Raised by Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
| Raised by Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes | |
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| Category: Teens | |
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Reviewer: Loralei Haylock
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| Summary: A book that showcases all that is good about the paranormal fantasy genre – fast-paced, action-packed, with really interesting and otherworldly paranormal characters and just a touch of romance to sweeten the mix. Perfect reading for the paranormal fan. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 304 | Date: September 2010 |
| Publisher: Quercus Publishing plc | |
| ISBN: 978-0857380296 | |
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Bryn has lived almost all her life around Werewolves. Ever since a Rabid killed her family – only narrowly escaping herself – she's been under the care of her saviour, the Stone River Pack alpha, Callum. Marked as Pack, but Human, not Werewolf, Bryn is something of an oddity. She lives by Pack rule, but tries at every opportunity to undermine it – to keep her distance and maintain that piece of her that is her true self. She doesn't want to submit to Callum's alpha dominance and lose her last piece of freedom.
Until she meets Chase.
Chase is a survivor too, only he didn't get away so lightly. Savaged by a Rabid, he miraculously pulled through, but now he's a Werewolf. Turned. Something previously thought near impossible. Bryn has to know him because knowing him could be the key to uncovering the things she's forgotten. Those last moments of her normal life. The faces of her parents. But to know Chase means adhering to the Pack rules Bryn has always hated. And breaking Pack rule could cost Bryn her life.
With the glut of paranormal fantasy for teens on the market at the moment, it can be hard to sift through the Twilight rip-offs and find something actually worth reading. I'm always dubious when I pick such a title from the Bookbag shelves, as while there are some real gems out there, they are an increasingly rare thing.
Good job Raised by Wolves was one such gem really.
Too many paranormal fantasies take the paranormal and try to force it into normality. You get tame vampires, pet werewolves and demons more like cuddly toys than, well, demons. While it can be novel, the whole point of paranormal is that it's outside of the norm. That's what's interesting about the genre, at least for me – seeing characters that aren't human acting like they aren't human.
Raised by Wolves really takes that to the extreme, with complex and savage Pack law, constant battles for dominance and a real sense of the barely contained animalistic energy as the Werewolves manoeuvre around each other in forced human rituals, when you know they'd rather settle a dispute by tearing each other's throats out.
Bryn is the perfect character to explore such a world. Sassy, brave and just a little reckless, she is human enough to know how alien the Pack mentality is, but wolf enough to know how to push the boundaries, break the rules and get her own way.
The story is drawn out nicely. It's a common complaint that the plot of paranormal fantasy isn't so much 'plot' as two teenagers dancing around each other trying to find out if feelings of attraction are mutual. While there is romance here, it is pertinent to the plot and never overburdens the pace.
In short, this is a book that showcases all that is good about the paranormal fantasy genre – fast-paced, action-packed, with really interesting and otherworldly paranormal characters and just a touch of romance to sweeten the mix. Perfect reading for the paranormal fan.
My thanks to the publishers for sending a copy.
Fans of paranormal fantasy might enjoy the Morganville Vampires series and Strange Angels by Lili St Crow. We also liked Between by Jessica Warman, Between the Lives by Jessica Shirvington and Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton. You might enjoy Impostor (Variants) by Susanne Winnacker but we had our reservations.
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You can read more book reviews or buy Raised by Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
You can read more book reviews or buy Raised by Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes at Amazon.com.
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