Actually, this month’s theme is “In Memoriam or favorite story.” Since I’ve already talked about the effect Small Gods had on me, I’ve decided to talk about my second favorite book, the first in a series I have very high hopes for.
Here’s my review, written back in 2013 when I was more inclined to actually review the books I’d read. Enjoy.
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Note: this story includes cutting as a major plot point. I don’t know much about what it means to struggle with it, but I mention it because sometimes warnings are given on tumblr for potential triggers. So, I thought I’d mention it.
Overall, this is a wonderful book/story, with fascinating turns and twists. I loved Meg, and Simon made my heart melt more than once.
Unlike other werewolf romances that tone down the paranormal side or turn it into something soft and cuddly, Anne Bishop makes it very clear from the beginning that the Others are a threat and not something to mess with. It’s pretty refreshing, actually, and doesn’t change the parts of them that are admirable.
Tess also became a favorite character of mine. She’s one of the most creatively portrayed, with hair that changes color (and curls) according to her mood.
I can’t say enough good about the plot. It made sense, it flowed really well, and the things Meg did and the things that happened because of Meg’s kindness thrilled me.
One last thing. Sam’s story almost made me cry at several points. [On Goodreads, I put my thoughts in a spoiler tag at that point because what happened to Sam, both past and present, was a major part of the plot. All I’ll say here is that I loved how Sam’s choices affected the wolf pack in ways that were both beneficial and harmful to Meg. Some great twists there.]
There were a few things that irritated me about the plot, but only one that I feel merits attention. The history at the beginning is completely unnecessary. In fact, it made me almost put the book down because reading that history made me feel one way about humans, whereas the first chapter made me feel an entirely different way. The emotional whiplash was not appreciated. However, the story still intrigued me, so I kept going. I’m glad I did. This is a book that definitely gets better as the story picks up steam.
Not only will I read the next book in the series, this book has been added to my (offline) To Buy list.
Amy Keeley 