Review: Great intro to an intriguing new paranormal series
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 09 29, 2012
Well-written and carefully thought through, this title lays out an alternative world for a new series. I don't read a lot of paranormal series, so my experience with the genre might be too limited to evaluate its level of uniqueness, but for me, the world-building created a fresh take on shifters and werewolves. Along with traditional shifter mythology, the story combines ideas from other successful paranormal authors' work including a scientific research organization (think Dohner's New Species series) and a grass-roots cult driven to destroy the "impure" shifters (think Ward's BDB series). Power between male and female shifters plays a key role in the development of the characters' relationships. Here, unlike in New Species or BDB, because the women are shifters too, the balance is more give and take than in Dohner's and Ward's stories, while retaining the mostly aggressive alpha traits of the males. All the characters are conflicted, honorable, even the baddies are motivated by their own value systems. Best of all, despite their feminist values, the alpha males remain hot, sexy and give great sex. Overall, very enjoyable. The author has straddled a series of possibilities and created a world blend that allows the heroines to be strong, independent, and confident enough to still like submitting to their men in bed. I will definitely continue with the next book.