Book Review: Blind Date with a Werewolf by Patricia Briggs

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: Blind Date with a Werewolf
Author: Patricia Briggs
Publisher: Ace
Publication date: October 21, 2025
Length: 288 pages
Genre: Fantasy
Source: Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley
Rating:

When the deadly werewolf Asil is gifted five blind dates by some anonymous “friends,” his reclusive life will never be the same, in this enthralling novel in stories from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Mercy Thompson series.

Includes two all-new stories as well as three previously published stories.

Dear Asil:

We are worried about you. A werewolf alone is a sad thing, especially at Christmastime. So we have a challenge for five dates in three weeks. We have taken the work out of it and connected you with five people from online dating sites. You should also know that we have informed the whole pack and instigated a betting pool. Have fun!

Sincerely,
Your Concerned Friends

For fans of the Mercy Thompson and Alpha & Omega series by Patricia Briggs, this new book — a novel composed of five connected stories — is a real treat. For someone who hasn’t read those series, this book might be more of a challenge, but still lots of fun.

Asil Moreno, known among werewolves as the Moor, is a centuries-old werewolf known for his power, violence, and instability. Only his Alpha, the ruler of all werewolves in North America, is dominant enough to keep Asil under control. Asil is deadly, but beautiful, and he knows it. He also has very little interest in other people, and certainly no interest in romance, not since the death of his mate many, many years earlier.

But Asil’s friends think he needs a boost — and, we suspect, also are looking to have a little fun at his expense. Through anonymous emails, they challenge him to go on a series of blind dates that they’ll arrange for him. Asil is not enthusiastic in the slightest, but there’s a pack bet that he won’t succeed in completing the five dates of the challenge, and Asil is not one to ever back down.

Let’s just say that the dates don’t go exactly as planned. Each supposedly romantic set-up turns into a mission involving lots more danger and blood than candlelight and roses. In each case, it’s extremely entertaining to see Asil present himself as a respectable, desirable date… only to have each encounter go entirely sideways.

Blind Date with a Werewolf includes three stories previously published in other anthologies, plus two stories that are original to this book. Taken as a whole, they make a highly enjoyable reading experience, with a great story arc, lots of amusing character moments, and plenty of high stakes and action sequences.

It’ll be interesting to see whether the events of Blind Date with a Werewolf carry over into the greater universe of Patricia Briggs’s series. (The next new book will be #7 in the Alpha & Omega series, tentatively scheduled for release sometime in 2026).

As I mentioned, Blind Date with a Werewolf is perfect for fans of the related series. I do think it could be read on its own even without familiarity with its greater fictional universe, although I think some of the intricacies about pack dynamics and werewolf nature might be harder to unravel.

In any case, this really is a very fun book, and I tore through it in about a day and a half. Asil’s adventures are funny, fast-paced, and have just enough danger in them to keep us readers on the edge of our seats. Of course, now I’m dying for more of this world… I may need to dive back in and do a reread of the Alpha & Omega books, at the very least.

Purchase links: Amaz o n – Audible audiobook – Bookshop.org – Libro.fm
Disclaimer: When you make a purchase through one of these affiliate links, I may earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you.

21Aug2024

Book Review: My Calamity Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, & Jodi Meadows

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: My Calamity Jane
Series: The Lady Janies, #3
Author: Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, Jodi Meadows
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication date: June 2, 2020
Length: 544 pages
Genre: Young adult
Source: Purchased
Rating:

Welcome to 1876 and a rootin’-tootin’ America bursting with gunslingers, outlaws, and garou.

JANE (a genuine hero-eene)

Calamity’s her name, and garou hunting’s her game—when she’s not starring in Wild Bill’s Traveling Show, that is. She reckons that if a girl wants to be a legend, she should just go ahead and be one.

FRANK (*wolf whistle*)
Frank “the Pistol Prince” Butler is the Wild West’s #1 bachelor. He’s also the best sharpshooter on both sides of the Mississippi, but he’s about to meet his match. . . .

ANNIE (get your gun!)
Annie Oakley (yep, that Annie) is lookin’ for a job, not a romance, but she can’t deny there’s something about Frank she likes. Really likes. Still, she’s pretty sure that anything he can do, she can do better.

A HAIRY SITUATION
After a garou hunt goes south and Jane finds a suspicious-like bite on her arm, she turns tail for Deadwood, where there’s been talk of a garou cure. But things ain’t always what they seem—meaning the gang better hightail it after her before they’re a day late and a Jane short.

The Lady Janies books are quickly becoming my go-to cheer-me-up reads… and the 3rd in the series, My Calamity Jane, absolutely hits the spot!

In this cheeky, silly reimagining of Wild West legends, Wild Bill Hickok’s traveling show is highly entertaining, super popular… and a front for a band of garou (werewolf) hunters. Calamity Jane herself is a 17-year-old who’s an ace at performing tricks with a bullwhip, and she’s also devoted to Wild Bill, who gave her a family when she had nowhere else to turn. Bill’s son Frank is Jane’s brother and best friend, and the tight-knit band travels from town to town, putting on great shows and dealing with garous who threaten public safety.

Things take a turn for the terrible when Jane is bitten during an attempt to bring down the garou Alpha, and their lives only get more complicated from there. Between fast-talker Annie Oakley insisting on joining their crew and the persistent attentions of a young woman reporter (who goes incognito as a young man, because writing just ain’t a career path for a woman, doncha know), Jane and the gang have to move and think fast… and their lives get even more dangerous once Jane decides to run off to Deadwood in pursuit of a rumored garou cure.

Ah, this book is fun! Lots of familiar names and places pop up — but if you’re like me, it’s helpful to keep Wikipedia handy too. I never watched the Deadwood TV series (although now I’m tempted!), and had only passing familiarity with most of these real-life people — so looking into their stories was a huge boost while reading My Calamity Jane.

Note: I do have a vague recollection of listening to some of the songs from the musical Annie, Get Your Gun as a child. Does anyone — besides devoted theater kids — still know this show? Parts of it looks really offensive, based on looking at the movie trailer, so I kind of hope not. Anyway, I digress…

The writing in My Calamity Jane, as in the other Lady Janies, is funny, tongue-in-cheek, and quite silly. The narrators pop in to comment throughout, which is always good for a laugh.

“Mama!” Annie turned around, horrified. “He’s near forty years old! He’s ancient”—(at this point, your faithful and likewise ancient narrators die inside)—“and he’s already married.”

The werewolf storyline fits surprisingly well within a Western setting, and the main villain of the piece offers some clever surprises (plus lots of sneering and manipulation). Even the portrayal of henchmen and lackeys is funny.

Jack McCall straightened his spine (although your narrators don’t know how he did it, considering we are pretty sure he was spineless).

The story includes a couple of quirky love stories, as well as shoot-’em-up action sequences and some familiar-sounding rivalry.

But that didn’t mean she couldn’t enjoy herself. She put on her sweetest smile. “Anything you can do, Mr. Butler,” she said, “I can do better.”

“No, you can’t.”

“Yes, I can.”

While the page count might seem a little much at the outset, trust me — it moves quickly. Even when we get the sadder moments of learning the characters’ backstories and childhood traumas, we’re never more than a page or two away from an exchange to lighten the mood.

“Oh, no,” gasped Winnie. “Oh, no, no, no. A story like this takes time.”

Frank drew out his pocket watch. “You’ve got, like, two hours.”

Jane snorted. “That’s loads of time. A person could write a whole book in two hours.” (To which we, as the narrators, say no. A person can’t. And now we’re crying a little.)

Plain and simple, My Calamity Jane is a hoot, just like the rest of the books in the series. The Lady Janies all work as stand-alones (or at least, the ones I’ve read so far do). So, if the Wild West isn’t necessarily your thing, but you’re a Jane Eyre fan, start with My Plain Jane, or if you love Tudor history, pick up My Lady Jane. You get the point — pick one that appeals to you, see if you like the approach, and then give the rest a try!

For me, I’m ready to dive into the Mary books!

And I’ll close with the words of Calamity Jane… just because she makes me laugh:

“Frank! Get the lead out! Annie! Get your gun!”

29Jun2024

Book Review: Winter Lost (Mercy Thompson, #14) by Patricia Briggs

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: Winter Lost (Mercy Thompson, #14)
Author: Patricia Briggs
Publisher: Ace
Publication date: June 18, 2024
Length: 416 pages
Genre: Urban fantasy
Source: Purchased
Rating:

Mercy Thompson, car mechanic and shapeshifter, must stop a disaster of world-shattering proportions in this exhilarating entry in the #1 New York Times bestselling series.

In the supernatural realms, there are creatures who belong to winter. I am not one of them. But like the coyote I can become at will, I am adaptable.

My name is Mercy Thompson Hauptman, and my mate, Adam, is the werewolf who leads the Columbia Basin Pack, the pack charged with keeping the people who live and work in the Tri-Cities of Washington State safe. It’s a hard job, and it doesn’t leave much room for side quests. Which is why when I needed to travel to Montana to help my brother, I intended to go by myself.

But I’m not alone anymore.

Together, Adam and I find ourselves trapped with strangers in a lodge in the heart of the wilderness, in the teeth of a storm of legendary power, only to discover my brother’s issues are a tiny part of a problem much bigger than we could have imagined. Arcane and ancient magics are at work that could, unless we are very careful, bring about the end of the world. . . .

Mercy Thompson has been one of my favorite fictional heroines since the moment I read the very first book in the series, Moon Called. I love this series and the world Patricia Briggs has created, with its complex characters and dynamics, dangerous supernatural beings and mysterious powers, and deep, meaningful personal connections too.

You can imagine how much it pains me to give a Mercy book fewer than four stars. Not that Winter Lost isn’t a good book — it just doesn’t measure up to how great I know this series can be, and it left me feeling uninvolved for far too long of the story.

Probably needless to say, but the 14th book in a series is not a good starting place. I’ll talk about this book, but I’m not going to explain the entire backstory of the series. (But seriously, give yourself a treat and pick up Moon Called, if you haven’t read it yet!)

The events of Winter Lost feel quite separate in many ways from the main through-stories of the series, especially given the way the plot unfolds. The series as a whole is very firmly rooted in the Tri-Cities region of Washington State. Community matters a lot in Mercy’s world. And yet, in Winter Lost, Mercy and her husband Adam spend most of the book away from home, journeying to the wilderness of Montana to remove a curse from Mercy’s brother (and, along the way, try to stop the world from ending).

In “interludes” sprinkled in between the main chapters, we get glimpses of what’s going on back at home, as well as the actions of other (new) characters who have a part to play in the central action of the story. The chapters focus on Mercy and Adam as they travel to the mountain lodge, learn more about what they’re dealing with, and then (of course) save the day.

Beyond the action of this particular quest, Mercy and Adam are also dealing with the fallout from the last book, Soul Taken, which left Mercy with a cosmic sort of damage that’s slowly eating away at her soul and her magic. She has a mystical band-aid of sorts, thanks to the intervention of a fae who cares for her, but long-term, this damage will kill her if they can’t fix it… and fixing it seems like something beyond the skills of anyone in their sphere. This fear underlies every moment, adding a sense of urgency to everything Mercy and Adam do, but especially to their more private moments together.

The plot of Winter Lost just didn’t captivate me the way I’ve come to expect from Mercy books. The plot is an adventure story, but it happens far from home, isolated from much of the ongoing story threads of the series. The adventure concludes at the end of the book, and the pieces are mainly reset — so except for one key element, nothing is all that different from where we picked up at the start of the book. (Keeping it vague… no spoilers here!)

I think one reason I didn’t love Winter Lost quite as much is the distance from Mercy and Adam’s home. I love them as characters and will follow them anywhere, but their stories are always much richer when they’re set amidst the world of their pack, their extended family, and their various and sundry allies and acquaintances. Mercy and Adam can carry the story by themselves, but I missed being around all the rest of the characters we’ve come to know and love.

Winter Lost is a quest story, and I was much more engaged for the last third or so… but still, I can’t wait for the series to move back home and let us see the entire pack back together and back in action.

Despite my 3.5 stars for this particular book, my love for the Mercy-verse remains strong! According to the author’s website, next year will bring a new book in the spin-off Alpha & Omega series (yay!), and so I assume it’ll be 2026 until we see the next Mercy book… and I have a feeling I’ll be doing at least a little rereading between now and then.

19Nov2023

Book Review: Brothersong (Green Creek, #4) by TJ Klune

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: Brothersong
Series: Green Creek, #4
Author: TJ Klune
Publisher: Tor Books
Publication date: October 13, 2020 (new hardcover to be published August 2024)
Length: 480 pages
Genre: Fantasy
Source: Purchased
Rating:

In the ruins of Caswell, Maine, Carter Bennett learned the truth of what had been right in front of him the entire time. And then it—he—was gone.

Desperate for answers, Carter takes to the road, leaving family and the safety of his pack behind, all in the name of a man he only knows as a feral wolf. But therein lies the danger: wolves are pack animals, and the longer Carter is on his own, the more his mind slips toward the endless void of Omega insanity.

But he pushes on, following the trail left by Gavin.

Gavin, the son of Robert Livingstone. The half-brother of Gordo Livingstone.

What Carter finds will change the course of the wolves forever. Because Gavin’s history with the Bennett pack goes back further than anyone knows, a secret kept hidden by Carter’s father, Thomas Bennett.

And with this knowledge comes a price: the sins of the fathers now rest upon the shoulders of their sons.

Brothersong is the 4th and final book in TJ Klune’s powerful Green Creek series… and, hold on, excuse me a minute while I dry my tears.

In Brothersong, the story is told through the eyes of Carter Bennett, oldest son of the Bennett clan, big brother to Kelly and Joe. Carter is brave, fierce, and funny, and up to now, never seemed to dive too deeply into emotions, particularly when it comes to love and relationships. But as of the end of Heartsong, Carter was forced into a startling awakening, and here in Brothersong, he’s desperate to recover a connection that he only recently realized existed.

Carter has spent the last few years shadowed by a werewolf stuck in his wolf form, which has mainly exasperated Carter… but when this wolf finally reclaims his human form and is then ripped out of Carter’s life, he experiences heartbreak and a conviction that he needs to find this person, no matter what. Leaving his pack and his brothers, Carter sets out alone on the road, chasing clues, haunted by visions and ghosts, on the verge of losing his mind, but unable to give up and go home without the person who might truly be his mate.

Without giving away too many plot points — eventually, all are reunited, and the dangerous confrontation that’s been building for four books finally becomes reality. The big bad is truly terrifying, and the violent battle toward the end of Brothersong threatens the entire pack as well as the humans of Green Creek.

I really can’t go into details without entering major spoiler territory, which would be a shame. I will say that I spent most of the last batch of chapters absolutely breathless, terrified for all these characters that I’ve come to know and love, and — I admit it — a soppy, teary mess.

As a whole, the Green Creek series surprised me with its depth, its beautiful depictions of family and pack bonds, its humor, and its superb plotting. The characters are well-developed, and while it’s a sprawling cast, we’re able to truly get to know them all over the course of these four books.

Despite the drama, the themes of past hurts and the unintended consequences of mistakes and secrets, and the ever-present threat of destruction, the Green Creek books are also prime examples of TJ Klune’s excellent use of humor. Even in the midst of tragedy and sorrow, some of the dialogue had me keeling over with laughter.

Once again, I was reading so intently that I neglected to highlight much, but even this silly scene captures the goofy (and sometimes cringey) way these characters think and act (when they’re not in mortal peril):

I stood quickly, tripping over my own feet as I surged toward the book, trying to beat her there. I should have won. She was a human. I was a wolf. I was a killing machine capable of great power with my fangs and claws. Yes, she was deadly, but I was a creature of the night. I was the monster in the dark. I was—

Falling face-first onto the floor.

The pack is amazing. They jokingly refer to themselves as “the gayest pack in the entire world” (which is likely true), and nobody blinks an eye over this — although it does lead to some random conversations such as :

“Question.” A man. One of Will’s friends. “Is everyone in the pack gay?”

“So what if they are?” I snapped.

The man shrugged. “I don’t give two shits either way. I just didn’t know if that was, like, a prerequisite for being a shape-shifter or whatever.”

It is amusing, but not a negative, to recognize certain lines and phrases that pop up in other books by the author, including this bit that never fails to make me laugh (and that I can’t help hearing in the mortified voice of Nicky Bell from The Extraordinaries):

“Why are you like this?”

And another one that’s also very Nicky:

“Straight people are are so weird,” Kelly whispered to Robbie.

On a more serious note, if you’ve read the Green Creek books, you’ll understand why this one little paragraph got me all emotional:

It was warm like a summer day. It was candy canes and pinecones, it was epic and awesome, it was dirt and leaves and rain, it was grass and lake water and sunshine.

The Green Creek books have vaulted right into my list of favorite-of-all-time series. I’m feeling totally bereft now that I’ve reached the end. How can the universe expect me to leave these books and characters behind?

One quick answer? I’m not going to. I’ve already decided that my 2024 reading plans will include a Green Creek audiobook binge.

Brothersong is a beautiful, heartbreaking, uplifting conclusion to this amazing series. Green Creek is a story of a werewolf pack, but put aside the fangs, fur, and claws, and at its heart it’s a story about love and families of all dimensions — parents and their children, brothers, found families and chosen families. The relationships are what make these books “sing” as they do.

I’m so glad that Tor is reissuing the series as new hardcover books — the series deserves a much wider audience, and I hope these gorgeous new editions attract many more readers. All books are available now as ebooks; the new hardcover editions of Wolfsong and Ravensong are both currently available as well, and the hardcover editions of the last two books will be released in 2024 (Heartsong in January; Brothersong in July).

I simply can’t recommend Green Creek highly enough. These books have it all, and should not be missed.

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12Nov2023

Book Review: Heartsong (Green Creek, #3) by TJ Klune

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: Heartsong
Series: Green Creek, #3
Author: TJ Klune
Publisher: Tor Books
Publication date: October 22, 2019 (new hardcover to be published January 2024)
Length: 464 pages
Genre: Fantasy
Source: Purchased
Rating:

The Bennett family has a secret: They’re not just a family, they’re a pack. Heartsong is Robbie Fontaine’s story.

All Robbie Fontaine ever wanted was a place to belong. After the death of his mother, he bounces around from pack to pack, forming temporary bonds to keep from turning feral. It’s enough—until he receives a summons from the wolf stronghold in Caswell, Maine. Life as the trusted second to Michelle Hughes—the Alpha of all—and the cherished friend of a gentle old witch teaches Robbie what it means to be pack, to have a home. But when a mission from Michelle sends Robbie into the field, he finds himself questioning where he belongs and everything he’s been told.

Whispers of traitorous wolves and wild magic abound—but who are the traitors and who the betrayed? More than anything, Robbie hungers for answers, because one of those alleged traitors is Kelly Bennett—the wolf who may be his mate.

The truth has a way of coming out. And when it does, everything will shatter.

The Green Creek Series is for adult readers.

Oh my goodness. TJ Klune does it again.

Heartsong, the 3rd book in the author’s powerful Green Creek series, continues the emotional roller coaster introduced in the previous books, Wolfsong and Ravensong. Here, the story is told through the point of view of Robbie Fontaine, a werewolf who joined the Bennett pack at a time of huge trauma and upheaval to the family. Despite his newcomer status, Robbie soon found a place to belong and formed the bonds he’d been looking for all his life.

But as Heartsong opens, Robbie isn’t with the Bennetts at all. He’s in Maine at the stronghold of another Alpha, Michelle Hughes, lovingly fostered by Michelle’s witch, a kindly old man named Ezra. For the reader, this is all very confusing. Why did Robbie leave the Bennett pack? When is this even happening? And why does Robbie seem so… off?

It turns out that our confusion mirrors Robbie’s — something isn’t right here. And as the story progresses, we learn that mind-control magic is at play, and that truly terrible things have occurred.

I’ll keep the plot points as vague as I can, to avoid spoilers. Eventually, Robbie does find his way back to the Bennetts, but even then, he doesn’t know who he truly is, where he belongs, and what all these people — who claim him as pack — might want with him. And yet, there are sparks when the pack Alphas are near, and he can’t help feeling drawn to Kelly Bennett in particular, even though he has no memory of him.

My heart absolutely ached for Robbie, for Kelly, and the rest of the pack, and the more we learn about the events leading up to this point, the more painful it all became. The characters here are so well-drawn that at this point in the series, I feel like I know (and love) them all. So please, stop making bad things happen to them!! (Sigh — a lack of danger might lead to less enthralling storytelling, but at least they’d all be happy.)

Heartsong has moments of terrible danger and violence, as well as the unique brand of laugh-out-loud dialogue that’s amazing throughout the series. And of course, I was too wrapped up in reading to stop and highlight, so these little bits are only scratching the surface:

“If you’re trying to make me feel sorry for you, it’s not working.”

“I’m not.”

“Goddammit. It’s totally working.”

“Does he know we can hear him?” I whispered to Kelly.

“Yeah,” Kelly said. “He just doesn’t care. He says it’s part of his charm, but that can’t be right.”

There’s a scene involving a cold, soup, and balloons that’s honestly one of the best things I’ve ever read. For real.

What more can I say about this series? The depth of feeling and emotional connections are so beautifully portrayed, and I can never not tear up when the pack comes together to comfort and support one another. Ugh, basically, these books leave me all weepy and messy… but in the best way possible.

PackBrotherLoveFriend

Just that one little phrase gets me all emotional again…

Heartsong is a terrific addition to the Green Creek series, and sets up what I anticipate will be the big, final showdown in a powerful way. I absolutely love the mix of personal connection and action set-pieces, and above all, simply adore the Bennett pack.

If you haven’t already, I urge you to give Wolfsong a try! I can pretty much guarantee you’ll want to keep going.

For about half a minute after finishing Heartsong, I was pretty sure I’d hold off for a few months before reading the next (and last) book in the series, to make the experience last longer. But who was I trying to kid? There’s no way I’m going to wait!

As I mentioned in my review of Ravensong, Tor Books is reissuing the entire Green Creek series in gorgeous hardcover editions. All books are available now as ebooks; the new hardcover editions of Wolfsong and Ravensong are both available as well, and the hardcover editions of the last two books will be released in 2024 (Heartsong in January; Brothersong in July).

And yes, in case you’re wondering, I plan on having all four hardcovers on my bookshelves!

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6Jul2023

Book Review: Ravensong (Green Creek, #2) by TJ Klune

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: Ravensong
Series: Green Creek
Author: TJ Klune
Publisher: Tor Books
Publication date: August 1, 2023 (originally published 2018)
Length: 512 pages
Genre: Fantasy
Source: Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley
Rating:

The beloved fantasy romance sensation by New York Times bestselling author TJ Klune, about love, loyalty, betrayal, and joy. The Bennett family has a secret. They’re not just a family, they’re a pack . Ravensong is Gordo Livingstone’s story.

Gordo Livingstone never forgot the lessons carved into his skin. Hardened by the betrayal of a pack who left him behind, he sought solace in the garage in his tiny mountain town, vowing never again to involve himself in the affairs of wolves. It should have been enough. And it was, until the wolves came back, and with them, Mark Bennett. In the end, they faced the beast together as a pack… and won.

Now, a year later, Gordo has found himself once again the witch of the Bennett pack. Green Creek has settled after the death of Richard Collins, and Gordo constantly struggles to ignore Mark and the song that howls between them. But time is running out. Something is coming. And this time, it’s crawling from within. Some bonds, no matter how strong, were made to be broken.

The Green Creek Series is for adult readers.
Now available from Tor Books.

You many have seen my super-gushy lovefest review of Wolfsong, the first book in TJ Klune’s Green Creek series. You may be wondering — can she keep this up? Will she love the rest of the series, and write yet more super-gushy lovefest reviews?

Yes. Yes, I can. Yes, I will.

Ravensong picks up after the events of Wolfsong (read these books in order, my friends!), but also fills in backstory for this book’s main character, Gordo Livingstone.

We meet Gordo in Wolfsong when he befriends a young Ox Matheson, then twelve years old, abandoned by his father, and desperately lost. Gordo takes Ox in, becomes a friend and father-figure to him, and gives him connection, found family, and a place to belong.

Gordo — besides being the town mechanic — is also witch to the Bennett werewolf pack. Gordo’s magic is embedded in the elaborate tattoos that cover his arms. He’s powerful, but he also has secrets and hidden pain.

In Ravensong, we learn more about Gordo’s past and why he holds on to such bitterness toward the Bennetts. As a boy, Gordo watched his father Robert Livingstone serve as witch to the Bennett Alpha, Abel. At far too young an age, Robert and Abel tattooed the magic into Gordo, and introduced him to the world of witches and werewolves. Yet despite the pain involved, Gordo also found a home with the Bennetts, particularly with Abel’s son Thomas, next in line to be Alpha, and with Thomas’s brother Mark, a kind boy slightly older than Gordo who seemed determined to protect Gordo, even when he didn’t want protection.

After tragedy strikes, Gordo becomes the official witch to the pack — but when a fresh, devastating tragedy occurs, Gordo is left behind. He’s abandoned by the people who are supposed to be his family, and he’s left behind by Mark, who only recently declared Gordo his mate. Gordo stays in Green Creek, but he’s hurt and angry.

When the Bennetts return years later, Gordo has made a life for himself with his garage, the group of (ridiculous) guys who work there, and with Ox, his ward and son-figure. And even as he’s drawn back into the life and struggles of the pack, he never forgives them — or Mark — for the betrayal so many years earlier.

The first third or so of Ravensong gives us all of this history, which is touching and allows us to know Gordo in a different, more complicated way than in Wolfsong. For the remainder of the book, Gordo is deeply enmeshed in the pack’s looming battle against dangerous enemies who seek to destroy the Bennett pack once and for all. The danger strikes deeply at the foundations of the pack, and Gordo’s magic is one of the few defenses and remedies the pack has against a threat that’s seemingly impossible to overcome.

What can I say about Ravensong? I felt completely invested in the well-being of the Bennetts and their pack, to the point that I just wanted everyone to be happy and healthy and not be in danger (although that would rule out about 50% of the plot of the book). These characters are all so wonderfully written, and it’s easy to love them all. Can I help it that I’m an emotional wreck when I see character I love suffering? And they do suffer in Ravensong, unfortunately.

Despite its 500+-page length, Ravensong moves quickly. There’s barely time to catch your breath from one dramatic moment to another. And yet, despite how much action there is, there are also beautiful moments of romantic and familial love.

And lest you think everything is completely dire — there are also hilariously funny scenes, especially when the humans of the Bennett pack get involved.

Then Rico said, “Okay, like. No offense, papi. You know I love you. Bros for life, and all that. But did you go a little nuts in your head from the mystical moon magic? Because it seems like you went a little nuts in your head from the mystical moon magic.”

(Okay, that’s not even the best example, but I was so absorbed in reading that I didn’t stop to highlight all the passages that made me laugh or cry.)

While I loved Ravensong, I maybe loved it a teensy bit less that Wolfsong. Gordo is a hard character to know, and while Ravensong shows us so much more of his life and what happened to make him the man he is now, I still felt a little removed from his inner self at times, in a way that was never true in Wolfsong when it came to Ox.

And while I was aware ahead of time that each book in the Green Creek series would have a different main character as its focus, I couldn’t help wishing for more (much more!) time with Ox and Joe in Ravensong. I mean, they’re there, and they’re still vitally important — but their love story is in the background here, and their role is more focused on their importance to the pack… and I won’t say more, because spoilers, ya know.

As I mentioned in my review of Wolfsong, I love the pack dynamics, the mind to mind connection (PackWitchBrotherLove), and the deep love that runs between all of those who belong to the Bennetts — blood family, found family, humans, werewolves, and their witch. I still feel that I don’t know Mark Bennett very well, and that’s maybe why I wasn’t as deeply invested in Gordo and Mark’s love story as I expected to be — but it’s still lovely and affecting, and takes some twists I never would have seen coming.

Ravensong ends on somewhat of a cliffhanger, setting up what’s still to come in the next books. The main action set pieces are resolved, but it’s clear that the threat to the Bennett pack isn’t gone, just regrouping until it strikes again.

Tor Books is reissuing the entire Green Creek series in gorgeous hardcover editions. Ravensong was originally published in 2018, and while the Kindle/ebook edition is available now, the new hardcover will be released August 1, 2023. Hardcover editions of books 3 and 4, Heartsong and Brothersong, will be released in 2024.

I am all in when it comes to Green Creek, and although I’m trying to pace myself and not read them all at once, I’m not sure how long I can hold out before starting Heartsong!

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9Jun2023

Book Review: Wolfsong (Green Creek, #1) by TJ Klune

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: Wolfsong
Series: Green Creek
Author: TJ Klune
Publisher: Tor Books
Publication date: July 4, 2023 (originally published 2016)
Length: 528 pages
Genre: Fantasy
Source: Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley
Rating:

The Bennett family has a secret.
They’re not just a family, they’re a pack.
Wolfsong is Ox Matheson’s story.

Oxnard Matheson was twelve when his father taught him very valuable lesson. He said that Ox wasn’t worth anything and people would never understand him. Then he left.

Ox was sixteen when the energetic Bennett family moved in next door, harboring a secret that would change him forever. The Bennetts are shapeshifters. They can transform into wolves at will. Drawn to their magic, loyalty, and enduring friendships, Ox feels a gulf between this extraordinary new world and the quiet life he’s known, but he finds an ally in Joe, the youngest Bennett boy.

Ox was twenty-three when murder came to town and tore a hole in his heart. Violence flared, tragedy split the pack, and Joe left town, leaving Ox behind. Three years later, the boy is back. Except now he’s a man – charming, handsome, but haunted – and Ox can no longer ignore the song that howls between them.

The beloved fantasy romance sensation by New York Times bestselling author TJ Klune, about love, loyalty, betrayal, and family.

The Green Creek Series is for adult readers.

Have you ever finished a book and not wanted to start anything else, because you wanted to stay in that fictional world just a while longer?

That’s me and Wolfsong.

While powering through this 500+ page book, dying to see what was next and what was still to come, part of me just didn’t want to finish… because then what? This world, these characters… I think they’ve ruined me for other fiction. At least for now.

First, some basics about the book: We meet the main character, Ox Matheson, at age twelve, and spend quite a bit of time with him as he struggles through his adolescent and teen years, so for the first 30% or so of this book, you might assume this is a coming-of-age YA fantasy. It’s not. Helpfully, the synopsis states that this series is for adult readers. Later in the book, there are two very explicit adult sex scenes, and there are several graphic, gory scenes of violence that are not for young readers. Neither of these aspects are gratuitous in the slightest, but readers should be aware that the statement about adult content is accurate.

Wolfsong was originally published in 2016, and is the first in a 4-book series, now being reissued by Tor Books with beautiful new hardcover editions. After TJ Klune’s bestselling breakthrough with The House in the Cerulean Sea, there’s renewed interest in his earlier works, and I’m so grateful that the Green Creek books will get wider attention now. Wolfsong releases in July and book 2, Ravensong, in August. Books 3 and 4, Heartsong and Brothersong, will be released in 2024.

Where to even begin to describe the beauty and wonder of Wolfsong?

Ox is twelve when his father leaves him and his mother, and the father’s parting shots — that Ox is stupid and will never amount to anything — leave their mark. Ox is a loner, living in a small house in the woods in the tiny town of Green Creek, Oregon. His mother is loving and works hard to create a home for Ox, and he finds connection at the auto shop where his father used to work, where the owner Gordo agrees that he can help out, and where Ox finds a home of sorts with Gordo and his crew.

When Ox is sixteen, his life is upended while walking home along the dirt road one day, when a small boy bursts from the woods and changes everything. Talking a mile a minute, the 10-year-old “tornado”, as Ox thinks of him, clambers up Ox’s large back and brings him home to his family in the old, formerly abandoned house down the lane.

As young Joe Bennett exclaims to his parents and brothers:

You gotta smell him and then tell me why it’s all candy canes and pinecones and epic and awesome

Ox is introduced to the magnificent Bennett family, who welcome him with open arms and with a love and affection that he doesn’t quite understand. It’s only later that Ox discovers that the Bennett family is also the Bennett pack — a deeply-rooted, powerful, respected family of werewolves whose territory is Green Creek. Father Thomas is the Alpha, and although Ox doesn’t know why, Thomas sees something in Ox. (I mean, we readers get that Ox is wonderful and loving and “epic and awesome”, but Ox has a hard time believing it about himself).

The entire family loves Ox, but for Joe, Ox is a guardian and friend and brother and place of safety. Over the years, Ox and Joe both grow up, and Ox comes to learn much more about the secrets of Joe’s past and and what his own role is in protecting and nurturing Joe.

There’s so much more to the story, and it just has to be experienced. TJ Klune’s writing is powerful, funny, emotional — often all within the same page or chapter. I noted in my Kindle highlights that at 30% I was laughing hysterically over a particularly awkward, cringey, funny courtship scene… only to be sobbing and feeling like my heart had been ripped out at the 40% mark.

Truly bad things happen, and the writing is so visceral that I could feel Ox’s anger, pain, helplessness, and grief. The storytelling makes the reader FEEL everything, and the highs and lows can be breathtaking and painful.

As is probably obvious, I loved this book so much. The dynamic between Ox and Joe changes over the years, and it’s fascinating to see how their relationship changes at the different phases of their lives.

There was never anyone else for me. Because even if you couldn’t hear me when I called for you, the howl in my heart was always meant for you.

Another element I loved is the pack as a whole, the love and bond between the pack members, the mind to mind connection (PackLoveBrotherSon), the casual physical connection (these wolves always touch and sleep in heaps together, even in human form), and the absolute trust and devotion they share. The bonds are complex and become tangled, but no matter what, they’re also quite beautiful.

Wolfsong is a long, complicated book with love at its core. There is deep pain but also moments of wonder and joy, and the writing is evocative and profoundly affecting. I will be thinking about Wolfsong for a long time to come, and have a feeling that this is a book I’ll continue to pull off my shelf and leaf through for the simple pleasure of revisiting favorite passages and scenes.

My intention had been to wait for the new editions of each book in the series to be released before reading them… but since the original editions are already out there and available, I’m really not sure that I can stand to hold off. I love the world of Green Creek so much, and feel the next book in the series calling (howling?) for me.

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22Nov2022

Book Review: Such Sharp Teeth by Rachel Harrison

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: Such Sharp Teeth
Author: Rachel Harrison
Publisher: Berkley
Publication date: October 4, 2022
Length: 368 pages
Genre: Paranormal/contemporary fiction
Source: Library
Rating:

A young woman in need of a transformation finds herself in touch with the animal inside in this gripping, incisive novel from the author of Cackle and The Return.

Rory Morris isn’t thrilled to be moving back to her hometown, even if it is temporary. There are bad memories there. But her twin sister, Scarlett, is pregnant, estranged from the baby’s father, and needs support, so Rory returns to the place she thought she’d put in her rearview. After a night out at a bar where she runs into an old almost-flame, she hits a large animal with her car. And when she gets out to investigate, she’s attacked.

Rory survives, miraculously, but life begins to look and feel different. She’s unnaturally strong, with an aversion to silver—and suddenly the moon has her in its thrall. She’s changing into someone else—something else, maybe even a monster. But does that mean she’s putting those close to her in danger? Or is embracing the wildness inside of her the key to acceptance?

This darkly comedic love story is a brilliantly layered portrait of trauma, rage, and vulnerability.

After really enjoying last year’s Cackle, I knew I needed to read more by Rachel Harrison. And maybe this would have been a more natural fit for a Halloween read, but no matter the timing, I had a blast reading Such Sharp Teeth.

In this fast, biting (yes, I said it!) tale, Rory moves back to her hometown after many years away to be with her twin sister Scarlett during her last months of pregnancy. Rory has had a seemingly great life in Manhattan — a successful corporate career, a partying, free-wheeling lifestyle, great clothes, uninhibited and uncommitted sex, and the best of New York’s dining and nightlife at her fingertips.

Back in their small town, Rory stumbles into an old flame from her high school days, someone she never hooked up with at the time, but always felt a spark with. But moments after meeting Ian again, Rory gets into a car accident and its attacked by something fierce and horrible in the woods. She distinctly remembers the horror and pain of the attack, yet by the next day her wounds have barely left a scar.

Over the next few weeks, Rory notices scary changes in her body, a non-stop craving for meat, enhanced senses, and other weirdness even more frightening (and disgusting). At the same time, she finally connects with Ian and enjoys their explosive chemistry together. As the next full moon looms closer and closer, Rory is more and more certain about what’s happened to her — but what does this loss of control really mean for her and for the people she cares about?

Honestly, I just loved this book. Rory is a fantastic character, full of bravado and guts and intelligence, a very caring and devoted sister, but also carrying the burden of an earlier trauma that affects her ability to trust and to forgive. This is a woman who has earned her rage, and her werewolf transformation finally gives full power to the anger and need for destruction that she’s been burdened with for so many years.

While the descriptions of Rory’s experiences are often pretty icky and/or violent, there’s also humor and sass in her conversations and outlook. I love her relationship with Scarlett, and this conversation (with a very pregnant Scarlett) captures so much:

“What’s it like?” she asks. “Being a werewolf?”

I swallow. “You really want to know?”

“Yeah.”

“The bite was excruciating. And after, it leaked this silvery goo. My new blood, I guess. It was weird and gross, but honestly, it was also kind of fascinating that my body was doing this weird, gross thing.”

“Relate,” she says.

There’s so much subtext here about women and pain, women and bodily autonomy, women and rage. The author doesn’t hit us over the head with a hammer — instead, all of this informs Rory’s experiences as she emerges from the attack’s aftermath into a new version of herself.

When you’re sad, you cry. When you’re happy, you smile, you laugh. But what do you do when you’re angry? Not just mad, but filled with this ugly, consuming rage?

And the thing is, women aren’t allowed to be angry. Nobody likes a mad woman. They’re crazy, irrational, obnoxious, shrill.

In Such Sharp Teeth, a young woman who was instructed to ignore or control her anger gets actual claws and fangs as an adult, and finally is literally forced into giving vent to all the pent-up rage and frustration and power she’s hidden away and or shunted into self-destructive behaviors.

There are things beyond our control. My body. My body is beyond my control. This is the truth. The truth of me. What if I can’t control myself in this form because this is what I really am? What if this is what I really want?

Gotta say, I pretty much straight-up loved Rory, and I had such fun reading this book. Yes, it’s a werewolf book, but it’s also a sharp, spiky take on women’s lives, and I just couldn’t put it down. There are some scenes of violence and ickiness that make me want to offer a caution for the squeamish — it’s not gory on every page, but it’s enough that I wouldn’t recommend it if you can’t stomach some blood, guts, and body parts.

But if gore doesn’t bother you in your reading, then absolutely check out Such Sharp Teeth! Rachel Harrison is a terrific writer, and I can’t wait to read the other book of hers in my Kindle library, The Return.

21Aug2022

Book Review: Soul Taken (Mercy Thompson, #13) by Patricia Briggs

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: Soul Taken (Mercy Thompson, #13)
Author: Patricia Briggs
Publisher: Ace
Publication date: August 23, 2022
Length: 352 pages
Genre: Urban fantasy
Source: Purchased
Rating:

Mercy Thompson, car mechanic and shapeshifter, must face her greatest fears in this chilling entry in the #1 New York Times bestselling series.

The vampire Wulfe is missing. Since he’s deadly, possibly insane, and his current idea of “fun” is stalking me, some may see it as no great loss. But, warned that his disappearance might bring down the carefully constructed alliances that keep our pack safe, my mate and I must find Wulfe—and hope he’s still alive. As alive as a vampire can be, anyway.

But Wulfe isn’t the only one who has disappeared. And now there are bodies, too. Has the Harvester returned to the Tri-Cities, reaping souls with his cursed sickle? Or is he just a character from a B horror movie and our enemy is someone else?

The farther I follow Wulfe’s trail, the more twisted—and darker—the path becomes. I need to figure out what’s going on before the next body on the ground is mine.

The Mercy Thompson series is one of my very favorites, and Mercy herself is one of my all-time favorite characters! As you can imagine, waiting 2 1/2 years for a new release felt like torture. But never fear, our long wait is over — a new Mercy book is here, and it was very much worth the wait.

Mercy is brave, strong, and fiercely devoted to her mate Adam, to their werewolf pack, and to anyone she sees as under her protection… which, as of several books ago, now extends to anyone (human or supernatural) living in the Tri-Cities area of Washington.

The pack has a sometimes smooth, sometimes uneasy pact with the local vampire seethe, and when their most dangerous vampire goes missing, it’s a sign that great evil is potentially at play. The fact that this vampire also has an unhealthy obsession with Mercy just makes it that much more important that he be found before very bad things start to happen to the people Mercy loves.

As in the rest of the series, there’s plenty of action and danger, and of course, Mercy and Adam end up with their lives in peril… repeatedly. The specifics of this book’s plot won’t make a ton of sense to someone who hasn’t read the rest of the series, so let’s just say that high points include a big reveal about a secret identity, some questioning about the trustworthiness of an old ally, and the reappearance of a deadly foe.

I love Mercy, always, and I especially love her in her quieter moments with Adam, when we see the depth of their connection. I also love every opportunity to see the pack spending time together, whether in battle or playing silly video games (and we get both in this book).

There’s also a brief mention of a continuing plot point from the Mercy-verse’s other series (Alpha & Omega), because these two series take place in the same world and there are characters who appear in both. (Just FYI, if you’re wondering why it’s been 2.5 years since the last Mercy book, it’s because there was an A&O book released in between). It’s only a small scene, one that doesn’t impact this book’s plot significantly, but it’s tantalizing enough to make me eager to see that story pick up again too.

A new Mercy book is always a treat, and Soul Taken made me incredibly happy, except for the moments when I was quaking with fear when a beloved character was at risk (which, let’s face it, is on and off throughout the entire book).

The plot was perhaps a little slighter and/or more opaque than some of the others in the series, but it does move certain characters and situations into interesting new positions for whatever comes next… and whatever comes next, I am absolutely here for it!

And now, it’s back to waiting for the next new release, hopefully in no more than a year… and meanwhile, I can always go back and re-read my favorite moments from the rest of the series!

PS – As always, a note of love for the awesome cover art by Daniel Dos Santos, whose work is just always so beautiful!

27Jul2022

Shelf Control #328: Red Moon by Benjamin Percy

Posted in Shelf Control by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Welcome to Shelf Control — an original feature created and hosted by Bookshelf Fantasies.

Shelf Control is a weekly celebration of the unread books on our shelves. Pick a book you own but haven’t read, write a post about it (suggestions: include what it’s about, why you want to read it, and when you got it), and link up! For more info on what Shelf Control is all about, check out my introductory post, here.

Want to join in? Shelf Control posts go up every Wednesday. See the guidelines at the bottom of the post, and jump on board!

Title: Red Moon
Author: Benjamin Percy
Published: 2013
Length: 544 pages

What it’s about (synopsis via Goodreads):

They live among us.
They are our neighbors, our mothers, our lovers.
They change.
When government agents kick down Claire Forrester’s front door and murder her parents, Claire realizes just how different she is. Patrick Gamble was nothing special until the day he got on a plane and hours later stepped off it, the only passenger left alive, a hero. Chase Williams has sworn to protect the people of the United States from the menace in their midst, but he is becoming the very thing he has promised to destroy. So far, the threat has been controlled by laws and violence and drugs. But the night of the red moon is coming, when an unrecognizable world will emerge…and the battle for humanity will begin.

How and when I got it:

I picked up a paperback edition several years ago, most likely through a local used book store.

Why I want to read it:

In case it’s not entirely clear from the synopsis, this is a werewolf book! I remember hearing about Red Moon when it was first released — especially, that this is not the story of a werewolf as an urban fantasy love interest, but a gory, violent, disturbing tale with (if I remember correctly) plenty of political allegory as well. (I could be wrong on that point).

I’ve read all sorts of werewolf stories, from before and after this one was published, and I enjoy a variety of approaches, but the only other truly super dark one I’ve read is The Last Werewolf by Glen Duncan, which is very, very dark indeed (but also excellent).

I’ve held onto Red Moon for years, and since then, have read several other of Benjamin Percy’s books. He’s a gifted, inventive writer with a flair for telling unexpected stories. I think my favorite of his so far is The Dead Lands (published 2015), which is soooo icky at times but also mesmerizing and unlike anything else I’ve read.

I do think I still want to read Red Moon, but given how long it is and how much time has passed since I added it to my TBR pile, I’m going to really have to talk myself into giving it a try.

In case you want to know more, here are a couple of reviews that I bookmarked for future reference:
New York Times
NPR

What do you think? Would you read this book?

Please share your thoughts!

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Want to participate in Shelf Control? Here’s how:

Write a blog post about a book that you own that you haven’t read yet.
Add your link in the comments or link back from your own post, so I can add you to the participant list.
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