Dire End

The Austin Wolves #4

by C.P. Rider

An Urban Fantasy ROMANCE novel

A siren and a shapeshifter must face the dark sides of their abilities to stop a shared enemy from declaring a paranormal war on the world.

More to come soon!

Genres: Fantasy, Shapeshifters

342 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 1, 2024

About the author

C.P. Rider has worked as a decorative and mural painter, a fitness instructor, and a background investigator for nuclear power plants, all of which prepared her in strange and different ways for writing paranormal and urban fantasy romance. 

Originally from the California southwestern desert, she now lives a little closer to the ocean with her family, including 3 dogs, a cat, 2 fish, and the occasional friendly ghost.

Reviews

[Marsha · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Dire End" is a good ending for the Austin Wolves series. Honestly, as excited as I was with the first few books they progressively became more of the same and lost it's edge.

This time Emmaline and Juan have been away from Austin and quickly realize that they have to return. This truly tugs at Emmaline because she is not as happy there but loves Juan. Soon, it becomes clear that threats upon her home time are forcing her to return home to fight her old enemy. She doesn't want to leave Juan but he also needs time alone with his pack to figure out where he needs to be.

As Emmaline goes home to face she is transported into a trapped set by Eve. Distorted and disgusting creatures are attacking her at every turn but she has to use her wiles to figure out the best solution. She also has to rely on a couple of her former enemies if she is to survive it. However, I have to admit, I quickly grew tired of one transportation out a serious situation to another. It was like the author was attempting to postpone the read in an effort to give readers "more." It became more of a hindrance to my enjoyment.

In the end, the finale of this series was good but I was glad it is over.

[Jill]

Great end to a great series 💜

Well, what a ride and a half this series turned out to be. Being honest, after reading Neely’s books I wasn’t sure if I was going to like Emmaline’s as much, but boy did I! Emmaline grew so much and ended up being so much more than she appeared to be in the first book 😊 And I liked the pov from both her and Juan’s perspectives, which added more depth and understanding to both them as individuals and them as a couple. Each subsequent book has ramped up pretty much everything from the previous one and this one ramped up the ramping to plus 10 😁 I’m not going to say much more, as I’d just be repeating what I’ve put in previous reviews - plus 10! Plus there’s some poignant sadness in this book (had a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes a couple of times, not giving away any spoilers tho) - but I’ll just say that I’m so glad I read and got invested in this series. Cheryl’s writing is superb, action, trauma, emotions and humour all wrapped up in a fabulous package that is The Austin Wolves Series.
Highly recommend reading this series and if you’re new to C. P. Rider’s books, start with The Sundance Series, Neely and Luke’s journey before reading this one, Emmaline and Juan’s, as there’s a huge amount of background that paves the way for these books.
Anyhoo, loved this book, loved this series 😁💖
Sooo Cheryl, what’s next for us voracious readers? 🤨😘 Looking forward to finding out 😁

[Susan1566 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my, what a great book! It covered all emotions – excitement, suspense, surprise, humour, sadness and happiness.
Emmaline and Juan are rebuilding the New Mexico motel destroyed in the previous book, planning to create a refuge for shifters to take a break from everything. Emmaline wants to make it home but Juan has to go back to Austin for alpha duties.
While in Austin and Juan is figuring out what to do with his pack and his relationship with Emmaline, she is fighting against the possessive, bossy attitude brought by the berserker wolf. When an emergency happens, she is called back to New Mexico but before he knows what’s happening she is transported away.
Eve, the leader of the Legion splinter group is still after Emmaline and will stop at nothing to get her.
Between Emmaline trying to figure out what to do and how much of her power that she should let Juan know about, he is torn making a decision.
There are basically never-ending battles, horrible monsters, danger at every turn.
With help from a few allies, the battle heats up.
Emmaline finds a way to communicate with Juan’s berserker which makes things interesting.
I loved this book and am very unhappy it is the end of the series.
Such a great series.

[Cheryl Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, it has a satisfying end to it, although I still feel that Emmaline was just incredibly selfish narcissist and controlling. Juan may have wanted to give up the pack, but he would have had a better life if he hadn't and she had gone with him to Texas, instead of forcing him to give up everything and she gives up nothing, not at all. The frequent switching between I for two different people is confusing and annoying, it takes a page or so to work out who the I is. I found it annoying in the other series, more so in this one. On the plus side, it's a cracker of a story, some of the main side characters die, but Eve is taken on and she does eventually get what's coming to her. Infecta is dealt with and all ends well.

[Anaïsu Anaïsu · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredible story. Emmaline, Juan, Noah, Clive, Griffin, Willie, Gert & Co, they would make you laugh and they would make you cry. What an emotional rollercoaster has been this series, and this final installment didn't disappoint. I enjoyed so much Emmaline and Alpha's Martinez journey it is a bit sad to say goodbye to these exceptional characters.

I'm looking forward to the next series from this author as all her previous books have been a hit for me. As a Spanish speaker, I always appreciated Rider's thoughtful use of the language in any of her series, enriching my reading experience. I highly recommend her!

[Rick Boisclair · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fitting end to a fabulous saga.

Infecta is coming and Juan and Emmaline have got to figure out how to stop her and her freak creations from destroying the world. They have built a new home in New Mexico but Juan can’t stay away from his Austin pack. They have to make sacrifices for the good of all and Juan’s sacrifice is so difficult that it takes months to heal. Emmalines sacrifice comes later as does some of her friend’s losses. But Eve is bent of destruction and Em is ready for her with the power of her friends with her. A cataclysmic finale ensues and this book will keep you reading deep into the night. Hope to see more from Ms. rider in the future.

[Piper James · Rating 5 out of 5]

My heart

This is the end of Emmaline's storyline. Trying to stay ahead of Eve, Emmaline and Juan are stretching themselves, and their relationships to the limit. Zeke needs to wake up, tess is in the wind, and there's something in the water. Can they stop Eve's evil plan in time?
This book is bitter sweet. There are some funny moments as always, but this book has some extra heaviness in it. We also get some great cameos too

[Kathy Crouch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Book

I love the urban fantasy genre. This is the second series that I have read by Cheryl. It is fantastic. If you enjoy reading paranormal in urban areas which is what urban fantasy is, I recommend all books by C. P. Rider.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Please let there be more

I don't want it to end. This series has made me laugh, cry, and reflect on how like magic a great book can be. Thank you for making me wish these characters were real.

[Wendi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous!

C. P. Rider is one of the best writers I've ever come across. I absolutely love all her characters and every storyline. I'm sorry to see this series end--though the ending was perfect-- but I am looking forward to what she comes up with next!

[Aneesah · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars Because

Of ONE important person! 😔

Mind blowing, full of action
Ok 4 and 1/2 stars?
Last book huh? Sigh 😔