Review: buddy review
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 06 7, 2014
Brandilyn’s Rating: 4.25 of 5 starsBeverley’s Rating: 4.25 of 5 starsFor original review see Prism Book AllianceBrandilyn’s ViewIf Theo Fenraven can get me to read a ghost story, he can certainly get me to read about a shifter.  I have been intrigued to read Fenraven’s take on the werewolf/shifter trope for quite some time.  He always swore he wouldn’t go there.  Well, he did, and he did so with his usual impeccable style.The sky had finally cleared. Moonlight gilded the landscape, making the road look almost as bright as day. Long grass waved in the ditches, and crystal in the small rocks at the side glittered and shone.Fenraven had me smiling and my heartstrings tugging, often at the same time, from beginning to end. I wanted Jon to find his strength. I wanted Harrison to find himself. I wanted them to find each other. I wanted them to find the truth. I loved that neither Harrison nor Jon were perfect. They were flawed. They were believable. They were real (well as “real” as a werewolf could be).Fenraven’s prose is not flowery, but it makes an impact in only few words.The relative silence was suddenly shattered by a wolf’s howl. It started low and crescendoed to a high pitch, where it held for a long moment before dropping off.I am not saying this story was without its shortcomings.  There were a few areas that I know some readers will want expanded, but knowing Fenraven’s style, that expansion would be disingenuous.  In a few scenes, I would have loved to see the other MCs perspective, because it would have amped up the passion a notch.  Overall, however, I loved the story as it was told.  I loved that he didn’t go to places for which the story did not call, just to follow some imagined formula.I am at a lost as to what else to tell you about this story.  I do not want to give away any of the plot; I just want you to read it.  I will say that Fenraven repeatedly proved me wrong, repeatedly had me completely in the moment, and most importantly, repeatedly had me turning the page.Beverley’s ViewI get the easy review here as the Blurb and Brandilyn have outlined the story and plot without giving too much away. Unlike my usual reviews I haven’t highlighted quotes to use here. This is because Wolf Bound is a ‘page turner’. For me it wasn’t necessarily a quotable novella it was a log fire, glass of cognac read, whilst the harsher elements prevailed outside.Theo Fenraven’s prose is as always, clean and elegant. His scene setting is likewise uncluttered and clear, which means the plot doesn’t suffer from the intrusion of unnecessarily poetic devices and intensifiers. Shifter stories are often highly sexual and primitive in emotional content with the animal uppermost in narrative terms.In Wolf Bound, the author concentrates on the humanity of the ‘infected’ werewolf. I was particularly drawn to the internal dialogue detailing the struggles of the wolf and the human for dominance, for me it was reminiscent of Call of the Wild by Jack London. Initially I was confused about how I felt about this novella, as I felt distanced in some way from the characters, but upon further reflection and some discussion I realised Wolf Bound is a refreshing change from the permanent ‘sex fests’ that many shifter stories have become. There are so many interesting ideas to investigate within this sub genre and I think Theo Fenraven has done an admirable job approaching them from a different angle.