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The Red Wolf Saga #1
The Draculata Nest
What do you do when the love of your life turns out to be a millennium old werewolf who decides to turn you into one also because she thinks you’re the answer to an ancient prophecy? Oh, and then she dies, without telling you that little part about the prophecy?
Well, if you’re Clifford Crane, you muddle through it like you always have. After all, it’s not the first time you’ve tried to change for a woman. Only this time the change is going to last for a thousand years. Jeez, it might as well be forever.
But things are going ok for Clifford so far, aside from being unable to hold a job and some loss of control around the full moon. He’s even decided to go back to school. But when a couple of young coeds seek to uncover his secret, everyone gets way more information than they want-ed.
Suddenly three lives become enmeshed in a larger universe where supernatural beings want to use them as pawns in their dangerous games of political intrigue. And they may have set in motion a prophecy that will determine the fate of the human race.
Well, if you’re Clifford Crane, you muddle through it like you always have. After all, it’s not the first time you’ve tried to change for a woman. Only this time the change is going to last for a thousand years. Jeez, it might as well be forever.
But things are going ok for Clifford so far, aside from being unable to hold a job and some loss of control around the full moon. He’s even decided to go back to school. But when a couple of young coeds seek to uncover his secret, everyone gets way more information than they want-ed.
Suddenly three lives become enmeshed in a larger universe where supernatural beings want to use them as pawns in their dangerous games of political intrigue. And they may have set in motion a prophecy that will determine the fate of the human race.
399 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
17 people are currently reading
47 people want to read
About the author
John Hundley
14 books22 followersJohn Hundley lives and writes in Salisbury, NC, USA. When he's not writing urban fantasy, sci-fi, or epic fantasy stories, you can find him hiking in the nearby Uwharrie National Forest, cycling, playing guitar, or binge-watching Netflix.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
December 20, 2012
A thank you to the author who magnanimously gifted me with a copy!
What I liked about this book:
the new world I was introduced to-we’ve all heard about Lycans being servants of the vampires but this book really shows the extent to which the sly vamps have exterminated the shifters.
there were some hints about the fae being a part of this world and I can’t wait to see how the author introduces that element in the sequel.
I instantly liked the camaraderie between Heather’s pack mates and their constant ribbing lightened the mood a bit- Clifford wasn’t a young guy and the way he tells the story shows that.
the werewolf armor was one of the coolest things in this novel- it reminded me of the armor that Polar bears wear in the movie “The Golden Compass”.
What I didn’t like:
there were many instances where there was too much detail
Clifford’s son was talked about but we never seem to see him or see Clifford even contact him.
Danielle’s personality change-she was shallow even before she became a bloodsucker but after becoming one, she just went slutty! Why was there a need to treat her character that way? I understood that her relationship with her sire/maker would be that way but why was she behaving that way with everybody else?
This book is different from the other vamp/were novels out there. Fans of such novels should give it a try.
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This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 23, 2012
Admittedly, the premise had me hooked. Even though I’m not a huge fan of vampires and werewolves which have been overdone to the point of boredom and eye-rolling, this book sounded as though it could be something different. And indeed it was, but rather disappointingly so.
A few chapters into the book, it still hadn’t captured my interest enough to keep reading. The very first thing I found a little distasteful, is the sixty year old main lead lusting after two co-eds. It didn’t work for me and left a sour taste in my mouth. I also wasn’t too fond of Danielle’s character, as she came across as the stereotypical male fantasy - an airhead with a body to die for.
The story was different from anything I’ve ever read before and I have to give the author kudos for his imaginative writing and a few terrific plot twists, hence the three-star rating. But at times I found the writing too detailed with unnecessarily lengthy explanations which had me skimming over some of the pages to get to the final chapter.
This being the first book in the Red Wolf novels, I’m hoping that some of the main characters will be more fleshed out in the next books, as I found a few of them a little one-dimensional and underdeveloped. Overall the writing is good and the story is unique, but my personal recommendation is for this book to be downloaded only when it’s free.
A few chapters into the book, it still hadn’t captured my interest enough to keep reading. The very first thing I found a little distasteful, is the sixty year old main lead lusting after two co-eds. It didn’t work for me and left a sour taste in my mouth. I also wasn’t too fond of Danielle’s character, as she came across as the stereotypical male fantasy - an airhead with a body to die for.
The story was different from anything I’ve ever read before and I have to give the author kudos for his imaginative writing and a few terrific plot twists, hence the three-star rating. But at times I found the writing too detailed with unnecessarily lengthy explanations which had me skimming over some of the pages to get to the final chapter.
This being the first book in the Red Wolf novels, I’m hoping that some of the main characters will be more fleshed out in the next books, as I found a few of them a little one-dimensional and underdeveloped. Overall the writing is good and the story is unique, but my personal recommendation is for this book to be downloaded only when it’s free.
May 11, 2025
A different take on werewolves and vampires with the two species being created to first eliminate humans (vampires) and then defend humans from the vampires. This makes a very structured set-up to the fight which has been ongoing for quite a while. The vamps seem to be gaining the upper hand because they fit in to human society better than the wolves (cities vs wilds now disappearing). In a attempt to reverse this trend a shamanic old school werewolf turns a one in a lifetime red alpha wolf but doesn't get a chance to inform him of his uniqueness before she dies. The story follows Clifford as he gets involved in the fray for the first time. After rescuing a crush from a vamp attack and disposing of him with ease he is pulled into the bigger story by the consequences of this deed .Trying to protect his crush and other friends sends him on a journey to meet more werewolves and eventually to fight a whole nest of vampires to stop his crush from becoming a vampire. A very good story but a little confusing at times . As the first of a four book contemporary series and having read a newer series I see the promise is there but not fully realized in this book. If you like paranormal origin stories this is a good one to start with as you delve into the saga of Clifford Carmichael the red wolf of legend !
March 30, 2022
Well the story picks up after Clifford meets the pack, before that was a shore to get into it actually. The whole relationship with Danielle was really wrong, not only because of her physical age, but because her inmaturity makes it even worse.
December 15, 2023
A story that will have binge reading. Even though this book has to do with werewolves, the story itself could deal with human emotions. Amazing characters that drew me into their lives. I can’t wait for more by this talented author
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December 8, 2022🎁 FREE on Amazon today (12/8/2022)! 🎁
April 4, 2013
The Draculata Nest
This book is primarily about Clifford Crane, a man who is 60 human years old but has only been a werewolf for 5 or 6, and the person who changed him has since passed away leaving him with very little knowledge of werewolves. Most of the information he does have comes from Kent a friend of 40 plus years he met in collage who is now a vampire and Kent's lover Roland who is quite high ranking in the local vampire nest. Clifford finds himself unexpectedly confronting a member of a "travelling" pack of vampires which means he is now centre of attention, well for the vampires anyway.
Now please don't read the above and assume that its vampires and werewolves and you have seen it all before which, in fairness, is what I thought before I read the book however, you are in for a pleasant surprise! I think the first thing that's good is Cliffords age, he thinks about what he is doing all the time and that gives the book a more mature feel, this is not a book about gung-ho kids steaming into any situation without thought! I like the relationship between Clifford and Kent, two men who have known each other for decades and are finding a way to continue their friendship despite now being totally different creatures. This book is well thought out and highly entertaining. There are a couple of parts I found superfluous such as Clifford's recovering drug habit which did not seem to impact the story but this is the first in the series so perhaps all will become clear in time.
I would rate this book 4 out of 5 stars.
Petra
complimentary book given for a free review. juliesbookreview.blogspot.com
This book is primarily about Clifford Crane, a man who is 60 human years old but has only been a werewolf for 5 or 6, and the person who changed him has since passed away leaving him with very little knowledge of werewolves. Most of the information he does have comes from Kent a friend of 40 plus years he met in collage who is now a vampire and Kent's lover Roland who is quite high ranking in the local vampire nest. Clifford finds himself unexpectedly confronting a member of a "travelling" pack of vampires which means he is now centre of attention, well for the vampires anyway.
Now please don't read the above and assume that its vampires and werewolves and you have seen it all before which, in fairness, is what I thought before I read the book however, you are in for a pleasant surprise! I think the first thing that's good is Cliffords age, he thinks about what he is doing all the time and that gives the book a more mature feel, this is not a book about gung-ho kids steaming into any situation without thought! I like the relationship between Clifford and Kent, two men who have known each other for decades and are finding a way to continue their friendship despite now being totally different creatures. This book is well thought out and highly entertaining. There are a couple of parts I found superfluous such as Clifford's recovering drug habit which did not seem to impact the story but this is the first in the series so perhaps all will become clear in time.
I would rate this book 4 out of 5 stars.
Petra
complimentary book given for a free review. juliesbookreview.blogspot.com
March 5, 2012
Review: Clifford is just your run of the mill middle aged guy that would just prefer to blend into the woodwork. But it's a little difficult when he is a werewolf and his instincts drive him to defend a young female friend from vampires. But when his identity is accidentally revealed to the girl and her best friend, it changes all of their lives forever.
This book is so totally different from anything I expected it to be. I really struggled just to start reading this novel because I was so sure that I wouldn't like it. But once I finally picked it up, I immediately became engrossed in it. It didn't start out with all of the normal bore that most books have of trying to set the stage. The way that the author presented the story didn't require any unnecessary explanations. It's hard to believe that a book about werewolves and vampires could ever be anything but over the top, but that's exactly how I felt.
For anyone who has never read books from this genre- this is definitely the one I would recommend starting with. I came away from this book with a whole new understanding of why these types of books have become so popular. If a sequel is written, you can bet that I will snag it up as soon as it comes out! Many props to this first time author, John Hurdley for making a believer out of me!
This book is so totally different from anything I expected it to be. I really struggled just to start reading this novel because I was so sure that I wouldn't like it. But once I finally picked it up, I immediately became engrossed in it. It didn't start out with all of the normal bore that most books have of trying to set the stage. The way that the author presented the story didn't require any unnecessary explanations. It's hard to believe that a book about werewolves and vampires could ever be anything but over the top, but that's exactly how I felt.
For anyone who has never read books from this genre- this is definitely the one I would recommend starting with. I came away from this book with a whole new understanding of why these types of books have become so popular. If a sequel is written, you can bet that I will snag it up as soon as it comes out! Many props to this first time author, John Hurdley for making a believer out of me!
February 14, 2012
First I would like to thank the author and books4tomorrow for giving me a copy of this book to read for a review. I want to say that this is a good book. It's got your normal werewolf vs vampire, but oddly not all of them are enemies :) the main character is Clifford, who is in his 60s but became a werewolf in the last decade so he looks much younger. I like the "made were" background, it's a little different, as you can't be bitten to be one. Most of the story is told form Cliffords point of view and some from Danielle's. Now, I'm not a Danielle fan, I kinda wanted to punch her in the face several times, but she wasn't a bad guy, just.... Ugh hahaha I like that Clifford writes in his journal and you get his direct thoughts. I also like Nicole, Danielle's best friend, and Kent, Cliffs vampire friend. I also really like some of the supporting werewolf character's that come into play in the story and I LOVE the whole prophecy concept. Gotta have a few twists every now and again! I definitely look forward to the "what happens next" in the story. The only thing I didn't like, is that some things become long winded. Third person self warring and some descriptions were sometimes a little much, but not enough to keep me from this story. All in all it's a good book :) 3.5 paws from me!
March 19, 2012
The Draculata Nest is the first book in the Red Wolf Novels. This is the first book I’ve read by John Hundley. This book follows Clifford Crane a lone wolf who is somewhat satisfied with his lonesome life until he sparks a friendship with two classmates and realizes just how lonely he is. Finding others of his kind also brings along a future that he doesn’t want but falls right into. This is not the typical Werewolf/Vampire story. The book was greatly written and full of excitement and great characters that you can’t help but relate to in some way. I think some of my favorite parts are of the pack “conversations” while in wolf form. It was very difficult to put down. The only bad part was the end. I can’t wait to read more about the Red Wolf and his “pack” of friends. I highly recommend this book and give it 5 out of 5 stars.
March 4, 2015
Clifford was a unique character and this was a good start to a new series. I didn't get the whole Clifford the big red wolf/Clifford big red dog connection until after I had finished the book. I'm not sure if this was done on purpose or not.
I think that anybody who reads this genre has read a book where young women fall for men who are really old because they're not human. It seems to fall into a double standard where Clifford is concerned though because he's the main character and he's not that comfortable with it himself, but I didn't see anything wrong with it.
The story was very good, though the ending happened very suddenly in my opinion. One thing I would love to see in person is Clifford putting on all that armor as a wolf.
I think that anybody who reads this genre has read a book where young women fall for men who are really old because they're not human. It seems to fall into a double standard where Clifford is concerned though because he's the main character and he's not that comfortable with it himself, but I didn't see anything wrong with it.
The story was very good, though the ending happened very suddenly in my opinion. One thing I would love to see in person is Clifford putting on all that armor as a wolf.
November 16, 2012
There are a lot of books in this genre and it was nice to read a book did its own thing. I loved that it was a vampire-werewolf theme that kept it classic. The alluring and seductive vampires came out at night to play and when they grow angry they become monstrous creatures. And the werewolves didn’t just poof into fluffy big dogs, their bones cracked and the transformation was bone crackling and painful.
I think the book is not only full of action and adventure but also grief, pain, love and lust and at times it’s comedic. One thing I can truly say is that it is never boring!
I think the book is not only full of action and adventure but also grief, pain, love and lust and at times it’s comedic. One thing I can truly say is that it is never boring!
March 15, 2012
I wasn't sure what to expect with this book, but I quickly got into it. It was a lot of fun, even though I'm not one to enjoy novels that mix weres with vampires (over done to death!), but John Hundley does a great job with it. If you like paranormal novels with vamps and weres against each other, but want something different, then check this book out. I'm happy I did and am looking forward to the next in the series.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews