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Book Review: Wild Rising, by K. Panikian

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Author, K.Panikian sent me a copy of Wild Rising (Yellowstone Shifters, #1) for review.

K. Panikian

“My name is Sienna Wilder and up until about age 12, I thought I was human.”

From a young age, Sienna learned to control the savage creature that raged in her heart. Swearing never to unleash the puma again, she kept her head down, her emotions level, and she survived.

Inside though, she yearned to find a place where she could roam free. Landing her dream job as a park ranger at Yellowstone, Sienna thinks she’s finally found it, only to discover that she’s not the only one with a secret beast. Now, women are disappearing and no one is paying attention. Sienna must discover the truth or she may be next. Can she learn to trust her wild side in time to save herself and the others?

my review

I was really pleasantly surprised by this one. I liked Sienna and the other park shifters. I liked the world Panikian creates here, and I enjoyed the murder mysteries (though having two unrelated ones did dilute the plot a bit). I was also intrigued by the possible, future love interest. I can only imagine the series is going to be slow burn in the romance department. There is attraction here, sure, but not even the beginnings of a romance yet. So, don’t go in expecting passion to leap off the page.

I did think that after a lifetime of dealing with fear and her beast Sienna sure overcame the issue with unbelievable ease. And I thought the possessive female betas warning off the new woman in town a little cliched. (Though having powerful, authoritative female betas was a plus in other ways.)

On a side note—just for FYI—I like the cover, but think it makes the book look YA/NA, like Sienna is an older teen. But she’s a full-fledged park ranger. Her age isn’t given, but to complete training and work in the field for a decade, I can only imagine her in her late twenties at least. I only mention it so people go in with appropriate expectations.

All in all, I’d be happy to read the next book in the series when it comes out. In fact, if it was available yet, I probably would have continued right into it last night, when I finished Wild Rising.

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wolf hunter

Book Review: Wolf Hunter, by Linda Thomas-Sundstrom

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I won a signed paperback copy of Linda Thomas-Sundstrom‘s Wolf Hunter.

wolf hunter linda thomas sundstrom

Two enemies fated to be supernatural lovers… Only a few people know about the Weres hidden deep within Miami’s underground. Those few either embrace the wolves, or seek to destroy them. Cameron Mitchell has sought to protect his kind. But one beautiful woman may be his undoing. Born into a family of wolf hunters is one thing. But when Abby Stark actually meets one, she is immediately drawn to Cameron Mitchell. Abby knows she and Cameron have no future. Yet walking away from him, and from the danger he represents, proves to be impossible.

my review

Welp, this was not at all what I expected. I’d seen this labeled New Adult. And to be fair Abby is 23-24 years old, so New Adult age. And while I know plenty of New Adult titles do have sex in them, they don’t usually have the characters sexing it up within about 10 minutes of first meeting, after having exchanged about 10 sentences, which is what happens in Wolf Hunter. I’ll grant that Thomas -Sundstrom did a good job of establishing that there was some sort of magnetic, paranormal draw at play. But it definitely required that I re-calibrate my expectations. (I also didn’t realize it’s 4th in a series, but that took much less mental adjustment. It stands alone pretty well.)

I don’t actually have any problem with the book being more erotica than romance. In fact, I can’t really say there was any romance at all. The attraction and loyalty and love was all based on the characters being fated mates and the go-go-go of the plot never allows them to actually speak and get to know one another. So, I’ll re-phrase. I don’t have any problem with this being erotica (or erotica-like, since I wouldn’t quite call the sex graphic enough to truly qualify), instead of romance, as I expected. Especially since the little bit of plot that the sexy-times hang on is entertaining, the writing is easily readable, and the editing clean.

Thus, as long as you go into this with appropriate expectations it’s perfectly enjoyable. I’ll probably even look up those earlier books that I apparently skipped.

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Other Reviews:

Paranormal Romance Guild

 

high priestess

Book Review: High Priestess, by Wendy Hewlett

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I do this thing, sometimes, where I search the extremes of Amazon Prime’s algorithm and let fate and random mathematics sell me a inexpensive book. In this manner, I bought a copy of High Priestess, by Wendy Hewlett.

high priestess wendy hewlett

Detective Constable Raven Bowen’s life seems to be falling apart around her. Her Wiccan mother, Ena Bowen, has recently passed to spirit and even though Raven hasn’t seen or spoken to her in twelve years, she feels the loss.

Then there’s her relationship with lesbian lover, Riley Gallagher, which ended rather abruptly and Raven only has herself to blame.

When the body of a young woman is discovered with the spring thaw, Raven takes on a new case and isn’t impressed when her sergeant assigns a rookie to investigate it with her.

If all of that wasn’t enough, Raven’s mother starts speaking to her from beyond the grave. She only has one question for her mother … “How the heck do I get you out of my head.”

The answer comes swiftly and shocks Raven to her core.

“Find my killer.”

my review

I quite enjoyed this. Though fair warning, the plot centers heavily on rape/rapists, including the rape of a child. I didn’t know this going into the book and I usually try to avoid such things in the books I read for fun. But I’ll grant that it is integral to the plot and not just tossed in as cheap plot fodder, which is quite often my complaint about rape in the books I read for entertainment.

I liked DC Bowen’s though she has quite a lot going on in the book and maybe isn’t at her most likeable. I also liked most of the side characters. I did think the villains a tad cliched, some of the personal drama dragged out longer than it felt like it needed to, and the whole being The Most Powerful made Bowen feel like too much of the special snowflake. But ultimately the book is quite readable and I’d be well up for reading another of Hewlett’s books.

high priestess