3stars
This review might contain spoilers.
I almost liked this book. It started of engaging, as I went through there were interesting bits about how the werewolf vampier folklore worked for this particular story and it did hit most of the points this fantasy genre hits with the extras designed to set it apart. The problem was the further I got into it the less I wanted to read it. The prologue didn't add anything to the book. Literally everything that was in it I figured out in the reading of the following pages. The typos were small at first so I basically ignored them cause editing is a tough process but as I kept reading they kept recurring. Usually it was a wrong-word-typo or an extra word or two that didn't get deleted from a fixed/changed sentence.
The main character is forever going on about how he's the strongest but never wins a fight against a formidable opponent. And more importantly, never learns from it. Like Goku in vampire form. The only thing important is being the strongest at the cost of everything else. He just wasn't likeable and when he supposedly changes because of love he is actually still the same arrogant couldn't see the big picture if it screamed at him from a mile away. The side characters, however, were all great. Loved them. Especially the Alpha wolf. Def some of the best scenes when he was on the page.
The plot almost had me. But when it started to get close to the big event and I could see just how much more page time I had to read after said point I kind of feared exactly what I was hoping was not going to happen would happen, and it did. When your enemy shows up to their trap ahead of schedule and hints that something is amiss and doesn't even make an attempt to kill you when he already knows he can, it's obvious something is going on. Secondly, if the villain knows they are innocent of said crimes that lead the main character to suspect them in the first place, why not just tell them this upon their first meeting. You're just going to almost kill them and then wait until you're literally dying to say it was a setup? It's really hard to buy that someone with the strength to kill their attacker wouldn't even attempt to subdue them enough to tell their version of things.
Secondly, knowing it's a trap, and knowing that you have half of what the real villain needs, and also knowing the man you stole it from in the first place had it in hopes to keep it as far away from the person who is the bait of the trap, why would you then still show up and put both pieces of the puzzle in the same room together. Then claim you were trying to help when helping would've been to stay away so the enemy can't get both items. The act of coming to the trap only moments after, as I said above, showing up to casually info drop that the hero might be played kinda undid the almost warning. The two actions didn't blend together.
Honestly, when I hit this whole first ending, which was supposed to be some epic masquerade ball thing, I literally skimmed until it got to the end, I'm not going to delve into the human turned wolf becoming alpha and then getting weirded out by blood and stuff. Like war and carnage requires blood so I'm definitely siding with the hero on that point. But after finding out the villain is not the villain and your friend is the real enemy you decide to go make love with the woman who almost died. Because the villain is surely going to wait to exact their plan while you do your do. The sense of urgency to get to the end kind of fell flat so I honestly don't remember much from there to the end. And the real ending was, I dunno... I couldn't buy into an elder vampire not being aware of their surroundings. I mean they haven't survived for so long by being stupid.
This story could've been five stars, it got three because I was definitely all in it up until three quarters in. I'm a fan of heroes that embrace their inner darkness. The problem for me was I wasn't invested enough to read one more quarter of book after so much page time, effort and set up went into the big climax. The reveal at the climax could've been easily avoided many chapters earlier with no more than a page of dialogue, half a page depending on how crafter you get. Sucks cause I legit told someone I'm reading this book and it's awesome, I was that into this story but the deeper in I got the less engaged I became.
If you're looking for a nice, action-packed, kill first and don't ask questions kind of story this book definitely fits the bill. Entertaining side characters, this book has you covered. For me, however, the whole human turned alpha plotline that didn't do much for the story, a lead that was almost amazing and completely unaffected by anything around him even though he was written like some change was happening, and a fake villain who could've stopped all the carnage from happening but instead allowing it to happen bumped me out of this story. Still, I made it 75percent in without quitting so it was engaging enough to keep me entertained so I'd still recommend it. For me, just a new twist on the same supernatural folklore, minus the annoying wolves and vampires rivalry cliche, make it a story worth reading... Issues and all.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
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