The Undercover Agent and the Lycan introduces the reader to an intriguing world of witches, lycans, and vampires. The lore and worldbuilding was very well done and very original.
Unfortunately, the writing style didn’t gel with me and the book often read more like an outline than a finished novel. The main actions were all told, with very little shown, which made it hard to identify with the characters, e.g. many scenes went along the lines of “Morgan and Tristan talked about x and decided to do y the next day”, but the reader was not shown what was actually said. Did they both agree on what to do from the start? Did one of them have to convince the other? What’s their dynamic? Who knows? It made for a frustrating read, as I wanted more information that never came.
The most problematic aspect for me though was Morgan herself. She was a complete Mary-Sue. She is the best agent (we’re told, not shown, but it’s believable). Soon after the start she discovers that she’s a witch, but not just any witch, the most powerful witch that anyone has ever known, and she masters all of her powers within the space of a single weekend without breaking a sweat. Nothing phases her, and everything comes naturally. It became annoying after a while, because there was no tension. Of course Morgan would win whatever fight she chose to fight. I never feared for her as a reader, as it became predictable that she could do everything.
Having said that, the world and the lore, as well as the storyline were well done. Given that this is the author’s first book, it’s very likely that the next one will be better.
My rating is three stars - enjoyable and has potential despite the problems.