This book is a spin-off, so my immediate reaction: this is going to suck. Needless to say, I went into it with low expectations, and even then, I was still disappointed. We, avid readers, should have gotten used to how a series you like is turned into a money-making piece of crap, no longer art but cheap means to get a few more bucks. Congrats to the author, I guess.
Before I get into reviewing the actual story, I just want to discuss something that bothered me greatly. I felt like a face-palm was not half as suggestive as my reaction. So... Bliss and wolf boys travel to ancient Rome. Okay, got it, cool beans. Then this noticeably sexually aroused guard (who happens to be a hound) says to Bliss something like: "Screw this loser [Lawson] and come with me". Oh, how awesome! I didn't know ancient people were actually so modern! Nevermind that the nowadays English didn't exist back then, and the fact that the people spoke nothing but Latin cuz, duh, Rome! But scratch that! The author proves that the word "loser" is actually an ancient Latin word. Revolutionary! Not. Let's assume that the hound came from the future too, just like Bliss and wolf boy. NOW! Wouldn't her speaking modern English ('cause she does reply, or he does) alert him just a wee bit that a modern language speaker popped out of nowhere in those freaking times? It makes no sense whichever way you think about it!
Now, to the actual story...
The plot was decent (at least it existed, which seems to be novelty in YA these days). I thought the interpretation of Romulus and Remus's tale, with the wolf and the kidnapping of the Sabine women, was pretty original and smart, although the whole story was so jumbled that the author herself felt the need to retell certain things over and over again, in a manner that seemed like "Did you understand? You sure? Really? No, let me say it again. Now it's better? Yeah? Sure? No, I'll just tell you again, just to be sure." The wolves as species were okay, the concept fairly new (them being slaves to the Silver Bloods in the Underworld after their betrayal) but it didn't get into how their powers worked. At all. It was simply there, as if it was the most obvious thing, and since it's a new interpretation of the werewolf myth, I was half expecting a new interpretation of their transformation, for example, but it just happened like any time of the day, when they felt like it, and their clothes would miraculously reappear on their bodies after the transformation. The backstory of the wolves was okay, but the concept was poorly explained, almost not at all explained. I don't even think we get a detailed description of their appearance, or it just changes. Once, they are wolfy-looking humans, then their are wolf. Which one? Are they both different stages of the transition? I would've liked to have their powers explained. We all know the werewolf stereotype, but I hoped for something new.
To the characters...
You're just doomed to hate the story when you don't like the main character. I definitely don't like Bliss. In Blue Bloods, at first, before becoming vessel for evil, it was obvious that underneath the superficial exterior was some back story, and I couldn't wait to get to it. I liked it when she was possessed by Lucifer, struggling but at times giving in. It was an interesting struggle which ended pretty brusquely, cutting all character development. She hadn't seemed to fight too much for it, it came way too easily. Plus, that's just me but I would've loved to see a dark twist to her personality. She was the daughter of the Devil after all, and she was just a goodie-two-shoes the entire series and the entire spin-off. Her power to command hellhounds came incredibly easy, just effortlessly, which was annoying. She hadn't used that ability half as much as she could've to save the day. I mean, no fights would have been needed, just her telling the hounds to stop. I doubt it would take the Dark Prince so much to realize what she is doing (he doesn't even realize by the end of the book), but, oh well. Convenience writing. At least she didn't weep over lost boyfriend and have conflicted feelings. I liked the fact taht she had gotten over Dylan but still kept him in her heart.
Whilst Bliss was rather boring, Lawson was downright annoying, especially his relationships with Tala and our protagonist. Besides the "everything for my pack" motif he has throughout the book, there's not much depth to his character. He is the stereotypical strong and savage werewolf, all instinctual and everything. We've seen it done better in other books (like "Blood and chocolate"), where those savages actually had some personality attached. I didn't buy his romance with Tala at all, especially after he drops the "I love you" bomb out of nowhere, without any development, any growing feelings between them. Insta-love just like that, and I oculd've gotten over it if it was made to look like the "teens are so dumb when they think first loves especially at first sight last" type of thing, but it was really made to be the real deal, true love and all. Impossible. Then comes Bliss who, after 2 days of knowing him (days in which he's mocked her and even tried to kill her), she starts a makeout session with him and almost end up banging. After "the love of his life", Tala, has just been taken. Peachy. Such a lovely, loyal boy. Wouldn't we all want him as boyfriend? Anyway, there's no connection between Bliss and Lawson whatsoever, no chemistry, no understanding, no nothing. This is really the nothing relationship.
All in all, this is so clearly just a poor attempt to make a few more money... How pitiful, especially when it is related to a series which used to be good.