Julie Hall thinks the hardest part of single motherhood is sleep deprivation and the constant search for dropped pacifiers, until her four-month old baby transforms into a wolf pup.
How could Carson be a Werewolf? He hadn’t been bitten. Not by a Werewolf, not by a dog, heck, not by a mosquito. Julie sets out to find Carson's father and demand some answers. Instead, she discovers a Werewolf pack haunted by a grisly string of murders--and soon realizes she and her baby are the next targets.
Julie Hall thinks the hardest part of single motherhood is sleep deprivation and the constant search for dropped pacifiers, until her four-month old baby transforms into a wolf pup.
How could Carson be a Werewolf? He hadn’t been bitten. Not by a Werewolf, not by a dog, heck, not by a mosquito. Julie sets out to find Carson's father and demand some answers. Instead, she discovers a Werewolf pack haunted by a grisly string of murders—and soon realizes she and her baby are the next targets.
This was a good read with good characters. Little slow in places but I managed to read it. 4*. Netgalley and backlit pr.
Julie is a librarian and a single mother with a newborn and just coming to grips with that. When, one full moon, her baby turns into a wolf pup.
Utterly confused she clings to the one person who may have answers – the father of her child. Only to find Mac is dead, murdered – and he’s not the first werewolf from his pack who has been targeted. And whoever took those wolves are now targeting her baby
This is one of those books where it’s a little weird that the protagonist is involved. I mean, Julie is human, completely human no special abilities, and she has an infant child in tow. Yes that baby has been threated and it’s understandable that she would want to stop this threat – but running towards it, playing amateur detective in a strange city with unknown enemies while carrying a baby along with you? That doesn’t seem reasonable or sensible. She’s not just running into danger like so many Urban Fantasy protagonist – but she decided to bring her baby along for the ride.
It’s one of the underlying issues of this book which can be hard to follow –the constant question of why the protagonist is even here. Why is she involved, why is she making decisions in this situation she knows so little about – it’s a perennial problem whenever we have a human protagonist in a supernatural book.
But it sits alongside a whole lot of things that are done so well. After all one of the minor conflicts of this book is Julie feeling so very out of place among the werewolves and the witches and being depreciating – without a huge amount of angst – in her own abilities, but still finding her own ways to contribute and help.
The leader of the werewolf pack is a woman. Yes, an actual woman alpha – and she openly pokes at the whole idea of a big hair man who would have to lead a werewolf pack. And there is a moment of girlhate with Julie deciding to make massive assumptions about Lilly because of her appearance – deciding she looks like “a stripper” and being generally shamy and contemptuous. But it’s all subverted by the fact she is the alpha and clearly powerful and capable and a more than decent leader. Julie’s prejudiced judgement are exposed to be exactly what they are in the face of her capability
And the main characters joining Julie in her mission to find out what happened to Mac (her ex) are both women – there’s Sheila her lifelong friend with her own supernatural secrets and Eliza a female werewolf (multiple female werewolves! It’s odd to say but this genre seems to have almost adopted a law that all werewolves must be male which makes this both so special and unique) with a lot of power and strength. In both cases – and with another female werewolf (another one!) companion of Mac’s, Julie does have moments of jealousy and feelings of inadequacy, thinking how much more attractive they are than her. But it’s presented very much that it’s her own insecurities being unreasonable rather than any actual fault on the part of the women. And Julie recognises it in herself as well and works through it.
I like the world building that goes into adding some level of depth to werewolf culture, some more elements and mysticism and the general moving away from werewolves and sheer physicality, violence and brutality that is so common. At the same time I would have liked to know more about it – and witchcraft – part of me thinks that Julie asked very few questions considering this whole supernatural world opened up in front of her and her baby boy is apparently part of it but at the same time given the immediacy of the threats she had to deal with and the new reality she had to absorb I can equally understand why she put all of that on the back burner. I think we can see that in the way she looks to integrate herself into the supernatural first before learning about the world as a whole. And on that – I have to say I absolutely love how she didn’t just leap at the hyper risky way she could be more fully part of the supernatural world. I mean, in this genre how many protagonist hear “you can do this but there’s a 50% chance you’ll die” and instantly leap at the chance, confident in all of their lovely plot armour? Julie is more sensible than that
When Julie Hall’s new baby, Carson, turns into a wolf-cub on the new moon, its time to find the father who was never informed of Julie’s pregnancy. In Graybull Wisconsin she finds Carson’s grandparents who are part of a pack of werewolves. This means that Julie has recessive genes for being a werewolf, making her a Dark Moon Wolf (paper from The Wild Rose Press, Inc) and her ex has been murdered in Las Vegas. With the help of a close friend Sheila who turns out to be a witch, and another werewolf, Eliza and a few other werewolves they start hunting the murderers, something pretty hard to do with a four-month old infant. Fun and exciting with lots of diaper changes.Review printed by Philadelphia Weekly Press
I read really really bad reviews of this here once, maybe I dreamed them but I now that I've read them and that they exist, no, this story is not that bad, not good but not boring either. I've gonna read the rest because I think that there's room to improve, but I don't regret spending my time with this book, so even if I would end being disapointed I think regreting spending my time on this series is something that I would not.
In Dark Moon Wolf, author Sarah E. Stephens creates a fantastical world filled with magic and I could not get enough! Preternatural creatures, a mysterious murder, dramatic surprises, and nail-biting suspense kept me rapt, but perhaps my favorite thing of all were the multiple strong women characters. Overall, an exciting and enjoyable read!
Well that was definitely one hell of a book. However it is not a romance. It is more of a paranormal mystery. It is so well written but it's a little sad too so be prepared. But I certainly plan to read more books in the series. I hope to see where Julian Carson and up next. This was one hell of a mystery, with lots of twist and turns.
This story is about Julie and her little boy Carson. Who won night on the full moon turns into a little wolf pup. So cute and furry in his crib, Julie's not sure what to do when she finds a wolf pup in the crib. When she comes to terms that her son is a werewolf, she decides it's time to find the father. After several attempts to get in touch with Mac and failing, she travels to his hometown seeking his parents to help her to get in touch with him. That's where things take a turn for the worse. Have the tissues ready because when you find out what's going on in this town you are going to be thoroughly upset. That is when decided that to find out what happened to Mac. But she soon finds she and her little one are in trouble. You won't believe who's behind it all. It was a surprise and when you she finds out that her best friend has a secret Julie truly has her world turning upside down.
Now before I ruin this for you I will leave off here. I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did. If you do like this book, please consider leaving a review. The Authors really like it when you do; they value your opinions too.
Wow! I really enjoyed this book. It was not my typical book but once I started I couldn't put it down. The authors writing style was fantastic and so easy to get lost in. Really liked the characters and I look forward to book 2!
OMG i loved this book!!!! The best thing about this book to me was the fact that is was so different that most other paranormal books. It was NOT a romance. (Hope that is not a spoiler). But if you are looking for a romance pass this one by. If you are looking for a great read that has suspense and keeps you turning the page, where you can not put your kindle down. THIS IS The book for you. I loved how Sarah E Stevens showed us so many types of wolves ...things I myself had wondered about in the past. I also can not want for her to give me more in this line. This book was not a cliff hanger but i do feel she has more to tell us from the pack in Greybull. 5 star read for me.
Amazing detective murder mystery. Jules is a new single mother freaking out when she sees a wolf cub in her baby's crib. Suspecting the father is a werewolf, she is furious that he didn't warn her. So she begins a journey to find him, ultimately locating his parents in the neighboring state. As Jules searches for information that will help her baby, she stumbles into a complicated plot of betrayals, kidnappings, secret agendas, power plays, diabolical experiments, murder and suspense. Unexpected twists and explosive action will thrill and keep one mesmerized. Outstanding storyline! I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book. Five stars.
I really enjoyed this book. It had the right amount of suspense, humor, sorrow and love. Oh and let's not forget about the werewolves, witches and humans. It is worth the read.
Dark Moon Wolf is a wonderfully written tale about loss, family, trust, and betrayal. Lots of action and suspense kept me turning pages and I did not see that ending coming. With some hold your breath moments, rich characters, and witty dialogue, this is definitely a series to watch. I can't wait to see what's next!
So I picked up this book thinking, “omg, baby werewolf, how cute!” and stayed for the murder mystery.
Admittedly, I thought this book was going to be about Julie Hall, librarian, tracking down the father of her baby and then getting mixed up in a murder investigation. I was looking forward to the moment when Julie tracked down Mac and demanded her answers.
Well, I was half right. Julie tracked her ex’s family down in hopes of finding the man, and the answers she sought. Instead she learns that her former lover has, in fact, been brutally murdered and that she, herself may in fact be the next target. Julie finds herself in the midst of a tangled web of murder and werewolf politics, but instead of being shooed back home where it is no doubt, much safer for her and her baby Carson, Julie decides to stay and help. Baby and all!
Julie soon finds herself the only normal among a sea of suped up supernaturals, which I kind of loved actually. It was refreshing to see this seemingly ordinary woman be just as awesome as the werewolves, even if she might not think so herself.
Oh, and did I mention that Julie is a Dark Moon Wolf? Each werewolf’s power is determined by which type of “moon” they are. Very cool. So you have your Full Moon Wolf, Half-Moon Wolf and so on and so forth (a little complicated for me to explain, but trust me, it makes sense). But a Dark Moon Wolf means Julie has recessive werewolf genes. Meaning if she were to be bitten, there is a chance she would be turned… or the bite would be fatal.
So, if your a fan or mystery and the supernatural, I’d take a looksy at this here book.
From the moment I began reading this book, I knew it wasn’t a typical werewolf novel. When a single mom finds out her newborn baby is actually a werewolf pup, where can she go for help? She decides to try and find her baby’s father, which leads her to a town with a secret - and a community populated almost entirely by werewolves. With lots of twists, turns, and just the right amount of humor, this is an exciting novel you won’t soon forget. I can’t wait to get the next book in this series. I’m not quite ready to leave this world yet!
In this fantasy book, Julie discovers a wolf in the place other four month old in his crib. His eyes tell her its her son and she decides her ex has some explaining to do. Tracking him down forces Julie into a the world of weres and a dangerous murder mystery . Twists and turns keep the pages flipping in this action packed mystery flavored with intriguing characters for a book I could not put down. I hope to read a whole lot more about these characters. My voluntary review is based upon a review copy.
Wow! What a ride. Julie finds her child as a wolf cub one night so she decides to go look for the father only finding that he was killed. She is suddenly involved in a mystery so shocking it shakes her to her core. A trip to Las Vegas, learning her best friend is a witch, her baby being kidnapped is just the tip of the iceberg. Great story!!
I voluntarily read an ARC of this book and this is my honest review.
DARK MOON WOLF was a pretty unique premise from the typical wolf shifter urban fantasy/paranormal romance story. The love interest is not there, and there is already the HEA baby that happens at the end of many of these stories. In fact there is really no romance or person who could eventually become a romantic interest (granted that could still happen later in this series) I enjoyed seeing the way in which Julie is introduced to the shifter world through her baby randomly shifting into a wolf pup. That would be pretty weird to experience-a suprise werewolf in your baby's crib. I found it rather fascinating that the story revolves around loss and discovery instead of Julie finding her place and new love in a shifter town. The discovery part mostly involves a murder mystery which was well done and is full of betrayals, kidnappings, secret agendas, and suspense.
I love seeing a new angle on werewolf mythology and DARK MOON WOLF presents a kind of complex system of wolf powers based on the phases of the moon. The wolves were shockingly welcoming to Julie, a human who randomly shows up with a kid, looking for the father. The baby could have very well be kidnapped by Julie as a part of the same evil plot that was causing werewolves to go missing in this story. They didn't know. Either way, I enjoyed meeting the Greybull pack and learning more about their lives.
DARK MOON WOLF was a fun, unique take on werewolf mythology and an interesting murder mystery with some exciting twists and turns. The ending could make the story work as a one off story but I can see how more books could be added as there is enough story and character development to stretch it out to a series. I am interested to see where this series goes from here.
Dark Moon Wolf, Calling the Moon, Sarah E. Stevens
Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews
Genre: General Fiction, Sci-fi and Fantasy
Well, I love paranormal/Fantasy, and wolf shifters in particular appeal to me. I was keen to read this, a first in what hopefully would turn out to be a new and fun series. I'd made the mistake of thinking this was romance, isn't not classed as that, simply my error and not looking carefully enough. That's not a game-changer though, I read books other than romance too :-) Just that it came as a surprise to find out some things early in the story.
Its an interesting read, Sarah has put a slightly different slant on shifter practicalities and categories which was good, kept that part fresh. The story though didn't really work totally for me. There was just so much in it, the search for Carson's dad, meeting the new people, finding out about werewolves and witches...Julie was incredibly blase about all the new things she was learning. Then the murders. there was a lot of action, lots going on and I just had a hard time believing things would play out as easily as they did. Don't get me wrong - there was struggle, lots of it but given Julie is human and new to all this supernatural stuff she did really well. the other werewolves too has a very hard task solving the murders, they'd been cleverly done by someone who was clever and had lots of backing, and I just couldn't see things playing out quite the way they did without Huge, Massive repercussions. I didn't guess who was involved til quite far on when there's a really - to the reader- obvious clue but Julie completely misses it.
It looks like a debut novel, I can't find any more books. Its well written but I just felt there was a little too much packed tightly into a novel that was just a bit too short for it. If the story was a bit longer so the action could have been made more realistic, and not have “Clue, and wow - here's the Perpetrator” plots that these shorter novels need I think its one I'd love.
A first in series has a hard ask too, setting the scene, introducing new characters, and in the case of fantasy/paranormal, other types of people, and all the while leading a story to keep the readers interest. This one does OK for me, but of course will be perfect for others. That's how it goes, we don't all want the same thing thankfully!
Stars: Three, a good start to fiction writing, and a new series, but for me needed a little more reality and practicalities.
BTW Full/Lily: does she remind anyone else of Dolly Parton? For some reason she's all I see each time Full comes into the story
ARC supplied for review purposes by Netgalley and Publishers
I enjoyed this book quite a bit. Was given to me by a friend of the author who knew I liked supernatural stuff. I had no idea what w exactly it would be about but it sucked me in from the get go and I am looking forward to the next book in the series
Julie is a single mother who works as a librarian with a four month old baby- Carson- had turned into a wolf puppy on the full moon. Julia is totally confused and decides to go look for Carson’s father- Mac. Julie never told Mac she was pregnant. Julie tries to get in touch with Mac but can’t so she decides to go to his hometown with Carson. Julie finds Carson’s grandparents who belong to the pack. But Mac had been murdered and he isn’t the only one from his pack who has been murdered. Lily is the pack leader of Mac’s pack and Julie shows prejudice toward Lily. . But now someone is after Carson. Julie does found out she has recessive wolf genes which means if she was bitten she could turn into a werewolf or die. The genes make Julie a Dark Wolf. Max had been murdered in Las Vegas. With the help of a friend Sheila who julie finds out is a witch. and Eliza who was a werewolf and a few other werewolves and they start hunting for the murderers. I really enjoyed this paranormal book. I do wish it had been longer. But I liked the plot and pace. It had my attention from the first page until the last page. This can be emotional and choke you up at times. I felt this was well written. I loved it had a lot of twists and turns. There were: wolves, witches, suspense, murder, mystery, betrayal, wolf pup power play, politics, experiments, action, loss, family, a Dark Wolf, and a lot more. I loved how the author showed us a lot of different kinds of wolves. I also really liked how Julie didn’t have any special powers but she did find ways to contribute and help to try to find the murderers. I liked the characters and the ins and outs of this book and I recommend..