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The Wild Rites Saga #1
The Jaguar King
Magic is real? Big deal. Bills still gotta be paid.
Especially when you’re heading into vet med. Emma Chase is nothing special – if anything, with a roomie who turns into a jaguar on a regular basis, she’s the sidekick, not the heroine. Her superpowers have more to do with acing her finals and overworking herself. Knowing her best friend’s secret makes it easier to justify her own inclination to keep people at a distance, but it doesn’t change her life.
Until others like him show up on her doorstep, convinced she’s the fated savior of their race, telling her she’s destined to command the magic of – well, Emma doesn’t quite catch that part, she’s too busy getting her ass the hell out of there.
What she does know? The Jaguar King is after her, his rivals want her dead, and she doesn’t have to believe in prophecy to believe they’ll stop at nothing to catch her.
Violence. Magic. Inappropriate humor. Step into a world of wonder and savagery in a gritty urban fantasy with an unlikely heroine, sizzling heroes, and complicated villains. The Jaguar King is a full-length read and the first in a series, and all the books have satisfying resolutions as well as a series-spanning story arc. Definitely no cliff-hangers – just bad-ass shifters with one goal: claim the prize. Claim the Caller of the Blood.
Especially when you’re heading into vet med. Emma Chase is nothing special – if anything, with a roomie who turns into a jaguar on a regular basis, she’s the sidekick, not the heroine. Her superpowers have more to do with acing her finals and overworking herself. Knowing her best friend’s secret makes it easier to justify her own inclination to keep people at a distance, but it doesn’t change her life.
Until others like him show up on her doorstep, convinced she’s the fated savior of their race, telling her she’s destined to command the magic of – well, Emma doesn’t quite catch that part, she’s too busy getting her ass the hell out of there.
What she does know? The Jaguar King is after her, his rivals want her dead, and she doesn’t have to believe in prophecy to believe they’ll stop at nothing to catch her.
Violence. Magic. Inappropriate humor. Step into a world of wonder and savagery in a gritty urban fantasy with an unlikely heroine, sizzling heroes, and complicated villains. The Jaguar King is a full-length read and the first in a series, and all the books have satisfying resolutions as well as a series-spanning story arc. Definitely no cliff-hangers – just bad-ass shifters with one goal: claim the prize. Claim the Caller of the Blood.
315 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 28, 2015
464 people are currently reading
1103 people want to read
About the author
Anna McIlwraith
9 books165 followersAnna McIlwraith is the author of the urban fantasy series Caller of the Blood and the upcoming paranormal romance series Wayward Heart. She’s addicted to the mysterious power of using words to walk between worlds, and there’s nowhere she’d rather be than travelling the dusty roads and dark kingdoms of the worlds of her books. Sadly, one can visit those territories but never stay, which is the only reason Anna gets any reading of her own done.
When not reading or writing, Anna spends the rest of her free time in this dimension arguing with her cats and preparing for the zombie apocalypse. She lives near the sea in Victoria, Australia, where the weather is only slightly less hellish, but the wildlife is a lot less deadly.
When not reading or writing, Anna spends the rest of her free time in this dimension arguing with her cats and preparing for the zombie apocalypse. She lives near the sea in Victoria, Australia, where the weather is only slightly less hellish, but the wildlife is a lot less deadly.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 138 reviews
September 21, 2023
This story has great bones and well-rounded characters. Book one is clearly just an introduction to what will be a very slow burn in terms of romance, plot development, and character arc.
I’ll be back with a more detailed review once I complete the series.
I’ll be back with a more detailed review once I complete the series.
abandon-dnf
May 22, 2017It actually pains me to stop at 18%. The book is good! I like the heroine, she's strong and feisty. I like the few guys (not sure if they will be in the RH or not...). I like the storyline.
So why stop?
Book 5 is where we get sex - ok, not a reason to stop. My issue is that the Hero, who I can assume will be in the RH, encourages her to be in many many many orgys without him. He's happy being with other people - men and women and is fine with her being with other people too.
I know what RH is AND the reason I read it and don't consider it cheating is because there is a set amount of guys and they are possessive of the heroine within the RH. Having one of the Heros - the first she's had sex with - be so careless and carefree about who her AND his partners are is not something I want to read. Its cheating to me as he's not committing to her and basically encourages her to cheat too....
Please don't construe this as me being racist or homophobic because I'm not...I just want possessive hero's.
For reference...here is the Amazon review that caused me to put a hold on the series.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-re...
So why stop?
Book 5 is where we get sex - ok, not a reason to stop. My issue is that the Hero, who I can assume will be in the RH, encourages her to be in many many many orgys without him. He's happy being with other people - men and women and is fine with her being with other people too.
I know what RH is AND the reason I read it and don't consider it cheating is because there is a set amount of guys and they are possessive of the heroine within the RH. Having one of the Heros - the first she's had sex with - be so careless and carefree about who her AND his partners are is not something I want to read. Its cheating to me as he's not committing to her and basically encourages her to cheat too....
Please don't construe this as me being racist or homophobic because I'm not...I just want possessive hero's.
For reference...here is the Amazon review that caused me to put a hold on the series.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-re...
August 30, 2018
So they told me it was good.
They even told me it was great.
They didn't tell me it was
Kevin Bacon
The Ocelot Maidens
Alan!
Even the fecking Spider! Any book that can make me like a spider has to be some kinda magic
This is me being blown away
⬇️
They even told me it was great.
They didn't tell me it was
Kevin Bacon
The Ocelot Maidens
Alan!
Even the fecking Spider! Any book that can make me like a spider has to be some kinda magic
This is me being blown away
⬇️
September 10, 2020
3.5 shapeshiftin'-stars
My first buddy read with the RH mavens at Reverse Harem Revolution
This is a fun start to an indie slow burn reverse harem series. It has a much stronger UF feel than others I've read. Best of all, it has some of the delectable cheesiness that Laurell K Hamilton used to lure me to the UF genre in the first place - flaws and all
1. A growing menagerie of hunky magical dudes who can't get enough of our special snowflake
2. A heroine with a major saviour complex who uses bitchiness as her major line of defense
3. Long drawn out testerone fueled posturing sessions
4. New magical skills that erupt at the most convenient of times
Mmm, delicious!
My first buddy read with the RH mavens at Reverse Harem Revolution
This is a fun start to an indie slow burn reverse harem series. It has a much stronger UF feel than others I've read. Best of all, it has some of the delectable cheesiness that Laurell K Hamilton used to lure me to the UF genre in the first place - flaws and all
1. A growing menagerie of hunky magical dudes who can't get enough of our special snowflake
2. A heroine with a major saviour complex who uses bitchiness as her major line of defense
3. Long drawn out testerone fueled posturing sessions
4. New magical skills that erupt at the most convenient of times
Mmm, delicious!
February 5, 2017
I'm usually not one for different types of "were-creatures" in books. I'm a little vanilla in that anything beyond werewolves has me scoffing in derision.
It's something about how it's only the big scary creatures that get to play in the "were-creature" pool. If you're going to have a werebear, shouldn't there also be a werebunny? This book (almost) does that and apparently, coupled with the idea of a slow burn romance and a reverse harem, it was enough for me to get curious. And, technically, all of these werecreatures are more like shapeshifters so there is that.
So Emmy is a young woman who is living with a jaguar shifter while training to be a vet tech. She's dating a distant yet heinously attractive man named Alan. Her shifter roomie, Ricky, comes in one night covered in blood and it starts some sort of grand adventure where all of the shifter communities, notably the jaguar king, wants her for their kingdoms. Ricky's brother shows up. A walking god named Telly appears as well and they flee to try to keep Emmy protected.
It's urban fantasy/urban paranormal so it can get away with being a bit far fetched.
Let's talk about why I like this book so much and why I'm already onto the second one:
1) Normal main character who realizes how crazy all of it is
2) Emmy has practical skills
3) Emmy gets overwhelmed by everything frequently which is what normal people would do
4) The male leads are not vanilla white guys - they are depicted as sexy Hispanic men which seems to be one of those demographics that is missing in a lot of UF books
5) Ricky is bisexual but it isn't a major plot point - it just is - which is how it is supposed to be
6) Emmy recognizes that the men are assholes sometimes
This book had a lot of diversity but it wasn't like it was a focal point of the book. It was just the demographics of the characters which was perfect.
All in all, this is a short review but I'm really supposed to be doing homework right now. Either way, it's a good book and worth picking up.
It's something about how it's only the big scary creatures that get to play in the "were-creature" pool. If you're going to have a werebear, shouldn't there also be a werebunny? This book (almost) does that and apparently, coupled with the idea of a slow burn romance and a reverse harem, it was enough for me to get curious. And, technically, all of these werecreatures are more like shapeshifters so there is that.
So Emmy is a young woman who is living with a jaguar shifter while training to be a vet tech. She's dating a distant yet heinously attractive man named Alan. Her shifter roomie, Ricky, comes in one night covered in blood and it starts some sort of grand adventure where all of the shifter communities, notably the jaguar king, wants her for their kingdoms. Ricky's brother shows up. A walking god named Telly appears as well and they flee to try to keep Emmy protected.
It's urban fantasy/urban paranormal so it can get away with being a bit far fetched.
Let's talk about why I like this book so much and why I'm already onto the second one:
1) Normal main character who realizes how crazy all of it is
2) Emmy has practical skills
3) Emmy gets overwhelmed by everything frequently which is what normal people would do
4) The male leads are not vanilla white guys - they are depicted as sexy Hispanic men which seems to be one of those demographics that is missing in a lot of UF books
5) Ricky is bisexual but it isn't a major plot point - it just is - which is how it is supposed to be
6) Emmy recognizes that the men are assholes sometimes
This book had a lot of diversity but it wasn't like it was a focal point of the book. It was just the demographics of the characters which was perfect.
All in all, this is a short review but I'm really supposed to be doing homework right now. Either way, it's a good book and worth picking up.
November 30, 2019
Very good! Almost a five star. It pushed almost every reader button I have.
The world-building is unique enough - there are a lot of shapeshifters and they're all divided into their territories and kingdoms, sometimes subjugating weaker types under their rule and land. Vampires of sort exist, and they're nasty, but they have a "new name" and aren't the typical. Emma Chase lives a normal life until her world is turned upside down as her shapeshifter roommate's brother shows up to tell her they need to go on the run - like, now! - because the Jaguar clan is on their trail. From there it's tense, much happens, it was pretty much impossible for me to turn down.
Emma is great - she's a sweetheart, but she's tough for the most part, she doesn't live in denial all the time like many of these heroines seem to, she goes with the flow, she doesn't try stupid things in the name of bravery. Sometimes she could have fought back a bit more, especially with her bizarre connection to Alexi, a true jerk of a character so far. She's supposed to be something super special, of course, but needless to say not every treats her that way.
I especially loved her pal Ricky and their bond, and Fern is intriguing as all hell. He's my favorite so far and their odd bond is....exciting. Who would think I'd like a giant spider? Once you read this, it's hard not to. I'm not sure what to think of the "walking god" Telly yet. He's back and forth with his sanity for one thing, but breaking up the serious moments with inappropriate humor is at least fun. Other than Fern and Telly, some of the characters blend together a little and there are the stereotypical arrogance traits we see with alpha males in other series.
I can't picture some of these men being attractive. The Jaguar King being blue? Alexi *shudders* sounds hideous looking to me but he's still an enemy at this point. It's hard to know from this book who will eventually be part of her romance life. I've read the full series by this point and I'll say there's some misleads in this first book on who ends up with who.
There's a lot of action but no romance yet. It's hard to feel any bond when kidnapping or coercion is involved. No sex happens in this book, which is fine since I prefer slow-burn, realistic romance. There's no logical reason she'd dive into any of these men's beds at this point. The urge to strike them is stronger than the urge to sleep with most of them, and for good reason.
Humor is well-done and left me chuckling. The author is heavy with the humor but she doesn't shy away from the hard stuff either and it's definitely not all light fluff. The world-building is well layered and intense. The clans are at war so it's more than just about her. The kingdoms within kingdoms plan mutiny. Each race has their own talents and their own pitfalls. Emma is caught up in a whirlwind of horrors and surprises that she starts adapting to.
It will eventually be a Reverse Harem but this first book is Urban Fantasy all the way.
The world-building is unique enough - there are a lot of shapeshifters and they're all divided into their territories and kingdoms, sometimes subjugating weaker types under their rule and land. Vampires of sort exist, and they're nasty, but they have a "new name" and aren't the typical. Emma Chase lives a normal life until her world is turned upside down as her shapeshifter roommate's brother shows up to tell her they need to go on the run - like, now! - because the Jaguar clan is on their trail. From there it's tense, much happens, it was pretty much impossible for me to turn down.
Emma is great - she's a sweetheart, but she's tough for the most part, she doesn't live in denial all the time like many of these heroines seem to, she goes with the flow, she doesn't try stupid things in the name of bravery. Sometimes she could have fought back a bit more, especially with her bizarre connection to Alexi, a true jerk of a character so far. She's supposed to be something super special, of course, but needless to say not every treats her that way.
I especially loved her pal Ricky and their bond, and Fern is intriguing as all hell. He's my favorite so far and their odd bond is....exciting. Who would think I'd like a giant spider? Once you read this, it's hard not to. I'm not sure what to think of the "walking god" Telly yet. He's back and forth with his sanity for one thing, but breaking up the serious moments with inappropriate humor is at least fun. Other than Fern and Telly, some of the characters blend together a little and there are the stereotypical arrogance traits we see with alpha males in other series.
I can't picture some of these men being attractive. The Jaguar King being blue? Alexi *shudders* sounds hideous looking to me but he's still an enemy at this point. It's hard to know from this book who will eventually be part of her romance life. I've read the full series by this point and I'll say there's some misleads in this first book on who ends up with who.
There's a lot of action but no romance yet. It's hard to feel any bond when kidnapping or coercion is involved. No sex happens in this book, which is fine since I prefer slow-burn, realistic romance. There's no logical reason she'd dive into any of these men's beds at this point. The urge to strike them is stronger than the urge to sleep with most of them, and for good reason.
Humor is well-done and left me chuckling. The author is heavy with the humor but she doesn't shy away from the hard stuff either and it's definitely not all light fluff. The world-building is well layered and intense. The clans are at war so it's more than just about her. The kingdoms within kingdoms plan mutiny. Each race has their own talents and their own pitfalls. Emma is caught up in a whirlwind of horrors and surprises that she starts adapting to.
It will eventually be a Reverse Harem but this first book is Urban Fantasy all the way.
February 26, 2022
Snakes and spiders and jaguars and more
I love the idea of shape changing beings... especially boas and tarantulas! This had a lot of things I like... a prophecy, a heroine who will stand up for herself, and plenty of interesting male characters.
This is a slow burn RH paranormal series. It starts with Emma, a student studying veterinary medicine. She gets ambushed by her best friend aka roommate's brother and dragged into a whole world of intrigue and prophecy.
The guys we have met so far...
Ricky, the roommate aka best friend, jaguar shifter
Alan, the boyfriend she plans to break up with
Anton, the brother and jaguar shifter
Telly, the Kevin Bacon looking trickster
Fern, the tarantula shifter
Alexi, the boa shifter
Seshua, the Jaguar King
Did I forget anyone?
I'd rate this as a 3.5, but I do want to see what happens next.
I love the idea of shape changing beings... especially boas and tarantulas! This had a lot of things I like... a prophecy, a heroine who will stand up for herself, and plenty of interesting male characters.
This is a slow burn RH paranormal series. It starts with Emma, a student studying veterinary medicine. She gets ambushed by her best friend aka roommate's brother and dragged into a whole world of intrigue and prophecy.
The guys we have met so far...
Ricky, the roommate aka best friend, jaguar shifter
Alan, the boyfriend she plans to break up with
Anton, the brother and jaguar shifter
Telly, the Kevin Bacon looking trickster
Fern, the tarantula shifter
Alexi, the boa shifter
Seshua, the Jaguar King
Did I forget anyone?
I'd rate this as a 3.5, but I do want to see what happens next.
June 16, 2018
Dare I say I could give this 4.5?
Brilliant start to what is shaping up to be a brilliant series!
Most of the characters are so delightfully morally ambiguous! One minute you don't like them and the next you are drawn to them.
Emma is a fabulous main character. She's brave, smart and while she sometimes acts with her heart and not her head, you don't want to smack her round the head for it.
The men... Telly is my favourite, along with the Jaguar King. Not sure how I feel about Anton yet and Fern and Ricky are a bit too puppy dog to be my faves, but I have a feeling it's very early days regarding the relationship.
I think (hope) this is shaping up to be RH... It's very slow burn if that's the case, but I'm up for the wait
The mixture of the gods and various shape hangers and paranormal characters is really rich, too.
I would recommend this book to anyone that loves UF. It really is one of the best starts to a series in this genre I have read in quite a while!
Brilliant start to what is shaping up to be a brilliant series!
Most of the characters are so delightfully morally ambiguous! One minute you don't like them and the next you are drawn to them.
Emma is a fabulous main character. She's brave, smart and while she sometimes acts with her heart and not her head, you don't want to smack her round the head for it.
The men... Telly is my favourite, along with the Jaguar King. Not sure how I feel about Anton yet and Fern and Ricky are a bit too puppy dog to be my faves, but I have a feeling it's very early days regarding the relationship.
I think (hope) this is shaping up to be RH... It's very slow burn if that's the case, but I'm up for the wait
The mixture of the gods and various shape hangers and paranormal characters is really rich, too.
I would recommend this book to anyone that loves UF. It really is one of the best starts to a series in this genre I have read in quite a while!
February 6, 2020
Okay I'm Intrigued....3.5 Stars
Alright we've learned some basics about what the heck is going on. I have no real clue about who the heck might be in this harem I guess I'm off to read book 2 to find out where the heck we go from here. Sorry about all the hecks I don't handle unanswered questions well lol!
Alright we've learned some basics about what the heck is going on. I have no real clue about who the heck might be in this harem I guess I'm off to read book 2 to find out where the heck we go from here. Sorry about all the hecks I don't handle unanswered questions well lol!
September 12, 2018
3.75 Stars.
~~~~RHR Buddy Read~~~~
The start of this was tricky. I think I had trouble getting my footing. Then... I don’t know. I just found myself in it! Like- fully, page-turning, what’s gonna happen?!- IN it. So, I’m definitely on to the next one!!
~~~~RHR Buddy Read~~~~
The start of this was tricky. I think I had trouble getting my footing. Then... I don’t know. I just found myself in it! Like- fully, page-turning, what’s gonna happen?!- IN it. So, I’m definitely on to the next one!!
September 15, 2023
Sadly I didn't love this one as much as other people did.
I was actually really enjoying the story and Emma's character pretty much right up until she
Spoilery reasons why I wasn't really loving this:
But overall the story was really interesting, I liked Emma as a main h, the writing is good, and I like the different creatures and backstory going on. I'm pretty sure other people will enjoy this more than me- and maybe if I read on to the next one I will finally get a smidgen of answers.
I was actually really enjoying the story and Emma's character pretty much right up until she
Spoilery reasons why I wasn't really loving this:
But overall the story was really interesting, I liked Emma as a main h, the writing is good, and I like the different creatures and backstory going on. I'm pretty sure other people will enjoy this more than me- and maybe if I read on to the next one I will finally get a smidgen of answers.
February 1, 2021
Update! Well ugh! So I have this annoying habit to read reviews for the next few books because well, I want to.
I enjoyed the storyline here, but McIlwraith's writing style was confusing at times. I had to re-read sentences at times to understand what she meant. I feel with some editing; this could be better. The characters are interesting enough, and I'm curious about what will happen next. I believe Telly is my favorite right now, but I enjoyed all the guys. I'm interested to see where Alan falls in the next books.
I enjoyed the storyline here, but McIlwraith's writing style was confusing at times. I had to re-read sentences at times to understand what she meant. I feel with some editing; this could be better. The characters are interesting enough, and I'm curious about what will happen next. I believe Telly is my favorite right now, but I enjoyed all the guys. I'm interested to see where Alan falls in the next books.
December 26, 2019
This is a UF series with multiple supes
Emma was never a normal girl, she was always the caller of the blood she just didn’t know it yet.
The writing in this book is second to none in my opinion. It TRUMPS all other RHs in its ability to relationship build and world build. Emma is a mature, smart, emotionally developed young women who’s life gets UTTERLY turned upside down when she is thrown into the supernatural world: Emma learns that her powers are “activated” by bonding /binding herself to specific supernatural creatures... I don’t want to spoil plot points but the whole series revolves around destiny vs self will. Anna (the author) builds in relationships between a modern day women and thousand year old ancient gods/ ancient shape changers.
RH ✔️
Multiple supes ✔️
Mature, smart, brave female MC who makes intelligent decisions and is not a damsel✔️
Action ✔️
Magic ✔️
I re read this series every year and every year I love it more.
Emma was never a normal girl, she was always the caller of the blood she just didn’t know it yet.
The writing in this book is second to none in my opinion. It TRUMPS all other RHs in its ability to relationship build and world build. Emma is a mature, smart, emotionally developed young women who’s life gets UTTERLY turned upside down when she is thrown into the supernatural world: Emma learns that her powers are “activated” by bonding /binding herself to specific supernatural creatures... I don’t want to spoil plot points but the whole series revolves around destiny vs self will. Anna (the author) builds in relationships between a modern day women and thousand year old ancient gods/ ancient shape changers.
RH ✔️
Multiple supes ✔️
Mature, smart, brave female MC who makes intelligent decisions and is not a damsel✔️
Action ✔️
Magic ✔️
I re read this series every year and every year I love it more.
February 5, 2017
Ms. Emma Chase's world is getting ready to be turned upside down. Not only is her roommate a Jaguar shifter but he has brother (no big whoop ... right?) that shows up out of nowhere with a whole shifter horde on his tail. Not to mention the yummy god chilling in the backseat of the getaway car. The author did such a wonder job of bring all the elements of this story together. There was a great array of characters (heck there is a creepy yet sweet were tarantula and a hotter than hades blue skinned jaguar king), world building and the story telling is pretty darn good too. Readers shouldn't be confused by the title because that particular character is just a vehicle to introduce Emma and her gifts/importance to the readers. Though I love a cocky self-important male lead (they are the best when they fall) and the Jaguar King definitely had all of that going for him. He's just not going to serve the role that some readers would want him to. Heck, there are so many potential males leads that it is hard to pick a favorite. So far that cast of characters have been shifters, vampires and a couple of gods. Excited to see what turns the Caller of the Blood takes next.
March 24, 2018
Love love love this series! Wish Anna McIlwraith would release Book 6 :)
This is a fast-paced and inventive paranormal RH series. It has its own unique take on shifters and their origin, as well as a unique way of mixing in gods/myths. And it has characters that show a lot of growth and development as the series progresses. It is all about redemption and the power of change and forgiveness. Love it!
Warning: This will definitely not be everyone's cup of tea as it can be quite dark and has several potential trigger scenes, including rape and M/M (though the latter is offscreen). It also has love interests that may not start from the happiest place - so you have to be okay with a hate to love relationship.
This is a fast-paced and inventive paranormal RH series. It has its own unique take on shifters and their origin, as well as a unique way of mixing in gods/myths. And it has characters that show a lot of growth and development as the series progresses. It is all about redemption and the power of change and forgiveness. Love it!
Warning: This will definitely not be everyone's cup of tea as it can be quite dark and has several potential trigger scenes, including rape and M/M (though the latter is offscreen). It also has love interests that may not start from the happiest place - so you have to be okay with a hate to love relationship.
April 20, 2018
I don't really understand what happened in this book.. Now to be fair I read this book on breaks at work, painting our house and when I didn't have a toddler hanging onto me like a monkey. So I read this book 15 minutes at a time..at most. I really didn't have the time to get fully invested into the story. But it all felt jumbled to me. I actually really liked Emma. She was a strong character. She had a bunch of crazy shit thrown at her and she kind of rolled with it and still stuck up for herself. I liked her a lot. And because of that I will continue on with this series (also it's free so yay).
June 8, 2020
Notes:
DNF at 33%
Why I snagged the book on KU to try out:
- A friend rated it 4 stars.
- MC build seemed cool. Vet in training.
- Shapeshifters (Not the usual werewolves/etc but starts with jaguars/ocelots/etc)
- Prophecy
Why I quit:
- MC is dating at guy that she has zero feelings for and no reason to date him. He gives her the creeps but she's dating him because ???
- Choices, plot reveals & events become less plausible as story progressed.
- Awkward info dumps & POV change.
- I kept putting the book down to do other things and started to think of other things to do that wasn't reading the story.
DNF at 33%
Why I snagged the book on KU to try out:
- A friend rated it 4 stars.
- MC build seemed cool. Vet in training.
- Shapeshifters (Not the usual werewolves/etc but starts with jaguars/ocelots/etc)
- Prophecy
Why I quit:
- MC is dating at guy that she has zero feelings for and no reason to date him. He gives her the creeps but she's dating him because ???
- Choices, plot reveals & events become less plausible as story progressed.
- Awkward info dumps & POV change.
- I kept putting the book down to do other things and started to think of other things to do that wasn't reading the story.
June 8, 2016
1st book free and then Kindle Unlimited.
Really enjoyed this one - it comes together with some deft twining including lots of good and diverse characters. Shifters, vampires and so on. Got the next book to soldier on.
Really enjoyed this one - it comes together with some deft twining including lots of good and diverse characters. Shifters, vampires and so on. Got the next book to soldier on.
August 4, 2016
Emma is a normal girl (yeah, right). She works in a dog shelter, and has a particular gift for connecting with animals. Pretty fortunate, as her roomie happens to be a jaguar shifter, and she’s about to be launched into the middle of a power struggle between various races of shifters as the prize – dead or alive...
I’m a bit on the fence about shifter novels – there is such a glut it’s hard to find something that bit different. In many respects, this one was different, and I enjoyed it for that fact. The world building is extensive, and the sheer variety of shifter types (particularly the arachnids – twelve foot high tarantulas – oh my!) was stunning. And I loved the ocelot maidens.
The story, while not totally predictable, was yet another rehash of the rather tired trope of a prophesy of the ‘chosen one’. As has been done before, Emma, while seeming to have no particular powers, especially in comparison to all the shifters (and the walking god who accompanies her), somehow manages to manipulate them all, in one way or another.
I found the characters well depicted. There are several viewpoints given, and they were all clearly defined with their own motives, characteristics and strengths, though I did have trouble taking a god called ‘Telly’ seriously!
For me, the writing was sometimes a problem – a good editor could turn this into an excellently written book. There is much to like in a lot of it, but the author’s love affair with the word ‘wet’ drove me to distraction, as did the constant triplet similies: almost every description is ‘something and something and something’. The first time was great, the second, interesting. After that, when it continued unabated throughout the book, it started to drive me nuts.
I also had a problem with the ‘explanations’ given by some of the characters about the shifter world, and the ‘Caller of the Blood’, which left me more mystified after, rather than less.
It had enough of a discrete ending to satisfy me, with plenty of juicy thick dangling threads left for the next in the series, which I may well read.
I’m a bit on the fence about shifter novels – there is such a glut it’s hard to find something that bit different. In many respects, this one was different, and I enjoyed it for that fact. The world building is extensive, and the sheer variety of shifter types (particularly the arachnids – twelve foot high tarantulas – oh my!) was stunning. And I loved the ocelot maidens.
The story, while not totally predictable, was yet another rehash of the rather tired trope of a prophesy of the ‘chosen one’. As has been done before, Emma, while seeming to have no particular powers, especially in comparison to all the shifters (and the walking god who accompanies her), somehow manages to manipulate them all, in one way or another.
I found the characters well depicted. There are several viewpoints given, and they were all clearly defined with their own motives, characteristics and strengths, though I did have trouble taking a god called ‘Telly’ seriously!
For me, the writing was sometimes a problem – a good editor could turn this into an excellently written book. There is much to like in a lot of it, but the author’s love affair with the word ‘wet’ drove me to distraction, as did the constant triplet similies: almost every description is ‘something and something and something’. The first time was great, the second, interesting. After that, when it continued unabated throughout the book, it started to drive me nuts.
I also had a problem with the ‘explanations’ given by some of the characters about the shifter world, and the ‘Caller of the Blood’, which left me more mystified after, rather than less.
It had enough of a discrete ending to satisfy me, with plenty of juicy thick dangling threads left for the next in the series, which I may well read.
July 28, 2019
I liked it, and I love Telly - I really want him with Emma.
I'm a little concerned at the repeated pattern of everyone trying to get and rape (mentally, if not physically) the main female character. I like that she reacts violently to it though - too many books have the heroine reluctantly cave to the dominant douche that they just can't resist, when the douche makes it clear he won't take no for an answer. Emma, however, empties the entire clip of her gun into them. So that's something.
I'm pressing on, and looking forward to what comes next.
I'm a little concerned at the repeated pattern of everyone trying to get and rape (mentally, if not physically) the main female character. I like that she reacts violently to it though - too many books have the heroine reluctantly cave to the dominant douche that they just can't resist, when the douche makes it clear he won't take no for an answer. Emma, however, empties the entire clip of her gun into them. So that's something.
I'm pressing on, and looking forward to what comes next.
August 24, 2022
re-read 2022... I kinda dislike most the people here hahaha. Must be some major redemption coming up right?
added-it
January 4, 2021🎁 FREE on Amazon today (1/4/2021)! 🎁
May 9, 2020
3.5 interesting start to a new series
This one wasn’t too warm and fuzzy. There isn’t really any romance, at least not right now.
I still feel a bit disjointed on exactly what is going on with everyone but I am excited to see how this works out. There are many moving parts to this story, several many characters and their stories going on in the background. I’m usually not a huge fan of 3rd person POV but this worked out with other’s povs coming in too.
I still don’t understand why Alexi was mad. I don’t get why everyone wants Emma either. She is the caller of the blood but no one truly explains how it helps them and why they want her.
I have more questions than answers right now so onto the next one.
This one wasn’t too warm and fuzzy. There isn’t really any romance, at least not right now.
I still feel a bit disjointed on exactly what is going on with everyone but I am excited to see how this works out. There are many moving parts to this story, several many characters and their stories going on in the background. I’m usually not a huge fan of 3rd person POV but this worked out with other’s povs coming in too.
I still don’t understand why Alexi was mad. I don’t get why everyone wants Emma either. She is the caller of the blood but no one truly explains how it helps them and why they want her.
I have more questions than answers right now so onto the next one.
July 1, 2023
Each book in this series has been between good to great, none have been excellent. Yet the overall series would definitely fall into the excellent category. Overall, I think this might be one of the best RH series I have ever read.
I really like that many of the people she ends up bonding with are not part of the harem or in anyway associated with her in a sexual way. I like how slow the build up is with each person who ends up in her harem. One of the people that becomes a big bad was overall a pretty lame character. I really admire the FMC who has several traumatic events but chooses to have them in order to help/support different people.
I'm really worried about whether book 7 will ever be published. Books 1-5 were published over the course of a year (Nov 2015-September 2016). Book 6 came out in 2022, 6 years after book 5.
I really like that many of the people she ends up bonding with are not part of the harem or in anyway associated with her in a sexual way. I like how slow the build up is with each person who ends up in her harem. One of the people that becomes a big bad was overall a pretty lame character. I really admire the FMC who has several traumatic events but chooses to have them in order to help/support different people.
I'm really worried about whether book 7 will ever be published. Books 1-5 were published over the course of a year (Nov 2015-September 2016). Book 6 came out in 2022, 6 years after book 5.
June 25, 2016
I really like this even though the cover was iffy. If you think this is a paranormal romance, you will probably be disappointed.
This is an urban fantasy that sets up supernaturals hiding in the present world searching for and trying to control a magical human called the Caller of the Blood (new idea! yay!). The plot is fast but the places are richly described, the people fascinating, and the action kept me voraciously reading.
There are quite a few characters introduced but they are there for the next books so it's not in vain. While there is sexual tension, there isn't any sex in this book. The violence is bloody and life-threatening. While the end isn't a cliffhanger, the story does continue (if you've read other urban fantasy you know the MO).
Read in KU
This is an urban fantasy that sets up supernaturals hiding in the present world searching for and trying to control a magical human called the Caller of the Blood (new idea! yay!). The plot is fast but the places are richly described, the people fascinating, and the action kept me voraciously reading.
There are quite a few characters introduced but they are there for the next books so it's not in vain. While there is sexual tension, there isn't any sex in this book. The violence is bloody and life-threatening. While the end isn't a cliffhanger, the story does continue (if you've read other urban fantasy you know the MO).
Read in KU
October 24, 2016
Heroine does some silly "oh noes, you cant kill him, even though he is a rapist/murderer/void soul sucking assassin ex boyfriend! I would NEVER recover emotionally if i saw you do that?" What? Never? Thats a really long time to be upset over seeing a known very bad dude get killed...someone who tried to kidnap/kill you?
And there is lots of weird follower accumulation and prophesied special snowflakeness. Like, girl, what you doin with a devoted coterie only 130 pages into the story?
And there is lots of weird follower accumulation and prophesied special snowflakeness. Like, girl, what you doin with a devoted coterie only 130 pages into the story?
June 26, 2019
I guess I'm just getting super tired of that kind of plot, where every character repeats on and on that the heroin is that super special Chosen one, supposed to save them all BUT no one actually stops two f***** seconds to explain anything to the heroin. Because, yeah, she's supposed to save us all, so let's keep her clueless and powerless and let's handle everything between us Males... *insert eyeroll here*
May 11, 2025
Great fantasy with gods, vampires, shifters and lots of interesting characters. First time ever, a tarantula shifter who is full of angst, harpies and one human heroine. No romance, lot lots of adventure at a furious pace. I loved it.
March 1, 2019
3 stars
I enjoyed the start to The Wild Rite Saga, The Jaguar King. I love Shifter reads, found this in KU and decided to give it a go - I didn't realise initially that this was also a RH series until a little further into the story, when Emma seemed to be making connections with quite a few of the male characters. I'm interested to see who over the series will actually make up her harem, and how many there will be.
This is the first shifter book I've read that has a Tarantula shifter *shudders*. He was pretty creepy at first because......spider!! The Jaguar King is filled with lots of action. Emma is special, VERY special, and everyone either seems to wants a piece of her OR seem to be hunting her down OR a combination of both. I really liked her attitude, even when she was scared she still had snark and sarcasm aplenty.
I enjoyed the start to The Wild Rite Saga, The Jaguar King. I love Shifter reads, found this in KU and decided to give it a go - I didn't realise initially that this was also a RH series until a little further into the story, when Emma seemed to be making connections with quite a few of the male characters. I'm interested to see who over the series will actually make up her harem, and how many there will be.
This is the first shifter book I've read that has a Tarantula shifter *shudders*. He was pretty creepy at first because......spider!! The Jaguar King is filled with lots of action. Emma is special, VERY special, and everyone either seems to wants a piece of her OR seem to be hunting her down OR a combination of both. I really liked her attitude, even when she was scared she still had snark and sarcasm aplenty.
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