I liked it; it was good
I have the first book of this series on my shelf from a long time ago and figure I’d give the series a try. I might even buy the rest of the books.
Read: May 6 – May 10, 2024
Genre: Fantasy, Supernatural
Audience: Young Adult
Book contains: arranged marriage, (sort of) slavery, death, murder, hunting, minor pedophilia, dubious consent
Purchase a copy from Amazon.ca
When Calla saves a teenager from a grizzly bear and then heals him—against the law—she believes that she’s never going to see him again. Her whole life is laid out ahead of her; she’s arranged to be mated with the alpha of the Bane pack, but when the boy she saved shows up at her school, things begin to spiral.
I loved how this book dove right into the action with Calla fighting a grizzly bear. It sets up for the main plot right away with two of the main characters, and really sets the tone. This entire world, as well, is super cool; I loved delving into the worldbuilding.
This book was written in first person past tense from the perspective of the main character, Calla, who is the young werewolf alpha of the Nightshade pack. Something I absolutely LOVED was that each chapter had a separate section page that was completely black aside from a phase of the moon—the first chapter with nothing, chapter two with a sliver, and so on. About halfway through the book (chapter seventeen) is the full moon before it starts waning again.
I listened along to this book from the beginning, so it went by super quick. I’ve been busier lately with work, but not too busy to read in my down time.
The characters in this book were neat. It sort of spread out in a fan, with Calla front and centre, the two love interests just beyond, then her pack, then the other pack. We didn’t get to know too much about everyone, but there was enough that they all felt real.
The relationships were compelling, from the ones front and center to the ones in the background. Well…most of them felt real, anyway. I still don’t understand when authors put teens in relationships that make the teens question their whole lives—how can teens feel so deeply? The chemistry was there, and they were great friends, but I’ve never experienced that “irresistible pull” that’s described in this and so many other books.
The writing was either too simple or too complex. There were a few words I haven’t seen used often in other books, which added some interest to me (a person who likes words). Context clues make it easy to understand. I liked how the author leaned into the wolf aspects of the werewolf life—using scents and behaviours to convey things.
The pacing of the story was pretty good as it followed a few different plotlines. The main timeline follows Calla’s betrothal and her difficulty juggling the love triangle, but there is also a big plotline following her and Shay discovering the secrets of the pack that she’s not supposed to know.
I recommend this book to readers who love werewolves and fighting for justice. Some aspects of the book may not be for everyone, but among the poor practices, there is someone to point out the bad parts and there is resistance to the slavery.
*Wolf Book 1: Under Your Skin by Ellen Hunter*
The Twilight Saga Book 1: Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
*Fenryr’s Chosen Book 1: Claws of Midgard by Des M. Astor*
*The Other Side of Daylight by Nicole Chartier*
*Port of Lost Souls Book 1: The Well of Souls by Cordelia Kelly*
*The Shadow Atlas Book 1: Initiate by Jenny Sandiford
Tigerpetal Press is a small book press dedicated to publishing local authors and poets.