Hunger

by Christie Goldenwulfe

Supernatural abilities, arcane magic, killer good looks, animalistic allure... what's not to love about being a werewolf? Kain Ulmer wouldn't change what he is for the world. He lives a carefree transient life where the only thing that matters is the next woman, the next conquest, the next thrill. The Hunger is the price he pays, the curse that demands he make a human kill every three moons or risk madness. Yet he considers the cost worth the rewards of ultimate power and freedom. Kain has everything he could want--until fate brings him to her...

Autumn Sullivan has the perfect life. She lives in the most beautiful place in the world, a cottage nestled in the sanctuary of an ancient redwood forest. She has realized her dream of owning a beautiful little coffee shop in the quiet Northern California town where she grew up, and her life is free from the complications of men and relationships. Just her and her friends, her shop, her redwoods, and her safe, simple life--until a dark, dangerous stranger disrupts her world and send her passions flaming.

Kain is determined to win this guarded creature, but he cannot know the wild desires they will awaken in one another, nor the danger he will bring to her doorstep. An evil even Kain cannot fathom targets Autumn, and they both must race to find answers, and a safe haven, before the Hunger catches up to them both.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

*Warning: this book is a paranormal, erotic romance that contains graphic language, sex, and violence. Mature readers only. Not intended for young readers.*

"Hunger" is the first book in the Hunger Series,which is an erotic paranormal (horror werewolf) romance which focuses on the two main characters, Kain and Autumn, and their journey of love and transformation together. The next book in the series,"Heat", is a continuation of the story started in Hunger, and is due to be releasedsummer 2018.

Genres: Werewolves, Urban Fantasy

334 pages, Paperback

First published June 21, 2016

Reviews

[Naia Pard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ah, the sweet pain of writing reviews retroactively. There has passed such a long time (almost a month) since I read this book. I am on a reading spree, from which I can hardly come down. That is why I am devouring my books, fearful not of an indigestion and not stopping to asses and make observations upon these materials, I so eagerly digest.

Let us see what is going on with this one.

This book was reprinted after being first published in 2016. The reason for that (my guess is) that the next book has been just released in what appears to be a duology and it maybe was favorable to have the first book published again, so the readers would have better access to it.

Good for them for doing that. Because in 2016 I would not have been able to even stumble upon this gem by mistake. To be honest, in 2016 I was still too new to this Goodreads thing and even Goodreads as a site was still crude and slightly inefficient for book searching (it has come a long way, but it still has to make a long and fruitful journey).

I have to say that I liked this book because it inspired me such a breath of fresh air. This author did not seem familiarized with the “standards” of the paranormal genre, and such it did not aim to follow tropes that might guarantee a bestseller. It truly felt like a debut, with all the good aspects of one: a fresh voice, an eager pen and an interesting take to a love story between a werewolf and human girl.

From the starters, we have two PoVs: his (the big, bad, non-committed werewolf that mesmerizes every creature he encounters) and hers (unimpressed, a bit flushed at his attention, a woman with a business and a house, someone with stars in her eyes and determination).

I liked that he did not have it in mind from the beginning to make her his forever partner (mate it is the word I am tip-toeing around). I can no longer take it seriously each time I see a werewolf romance and the leads are from the first caught in this battle of wills, trying not to cede to the “bond” that tugs at them. C’mon.

“She would surrender to him completely, and when she did, he would take of her fully, and brand himself to her core. Then he would leave, as he must, as he always did. He would break her heart, but she would never forget him.” He is adamant that this will be a quick f*ck and then, both will be on their different paths.

I like how wrong he proved to be.

Remember the part where I was saying that it was good that we had refreshing new voice, that this author is a debutant (she was for this book)? Well, that might be a problem in the terms of proportions.
In this game of courtship between the main characters, at some point it dawned on me that were it not specifically mentioned that this is a fantasy romance I would have been greatly concerned for the life of this girl. The way he goes around to woo her it is a bit more than creepy.

He relays a bit too much on his werewolfy senses. He finds her house. He follows her, unbeknownst to her…hmmm. And then something bad happens, but only he knows what is that. So we have this moment in which he suddenly jumps on the girl and tells her to run because something evil is coming for her and he will protect her from it.

My eyebrows were so up into the sky at this point. Bless her tender soul that she took him by his words and she did as she was told. By that point, I had to double-check that this is a fantasy book. This could have quickly turned into a crime documentary type of book in which we see how a girl gets gaslighted into thinking she is in grave danger. That her salvation can come only from this stranger with which she had had a night stand. And now they are together on the run from the police, which mind you, has been chasing him from the beginning of the book!!

The keyword for the entire operation should have been “keep Autumn” safe. It appears that many times. There are some cringe parts, yes, but overall I think it was a decent book that is worth a shot.

Instagram\\my Blog\\

[Izzy Tanner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm going to be brutally honesty, I went into this with low expectations. Not because of the author mind you. I've been a fan of her artwork for years. I LOVE werewolves, but I've never been big on romance novels. Vapid and shallow things like Harlequin books with Fabio pasted on the front are not my style. And in a world where the standard for paranormal romance is set to the standard of Twilight, well who can blame me for being trepidatious? I wanted to support this book though, because of that love of wolves and because as mentioned I've followed the artist for a long time.

Well imagine my delight when I was, beyond pleasantly surprised. I loved it! I finished it way more quickly than expected, partially because I couldn't put it down! The characters are well put together and believable. I need to like, highlight that and underline it. Believable people. The main characters to wax on about each other a bit more than you'd find in a non-romance novel. But I didn't mind that too much. The story line was compelling and I was surprised to see more good story underlining the romance. It's not just about the bow chica! Though those bits are well written as well.

This is where I insert a small warning to the non-Were community. This is DEFINITELY a real werewolf romance novel here. There are some things that some might find very different than the normal sexual interaction. That said, I feel the author tried to please both sides of the fence, those that know the ropes, and those that might just be testing the waters. She doesn't make it overwhelming.

I can't wait for the second installment, damn leaving off on a cliffhanger!

[Nikita · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was one of the croudfunders for this book, I went in with low expectations as werewolf books are typically all the same storyline but man was I wrong with this one. I couldn't put this one down! (It only took me 1 sitting to read it) from the amazing descriptions that make your imagination believe and trick your senses into believing you are right beside the characters experiencing it with them. To the characters themselves that by the end of the book you feel like you have known as a good friend. And this book was unlike every other werewolf book, it's twists and turns made it unpredictable, the scenes painted of high quality, the writing style that was well thought out. If you haven't read this stop doing what ever your doing and go read it now.
I can't wait for the sequel!

[Goose Feather · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'll be honest, I really did not enjoy this book. I've known about the artist for years, enjoyed her art but I feel her writing skills need a bit more fine tuning.

THE GOOD:

The world is creative. The werewolves feel unique yet familiar all at the same time, and it was a pleasure to read from Kain's wolf point of view. Vivid and descriptive.

THE BAD:

Oh boy is this book repetitive. I cannot count how many times a chapter Autumn repeats how manly and sexy Kain is. We get it, he is the paragon of maleness, reading about that over and over is not fun nor does it drive the point down any harder. Certain times I saw the author use almost the exact same sentence to describe Kain or Autumn several times, sometimes more than once per chapter. It's annoying.

The love story element is generic. Two perfectly sexy individuals meet and fall madly in love. Both main characters are tropes you've read before countless times. The bookish girl who has sworn off men, and the sexy bad boy who breaks her. Very very little depth for either of them. The side characters too, are boring and flat.

I really wanted to like this book because I adore werewolves but it just didn't do it for me. The sex scene near the middle of the novel was too drawn out and not all together hot as it again suffers from the repetition issue mention early. Not recommended sadly.

[Sarzcoo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I crowdfunded this book being a huge fan of both the artist/fledgling writer and boy was I not disappointed.
The characters were amazing, easy to sympathise with and reacted appropriately to the situtaions.
The blend of common werewolf lore and Christie's own personal flare made the werewolf an enthralling and powerful creature that I just can't wait to read more about!
This was no story about the flawless male rescuing the helpless female. I loved how strong the lead female character came across as, as well as how real the lead male was.
Excellent pacing to the story, it sweeps you up and doesn't let you pause for breath.
I devoured it in an afternoon and am tempted to read it again already.
The sex scenes were powerful and erotic, it brings out a deep passion without seeming absurd.

If you love werewolves, sexy times and just a damn good story with all the right amounts of excitement, magic and mystery then pick up this book and get to it.

[Shana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, honestly, I went in to this not expecting much, and as Kain was described I began expecting even less. Lol. Waist length hair, leather, 80s hair band, biker bad boy, etc... buuuuuut Kain and the story grew on me quickly. I feel the characters were developed well and I actually care about them and their connections. THEN there was the surprise excitement that comes about around the 3/4 mark. I never read the synopsis, I just borrow based on the cover, genre, recommendation, etc., so I came in to this blind, just expecting a werewolf romance, but no! It's got some drama in it that I found thoroughly enjoyable. 😁 I already have book two, Heat, loaded and ready so I can finish up the story and find out what all is about to happen... and get answers to my questions regarding Autumn. ☺️

[Kiwi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I too helped crowdfund this book and it was the best! I had my fair share of supernatural romance novels and I got to say this one was quite tantalizing. Most books I can keep a straight face but this one had me laughing, chuckling, feeling sad at times even flushed when it got to the nice bits. Now I am hungry for more of this book and I might end up reading this a few times more while I wait for the next parts and who knows I might sprout some fur and wag my tail if it helps bring the next part out! I do recommend reading this book its such a lovely guilty pleasure.

[Kathryn Henry · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is truly a werewolf series I can get into! I adore the author's creative world surrounding these vivid characters. If you are a true paranormal fan, you have to get this book!! Now hungry for the hardback version!

[Mary DeMauro · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book alternates between the points of view of Kain Ulmer and Autumn Sullivan. Kain is a werewolf who, while traversing the redwood forests of California, encounters the beautiful and free-spirited Autumn. But their blossoming relationship is interrupted by the arrival of a monster more terrifying and more deadly than Kain will ever be. Can Kain protect Autumn from this evil? Can Autumn reconcile herself to Kain’s own monstrous background?

The aspect of this book that I most enjoyed was probably the horror element. Many stories about werewolves either lean towards fantasy or are decidedly fantasy with no trace of the horror or gothic genres. As a horror fan, this disappoints me. Therefore, my favorite part of this book was the “Eater” werewolves—creatures in Kain’s world that are twisted both physically and mentally. Even the regular werewolves in this book must kill humans on a regular basis to satisfy the demands of the “Hunger” (hence the title of the book). Therefore, they are not simply magical shapeshifters, but creatures to be feared. As for the Eater werewolves, the imagery used to describe them is chilling. It was like the author was trying to answer the question, “What do monsters fear?” Werewolves, it turns out, fear Eater werewolves, and so will the reader.

There is also a good balance of fantasy, though I might classify it as dark fantasy, in this book. The magic Kain used several times was intriguing and very appropriate for a werewolf.

There was a lot of creativity in this book, and while I read it on my Kindle, I’m also considering purchasing the illustrated hardcover (https://www.christiegoldenwulfe.com/h...). I also look forward to the second installment in the series. If you love werewolves, or, more particularly, if you want to see the horror returned to werewolves, give this book a read. I have my criticisms of this book, but it was still highly enjoyable.

[Cecilia Engdahl · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you love Urban Fantasy, Werewolves and Romans, the Hunger series is for you!
It's not your everyday mainstream Werewolf Romance, but a well-written story about love, the desires of the beast, magic and mysteries of the earth, together with a captivating storyline and strong characters.

[Crystal Kowalski-McManus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Miss Goldenwolfe, I had just finished your book and I couldn't put it down! I finished it in less then 2 days. It was that interesting and full of detail. I'm already super excited for the next book! I do really regret not getting the hard cover. I've always loved your artworks since I was a wee pre-teen, Now that I am a young adult(22)I can really see all the blood, sweat, and love you put into your art and your writing. I hope that you get everything with your first publishing gets better, and easier. Like I said before, I'm super excited for Heat. Many blessings and happiness to you, Christie! Thank you for making this book and thank you for taking paranormal romance to a whole new place. <3 Oh if possible..Is there a way I could still get a hard cover? if not. I'll cherish my paperback. Thank you so much again! P.S I'm so happy I was able to croudfund a little bit to your publishing!

[Daniel Bayliss · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always consider a book that i cant put down (and one that i blow off chores for) to be a good one and in my opinion this one was amazing. There are some grammar mistakes but the story in general was right up my alley