From a debut horror author this werewolf tale takes a pinch of inspiration from Interview with a Vampire, a dollop of teenager issues from BBC WolfbloFrom a debut horror author this werewolf tale takes a pinch of inspiration from Interview with a Vampire, a dollop of teenager issues from BBC Wolfblood and all the raw gore from every decent horror film possible. It is also what some may call a personal fantasy reliving of someones life to a degree or two. There is a teenage with the usual problems of family feuds, bully fights and GCSEs and then there is the teenager werewolf who has a horid passion for meat both cooked and raw and a dual of minds and wills with the Inner Wolf inside. Oh and the extra challenge in that he is the last of his kind and is being hunted by a mysterious secret faction call Demon Slayers who know its more than werewolves that go bump in the night. The reader gets on a truly wild ride with this story that I think really rewrites the image of the werewolf. You enter the story literally in the prologue with a direct 2nd person narrative. From Chap 1 it's all about Nick the teenager with a fascination of wolves and then following the bite which comes the reader gets to know the Wolf within Nick and that is a refreshing non-human twist on the myth. That Werewolve are in fact homosapien and lupine blended together in a freakish mental combination. I particularly liked one chapter, after the discovery of a horrific and devestating murder (there is a lot of violent deaths in this book so readers had best have a strong stomach) Nick out of anger mentally attacks and argues with his Inner Wolf and the argument is really quite insightful into how a predator sees and acts when compared with that of humanity. The first half of the book is all about a teenager adjusting to a very unusual sudden set of conditions but as the body count rises and his normal life becomes more and more fragmented by the impact of his actions under the full moon the second half leads into a savage and viscous mindset where Nick may have to loose his idea of humanity to stay alive as the Slayers pose an ever increasing threat. Although I would have preffered more action and bloody drama from the go the slow first half does help as a poignant reminder of the boy Nick no longer is by the end of the book....more
T G Ayer seems to be good at recreating the strong willed and determined independent young woman that seems to be regular heroines nowadays. Except ofT G Ayer seems to be good at recreating the strong willed and determined independent young woman that seems to be regular heroines nowadays. Except of coure Ayer's heroines all have their own deep dark and often magical secrets and often live in a world like our own but where myths and legends and ancient cultures still exist beyond mere mortals vision. In this book, the first of another new trilogy, the heroine is connected to a Brotherhood that is meant to protect and serve humanity. The focus of all conflict comes from the recent and sudden change of the leader. This is where an element of mystery and detective story blends in with the supernatural characters. The trio friendship of the heroine Evangeline is well characterised a they all handle the change differently and yet all agree that something isn't quite right. It is that unity and the determination of Evangeline to find the dirty secret behind the new power that leads to a kind of alliance with demons which sadly aren't as scary as I had hoped but I felt after reading the novel that they are more of a tainted mirror representation of Evangeline and her kind. More characters of a moral compass than plot devices taking it forwards. I must be honest and say that although the plot had some interesting twists I did feel that a lot of the crucial points, decisions, objects etc were a bit too convenient or told more via the narrator or openly and too easily revealed by characters. At some points things happened that were either easily predictable or just seemed a bit random. For example, there is a point near the start where the narrator and reader observe characters instead of the heroine. In the latter half of the book I felt this narrative device could be utilised more as there was one line in the book where it suddenly became a first person narrator and not a third person narrator. In the latter half I was more curious about what was happening to the other characters introduced in the first half than the feeble challenges faced by our heroine. The ending although fitting wasn't as dramatic or as powerful as it could have been. Even the very last line listing all the unfinished business shows that perhaps due to the complex nature of the plot the characters and story structure had to be a bit forced or set out and simplified. On the whole there is an entertaining story to be enjoyed but I feel it does need to have more depth to it in the sequel in order to truly excite readers for the characters and plot or it may remain a tale that is too easily forgotten....more
As a valkyrie-wanna-be at heart I of course loved Ayer's Valkyrie novel trilogy. So I did have some misgivings when I started her latest supernatural As a valkyrie-wanna-be at heart I of course loved Ayer's Valkyrie novel trilogy. So I did have some misgivings when I started her latest supernatural book but my fears proved weak as Ayer plunges you into the chaotic and secretive world of the skin walkers (aka shapeshifters). Not of the dog kind but of the feline kind and even then she surprises you with the other types such as foxes, cougars, lynx etc. Then she introduces you to another secertive character who is a mage that works within the police force to keep these two versions of reality colliding and causing bloodshed. Yet it is bloodshed which leads these worlds to collide, interestingly neither the mages or the skin walkers are aware of each others existence; and this one mage and one skin walker don't seem able to detect the equal amounts of supernatural about the other. This personally irritated me a little bit but it was always forgotten when Ayer ignites quite literally the fiery passions between them which should ultimately have revealed a lot of magic to the panther skin walker Kalin but it only seems to confuse her about his feelings towards her. However this heated interaction proves to have devestating consequences when the reader learns more about the personal history of this particular mage. Despite a series of kidnappings, mysterious drug use and murders filling at least one half of the book when that series of events reaches it dramatic conclusion it seems the reader isn't allowed a chance to breathe a sigh of relief. As Ayer has Kalin learn more secrets and charge into more danger, to do with the increase in Wraith attacks due to her acting as a secret Wraith hunter. These secrets to me felt too deliberate, staged almost, especially when they are presented to Kalin by the utterly elusive grandmother character. It does serve the purpose to lead Kalin to discover an even bigger secret in the form of one character who is mentioned a lot in the build up. But ultimately the reader nor Kalin for that matter is offered any reason or explanation as to why this particular character is located in the particular area they were found. Nor at the very end when a lot of relationships have been rebuilt or started does Kalin actually reflect on one other important character who is trapped in the same place as afore mentioned character. Ultimately though the plot is full of twists, particularly demonstrated by the switching points of narration, from one person in the form of Kalin and third person when told from the mage's point of view. There are of course clan politics when dealing with animal based characters which are portrayed nicely and not stereotypically with the felines showing they have as much inner strength and power as the wolves. Kalin does show some of the expected mouthy, independent, rebel qualities of a young woman standing on her own but she also shows some vulnerability in body and spirit especially in the many battles she gets caught up in and when her friends and family prove to be in danger. The characters are intriguing and entertaining and there is always something happening in each chapter propelling the reader forward through to the end leaving them breahtless and perhaps asking for more. It's a book that is a blend of urban fantasy, crime thriller and supernatural battles with a dash of romance thrown in....more
It takes a lot for a fantasy writer to create a world with its own rules, characters and society to pull the reader in smoothly without requiring a huIt takes a lot for a fantasy writer to create a world with its own rules, characters and society to pull the reader in smoothly without requiring a huge prologue full of history and politics and I must say Philippa has pulled this off spectacularly well. She plunged the reader into the conflicted world of the living and the dead, the Actives and the Sensatives, the aristorcratic rulers and the powerful Deacons. And yet all bound up in the magical power struggle that radiates through it all from the first page to its epic climax of intense proportions, is a human story. Of a failing marriage and partnership, of the tenderness of facing challenges alone and relying on those you hardly know, of allowing yourself to trust and encourage trust in return, of upholding honour and truth in a world that becomes ever darker with lies and betrayal. And this is all beautifully explored through the ethereal power of the Bond between three very different characters that are drawn together through fate or traps and are ultimately relied on to save the lives of many. The action, tension, intrigue and emotions increase chapter by chapter and the middle section almost lets the reader think that finally things have been set right but its a classic 'they think it's all over moment' as events take another drastic turn as more truth is uncovered from the lies and deciets. I can't wait to start reading the second in the series, Spectyre to see what other jaw-dropping challenges these amazing characters face....more
Hounded seemed to be TrueBlood tv series with all the paranormal and supernatural characters living in a quiet small town spot in Arizona but they've Hounded seemed to be TrueBlood tv series with all the paranormal and supernatural characters living in a quiet small town spot in Arizona but they've removed the majority of vampires and all the sex and replaced it with the much forgotten aspects of Irish mythology and a brilliant sparkling sense of humour. And you know what? It makes it ten times better than the Trueblood books and the TV series combined. Even the author seems to have a natural humour in that the start of the book he specifically mentions he doesn't mind how the reader pronounced the variety of celtic names in the book. You can't help but smirk, giggle and laugh out loud at some of the fanastic dialogue between these very unstereotypical paranormal/supernatural characters includin an ancient druid, a goddess of death, a lord of the fae with a drudge, some snotty witches, a lawyer wereworld and a very out-of-synch with the times vampire and my favourite - an irish wolf hound with a mind as delightful as a ten year old. It is also packed with magic, battles, challenges and drama that will grip the reader chapter to chapter. It is a highly entertaining and enjoyable and recommended read for those who fancy a light refreshment of the paranormal/supernatural genre....more
This book is a beautiful amalgamtaion of aspects of magic and shades of mystery. And all involving an often overlooked character in the world paranormThis book is a beautiful amalgamtaion of aspects of magic and shades of mystery. And all involving an often overlooked character in the world paranormal/supernatural that are not wolf like or drink blood, but have powers of their own and certainly do not fly brooms or have black cats. Yes, I'm talking about witches and how they are still around, powers, potions and spells and all, living amongst us mere humans just like the vampires and werewolves of Stephenie Meyers. Except this is definitely an adult novel, altough some older teenagers may also enjoy it simply for the deep love story involved. Yes there is that too, as some may almost expect nowadays when an author involves the paranormal creatures in our modern day world. But yet again Deborah Harkness deviates from the norm even in that respect by not just having a human fall in love with a vampire, but a witch which brings its own unique problems than a mere human, PLUS and it is a mighty big plus, they don't fall in love like troubled teenagers but over a book. But this is no ordinary a book, it is a book which rumours to contain the history, origins and future of the three races in this novel, Witches/Vampires and Daemons (imagine them as creative but mad geniuses like Mozart) and although no one race can say who created and more importantly who lost it many centuries ago, but when the key character Diana, mistakenly comes across it in the Bodlean Library in Oxford, England (brilliant new setting for this paranormal world) she suddenly gains the attention of all three races, in a manner that isn't all together entirely friendly. The key thing about Diana is, not only is she a witch with famous heritage (being from the family of some famous american witch trials) but she is a reluctant witch, she's trying her hardest to live a normal human life without magic involved in any way. Apart from the one moment she simply magics a book off a very high shelf and is caught by a mysterious and charming vampire. And a whole seat-gripping saga of suspicion, betrayal, seduction, romance, friendship, secrets, lies, danger and a covenant breaking love begins from that moment on.......more
Loading...
