As always, there is something about Emma Alisyn’s writing that pulls you in. Sometimes, I think that it is how relatable her characters are. Other times, I think that it’s the stories themselves. Most, if not all of the stories that I’ve read from her are interracial and one of the best things that stand out in her stories is that neither side is too “over the top or stereotypical.” The women strut their stuff and hold their own, while the men can be strong, supportive, and even bend at times in their equally stubborn ways.
This story is one of those stories. Annina is a woman who feels the weight of her clan on her shoulders. Her aging, ill grandfather is in charge of the clan and the family she is his second. She and the rest of her family are aware that she’ll need to take over soon because of his illness. There is another family that they have a rather adversarial relationship with who wants her clan’s fishing rights. She feels that she has to do this because of her grandfather’s mismanagement and the Blades determination to encroach on her family’s fishing charter. To gain the favor that she needs to keep her family and other less fortunate clans on the same side and the power that her Fire Eagle Clan has she offers herself up the The Bear—Kavanaugh for the year and a day bonding. Eventually, they become full on mates. During this time, she learns that sometimes she needs to see things as they are and not as she wishes them to be amongst her loved ones. He helps her see this and to learn more about being in charge. I enjoyed her interactions with her cousin, who while quiet and even-tempered has a backbone of steel particularly in times of crisis—and there is a crisis in the story. I felt bad for her but you enjoy seeing her grow in some ways on her journey to protect and become the Elder of her clan. On a side note, I’m also curious to know more about what Zeke is and if he and her cousin will stay together?