard to see an eighteen year old boy (young man) taking on this mantle, but I think it’s also a great way of showing how much pressure Arthur is under, the kingdom he’s built and responsible for, the tough decisions he will always have to make.

Struggles with identity is a common thread throughout the story, and something that I’m assuming will proceed in books to come. Guinevere holds the title of Queen but she doesn’t identify as a Queen. She doesn’t know what her role is exactly besides the rather cryptic protector of Arthur. But protecting Arthur would also extend to protecting Camelot because they are basically one and the same. It’s an interesting quandary and I can’t wait to see how it continues to unfold.

Kiersten White applies this same theory to pretty much every other character in the story. If you’re familiar with anything Arthurian you know who all the players are, but I daresay you’ll be surprised and maybe even delighted with some of the twists thrown in and what they might mean down the road.

While the legend of Arthur undoubtedly has its romance, I was really happy that there was more focus placed on Guinevere herself. Guinevere does wonder at certain moments where her relationship with Arthur may eventually lead – by the end I think she hopes it turns into love – but there’s a lot less angst about the whole thing, and there’s still that undeniable base connection.

The Guinevere Deception is a really good introduction to an already familiar world that just so happens to pull out some unexpected surprises that keep the story fresh.

The narration by Elizabeth Knowelden was wonderful. She managed to give distinctive voice to each character without overdoing it, especially in regard to the male voices which I have found some female narrators have problems with (this is does apply to the reverse as well, I've listened to audio where the male narrators have issue with female voices). Her pacing was great and she was very clear in speaking. I look forward to finding other titles she has narrated before.

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Lovers at Seaside

Revisado: 11-19-19 El oyente recibió este título gratis

Parker Collins loves losing herself in a role. That's one of the reasons why she's become such a successful actress. But after the death of her mentor and father-figure, she wants nothing more than to be able to privately grieve without the world seeing. So she escapes to Seaside with her lovable dog Christmas and comes face to face with Grayson Lacroux.

Parker and Grayson have been working together on her non-profit for almost a year now. Their conversations have filled a void in her life she didn't realize (or didn't want to admit) was there. For Grayson, seeing Parker, vulnerable, with all her barriers down, only intrigues him more about this incredible woman. They quickly embark upon a relationship, Grayson helps Parker through the grief of her loss and along the way, make some new discoveries of their own.

Sweet With Heat keeps the dual narration that was started with the previous book, although this time it switches up narrators. I like that idea because each book features a different couple so it's almost fitting that they each get their own "voice". But I have to say Aiden Snow (Grayson) has such a wonderfully sexy voice, I could have honestly listened to him narrate the whole book. He does kind of overshadow Lucy Rivers (Parker) as it took a little bit for me to become accustomed to her narration, but by the end, I really enjoyed these two as Parker and Grayson. They both speak clearly and do a pretty good job of dialogue, especially when they're portraying other characters.

Now, to the story, I fell into Lovers at Seaside quickly. The pacing was steady and now nine books into this series, I loved that we still have this big Seaside group dynamic with each new couple/character being welcomed into the family, as the case may be. I love revisiting the original quartet of women and the glimpses we get of the "next generation" of Seaside.

For all that, I kind of had a sense of timing on this one. I wanted to feel the long, drawn out connection that had formed between Grayson and Parker over a year of mostly emailing with one another. Secondary relationships have been built up in this series in the past (see Tony and Amy or Jenna and Pete, and even Hunter and Janna), but it was sadly missing this time around. I think if a little more of the build up had been there in the previous book, the relationship clicking as fast as it did wouldn't have felt too quick.

Addison Cole throws in an interesting twist in this one and I really liked it. I liked the idea of Parker laying to rest her grief for her mentor by repairing the fractured ties he had with his own family. It's an interesting and ultimately heart-warming turn.

I think it's pretty apparent who's story is next in line - I mean we do have another Lacroux brother waiting in the wings - and since he's what I'd call the most mysterious, I'm very interested to learn more.

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Blade & Rose

Revisado: 09-18-19 El oyente recibió este título gratis

After a traumatic incident with her family at a young age, Rielle chose to serve the Divinity. Over the years she's learned to hone her elemental magic, and now she's on her way to becoming a Master. Lately, though Rielle has noticed that she hasn't heard any news out of the capital especially from her good friend, and fellow mage, Olivia. Before Rielle can investigate for herself, she's tasked with escorting wayward paladin, Jon, across the kingdom. As they begin their journey, they're met with the stunning realization that the capital has been overtaken and the royal family all killed by hired mercenaries. Rielle will start to question her duty against what is right with a forbidden love hanging in the balance.

Blade & Rose is the start to what is truly an epic fantasy series. There is a lot to unpack in this first book, but it certainly sets the stage for what can be expected throughout the series. Miranda Honfleur manages all the characters, histories, magics, politics, etc. with relative ease. Early on it took a little getting used to terminology but by the end of the book, I'd say any of the confusion had been quickly forgotten, and now I'm just ready to get on to the next book!

There are quite a few characters but the main ones - the ones who get their own perspective in the story - are Rielle, Jon, Brennan - Rielle's bethrothed, Olivia, and Lee - Rielle's former Master. Although everything kind of circulates around Rielle. First off, I need to acknowledge the whole "everyone falls madly in love with the heroine" thing. It's seemingly true on a surface level, but as the story proceeds you get more depth to each of the characters and while, yes, Jon, Brennan, and Lee all had/have romantic entanglements with Rielle, there's so much more to each character. I think this is one of the rare occurrences where I'm all for exploring the ins and outs of each separate relationship. Some have moved on, some are fresh and new, and some are just now acknowledging what has probably been there all along. This is especially true for Brennan. Rielle and Brennan have such a complicated relationship full of hurts and anger, but also of caring and love at different points. Brennan for me was one of the best characters because I feel like he has such a redemptive arc that I'm hoping we'll see explored more in the series. He's definitely the antithesis of the anti-hero. But as I found each of the characters has a good balance of virtues and flaws. It makes each character very dynamic. For the most part they're inherently good, or want to do good, but there's also this kind of precipice they stand upon where they could choose questionable tactics when it comes to saving those they care about.

As I said, there's so much that happens from Point A to Point Z in this story and while the main conflict is solved it's only on a surface level. There are many more conflicts stemming out from the original that, I'm assuming, will be taken up as the series progresses. All these conflicts and problems, though, seem very organic and a natural progression, never coming out of left-field.

Listening to the audiobook of Blade & Rose, the narrator does such a great job of giving each character their own voice. She does a wonderful job varying the cadences of each voice, and I hope she continues to narrate the rest of the books in the series.

I was pleasantly surprised by Blade & Rose. There's a short prequel novella (Winter Wren) available that connects a few dots in regards to past occurrences.

If you're in the mood for an epic fantasy with a heavy romantic element. You've found the perfect fit with Blade & Rose.

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Embraced at Seaside

Revisado: 09-05-19

Jana Garner has more than enough on her plate. Balancing boxing, dancing, acting, teaching, she has no time, literally, for a relationship. Plus a string of bad breakups in the past also aren't making her quick to commit. Which is great because frequent hookup, Hunter Lacroux, is on the same page.
In fact, somewhere along the line Jana and Hunter stopped sleeping with other people and have only been seeing each other. As Hunter begins to realize this, he also begins to realize that he doesn't want to be with anyone other than Jana. But will Jana open herself up enough to let another person in again?

I really enjoyed the narrator change this time around. I liked that we have both a male and female narrator I think it brings just a little something extra to the audiobook and I really liked that they alternated based on perspective instead of just changing with every chapter. While I will say that Maxine Mitchell did really well with Jana, it took me a bit to get used to Joe Arden voicing Hunter. Just something about the inflection, but by the end I was on board with his narration.

I think this is one of my favorites of the series so far. After moving on from the original group of four female friends, I like that we moved out of that circle with the previous two books, but with Jana's story we kind of get pulled back in again. I like getting updates on our favorites characters and getting to witness some beloved shenanigans! It was enough to satisfy but didn't overshadow Jana and Hunter's story.

I loved that the book was really on the edge with the whole "sweet with heat" part. Sparks were flying between Jana and Hunter. I think that balance was just right for the story to maintain the sweet aspect, but still offer readers some wonderful heat.

I really liked the simplicity of a story about two people who, at the beginning, aren't ready for a relationship, aren't ready for the commitment, but seeing, over the course of the story, how their views change. Sometimes our past influences how we feel about a certain situation and sometimes it's just the timing. It's nothing more or less complicated or difficult than that. I loved how Hunter and Jana work towards a relationship and the slow build of everything. How unsuspectingly the person you want to be with is just there.

I've loved how Addison Cole has navigated this series from one couple to the next. Introducing new characters while keeping original characters in the background. I'm thinking we're not done with the Lacroux boys just yet.

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Fledgling

Revisado: 08-01-19

Fledgling finds Cassandra Reed (nee Sarah Smith) finishing up the school term and thwarting evil advances by Hollow-horns (the unicorns evil cousin). However, it's been months since the Mother Book has deigned to reveal a new spell to her and the council is demanding results soon...or else. Plus there's the matter of Cassandra's true identity - a changeling snipe in service to the Winter household before finding out she actually has magic - still hanging over her head.

When it becomes apparent that the Mother Book wants Cassandra to seek out other changeling children and help them, her path becomes clearer. Along with the help of her truest friends Ivy and Alicia, Cassandra/Sarah is ready to turn the Guardian world on its head!

I loved getting back into the Sorcery and Society world and loved the natural progression of the series. Cassandra is flourishing at school and making more new friends. I really like the genuineness of Cassandra despite having to live a lie to everyone around her minus her very close friends and family. Deception is not something that she set out to do, but given the status quo between the Guardians and the Snipes, Cassandra has done what was best at the time.

Regardless of this, I liked how she doesn't shirk her responsibility to other changelings like herself. She may be slower to start the search for others, but her intentions are admirable and she follows through on her plans - even though that doesn't necessarily mean the plans are always the best laid plans.

I like that Molly Harper has made such a wonderful friendship between Cassandra, Ivy, and Alicia. It's always great to read about strong friendships and the fact that even when they don't see eye-to-eye they'll always be in each other's corner. They enhance rather than pull back.

Probably my favorite development was seeing how well Cassandra has fit into the Winter household. How she's developed a close relationship with Mr. and Mrs. Winter and their son Owen. It starts out as obligatory because the Winters stand to lose as well if Cassandra is found out, but you can see their relationship developing into familial territory. I loved all her interactions with the family and, based on what occurs in this story, I really hope that it's something that continues to develop in the next book.

Fledgling is kinda a game changer for the series. The consequences of events will be surely felt in the next book, and I'm looking forward to seeing what they are exactly and how they resonate for each of the characters. I feel like we're left with a lot up in the air, but one thing I know for certain is no matter what happens Cassandra, Ivy, and Alicia will face it together.

So far, Molly Harper has written a wonderful YA series which is somewhat a departure from her adult paranormal romances, but still written with such wit, humor, and wonderful characters.

As narrator, Amanda Ronconi does such an outstanding job with all the different characters, both male and female, and making sure each one has their own distinctive voice. Even without dialogue prompts I can always tell who is speaking and when. She's one of the best narrators I've come across. If you're thinking of listening to this one, you won't be disappointed.

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A Pack of Blood and Lies

Revisado: 06-24-19

After the death of her father six years ago, Ness Clark and her mother were forced to leave Boulder, Colorado and the wolf pack of which Ness was the only female born to in nearly a century. Now, just three months shy of her eighteenth birthday, Ness is forced back to the pack by her aunt and uncle. Once there she is confronted with a pack in upheaval over the death of their previous alpha, Heath Kolane, an all-around awful and cruel person. In the top spot to replace Heath is his son and heir Liam Kolane. Ness can't let his bid for alpha go unchallenged, but what she finds is that Liam Kolane sparks an interest in her that she's never felt before. Could he be different from his father or is it all an act in order to make Ness give up her challenge? Regardless, Ness is here to fight, for her pack, for herself, and possibly for her heart.

When I initially read the blurb for A Pack of Blood and Lies, It read like what I've been missing from my YA recently. When I actually started the book, I found a few cases of incongruity that did not mesh with my perceived ideas.

First off, the story gets off to a jumbled start when, after Ness is pulled from her current home in LA, we're suddenly back in Boulder...a month later. Sooo much has happened in this month. Olivia Wildenstein fills in the gaps in what happened within the month piece by piece but instead of each instance being a revelation that only expands upon the plot, it felt a little jumbled and messy at times.

Also, Ness was not the easiest heroine to like. She's rash and impulsive. Yes, she has a lot going against her first and foremost the fact that the pack is built upon a heaping pile of misogyny that was almost over the top with it's "boy's club" mentality. I can somewhat forgive Ness because she's got a lot of pushback, but I didn't feel the growth I had expected I would feel from her after everything that happens.

What irked me the most was the idea that nobody was put off by the fact that Ness is the only female born to the Boulder pack. She's considered an anomaly. But when we see an example of another pack (complete with more than one female pack member) no one bats an eyelash. The entire system within the Boulder pack is foul and clearly broken. This is abundantly clear when we learn about the former Alpha's many instances of cruelty and violence, mainly perpetrated toward women. But instead of questioning the mores of the Pack, everyone seems ok with the status quo, even Ness. Remember, she's not competing for alpha out of a sense of proving herself capable, she's doing it in order to thwart Liam Kolane's chances.

Let's talk about Mr. Kolane while we're here. He is the typical brooding, protective alpha male. Unfortunately, I wasn't swooning for it. If you take away that aspect of his character (whenever he's around Ness) he is seemingly a good guy, and truly seems to want to do right by the pack. He's intelligent, he knows the customs. He doesn't seem bothered by Ness being the lone female - although he doesn't seem to want to break the status quo and he tends to get a little hurt when she does something better than him which enables him to flip flop on his feelings for Ness quite easily.

I did enjoy the mythology presented here. Olivia Wildenstein does a great job of sticking with the basics (no silver!) but also putting her own spin on the traditional werewolf story. I'm especially interested in the pack dynamics. I don't think that this first outing shows the Boulder pack very well (see broken comment above), but by the end I'm interested to find out if we'll see any changes.

I know it feel like I've only been griping about the book, but I feel like where the characters are at the beginning it's only natural. It's clear that changes need to be made within the pack as well as with Ness herself. Ness goes through a lot over the course of the book. She learns a lot and her eyes are opened to things she never thought of before. I would definitely be interested to see where Ness goes from here.

I felt like the narrator had a nice clear voice that did well with Ness's character. I wasn't too keen on the other characters's accents, tones and/or inflections though. I had a couple of issues with the audio sounding tinny and moments of static.

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A Pack of Blood and Lies

Revisado: 06-24-19

After the death of her father six years ago, Ness Clark and her mother were forced to leave Boulder, Colorado and the wolf pack of which Ness was the only female born to in nearly a century. Now, just three months shy of her eighteenth birthday, Ness is forced back to the pack by her aunt and uncle. Once there she is confronted with a pack in upheaval over the death of their previous alpha, Heath Kolane, an all-around awful and cruel person. In the top spot to replace Heath is his son and heir Liam Kolane. Ness can't let his bid for alpha go unchallenged, but what she finds is that Liam Kolane sparks an interest in her that she's never felt before. Could he be different from his father or is it all an act in order to make Ness give up her challenge? Regardless, Ness is here to fight, for her pack, for herself, and possibly for her heart.

When I initially read the blurb for A Pack of Blood and Lies, It read like what I've been missing from my YA recently. When I actually started the book, I found a few cases of incongruity that did not mesh with my perceived ideas.

First off, the story gets off to a jumbled start when, after Ness is pulled from her current home in LA, we're suddenly back in Boulder...a month later. Sooo much has happened in this month. Olivia Wildenstein fills in the gaps in what happened within the month piece by piece but instead of each instance being a revelation that only expands upon the plot, it felt a little jumbled and messy at times.

Also, Ness was not the easiest heroine to like. She's rash and impulsive. Yes, she has a lot going against her first and foremost the fact that the pack is built upon a heaping pile of misogyny that was almost over the top with it's "boy's club" mentality. I can somewhat forgive Ness because she's got a lot of pushback, but I didn't feel the growth I had expected I would feel from her after everything that happens.

What irked me the most was the idea that nobody was put off by the fact that Ness is the only female born to the Boulder pack. She's considered an anomaly. But when we see an example of another pack (complete with more than one female pack member) no one bats an eyelash. The entire system within the Boulder pack is foul and clearly broken. This is abundantly clear when we learn about the former Alpha's many instances of cruelty and violence, mainly perpetrated toward women. But instead of questioning the mores of the Pack, everyone seems ok with the status quo, even Ness. Remember, she's not competing for alpha out of a sense of proving herself capable, she's doing it in order to thwart Liam Kolane's chances.

Let's talk about Mr. Kolane while we're here. He is the typical brooding, protective alpha male. Unfortunately, I wasn't swooning for it. If you take away that aspect of his character (whenever he's around Ness) he is seemingly a good guy, and truly seems to want to do right by the pack. He's intelligent, he knows the customs. He doesn't seem bothered by Ness being the lone female - although he doesn't seem to want to break the status quo and he tends to get a little hurt when she does something better than him which enables him to flip flop on his feelings for Ness quite easily.

I did enjoy the mythology presented here. Olivia Wildenstein does a great job of sticking with the basics (no silver!) but also putting her own spin on the traditional werewolf story. I'm especially interested in the pack dynamics. I don't think that this first outing shows the Boulder pack very well (see broken comment above), but by the end I'm interested to find out if we'll see any changes.

I know it feel like I've only been griping about the book, but I feel like where the characters are at the beginning it's only natural. It's clear that changes need to be made within the pack as well as with Ness herself. Ness goes through a lot over the course of the book. She learns a lot and her eyes are opened to things she never thought of before. I would definitely be interested to see where Ness goes from here.

I felt like the narrator had a nice clear voice that did well with Ness's character. I wasn't too keen on the other characters's accents, tones and/or inflections though. I had a couple of issues with the audio sounding tinny and moments of static.

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