Wyrd Calling

Wyrd Bound #1

by Shen Hart

A serial killer is on the loose, and they’re targeting sirens. Thalia must pull together her new pack of unruly cubs while dealing with her ex, and try to stop the murderer. The problem is, she’d much rather return the cubs to whichever ditch the Sisters dragged them out of, and help the murderer kill the sirens.

Thalia is a hot-headed, stubborn, wild-child shifter who happens to be Wyrd Bound. She’s been away from the clutches of the Wyrd Sisters (that’s the Norse fates to you and me) for some time, where she was enjoying tricking black market traders out of their money. She knew her vacation had to come to an end at some point, but she kept telling herself she had another decade or two. Unfortunately for her, she was quite literally made for her role. She belongs to the Sisters, and they had work for her to do.

She’d tell you she wasn’t made for this “saving the day” stuff, but she’d be wrong.

237 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 7, 2014

About the author

I'm obsessed with shifters, infatuated with fae, and madly in love with psychology. I'm an indie author of dark urban fantasy (Wyrd Calling is on Amazon, Feathered Touch to be published July 31st 2015), developmental editor, copywriter, and English expat in the beautiful city of Prague.

I'm a passionate, stubborn, workaholic with aphasia who loves a good challenge and refuses to give up no matter how many times I crumble. Away from writing and words, I adore horses (I was a riding instructor), dogs (I was a dog trainer), walking, and exploring new things.

Curiosity may well be the death of me, eventually, but at least I'll die doing what I love - finding answers and digging up new things! You can find me on Twitter @Shen_Hart

You can find my books on Amazon:
Wyrd Calling http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OYQZJ6Q
Feathered Touch (Link to come in mid-July).

Reviews

[Matt Ely · Rating 5 out of 5]

Original review posted at JC's Book Haven

His lips parted into a smirk as he looked me up and down. "Now then, be a good girl and I'll get a good price for you..."
I smiled sweetly at him. "I don't think so."

The Good

So I really like this book. It's just full of paranormal creatures. I love that while following a shifter group, it's not just your normal pack of werewolves and instead most of the shifters in Thalia's new pack are more than a one-trick-shifting-pony. I really like that they use elemental magic as well. The story has a great who-done-it, find-the-villain mystery going on also.

The Bad

My only complaint is you never really get to know anything about the killer, which is fine and all. But you know me, I like to invest in the villains and have a reason to root against them. That was somewhat missing for me.


The Romance

Well Thailia, our heroine, has to work with her soul mate who just didn't cut it and they are now forced to be alphas for the pack. So there is lots of romantic tension.

Conclusion

I can't wait for the next book. I love a book that is just full of supernatural creatures and Wyrd Callling has it all. The creatures, hanging out in their environment and even having them throw down. This is one of the best books I've read this year.

[Gwen · Rating 3 out of 5]

*** 3 1/2 Stars ***
This was a tough one I am not sure if I enjoyed it or not, but I did finish it, without skipping any pages which is a plus.
Thalia/Suriel is a tri-shifter, basically what we would call a pavement special, who is bound to the the Wyrd Sisters. I keep thinking Terry Pratchett here, but no we are not dealing with Granny Weatherwax here more's the pity.
Rather they are the Sisters of Fate, and Thalia has spent her whole life running away from them and Alex her bond mate, who broke her heart.
Now the Sister's have forced her back not only to Alex, but to a life she didn't want and a job to discover a murderer and to form a new pack of which she and Alex are alphas.
I found the book to a strange mix of Anne Bishop's books "The Others" and "Girls just wanna have fun" what I mean by this is that the characters are much closer to the animal natures and humans take a back seat, while Thalia comes across a little immature in not dealing with life's responsibilities. There is of course the usual love triangle, and I am not sure what is going on with Dan but time will tell.
Am I going to read the next one? I think I will, I want to give the series a chance because it does have potential.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you consider dark urban fantasy to be Twilight, don't bother with Wyrd Calling. If you consider dark urban fantasy to be an exciting tale of a shapeshifter with more layers than an onion, THEN consider Wyrd Calling. Better yet, do more than just consider it, embrace it.
I was blessed with an ARC and plan on getting the whole series, kids. Shen Hart has gone to great lengths to produce a smart, funny heroine with one hell of an attitude. The setting, the supporting cast, you will be sucked into their world, and it should be completely willing. Hart has gone to great lengths to immerse you in the story, in the world.
It is hard to come to the end because you do want more. Fine, tight writing style, delicious description, excellent efforts by the editing staff. I'll call it a must read. Wyrd Calling is an excellent opening salvo and I look forward to the rest of the series.

[Vincent LaRosa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. I love this. And I don't say that easily. There are many books out there that take a crap-ton of internal energy to process and seem to drain your life away, page by page. Wyrd Calling is NOT one of them. Quite the opposite. This book was an absolute effortless joy to read! From descriptions that place you right in the scenes and conjure up the action with ease in your mind's eye, to amazing dialogue that makes you think (and wish) you were right there in the conversation. I whiled away a cool, Autumn afternoon reading this delightful story from beginning to end.

Pure fun. It was like making new friends.

So don't wait. Join the pack and get to know Thalia and the rest of the shifters!

[Christy deSade · Rating 2 out of 5]

Missing half

This was the first book in a series, but it read like a third or fourth book. You know, where you're supposed to understand how the world works, why it is the way it is, have a general understanding of the characters, etc. There was no world building, and I read for it specifically after 55% and still missing a basic understanding of the reasons behind the species interactions. The characters were flat and boring after a while, no real growth there. The only thing keeping this from one star is the original premise. Given to a different author and treated with more respect, I would've quite enjoyed the entire world. Sadly, this was not the case.

[Ryan Toxopeus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Urban fantasy is a genre I'm not familiar with. When I think of it, the first image that comes to mind is "sparkly vampires" and I shut my brain off.

I'm glad I gave Wyrd Calling a chance, though. It's a strange sort of story where I enjoyed it, even though I didn't like Thalia, the protagonist. Being locked in her head for the story was the only real drawback for the book. Don't get me wrong, she came across as true and real, but the way her mind worked was, at times, infuriating. Obsessive, repetitive thought patterns regularly intrude on the story. She also has a little mental box where she locks away her past, which is bothersome because she keeps referring to painful history, but it takes forever to actually hear what it is. Even when it comes out in bits and pieces, it leaves you wanting to yell at her to just tell you what happened already, and it's still vague enough that you can't really be certain! Her multiple personalities warring inside her give her a bizarre unpredictable quality that you can tell drives everyone around her nuts. She's as likely to bite you as nuzzle in for a cuddle, depending on what aspect is nearest the surface. It's quite jarring when in one chapter she's empathetic and wants to do her job right, and in the next she's cold and uncaring. There are reasons for the shifts in mood, but they always feel like Thalia is a creature of extremes.

I really liked the tri-shifter idea. Although the crow and jaguar were the most dominant animals in her repertoire, Thalia also has a wolf buried in there. And at times we see her ... when all the animals are quiet and not fighting with each other to take control, Thalia comes out and enjoys the peace and quiet in her own head.

The world is dynamic and interesting, as is the plot. And while I often find myself frustrated with authors who go into too much information of real settings, like you need to be a local to envision it properly and all the street names make sense to you, this story goes to the opposite extreme. It could take place almost anywhere, really. I never felt anchored anywhere. It felt like it was supposed to be a real place, but the name was never mentioned, just like how specific names of shows, restaurants, etc. were left unnamed. In the end it's an unimportant detail - it doesn't matter where it all takes place.

In terms of pacing, there's plenty of action - even if most of it is not related to the plot. Random bar brawls aplenty. I have no complaints there.

Without getting into spoilers, I both liked and disliked the ending, which fits since there were so many times I found myself liking and disliking elements in the story. It was much more abrupt than I was expecting, but on the other hand it avoided cliche "bad guy speeches." This is the first in a series, so I'm curious to see where it goes with what it's left open - which is a lot. I feel like a stronger finish with another story arc or two wrapped up would have been more satisfying, but since I do want to continue on with the series in the future, perhaps the ending did just what Shen Hart was looking for, in my case.

Overall, this book gave me lots to think about while I was going through it. Animal psychology and multiple personalities pervade the story, and while Thalia annoyed me many times, she stayed true to herself ... as true as someone with multiple animal personalities fighting for dominance in her head could be, anyway. I can't give it 4 stars, but it's better than 3, so I'm giving it 3.5/5.

[Ryan Toxopeus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Urban fantasy is a genre I’m not familiar with. When I think of it, the first image that comes to mind is “sparkly vampires” and I shut my brain off.

I’m glad I gave Wyrd Calling a chance, though. It’s a strange sort of story where I enjoyed it, even though I didn’t like Thalia, the protagonist. Being locked in her head for the story was the only real drawback for the book. Don’t get me wrong, she came across as true and real, but the way her mind worked was, at times, infuriating. Obsessive, repetitive thought patterns regularly intrude on the story. She also has a little mental box where she locks away her past, which is bothersome because she keeps referring to painful history, but it takes forever to actually hear what it is. Even when it comes out in bits and pieces, it leaves you wanting to yell at her to just tell you what happened already, and it’s still vague enough that you can’t really be certain! Her multiple personalities warring inside her give her a bizarre unpredictable quality that you can tell drives everyone around her nuts. She’s as likely to bite you as nuzzle in for a cuddle, depending on what aspect is nearest the surface. It’s quite jarring when in one chapter she’s empathetic and wants to do her job right, and in the next she’s cold and uncaring. There are reasons for the shifts in mood, but they always feel like Thalia is a creature of extremes.

I really liked the tri-shifter idea. Although the crow and jaguar were the most dominant animals in her repertoire, Thalia also has a wolf buried in there. And at times we see her … when all the animals are quiet and not fighting with each other to take control, Thalia comes out and enjoys the peace and quiet in her own head.

The world is dynamic and interesting, as is the plot. And while I often find myself frustrated with authors who go into too much information of real settings, like you need to be a local to envision it properly and all the street names make sense to you, this story goes to the opposite extreme. It could take place almost anywhere, really. I never felt anchored anywhere. It felt like it was supposed to be a real place, but the name was never mentioned, just like how specific names of shows, restaurants, etc. were left unnamed. In the end it’s an unimportant detail – it doesn’t matter where it all takes place.

In terms of pacing, there’s plenty of action – even if most of it is not related to the plot. Random bar brawls aplenty. I have no complaints there.

Without getting into spoilers, I both liked and disliked the ending, which fits since there were so many times I found myself liking and disliking elements in the story. It was much more abrupt than I was expecting, but on the other hand it avoided cliche “bad guy speeches.” This is the first in a series, so I’m curious to see where it goes with what it’s left open – which is a lot. I feel like a stronger finish with another story arc or two wrapped up would have been more satisfying, but since I do want to continue on with the series in the future, perhaps the ending did just what Shen Hart was looking for, in my case.

Overall, this book gave me lots to think about while I was going through it. Animal psychology and multiple personalities pervade the story, and while Thalia annoyed me many times, she stayed true to herself … as true as someone with multiple animal personalities fighting for dominance in her head could be, anyway.

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was provided a free advanced release copy of Wyrd Calling by Shen Hart, an author I know, in exchange for an unbiased review.Wyrd Calling is a powerful and complex tale about a female shifter named Thalia who is bound by the Wyrd Sisters to solve a series of murders in a distant city. She is ordered to assume co-leadership of a group of shifters, unwittingly paired with a partner from her dark (or should I say “even darker?”) past. The book explores Thalia’s ambivalence about her life situation and her personal growth in the context of the pack and their mission.

Most striking to me is the author’s ability to develop characters that are complex and interesting, slowly and indirectly revealing bits and pieces until a fully relatable (or hateable, in some cases) character emerges. There is something really unique about the way that the animalistic traits of the protagonist and her pack are conveyed. Elements of the peaceful but distractible raven, the intimidating jaguar, and the predatory red wolf are interwoven to form Thalia, a head-strong, sensual, and sometimes brutal woman who repeatedly struggles for freedom from the Sisters as she leads her unruly pack of cubs. And each character of the book is as thoughtfully developed as the main one.

The vivid imagery in Wyrd Calling, not only of landscape and cityscape, but of the subtleties of shape shifting itself – how the characters’ moods were reflected in the shifts of tails, ears, teeth, or jaws – was captivating. There is also amazing imagery surrounding shadow dancing and the other energies.

I must admit, urban fantasy is not a genre I’ve read before. I was afraid that I would be left in the cold by my lack of knowledge of the shifters, faes, elves, and other assorted beings found there. Fortunately, all I needed to understand was woven into the story without disruption to the flow or pace of the book.

As I understand it, this is the first volume of a series. I can’t wait for the next, not only because I’m left wondering what happens next, but because I want to fill in some of the hinted-at but not quite revealed back-story of Thalia (or is it Suriel?)!

[Boundless Book Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I started reading this book. I had no idea what it was about but as I came to realize it had Shifters, Elves and Fae. At first I was struggling to really connect with the characters in this story. 

Thalia is a shifter, she shifts into different animals, depending on her mood. She is mostly by herself, stealing from unsuspecting people. She is called back to her original post, where she has Alex and some new Cubs she has to train. They're thrown into an investigation, hoping to find out who's killing off the Sirens. 

I do like a good strong female character and Thalia is really one of those. It did seem to be a bit slow and a little repetitive with some things. But I wanted to push through and see where the story was going to take me.

I thought it was well done and had a lot of elements that worked for it. I like when author takes their own twist on folklore. With the investigation you're brought into a lot of different worlds. Still by the end of it, I hadn't really connected at all with the characters. The genre isn't my normal, but I think that those who enjoy the genre would love it....Lissa

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[Jim · Rating 2 out of 5]

I finished this book, but in hindsight I very much regret the time I put into it. I feel two stars might be generous, yet I give Hart credit for writing a book.

[Lissa Rice]

Three (2.5) Stars - Review will be up on Boundless Book Reviews.

[Alexis]

DNF at 15%
It seems to read the third or fourth volume of a series, not the first one.