After the exciting events of ‘Challenge the Darkness’, I was looking forward to finding out more about the Old Faithful pack, alpha couple Denton and Mikael, and the consequences of their victory over Alpha Anton. At the end of the previous book, I was sure the members of the evil alpha’s pack, disbanded as it may have been, would make some sort of comeback. They do indeed find a way to make more trouble, and, this time, Mikael’s younger brother, Christopher, ends up right in the middle of fighting what is becoming a more significant threat than anyone thought. He also finds his mate in Fredrik, who is one of Anton’s sons – and that has more than one unexpected consequence. This story about the aftermath of binding two packs together, the new incarnation of evil, and a darkness that is spread more widely than expected is suspenseful and action-packed, but also has some great emotional moments giving me hope that family and love are stronger than fear and terror – even in the world of the Yellowstone Wolves.

Fredrik is one of many of Anton’s sons, and it makes him miserable that he is related to such an evil wolf. He has managed to stay away for a long time by going to college, but with Anton dead the money stops coming, and Fredrik returns only to find one of his half brothers in charge. Juneau is as bad as Anton and has even more grandiose plans, but Fredrik will have none of it. Once he rescues Juneau’s latest prisoner and escapes, Fredrik has some tough decisions to make. He wants to run as far as he can to escape the evil of his family. But once he meets Christopher and realizes they are mated, things get complicated. Two pups who are clearly related to him appear, Fredrik discovers some of Anton’s evil power inside him, and ends up torn between running to keep the others safe and staying to help them fight for their right to live.

Christopher has also been away to get a college education, but even though his return to his pack is far less traumatic than Fredrik’s, he has his doubts and believes he no longer fits in. Finding out that Fredrik is his mate changes things a little, but Christopher’s struggle to find his place within a hierarchy he is no longer used to keeps him mentally busy. Christopher is ready to compromise, but that doesn’t make things easy and straightforward. Figuring out how he fits into the pack, what his role is regarding Frederik, and what he wants out of life now that he is mated makes for an interesting journey.

I was happy to see Mikael and Denton take an active role in the proceedings, and having many of the other secondary characters return as well increased my enjoyment of this novel significantly. The developing balance of power with an alpha pair in charge of a pack made for some interesting situations, as did the addition of a few more kids who take an active role. The growing understanding of the rules, these wolves’ religion, and what “being in the light” means added another level and provided a dimension of world building that made the situation even more interesting.

If you like the Yellowstone wolves, if the power struggle between the children of the light and the encroaching darkness keeps you fascinated, and if you’re looking for a somewhat darker novel full of action, tension, passion, and two mates who need to learn how they fit together, then you will probably like this novel. I certainly did and look forward to the next installment!


NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews. ( )