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Werewolf of Marines #1
Semper Lycanus
Private First Class Aiden Kaas has enlisted in the Marines for all the wrong reasons. Now deployed to Iraq at the age of 19, he just wants to put in his time and serve out his enlistment. However, after being bitten by a seemingly rabid mujahideen, he finds himself suffering from a strange illness, one with consequences beyond his wildest imaginings. As the disease ravages his body and exposes him to dangers far darker than active combat, Aiden discovers what it means to come of age, and how he must come to grips with what it is he has become…
WARNING: This book contains scenes of extreme violence and one scene of explicit sexual content.
WARNING: This book contains scenes of extreme violence and one scene of explicit sexual content.
248 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 29, 2014
275 people are currently reading
159 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan P. Brazee
149 books189 followersI am a retired Marine colonel and now a full-time writer living in Colorado Springs with my wife, Kiwi, and infant twin daughters, Danika Dawn and Darika Marie.
I published my first work back in 1978, a so-so short story titled "Secession." Since then, I have been published in newspapers, magazines, and in book format in fiction, political science, business, military, sports, race relations, and personal relations fields. I returned to writing fiction in 2009, and I currently have over 85 titles published, 52 being novels. My novelette, "Weaponized Math," was a finalist for the 2017 Nebula Award, and my novella, "Fire Ant," was a 2018 Nebula finalist. My novel "Integration" was a 2018 Dragon Award finalist, and my novel "Sentenced to War" was a 2021 finalist. I am a USA Today Bestelling writer.
My undergraduate degree was earned at the U. S. Naval Academy (Class of 1979), and I have attended graduate school at U. S. International University and the University of California, San Diego, earning a masters and doctorate. I am a lifetime member of the Disabled American Veterans, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the US. Naval Academy Alumni Association, and the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America.
I have rather eclectic tastes. I have won awards in photography, cooking, wrting, and several sports, earning national championships in rugby and equestrian events. When I'm not writing, I'm reading, cooking, going to the gym, or traveling. I attend quite a few cons over the course of a year, and love meeting other people who love books.
I write because I love it. I only hope that others might read my work and get a bit of enjoyment or useful information out of my efforts.
As an author, I don't think it is fair for me to rate any other author's books here on Goodreads if that rating is less than five stars. I have certainly read many books that do not deserve five (or four, three, or even two). However, I will not rate any of those here while I am a Goodreads author. Consequently, I will only be listing books that I really like and feel deserve five stars.
If you would like to join my email list and find out about new books or promotions, please sign up at http://eepurl.com/bnFSHH. My website is http://jonathanbrazee.com.
I published my first work back in 1978, a so-so short story titled "Secession." Since then, I have been published in newspapers, magazines, and in book format in fiction, political science, business, military, sports, race relations, and personal relations fields. I returned to writing fiction in 2009, and I currently have over 85 titles published, 52 being novels. My novelette, "Weaponized Math," was a finalist for the 2017 Nebula Award, and my novella, "Fire Ant," was a 2018 Nebula finalist. My novel "Integration" was a 2018 Dragon Award finalist, and my novel "Sentenced to War" was a 2021 finalist. I am a USA Today Bestelling writer.
My undergraduate degree was earned at the U. S. Naval Academy (Class of 1979), and I have attended graduate school at U. S. International University and the University of California, San Diego, earning a masters and doctorate. I am a lifetime member of the Disabled American Veterans, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the US. Naval Academy Alumni Association, and the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America.
I have rather eclectic tastes. I have won awards in photography, cooking, wrting, and several sports, earning national championships in rugby and equestrian events. When I'm not writing, I'm reading, cooking, going to the gym, or traveling. I attend quite a few cons over the course of a year, and love meeting other people who love books.
I write because I love it. I only hope that others might read my work and get a bit of enjoyment or useful information out of my efforts.
As an author, I don't think it is fair for me to rate any other author's books here on Goodreads if that rating is less than five stars. I have certainly read many books that do not deserve five (or four, three, or even two). However, I will not rate any of those here while I am a Goodreads author. Consequently, I will only be listing books that I really like and feel deserve five stars.
If you would like to join my email list and find out about new books or promotions, please sign up at http://eepurl.com/bnFSHH. My website is http://jonathanbrazee.com.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
July 28, 2025
Semper Lycanus
by Jonathan P. Brazee
This was a Marine book and a werewolf book. The main character is young, made fun of, small in stature, hates a girl that made him look bad, and really doesn't know how to deal with life. Joins the Marines after high school, not because he wants to fight. He just wants out of his town.
He really is a coward, and eventually, that's how he encounters a werewolf. Once he turns, he has to figure out what is wrong with himself. Then there are those werewolves that want him dead because he's an accident.
Lots of action, but I can't say I liked him any better as a werewolf!
by Jonathan P. Brazee
This was a Marine book and a werewolf book. The main character is young, made fun of, small in stature, hates a girl that made him look bad, and really doesn't know how to deal with life. Joins the Marines after high school, not because he wants to fight. He just wants out of his town.
He really is a coward, and eventually, that's how he encounters a werewolf. Once he turns, he has to figure out what is wrong with himself. Then there are those werewolves that want him dead because he's an accident.
Lots of action, but I can't say I liked him any better as a werewolf!
June 16, 2020
Started strong but disappointed
Love werewolf books however this one is more of a romance type. Hopefully I can find a series for guys lol
Love werewolf books however this one is more of a romance type. Hopefully I can find a series for guys lol
August 4, 2022
I'm not a big werewolf fan, but I'm glad I picked this one up. A very enjoyable read. I liked the different kind of setting than usual. Aiden Kaas is bitten and suffers the joys and horror of being a werewolf. Along time loser, Aiden's life takes on a whole new perspective. Luckily, he is helped by an old man that tries to guide him. A recommended read.
January 3, 2015
Brazee is a fabulous author and I have not been disappointed by anything he has written. That being said, this is a bit off base from his norm... A marine, bit of a coward, going nowhere (not the general marine ideal, obviously) is bitten while on deployment in the sand box. How will he deal with it?
This book was serious and a bit of a lark at the same time. I wasn't sure how Brazee would handle paranormal (he does extremely well with futuristic), but I wasn't disappointed.
If you like military, sci-fi, or paranormal, this book is worth taking a chance on.
This book was serious and a bit of a lark at the same time. I wasn't sure how Brazee would handle paranormal (he does extremely well with futuristic), but I wasn't disappointed.
If you like military, sci-fi, or paranormal, this book is worth taking a chance on.
March 18, 2016
A U.S. Marine becomes a werewolf in Iraq - with nanites instead of magic being the mechanism. We see personal relationships and growth and conflict between old time (stronger) werewolves and the protagonist along with a modern society with the technology and power to trace him (and them) down.
It's nice to see that kind of future shock like conflict.
The author is a retired Marine and the scenes of the Marines on patrol seemed very realistic to me.
It's nice to see that kind of future shock like conflict.
The author is a retired Marine and the scenes of the Marines on patrol seemed very realistic to me.
June 5, 2014
Werewolf of Marines: Semper Lycanus
I found this book to be very interesting because the author didn't follow a popular formula that usually plagues this genre. The backstory is strongly supported with his military experience, grounding the story in authenticity. Well done.
I found this book to be very interesting because the author didn't follow a popular formula that usually plagues this genre. The backstory is strongly supported with his military experience, grounding the story in authenticity. Well done.
September 16, 2023
"Semper Lycanus" is not the ordinary take on either werewolves or military sf, but in Brazee's hands it is an interesting combination. For me it seemed rather slow, at first, while I wondered why I, as a reader, should be interested in a callow slacker of a Marine. But things got interesting quickly. As Aiden "grew into" his new identity he became a considerably more interesting character.
Aiden's mentor Hozan is probably my favorite character in this book. I looked forward to the scenes in his POV because they offered a wider view and some valuable grounding. By the end of the book I was thoroughly invested, and ready to read on.
Be aware that the prose is not the most accomplished craft, and the proofreading left much to be desired. For me, the interesting story and breathless pace outweighed those annoyances.
Aiden's mentor Hozan is probably my favorite character in this book. I looked forward to the scenes in his POV because they offered a wider view and some valuable grounding. By the end of the book I was thoroughly invested, and ready to read on.
Be aware that the prose is not the most accomplished craft, and the proofreading left much to be desired. For me, the interesting story and breathless pace outweighed those annoyances.
October 5, 2025
An alright fantasy-military story. Feels like a "vacation" book you'd buy before a plane flight or to read on a beach when you've got downtime. Prose is pretty simple with a tendency towards short, snappy sentences; not my favorite style personally but not bad here, either. Unfortunately the paragraph indents are distractingly huge to me (they'd have been perfectly fine at half that size).
Also, I get why Kaas had to go back home for a bit, story-wise, but man... I did not care about the sideplot with the woman who was mean to him high school whatsoever. It's not a big part of the book, at least.
Also, I get why Kaas had to go back home for a bit, story-wise, but man... I did not care about the sideplot with the woman who was mean to him high school whatsoever. It's not a big part of the book, at least.
March 16, 2023
I enjoy becoming-a-hero stories, but this one is really twisted. A chronic underachiever becomes a model marine, all because of an unexpected type of enemy in the sandbox. The author must have spent a lot of time thinking about how werewolf society would work in the modern world because what he came up with makes sense while being original (i.e. not following the usual alpha-omega pack concept). This story marries military action with werewolf folklore to make a paranormal military fantasy that satisfies both military fiction fans and paranormal fantasy fans.
November 25, 2024
Mixing warfare and lycanthropes, this book looks into how being infected as a werewolf would affect you as a soldier. There is a lot of military jargon in this, which brought down my score a bit, but if someone has been in the military it would probably be even better. I will read the rest of the series to find out how things work out between our werewolf, the council of werewolves, and the U.S. Government.
August 27, 2023
Overall I enjoyed it. I really wish they had spelled out the ranks instead of abbreviating them as I only knew half of them. I'm also on the fence about the MC, I don't really like him but he does seem to grow as a character. There also were some obvious grammar issues at the end. I am mildly curious about book two but I probably will pass on it.This was worth the read though.
June 11, 2024
A very different type of book to read.
You are in Iraq a war zone the troops are clearing the buildings when one attacked and is bitten in the neck. The soldier was saved but things were changing for him because he did not understand what is going on . If people find out what is going with him , then trouble is just beginning for him. The did a good job with the book.
You are in Iraq a war zone the troops are clearing the buildings when one attacked and is bitten in the neck. The soldier was saved but things were changing for him because he did not understand what is going on . If people find out what is going with him , then trouble is just beginning for him. The did a good job with the book.
August 31, 2020
Awesome book by a great storyteller!!
A very awesome read - I enjoyed meeting the main character Aiden. The support characters were interesting & added spice to the story.
I'm excited to see where this tale goes.
A very awesome read - I enjoyed meeting the main character Aiden. The support characters were interesting & added spice to the story.
I'm excited to see where this tale goes.
October 30, 2020
An intriguing book
The storyline of this book is interesting and intriguing. What do you do as a marine pfc when you find out you’re a werewolf. With interesting characters and an intriguing storyline this book is worth reading
The storyline of this book is interesting and intriguing. What do you do as a marine pfc when you find out you’re a werewolf. With interesting characters and an intriguing storyline this book is worth reading
October 26, 2024
Not what was expected!
Not a normal werewolf book where the protagonist just goes wild and kills everything in sight. Very well thought out, character driven for each kill where he was reluctant to become. Recommend a prime read for all Lucan adorers.
Not a normal werewolf book where the protagonist just goes wild and kills everything in sight. Very well thought out, character driven for each kill where he was reluctant to become. Recommend a prime read for all Lucan adorers.
February 27, 2018
Well done story
Keeping to some of the mythology of werewolves this has a new direction to it. Older man who helps a young man find out who he is.
Keeping to some of the mythology of werewolves this has a new direction to it. Older man who helps a young man find out who he is.
July 16, 2019
Semper Lycanus - the best urban fantasy title ever
Great book with a great title. I liked the characters and storyline. Looking forward to the next book. Lots of action.
Great book with a great title. I liked the characters and storyline. Looking forward to the next book. Lots of action.
February 23, 2020
Interesting turn on the werewolf theme
A much more reasonable werewolf version without the tie to the moon, it's a lot easier to hide. Downplaying the bloodlust and upping control.
A much more reasonable werewolf version without the tie to the moon, it's a lot easier to hide. Downplaying the bloodlust and upping control.
October 30, 2020
Great story
Fast paced and engaging. The characters are well developed. This story keeps you turning the pages. Looking forward to reading more.
Fast paced and engaging. The characters are well developed. This story keeps you turning the pages. Looking forward to reading more.
January 6, 2022
A great take on the werewolf tale.
August 12, 2022
War!
Lycans in the marines! Awesome! Great descriptions and characters. Action packed. Page turner. Can't wait to read the next book.
Lycans in the marines! Awesome! Great descriptions and characters. Action packed. Page turner. Can't wait to read the next book.
January 15, 2023
Wow
This is a really fun read. When a substandard Marine runs up against a werewolf life gets really interesting. Lots of action in this one. I can't wait to read the next one.
This is a really fun read. When a substandard Marine runs up against a werewolf life gets really interesting. Lots of action in this one. I can't wait to read the next one.
September 3, 2023
I didn't know to think at first, but I've found a new genre I didn't know about. I'm recommending this series on the strength of the first book.
March 21, 2024
okay
This book was okay. A good start to a series but it needs to be gone over better by an editor. Also some of those acronyms need to be explained, if only ones.
This book was okay. A good start to a series but it needs to be gone over better by an editor. Also some of those acronyms need to be explained, if only ones.
January 6, 2025
Just brilliant
December 20, 2020
Good take on Werewolves
Couldn't put this down, didn't like our hero much at the start, but he definitely grew on me ? More please
Couldn't put this down, didn't like our hero much at the start, but he definitely grew on me ? More please
May 2, 2016
It is very clear that Jonathan Brazee's military background came in handy in writing this story. The level of detail and, I assume (I am non-military) accuracy are fascinating and greatly enhance the narrative. At the same time, I am made to wonder if he has a similar amount of knowledge in all things Werewolf!
I really liked his description of the Werewolf culture and was amused by the way vampires were described. So, either Mr. Brazee has an excellent imagination or first hand knowledge on werewolf life. Which is it Jonathan?
In also a sucker for superhero stories. By taking a loser and turning him essentially into a fierce furred fighter, Brazee has combined two of my favorite things. And, he's a Marine! Doesn't get much better.
I really liked his description of the Werewolf culture and was amused by the way vampires were described. So, either Mr. Brazee has an excellent imagination or first hand knowledge on werewolf life. Which is it Jonathan?
In also a sucker for superhero stories. By taking a loser and turning him essentially into a fierce furred fighter, Brazee has combined two of my favorite things. And, he's a Marine! Doesn't get much better.
July 9, 2016
Good light reading.
Good light reading. Well written and with no glaring technical issues. Going to check out the authors other novels. Good job here Marine.
Good light reading. Well written and with no glaring technical issues. Going to check out the authors other novels. Good job here Marine.
August 19, 2016
I liked this series and the characters.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews