suze_1624's review against another edition
4.0
Well, not your average shifter story.
There is lots of blood and gore and fighting, and whilst not everyone’s cup of tea I enjoyed thar aspect more than had they been in the ‘typical’ Alpha, Beta, Omega pack.
There is quite a bit of filling as you go - the history between Danny and the Pack in Scotland, Jack and Gregor’s animosity, the weather, the Wild, the Wolf Winter and the history between Jack and Danny.
Definitely need to read book 2 sooner soI don’t forget lots!
There is lots of blood and gore and fighting, and whilst not everyone’s cup of tea I enjoyed thar aspect more than had they been in the ‘typical’ Alpha, Beta, Omega pack.
There is quite a bit of filling as you go - the history between Danny and the Pack in Scotland, Jack and Gregor’s animosity, the weather, the Wild, the Wolf Winter and the history between Jack and Danny.
Definitely need to read book 2 sooner soI don’t forget lots!
the_novel_approach's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 Stars ~ Don’t go into this one thinking this will be a happy-go-lucky shifter story with a mate bond and romance. You won’t get it at all. But you will get something remarkable. A flawlessly written, somewhat dystopian story about shifters who behave very much more like their primal side.
From the beginning, the reader is thrown into the middle of something that is clearly big, but it is up to the reader to follow the storyline through the dark paths it takes, and piece together the greater picture. The writing is evocative and the prose almost poetic in its darker descriptions. The world building is done well, yet does not feed the reader every detail. Instead, the author gives just enough information for the reader to paint their own picture, in many ways. This doesn’t mean the story is difficult to follow; it’s more that the reader has to use their own imagination in certain aspects.
The characterization in this story is what really blew me away, Danny and his position in the shifter hierarchy. His weredog side is subservient, but his human personality is far from it, refusing to be a pushover and give into his more basic instincts. His independent personality is always in a constant struggle with this more primal dog self when he is near Jack. And Jack…. The sheer raw nature of his personality—wow. He is a wolf, in thoughts and actions. He embraces his nature and the nature of a pack. There is no struggle between his human side and wolf side because they are in sync, and in reality, his humanity is merely a veneer so his wolf side can be undetected by the humans he walks among. Jack has difficulty comprehending Danny’s obsession with humans and what happens to them, and his main concern is figuring out what is happening and the role the Numitor and the pack play in it. He cares about Danny’s fate, but the humans Danny has surrounded himself by do not register as important.
The relationship between Danny and Jack is not what most would consider “romance”. In fact, if there is a romance, it is so minimal I don’t think I can pinpoint anything that stood out to me as romantic. What Danny and Jack have is in some ways deeper, primal and raw, that is goes beyond human understanding. Human emotions aren’t part of the chemistry the two share. What they have is part of their essential core makeup; dog and wolf. One subservient, one dominant. Lust and need.
The collective cast each have an integral part to play as the reader follows Danny and Jack through the twists and turns. The plot takes the reader down some gruesome routes, and the blood and gore are not glossed over: the smells permeating everything when Danny and Jack are in their animal forms, the desire to taste the flesh and consume, to hunt. The wild magic that calls to their shifter nature.
This book will not be for everyone. It’s dark. It’s eerie. The ever present weather creating an end of the world feel, leaving a feeling of bitter cold. The characters are seriously flawed as far as human emotions and actions go. This book will not provide the reader with a happily-ever-after, if that is what you are after.
However, there are readers like me who are satisfied. There is something to be said for a story that is amazingly well written and captivating, with dimensional characters which kept me fully invested in accompanying them through the pathways the author so expertly crafted. Each page was a new surprise, and this story was unlike anything I have read—I had no idea what would come next.
Quite simply, I want more.
Reviewed by Lindsey for The Novel Approach Reviews
From the beginning, the reader is thrown into the middle of something that is clearly big, but it is up to the reader to follow the storyline through the dark paths it takes, and piece together the greater picture. The writing is evocative and the prose almost poetic in its darker descriptions. The world building is done well, yet does not feed the reader every detail. Instead, the author gives just enough information for the reader to paint their own picture, in many ways. This doesn’t mean the story is difficult to follow; it’s more that the reader has to use their own imagination in certain aspects.
The characterization in this story is what really blew me away, Danny and his position in the shifter hierarchy. His weredog side is subservient, but his human personality is far from it, refusing to be a pushover and give into his more basic instincts. His independent personality is always in a constant struggle with this more primal dog self when he is near Jack. And Jack…. The sheer raw nature of his personality—wow. He is a wolf, in thoughts and actions. He embraces his nature and the nature of a pack. There is no struggle between his human side and wolf side because they are in sync, and in reality, his humanity is merely a veneer so his wolf side can be undetected by the humans he walks among. Jack has difficulty comprehending Danny’s obsession with humans and what happens to them, and his main concern is figuring out what is happening and the role the Numitor and the pack play in it. He cares about Danny’s fate, but the humans Danny has surrounded himself by do not register as important.
The relationship between Danny and Jack is not what most would consider “romance”. In fact, if there is a romance, it is so minimal I don’t think I can pinpoint anything that stood out to me as romantic. What Danny and Jack have is in some ways deeper, primal and raw, that is goes beyond human understanding. Human emotions aren’t part of the chemistry the two share. What they have is part of their essential core makeup; dog and wolf. One subservient, one dominant. Lust and need.
The collective cast each have an integral part to play as the reader follows Danny and Jack through the twists and turns. The plot takes the reader down some gruesome routes, and the blood and gore are not glossed over: the smells permeating everything when Danny and Jack are in their animal forms, the desire to taste the flesh and consume, to hunt. The wild magic that calls to their shifter nature.
This book will not be for everyone. It’s dark. It’s eerie. The ever present weather creating an end of the world feel, leaving a feeling of bitter cold. The characters are seriously flawed as far as human emotions and actions go. This book will not provide the reader with a happily-ever-after, if that is what you are after.
However, there are readers like me who are satisfied. There is something to be said for a story that is amazingly well written and captivating, with dimensional characters which kept me fully invested in accompanying them through the pathways the author so expertly crafted. Each page was a new surprise, and this story was unlike anything I have read—I had no idea what would come next.
Quite simply, I want more.
Reviewed by Lindsey for The Novel Approach Reviews
see_sadie_read's review
3.0
Eh, it was cute in its own way, I guess. I liked Danny a lot, but I never warmed up to Jack. He was arrogant and rude, start to finish. And yes, I get that as a wolf he didn't have the same human sentiments or mores, but I never liked him. And disliking one of the main characters is hard on a book.
The writing was fine, but it all felt a little pointless. There is a whole apocalyptic set up and quite a lot of time is dedicated to it, but ultimately it's all backdrop to a minor battle that doesn't really effect anything in the long run. Maybe this is the first in a series, it might make more sense then. But as it stands now, I finished it feeling pretty meh about the whole thing. I didn't dislike it, but I wasn't overly impressed either.
The writing was fine, but it all felt a little pointless. There is a whole apocalyptic set up and quite a lot of time is dedicated to it, but ultimately it's all backdrop to a minor battle that doesn't really effect anything in the long run. Maybe this is the first in a series, it might make more sense then. But as it stands now, I finished it feeling pretty meh about the whole thing. I didn't dislike it, but I wasn't overly impressed either.
prgchrqltma's review
3.0
This book had really interesting world building and an engaging plot. But like another story I read recently, I found myself saying, "Why are these people kissing?" The central romance just seemed inexplicable to me, and I would have liked to see more of the other aspects of the story or more development of the relationship.
ifihadatail7's review
5.0
It's one of the best werewolf novels I've ever read. Smart, scary, romantic. The world building is excellent, and I'm so happy that there was more than one type of wolf/shapeshifter included. I can't wait for book two!
krystolla's review
3.0
Interesting
A compelling plot, the mythology thick enough to taste (though why the Greek Selene shows up amidst determinedly Norse mythology I don’t know).
The characters weren’t particularly likable to me, especially since they were based on the disproved alpha/beta theory of wolf behavior. The author didn’t manage that delicate feeling of non-humanness that the story required, possibly because the story started in crisis rather than contrasting lost normality with the increasing wild. There was weight on degrees of otherworldliness that were not well represented in the text.
Overall I’m disappointed. I expected more here, but I’m also picky about representations of canines - dog or wolf - so your mileage may vary.
A compelling plot, the mythology thick enough to taste (though why the Greek Selene shows up amidst determinedly Norse mythology I don’t know).
The characters weren’t particularly likable to me, especially since they were based on the disproved alpha/beta theory of wolf behavior. The author didn’t manage that delicate feeling of non-humanness that the story required, possibly because the story started in crisis rather than contrasting lost normality with the increasing wild. There was weight on degrees of otherworldliness that were not well represented in the text.
Overall I’m disappointed. I expected more here, but I’m also picky about representations of canines - dog or wolf - so your mileage may vary.
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