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The Legend of All Wolves #2
A Wolf Apart
*A Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2018*
Can a human truly make room in her heart for the Wild? Thea Villalobos has long since given up trying to be what others expect of her. So in Elijah Sorensson she can see through the man of the world to a man who is passionate to the point of heartbreak. But something inside him is dying . . . Elijah Sorensson has all kinds of outward success: bespoke suits, designer New York City apartment, women clamoring for his attention. Except Elijah despises the human life he's forced to endure. He's Alpha of his generation of the Great North Pack, and the wolf inside him will no longer be restrained . . .
Can a human truly make room in her heart for the Wild? Thea Villalobos has long since given up trying to be what others expect of her. So in Elijah Sorensson she can see through the man of the world to a man who is passionate to the point of heartbreak. But something inside him is dying . . . Elijah Sorensson has all kinds of outward success: bespoke suits, designer New York City apartment, women clamoring for his attention. Except Elijah despises the human life he's forced to endure. He's Alpha of his generation of the Great North Pack, and the wolf inside him will no longer be restrained . . .
343 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published July 31, 2018
222 people are currently reading
896 people want to read
About the author
Maria Vale
16 books914 followersMaria Vale is a journalist who has worked for Publishers Weekly, Glamour, Redbook and the Philadelphia Inquirer. She's a double-Rita finalist whose books have been listed by Amazon, Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, ALA Booklist & Kirkus among their Best Books of the Year. Trained as a medievalist, she persists in trying to shoehorn the language of Beowulf into things that don't really need it.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 242 reviews
August 7, 2018
As a contemporary fantasy book, this would have been a 4 star read but as a romance, I couldn't give it more than 2. I’m curious about the world the author created and loved the magic and lore that she layered so perfectly over the course of the book. The whole forever wolves, shifters and Pack differences were amazingly well thought out and described. I loved the deeply respected traditions and practices that are so rich in emotion that the Pack embodies. It was different than what I normally read but I still found myself captivated by the raw and pure wildness that is the Great North Pack.
The romance is where it fell flat for me. Elijah and Thea don’t actually interact much and as it’s told strictly through Elijah’s 1st person POV, it leaves a lot of what is going on with her, unanswered. As for Elijah, he is a very complex being but also comes off as very cold and emotionless for a large part of the story. He was very disconnected from the human world and his interactions with OW was not something I enjoyed reading about.
His fear of losing his inner wildness and remaining stuck in skin forever and his love and absolute devotion to his Pack and his echelon were the only times you get a feel for just how deeply he can care about something/someone. Normally I enjoy insta-love in my romance but I kept wondering what Thea saw in Elijah. We get the why of Elijah’s pursuit of her but Thea puts up with a lot without asking for any explanation. If actions speak louder than words, I don’t think she was receiving the right message.
The plot and characters were solid and I found myself hooked on every word this author weaved together. But again, as a love story, it was lacking heat, emotion and chemistry. Overall I liked the fantasy aspect of the story and the world this author has created is intriguing. As a love story it needs more romance, more of an emotional connection that’s felt, not just explained away in a few short paragraphs.
Memorable Moment:
All that being said, Elijah does go through a change towards the end and his vulnerability and his selfless sacrifice for Thea and his pack was a huge turning point for him. If the first half was detached and a bit frigid, the second half burst with rioting emotions and the suspense picked up a lot more.
Celia’s end brought me to tears! This scene was heartbreaking and powerful. I wasn’t expecting it and for a character that was seen only a couple of times, her role and severed connection were felt to the bitter end. This author knows how to write intense gut wrenching emotion and she nailed it with this scene.
Would I recommend? Yes.
For fantasy lovers that don’t mind barely there romance this is worth a read. If you’re looking for a more romance focused read this one might be a pass.
* * * ARC provided for an honest review * * *
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
SAFETY INFO:
The romance is where it fell flat for me. Elijah and Thea don’t actually interact much and as it’s told strictly through Elijah’s 1st person POV, it leaves a lot of what is going on with her, unanswered. As for Elijah, he is a very complex being but also comes off as very cold and emotionless for a large part of the story. He was very disconnected from the human world and his interactions with OW was not something I enjoyed reading about.
His fear of losing his inner wildness and remaining stuck in skin forever and his love and absolute devotion to his Pack and his echelon were the only times you get a feel for just how deeply he can care about something/someone. Normally I enjoy insta-love in my romance but I kept wondering what Thea saw in Elijah. We get the why of Elijah’s pursuit of her but Thea puts up with a lot without asking for any explanation. If actions speak louder than words, I don’t think she was receiving the right message.
The plot and characters were solid and I found myself hooked on every word this author weaved together. But again, as a love story, it was lacking heat, emotion and chemistry. Overall I liked the fantasy aspect of the story and the world this author has created is intriguing. As a love story it needs more romance, more of an emotional connection that’s felt, not just explained away in a few short paragraphs.
Memorable Moment:
All that being said, Elijah does go through a change towards the end and his vulnerability and his selfless sacrifice for Thea and his pack was a huge turning point for him. If the first half was detached and a bit frigid, the second half burst with rioting emotions and the suspense picked up a lot more.
Celia’s end brought me to tears! This scene was heartbreaking and powerful. I wasn’t expecting it and for a character that was seen only a couple of times, her role and severed connection were felt to the bitter end. This author knows how to write intense gut wrenching emotion and she nailed it with this scene.
Would I recommend? Yes.
For fantasy lovers that don’t mind barely there romance this is worth a read. If you’re looking for a more romance focused read this one might be a pass.
* * * ARC provided for an honest review * * *
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
SAFETY INFO:
June 27, 2018
4.5 STARS
Elijah Sorrensson gives new meaning to a variation on theme, a wolf in lawyer’s clothing. For years now, he has lived away from the wolf pack he is sworn to protect. His insincere society lifestyle is slowly killing Elijah’s spirit. Expensive suits, a high profile job, and a slew of meaningless hookups do nothing but make him more desperate to return home back to his true wolf nature. Except for the three days of the Iron Moon when all of the wolves must return the wilderness, Elijah is forced to remain in “skin” because shifting while away from the Great North Pack homeland can bring lethal consequences. When Elijah meets the aptly named Thea Villalobos, he suddenly has reason to care about life again, however, he loves someone totally forbidden: a human.
Thea is a strong woman who does not suffer fools gladly. She has little time for slick, wealthy men of Elijah’s ilk. Instead, Thea lives rough in the woods having a job to find the lost and injured using her many outdoor skills. Thea is drawn to Elijah, but finds his usual talents for picking up women only serve to alienate her. This wolf will not let her go, however, and sets about in serious pursuit despite the fact it may cost him everything.
This story is told from Elijah’s POV with much of it detailing his constant struggle to live with the dichotomy of being in the human world of politics, high rollers, and big corporate where money matters over everything else when all he wants to do is be home with the wolf pack. Thea is really the only light in the encroaching darkness for him. He will have to break several taboos to be with her if that is even possible.
This the second book in The Legend of All Wolves series. These stories have a very unique world building which is saying something in a sea of PNR/UF stories about wolf shifters. In the first book, THE LAST WOLF, much of the backstory is established so reading it will greatly enrich this second volume, A WOLF APART. Ms. Vale’s writing definitely drew me into her world. I was quite invested in the first story and so happy to see how the pack was faring including a continuation of Silver and Tiberius’s story. The world is changing for this pack and their ability to adapt will determine whether they survive a known enemy as well as human encroachment into their carefully protected lands.
Elijah Sorrensson gives new meaning to a variation on theme, a wolf in lawyer’s clothing. For years now, he has lived away from the wolf pack he is sworn to protect. His insincere society lifestyle is slowly killing Elijah’s spirit. Expensive suits, a high profile job, and a slew of meaningless hookups do nothing but make him more desperate to return home back to his true wolf nature. Except for the three days of the Iron Moon when all of the wolves must return the wilderness, Elijah is forced to remain in “skin” because shifting while away from the Great North Pack homeland can bring lethal consequences. When Elijah meets the aptly named Thea Villalobos, he suddenly has reason to care about life again, however, he loves someone totally forbidden: a human.
Thea is a strong woman who does not suffer fools gladly. She has little time for slick, wealthy men of Elijah’s ilk. Instead, Thea lives rough in the woods having a job to find the lost and injured using her many outdoor skills. Thea is drawn to Elijah, but finds his usual talents for picking up women only serve to alienate her. This wolf will not let her go, however, and sets about in serious pursuit despite the fact it may cost him everything.
This story is told from Elijah’s POV with much of it detailing his constant struggle to live with the dichotomy of being in the human world of politics, high rollers, and big corporate where money matters over everything else when all he wants to do is be home with the wolf pack. Thea is really the only light in the encroaching darkness for him. He will have to break several taboos to be with her if that is even possible.
This the second book in The Legend of All Wolves series. These stories have a very unique world building which is saying something in a sea of PNR/UF stories about wolf shifters. In the first book, THE LAST WOLF, much of the backstory is established so reading it will greatly enrich this second volume, A WOLF APART. Ms. Vale’s writing definitely drew me into her world. I was quite invested in the first story and so happy to see how the pack was faring including a continuation of Silver and Tiberius’s story. The world is changing for this pack and their ability to adapt will determine whether they survive a known enemy as well as human encroachment into their carefully protected lands.
July 31, 2018
**ARC provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review**
I was excited to read Elijah Sorensson's story after being introduced to him in The Last Wolf. However, I ended up being a bit disappointed. I enjoyed the first book a lot and was expecting a bit more from A Wolf Apart. The main reasons why this book didn't work for me as much as the previous one, were the setting of the story and the lack of insight and growth of the main characters. The majority of the book took place in the human world, where Elijah is surrounded by humans. The lack of interaction with his pack members was one of the things that left me dissatisfied, I enjoyed the story more when he was home with the pack once a month.
The other main character and Elijah's love interest is Thea Villalobos, an environmental conservation officer. Her character felt flat, and I was just waiting for the moment for her to come 'alive'. She still feels like a stranger to me, and I think I would've learned more about her if there were chapters in her POV included in the book. This was one of the reason I didn't really feel and believe in their love, and it developed really fast. A Wolf Apart doesn't feel like a complete story, and that is why I was a bit let down. However, the scenes with the pack members were the best. I just love seeing Elijah in his natural habitat, and interacting with his family. I also enjoyed reading about his internal struggles and trying to hold on to his true self. I also want to mention that the story kept me interested enough to finish it. I was just expecting some extras that would've elevated the story more. I really hope that the story will pick up more in the next book(s).
I was excited to read Elijah Sorensson's story after being introduced to him in The Last Wolf. However, I ended up being a bit disappointed. I enjoyed the first book a lot and was expecting a bit more from A Wolf Apart. The main reasons why this book didn't work for me as much as the previous one, were the setting of the story and the lack of insight and growth of the main characters. The majority of the book took place in the human world, where Elijah is surrounded by humans. The lack of interaction with his pack members was one of the things that left me dissatisfied, I enjoyed the story more when he was home with the pack once a month.
The other main character and Elijah's love interest is Thea Villalobos, an environmental conservation officer. Her character felt flat, and I was just waiting for the moment for her to come 'alive'. She still feels like a stranger to me, and I think I would've learned more about her if there were chapters in her POV included in the book. This was one of the reason I didn't really feel and believe in their love, and it developed really fast. A Wolf Apart doesn't feel like a complete story, and that is why I was a bit let down. However, the scenes with the pack members were the best. I just love seeing Elijah in his natural habitat, and interacting with his family. I also enjoyed reading about his internal struggles and trying to hold on to his true self. I also want to mention that the story kept me interested enough to finish it. I was just expecting some extras that would've elevated the story more. I really hope that the story will pick up more in the next book(s).
July 23, 2018
Book Info
Paperback, 352 pages
Expected publication: July 31, 2018 by Sourcebooks Casablanca
ISBN 1492661902 (ISBN13: 9781492661900)
Edition Language English
Series The Legend of All Wolves #2
Other Editions (1)
Source:Netgalley EARC
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BOOK BLURB
When the Great North Pack is on the verge of falling apart, Pack wolf Elijah Sorensson wants to give up on his successful life in the human world to return home. But the Alpha says no--Elijah must continue to play his role to protect the Pack from those who want to destroy it.
Knowing he needs strength by his side, he seeks out human Thea Villalobos, a woman he's admired from the moment he met her. He hopes she can help him break through his human shell before the ailing wolf inside him dies, and before the Pack is betrayed again. But can Thea accept who and what Elijah really is?
My Thoughts
This story has many facets but mainly focuses on Elijah Sorensson. Elijah is a lawyer for the Pack who is living away from the rest, a Wolf in human skin whose life is beginning to spin out of his control the longer he stays Offland.
By chance, or Fate, he meets a human female named Thea Villalobos. Thea calms the man and his beast. Elijah, for the first time in his many years of solitary life, feels a true sense of comfort and belonging from another living being. However, since Thea is a human, their relationship is built on lies of omission which may doom it to failure when all is revealed to her.
Failure in the form of banishment or death is a very real possibility for Elijah once the Great North Pack becomes aware of his transgression against their law of never exposing the wolves to humans.
This particular story could have ended in such a tragic manner instead, as hoped, it ended in triumph!
While I totally enjoyed book 1 this 2nd book was even more emotionally charged for me from beginning to ending, even with a few errors here and there that can be easily corrected in the books final rendition before it is published.
[EArc from Netgalley]
May 20, 2018
♥♥ 4 Wild Stars ♥♥
Elijah Sorensson has been Offworld for the last thirty years working as a lawyer for the Great Northern Pack. His predecessor ended up dead after being separated from the Pack for too long, and Elijah isn't sure how much longer he can hold onto his inner wolf. He's tired of the facade of life in NYC: the easy women, the social and political hierarchy, and the meat. Meat should only been eaten when you've killed it.
And then he meets Thea, quite by chance. She's nothing like the Offworld women he's used to. One, she doesn't have fake tits. Two, she doesn't play coy and seductive, she just is. Her simplistic lifestyle and respect for nature draws Elijah in, and soon he's making promises to himself that he's not sure he can survive, much less keep.
Elijah and Thea's story just feels so real. There aren't any early onset declarations of love, and I just felt like Thea was so down to earth. This was the first paranormal romance I've read in a while that wasn't incredibly fake and just about some alpha male claiming some unsuspecting mate. The prose is well-written and while the plot isn't necessarily fast-paced, I never got bored or felt like the plot was dragging. A Wolf Apart was a pleasant surprise every step of the way!
**ARC generously provided via NetGalley
Elijah Sorensson has been Offworld for the last thirty years working as a lawyer for the Great Northern Pack. His predecessor ended up dead after being separated from the Pack for too long, and Elijah isn't sure how much longer he can hold onto his inner wolf. He's tired of the facade of life in NYC: the easy women, the social and political hierarchy, and the meat. Meat should only been eaten when you've killed it.
And then he meets Thea, quite by chance. She's nothing like the Offworld women he's used to. One, she doesn't have fake tits. Two, she doesn't play coy and seductive, she just is. Her simplistic lifestyle and respect for nature draws Elijah in, and soon he's making promises to himself that he's not sure he can survive, much less keep.
Elijah and Thea's story just feels so real. There aren't any early onset declarations of love, and I just felt like Thea was so down to earth. This was the first paranormal romance I've read in a while that wasn't incredibly fake and just about some alpha male claiming some unsuspecting mate. The prose is well-written and while the plot isn't necessarily fast-paced, I never got bored or felt like the plot was dragging. A Wolf Apart was a pleasant surprise every step of the way!
**ARC generously provided via NetGalley
August 2, 2018
Welcome back to the refreshing world where beasts truly roam and there’s no escaping the will of the moon. Such a daring ,rich tapestry and so far removed from the standard shifter romance books to the point that I feel the author is sticking a finger up at all the conventional and mundane paranormal fare.
This book is told from the point of view of Elijah and from the start he’s an unpleasant character and definitely not the typical hero. Elijah has no respect for the humans whose world he walks tall in, despises those around him and freely uses whoever he chooses and all in order to help protect the Pack. This wolf wants nothing more then to go home and will do whatever it takes.
Enter Thea who is far removed from everything we usually read about in paranormal romance. Thea is a woman apart, she walks to the beat of her own drum and yet strangely perhaps because she is unconventional males find her attractive. Thea unknowingly presents Elijah with the one thing a predator cannot resist and that my fellow reader is a hunt !
I refuse to rehash the plot but will say categorically that no matter what your feelings for these characters initially by the end you will understand and perhaps even cheer for them. Elijah learns what it means to sacrifice and Thea helps to bring about that which is inevitable and that in my opinion is change. So I freely admit I still don’t particularly understand all of Theas motivation and unfortunately I didn’t really connect with her I did find this fascinating and well worth reading.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair
This book is told from the point of view of Elijah and from the start he’s an unpleasant character and definitely not the typical hero. Elijah has no respect for the humans whose world he walks tall in, despises those around him and freely uses whoever he chooses and all in order to help protect the Pack. This wolf wants nothing more then to go home and will do whatever it takes.
Enter Thea who is far removed from everything we usually read about in paranormal romance. Thea is a woman apart, she walks to the beat of her own drum and yet strangely perhaps because she is unconventional males find her attractive. Thea unknowingly presents Elijah with the one thing a predator cannot resist and that my fellow reader is a hunt !
I refuse to rehash the plot but will say categorically that no matter what your feelings for these characters initially by the end you will understand and perhaps even cheer for them. Elijah learns what it means to sacrifice and Thea helps to bring about that which is inevitable and that in my opinion is change. So I freely admit I still don’t particularly understand all of Theas motivation and unfortunately I didn’t really connect with her I did find this fascinating and well worth reading.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair
April 21, 2018
This book was so great! Loved being in this world again, and of an Outlander, too, because yeah, it was tough for him! Not as good as the first book, but still a great read!
July 11, 2018
5-Stars Halfway between a 9/10: Fantastic, left me wanting more & a 10/10: There is no comparison.. This is the Mona Lisa of the fictional world!
I could kill her easily, but I won’t. I know what I am; I am strong enough to be vulnerable. Strong enough to love. And strong enough to die for it.
Book one of this debut series by Maria Vale was good.
Book two was brilliant.
It might be that I’ve just immersed myself more fully into this gritty werewolf (not werewolf) world now, but Elijah’s story really touched me.
A wolf apart from his pack, his home, the one thing that means anything to him, leaving him a shell slowly crumbling. The wild inside him is dying and his alpha won’t let him come home.
Man, this one got to me. So beautifully written, and heart wrenchingly believable.
For those three days out of thirty, when the moon is pregnant and full and her law is Iron and the Pack has no choice but to be wild.
Vale has created a different, more visceral werewolf culture here, which I could not be happier to read. No sparkly vampires to make them pretty, these wolves are wolves first and humans second. And Elijah was perfectly portrayed, straddling the divide between both sides of himself.
It is not a good kill, John, but this is what happens when you domesticate a wolf. You pervert him.
We see old favourites from the first book, which is nice. We learn a little more about the Pack hierarchy. But it is Elijah and Thea who really steal the show for me. Elijah in particular.
Told from his perspective, we get a little humour, a lot of alpha, and a good dollop of heartache. This book had everything and I loved it.
I know it’s not his fault, but still, a little dignity. Please.
Utterly outstanding. I can’t wait for the next.
Thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca via NetGalley for this ARC.
I could kill her easily, but I won’t. I know what I am; I am strong enough to be vulnerable. Strong enough to love. And strong enough to die for it.
Book one of this debut series by Maria Vale was good.
Book two was brilliant.
It might be that I’ve just immersed myself more fully into this gritty werewolf (not werewolf) world now, but Elijah’s story really touched me.
A wolf apart from his pack, his home, the one thing that means anything to him, leaving him a shell slowly crumbling. The wild inside him is dying and his alpha won’t let him come home.
Man, this one got to me. So beautifully written, and heart wrenchingly believable.
For those three days out of thirty, when the moon is pregnant and full and her law is Iron and the Pack has no choice but to be wild.
Vale has created a different, more visceral werewolf culture here, which I could not be happier to read. No sparkly vampires to make them pretty, these wolves are wolves first and humans second. And Elijah was perfectly portrayed, straddling the divide between both sides of himself.
It is not a good kill, John, but this is what happens when you domesticate a wolf. You pervert him.
We see old favourites from the first book, which is nice. We learn a little more about the Pack hierarchy. But it is Elijah and Thea who really steal the show for me. Elijah in particular.
Told from his perspective, we get a little humour, a lot of alpha, and a good dollop of heartache. This book had everything and I loved it.
I know it’s not his fault, but still, a little dignity. Please.
Utterly outstanding. I can’t wait for the next.
Thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca via NetGalley for this ARC.
May 30, 2018
This is the second book of the series. You will need to read the first one and a lot of the world building happens in book 1. An unfamiliar reader may have a difficult time keeping up with what is happening and the rules of this particular Pack.
That said, this one was interesting in that Elijah does not live on Pack land. He supports the Pack in the human world. But he longs to be home again. He happens upon Thea, a woman tied closely to the land and off the grid. Elijah knows, he needs her to help save himself.
The book brings intrigue and action. The over arching feeling of needing Home is spread throughout the story. Besides the chemistry between Elijah and Thea, I could feel the blossoming of love. They become friends and lovers. They understood each other on every level.
This book continues the story arc from book 1 and looks like there are still some bad guys out for destroying the Pack. I liked catching up with the wolves from book 1 as well.
Looking forward to seeing where the author takes the Pack next.
*Complimentary copy provided via Netgalley for an honest review.
That said, this one was interesting in that Elijah does not live on Pack land. He supports the Pack in the human world. But he longs to be home again. He happens upon Thea, a woman tied closely to the land and off the grid. Elijah knows, he needs her to help save himself.
The book brings intrigue and action. The over arching feeling of needing Home is spread throughout the story. Besides the chemistry between Elijah and Thea, I could feel the blossoming of love. They become friends and lovers. They understood each other on every level.
This book continues the story arc from book 1 and looks like there are still some bad guys out for destroying the Pack. I liked catching up with the wolves from book 1 as well.
Looking forward to seeing where the author takes the Pack next.
*Complimentary copy provided via Netgalley for an honest review.
June 2, 2018
A Wolf Apart by Maria Vale is book Two in The Legend of All Wolves series. This is the story of Elijah Sorensson and Thea Villalobos. I haven't yet read the previous book, so for me this was a standalone book.
Elijah is rich, powerful, a leader and can get any women he wants. But he's never wanted to live the human life and wants to be free with his pack. When he is asked to help out a powerful clients garder's niece he meets Thea. Thea is different from all the women he has known. Thea likes things simple and earthly. Elijah is attracted to her and she to him but can their feelings lead to more?
I love shiftier stories and was excited to start reading this one. But I didn't seem to be able to connect with the characters which might have been my fault since I was excited to read this story....this was my first book by this author so I probably just need to get her writing down. Overall enjoyed their story and will look for more books by Ms. Vale.
Elijah is rich, powerful, a leader and can get any women he wants. But he's never wanted to live the human life and wants to be free with his pack. When he is asked to help out a powerful clients garder's niece he meets Thea. Thea is different from all the women he has known. Thea likes things simple and earthly. Elijah is attracted to her and she to him but can their feelings lead to more?
I love shiftier stories and was excited to start reading this one. But I didn't seem to be able to connect with the characters which might have been my fault since I was excited to read this story....this was my first book by this author so I probably just need to get her writing down. Overall enjoyed their story and will look for more books by Ms. Vale.
July 7, 2022
Elijah has always had to be Offland since he came of age to be of use to the Pack. However, his soul is slowly being destroyed living with the humans and he longs to return to the Pack. Although he is Alpha to his echelon, Evie, the new Alpha to the Pack tells him he must stay Offland.
He meets Thea, a human and they fall into a relationship of sorts. Where Elijah has been all about appearances (as expected in his role) Thea is the exact opposite. She lives in the woods with one chair, one cup, one spoon, one bowl... and loves every second of it. It is forbidden for Elijah to bond with a human but he does it anyway, despite knowing that both of them are likely to be killed if his Pack finds out.
There's a bit of a back story here continuing from the first book but not enough that this couldn't be read as a standalone. However, I loved seeing Ti and Silver back again and how their relationship, and Ti's with the Pack evolves. The writing style is considerably less choppy on this ones as it appropriate with a less feral MC than Silver was. However, I loved that whenever Elijah thought about or dealt with his clothes, he listed off the brands. It was exactly right for his role in society and the image he needed to portray but it did make me laugh a little (and then also feel a bit sad) because it was like this huge, onerous role he had to play and all these things he had to remember instead of being able to be wild and free.
The HEA for Elijah and Thea was hard won but there is one. However, as seems to be the way with this series, its not as straightforward as you think it might be and I love that. I love that the author doesn't take the easy way of ignoring Pack rule because this couple is so 'special'.
Generally LOVING this series so much
He meets Thea, a human and they fall into a relationship of sorts. Where Elijah has been all about appearances (as expected in his role) Thea is the exact opposite. She lives in the woods with one chair, one cup, one spoon, one bowl... and loves every second of it. It is forbidden for Elijah to bond with a human but he does it anyway, despite knowing that both of them are likely to be killed if his Pack finds out.
There's a bit of a back story here continuing from the first book but not enough that this couldn't be read as a standalone. However, I loved seeing Ti and Silver back again and how their relationship, and Ti's with the Pack evolves. The writing style is considerably less choppy on this ones as it appropriate with a less feral MC than Silver was. However, I loved that whenever Elijah thought about or dealt with his clothes, he listed off the brands. It was exactly right for his role in society and the image he needed to portray but it did make me laugh a little (and then also feel a bit sad) because it was like this huge, onerous role he had to play and all these things he had to remember instead of being able to be wild and free.
The HEA for Elijah and Thea was hard won but there is one. However, as seems to be the way with this series, its not as straightforward as you think it might be and I love that. I love that the author doesn't take the easy way of ignoring Pack rule because this couple is so 'special'.
Generally LOVING this series so much
June 19, 2018
This is a shifter book with a difference . Most books of this genre tend to be written
from the female leads perspective BUT this one is written almost solely from our heroes'
point of view .
Elijah Sorensson hates his life , living the life of a successful , handsome businessman …….he
can have anything and anyone he wants EXCEPT what he really wants ……...to return to his pack , be
the Alpha they need and let his wolf run free .
Thea Villalobos has given up trying to be what others think she should be ………..and when she is sent
to see Elijah as a possible source of help regarding animal trapping , she meets someone she can relate to .
The twists and turns of their relationship are both sweet and tender whilst also fraught with danger for them both .
It is only by being willing to sacrifice themselves for the other that true happiness can be theirs .
This was an unusual shifter book but a very good read ……….I enjoyed reading from Elijah's perspective ,
showing us that the male of the species can be hurt just as easily as the female .
I look forward to further books by this Author as several points in the book were left unresolved .
I was given an arc of this book by NetGalley and the Publisher in exchange for my honest review .
from the female leads perspective BUT this one is written almost solely from our heroes'
point of view .
Elijah Sorensson hates his life , living the life of a successful , handsome businessman …….he
can have anything and anyone he wants EXCEPT what he really wants ……...to return to his pack , be
the Alpha they need and let his wolf run free .
Thea Villalobos has given up trying to be what others think she should be ………..and when she is sent
to see Elijah as a possible source of help regarding animal trapping , she meets someone she can relate to .
The twists and turns of their relationship are both sweet and tender whilst also fraught with danger for them both .
It is only by being willing to sacrifice themselves for the other that true happiness can be theirs .
This was an unusual shifter book but a very good read ……….I enjoyed reading from Elijah's perspective ,
showing us that the male of the species can be hurt just as easily as the female .
I look forward to further books by this Author as several points in the book were left unresolved .
I was given an arc of this book by NetGalley and the Publisher in exchange for my honest review .
June 11, 2018
Maria Vale just pulled up a chair Anne Bishop's paranormal table.
Original, dark, and with a main character who hits all the right notes of a paranormal romance...
Thoroughly enjoyed.
Original, dark, and with a main character who hits all the right notes of a paranormal romance...
Thoroughly enjoyed.
July 10, 2018
I enjoyed this second installment in the Legend of All Wolves series. The author is so talented in crafting a story rich in Pack lore that is a fresh take on the typical Shifter/Werewolf paranormal romance. These characters are wolves that wear human skin rather than humans who wear wolf skins. An important distinction. I would definitely encourage reading the first book in the series, The Last Wolf, first. The majority of the world-building takes place here as well as the introduction to some of the characters for this installment. Elijah Sorensson is the hero and the book is told from his POV. He is a wolf working in the Pack's interest in the human world. His necessary absence, however, is taking a huge toll on his mental state. He wants to go home permanently to his Pack family and circumstances are not in his favor. Jaded in his dealings with women he meets Thea, our human heroine . Thea lives her life simplistically and her desire to help others is a driving force to her personality. And the unthinkable happens. Elijah falls in love. With a human. Against the laws of the Pack family that he needs and loves. How could this possibly work out? Elijah certainly has a lot to go through to get his HEA and I enjoyed his rocky journey.
I would like to say that I wish I knew Thea better as a character. Her POV was absent and as a result she was not as developed a character as Elijah. I did not feel as connected or invested in her. That being said I did love this book. Very well written. I will definitely be picking up the next in this series.
I would like to say that I wish I knew Thea better as a character. Her POV was absent and as a result she was not as developed a character as Elijah. I did not feel as connected or invested in her. That being said I did love this book. Very well written. I will definitely be picking up the next in this series.
January 16, 2022
Most excellent :p Wolf/shifter/werewolf/birthing tale so well written it's believable. The MC is an unhappy lawyer wolf stuck in his skin working in the city protecting the pack's interest. On one case he meets a very unreceptive woman that is like no other, a human. I loved this romance, it was so different, no fluff, it was all rough edges. This pack is slowly developing into a fascinating family. Quirky individuals are coming out into the story, children are growing, times are changing. The pack is having identity troubles modern vs the old ways.
I like these characters, love the two worlds meeting. I can't wait for the next book
I like these characters, love the two worlds meeting. I can't wait for the next book
November 27, 2018
3.5/5; 4 stars; B+
I enjoyed this addition to the series. Elijah and Thea were interesting characters. I really, really hope there will be another book in which the evil August gets his comeuppance.
I enjoyed this addition to the series. Elijah and Thea were interesting characters. I really, really hope there will be another book in which the evil August gets his comeuppance.
October 31, 2024
Maria Vale is such an incredible writer. Just wanted to say that first off.
Second, don’t read this if you haven’t read the first in the series (The Last Wolf), because you’ll be missing out on a ton of lore and character knowledge. I saw some reviews where the person hadn’t read the first one and therefore rated it low, which made me 🙄
Like The Last Wolf, A Wolf Apart is first-person, single POV. This time, we’re in the head of Elijah Sorensson, who garnered some brief mentions in TLW. He’s the Pack’s lawyer and lives primarily Offland, in New York City. We learn that he loathes it—loathes dealing with humans, loathes their smell, loathes having to confirm to an archetype: a rich playboy asshole, kind of like if Don Draper was a lawyer and more disingenuous.
He feels his wild—the wolf inside—growing weaker and wants to go home, but the Pack’s new Alpha, Evie, says she needs him there, defending the Pack’s interests.
So Elijah is an increasingly desperate wolf until he meets Thea… a human woman. And there’s the central conflict: a wolf who must present as human and hates it, yet wants desperately to be with Thea.
I ate this book up. It’s beautifully written; Vale does an excellent job with Elijah’s voice, which is utterly distinct from Quicksilver’s in TLW. Even though he comes across as a misogynistic dick (more on this later), that’s not all there is to him. He’s desperate, hating himself and hating everyone around him because he has had to hide his true self for years and years. And I love the world Vale has built, where these don’t-call-them-werewolves are wolves first, not humans who occasionally turn into wolves. It’s gory and well researched and immersive.
So, my one criticism is this: There is a strong seam of misogyny running through this book, and it’s hard to tell if it’s coming from Elijah or the author. Apart from the female wolves and Thea, all woman are presented as fake, cookie-cutter, mercenary sluts. You could argue that Thea, who seems cool but remains enigmatic, is being positioned as a Not Like Other Girls character. Or you could argue that, if this is all from Elijah’s POV, it is simply part of his loathing of all things human and, in turn, what he has become. He is drawn to Thea because she is the most wolf-like human he’s ever met, so for him she stands apart from the human world he so abhors. I tend to believe the latter is true, because Maria Vale seems like a cool person—so my criticism is that this nuance is not resolved clearly enough.
All that said, I loved this and am so tempted to launch straight into the third book.
Second, don’t read this if you haven’t read the first in the series (The Last Wolf), because you’ll be missing out on a ton of lore and character knowledge. I saw some reviews where the person hadn’t read the first one and therefore rated it low, which made me 🙄
Like The Last Wolf, A Wolf Apart is first-person, single POV. This time, we’re in the head of Elijah Sorensson, who garnered some brief mentions in TLW. He’s the Pack’s lawyer and lives primarily Offland, in New York City. We learn that he loathes it—loathes dealing with humans, loathes their smell, loathes having to confirm to an archetype: a rich playboy asshole, kind of like if Don Draper was a lawyer and more disingenuous.
He feels his wild—the wolf inside—growing weaker and wants to go home, but the Pack’s new Alpha, Evie, says she needs him there, defending the Pack’s interests.
So Elijah is an increasingly desperate wolf until he meets Thea… a human woman. And there’s the central conflict: a wolf who must present as human and hates it, yet wants desperately to be with Thea.
I ate this book up. It’s beautifully written; Vale does an excellent job with Elijah’s voice, which is utterly distinct from Quicksilver’s in TLW. Even though he comes across as a misogynistic dick (more on this later), that’s not all there is to him. He’s desperate, hating himself and hating everyone around him because he has had to hide his true self for years and years. And I love the world Vale has built, where these don’t-call-them-werewolves are wolves first, not humans who occasionally turn into wolves. It’s gory and well researched and immersive.
So, my one criticism is this: There is a strong seam of misogyny running through this book, and it’s hard to tell if it’s coming from Elijah or the author. Apart from the female wolves and Thea, all woman are presented as fake, cookie-cutter, mercenary sluts. You could argue that Thea, who seems cool but remains enigmatic, is being positioned as a Not Like Other Girls character. Or you could argue that, if this is all from Elijah’s POV, it is simply part of his loathing of all things human and, in turn, what he has become. He is drawn to Thea because she is the most wolf-like human he’s ever met, so for him she stands apart from the human world he so abhors. I tend to believe the latter is true, because Maria Vale seems like a cool person—so my criticism is that this nuance is not resolved clearly enough.
All that said, I loved this and am so tempted to launch straight into the third book.
September 18, 2024
5🌟
So much to love about this second book in the series! I also liked how Silver and Tiberious's story was weaved into this one as well. Makes me excited to read the rest of the series!
So much to love about this second book in the series! I also liked how Silver and Tiberious's story was weaved into this one as well. Makes me excited to read the rest of the series!
September 22, 2018
I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Elijah Sorensson is the Alpha of his echelon, however, rather than being able to stay with the Pack he has to live in the human world, only returning back home for the Iron Moon each month. It's eating at his soul. Immersing himself in the trappings of human wealth in his job as a successful lawyer, he can feel the Wild in him slowly dying. Until he meets her. Thea Villalobos, a woman who chooses to life apart from others, but can she accept his Wild?
The first book in this series, The Last Wolf, has been one of my favourite reads for this year. I went into reading it with very low expectations but secretly hoping to find a good paranormal shifter romance. What I got was so much more. Vale has created a unique world in her The Legend of All Wolves series; it's a paranormal romance with the grit of an urban fantasy. The combination of a no-frills romance and a twist on what it means to be a shifter really makes this series stand out in the genre. Which means, when I opened up A Wolf Apart I had high expectations.
Were those expectations met? Yes and no. There were some aspects that I really loved and Vale did a great job with, however, there were other aspects of the book which I found lacking. What first caught my attention with The Last Wolf was the way Vale has crafted her Wolves. They weren't your typical shifters, they were more wolf than human and that showed in how their society was constructed and how the characters thought. At times it could make the book difficult to access, however, the pay off was worth it. Vale further expands on her world building and her characterisation of Wolves in Elijah's character.
Elijah, although he lived in the human world, was completely removed from it. You could see he never connected with anyone around him, he had a script to use with humans and he stuck to it. Which, just made his longing to go home all the more poignant and jarring in juxtaposition to his emotional detachment from his environment. Vale really managed to capture his homesickness and fear of the Wild within him dying.
I'm an exile. A disappointment. An Alpha without a Pack. A leader no one wants to follow. A flashy vessel hiding something unspeakable sacred and undeniably fragile. I am a monster; neither one thing, nor the other, belonging nowhere.
However, this is a paranormal romance and it was noticeable lacking in romance. Although we are told that Elijah is instantly smitten with Thea their relationship lacked any depth. Which, is a shame in a series where the depth of the world and the characters is one of its strengths. In The Last Wolf although the romance between Silver and Tiberius isn't flowers and hearts their mutual struggle for acceptance brings them close together and they fall in love. In A Wolf Apart you're told they love each other without them ever seeming to get to know one another. And as the reader, I never really got a good sense of Thea as she wasn't really physically present that often. This book would have benefited from some scenes from Thea's point of view and with more scenes with Thea and Elijah together.
Although this wasn't as good as the first book in regards to the romance, I still think this did a great job of expanding the readers understanding of the world and characters that Vale has created. I recommend you give this book a try, however, I would view this less of a romance and more like an urban fantasy.
*ARC provided by publisher
Reviewed by Suzanne❤ ♡ Don't want to miss any of our posts? Subscribe to our blog by email! ♡ ❤
September 19, 2018
Elijah Sorensson is the Alpha of his echelon, however, rather than being able to stay with the Pack he has to live in the human world, only returning back home for the Iron Moon each month. It's eating at his soul. Immersing himself in the trappings of human wealth in his job as a successful lawyer, he can feel the Wild in him slowly dying. Until he meets her. Thea Villalobos, a woman who chooses to life apart from others, but can she accept his Wild?
The first book in this series, The Last Wolf, has been one of my favourite reads for this year. I went into reading it with very low expectations but secretly hoping to find a good paranormal shifter romance. What I got was so much more. Vale has created a unique world in her The Legend of All Wolves series; it's a paranormal romance with the grit of an urban fantasy. The combination of a no-frills romance and a twist on what it means to be a shifter really makes this series stand out in the genre. Which means, when I opened up A Wolf Apart I had high expectations.
Were those expectations met? Yes and no. There were some aspects that I really loved and Vale did a great job with, however, there were other aspects of the book which I found lacking. What first caught my attention with The Last Wolf was the way Vale has crafted her Wolves. They weren't your typical shifters, they were more wolf than human and that showed in how their society was constructed and how the characters thought. At times it could make the book difficult to access, however, the pay off was worth it. Vale further expands on her world building and her characterisation of Wolves in Elijah's character.
Elijah, although he lived in the human world, was completely removed from it. You could see he never connected with anyone around him, he had a script to use with humans and he stuck to it. Which, just made his longing to go home all the more poignant and jarring in juxtaposition to his emotional detachment from his environment. Vale really managed to capture his homesickness and fear of the Wild within him dying.
However, this is a paranormal romance and it was noticeable lacking in romance. Although we are told that Elijah is instantly smitten with Thea their relationship lacked any depth. Which, is a shame in a series where the depth of the world and the characters is one of its strengths. In The Last Wolf although the romance between Silver and Tiberius isn't flowers and hearts their mutual struggle for acceptance brings them close together and they fall in love. In A Wolf Apart you're told they love each other without them ever seeming to get to know one another. And as the reader, I never really got a good sense of Thea as she wasn't really physically present that often. This book would have benefited from some scenes from Thea's point of view and with more scenes with Thea and Elijah together.
Although this wasn't as good as the first book in regards to the romance, I still think this did a great job of expanding the readers understanding of the world and characters that Vale has created. I recommend you give this book a try, however, I would view this less of a romance and more like an urban fantasy.
The first book in this series, The Last Wolf, has been one of my favourite reads for this year. I went into reading it with very low expectations but secretly hoping to find a good paranormal shifter romance. What I got was so much more. Vale has created a unique world in her The Legend of All Wolves series; it's a paranormal romance with the grit of an urban fantasy. The combination of a no-frills romance and a twist on what it means to be a shifter really makes this series stand out in the genre. Which means, when I opened up A Wolf Apart I had high expectations.
Were those expectations met? Yes and no. There were some aspects that I really loved and Vale did a great job with, however, there were other aspects of the book which I found lacking. What first caught my attention with The Last Wolf was the way Vale has crafted her Wolves. They weren't your typical shifters, they were more wolf than human and that showed in how their society was constructed and how the characters thought. At times it could make the book difficult to access, however, the pay off was worth it. Vale further expands on her world building and her characterisation of Wolves in Elijah's character.
Elijah, although he lived in the human world, was completely removed from it. You could see he never connected with anyone around him, he had a script to use with humans and he stuck to it. Which, just made his longing to go home all the more poignant and jarring in juxtaposition to his emotional detachment from his environment. Vale really managed to capture his homesickness and fear of the Wild within him dying.
I'm an exile. A disappointment. An Alpha without a Pack. A leader no one wants to follow. A flashy vessel hiding something unspeakable sacred and undeniably fragile. I am a monster; neither one thing, nor the other, belonging nowhere.
However, this is a paranormal romance and it was noticeable lacking in romance. Although we are told that Elijah is instantly smitten with Thea their relationship lacked any depth. Which, is a shame in a series where the depth of the world and the characters is one of its strengths. In The Last Wolf although the romance between Silver and Tiberius isn't flowers and hearts their mutual struggle for acceptance brings them close together and they fall in love. In A Wolf Apart you're told they love each other without them ever seeming to get to know one another. And as the reader, I never really got a good sense of Thea as she wasn't really physically present that often. This book would have benefited from some scenes from Thea's point of view and with more scenes with Thea and Elijah together.
Although this wasn't as good as the first book in regards to the romance, I still think this did a great job of expanding the readers understanding of the world and characters that Vale has created. I recommend you give this book a try, however, I would view this less of a romance and more like an urban fantasy.
June 12, 2018
This story was not an easy to read but as you begin to understand the world that Elijah lives in it makes sense. Elijah is the bridge between the human world and the wolf world working to save his pack but the longer he is away from his pack and his land the closer to death he becomes. Elijah lives the high life expensive clothes and taking women to bed on a whim until he meets a human Thea, who makes him want to settle down but law of the land makes it impossible. When one of his employees steals something to help save someone in his pack, she ends up dead and the fingers point at Elijah. If you love reading how wolf laws and ways are this book is perfect and it makes you understand how the too worlds can never meet.
Reviewed on behalf of Once upon an Alpha
Reviewed on behalf of Once upon an Alpha
August 8, 2020
I like this one, too.🙃
August 17, 2018
I liked the book, and then it ended, and I realised how much I liked it. It was strange, but it hit me after it was done what a great book this was. What an amazing world she creates and how it resonates with me.
Elijah may be an alpha. He may be great with women. But he is dying, well his soul is slowly rotting away. He goes through the emotions and at the end I am aching for him. All he wants is to run free and be the wolf he is. But he has to be this amazing lawyer, boss and stay in a city that is killing him. He hates it. He hates it all. How can you not feel for the guy. Just let him come home! And not just for a few days each month.
This is what I like about these books. They are not shifters. You know the drill, those mega alpha ones that are roar! Hear me! And then walk around being happy humans. No, Elijah is a wolf. His soul is a wolf. His kind spend their first years as wolves. They are awkward and even though they have a teacher to teach them to be humans, they make mistakes. Because they are not humans. They are more like wolves who can change into humans. But they are truly themselves when they are wolves and it shows with everything. Their mindset and how they interact. Even when human. An alpha does not have to be all roar! He will take someone down with his eyes alone..submit. And it is the world that always pulls me in.
So we have a guy who wants to be wolf again, after 30 years in this horrid city that smells of iron, carrion and dead things.
In comes the woman who might just save him.. but stop, I would still not call this pnr. It is so much more. Yes there is the relationship that is to be built, but more so is the whole tone and feel of the book. It is not a romance to me. It's about a wolf finding solace.
Thea was, omg it broke me at one point how calm and understanding she was. Dang! But yes she is this calm woman who lives alone in the middle of nowhere and prefer it so. She is the aloof one, he is the one that finds he needs more. And it emerges slowly. Some are meant to be. They can be quiet together.
Of course a human can never be with a wolf....
And there are still those pesky shifters that wants to kill the wolves....
Omg, those last 2 hours. It tore at me. And it made it a great book. The world is worth it all.
narration
Wayne did an amazing job bringing Elijah to life
Elijah may be an alpha. He may be great with women. But he is dying, well his soul is slowly rotting away. He goes through the emotions and at the end I am aching for him. All he wants is to run free and be the wolf he is. But he has to be this amazing lawyer, boss and stay in a city that is killing him. He hates it. He hates it all. How can you not feel for the guy. Just let him come home! And not just for a few days each month.
This is what I like about these books. They are not shifters. You know the drill, those mega alpha ones that are roar! Hear me! And then walk around being happy humans. No, Elijah is a wolf. His soul is a wolf. His kind spend their first years as wolves. They are awkward and even though they have a teacher to teach them to be humans, they make mistakes. Because they are not humans. They are more like wolves who can change into humans. But they are truly themselves when they are wolves and it shows with everything. Their mindset and how they interact. Even when human. An alpha does not have to be all roar! He will take someone down with his eyes alone..submit. And it is the world that always pulls me in.
So we have a guy who wants to be wolf again, after 30 years in this horrid city that smells of iron, carrion and dead things.
In comes the woman who might just save him.. but stop, I would still not call this pnr. It is so much more. Yes there is the relationship that is to be built, but more so is the whole tone and feel of the book. It is not a romance to me. It's about a wolf finding solace.
Thea was, omg it broke me at one point how calm and understanding she was. Dang! But yes she is this calm woman who lives alone in the middle of nowhere and prefer it so. She is the aloof one, he is the one that finds he needs more. And it emerges slowly. Some are meant to be. They can be quiet together.
Of course a human can never be with a wolf....
And there are still those pesky shifters that wants to kill the wolves....
Omg, those last 2 hours. It tore at me. And it made it a great book. The world is worth it all.
narration
Wayne did an amazing job bringing Elijah to life
May 18, 2018
A Wolf Apart was, well, a hard read. Okay, maybe not hard, but it certainly was a struggle for me to get through. I was well into the book before I ever warmed up to Elijah. It’s told from Elijah’s first person POV, and since it wasn’t until the end I warmed up to him, you can see why this would be a struggle.
Quick rundown: Elijah is slowly falling apart. He’s desperate to return to Pack lands permanently, but the Alpha says no. He needs to stay Offland so he can continue to protect the Pack. The continued alienation from Pack and home is wearing him down. He’s lonely and lost. Going through the motions of keeping up the façade of being a human is killing him inside. Until he’s assigned a pro bono case. An environmental conservation office is being sued for springing traps and trespassing. Compared to the other human women Elijah has had in his life, there’s nothing remarkable about Thea. Yet there is something about her that speaks to his broken soul. Despite it being against Pack law, he’s hoping she can help heal what is broken inside him, fill the missing part of his soul.
Sigh. I really enjoyed the first book in the series because it was so different from most PNR books I have read. But this one was just so… What the story revolves around is the very thing I struggled with, namely: Elijah. I get it, he’s hurting wanting to be home but forced to stay where he is. Putting on a mask, pretending to be human is making him miserable. Labels, social dances, forced to keep going on while dying inside. This is drummed into the story so hard even if you are skimming, you would get it. So, yes; Got. It. I did finally hit a point that his constant monologue of being away got annoying to me. It had me wanting to scream you go home once a month for the Iron Moon so get over it!
The introduction of Thea to the story definitely did help perk up the story. I liked the concept of her character. We don’t get to know her very well since the story is told from Elijah. It had me wishing the story was not done in first person. Or at least, maybe give her a voice. I would have loved to know what was going through her head when the story started getting REALLY interesting.
Speaking of REALLY interesting, for me that didn’t occur until I hit well pass the half way point. When that happens, when it takes the better half of the story to finally hook me in, it makes everything tedious and difficult to empathize with the MC. And that was my problem. I just hit a point where I didn’t care about Elijah anymore. However, once things picked up, they really got good. Whoa! Now that was quite the ending. It was great to experience the characters from the previous story and I loved finding out what was going on with Silver and Ti. Inserted into the ending you can tell there will be more to the story about wolves and shifters to the point you can almost see where it may be headed. Book one in The Legend of All Wolves Series lured me in. Book two has semi-pushed me away. Since I see the potential of what is coming up next, for now I will tentatively say I will read the next.
Stars: 2 1/2
Quick rundown: Elijah is slowly falling apart. He’s desperate to return to Pack lands permanently, but the Alpha says no. He needs to stay Offland so he can continue to protect the Pack. The continued alienation from Pack and home is wearing him down. He’s lonely and lost. Going through the motions of keeping up the façade of being a human is killing him inside. Until he’s assigned a pro bono case. An environmental conservation office is being sued for springing traps and trespassing. Compared to the other human women Elijah has had in his life, there’s nothing remarkable about Thea. Yet there is something about her that speaks to his broken soul. Despite it being against Pack law, he’s hoping she can help heal what is broken inside him, fill the missing part of his soul.
Sigh. I really enjoyed the first book in the series because it was so different from most PNR books I have read. But this one was just so… What the story revolves around is the very thing I struggled with, namely: Elijah. I get it, he’s hurting wanting to be home but forced to stay where he is. Putting on a mask, pretending to be human is making him miserable. Labels, social dances, forced to keep going on while dying inside. This is drummed into the story so hard even if you are skimming, you would get it. So, yes; Got. It. I did finally hit a point that his constant monologue of being away got annoying to me. It had me wanting to scream you go home once a month for the Iron Moon so get over it!
The introduction of Thea to the story definitely did help perk up the story. I liked the concept of her character. We don’t get to know her very well since the story is told from Elijah. It had me wishing the story was not done in first person. Or at least, maybe give her a voice. I would have loved to know what was going through her head when the story started getting REALLY interesting.
Speaking of REALLY interesting, for me that didn’t occur until I hit well pass the half way point. When that happens, when it takes the better half of the story to finally hook me in, it makes everything tedious and difficult to empathize with the MC. And that was my problem. I just hit a point where I didn’t care about Elijah anymore. However, once things picked up, they really got good. Whoa! Now that was quite the ending. It was great to experience the characters from the previous story and I loved finding out what was going on with Silver and Ti. Inserted into the ending you can tell there will be more to the story about wolves and shifters to the point you can almost see where it may be headed. Book one in The Legend of All Wolves Series lured me in. Book two has semi-pushed me away. Since I see the potential of what is coming up next, for now I will tentatively say I will read the next.
Stars: 2 1/2
August 7, 2018
Damnit, I wanted to like this more than I did. At heart, I don’t understand why the heroine falls for the hero aside from his looks.
She is a loner, living by choice a life very separate from others. Despite having had at least two separate year-long relationships with past lovers who repeatedly visited her tiny cabin in the woods, she only has one spoon and one cup. That’s commitment to solitude.
Yet, the hero shows up and suddenly she’s all nurturing goddess focused on him, willing to visit the city, and you bet there’s a second spoon and cup in the offing.
We hear a lot about his upmarket clothes (this is menswear porn), how good he is at being a lawyer, and schmoozing humans using his alpha skills. But none of this is stuff that she would ever care about. Aside from a grovel that’s basically him making friends with a hugely likable uncle of hers, and him ignoring an appointment with her for eight hours while fighting legislation to harm wolves, we don’t see another reason why she should fall.
Also, I was put off by the venomous way the author describes every single other human woman in the book. Even bad men are not described as meanly as women in the city. The hero is disgusted with them. They are shallow, faithless, lazy, users. They only care about spending men’s money.
As their polar opposite, the heroine is a bad case of “not like the other girls” which many feminists have pointed out is a sexist problem in the YA world as well.
The way the hero treats his other human lovers is disturbing as well. He spends $250 to go to a private bar where he picks up women who are there for the free drinks and sex. After they lie sleeping, he then gifts them an expensive silk robe. Turning what was mutual gratification into something far sleazier - they didn’t ask for anything aside from orgasms so why is he essentially paying for their time? Also, why not just hire an actual sex worker and be honest about it?
It’s worth noting that although the female pack members have a certain equality and can be alphas, we don’t see any women at the hero’s firm who are leaders. Human women only get to be underlings.
Lastly, I don’t understand why - aside from plot purposes - the hero can’t use his words and tell his alpha how miserable he is living in the city. The pack has more than 100 members living outside in the human world. And it’s been the case for generations. So, how would they not be aware of the problems their members typically have living in the city? How would they not have set up some routine way to allow folks to better rotate in and out?
It’s a plot hole and annoying.
So, I like this author and her PNR feels like it could go places. However, I’m disturbed by the underlying mysoginy, and I feel like her heroes have really low bars to pass to be able to get awesome females to fall in love with them.
She is a loner, living by choice a life very separate from others. Despite having had at least two separate year-long relationships with past lovers who repeatedly visited her tiny cabin in the woods, she only has one spoon and one cup. That’s commitment to solitude.
Yet, the hero shows up and suddenly she’s all nurturing goddess focused on him, willing to visit the city, and you bet there’s a second spoon and cup in the offing.
We hear a lot about his upmarket clothes (this is menswear porn), how good he is at being a lawyer, and schmoozing humans using his alpha skills. But none of this is stuff that she would ever care about. Aside from a grovel that’s basically him making friends with a hugely likable uncle of hers, and him ignoring an appointment with her for eight hours while fighting legislation to harm wolves, we don’t see another reason why she should fall.
Also, I was put off by the venomous way the author describes every single other human woman in the book. Even bad men are not described as meanly as women in the city. The hero is disgusted with them. They are shallow, faithless, lazy, users. They only care about spending men’s money.
As their polar opposite, the heroine is a bad case of “not like the other girls” which many feminists have pointed out is a sexist problem in the YA world as well.
The way the hero treats his other human lovers is disturbing as well. He spends $250 to go to a private bar where he picks up women who are there for the free drinks and sex. After they lie sleeping, he then gifts them an expensive silk robe. Turning what was mutual gratification into something far sleazier - they didn’t ask for anything aside from orgasms so why is he essentially paying for their time? Also, why not just hire an actual sex worker and be honest about it?
It’s worth noting that although the female pack members have a certain equality and can be alphas, we don’t see any women at the hero’s firm who are leaders. Human women only get to be underlings.
Lastly, I don’t understand why - aside from plot purposes - the hero can’t use his words and tell his alpha how miserable he is living in the city. The pack has more than 100 members living outside in the human world. And it’s been the case for generations. So, how would they not be aware of the problems their members typically have living in the city? How would they not have set up some routine way to allow folks to better rotate in and out?
It’s a plot hole and annoying.
So, I like this author and her PNR feels like it could go places. However, I’m disturbed by the underlying mysoginy, and I feel like her heroes have really low bars to pass to be able to get awesome females to fall in love with them.
August 13, 2018
A Wolf Apart by Maria Vale is the second story in the author’s paranormal romance series The Legend of All Wolves. It takes place shortly after the end of The Last Wolf. The general plot information from book one is revealed in book two so if you prefer to read series in order you’ll definitely want to read book one first to avoid spoilers. I’m not a stickler for reading order so though I hadn’t read The Last Wolf I found A Wolf Apart worked well as a standalone. It’s a fascinating and unique romance about an alpha male who finds a woman who can handle his true self.
In this series there are three types of wolves that roam the earth. There are forever wolves who always exist in wolf form, shifter wolves who can change from wolf to human form at will, and werewolves who can exist in human or wolf form but have no choice but to change into wolf form for 3 days every month around the Iron (full) moon.
Elijah Sorensson is a werewolf, alpha of the 9th Echelon of the Great North Pack. The pack has recently suffered a great loss in a fight with shifters and humans that cost them their main gathering place, the Great Hall. It’s being rebuilt, but it’s a slow process and compounding that is their Pack’s difficulty in successfully birthing live pups. For twenty three years Elijah has been Offland, away from his home, and working as a lawyer with a Pack run firm. Being in skin for so long with the exception of the three days when he must become his wolf form wears on any man, and Elijah is feeling a longing to be home. Seduction comes easy for him, but he is increasingly dissatisfied with easy sex from willing women who don’t understand who he really is.
Elijah ends up taking a case for a woman, Thea Villalobos, who is an environmental conservation officer. She’s being sued for springing body traps left on the ground by her neighbour, traps set for wolves. She’s been caught on video trespassing on his land, but not actually setting off the traps. Elijah is drawn to Thea in a way he has never experienced and not just because she is protecting forever wolves. She’s not taken in by his charm or easy lines, a strong self sufficient woman who lives in a remote cabin eschewing most of society’s comforts. Helping her with her case is the first step to a relationship. But revealing his true self to her, a human, is forbidden, and the Pack’s rules say if she discovers it she must be killed. Is there any way for them to get a happy ending?
For more of this review please visit Harlequin Junkie: http://harlequinjunkie.com/review-a-w...
A copy of this story was provided by the publisher via NetGalley for review.
In this series there are three types of wolves that roam the earth. There are forever wolves who always exist in wolf form, shifter wolves who can change from wolf to human form at will, and werewolves who can exist in human or wolf form but have no choice but to change into wolf form for 3 days every month around the Iron (full) moon.
Elijah Sorensson is a werewolf, alpha of the 9th Echelon of the Great North Pack. The pack has recently suffered a great loss in a fight with shifters and humans that cost them their main gathering place, the Great Hall. It’s being rebuilt, but it’s a slow process and compounding that is their Pack’s difficulty in successfully birthing live pups. For twenty three years Elijah has been Offland, away from his home, and working as a lawyer with a Pack run firm. Being in skin for so long with the exception of the three days when he must become his wolf form wears on any man, and Elijah is feeling a longing to be home. Seduction comes easy for him, but he is increasingly dissatisfied with easy sex from willing women who don’t understand who he really is.
Elijah ends up taking a case for a woman, Thea Villalobos, who is an environmental conservation officer. She’s being sued for springing body traps left on the ground by her neighbour, traps set for wolves. She’s been caught on video trespassing on his land, but not actually setting off the traps. Elijah is drawn to Thea in a way he has never experienced and not just because she is protecting forever wolves. She’s not taken in by his charm or easy lines, a strong self sufficient woman who lives in a remote cabin eschewing most of society’s comforts. Helping her with her case is the first step to a relationship. But revealing his true self to her, a human, is forbidden, and the Pack’s rules say if she discovers it she must be killed. Is there any way for them to get a happy ending?
For more of this review please visit Harlequin Junkie: http://harlequinjunkie.com/review-a-w...
A copy of this story was provided by the publisher via NetGalley for review.
June 15, 2018
This is not your typical wolf/ human story. It drags in places and was hard to get interested in it at the beginning. As it went along it got better and the story was full of intrigue, danger and love. Elijah and Thea had a lot of obstacles placed in front of them but manage to overcome all of them. It is a good read but not for everyone.
August 21, 2020
3.5
By the end, I liked this book. But I despaired in the beginning. I can honestly say I flat out disliked the first third. In the beginning, before Elijah found Thea, the book is just so god awful full of derision of women I didn't even want to continue. I understood that the author wanted to show Elijah's contempt for humans and that since he tried to fill the emptiness in his soul with sex it was women he mostly engaged with. So, it's not really misogyny on his part. But I wouldn't swear it isn't on the author's part. Why do authors keep writing women like this? The unrelentingness of it grates. There is no variety or humanity in any of the women Elijah encounters. They're all silicone-filled, money-hungry, informal prostitutes. Maybe not getting paid but still having sex in exchange for gifts or power. Every damn one.
Eventually, that petered out (thank god) and I liked Elijah and Thea. I even liked them together. However, I couldn't tell you what their relationship was built on. Elijah just kind of decides she's the one, out of nowhere, and they run with it. I liked it, but I can't think too deeply about it or it crumbles. I still want to continue with the series and can't wait to get my hands on books 3 and 4.
By the end, I liked this book. But I despaired in the beginning. I can honestly say I flat out disliked the first third. In the beginning, before Elijah found Thea, the book is just so god awful full of derision of women I didn't even want to continue. I understood that the author wanted to show Elijah's contempt for humans and that since he tried to fill the emptiness in his soul with sex it was women he mostly engaged with. So, it's not really misogyny on his part. But I wouldn't swear it isn't on the author's part. Why do authors keep writing women like this? The unrelentingness of it grates. There is no variety or humanity in any of the women Elijah encounters. They're all silicone-filled, money-hungry, informal prostitutes. Maybe not getting paid but still having sex in exchange for gifts or power. Every damn one.
Eventually, that petered out (thank god) and I liked Elijah and Thea. I even liked them together. However, I couldn't tell you what their relationship was built on. Elijah just kind of decides she's the one, out of nowhere, and they run with it. I liked it, but I can't think too deeply about it or it crumbles. I still want to continue with the series and can't wait to get my hands on books 3 and 4.
July 18, 2020
This sequel. THIS SEQUEL. *heart eyes forever*
It picks up with Pack lawyer Elijah Sorensson, who has been Offland for so long that he’s almost forgotten what it means to be a true wolf. Only returning home for the Iron Moon his sense of self is utterly corroded, until all that’s left is the facsimile of a greedy corporate sleazy lawyer. Nothing but exquisite suits and tired one liners. Then he meets Thea Villalobos, a woman who compromises nothing for her independence and peace, and who sees right through him in a moment. He falls deep and hard. There’s just one problem: she’s human.
I loved this book with the fire of a thousand suns. Elijah is my favourite kind of hero: a buttoned up smouldering mess who will fight to the death for what he loves. Thea is a perfect antidote to him, with her cool, calm, grounded energy. And we get to see Ti and Silver in their new life together. And return to the Pack.
I’ll be coming back to this one often I think. Onwards now to book 3.
It picks up with Pack lawyer Elijah Sorensson, who has been Offland for so long that he’s almost forgotten what it means to be a true wolf. Only returning home for the Iron Moon his sense of self is utterly corroded, until all that’s left is the facsimile of a greedy corporate sleazy lawyer. Nothing but exquisite suits and tired one liners. Then he meets Thea Villalobos, a woman who compromises nothing for her independence and peace, and who sees right through him in a moment. He falls deep and hard. There’s just one problem: she’s human.
I loved this book with the fire of a thousand suns. Elijah is my favourite kind of hero: a buttoned up smouldering mess who will fight to the death for what he loves. Thea is a perfect antidote to him, with her cool, calm, grounded energy. And we get to see Ti and Silver in their new life together. And return to the Pack.
I’ll be coming back to this one often I think. Onwards now to book 3.
April 8, 2019
Oh Wow! It's like nothing I've read before, truly awesome. The H is losing himself, as a wolf and as a man his decisions are poor until he meets a human woman - so he knows he can't take her to the pack or mate her, or have children. This book continues on from book 1, so it's bitter sweet, with death, angst and the struggle to give birth. The h is not verbose, but the writing is so good her actions say so much about who she is, and what's important to her. This is all told from the Hs view and it is fantastic.
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