What do you think?
Rate this book
Bloodlore #2
The Reckoning
Not yet published
Expected 21 Apr 26Life among the pack isn’t easy for a rebellious woman fated to be the wolf king’s mate in an apocalyptically thrilling paranormal romance from USA Today bestselling author Megan Crane.
On a full-moon night, fate takes what it wants. That’s you, Maddox Hemming.
It was known before I was born what destiny had in store. It’s in my blood. I am the fated mate of Ty Ceridwen. The alpha and king of the Western Wolves. The bane of my existence. And whether in skin or fur, the love of my life.
He wants the ritual that will bind us forever. All I want is more time—but unfortunately that’s running out. Ty needs me in line for what’s coming.
The Wolf Moon is rising, and if the gruesome sacrifices in the woods are any indication, an ancient foe has Vinča, the goddess of filth and death, who is driven to wipe out the world as we know it.
Not to mention my mated destiny with Ty.
Defeating Vinča would certainly make for a happy ending…if we can just survive long enough to see it come true.
On a full-moon night, fate takes what it wants. That’s you, Maddox Hemming.
It was known before I was born what destiny had in store. It’s in my blood. I am the fated mate of Ty Ceridwen. The alpha and king of the Western Wolves. The bane of my existence. And whether in skin or fur, the love of my life.
He wants the ritual that will bind us forever. All I want is more time—but unfortunately that’s running out. Ty needs me in line for what’s coming.
The Wolf Moon is rising, and if the gruesome sacrifices in the woods are any indication, an ancient foe has Vinča, the goddess of filth and death, who is driven to wipe out the world as we know it.
Not to mention my mated destiny with Ty.
Defeating Vinča would certainly make for a happy ending…if we can just survive long enough to see it come true.
360 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication April 21, 2026
47 people want to read
About the author
Megan Crane
67 books701 followersUSA Today bestselling, multi-award-nominated, and critically-acclaimed author Megan Crane has written more than 150 books and shows no sign of slowing down. She publishes contemporary romance and paranormal romance as Megan Crane (and briefly M.M. Crane) with an extensive backlist of women’s fiction, rom-coms, chick lit, and young adult novels—among other things. She’s also won a large and loyal fanbase as Caitlin Crews with Harlequin Presents, Harlequin Dare, Harlequin Historical, and contemporary cowboy books. And for Midwestern small town coziness, found families, romance, and some paranormal scariness thrown in, Megan partners with Nicole Helm to publish as Hazel Beck.
Megan has a Masters and Ph.D. in English Literature, has taught creative writing classes in places like UCLA Extension’s prestigious Writers’ Program, and is always available to give workshops (or her opinion). She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her comic book artist husband, though, at any given time, she is likely to either be huddled in a coffee shop somewhere or off traveling the world. Preferably both.
You can find out more than you ever wanted to know about her at www.megancrane.com
Megan has a Masters and Ph.D. in English Literature, has taught creative writing classes in places like UCLA Extension’s prestigious Writers’ Program, and is always available to give workshops (or her opinion). She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her comic book artist husband, though, at any given time, she is likely to either be huddled in a coffee shop somewhere or off traveling the world. Preferably both.
You can find out more than you ever wanted to know about her at www.megancrane.com
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
The Reckoning is the second in a series of interconnected stand-alone paranormal romantasies and focuses on Maddox, a werewolf and the unclaimed fated mate of the werewolf king.
The story works best when it pushes against expectations. Maddox continues to resist the role of a traditional werewolf queen and instead starts re-examining her own assumptions. Her partnership with her fated mate deepens beyond the purely emotional, giving their relationship more weight than a simple destiny-driven pairing.
The broader plot pulls in returning characters: the human oracle Winter, her vampire king, and the sorceress Savi as the death goddess rises again and the solstice approaches. While the mythology and overarching threat remain engaging, the pacing drags in the middle, where the story loses momentum before recovering toward the end.
There are still moments of genuine fun-imagining a wolf shifter in dachshund pajamas absolutely made my day-and the book successfully maintains interest in the larger series. I’m particularly hoping the next installment will focus on Savi, especially since the death goddess appears to be anything but easy to kill.
If you like:
• interconnected stand-alone paranormal romantasy
• fated mates with some resistance to destiny
• recurring side characters and a continuing overarching plot
Not for you if:
• you feel like the death goddess is presumed finally defeated, only to rise again and again in the same Oregon wilderness
• you are not into detailed werewolf stuff
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ (3/5) solid fun, but the middle section could have been tighter.
The story works best when it pushes against expectations. Maddox continues to resist the role of a traditional werewolf queen and instead starts re-examining her own assumptions. Her partnership with her fated mate deepens beyond the purely emotional, giving their relationship more weight than a simple destiny-driven pairing.
The broader plot pulls in returning characters: the human oracle Winter, her vampire king, and the sorceress Savi as the death goddess rises again and the solstice approaches. While the mythology and overarching threat remain engaging, the pacing drags in the middle, where the story loses momentum before recovering toward the end.
There are still moments of genuine fun-imagining a wolf shifter in dachshund pajamas absolutely made my day-and the book successfully maintains interest in the larger series. I’m particularly hoping the next installment will focus on Savi, especially since the death goddess appears to be anything but easy to kill.
If you like:
• interconnected stand-alone paranormal romantasy
• fated mates with some resistance to destiny
• recurring side characters and a continuing overarching plot
Not for you if:
• you feel like the death goddess is presumed finally defeated, only to rise again and again in the same Oregon wilderness
• you are not into detailed werewolf stuff
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ (3/5) solid fun, but the middle section could have been tighter.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
3.5 ⭐ I was so excited to dive back into Megan Crane’s post-apocalyptic world after loving the first book that followed Winter, a human surviver of the Reveal.
The Reckoning shifts focus to Maddox, the werewolf fated to the Alpha King, Ty. Maddox has spent years avoiding their bond, and that tension sets the stage for a story heavy with emotion, lore, and destiny.
This sequel goes deeper into werewolf culture, exploring their rituals, history, and the complicated ties between pack members which was interesting but added more world building just when you start to think you understand the world.
I enjoyed seeing more of the friendship amongst the women living on Winter’s property and the relationship between Maddox and Ty deepen and solidify into a true partnership. The second rise of Vinca, the death goddess the group defeated once before was a little disappointing. I would rather have seen this team take on a new threat.
While I loved revisiting these characters, the pacing felt off this time. Some sections lingered too long, while more essential scenes flew by so quickly I had to reread to make sure I hadn't missed something. The emotional depth and worldbuilding are still captivating, but the story lost a bit of the magic that made me fall in love with the first book.
The core of what I love about this series including its strong, complex characters and unique world remains compelling. The Reckoning might not have hit quite as hard as The Reveal, but I'm eager to see where this series heads next. Fingers crossed the next one gives us Savi's story!
The Reckoning shifts focus to Maddox, the werewolf fated to the Alpha King, Ty. Maddox has spent years avoiding their bond, and that tension sets the stage for a story heavy with emotion, lore, and destiny.
This sequel goes deeper into werewolf culture, exploring their rituals, history, and the complicated ties between pack members which was interesting but added more world building just when you start to think you understand the world.
I enjoyed seeing more of the friendship amongst the women living on Winter’s property and the relationship between Maddox and Ty deepen and solidify into a true partnership. The second rise of Vinca, the death goddess the group defeated once before was a little disappointing. I would rather have seen this team take on a new threat.
While I loved revisiting these characters, the pacing felt off this time. Some sections lingered too long, while more essential scenes flew by so quickly I had to reread to make sure I hadn't missed something. The emotional depth and worldbuilding are still captivating, but the story lost a bit of the magic that made me fall in love with the first book.
The core of what I love about this series including its strong, complex characters and unique world remains compelling. The Reckoning might not have hit quite as hard as The Reveal, but I'm eager to see where this series heads next. Fingers crossed the next one gives us Savi's story!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
3.5 ⭐️
This is one of those reads where the enjoyment curve goes up the longer you stick with it. The book absolutely improved as it went, but it made me work for it. The first half leans hard into fated-mate resistance and circular internal monologuing, and while Maddox’s initial self-awareness was refreshing, her years-long “rebellion” mostly read as avoidance rather than agency.
Once she finally stops fighting the bond, the story snaps into focus. Ty fully embraces his ruthless wolf king era, the pack politics and battles get genuinely entertaining, and the stakes finally feel worthy of the apocalypse-adjacent setup. The romance lands best in the quieter moments - the private pledge, the claim - where choice finally overtakes destiny. I loved Ty’s feral decisiveness and the escalation of power, but the pacing is uneven and some emotional beats feel rushed right when they should hit hardest. Overall, there were some strong moments, elevated by a savage MMC and improved momentum in the back half, but held back by a slow, repetitive build and an FMC arc that takes too long to actually move. Enjoyable and entertaining, just not effortless.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is one of those reads where the enjoyment curve goes up the longer you stick with it. The book absolutely improved as it went, but it made me work for it. The first half leans hard into fated-mate resistance and circular internal monologuing, and while Maddox’s initial self-awareness was refreshing, her years-long “rebellion” mostly read as avoidance rather than agency.
Once she finally stops fighting the bond, the story snaps into focus. Ty fully embraces his ruthless wolf king era, the pack politics and battles get genuinely entertaining, and the stakes finally feel worthy of the apocalypse-adjacent setup. The romance lands best in the quieter moments - the private pledge, the claim - where choice finally overtakes destiny. I loved Ty’s feral decisiveness and the escalation of power, but the pacing is uneven and some emotional beats feel rushed right when they should hit hardest. Overall, there were some strong moments, elevated by a savage MMC and improved momentum in the back half, but held back by a slow, repetitive build and an FMC arc that takes too long to actually move. Enjoyable and entertaining, just not effortless.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews