Confusing

There are some clever moments, but the plot and the world are a mess. Events and scenery are used that don't seem to have a good relationship with the plot and there are several characters with unsupported attributes. Even their actions don't make sense at times.

At one point, while riding in a van, a character starts to sharpen a sword that is described as 'almost as tall as she was'. Inside a van, with several other people. Sharpening a five foot blade. The blade never makes another appearance in the entire book. Guns are used frequently, but no swords. But this character has and is sharpening a bastard sword because...

The question of Deidre's unknown animal is never answered.

I will NOT be reading the next book in the series. Even if it does have the answers. ( )

Confusing

There are some clever moments, but the plot and the world are a mess. Events and scenery are used that don't seem to have a good relationship with the plot and there are several characters with unsupported attributes. Even their actions don't make sense at times.

At one point, while riding in a van, a character starts to sharpen a sword that is described as 'almost as tall as she was'. Inside a van, with several other people. Sharpening a five foot blade. The blade never makes another appearance in the entire book. Guns are used frequently, but no swords. But this character has and is sharpening a bastard sword because...

The question of Deidre's unknown animal is never answered.

I will NOT be reading the next book in the series. Even if it does have the answers. ( )

MY REQUEST HAS BEEN APPROVED!!

YAAYYYYYYY.

NetGalley is now my favorite site in the world! (after Goodreads, duh)

When the Genesis struck, Deidre died. So did a huge amount of the world population. Afterwards she – and they – were reborn into a completely new world. The old systems were destroyed and the people who came back were different – the supernatural of legend were no longer tiny remnants clinging to the edge of society, they were everyone

Deidre is a shapeshifter – though she has no idea what kind since she never shits. As an Omega and with her family dead, she fell through the cracks in the new world that emerged; a world that was largely build and shaped by Rylie, werewolf Alpha and revered leader of the new world. Albeit that part of the new world who were supported when the world changed – for people like Deidre, not so much

Which makes it painfully ironic when it’s Deidre Rylie turns to when a new threat arises: Stark, powerful Alpha rallying the dispossessed and willing to do anything to claim power

The world comes with an interesting lens of oppression. The upheaval described has left so many people somewhat dispossessed; even while providing a system of benefits. The mere fact there are benefits and support for supernatural who are not part of Rylie’s pack doesn’t change that there’s a clear two tier society that has been created and that those living on those benefits, even if they are generous in some ways, are living difficult lives and ones without a lot of support and understanding. Things that are considered luxuries by the Pack (like the land, space and ability to hunt) are keenly felt lacks in the lives of those outside her circle.

In particular I like how we can see the system developed to support supernaturals is very impersonal and has little understanding of their actual needs, especially those that aren’t part of the major group – such as the hostility Deidre faces as an Omega or even as simple as the food rations they receive being heavy in red meat because it’s all designed around a werewolf’s diet.

Of course, that doesn’t make the alternative any more palatable – Stark is brutal and vicious and violent and many of his followers are terrible people. But many more are simply alone, with few resources and just plain angry. Angry at a system that brushes them aside, puts them as lesser and adopts a rough “that’ll do” plugging measure; while those Rylie has deemed acceptable having loving, fulfilling family life that is full of opportunities, potential and fully supportive of their supernatural nature; others like Deidre were sent to ill-equipped institutions with a whole lot of closed doors attached. It’s an involved depiction and does a lot to explain why a lot of basically decent people are taken in by Stark

And there’s more – because there’s a lot of nuance here – Stark’s followers don’t especially know what it is to be part of a pack or a group or even how to be shapeshifters since most supernaturals are newly created after the Genesis. So when he peddles his vision of brutal hunters and survival of the fittest and unification there’s no real counter message

Surprisingly for me, I even quite liked Deidre and Gage’s relationship despite it having all of the ingredients I dislike. He has a vast amount of angst and they seemed to become invested in each other far faster than I could understand but there’s some nice depth there. Gage’s angst has a strong backing and his complete despair is very understated but powerful and informs every element of his character. There different backgrounds are used as an excellent method of showing the conflict between those who have grown up under Rylie’s wing and those who have made do with the stop-gap institutions she put in place. It works – and it works because both characters are so very real and strongly developed.

On to plot – I don’t even think I can comment yet. This is very clearly the first instalment, the prologue, to a whole new series. It’s not meant to tell a story, it’s meant to introduce a story, introduce the characters and remind us of the world setting. It does all of that perfectly. It does not tell a story arc – it doesn’t even try to. Nothing is resolved, no conflict is particularly developed and no real direction has been set. This is all good – it’s an introduction and doesn’t pretend to be anything but that.

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urban fantasy. Decent wold building - good character presentation - likable characters - no personal growth - overall all, not bad, but not particularly memorable on any count. ( )