Shadow State by Isabel Roman - 5 Tombstones

In Nazi-occupied Germany during WWII, Christophe is the alpha of his people. Due to the secretive nature of life in the pack, he has distanced himself from others. He meets and establishes a connection through correspondence with Elsa, the daughter of Berlin’s pack alpha. Tragedy brings Christophe to Elsa’s home where hope and loss wait in the shadows for their people. Hitler’s obsession with the occult brings the Nazis to Elsa’s doorstep as they are investigating the myth of the wehrwölfe - something that Christophe and Elsa’s people have worked for centuries to keep hidden from the human population. Now, the two are in the fight of their lives to protect everyone they hold dear, even as they become more precious to one another.

This was a fast-read filled with adventure and thrills but not overdone. As alternate histories go, this one felt genuine, and the anxiety brought about by Nazi rule was tangible. My only complaint is that the story was so short; the people and surrounding periphery were intriguing, and /I would have loved to get more of it all. I hope Ms. Roman has more of these stories in the works as I’m bound to gobble them up as well. Be prepared to devote all your time to completing this one - it was hard to put down!

Blood Moon by Autumn Shelley - 4.5 Tombstones

Kate Barrister is a veterinarian in the Ozark Mountains of Missouri who stumbles upon a werewolf in need of medical attention. The choice to aid the supernatural male puts her directly on the other side of the law as supernaturals are outlawed in her state. Logan Turner has been working to save his people from nasty, sadistic enemies who wish to exterminate the supers any way they can. He finds himself under the care of Kate and has no choice but to drag her into his own struggle for survival.

This was another one I just couldn’t put down. The backstory was solid and interesting, the characterization of Kate and Logan was complete, and the reader got a great sense of the story despite the short length. I would have given this story a 5, except the last line of the story threw me off. It made me question my interpretation of what I had read since the beginning and left me confused when I was unable to draw a steady conclusion. All in all, a great story. I just wish that last bit was clearer!

Raven’s Shelter by Dariel Raye - 4 Tombstones

Raven is a wolf shifter - a sentinel, to be exact - who has been hunting for his missing sister. His search brings him to a nice veterinarian named Karen who has been working to run a local no-kill shelter. He evades capture when Karen takes a drugged Raven, in wolf form, home. Karen has no idea the wolf she’s saved is actually part man and that she is unknowingly in the midst of a dangerous group of individuals out to destroy the werewolf community.

I enjoyed this story; the characters were interesting (if not 100% believable), and the plot kept me guessing. Karen’s willingness to assist Raven is commendable, but I found it questionable that she didn’t balk as much as I imagine most people would when they realize the person they’ve been getting to know is actually half-man/half-wolf, and for a time, she really doesn’t know who the enemy is. Her trust was given a bit too quickly for my taste. Still, a worthwhile read.

Marek’s New World by Renee Wildes - 4.5 Tombstones

Marek is from long ago, in a magical form of suspended animation for an untold amount of time. He is awakened from his rest by the rising of the demon he was tasked with destroying. Since Marek’s childhood, the demon has hunted Marek’s people, terrorizing the adults and murdering the children. Marek finds himself working alongside a Park Ranger named Cheyenne Rafferty who also happens to be a werewolf. Despite his protestations, Cheyenne and her people maybe the key to helping Marek rid himself and the world of the demon, but he’ll have to trust her to not be destroyed herself in the process.

Marek’s story was interesting in that Cheyenne’s werewolf nature wasn’t central to the story from the beginning. Most werewolf tales focus much of their time on the werewolf struggle to fit in with man, but this was not the case for Cheyenne. I thought this change was refreshing, especially since the shapeshifters were introduced in Marek’s time as “People of the Earth”. They were part animal, so it made sense that they would be considered closer to nature than a full human would. Marek’s struggles to learn Cheyenne’s language was heartening, which really gave the reader a sense of the man’s spirit and drive to succeed.

Werewolves in London by Karilyn Bentley - 4 Tombstones

Vonda, a lone werewolf, has struggled to find her place in the world. She was adopted from foster care by two humans who knew nothing of the world of werewolves. Forced to come to terms with her dual natures on her own, Vonda has learned to carve a place for herself as a dog trainer - neither belonging to the world of her full-blooded wolf or full-blooded cousins, she uses her relationships with dogs to her benefit. Having failed in marriage once before, she decides she’s better off without men to complicate things. However, Vonda stumbles upon Tom who sets her blood to boiling and makes her body ache with cravings she hoped to never experience again. When Tom’s daughter is in danger, Vonda finds herself fighting alongside Tom to save the little girl, despite her efforts to distance herself from the man.

This story was fun, though a little underdeveloped. I would have liked to see more background on Tom and maybe see more of what life with Tom’s daughter was like. And despite the many clues surrounding Tom, it seemed a little to easy that he just embraced the presence of lycanthropes in the world. Vonda was an interesting character, and it would have been nice to see more enhanced development for her. The chemistry between Tom and Vonda was good, though that could have been further developed as well. A worthwhile read, despite the level of character development.

Book Stats:

• e-book, digital format
• Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
• Book Length: Novella
• Language: English
• ISBN: d4189

To purchase an electronic copy of Taming of the Wolf? click here.
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Learn more about Isabel Roman here:
Read reviews of the author’s work here.
Visit the author’s website here.
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/isabelroman
Twitter: http://twitter.com/ladyisabel

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