From the Romantic Times Sapphire award winning author of the Internationally best‑selling Elfhome series.
REBUILD A LIFE, SAVE A CITY
Silas Decker had his world destroyed when he was attacked by vampires outside of New Amsterdam. He has rebuilt his life a dozen times in the last three hundred years—each time less and less successfully. Now he lives alone, buried under a hoarding habit, struggling to find some reason to wake up with the setting of the sun.
Eloise is a Virtue, pledged to hunting evil. What she doesn’t know is how to live alone in a city full of strangers who know nothing about monsters.
Seth is the sixteen‑year old Prince of Boston, ward of the Wolf King. Now he is left in a city that desperately needs his protection with enemies gathering all around.
Joshua believes he is a normal, college‑bound high school senior. His life is shattered when he wakes up in a field, covered with blood, and the prom committee scattered in pieces about him like broken dolls.
These four must now come together to unravel a plot by Wickers, witches who gain power from human sacrifices and have the power to turn any human into their puppet. Four people who lost everything struggle to save Boston by saving each other.
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Fantastic!Bought it in ARC. Finished it too quickly. I wanted to reread it for the first time. Had to wait a month to reread... And enjoyed it just as much.
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An extremely enthralling readI'll keep this short and sweet, as others have summarized the book.
I bought this as an e-Arc. After I finished the book I immediately wanted to read the next one, as this is obviously (please!) a series. I was actually a bit sad that I had finished it. A month later I read it a second time and enjoyed it just as much.
Spencer's take on werewolves is familiar enough that it doesn't have to be explained in detail what a werewolf is in this setting while still being unique enough to not be "just more werewolves."
We get humor, drama, politics, interpersonal conflict, etc. from decently defined characters that obviously leaves room for more character development for those not in the spotlight in later books.
Go read the book. Now.Posted on
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not long before I read the book, I learned that Medicare/Medicaid have over one hundred and forty thousand codes including nine for injuries caused by attacks by turkeys ! When I got to chapter 46, I realized 2 things -- Medicare doesn't (probably) have a code for this attack and, second, Wen Spencer is one of the few authors capable of writing fiction that is as strange as bureaucracy. And, thank you very much, gives us laughs instead of tears with it. Highly recommended for times when you need a little cheer in your life.
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Fun! Quality! MetaReview based on the complete eARC and snippets from a possible sequel story.
My wife (a trained proof reader) has trouble reading an eARC, so she made me read aloud the Thanksgiving scenes after the fourth time I burst out laughing. The characters and dialogue are great.
Personally I love an author that gives you a decent Epilogue, or final chapter, one of Wen Spencer’s skill as an author.
Just like Wen Spencer’s popular Elfhome series, there are memorable character exploring a new world, with humor, high stakes, forging of friendships and allies helping solve the little problems (cooking a turkey) to huge problems (saving the Eastern seaboard of North America).
Wen Spencer is also skilled at writing stores were the characters are well versed in contemporary knowledge of Sci-Fi/ Fantasy and hooking her worlds on to anchors from a Marvel Cinematic Universe movie marathon, Ms. Peel from the original BBC Avengers, Lord of the Rings novels. Drawing parallels between the story and awareness of Sci-Fi/ Fantasy, then going in memorable direction. “Write what you know” in this case is expanded to “Write what you and your audience knows”. These real world details pull the reader into a world that feels whole, messy and complex without losing the reader in boring paragraphs of exposition.
Wen Spencer is always entertaining, but upon rereading you realize she hides some very deep thoughts and discussions in her books similar to Anne Bishop, Patricia Briggs, and Lois McMaster Bujold.
Because Baen always allows a generous amount of sample chapters, feel free to read them to check it out first.
http://www.baen.com/the-black-wolves-of-boston.html
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More, I want more!Wen Spencer is really stacking up to be my favourite author. I don't usually read books with male protagonists as I really can't relate to the character enough to be in a state of suspended disbelief. But Wen Spencer has several series with male protagonist who I can relate to. Mainly because they aren't mucho men who kick butt and take names as they do. Instead she has men who are struggling to figure out who they are and where they fit in the world.
The Black Wolves of Boston is about a young werewolf who a few days before was a normal though a bit weird kid who was bullied by the locals in a small town. Then one day he wakes up and all his friends have been brutally murdered around him and he has run off to Boston because he is scared that now that he is a werewolf he'll hurt others.
He falls into it when a Vampire discovers him in a forest knocking down some trees. Things get complicated very quickly from there as it is revealed that Joshua our young werewolf has some secrets of his own. There are evil wickers after them all and they have had decades to set up their plan and it all rests on the shoulders on one scared and weirded out baby puppy werewolf.
Wen does a lovely job of expressing the feelings of weird and awkward moments of trying to fit in and new relationships and broken families. Joshua reminds me a lot of her Alien taste book and little Kitt and his dad/clone Ukiah. If you haven't read that series than I recommend it. Wen doesn't hide that things can be awkward and strange on the best of days. There is some love interests for those that like a bit of romance but it is clean so you can enjoy the story without being bogged down with clinical descriptions.
One thing I'm starting to look for in books is stories about families. We all have messy complicated families and I'm tired of authors who tie up their protagonists by making them orphans with no family ties. Joshua has family coming out of the wahzoo and I love it because it is also messy and complicated.
I must say I felt a little awkward over Joshua's feelings for the vampire but it also made me think about where that awkward feeling came from and Wen also carefully doesn't rub your face in this awkward feeling. Wen also doesn't turn away from spirituality. Which others might find awkward just like I did Joshua's feelings but which made me feel warm with acceptance that it all could be in the same story.
Anyone from teenagers up would love this book but beware it is also gory with snitches made from human eyes and people being skinned alive. So you can't be squeamish. But what good is defeating the bad guys when they aren't really evil. I'm really hoping this is the start to a new series but also I hope Wen finishes Tinker's story first because listen up Baen I want more and I want more now.
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Read the first chapterThis is in no wise a full review as I only have the first chapter from the authors website but that chapter makes a very good impression, already setting up a world that wants to be explored, putting a bit of fun and a comedy twist to something that is normally a horror book topic. Werewolves. Love how what is obviously a new werewolf reacts to how do I get something to eat, and the definition of fast food is given new meaning. Go check it out.
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