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Wolf Winter #1
Une chienne de vie
Le monde s’achève non pas dans une explosion, mais dans un déluge. Des tornades ravagent le cœur de Londres, une chaleur étouffante fait fondre le bitume à New York et des couches de permafrost de plus en plus épaisses paralysent la Russie. Au début, les hommes se mobilisent, organisent des co-voiturages et évacuent les populations, mais le temps ne fait qu’empirer.
À Durham, Danny Fennick, un professeur affable, s’est calfeutré chez lui en attendant que la tempête passe. Élevé dans les Highlands d’Écosse, il a connu des hivers plus rigoureux. Et surtout, il possède un avantage : c’est un loup-garou. Ou, plus exactement, un chien-garou. Moins impressionnant, mais tout aussi pratique.
Néanmoins, les loups-garous n’y voient pas qu’un simple hiver et franchissent le Mur du Nord pour marquer leur nouveau territoire. Parmi eux, son ex, Jack, fils du Numitor de la meute et prince héritier, et son frère, qui rêve de fratricide.
Un hiver de loup n’est pas blanc. Il est rouge comme le sang.
À Durham, Danny Fennick, un professeur affable, s’est calfeutré chez lui en attendant que la tempête passe. Élevé dans les Highlands d’Écosse, il a connu des hivers plus rigoureux. Et surtout, il possède un avantage : c’est un loup-garou. Ou, plus exactement, un chien-garou. Moins impressionnant, mais tout aussi pratique.
Néanmoins, les loups-garous n’y voient pas qu’un simple hiver et franchissent le Mur du Nord pour marquer leur nouveau territoire. Parmi eux, son ex, Jack, fils du Numitor de la meute et prince héritier, et son frère, qui rêve de fratricide.
Un hiver de loup n’est pas blanc. Il est rouge comme le sang.
210 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 9, 2016
27 people are currently reading
347 people want to read
About the author
T.A. Moore
45 books390 followersTA Moore is a Northern Irish writer of romantic suspense, urban fantasy, and contemporary romance novels. A childhood in a rural, seaside town fostered in her a suspicious nature, a love of mystery, and a streak of black humour a mile wide. As her grandmother always said, ‘she’d laugh at a bad thing that one’, mind you, that was the pot calling the kettle black. TA Moore studied History, Irish mythology, English at University, mostly because she has always loved a good story. She has worked as a journalist, a finance manager, and in the arts sectors before she finally gave in to a lifelong desire to write.
Coffee, Doc Marten boots, and good friends are the essential things in life. Spiders, mayo, and heels are to be avoided.
Website: www.nevertobetold.co.uk
Facebook: www.facebook.com/TA.Moores
Twitter: @tammy_moore
Coffee, Doc Marten boots, and good friends are the essential things in life. Spiders, mayo, and heels are to be avoided.
Website: www.nevertobetold.co.uk
Facebook: www.facebook.com/TA.Moores
Twitter: @tammy_moore
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 110 reviews
October 20, 2016
2 hearts
This is going to be a hard review to write. Do you know those books that just don’t grab your attention? You struggle to pick up the book and keep going, but you just can’t for the life of you, pinpoint what the problem is? That was this book for me. Luckily I’ve had lots of time to think about it and some help from a friend who had some of the same issues, so i’ll try and explain myself as concisely as possible.
Danny is a dog shifter descended from wolves, he used to live in the pack with Jack, the ‘wolf prince’ so to speak. Danny left because he was sick of being the bottom of the food chain and dogs have an affinity towards humans away. So years pass and... it gets cold, Jack gets kicked out of the pack and goes and finds Danny, it’s still pretty damn cold, Danny talks to his ex-girlfriend and lots of people get attacked/killed and it’s still fucking cold. Everything is obviously a bit more detailed than that but you get the general jist.
First, let me talk about the things I actually liked. I really liked Danny’s character, he was very well fledged out. I liked that we saw his insecurities but he was also confident in his differences. It was something he had obviously worked through prior to the book beginning and he had come to accept being a dog, not a wolf was ok for him.
At first I really liked the mystery of Jack and Danny’s relationship, what were they to each other? How did it end? but by the time I hit 70% i was more than ready to find out what their history actually was, which we never really did.
One super positive was, there is this super, smoking, hot sex scene just after halfway which was all possessiveness and claiming and all sorts of yum.
I think the world building is what really got me stuck. It was a mix between myths and ancient languages by the Wolves and a contemporary setting for the humans and Danny. While that sounds kind of cool, it really just got confusing.
It would also be safe to say that there was absolutely no romance between Danny and Jack, possessiveness and a primal attraction? Yes, but romance? No. The general mystery and storyline just didn’t grab me at all, there was also way too much time spent with Danny’s ex-girlfriend Jenny, who I just didn’t care about.
In the end I was reading this 200 page book for ten days. TEN days!!! It would normally take me two days to read a book that long if it was a good book, less if it was amazing. It became a chore to keep going and it dragged like a queens parade. So while I would definitely recommend others to give this book a go (there are some other 5 stars reviews out there) this just was not for me.
This is going to be a hard review to write. Do you know those books that just don’t grab your attention? You struggle to pick up the book and keep going, but you just can’t for the life of you, pinpoint what the problem is? That was this book for me. Luckily I’ve had lots of time to think about it and some help from a friend who had some of the same issues, so i’ll try and explain myself as concisely as possible.
Danny is a dog shifter descended from wolves, he used to live in the pack with Jack, the ‘wolf prince’ so to speak. Danny left because he was sick of being the bottom of the food chain and dogs have an affinity towards humans away. So years pass and... it gets cold, Jack gets kicked out of the pack and goes and finds Danny, it’s still pretty damn cold, Danny talks to his ex-girlfriend and lots of people get attacked/killed and it’s still fucking cold. Everything is obviously a bit more detailed than that but you get the general jist.
First, let me talk about the things I actually liked. I really liked Danny’s character, he was very well fledged out. I liked that we saw his insecurities but he was also confident in his differences. It was something he had obviously worked through prior to the book beginning and he had come to accept being a dog, not a wolf was ok for him.
At first I really liked the mystery of Jack and Danny’s relationship, what were they to each other? How did it end? but by the time I hit 70% i was more than ready to find out what their history actually was, which we never really did.
One super positive was, there is this super, smoking, hot sex scene just after halfway which was all possessiveness and claiming and all sorts of yum.
I think the world building is what really got me stuck. It was a mix between myths and ancient languages by the Wolves and a contemporary setting for the humans and Danny. While that sounds kind of cool, it really just got confusing.
It would also be safe to say that there was absolutely no romance between Danny and Jack, possessiveness and a primal attraction? Yes, but romance? No. The general mystery and storyline just didn’t grab me at all, there was also way too much time spent with Danny’s ex-girlfriend Jenny, who I just didn’t care about.
In the end I was reading this 200 page book for ten days. TEN days!!! It would normally take me two days to read a book that long if it was a good book, less if it was amazing. It became a chore to keep going and it dragged like a queens parade. So while I would definitely recommend others to give this book a go (there are some other 5 stars reviews out there) this just was not for me.
September 9, 2016
I actually had the pleasure of reading this as an ARC and as always, am blown away by TA Moore's use of language and imagery. The author's voice is distinctively UK and it's fantastic to experince the nuances and differences of a UK-centric style of writing. There's a cultural steep in TA Moore's words, the rich deep moss of centuries of story-telling and the brashness of an urban, modern perspective. Dog Days is a unique blend of ancient undertones and vivid, stark lines, a gentrification of ancient language with a spot of neon to draw the eye.
I fully enjoyed this book. I loved falling into it and TA Moore's style of writing. It's a solid, unique tale with a tickle and a promise of more to come. Can't wait to see where the author takes us.
I fully enjoyed this book. I loved falling into it and TA Moore's style of writing. It's a solid, unique tale with a tickle and a promise of more to come. Can't wait to see where the author takes us.
March 13, 2019
Avevo pensato che all'inizio fosse da 4☆ ma in questo momento penso che darò 3☆. Quest'anno non ho fortuna.
*ATTENZIONE SPOILERS INSIDE*
Prima di tutto questo libro manca di un buon capitolo introduttivo sul posto in cui è ambientato. È vero che è uno Urban Fantasy e che Durham se pur andato a puttane, stato catastrofico, esiste ma almeno una spiegazione di dove siamo, come è il posto e magari un po' di gerarchia lupesca (e altre piccole cose) non sarebbe stato male. Il Numitor è il capo e padre di Jack e Gregor. Fin qui si può capire ma quando si parla di Danny mi ci è voluto un attimo di troppo per capire che la madre è un lupo. Una spiegazione in più sul Vallo e la sua divisione non avrebbe fatto male. Sul perchè non possono superarlo e cosa vuol dire quando il Numitor allenta la presa. (Non ricordo più come era scritto). Anche la cosa di Adriano non ne so mezza anche se è Adriano da Roma. Fenrir lo conosco ma qui mi pare usato in maniera diversa. Ma tutto questo renderebbe solo un 4☆.
Cosa lo rende un 3☆ sono i protagonisti. La coppia. Devo forse considerarlo uno Urban Fantasy BDSM? Non che fanno quel tipo di cose pero c'è sottomesso, il cane Danny, e padrone, il lupo Jack, quindi boh ...
E poi non sono nemmeno simpatici i protagonisti. L'amore non so bene dove sia ed è tutto violenza durante il sesso. Se vogliamo mettere le cose in chiaro se questo si fosse presentato come uno yaoi, intendo se fosse stato un manga/fumetto, un po' violento l'avrei apprezzato. Mi piacciono gli yaoi di quel tipo. Ne ho letti tanti di hard. Ma sento che in questo libro c'è un qualcosa che manca che non me lo fa apprezzare appieno. Non so che è. Ho letto e amato anche "Cucciolo" che è un BDSM eppure con "Cani e Lupi" non riesco.
Per quanto riguarda le leggende. Troppo misto. Fenrir è norreno come Hel, che tra l'altro Hel secondo Wiki, è una parte della creazione per Fenrir. Qui Fenrir tra l'altro mi pare di capire sia il vento? Non credo di aver capito bene. Tra l'altro su Wiki c'è il lupo incatenato e scatenato ma non mi metterò a leggerlo visto che dubito sia la stessa cosa del libro. E poi c'è Selene che invece appartiene alla mitologia greca. Ed è sicuramente lei visto che vuol dire Luna ed è la luna nel libro. Già un Urban Fantasy BDSM mi fa strano ma aggiungendoci un misto di leggende fa ancora più strano. O andiamo tutto sul Norreno o andiamo tutto sul Greco. Altrimenti abbiamo un pentolone con tutti gli ingredienti buttati a caso. Comunque non dovrei essere io, lettore, a cercare su Wiki. Due cosette per approffondire ma non tutto.
E sul finire abbiamo i Lupi Mannari. Ma certo perchè no in mezzo a questo misto solo che sono al servizio del profeta pazzoide che vuole essere il nuovo Numitor. Sono poi una specie di mostri.
E poi Brock. Quando viene morso anche se non sappiamo ancora chi è stato arriva l'idea latente "oddio sta a vedere che ora diventerà un lupo" perchè ancora non sappiamo dei lupi mannari. Dopo il tentativo, e mi meraviglio fosse ancora semi vivo, di portarlo invano all'ospedale e impossibilitati a farlo si sono fermati in una casa abbandonata. E mentre Danny è lontano ecco che Brock riprende vita, con la luna piena, e diventa una specie di mostro.
*ATTENZIONE SPOILERS INSIDE*
Prima di tutto questo libro manca di un buon capitolo introduttivo sul posto in cui è ambientato. È vero che è uno Urban Fantasy e che Durham se pur andato a puttane, stato catastrofico, esiste ma almeno una spiegazione di dove siamo, come è il posto e magari un po' di gerarchia lupesca (e altre piccole cose) non sarebbe stato male. Il Numitor è il capo e padre di Jack e Gregor. Fin qui si può capire ma quando si parla di Danny mi ci è voluto un attimo di troppo per capire che la madre è un lupo. Una spiegazione in più sul Vallo e la sua divisione non avrebbe fatto male. Sul perchè non possono superarlo e cosa vuol dire quando il Numitor allenta la presa. (Non ricordo più come era scritto). Anche la cosa di Adriano non ne so mezza anche se è Adriano da Roma. Fenrir lo conosco ma qui mi pare usato in maniera diversa. Ma tutto questo renderebbe solo un 4☆.
Cosa lo rende un 3☆ sono i protagonisti. La coppia. Devo forse considerarlo uno Urban Fantasy BDSM? Non che fanno quel tipo di cose pero c'è sottomesso, il cane Danny, e padrone, il lupo Jack, quindi boh ...
E poi non sono nemmeno simpatici i protagonisti. L'amore non so bene dove sia ed è tutto violenza durante il sesso. Se vogliamo mettere le cose in chiaro se questo si fosse presentato come uno yaoi, intendo se fosse stato un manga/fumetto, un po' violento l'avrei apprezzato. Mi piacciono gli yaoi di quel tipo. Ne ho letti tanti di hard. Ma sento che in questo libro c'è un qualcosa che manca che non me lo fa apprezzare appieno. Non so che è. Ho letto e amato anche "Cucciolo" che è un BDSM eppure con "Cani e Lupi" non riesco.
Per quanto riguarda le leggende. Troppo misto. Fenrir è norreno come Hel, che tra l'altro Hel secondo Wiki, è una parte della creazione per Fenrir. Qui Fenrir tra l'altro mi pare di capire sia il vento? Non credo di aver capito bene. Tra l'altro su Wiki c'è il lupo incatenato e scatenato ma non mi metterò a leggerlo visto che dubito sia la stessa cosa del libro. E poi c'è Selene che invece appartiene alla mitologia greca. Ed è sicuramente lei visto che vuol dire Luna ed è la luna nel libro. Già un Urban Fantasy BDSM mi fa strano ma aggiungendoci un misto di leggende fa ancora più strano. O andiamo tutto sul Norreno o andiamo tutto sul Greco. Altrimenti abbiamo un pentolone con tutti gli ingredienti buttati a caso. Comunque non dovrei essere io, lettore, a cercare su Wiki. Due cosette per approffondire ma non tutto.
E sul finire abbiamo i Lupi Mannari. Ma certo perchè no in mezzo a questo misto solo che sono al servizio del profeta pazzoide che vuole essere il nuovo Numitor. Sono poi una specie di mostri.
E poi Brock. Quando viene morso anche se non sappiamo ancora chi è stato arriva l'idea latente "oddio sta a vedere che ora diventerà un lupo" perchè ancora non sappiamo dei lupi mannari. Dopo il tentativo, e mi meraviglio fosse ancora semi vivo, di portarlo invano all'ospedale e impossibilitati a farlo si sono fermati in una casa abbandonata. E mentre Danny è lontano ecco che Brock riprende vita, con la luna piena, e diventa una specie di mostro.
September 8, 2016
DNF @ 52%
I really really wanted to like this book, but everything about this book is why I'm just reading Urban Fantasy! The one thing about urban fantasy that I loathe is reading it like I'm suppose to know the background. I don't get it. Prologue people, make us understand where you are coming from. I really dislike when I have to figure out the world building and rules myself. I need it to be more clear and concise. At this rate, I'm going to keep chucking these books into the throwaway pile.
The two stars were for the writing and the minimum that I liked in the story. It was the bare minimum. I felt like I was coming into the middle of the story instead of the beginning. I didn't quite grasp the world building just yet. Another thing was that every relationship in this story so far felt so choppy to me. It irritated me trying to figure out the background between Jack & Danny. I even made it to 50% and yeah, they have a past but it doesn't make sense to me at all.
From the half of the story that I've read I'd gather that something in the world was causing the change in the world. Be it the storms, and weather changing. We have a dog shifter and a wolf shifter in this world, and a woman's murder. I did like Danny's character. I got him a little and liked the way he acted around abrasive Jack. I just couldn't continue reading the story since I didn't understand it at all. I look forward to more from this author, since I did like her writing! This didn't work for me, but it might work for you!
I really really wanted to like this book, but everything about this book is why I'm just reading Urban Fantasy! The one thing about urban fantasy that I loathe is reading it like I'm suppose to know the background. I don't get it. Prologue people, make us understand where you are coming from. I really dislike when I have to figure out the world building and rules myself. I need it to be more clear and concise. At this rate, I'm going to keep chucking these books into the throwaway pile.
The two stars were for the writing and the minimum that I liked in the story. It was the bare minimum. I felt like I was coming into the middle of the story instead of the beginning. I didn't quite grasp the world building just yet. Another thing was that every relationship in this story so far felt so choppy to me. It irritated me trying to figure out the background between Jack & Danny. I even made it to 50% and yeah, they have a past but it doesn't make sense to me at all.
From the half of the story that I've read I'd gather that something in the world was causing the change in the world. Be it the storms, and weather changing. We have a dog shifter and a wolf shifter in this world, and a woman's murder. I did like Danny's character. I got him a little and liked the way he acted around abrasive Jack. I just couldn't continue reading the story since I didn't understand it at all. I look forward to more from this author, since I did like her writing! This didn't work for me, but it might work for you!
September 24, 2016
Phew, 10 days... It took me 10 days to finish this book, and it ended up being a sort of BR with Chelsea, but maybe I should call it a support-group instead?!
It's not that it was badly written, because it wasn't.
It's not that the characters were annoying or douchebags, because they weren't.
It's not that there was anything wrong with the world-building, because there wasn't.
But this book took me 10 days to get through, where a book of this length would normally take me an evening.
And I can't put my finger on the issues. Chelsea and I were talking about whether it was the world-building that was too... Much?! Too confusing?! Too vague?! And still I can't put my finger on it.
Anywhose, Danny is a theology student, and he's also a dog shifter. His mum ran out of wolf-genes (??) which means that most of her cubs became dogs. So Danny becomes a big dog (voluntarily and during the full moon), but he lived most of his life in a wolf pack and Danny hated it. He was always the odd man out, and nobody understood his need for reading. He was always at the bottom *snicker* since the wolves have this ingrained idea that they are the TOP of the food chain.
Danny then decided to go South (over Hadrian's wall) and leave the pack behind. He's studying and living his life, until the weather changes. One of the old prophecies of the pack talk about the winter of the wolf (or something like that), and it's like an apocalypse, where most humans will die, and only the wolves will be left.
Jack is the puppy Prince (hah, go Danny) and his twin Gregor and him have been fighting all of their lives for the top-post when their dad decides he's ready to hand over the reins.
Gregor is chosen (even though Jack is older) and Jack leaves for the 'South' as well... Here he seeks out Danny, so they can make their own little pack.
Then people start dying in the little snowed-in village, and Danny being a good guy wants to find out what's happening, while Jack who's not such a 'good' guy says: "leave the humans alone, we don't need them, and we'll be 'standing' in the end."
There's a 'mystery' in this book and fights and blood and gore. There's the ex-girlfriend, that suddenly gets a POV, and becomes the damsel in distress.
There's ONE smex scene, and a VERY abrupt ending....
UGH, if it wasn't for Chelsea I would have thrown in the towel, but it helped that we were two struggling with this, and a sort of we-will-finish-this-book-no-matter-the-cost-thing going on.
I still can't say why it didn't work for me, it just never caught my attention AND held it. And the ending just pissed me off ! Fuck that shit!
So yeah, this one goes out to Chelsea: Thanks girl, we made it, and now we need to find something much more entertaining!
It's not that it was badly written, because it wasn't.
It's not that the characters were annoying or douchebags, because they weren't.
It's not that there was anything wrong with the world-building, because there wasn't.
But this book took me 10 days to get through, where a book of this length would normally take me an evening.
And I can't put my finger on the issues. Chelsea and I were talking about whether it was the world-building that was too... Much?! Too confusing?! Too vague?! And still I can't put my finger on it.
Anywhose, Danny is a theology student, and he's also a dog shifter. His mum ran out of wolf-genes (??) which means that most of her cubs became dogs. So Danny becomes a big dog (voluntarily and during the full moon), but he lived most of his life in a wolf pack and Danny hated it. He was always the odd man out, and nobody understood his need for reading. He was always at the bottom *snicker* since the wolves have this ingrained idea that they are the TOP of the food chain.
Danny then decided to go South (over Hadrian's wall) and leave the pack behind. He's studying and living his life, until the weather changes. One of the old prophecies of the pack talk about the winter of the wolf (or something like that), and it's like an apocalypse, where most humans will die, and only the wolves will be left.
Jack is the puppy Prince (hah, go Danny) and his twin Gregor and him have been fighting all of their lives for the top-post when their dad decides he's ready to hand over the reins.
Gregor is chosen (even though Jack is older) and Jack leaves for the 'South' as well... Here he seeks out Danny, so they can make their own little pack.
Then people start dying in the little snowed-in village, and Danny being a good guy wants to find out what's happening, while Jack who's not such a 'good' guy says: "leave the humans alone, we don't need them, and we'll be 'standing' in the end."
There's a 'mystery' in this book and fights and blood and gore. There's the ex-girlfriend, that suddenly gets a POV, and becomes the damsel in distress.
There's ONE smex scene, and a VERY abrupt ending....
UGH, if it wasn't for Chelsea I would have thrown in the towel, but it helped that we were two struggling with this, and a sort of we-will-finish-this-book-no-matter-the-cost-thing going on.
I still can't say why it didn't work for me, it just never caught my attention AND held it. And the ending just pissed me off ! Fuck that shit!
So yeah, this one goes out to Chelsea: Thanks girl, we made it, and now we need to find something much more entertaining!
March 27, 2019
L’inverno era calato come un martello. Il freddo aveva il sapore di aghi, e il vento annodava la neve tra i capelli di Jack. Lo spingeva come una mano, cercando di costringerlo a risalire la collina. Nessuno ricordava un inverno più rigido, anche se la sua famiglia aveva la memoria lunga, e il calendario segnava solo settembre. Un tempo strano. Un tempo selvaggio.
Questa lettura è stata una mezza delusione.
Forse, se non avessi avuto grandi aspettative, il mio giudizio sarebbe stato diverso, ma il precedente libro di TA Moore mi era piaciuto parecchio, adoro il fantasy in quasi ogni salsa, e quando ho visto mutaforma è stato un automatico "venite a me".
In effetti, le premesse di partenza erano non solo buone, ma pazzesche: un mondo dove il regno dei lupi è stato separato dagli uomini già all'epoca dei Romani, con un confine invisibile segnato dal Vallo; due principi ereditari in attesa di succedere, uno dei quali ha avuto in passato un amante cane mutaforma (che sono una specie di mutaforma di serie B); un disastro ambientale che si sta per abbattere sul mondo, portando anche il pericolo di un venir meno della barriera che teneva i lupi a freno.
Purtroppo tutti questi ricchi e splendidi elementi vengono scaricati tutti insieme, senza una degna introduzione, nella trama, costringendo il lettore a orientarsi in un guazzabuglio di informazioni disparate, che tengono in confusione e impediscono di godersi la lettura.
Il disastro ambientale, ad esempio: io lo sapevo dalla sinossi, ma cavolo, veramente vengono spese dieci righe di spiegazione. Perché è successo, si può fermare, ha qualche nesso sui personaggi?
Tutto è lasciato abbastanza in sospeso, forse per dei seguiti, ma - insomma - qualche nozione in più avrebbe fatto comodo.
E poi la storia in sé è molto limitata.
Poteva avere un respiro più ampio, spostarsi da questo paesino abbandonato.
Invece c'è una lentissima parte iniziale-centrale, con un indulgere agli effetti splatter, dove non accade quasi niente e ci si annoia qualcosina.
Comprendo poi che si volesse dare l'idea di un POV canino/lupesco (quando i protagonisti si trasformano), insistendo sugli odori, sulle sensazioni a quattro zampe e su una certa attrazione sessuale "bestiale" con aggressione/sottomissione, pruriti e tensioni varie alle stesse parti, ma alla venticinquesima volta che viene ripetuto il termine "testicoli", veramente... altro che ghiaccio, il mondo sembra sorgere e finire lì.
Sorvolo sul finale, che poteva essere epico, ma è una cosa "confusa" e splatter come il resto.
In conclusione, è uno di quei casi in cui ci si riserva la sostanza per il seguito e si finisce per non ingolosire abbastanza.
Questa lettura è stata una mezza delusione.
Forse, se non avessi avuto grandi aspettative, il mio giudizio sarebbe stato diverso, ma il precedente libro di TA Moore mi era piaciuto parecchio, adoro il fantasy in quasi ogni salsa, e quando ho visto mutaforma è stato un automatico "venite a me".
In effetti, le premesse di partenza erano non solo buone, ma pazzesche: un mondo dove il regno dei lupi è stato separato dagli uomini già all'epoca dei Romani, con un confine invisibile segnato dal Vallo; due principi ereditari in attesa di succedere, uno dei quali ha avuto in passato un amante cane mutaforma (che sono una specie di mutaforma di serie B); un disastro ambientale che si sta per abbattere sul mondo, portando anche il pericolo di un venir meno della barriera che teneva i lupi a freno.
Purtroppo tutti questi ricchi e splendidi elementi vengono scaricati tutti insieme, senza una degna introduzione, nella trama, costringendo il lettore a orientarsi in un guazzabuglio di informazioni disparate, che tengono in confusione e impediscono di godersi la lettura.
Il disastro ambientale, ad esempio: io lo sapevo dalla sinossi, ma cavolo, veramente vengono spese dieci righe di spiegazione. Perché è successo, si può fermare, ha qualche nesso sui personaggi?
Tutto è lasciato abbastanza in sospeso, forse per dei seguiti, ma - insomma - qualche nozione in più avrebbe fatto comodo.
E poi la storia in sé è molto limitata.
Poteva avere un respiro più ampio, spostarsi da questo paesino abbandonato.
Invece c'è una lentissima parte iniziale-centrale, con un indulgere agli effetti splatter, dove non accade quasi niente e ci si annoia qualcosina.
Comprendo poi che si volesse dare l'idea di un POV canino/lupesco (quando i protagonisti si trasformano), insistendo sugli odori, sulle sensazioni a quattro zampe e su una certa attrazione sessuale "bestiale" con aggressione/sottomissione, pruriti e tensioni varie alle stesse parti, ma alla venticinquesima volta che viene ripetuto il termine "testicoli", veramente... altro che ghiaccio, il mondo sembra sorgere e finire lì.
Sorvolo sul finale, che poteva essere epico, ma è una cosa "confusa" e splatter come il resto.
In conclusione, è uno di quei casi in cui ci si riserva la sostanza per il seguito e si finisce per non ingolosire abbastanza.
December 25, 2018
Dark, fantasy-dystopian, emotionally messy M/M shifter romance series with lots of violence and gross monsters. Love it! The setup: Sudden and extreme weather has hit the world. Academic and dog shifter Danny Fennick knows the intense and worsening winter in Scotland isn't because of global climate change, but rather the end of the world. His old werewolf pack had a prophecy about the fall of men and their own return from exile, and it's coming true. Danny's ex, Jack, is Crown Prince of the pack, and he shows up back in town along with some seriously bad and creepy adversaries, leading to a brutal fight for survival in snowbound streets.
Stone the Crows, the next book, follows Jack's brother and rival Gregor after Jack and Danny's disappearance, which results in badly wounded Gregor meeting human doctor Nicholas Blake, and even MORE brutal fights for survival, this time to prevent the end of the world.
Moore has a knack for "uneasy allies to still-uneasy lovers" that feels very different from your standard romance vibe, and I really enjoy it. Dog Days is a great example. I might not even call Danny and Jack's relationship a love story, honestly, though I personally ship it - their history is just so tangled up in power struggle. Stone the Crows develops more into a traditional partnership, though Gregor will always be spiky as hell. Both books have this intense energy about loyalty and protection that I apparently find extremely compelling.
Note: Both Danny and Gregor are bi/pan.
Stone the Crows, the next book, follows Jack's brother and rival Gregor after Jack and Danny's disappearance, which results in badly wounded Gregor meeting human doctor Nicholas Blake, and even MORE brutal fights for survival, this time to prevent the end of the world.
Moore has a knack for "uneasy allies to still-uneasy lovers" that feels very different from your standard romance vibe, and I really enjoy it. Dog Days is a great example. I might not even call Danny and Jack's relationship a love story, honestly, though I personally ship it - their history is just so tangled up in power struggle. Stone the Crows develops more into a traditional partnership, though Gregor will always be spiky as hell. Both books have this intense energy about loyalty and protection that I apparently find extremely compelling.
Note: Both Danny and Gregor are bi/pan.
September 28, 2016
A Joyfully Jay review.
4 stars
This book captured my attention right away from the blurb. It is a kind of paranormal mixed with an apocalypse, end of days kind of story and I really loved the twist of genres. There is a mysticism built into the book, the legends of the wolves and the prophesies that surround them. We learn that in Roman times, the wolves were banished up north, but when the winter comes, the time of the wolves will return. When Danny sees the weather turn, he knows it could be the first steps before the Numitor lets the wolves free and to attack the human world. There is a darkness here, a wildness to the wolves, that we see through Jack. Though they are part human, their animal side reigns, and there is clearly a part of Jack that is just on the edge of humanity. So I really enjoyed the world building and the creativity here. I found the story really interesting and loved that it doesn’t follow the typical paranormal shifter mold.
Jack leaves his pack to reunite with Danny, who has made a life in academia where his human side is primary. But he knows something dark is coming, and he is not surprised when Jack surfaces. Danny isn’t eager to get back together with Jack, as he has put the pack behind him. But he also can’t help but to be drawn to the man, and there is some nice sexual tension as the two work through things. There is a sense of inevitability here, a knowledge that despite the walls Danny is putting up, that he will end up with Jack (and he knows it). But Moore also gives us a nice build and I enjoyed the way that Danny holds his own against the dominant and stronger Jack. I also liked how Danny’s humanity balances out Jack’s wildness. Although Jack is far more sensitive and aware than much of his pack, there is also an edge to him, a sense that the balance falls to his wolf side. By contrast Danny has much more of a hold on his humanity, and feels much more of a connection to the human world that is facing such a crisis.
Read Jay's review in its entirety here.
4 stars
This book captured my attention right away from the blurb. It is a kind of paranormal mixed with an apocalypse, end of days kind of story and I really loved the twist of genres. There is a mysticism built into the book, the legends of the wolves and the prophesies that surround them. We learn that in Roman times, the wolves were banished up north, but when the winter comes, the time of the wolves will return. When Danny sees the weather turn, he knows it could be the first steps before the Numitor lets the wolves free and to attack the human world. There is a darkness here, a wildness to the wolves, that we see through Jack. Though they are part human, their animal side reigns, and there is clearly a part of Jack that is just on the edge of humanity. So I really enjoyed the world building and the creativity here. I found the story really interesting and loved that it doesn’t follow the typical paranormal shifter mold.
Jack leaves his pack to reunite with Danny, who has made a life in academia where his human side is primary. But he knows something dark is coming, and he is not surprised when Jack surfaces. Danny isn’t eager to get back together with Jack, as he has put the pack behind him. But he also can’t help but to be drawn to the man, and there is some nice sexual tension as the two work through things. There is a sense of inevitability here, a knowledge that despite the walls Danny is putting up, that he will end up with Jack (and he knows it). But Moore also gives us a nice build and I enjoyed the way that Danny holds his own against the dominant and stronger Jack. I also liked how Danny’s humanity balances out Jack’s wildness. Although Jack is far more sensitive and aware than much of his pack, there is also an edge to him, a sense that the balance falls to his wolf side. By contrast Danny has much more of a hold on his humanity, and feels much more of a connection to the human world that is facing such a crisis.
Read Jay's review in its entirety here.
September 10, 2016
REVIEWED FOR PRISM BOOK ALLIANCE
2.5 Stars
I am a self-confessed addict when it comes to shifter stories. They are fun, they are imaginative and although often formulaic I kind of like that about them too. Dog Days was imaginative but it held a dark story line with a lot of gore, little to no romance and a cast of characters that I strongly disliked most of the time.
The world is suffering from a strange weather phenomenon that was never really properly explained – it just was. A vicious storm has hit the UK and the werewolves amongst us believe it to be a story long told by the prophets but for the very large human population it makes no sense. With the exception of Jack being exiled from his pack because he won’t sleep with a woman to produce pups, all leaders must procreate, this storm was all that really happened for the first 40% of the book. I kept wondering when the army or the emergency services would turn up – but that never happened.
Danny is a weredog and left the pack that he was seen as ‘less’ in and chose to live amongst the human population. He was previously one of Jack’s lovers so when Jack is exiled he ends up on Danny’s doorstep. Not long after his arrival dead bodies start showing up and his twin brother turns up to kill him.
Jack was an overbearing pig a lot of the time and walked all over Danny who never really put up much of a fight – I certainly never felt nor could I understand any connection between them. Jenny took up far too much page space – she had cheated on Danny but still expected him to be there at the drop of a hat. Not a lot happens and when the story does progress it happens slowly and my interest waned pretty quickly, add onto that the fact that I didn’t really like any of the characters and there was a rather ambiguous ending then Dog Days wasn’t a hit with me.
2.5 Stars
I am a self-confessed addict when it comes to shifter stories. They are fun, they are imaginative and although often formulaic I kind of like that about them too. Dog Days was imaginative but it held a dark story line with a lot of gore, little to no romance and a cast of characters that I strongly disliked most of the time.
The world is suffering from a strange weather phenomenon that was never really properly explained – it just was. A vicious storm has hit the UK and the werewolves amongst us believe it to be a story long told by the prophets but for the very large human population it makes no sense. With the exception of Jack being exiled from his pack because he won’t sleep with a woman to produce pups, all leaders must procreate, this storm was all that really happened for the first 40% of the book. I kept wondering when the army or the emergency services would turn up – but that never happened.
Danny is a weredog and left the pack that he was seen as ‘less’ in and chose to live amongst the human population. He was previously one of Jack’s lovers so when Jack is exiled he ends up on Danny’s doorstep. Not long after his arrival dead bodies start showing up and his twin brother turns up to kill him.
Jack was an overbearing pig a lot of the time and walked all over Danny who never really put up much of a fight – I certainly never felt nor could I understand any connection between them. Jenny took up far too much page space – she had cheated on Danny but still expected him to be there at the drop of a hat. Not a lot happens and when the story does progress it happens slowly and my interest waned pretty quickly, add onto that the fact that I didn’t really like any of the characters and there was a rather ambiguous ending then Dog Days wasn’t a hit with me.
October 12, 2022
3.5 stars rounded up.
Loved the end of the world backdrop, extreme winter conditions, bleak and desperate setting.
The dog-shifter and wolf-shifter dynamic was interesting! The book was violent as I expected it to be, although I was not prepared for the gore. And by gore, I mean blood and guts, ripping skin and flesh, maggot-filled stuff, horrid smells, more stanky blood and bad-smelling guts...The fights got more and more descriptive, so if you love zombie type stuff this fits the bill.
Ends in a together for now, without a major cliffhanger (which was nice), and I'm off to book #2!
Loved the end of the world backdrop, extreme winter conditions, bleak and desperate setting.
The dog-shifter and wolf-shifter dynamic was interesting! The book was violent as I expected it to be, although I was not prepared for the gore. And by gore, I mean blood and guts, ripping skin and flesh, maggot-filled stuff, horrid smells, more stanky blood and bad-smelling guts...The fights got more and more descriptive, so if you love zombie type stuff this fits the bill.
Ends in a together for now, without a major cliffhanger (which was nice), and I'm off to book #2!
October 16, 2016
4.5 Stars ~ Don’t go into this one thinking this will be a happy-go-lucky shifter story with a mate bond and romance. You won’t get it at all. But you will get something remarkable. A flawlessly written, somewhat dystopian story about shifters who behave very much more like their primal side.
From the beginning, the reader is thrown into the middle of something that is clearly big, but it is up to the reader to follow the storyline through the dark paths it takes, and piece together the greater picture. The writing is evocative and the prose almost poetic in its darker descriptions. The world building is done well, yet does not feed the reader every detail. Instead, the author gives just enough information for the reader to paint their own picture, in many ways. This doesn’t mean the story is difficult to follow; it’s more that the reader has to use their own imagination in certain aspects.
The characterization in this story is what really blew me away, Danny and his position in the shifter hierarchy. His weredog side is subservient, but his human personality is far from it, refusing to be a pushover and give into his more basic instincts. His independent personality is always in a constant struggle with this more primal dog self when he is near Jack. And Jack…. The sheer raw nature of his personality—wow. He is a wolf, in thoughts and actions. He embraces his nature and the nature of a pack. There is no struggle between his human side and wolf side because they are in sync, and in reality, his humanity is merely a veneer so his wolf side can be undetected by the humans he walks among. Jack has difficulty comprehending Danny’s obsession with humans and what happens to them, and his main concern is figuring out what is happening and the role the Numitor and the pack play in it. He cares about Danny’s fate, but the humans Danny has surrounded himself by do not register as important.
The relationship between Danny and Jack is not what most would consider “romance”. In fact, if there is a romance, it is so minimal I don’t think I can pinpoint anything that stood out to me as romantic. What Danny and Jack have is in some ways deeper, primal and raw, that is goes beyond human understanding. Human emotions aren’t part of the chemistry the two share. What they have is part of their essential core makeup; dog and wolf. One subservient, one dominant. Lust and need.
The collective cast each have an integral part to play as the reader follows Danny and Jack through the twists and turns. The plot takes the reader down some gruesome routes, and the blood and gore are not glossed over: the smells permeating everything when Danny and Jack are in their animal forms, the desire to taste the flesh and consume, to hunt. The wild magic that calls to their shifter nature.
This book will not be for everyone. It’s dark. It’s eerie. The ever present weather creating an end of the world feel, leaving a feeling of bitter cold. The characters are seriously flawed as far as human emotions and actions go. This book will not provide the reader with a happily-ever-after, if that is what you are after.
However, there are readers like me who are satisfied. There is something to be said for a story that is amazingly well written and captivating, with dimensional characters which kept me fully invested in accompanying them through the pathways the author so expertly crafted. Each page was a new surprise, and this story was unlike anything I have read—I had no idea what would come next.
Quite simply, I want more.
Reviewed by Lindsey for The Novel Approach Reviews
From the beginning, the reader is thrown into the middle of something that is clearly big, but it is up to the reader to follow the storyline through the dark paths it takes, and piece together the greater picture. The writing is evocative and the prose almost poetic in its darker descriptions. The world building is done well, yet does not feed the reader every detail. Instead, the author gives just enough information for the reader to paint their own picture, in many ways. This doesn’t mean the story is difficult to follow; it’s more that the reader has to use their own imagination in certain aspects.
The characterization in this story is what really blew me away, Danny and his position in the shifter hierarchy. His weredog side is subservient, but his human personality is far from it, refusing to be a pushover and give into his more basic instincts. His independent personality is always in a constant struggle with this more primal dog self when he is near Jack. And Jack…. The sheer raw nature of his personality—wow. He is a wolf, in thoughts and actions. He embraces his nature and the nature of a pack. There is no struggle between his human side and wolf side because they are in sync, and in reality, his humanity is merely a veneer so his wolf side can be undetected by the humans he walks among. Jack has difficulty comprehending Danny’s obsession with humans and what happens to them, and his main concern is figuring out what is happening and the role the Numitor and the pack play in it. He cares about Danny’s fate, but the humans Danny has surrounded himself by do not register as important.
The relationship between Danny and Jack is not what most would consider “romance”. In fact, if there is a romance, it is so minimal I don’t think I can pinpoint anything that stood out to me as romantic. What Danny and Jack have is in some ways deeper, primal and raw, that is goes beyond human understanding. Human emotions aren’t part of the chemistry the two share. What they have is part of their essential core makeup; dog and wolf. One subservient, one dominant. Lust and need.
The collective cast each have an integral part to play as the reader follows Danny and Jack through the twists and turns. The plot takes the reader down some gruesome routes, and the blood and gore are not glossed over: the smells permeating everything when Danny and Jack are in their animal forms, the desire to taste the flesh and consume, to hunt. The wild magic that calls to their shifter nature.
This book will not be for everyone. It’s dark. It’s eerie. The ever present weather creating an end of the world feel, leaving a feeling of bitter cold. The characters are seriously flawed as far as human emotions and actions go. This book will not provide the reader with a happily-ever-after, if that is what you are after.
However, there are readers like me who are satisfied. There is something to be said for a story that is amazingly well written and captivating, with dimensional characters which kept me fully invested in accompanying them through the pathways the author so expertly crafted. Each page was a new surprise, and this story was unlike anything I have read—I had no idea what would come next.
Quite simply, I want more.
Reviewed by Lindsey for The Novel Approach Reviews
January 23, 2024
4.5 Stars ~ I was very excited to read 'Dog Days' by T.A. Moore for several reasons. One, she's a new-to-me author. Two, it's a post-apocalyptic type story. And three, it involves shifters. I guess I could say that's a recipe with my reading tastes in mind.
There was a good reason the Romans banished the Numitor and his pack to the north and across Hadrian's Wall two thousand years ago. The gods of the north were happy to welcome the wolves and the wolves embraced the gods, particularly Fenrir, the monster wolf of Norse mythology, and Selene, Greek goddess of the moon. The prophesies speak of the Great Winter coming when the wolves can ignore Hadrian's ban and come south to kill and destroy all that aren't pack. With Jack exiled for being gay and his brother at the helm, things aren't looking good. Wolves don't care about gay or straight but Jack can't lead the pack, can't be the heir to the Numitor, when he won't touch females and thus won't breed.
“The Numitor is standing down,” Jack said. … “He’s chosen his successor, and Gregor will be the wolf to take our throat and title.”
“Oh.” Danny tried to wrap his mind around that....It meant the Numitor really believed in the wolf winter. Numitors didn’t retire; they died. And Gregor… he’d almost made Jack look human by comparison.
Danny is a wolfhound, a dog, but he's part of the pack. His mother is a wolf and birthed wolves until she had him, something the prophets claim happens when the female has no more wolves to give. He grew up in Scotland with the pack but he left ten years ago needing to get away. Danny doesn't consider himself pack, he doesn't feel some of the same pull, and he doesn't like the feeling of the Wild that accompanies the full wolves. Danny has tried so hard to just be human, knowing it's impossible but not wanting to let it go.
"His lover? His mate? The first was too human for Jack, and he knew that the second would make Danny shy away just because it was the pack. His. That would do."
Wow. 'Dog Days' turned out to be even more than I expected. It's a story of the gods, the prophets, the Wild, the wolves, the dogs, the secrets, the legends, the myths, and a fight to keep a monster at bay. In my wildest dreams I couldn't have anticipated the sheer incredulousness and horror of this book. The author has outdone herself and I really felt like I'd taken a ride on a paranormal roller coaster of death-defying heights. Trust me when I say you won't regret reading this… not if you love twists, turns, and horror.
NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews
There was a good reason the Romans banished the Numitor and his pack to the north and across Hadrian's Wall two thousand years ago. The gods of the north were happy to welcome the wolves and the wolves embraced the gods, particularly Fenrir, the monster wolf of Norse mythology, and Selene, Greek goddess of the moon. The prophesies speak of the Great Winter coming when the wolves can ignore Hadrian's ban and come south to kill and destroy all that aren't pack. With Jack exiled for being gay and his brother at the helm, things aren't looking good. Wolves don't care about gay or straight but Jack can't lead the pack, can't be the heir to the Numitor, when he won't touch females and thus won't breed.
“The Numitor is standing down,” Jack said. … “He’s chosen his successor, and Gregor will be the wolf to take our throat and title.”
“Oh.” Danny tried to wrap his mind around that....It meant the Numitor really believed in the wolf winter. Numitors didn’t retire; they died. And Gregor… he’d almost made Jack look human by comparison.
Danny is a wolfhound, a dog, but he's part of the pack. His mother is a wolf and birthed wolves until she had him, something the prophets claim happens when the female has no more wolves to give. He grew up in Scotland with the pack but he left ten years ago needing to get away. Danny doesn't consider himself pack, he doesn't feel some of the same pull, and he doesn't like the feeling of the Wild that accompanies the full wolves. Danny has tried so hard to just be human, knowing it's impossible but not wanting to let it go.
"His lover? His mate? The first was too human for Jack, and he knew that the second would make Danny shy away just because it was the pack. His. That would do."
Wow. 'Dog Days' turned out to be even more than I expected. It's a story of the gods, the prophets, the Wild, the wolves, the dogs, the secrets, the legends, the myths, and a fight to keep a monster at bay. In my wildest dreams I couldn't have anticipated the sheer incredulousness and horror of this book. The author has outdone herself and I really felt like I'd taken a ride on a paranormal roller coaster of death-defying heights. Trust me when I say you won't regret reading this… not if you love twists, turns, and horror.
NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews
September 12, 2016
One of the best shifter books I have read
What l liked most about this book was the wolves were well...wolves, sometimes cold calculating and different even on two legs in the way they thought.
It was great not see the wolves going off to bbq s and acting like humans. The wild was in there blood and T A Moore did a great job in setting up this world.
This was a struggle for survival and it was no holds barred battle.
I liked Jack, he could be cold and had little understanding or sympathy for humans, struggled to understand why Danny wanted that connection.
Because ultimately Danny was his...
Danny wasn't but any means a pushover Jack wasn't going to be able to just explode back Into his life and call Danny to heel...he was going to to have to bend a little.
I liked Jacks brother, he spent most of the time trying to kill Jack and Danny but when circumstances happened that needed wolves to stand together he did what he had to do.
I think towards the end of the book Gregor even felt a grudging respect for Danny ...not that he would ever voice those thoughts.
I suspect you would have had to nail him to the wall and he still wouldn't have let that out.
The ex- girlfriend plays a big part in the tension between Jack and Danny and it was well done, no tired old troupe of ex partners just Danny trying to do the the right thing.
I am hoping there will be another book about these guys I would love to see how Jack and Danny negotiate what happens next.
Well worth a read.
What l liked most about this book was the wolves were well...wolves, sometimes cold calculating and different even on two legs in the way they thought.
It was great not see the wolves going off to bbq s and acting like humans. The wild was in there blood and T A Moore did a great job in setting up this world.
This was a struggle for survival and it was no holds barred battle.
I liked Jack, he could be cold and had little understanding or sympathy for humans, struggled to understand why Danny wanted that connection.
Because ultimately Danny was his...
Danny wasn't but any means a pushover Jack wasn't going to be able to just explode back Into his life and call Danny to heel...he was going to to have to bend a little.
I liked Jacks brother, he spent most of the time trying to kill Jack and Danny but when circumstances happened that needed wolves to stand together he did what he had to do.
I think towards the end of the book Gregor even felt a grudging respect for Danny ...not that he would ever voice those thoughts.
I suspect you would have had to nail him to the wall and he still wouldn't have let that out.
The ex- girlfriend plays a big part in the tension between Jack and Danny and it was well done, no tired old troupe of ex partners just Danny trying to do the the right thing.
I am hoping there will be another book about these guys I would love to see how Jack and Danny negotiate what happens next.
Well worth a read.
February 25, 2019
Recensione in ANTEPRIMA
.
Se il nostro mondo fosse in balia di antiche forze nascoste fra terre selvagge invisibili all’occhio umano, cosa fareste?
Danny vorrebbe conoscere la risposta, ma è più facile convincersi che lo spettacolo apocalittico che si abbatte sulla città di Durham sia solo maltempo. Il professore di teologia fa del suo meglio per aiutare studenti e persone a evacuare, ma lui decide di rimanere indietro con i suoi amici. Quel cambiamento climatico incessante, che sembra peggiorare di giorno in giorno, gli ricorda le profezie della sua gente, ma lui ormai si è separato da loro. Si trova meglio con gli umani, e gli umani si preoccupano solo di vedere la realtà immediata, non quello che c’è oltre.
A dare forma alle sue paure arriva però Jack, figlio del Numitor, colui che comanda tutti i lupi. A ricordargli delle profezie sull’inverno dei lupi arriva lui, Jack, vecchia fiamma che fa parte del mondo che aveva ripudiato. Jack avrebbe dovuto essere l’erede del Numitor, e invece è stato bandito da suo padre oltre l’invalicabile Vallo. Aveva perso quasi tutto. Tutto tranne Danny. I cani come lui erano sempre stati scherniti dai lupi come Jack, ma i lupi vivono in branco, e quel cane è tutto il branco che gli rimane. Il branco che vuole per sé e nessun altro.
L’esilio di Jack e l’inverno dei lupi portano con loro pesanti implicazioni.
Da un lato, Danny non può più far finta di essere un umano e che il tempo sarebbe migliorato, dall’altro, l’esilio di Jack rende suo fratello Gregor l’erede del Numitor. Il fratello di Jack è spietato, e avrebbe approfittato dell’inverno dei lupi per reclamare le terre oltre il Vallo. Danny sceglieva sempre le battaglie perse in partenza, e non c’è dubbio nella mente di Jack che suo fratello l’avrebbe fatto fuori.
Jack non può permettere che il suo Danny faccia una brutta fine. Come se questo non bastasse, avverte che c’è qualcosa di non umano a Durham, mentre Danny trova un cadavere il cui stato riconduce a una violenza molto umana.
Il gelo e le intemperie minacciano gli umani a cui Danny è fedele, e non può seguire Jack. Ma Jack non è disposto a lasciarlo da solo, nonostante l’attrito passato e presente che c’è tra di loro.
Da una parte la ferrea fedeltà di un cane, dall’altra la passione viscerale di un lupo. Se fosse questa la risposta a quelle forze primordiali che vogliono inghiottire il mondo?
È con grande piacere che oggi vi parlo di questo paranormal romance MM nato dalla penna di TA Moore. Questa volta ho meno cose da dire del solito, ma solo perché voglio evitare spoiler.
Questo romanzo presenta un cuore tradizionalmente paranormale, fatto di creature classiche come i lupi e un mondo che trae sapientemente ispirazione da mitologia e storia, abbracciato da tematiche ecologiche oggi più significative che mai. La vicenda ha luogo in un mondo quasi apocalittico, ma non così distante dal nostro.
Il modo in cui sono state trattate le tematiche paranormali mi hanno lasciata entusiasta, perché non solo sono utilizzate con sapienza, ma portano anche aria di freschezza in un genere che a volte cade nella ripetitività. Pur dandoci tutto quello che ci aspettiamo, l’autrice sceglie un approccio che arricchisce l’ambientazione di dettagli che ci invogliano a saperne sempre di più, senza però mai rubare spazio ai personaggi. Infatti sono proprio i due protagonisti il veicolo che ci permette non di vedere un mondo fantastico, bensì una realtà che non è poi così lontana dalla nostra.
Tutta la storia è alimentata da un mistero, dal quale scaturisce l’azione che, soprattutto nelle battute finali del romanzo, prende quasi il sopravvento. Ho apprezzato l’inserimento di un enigma, di un classico chi è stato?, dato che ha contribuito a rendere meno prevedibile una trama che di per sé non è particolarmente complessa. Il ritmo è sostenuto e tutto sommato non ho trovato punti morti; è un libro che mi ha coinvolta dall’inizio alla fine.
Danny e Jack sono un classico caso di opposti che si attraggono, anche se nel loro caso si tratta di due opposti che non vogliono ammettere di aver bisogno l’uno dell’altro. La chimica tra di loro è palpabile fra le pagine, immediata, innegabile. Se Danny tenta di resistere, è solo perché è conscio dell’influenza che Jack ha su di lui, del dominio che il lupo ha su di lui come umano e come cane. Jack, come interesse romantico, è assolutamente irresistibile. Ancora una volta devo lodare la componente paranormale, perché qui i lupi sono davvero lupi: la natura lupesca di Jack trabocca da ogni parola, azione e decisione. D’altra parte quella canina guida le scelte di Danny, così che abbiamo due protagonisti profondamente istintivi e viscerali, anche se in modo diverso. Se nella loro pelle umana i due hanno non pochi conflitti, la pelliccia sa bene che il loro legame è indissolubile. Si tratta di una coppia difficile da dimenticare.
Il mio entusiasmo è però attenuato da alcune scelte che non mi hanno convinta. Forse si tratta del fatto che c’è troppa carne al fuoco. Se all’inizio viene dato spazio a Jack e Danny, con lo scorrere delle pagine alcuni personaggi e situazioni secondarie tendono ad assumere più importanza, forse a discapito della parte romantica. A me la cosa non dispiace più di tanto, e forse si tratta di una scelta consapevole e anche motivata, ma l’introduzione mi ha portata a nutrire forti aspettative nei confronti della relazione di Jack e Danny, per poi non soddisfarle appieno… chiuso il libro, io sento il forte bisogno di un secondo volume dedicato solamente a loro!
Cani e Lupi è un romanzo che i fan del paranormale non possono lasciarsi sfuggire, il quale troverà le convenzioni più amate del genere, ma anche un tocco personale che non cade mai nella banalità. Chi adora le coppie più viscerali amerà Jack e Danny. Il titolo, tuttavia, potrebbe non essere adatto a chi è abituato a storie d’amore che sovrastano ogni altro aspetto.
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Antea - per RFS
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Se il nostro mondo fosse in balia di antiche forze nascoste fra terre selvagge invisibili all’occhio umano, cosa fareste?
Danny vorrebbe conoscere la risposta, ma è più facile convincersi che lo spettacolo apocalittico che si abbatte sulla città di Durham sia solo maltempo. Il professore di teologia fa del suo meglio per aiutare studenti e persone a evacuare, ma lui decide di rimanere indietro con i suoi amici. Quel cambiamento climatico incessante, che sembra peggiorare di giorno in giorno, gli ricorda le profezie della sua gente, ma lui ormai si è separato da loro. Si trova meglio con gli umani, e gli umani si preoccupano solo di vedere la realtà immediata, non quello che c’è oltre.
A dare forma alle sue paure arriva però Jack, figlio del Numitor, colui che comanda tutti i lupi. A ricordargli delle profezie sull’inverno dei lupi arriva lui, Jack, vecchia fiamma che fa parte del mondo che aveva ripudiato. Jack avrebbe dovuto essere l’erede del Numitor, e invece è stato bandito da suo padre oltre l’invalicabile Vallo. Aveva perso quasi tutto. Tutto tranne Danny. I cani come lui erano sempre stati scherniti dai lupi come Jack, ma i lupi vivono in branco, e quel cane è tutto il branco che gli rimane. Il branco che vuole per sé e nessun altro.
L’esilio di Jack e l’inverno dei lupi portano con loro pesanti implicazioni.
Da un lato, Danny non può più far finta di essere un umano e che il tempo sarebbe migliorato, dall’altro, l’esilio di Jack rende suo fratello Gregor l’erede del Numitor. Il fratello di Jack è spietato, e avrebbe approfittato dell’inverno dei lupi per reclamare le terre oltre il Vallo. Danny sceglieva sempre le battaglie perse in partenza, e non c’è dubbio nella mente di Jack che suo fratello l’avrebbe fatto fuori.
Jack non può permettere che il suo Danny faccia una brutta fine. Come se questo non bastasse, avverte che c’è qualcosa di non umano a Durham, mentre Danny trova un cadavere il cui stato riconduce a una violenza molto umana.
Il gelo e le intemperie minacciano gli umani a cui Danny è fedele, e non può seguire Jack. Ma Jack non è disposto a lasciarlo da solo, nonostante l’attrito passato e presente che c’è tra di loro.
Da una parte la ferrea fedeltà di un cane, dall’altra la passione viscerale di un lupo. Se fosse questa la risposta a quelle forze primordiali che vogliono inghiottire il mondo?
È con grande piacere che oggi vi parlo di questo paranormal romance MM nato dalla penna di TA Moore. Questa volta ho meno cose da dire del solito, ma solo perché voglio evitare spoiler.
Questo romanzo presenta un cuore tradizionalmente paranormale, fatto di creature classiche come i lupi e un mondo che trae sapientemente ispirazione da mitologia e storia, abbracciato da tematiche ecologiche oggi più significative che mai. La vicenda ha luogo in un mondo quasi apocalittico, ma non così distante dal nostro.
Il modo in cui sono state trattate le tematiche paranormali mi hanno lasciata entusiasta, perché non solo sono utilizzate con sapienza, ma portano anche aria di freschezza in un genere che a volte cade nella ripetitività. Pur dandoci tutto quello che ci aspettiamo, l’autrice sceglie un approccio che arricchisce l’ambientazione di dettagli che ci invogliano a saperne sempre di più, senza però mai rubare spazio ai personaggi. Infatti sono proprio i due protagonisti il veicolo che ci permette non di vedere un mondo fantastico, bensì una realtà che non è poi così lontana dalla nostra.
Tutta la storia è alimentata da un mistero, dal quale scaturisce l’azione che, soprattutto nelle battute finali del romanzo, prende quasi il sopravvento. Ho apprezzato l’inserimento di un enigma, di un classico chi è stato?, dato che ha contribuito a rendere meno prevedibile una trama che di per sé non è particolarmente complessa. Il ritmo è sostenuto e tutto sommato non ho trovato punti morti; è un libro che mi ha coinvolta dall’inizio alla fine.
Danny e Jack sono un classico caso di opposti che si attraggono, anche se nel loro caso si tratta di due opposti che non vogliono ammettere di aver bisogno l’uno dell’altro. La chimica tra di loro è palpabile fra le pagine, immediata, innegabile. Se Danny tenta di resistere, è solo perché è conscio dell’influenza che Jack ha su di lui, del dominio che il lupo ha su di lui come umano e come cane. Jack, come interesse romantico, è assolutamente irresistibile. Ancora una volta devo lodare la componente paranormale, perché qui i lupi sono davvero lupi: la natura lupesca di Jack trabocca da ogni parola, azione e decisione. D’altra parte quella canina guida le scelte di Danny, così che abbiamo due protagonisti profondamente istintivi e viscerali, anche se in modo diverso. Se nella loro pelle umana i due hanno non pochi conflitti, la pelliccia sa bene che il loro legame è indissolubile. Si tratta di una coppia difficile da dimenticare.
Il mio entusiasmo è però attenuato da alcune scelte che non mi hanno convinta. Forse si tratta del fatto che c’è troppa carne al fuoco. Se all’inizio viene dato spazio a Jack e Danny, con lo scorrere delle pagine alcuni personaggi e situazioni secondarie tendono ad assumere più importanza, forse a discapito della parte romantica. A me la cosa non dispiace più di tanto, e forse si tratta di una scelta consapevole e anche motivata, ma l’introduzione mi ha portata a nutrire forti aspettative nei confronti della relazione di Jack e Danny, per poi non soddisfarle appieno… chiuso il libro, io sento il forte bisogno di un secondo volume dedicato solamente a loro!
Cani e Lupi è un romanzo che i fan del paranormale non possono lasciarsi sfuggire, il quale troverà le convenzioni più amate del genere, ma anche un tocco personale che non cade mai nella banalità. Chi adora le coppie più viscerali amerà Jack e Danny. Il titolo, tuttavia, potrebbe non essere adatto a chi è abituato a storie d’amore che sovrastano ogni altro aspetto.
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Antea - per RFS
October 20, 2020
This is a very dark book atmosphere wise. The apocalyptic storm shrouded town and wild woods made me shiver. There are monsters and vivid battles. There wasn’t much that made me smile. I didn’t like Jack very much but he grew on me. Danny was so conflicted.
This makes it sound like I didn’t like the book but I did. It was interesting and engaging. I’m looking forward to the next book.
There so much still to come.
This makes it sound like I didn’t like the book but I did. It was interesting and engaging. I’m looking forward to the next book.
There so much still to come.
September 13, 2016
This was the first book I have read by TA Moore and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I loved her writing style. The characters were well developed and the scene-setting was terrific. I can't say I'm in love with Jack at the moment, but I have a feeling that he is a character that grows on you.
July 19, 2018
2.5 stars
February 19, 2019
3 stars and half
October 2, 2016
This is the shifter book I have been waiting years for.
Dog Days is incredibly smart, eerie, exciting, and a very excellent read.
This is not a formulaic, happy-puppy shifter story. I have been saddened over the years as these primal creatures became more and more tame. TA Moore corrected that beautifully here. Her shifters are wild, untamed, animalistic, and sometimes quite inhuman.
As I mentioned, this is not a formulaic story. It doesn't start with any sort of prologue or set-up that I think most genre readers are used to. You are not led down the path by a hand on yours from the author. Not everything is pointed out to you. More like you find yourself on a dark and twisty path, given a shove, and you need to just follow the characters down it. Readers need to have their own imagination and not just let the author paint the entire picture for them. I'm not saying this is a hard story to follow. It certainly is not that. But no, as other reviewers mentioned, the catastrophic weather isn't neatly explained. It's not supposed to be. Honestly, anyone paying attention would most likely think it was due to climate change. Or, perhaps, it really is the Wolf's Winter. A sense of magic, of the Wild, is subtly threaded through the entire story. Which is what you should expect in a story about people who change shapes. That's what makes it so fun, so special.
The characters are wonderfully written. This is an ensemble cast and each is their own person. Each has their strengths and their flaws. From the enigmatic and threatening brother to the first year med student who is afraid but still trying to help. Every one had their part to play and really added to the story. Including the oft maligned female character. Jenny is an integral part of the story. Her presence is a catalyst for many things and the history she shares, the links she shares, with Danny are incredibly important to the plot. She is in no way “in the way” of the story. She helps the story unfold. Even more, she is written realistically, which is often hard to find in the M/M genre. I really enjoyed Jenn.
As I read this, I just kept thinking about how exciting a movie it would make. It was a supernatural and disaster and mystery all rolled into one. With a core of a romance. Danny and Jack were really wonderful as a pair because they both were kind of irritated that they were invested in each other. Their past relationship hadn't faded and they were connected whether they wanted to be or not. They both tried to explain it away, but their actions spoke so much more loudly. It made them more real. There were no dramatic gestures or words. Just solidness and a bit of snark.
This is not a “romance” book. If you are looking for sweetness and fluffy-puppy werewolves set in a scary situation, this is not for you. This is a well-written fiction novel with two strong men as protagonists that are hot for each other in all sorts of ways. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who likes their shifters raw and primal, enjoys well-written disasters, and loves a slow-burn and slightly antagonistic love story.
Dog Days is incredibly smart, eerie, exciting, and a very excellent read.
This is not a formulaic, happy-puppy shifter story. I have been saddened over the years as these primal creatures became more and more tame. TA Moore corrected that beautifully here. Her shifters are wild, untamed, animalistic, and sometimes quite inhuman.
As I mentioned, this is not a formulaic story. It doesn't start with any sort of prologue or set-up that I think most genre readers are used to. You are not led down the path by a hand on yours from the author. Not everything is pointed out to you. More like you find yourself on a dark and twisty path, given a shove, and you need to just follow the characters down it. Readers need to have their own imagination and not just let the author paint the entire picture for them. I'm not saying this is a hard story to follow. It certainly is not that. But no, as other reviewers mentioned, the catastrophic weather isn't neatly explained. It's not supposed to be. Honestly, anyone paying attention would most likely think it was due to climate change. Or, perhaps, it really is the Wolf's Winter. A sense of magic, of the Wild, is subtly threaded through the entire story. Which is what you should expect in a story about people who change shapes. That's what makes it so fun, so special.
The characters are wonderfully written. This is an ensemble cast and each is their own person. Each has their strengths and their flaws. From the enigmatic and threatening brother to the first year med student who is afraid but still trying to help. Every one had their part to play and really added to the story. Including the oft maligned female character. Jenny is an integral part of the story. Her presence is a catalyst for many things and the history she shares, the links she shares, with Danny are incredibly important to the plot. She is in no way “in the way” of the story. She helps the story unfold. Even more, she is written realistically, which is often hard to find in the M/M genre. I really enjoyed Jenn.
As I read this, I just kept thinking about how exciting a movie it would make. It was a supernatural and disaster and mystery all rolled into one. With a core of a romance. Danny and Jack were really wonderful as a pair because they both were kind of irritated that they were invested in each other. Their past relationship hadn't faded and they were connected whether they wanted to be or not. They both tried to explain it away, but their actions spoke so much more loudly. It made them more real. There were no dramatic gestures or words. Just solidness and a bit of snark.
This is not a “romance” book. If you are looking for sweetness and fluffy-puppy werewolves set in a scary situation, this is not for you. This is a well-written fiction novel with two strong men as protagonists that are hot for each other in all sorts of ways. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who likes their shifters raw and primal, enjoys well-written disasters, and loves a slow-burn and slightly antagonistic love story.
February 27, 2018
2.5 Stars
AudioBook Review
The audio performance was good. I however had issues with instances when the narrator’s accent/voice differed at different points in the book for the same character. Sometimes,in these instances the accents/voices changed mid-sentence. It was a bit disconcerting to listen to at times and I will admit that it definitely affected my listening experience to some extent.
Now to the book proper.
I felt that this book was very well written . The world building around the wolf shifters was fascinating; especially the distinction between the natural born shifters and werewolves.
Despite the above, nothing really happens for most of the book.It was really slow going with the weather and Jack’s need to fit in with humans, and other mundane occurrences around their lives. The “ magic” really begins around the %. That’s when all the fights,the twists and the turns began.
This was not a romance book. It was a paranormal shifter book with the two main characters physically attracted to each other. Yes, they cared for each other(in their own very unique ways), but it still felt like it was more physical than anything else.
Additionally, although we are given background information about the MCs , I didn’t feel like I KNEW any of them. As such, I wasn’t as invested as I could’ve been otherwise.
The book does not end actually... there are a number of important things our MCs need to do as well as figure themselves out in this new world. ThereI wonder if it’l there are things
AudioBook Review
The audio performance was good. I however had issues with instances when the narrator’s accent/voice differed at different points in the book for the same character. Sometimes,in these instances the accents/voices changed mid-sentence. It was a bit disconcerting to listen to at times and I will admit that it definitely affected my listening experience to some extent.
Now to the book proper.
I felt that this book was very well written . The world building around the wolf shifters was fascinating; especially the distinction between the natural born shifters and werewolves.
Despite the above, nothing really happens for most of the book.It was really slow going with the weather and Jack’s need to fit in with humans, and other mundane occurrences around their lives. The “ magic” really begins around the %. That’s when all the fights,the twists and the turns began.
This was not a romance book. It was a paranormal shifter book with the two main characters physically attracted to each other. Yes, they cared for each other(in their own very unique ways), but it still felt like it was more physical than anything else.
Additionally, although we are given background information about the MCs , I didn’t feel like I KNEW any of them. As such, I wasn’t as invested as I could’ve been otherwise.
The book does not end actually... there are a number of important things our MCs need to do as well as figure themselves out in this new world. ThereI wonder if it’l there are things
July 12, 2018
3.5
Winter is coming but it’s not Westeros it’s the UK and it’s Hadrian’s Wall people should watch out although no dragons or death walkers waiting behind it but wolves, wolves with their own game and archaic society, wolves believing their time has come to take over now: wolves winter, the prelude to Ragnarok, the end of the world.
Sounds promising? Is promising. Even coming down from the cold, mystic highlands to Durham before the Brexit vote where Jack the wolf prince, exiled in favor of his twin, finds Danny again, who fled their oppressive pack because as a dog he never fit. Now facing the icy apocalypse he struggles to decide where his loyalties lay, with his quiet human life and his ex girlfriend or with the Wild and his bigheaded soon not so ex fuck buddy.
Unfortunately that’s also my biggest issue: while it’s quickly clear the loyalty to the humans is more one of friendship and responsibility I can’t see Jack and Danny grow into much more than that fuck buddy status, doesn’t matter how good they’re working together to get through the scheme behind the scheme, doesn’t matter that Danny believes it was always easy to love Jack or that Jack begins to think about him in terms of lover or mate: I just can’t see it, even at the end it’s only a vague HFN. Might be a wolf thing because those wolves are no werewolves and not human.
It’s excellent in its fantasy elements but only mediocre when it comes to the romance part but I have some hope for the next part - oh and not to forget: I love the cover.
Winter is coming but it’s not Westeros it’s the UK and it’s Hadrian’s Wall people should watch out although no dragons or death walkers waiting behind it but wolves, wolves with their own game and archaic society, wolves believing their time has come to take over now: wolves winter, the prelude to Ragnarok, the end of the world.
Sounds promising? Is promising. Even coming down from the cold, mystic highlands to Durham before the Brexit vote where Jack the wolf prince, exiled in favor of his twin, finds Danny again, who fled their oppressive pack because as a dog he never fit. Now facing the icy apocalypse he struggles to decide where his loyalties lay, with his quiet human life and his ex girlfriend or with the Wild and his bigheaded soon not so ex fuck buddy.
Unfortunately that’s also my biggest issue: while it’s quickly clear the loyalty to the humans is more one of friendship and responsibility I can’t see Jack and Danny grow into much more than that fuck buddy status, doesn’t matter how good they’re working together to get through the scheme behind the scheme, doesn’t matter that Danny believes it was always easy to love Jack or that Jack begins to think about him in terms of lover or mate: I just can’t see it, even at the end it’s only a vague HFN. Might be a wolf thing because those wolves are no werewolves and not human.
It’s excellent in its fantasy elements but only mediocre when it comes to the romance part but I have some hope for the next part - oh and not to forget: I love the cover.
August 5, 2018
Dropped it at 70%. Not really interested in discovering how it ends. And this speaks volumes.
March 26, 2019
Recensione a cura di Cleo per Feel the Book
“Cani e lupi” è un romanzo complesso, che mi ha lasciato molte emozioni contrastanti e non sono ancora riuscita a decifrare del tutto. L’idea da cui scaturisce la storia è intrigante: il clima del mondo è impazzito – in modi che ricordano paurosamente ciò che sta accadendo veramente – e un inverno rigidissimo si è abbattuto su Durham, dove vive Danny, un cane mutaforma che ha lasciato il branco della madre anni prima, stanco di essere considerato un essere inferiore a causa della sua discendenza in parte umana. Solo chi ha sangue puro è un lupo, mentre lui è solamente un cane e per questo motivo meno legato alle Terre Selvagge che scorrono nel sangue dei mutaforma.
L’inverno non è straordinario solo per gli esseri umani, anche i lupi vedono nelle bizzarrie della stagione un segno importante, l’indicazione che le antiche profezie si stanno avverando e sta per arrivare il tempo in cui saranno liberi da una misteriosa maledizione. E qui sorge uno dei primi problemi del libro, che ha troppe idee appassionanti lasciate un po’ in sospeso: è molto affascinante far risalire la storia dei lupi ai tempi di Adriano, ma troppo viene lasciato avvolto nelle ombre senza una spiegazione accettabile. L’atmosfera di mistero funziona, ma solo fino a un certo punto, perché in varie parti del romanzo si avverte la necessità di un minimo di informazioni in più, per capire le implicazioni delle leggende in quanto sta avvenendo.
I protagonisti sono entrambi particolari, lontani dall’idea che ci si potrebbe fare di due persone destinare a innamorarsi, sempre che si possa parlare di amore. Abituato da tutta la vita a piegarsi per sminuire la propria altezza considerevole ed evitare di guardare negli occhi i lupi, Danny si nasconde tra gli uomini senza riuscire veramente a integrarsi, perché nel profondo lui non è umano, pur non essendo nemmeno un lupo. Sospeso tra l’influenza delle Terre Selvagge e il mondo umano, è un personaggio che mi ha colpito per la forza di carattere e la caparbietà a sganciarsi da un branco che non l’ha mai voluto veramente.
Poi c’è Jack, uno dei figli del Numitor ed erede del branco: un essere per nulla civilizzato, un uomo ruvido e duro, che però dimostra anche un profondo senso della lealtà e una forma di attaccamento a Danny che, forse, si potrebbe persino definire una forma d’amore. Danny è il suo cane, lo è stato da quando erano ragazzi, e Jack lo vuole, vuole che lui sia il suo branco adesso che il Numitor l’ha esiliato, ma contemporaneamente ne ha bisogno, in modi che non è disposto ad ammettere.
Il loro è un rapporto complicato, perché anche Danny prova dei sentimenti contrastanti verso Jack, è felice e arrabbiato insieme che l’altro sia andato a cercarlo.
E poi ci sono i morti, persone fatte a pezzi collegate in qualche modo a Jack e Danny, in una città sempre più devastata da tempeste di neve e grandinate tremende, dove sembrano non esistere più le leggi della società civile e le persone lottano per sopravvivere. Tutto diventa sempre più pericoloso e oscuro, mentre mostri da incubo vagano per le strade e il gemello di Jack, Gregor, compare a propria volta, deciso a sfidare una volta per tutte il fratello.
Gregor è un altro personaggio che mi ha stupito: odia Jack ma viene da chiedersi se sia davvero suo nemico, alla fine; troppo del loro rapporto è legato a come il Numitor li ha cresciuti per riuscire veramente a giudicarlo, e spero che nel prossimo romanzo lui trovi maggiore spazio per crescere e assumere una forma più definita.
TA Moore ha creato un mondo fantastico e violento; descrive la natura dei lupi e di Danny, che è solo un cane, in modo viscerale, portando il lettore a vivere nella testa degli animali e sentire quasi l’influenza mistica di queste Terre Selvagge che vengono suggerite senza mai essere comprese sul serio. Alcune parti, soprattutto quelle di caccia e lotta, sono ansiogene e leggermente confuse, ma non sono ancora riuscita a comprendere se sia una cosa negativa oppure se sia un pregio del libro, perché in questo modo la narrazione ci cala del tutto nella mente istintiva delle belve.
Le idee nella storia sono belle, lo ripeto, molto belle, ma resta sempre una punta di indecisione, un voler lasciare tutto troppo nell’ombra, persino in un finale selvaggio caratterizzato da risvolti quasi horror. Il mio giudizio sul romanzo è positivo proprio per il fascino della trama, la particolarità del rapporto tra Danny e Jack e la promessa di interessanti risvolti futuri, ma spero che nel prossimo libro della serie molte domande trovino spiegazioni più precise, perché altrimenti si tratterebbe di un’occasione mancata per dar vita a una saga fantasy di tutto rispetto.
Editing a cura di Lilith per Feel the Book
“Cani e lupi” è un romanzo complesso, che mi ha lasciato molte emozioni contrastanti e non sono ancora riuscita a decifrare del tutto. L’idea da cui scaturisce la storia è intrigante: il clima del mondo è impazzito – in modi che ricordano paurosamente ciò che sta accadendo veramente – e un inverno rigidissimo si è abbattuto su Durham, dove vive Danny, un cane mutaforma che ha lasciato il branco della madre anni prima, stanco di essere considerato un essere inferiore a causa della sua discendenza in parte umana. Solo chi ha sangue puro è un lupo, mentre lui è solamente un cane e per questo motivo meno legato alle Terre Selvagge che scorrono nel sangue dei mutaforma.
L’inverno non è straordinario solo per gli esseri umani, anche i lupi vedono nelle bizzarrie della stagione un segno importante, l’indicazione che le antiche profezie si stanno avverando e sta per arrivare il tempo in cui saranno liberi da una misteriosa maledizione. E qui sorge uno dei primi problemi del libro, che ha troppe idee appassionanti lasciate un po’ in sospeso: è molto affascinante far risalire la storia dei lupi ai tempi di Adriano, ma troppo viene lasciato avvolto nelle ombre senza una spiegazione accettabile. L’atmosfera di mistero funziona, ma solo fino a un certo punto, perché in varie parti del romanzo si avverte la necessità di un minimo di informazioni in più, per capire le implicazioni delle leggende in quanto sta avvenendo.
I protagonisti sono entrambi particolari, lontani dall’idea che ci si potrebbe fare di due persone destinare a innamorarsi, sempre che si possa parlare di amore. Abituato da tutta la vita a piegarsi per sminuire la propria altezza considerevole ed evitare di guardare negli occhi i lupi, Danny si nasconde tra gli uomini senza riuscire veramente a integrarsi, perché nel profondo lui non è umano, pur non essendo nemmeno un lupo. Sospeso tra l’influenza delle Terre Selvagge e il mondo umano, è un personaggio che mi ha colpito per la forza di carattere e la caparbietà a sganciarsi da un branco che non l’ha mai voluto veramente.
Poi c’è Jack, uno dei figli del Numitor ed erede del branco: un essere per nulla civilizzato, un uomo ruvido e duro, che però dimostra anche un profondo senso della lealtà e una forma di attaccamento a Danny che, forse, si potrebbe persino definire una forma d’amore. Danny è il suo cane, lo è stato da quando erano ragazzi, e Jack lo vuole, vuole che lui sia il suo branco adesso che il Numitor l’ha esiliato, ma contemporaneamente ne ha bisogno, in modi che non è disposto ad ammettere.
Il loro è un rapporto complicato, perché anche Danny prova dei sentimenti contrastanti verso Jack, è felice e arrabbiato insieme che l’altro sia andato a cercarlo.
E poi ci sono i morti, persone fatte a pezzi collegate in qualche modo a Jack e Danny, in una città sempre più devastata da tempeste di neve e grandinate tremende, dove sembrano non esistere più le leggi della società civile e le persone lottano per sopravvivere. Tutto diventa sempre più pericoloso e oscuro, mentre mostri da incubo vagano per le strade e il gemello di Jack, Gregor, compare a propria volta, deciso a sfidare una volta per tutte il fratello.
Gregor è un altro personaggio che mi ha stupito: odia Jack ma viene da chiedersi se sia davvero suo nemico, alla fine; troppo del loro rapporto è legato a come il Numitor li ha cresciuti per riuscire veramente a giudicarlo, e spero che nel prossimo romanzo lui trovi maggiore spazio per crescere e assumere una forma più definita.
TA Moore ha creato un mondo fantastico e violento; descrive la natura dei lupi e di Danny, che è solo un cane, in modo viscerale, portando il lettore a vivere nella testa degli animali e sentire quasi l’influenza mistica di queste Terre Selvagge che vengono suggerite senza mai essere comprese sul serio. Alcune parti, soprattutto quelle di caccia e lotta, sono ansiogene e leggermente confuse, ma non sono ancora riuscita a comprendere se sia una cosa negativa oppure se sia un pregio del libro, perché in questo modo la narrazione ci cala del tutto nella mente istintiva delle belve.
Le idee nella storia sono belle, lo ripeto, molto belle, ma resta sempre una punta di indecisione, un voler lasciare tutto troppo nell’ombra, persino in un finale selvaggio caratterizzato da risvolti quasi horror. Il mio giudizio sul romanzo è positivo proprio per il fascino della trama, la particolarità del rapporto tra Danny e Jack e la promessa di interessanti risvolti futuri, ma spero che nel prossimo libro della serie molte domande trovino spiegazioni più precise, perché altrimenti si tratterebbe di un’occasione mancata per dar vita a una saga fantasy di tutto rispetto.
Editing a cura di Lilith per Feel the Book
January 10, 2019
Full review available at: https://optimumm.blog/2018/06/22/revi...
Rating 3.5*s
Dog Days is the first book in the Wolf Winter series by TA Moore. I put in a request to review the second book in the series Stone the Crows, but I figured that I should read the first book in the series first. I love the cover of the book. It’s beautiful, and the cover artist did a fabulous job. I would have bought the book based just on the cover without even reading the blurb; however, after reading the book, there should definitely be blood somewhere on the cover.
The cover is misleading. This book is not a romance. There is sex in the book, but it’s more of—we used to have a relationship, but we broke up, but I’m still attracted to you, so we have sex occasionally type of thing. The story does have twist and turns, some I could see coming and some I didn’t. I was kind of hoping for an urban fantasy romance, and I got an urban fantasy horror story. I was also disappointed in the editing of the book. I don’t normally find errors in books published by Dreamspinner Press, but I found a few and even a wrong name used.
Danny left his pack because to him it felt confining, clannish, and frequently cruel. Danny is a weredog and in the hierarchy of a werewolf pack that puts him at the very bottom. Also by being a dog, he doesn’t feel the wild the same way that the wolves do and doesn’t need or desire a pack the same way that they do. Danny would rather live in the human world with the humans, dating humans, teaching humans, basically acting human. He’s a teacher and lives in the same apartment building as his ex-girlfriend, Jenny, and her new boyfriend that she cheated on him with. Despite that, they are still good friends. I liked Danny, but I was a bit confused by how his character was portrayed. Multiple times Danny says that he’s really good at running, away from his pack, his problems, and more. The whole book all he does is refuse to run away and runs after his ex, pulling her out of situations, helping her when Jack wants him to do something else, pretty much putting her first in every situation. And it seems like his whole motivation is out of not being able to love her as he should have and having hurt her when they broke up, which is odd since she was cheating on him, but whatever.
He was like a dog with a bone, the world is freezing over and ending, the monsters are coming, you can’t travel anywhere, there is limited food, no heating, but his whole focus is around Jenny. In my opinion, if Jack had been smart, he would have killed her when he saw how Danny was around her the first time. It would have saved them a lot of trouble. But you know hindsight…
Jack is the prince pup of the Numitor. They are the be all end all of werewolf packs. They are so purebred that they would rather breed with real wolves than dilute their blood by breeding with humans. So obviously they have a superior attitude to humans. Jack has an identical twin, Gregor, that was born twelve minutes after him. The Numitor, their father, has to pick an heir and Gregor gets it by default, not because of his fighting ability or leadership but because Jack refused to sleep with females and a male that refuses to breed can’t be the next Numitor. And so he is exiled. The story jumps a period of time, and suddenly Jack is in the same town as Danny, who supposedly had a sexual thing with Jack while they were in the pack together. I kind of wish the author had put up a timeline a month date type of thing at the top of the chapter to help with figuring out how much time had passed since Jack had gotten exiled and found Danny. It would have been helpful. I didn’t really like Jack. He treats Danny like a pet/possession. He refuses to tell Danny why he’s there or what he wants. I just couldn’t connect with him or how he interacts with Danny. I liked how he interacted with his twin though, even if his twin is trying to kill him, although that is mutual.
I did like the description of the prophet and the monsters. I didn’t have any problem getting a visual picture of them. The author also did a good job of describing the town and how the weather affects the characters. Although with how cold and miserable it was I was surprised how easily the humans were able to move around without freezing.
Overall if I was looking for an urban fantasy horror story than this would have hit the spot but it just wasn’t what I was looking for.
I’m hoping that I will like the next book in the series better since it’s about Gregor, Jack’s twin.
***The ARC was provided by Dreamspinner Press. My review is an honest opinion of the book ***
Rating 3.5*s
Dog Days is the first book in the Wolf Winter series by TA Moore. I put in a request to review the second book in the series Stone the Crows, but I figured that I should read the first book in the series first. I love the cover of the book. It’s beautiful, and the cover artist did a fabulous job. I would have bought the book based just on the cover without even reading the blurb; however, after reading the book, there should definitely be blood somewhere on the cover.
The cover is misleading. This book is not a romance. There is sex in the book, but it’s more of—we used to have a relationship, but we broke up, but I’m still attracted to you, so we have sex occasionally type of thing. The story does have twist and turns, some I could see coming and some I didn’t. I was kind of hoping for an urban fantasy romance, and I got an urban fantasy horror story. I was also disappointed in the editing of the book. I don’t normally find errors in books published by Dreamspinner Press, but I found a few and even a wrong name used.
Danny left his pack because to him it felt confining, clannish, and frequently cruel. Danny is a weredog and in the hierarchy of a werewolf pack that puts him at the very bottom. Also by being a dog, he doesn’t feel the wild the same way that the wolves do and doesn’t need or desire a pack the same way that they do. Danny would rather live in the human world with the humans, dating humans, teaching humans, basically acting human. He’s a teacher and lives in the same apartment building as his ex-girlfriend, Jenny, and her new boyfriend that she cheated on him with. Despite that, they are still good friends. I liked Danny, but I was a bit confused by how his character was portrayed. Multiple times Danny says that he’s really good at running, away from his pack, his problems, and more. The whole book all he does is refuse to run away and runs after his ex, pulling her out of situations, helping her when Jack wants him to do something else, pretty much putting her first in every situation. And it seems like his whole motivation is out of not being able to love her as he should have and having hurt her when they broke up, which is odd since she was cheating on him, but whatever.
He was like a dog with a bone, the world is freezing over and ending, the monsters are coming, you can’t travel anywhere, there is limited food, no heating, but his whole focus is around Jenny. In my opinion, if Jack had been smart, he would have killed her when he saw how Danny was around her the first time. It would have saved them a lot of trouble. But you know hindsight…
Jack is the prince pup of the Numitor. They are the be all end all of werewolf packs. They are so purebred that they would rather breed with real wolves than dilute their blood by breeding with humans. So obviously they have a superior attitude to humans. Jack has an identical twin, Gregor, that was born twelve minutes after him. The Numitor, their father, has to pick an heir and Gregor gets it by default, not because of his fighting ability or leadership but because Jack refused to sleep with females and a male that refuses to breed can’t be the next Numitor. And so he is exiled. The story jumps a period of time, and suddenly Jack is in the same town as Danny, who supposedly had a sexual thing with Jack while they were in the pack together. I kind of wish the author had put up a timeline a month date type of thing at the top of the chapter to help with figuring out how much time had passed since Jack had gotten exiled and found Danny. It would have been helpful. I didn’t really like Jack. He treats Danny like a pet/possession. He refuses to tell Danny why he’s there or what he wants. I just couldn’t connect with him or how he interacts with Danny. I liked how he interacted with his twin though, even if his twin is trying to kill him, although that is mutual.
I did like the description of the prophet and the monsters. I didn’t have any problem getting a visual picture of them. The author also did a good job of describing the town and how the weather affects the characters. Although with how cold and miserable it was I was surprised how easily the humans were able to move around without freezing.
Overall if I was looking for an urban fantasy horror story than this would have hit the spot but it just wasn’t what I was looking for.
I’m hoping that I will like the next book in the series better since it’s about Gregor, Jack’s twin.
***The ARC was provided by Dreamspinner Press. My review is an honest opinion of the book ***
July 18, 2019
ok ... T.A. Moore is obviousely a Hit-and-Miss for me. because Digging up Bones is just awesome ... and I think I hoped for something similar when I put this one on my TBR.
this could have been good but I had troubles with ... a lot of things.
first of all the world-building was not enough - it was implied but it could have been a bit deeper.
second, Jack was very difficult to get to know and to like. I liked him more in the end ... so that improved and it got better.
the story was good, but there where things missing - like the background story of Jack and Dannys relationship, why DAnny left ... and so on
the best thing of all was Danny
but I had troubles sometimes to pick it up again
to be honest: maybe it is not fair to rate it now as I had to put a stop to an awesome series to read this one (... that is the "problem" with scavenger hunts ;-) ) but it is what it is and for that ... I rounded up from 3 stars to 3,5 stars
this could have been good but I had troubles with ... a lot of things.
first of all the world-building was not enough - it was implied but it could have been a bit deeper.
second, Jack was very difficult to get to know and to like. I liked him more in the end ... so that improved and it got better.
the story was good, but there where things missing - like the background story of Jack and Dannys relationship, why DAnny left ... and so on
the best thing of all was Danny
but I had troubles sometimes to pick it up again
to be honest: maybe it is not fair to rate it now as I had to put a stop to an awesome series to read this one (... that is the "problem" with scavenger hunts ;-) ) but it is what it is and for that ... I rounded up from 3 stars to 3,5 stars
April 25, 2020
I usually love shapeshifters, Post apocalyptic stories and author TA Moore.
I struggled with this one. I never felt I understood any of the world building at all, the frozen setting never clearly described, the characters roles unclear and confusing. Danny is a dog shifter, Jack is a wolf shifter and there are monsters? werewolves? rogue shapeshifters on the loose in the midst of a new ice age? I am still not sure. I never felt I got to know Danny or Jack. This book certainly never felt like a romance, not even a hint of one.
And the character of Jenny felt redundant. Was this supposed to be romance?
Descriptions were vivid, but the storyline was vague.
Derrick McClains narration was amazing. A real bright spot in this audio. I feel that if I had been reading this book, it might have been a DNF, but I listened to all because of Mr McClains wonderful voice and lovely accents.
I struggled with this one. I never felt I understood any of the world building at all, the frozen setting never clearly described, the characters roles unclear and confusing. Danny is a dog shifter, Jack is a wolf shifter and there are monsters? werewolves? rogue shapeshifters on the loose in the midst of a new ice age? I am still not sure. I never felt I got to know Danny or Jack. This book certainly never felt like a romance, not even a hint of one.
And the character of Jenny felt redundant. Was this supposed to be romance?
Descriptions were vivid, but the storyline was vague.
Derrick McClains narration was amazing. A real bright spot in this audio. I feel that if I had been reading this book, it might have been a DNF, but I listened to all because of Mr McClains wonderful voice and lovely accents.
March 4, 2019
Il grande inverno arriva e porta con sé la fine del mondo conosciuto. La magia reclama finalmente il suo predominio sul mondo e figure che si credeva relegate nella dimensione del mito, cominciano a mostrare la loro vera natura. Ma con loro, prendono vita, anche veri e propri mostri frutto dei peggiori incubi e della follia. Un clan di lupi/cane mutaforme che mantengono intatti ancora tutti i loro segreti, una lotta fratricida all’insegna del predominio, un’antica profezia che tinge di tinte fosche un futuro già incerto e un amore diverso. Danny e Jack non sono decisamente umani e in alcuni momenti, la loro storia, può risultare cruda ed essenziale ma anche indiscutibilmente intrigante. Un racconto interessante, un futuro complesso e un’atmosfera un tantino cruenta che assolutamente conquistano.
April 3, 2021
L’ambientazione è davvero avvincente e apocalittica, un inverno impetuoso che mi ha ricordato che l’inverno del trono di spade è arrivato! Purtroppo però ho trovato la lettura poco scorrevole, non riuscivo ad avere una lettura fluida, quella che mi fa immergere nel libro ed estraniarmi da tutto. Poi secondo me il libro era davvero troppo splatter, esagerato perfino! Ultimo i due protagonisti che non mi hanno convinta, uno troppo sottomesso e l’altro l’opposto contrario. La ex poi davvero antipatica. Ciò non toglie che se dovesse uscire il secondo lo leggerò di sicuro. Una menzione particolare per la bellissima copertina ci vuole...
April 4, 2017
Vraiment un récit pour les amatrices d'Urban Fantasy, car s'il y a bien une romance, elle est en arrière plan et les deux personnages sont loin d'être le genre qu'apprécie les lectrices de romance puristes. On oublie les déclarations romantiques et Les sentiments car nos deux héros passent leur temps à s'affronter et pas toujours en paroles. C'est violent, sanglant même, cependant cela colle complètement au récit.
March 5, 2023
4 STELLE -
Non mi aspettavo niente di che da questo libro, e soprattutto non mi aspettavo che fosse scritto così bene. Curiosissima di continuare la serie!
Non mi aspettavo niente di che da questo libro, e soprattutto non mi aspettavo che fosse scritto così bene. Curiosissima di continuare la serie!
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