Book Reviews

Book Blurb

The plague the wolves called the Pestilence destroyed more than seventy percent of the human population some fifty years ago. Nothing had helped, but the wolves, immune to human diseases, had done their best, and when it became clear there were no medicines that touched the illness, they buried the dead and started a new world order. Quinn the Supreme Alpha of the Nine Territories is now living happily with his human mate, Aaron, and trying to bring some of the human survivors, who have rebelled against wolf rule, back into the fold. When Aaron is struck down by the very plague Quinn thought he’d saved him from, Quinn is almost paralyzed by grief until doctors tell him of a remarkable mutation that just might save Aaron, even if it means turning the entire Wolf Council against them both by bringing a hybrid into the world. The only chance Aaron has is for Quinn to impregnate him with his baby.

Quinn takes the bold action to save his mate’s life, but a few months later, before Aaron can deliver the child, he’s kidnapped by the Human Alliance, a group of rebels who have a particular grudge against Quinn. Doctors don’t know if either Aaron or the baby can possibly survive the impending birth, and now Quinn is in a desperate race against time to find his mate. Aided by his closest allies, Quinn has to take desperate measures to bring his mate home to save both Aaron and the child. With the rebels out to destroy his happiness, Quinn is forced to rely on instinct and ingenuity if he and his mate are going to make it to out of this alive.

Book Review

Most post-apocalyptic stories are full of surprises and situations we can barely imagine, but the books in this series are taking this a step further. The world the werewolves and the surviving humans live in is very different from our civilization today. Only about a third of humans survived the Pestilence, and with a virus that is still active, and apparently mutating, Aaron and Quinn suddenly face a totally unexpected and somewhat scary situation. Rhys and Brandon are in trouble again, even though I thought they had made up at the end of book three, and some of the other couples – especially Cody and Tucker, and Devon and Jay – are back as well. They are melding into a leadership team to support Quinn in his role as Supreme Alpha - and with some traditional alphas and new rebel humans who hate his reforms, Quinn needs all the help he can get. Hold on to your hats – this novel is the wildest ride yet. And please make sure you read the first three books before this one – this is a true series and each installment builds on the one before. Besides, they are all excellent reads, and you wouldn’t want to miss any of the amazing world building and character development!

As all the threads from the previous books come together, and the team around Aaron and Quinn is beginning to solidify, the story about a future where werewolves and humans are just beginning to cooperate to build a new civilization comes together and starts to really take off. In a powerful combination of developing personal relationships between existing couples, political machinations of various enemy factions, and a breathtaking fight for survival on multiple levels, ‘Pride of the Alphas’ looks at the impact of the changes Quinn has made.

It is not a pretty picture, and that makes it all the more realistic. Most humans like what he has done, because the efforts to integrate them into werewolf society in a more equal manner make them happy. But there are humans, the Human Alliance to be precise, who hate all wolves with a vengeance and will do anything they can to get rid of them – permanently. That includes attacking Quinn by using his only weakness, his mate Aaron. Then there are the old, traditional werewolf alphas, well represented in the wolf council, who think they are superior to humans, want revenge for the days when humans suppressed all wolves, and think any and all reforms giving humans and hybrids more rights are wrong. They too will do anything to stop Quinn. And with Quinn and Aaron expecting a baby – who by definition will be a hybrid – Quinn is no longer an “acceptable” leader for them.
 
Aside from all that going on, there is also the fascinating idea of the plague virus mutating further and causing not just death to humans, but also some quite unexpected effects. When Aaron catches it I was devastated, but since he was infected by a pregnant woman the consequences are not quite what everyone feared. Aaron deals with his pregnancy in characteristic Aaron fashion, the scenes when Quinn tries to get him to eat a healthier diet are hilarious, and the emotional difficulties that develop between Quinn and him are scarily believable and almost broke my heart. As for Rhys and Brandon: be ready for some shocking but very fun developments on that front. I certainly never saw that one coming!

If you like sweeping post-apocalyptic stories with a paranormal touch and lots of suspense, if you like reading about the way different men and couples deal with changes they couldn’t have predicted if they’d tried, and if you’re looking for a read full of surprises, twists and turns, danger from old and new enemies alike, and suspenseful rescue missions, then you will probably like this novel as much as I did. I am glad to hear the authors are working on another book – I can’t wait to see what they come up with next!

 

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been provided by Painted Heart Publishing for the purpose of a review.

Additional Information

Format	ebook
Length	Novel, 194 pages/68419 words
Heat Level
Publication Date	25-February-2016
Price	$4.99 ebook
Buy Link	http://www.paintedheartspublishing.com/prideofthealphas