Release Date: 07/11/13
Publisher: Vintage
SYNOPSIS:
It is the beginning of December and it is cold and grey outside. In the stately flickering hearths of the grand mansion of Nideck Point, oak fires are burning. The Morphenkinder are busy getting ready for the ancient pagan feast of midwinter. Everyone is invited, including some of their own who do not wish them well...
Reuben Golding, the newest of the Morphenkinder, is struggling with his new existence as a Man Wolf, struggling to learn to control his desires and bloodthirsty urges. His pure, luminous girlfriend Laura seems all set to join him in this new way of life, but Reuben is not at all certain he will love her if she becomes as he is. Beyond the mansion, the forest echoes with howling winds, which carry with them tales of a strange nether world, and of spirits - centuries old - who possess their own fantastical ancient histories and taunt with their dark, magical powers.
As preparations for the feast gather pace, destiny continues to hound Reuben, not least in the form of a strange, tormented ghost who appears at the window, unable to speak. But he is not alone: before the festivities are over, choices must be made - choices which will decide the fate of the Morphenkinder for ever.
REVIEW:
OK I was looking forward to this novel as it’s the second part in a new series, so I was more than a little unhappy with the way things seemed to be cranked out based on what I had come to expect.
Firstly with the original novel in the series, The Wolf Gift, the writing was easily accessable for all readers, completely different from the way that her Vampires came across in their novels. That was a great thing, yet here, she seemed to have gone back to that style that not only felt like it stunted the storytelling but also seemed a huge departure from the whole meme of the Werewolves.
Add to this some character modifications that were not only annoying but didn’t work that well within, alongside a pace that seemed to drag, all round left me feeling not only flat but cheated as well as leaving me wondering what the author had planned as there wasn’t any growth for the world/characters leaving this more of a filler extended novella rather than a real full blown novel. A great disappointment and as such I’d advise if you want to read this borrow from your library.
Release Date: 24/09/10
BOOK BLURB:
These pages contain the heartbreaking story of a repressed man who slowly loses control of his inner beast after he's bitten by a werewolf. As he wrestles with the monster inside, he chronicles his feelings and urges in a haiku journal. The resulting poems are gross, strange, dark and hilarious. Together, they tell the story of a mailman who is in love with a woman on his route, but has never had the courage to tell her. As the beast comes out, wreaking havoc on his life, the man learns that his werewolf side might actually be able to help him in his quest for love.
REVIEW:
Having read the previous titles by this author (Zombie Haiku and Vampire Haiku) I knew pretty much what I was getting. The poetry is apt for the supernatural reader and is something to buy the intellectual Loup Garou about town. It’s quirky, it’s funny and to be honest, I had a blast reading it (although perhaps a Silver Bullet might have be worth having to hand if a number of these Haiku’s seem awfully familiar. LOL) Great stuff.
Release Date: 02/09/10
BOOK BLURB:
Revenge in the face of bloodlust is seldom sweet…
There’s one sound a woman doesn’t want to hear when she’s lost and alone in the Arctic wilderness: a howl. For Cheyenne Clark, there’s a bad moon on the rise. When a strange wolf’s teeth slash her ankle to the bone, her old life ends, and she becomes the very monster that has haunted her nightmares for years. Worse, the only one who can understand what Chey has become is the man - and wolf - who’s doomed her to this fate. He also wants her dead.
Yet, as the line between human and beast blurs, so too does the distinction between hunter and hunted…for Chey is more than just the victim she appears to be. But once she’s within killing range, she may find that - even for a werewolf - it’s not always easy to go for the jugular.
REVIEW:
With many of the Werewolf titles now moving more into Urban territory here David Wellington, takes the reader to the wilds on an adventure that is not all that it seems. Definitely a different take on the Werewolf myth as our principle protagonist is about to discover when the world she thought of as black and white is more shades of grey than she could imagine.
It is well written, the character reachable by the reader and above all else it’s the backstory that really makes this offering. It’s got action, its got adventure but perhaps most of all its got humanity about it. Whilst this won’t please very supernatural reader out there its different enough to find a firm base with a large number of readers out there that want something a little different to the norm.
BOOK BLURB:
Trey thought he was an ordinary teenager. Then he meets a mysterious stranger, Lucien Charron - luminously pale, oddly powerful, with eyes that seem flecked with fire and skin that blisters in sunlight. Somehow Trey finds himself in a luxury London penthouse, like a Bond villain's lair. It's the heart of a sinister empire, built on the powers of the netherworld - werewolves, vampires, sorcerers, and djinns. And Trey himself has a power that's roaring to break free. Is he a boy or is he a beast?
REVIEW:
A modern Urban Fantasy for a modern young adult audience whose principle protagonist really does step off the page and is identifiable by all young males who read the story. Written by Steve Feasey (who you’ll find an interview with on the site), it’s a tale of redemption, hidden pasts and above all doing what’s right for all as opposed to the individual. Add to the mix characters that just leap off the page and you really have a series to look forward to as they endeavour to do their best to aid each other in burgeoning friendships against the darkness that lurks within. Good stuff.
BOOK BLURB:
Car mechanic and sometime shapeshifter Mercy Thompson has learned, the hard way, why her race was almost exterminated. When European vampires immigrated to North America, they found Mercy's people had a hidden talent - for vampire slaying. Unfortunately for Mercy, the queen of the local vampire seethe has discovered her true identity. She's also furious when she learns Mercy has crossed her and killed one of her vampires. Mercy may be protected from direct reprisals by the werewolf pack (and her interesting relationship with its Alpha), but that just means Marsilia will come after Mercy some other way. So Mercy had better prepare to watch her back.
REVIEW:
If you love your supernatural with Wolves, Vamps and all types of Fae and you haven’t yet tried Patty Briggs then you are in for a treat as this fourth book in her Mercy Thompson series. As usual with Patty you get a feisty heroine, a cracking storyline and a tale that really is a pure delight to read. That said you can break into the series here but you really are missing a treat. However the thing that you’ll also have to bear in mind with this series is the crime that was perpentrated upon Mercy at the end of the previous novel which is still quite disturbing that the author chose to use it within the context of the tale. Its well written, the emotional aspect in places is heart rending but it’s a tale of adventure and the struggle to overcome past events.
