Wolf Tamer: Moon Kissed Bk 2

          by Harper A Brooks

My Review

Well Tasha, this is another fine mess you’ve gotten yourself into; about to be burned at the stake and still she couldn’t get her magic to come to life.   In the meantime, back at the Redcliff mansion Reid is in his own life or death struggle fighting not one but, two Pack wolves intent on ending the Alpha’s reign and his life.

…. back where they started, a bit singed, scraped up and bruised; they still don’t have a clue as to where Carmen may be held, by whom. Nor have they found how the Redciliff boundaries are being breached or the reasons behind it.  Reid is well aware of the dissention among the wolves, not the least of it being their mistrust and hatred towards Tasha and the witches. Now he must show his strength as Alpha to prove to the wolves that he is in control, to be feared and obeyed. For this reason, the Pack has assembled in the mansion to watch as he metes out pack punishment to Tasha for “escaping”.  It is harsh, cruel and painful while, many watch in satisfaction with glee and lust in their eyes.

 Matching Reid’s reasons for this act of cruelty with his tender words and care of her afterwards makes trusting Reid even harder for Tasha.  As the days progress, she tries to make friends with the wolves starting with Liam and Julius.  She struggles to find her place within the Pack, to stand by Reid’s side.  Reid spends most days with the Pack and even when he returns to her at night, he keeps his counsel and his secrets tucked away.  Uncertain, of his feelings for her, Tasha fears she has let herself begin to care too much for Reid.  What if his need to control and lead the Pack means she might, just be collateral damage in the end?

Something is off about the Redcliff mansion. Keeping herself busy during the day helps to calm the thoughts of her sister, the distance she feels is forming between her and Reid, along with concerns the enemy is circling ever closer.  So, she quietly searches, looking for hidden passages, listening for sounds out of place, smells that don’t belong. The old mansion holds secrets within its walls that portent danger to all.

 “Wolf Tamer” offers some answers, while it draws a tighter bond around the Pack and our heroes. As any good tale there is still more to learn, and the end may not yet be foreseen. There are still questions, secrets and even a few surprises. Emotions are right up there with the struggles and secrets that push everyone to the limits of their endurance. Tasha and Reid’s strengths, the Pack’s burgeoning acceptance as some come to see the outside dangers pressing in, others accepting Tasha as someone who wants to help, the hatred the witches seem to have for all, carry the storyline forward on a winding path and made me want to see how it may be resolved.

I was given an ARC to share, through my point of view, with others. So, first let me say, the book kept me reading well into the night and I read it again in case I missed something before stopping to write the review. The storyline is tough, there are those who may have difficulty with the Pack’s way of dealing with disobedience or what they see as weakness or treachery, but leading means making the final tough choices for the world in which they live. For this reason, I gave the book four stars.  Harper A. Brook doesn’t pull her punches, which is why I really got entangled in the story. For myself, I give it five stars. The next reader needs to be their own judge, so give it a chance. 

A Hint of Delirium by Karina Espinosa review

 A Hint of Delirium (Fated Fae Elementals Book 1) 

by Karina Espinosa

                                                  My review follows:

Seeing the world through Violet’s eyes may make you feel like your crazy, but there is more to our world that mortals may never know or see. It sucks to see things others can’t, to be diagnosed as a schizophrenic all your life. Makes holding a job tough. Be that as it may, when some Adonis, at the bar where she worked, tried to pay with leaves, Violet had had enough. She called him out, crumbling the leaves in front of him. Others, including her boss, around her didn’t see what she saw, they only saw a couple hundred-dollar bills destroyed by her. Once again there went her job. And now the Adonis creep had followed her home.

Ansel was on a mission for the Seelie Queen and while interrupting his mission for the her wasn’t a smart move on his part; he had gotten sidetracked after his run in with the young woman at the bar where he was meeting an informant. There was something about this girl that was off. How had she seen though the glamor that masked him and the leaves? He soon found he wasn’t the only one interested in learning more about who or what she was, and some of the others simply wanted her dead.  When he saw the iron ankle bracelet she always wore, he was quick to seek answers that would change not only Violet’s world but could bring real danger to the realm of the Fae as well.

 More trouble comes when his brother Alec, turns up. Alec who chose to side with the Unseelie King despite his family’s allegiance to the Seelie Queen.  It turns out that Alec and Ansel were looking for the same thing, a powerfully dangerous artifact. Legend has it that the orb holds sway over all four powerful elements (earth, wind, fire and water) part of the magic of the Fae. In ancient times, it was believed to be too powerful for any one Fae to control all the elements. So, it had been entrusted to a small group of humans to carry it within them, passing it on from one generation to the next at birth. While a league of humans were to protect the secret of the current generation’s carrier or killing the carrier if need be to stop the Fae from getting their hands on the orb.

Built around the legend of the orb and the hunt for it by both the Seelie and the Unseelie, with a group of humans who will stop at nothing to keep it from the Fae, including murder. Violet is at the center, at twenty-five she still lives with her mother, who was feeding her pills for her “hallucinations” and regular visits to a shrink all along keeping dangerous secrets from her. Each of the characters have flaws, that enrich the story keeping you guessing how they will handle situations that come up. As Ansel and Violet draw close, Violet will have to make some tough choices the protect the two people in her life who are most important to her, while withholding the complete truth from them. There are cultural differences as well between Violet and Ansel they will have to come to terms with. One is their view on human life forms. As a Fae being, for Ansel, human life holds very little value and may be easily disposed of.  

This is the first book in the series with Violet learning secrets long kept from her, a danger filled world where making the right decision could lead to even worst turmoil for everyone. So, hang on to your seat the ride has just begun.

If you are a fan of Karina Espinosa, you might find a few changes way she tells this beginning tale. For me these changes enrich the telling through dialogue, that at times is snarky, charged with under currents and thoughtful, descriptions of sets that quickly place me at the scene, and interaction between characters feels closer. I am even enjoying one of the main antiheroes. I loved the fact that Karina doesn’t let the reader get comfortable before snatching the rug out from under my feet, dangling more trials and tribulations in front of Violet and Ansel along with a heathy dig from Alec. While the steam between Ansel and Violet has just started heating up, which can be a catalyst for misunderstandings with the best intentions at its core. Definitely a series to pick up and share, since one book will lead into the next. Along with storylines that leave a lot of room for What if?  What will happen next? and Who do I really want to strangle?