Rachel E. Bailey

Interesting worldbuilding and very well-developed characters aren't quite enough to launch this one into top place. Everything seems a bit too easy and deus ex machina plays too much of an obvious role. Despite that, I liked the book, and I'd read more in the series.

Pros: Werewolves with a complex culture, strong friendships and romance.

Cons: Bad guys are just irredeemably bad, and didn't seem very complex. You could just about judge who was a real bad guy by how shallow they were. And whether or not they were good at sneering. Thierry's exit also seemed far too convenient. Some things didn't seem to be resolved or explained.… (plus d'informations)

Ruby the new Dyre of North America, has been kidnapped – and only Des and Thierry, the people who love her, can try and get her back

She’s been taken to Europe, and must choose between a possible escape from the legacy she never asked for – or loyalty to the new family and people she has found.

I do feel like this book pulled out of a lot of woo-woo all of a sudden without a whole lot of weight or depth behind it. And since that woo-woo was convenient for the plot it felt a little flat to me. Like “how will I find Ruby?!” “Oh I’m psychic now! That’s conveniently useful!”

No, it’s not that convolutedly written, not at all. But it doesn’t change the convenience of it – a convenience that is often repeated. The characters don’t know what to do? That’s ok, a dead person is going to haunt them and give them step by step instructions on how to solve this problem. And it works. It also introduces more supernatural woo-woo that everyone just kind of swallows and it all works wonderfully with minimal difficulties. It’s just so easy. It just has all the answers spoon-fed to them by some convenient woo-woo

This is exacerbated by them not even exploring the supernatural woo-woo being handed to them. Like the idea that geas-bound have woo-woo… ok can we explore that? Why? What goes into the process? Where does the power come from? What’s the history here? Or the fact that every time Des has a vision she also bleeds from her ears and nose! Every time she has a vision she has a cranial bleed! She is literally having grand mal seizures, she is having strokes. She is literally asking people to punch her unconscious to help Rose through visions! What Urban Fantasy or Paranormal Romance book doesn’t LEAP on the angst potential of this! She’s risking death and brain damage for the sake of the woman she loves! Where’s the angst? Where’s the wailing? Where’s the guilt and martyrdom and nobility and overwrought emotions?! How can this just be a thing? Or there’s the supernatural afterlife that is revealed. How can the tangible proof of their afterlife not be powerful and world changing and immense?

But even after the fighting no-one seems willing to investigate the vast implications that has just happened? They just have sex and try to avoid Interpol (who is involved… why? I mean they’re suspected of murder in Greece? Does Greece not have police? The police of the world isn’t split between US police and Interpol). There’s no examination of what they’ve been through

This shallowness just keeps happening. Take the big bad guy – willing to kidnap, possibly start a war, rape and murder to take over the American Packs… for… what? Because they don’t follow the same traditions? Evelyn is willing to tolerate her father’s own murder and the kidnap and rape of a woman she obviously respects and is disturbed by – for… what? I mean they’re living by the traditions they value so much, there’s no indication of the US traditions spreading, there’s no talk of pro-democracy rallies or uprisings spreading to Europe. No indication of the wrath-of-woo-woo or any reason why the Dyre of Europe should give even the slightest shit about what happens across the Atlantic? I’m not saying there’s no way he would care – but explain! Explain to me why this matters? Explain to me why there’s no political ramifications over him effectively launching a coup against another territory? We’ve been told about several African Dyres and the Dyre of South America… explore this! Explore the consequences of this, the politics of this, the world building of this!?

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The werewolf packs exist in peace and hidden from humanity. But a lot of that peace and secrecy can be put down the efforts of one man, the king of the werewolves, the Dyre

And he’s now death – much to the horror of Des, the woman who was oathsworn to protect him

Ruby is the old Dyre’s heir – a newly turned human who has a whole lot to learn before she can step in his shoes even with Des’s guidance and protection. And it’s not just werewolf history and politics she has to grasp – the death of the Dyre was only the first step in someone’s vicious plan.

Werewolves! Always fun to follow – werewolves and politics even more so since it’s usually vampires who play the political game. Different clans and families with their own histories and their own conflicts and rivalries. We have nice little side studies with a pack that was an outsider and worked their way up with new progressive changes to the rules which causes, of course, resentments. There’s some nice work gone into this political system.

The characters are interesting as well – Des and Ruby both have an edge of tragic past – and Des does love her angst. But unlike eighty billion characters out there, her angst doesn’t manifest as Keille Independence. She’s a capable fighter – a clearly dangerous one – but that doesn’t make her a violent rage machine either. I like them both for their skill, their power and the general lack of tropes. I want to follow their story

I want to be invested in the relationship between Des and Ruby – after all it’s a loving, sexual relationship with lots of passion and thought. Werewolf culture is happily free from homophobia (something I like – I mean, if you are going to create a whole new society of supernaturals and actually have no humans in the cast, why should they have the same prejudices as we do?) so both Des and Ruby being together – and Ruby being with other women before that (Or Ruby’s brother being in a relationship with another man) – doesn’t raise any objections or unnecessary homophobia scenes or clumsy teaching us that it’s wrong – and just introduces them as loving, caring, sexual beings who have fun and are defined by other traits than their sexuality and are refreshingly lacking in tropes and stereotypes. Even Jaime, who is “latent” so not a werewolf still makes a point of showing his strength and capability even as a latent (they don’t follow the

In other words – it’s one of the few depictions of gay and bisexual people that is good and didn’t make me cringe or rage. Even the bisexual love triangle actually seems to be focusing on the women coming out ahead. It’s glorious to see and, honestly, I would read every book just for that alone. Not one, but two same-sex couples who don’t make me want to break things? And two of them are the protagonists? I may cast it in gold and keep it forever. If it weren’t an ebook anyway…

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