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Feral #2
Devil's Row
They hunted her to the furthest corner of the world and did everything they could to kill her. But she survived.
Elisabeth lost everything that night. Everything except her life. A life she’s using to hunt the mercenaries who want her dead. There’s only one problem: the wolf inside her has gone quiet, leaving this she-wolf to rely solely on her wits and killer instinct to survive. Standing in the way of her bloody vengeance is a war-torn 18th century countryside ravaged by a vampiric plague and home to a host of unspeakable horrors stalking the night.
When you fight evil with evil, there can only be one outcome...
A shifter’s lust for revenge puts her on a collision course with a band of witchfinders in this novel from acclaimed author Matt Serafini. Devil’s Row combines occult horror and dark fantasy and places it all in the universe first explored in Feral.
Elisabeth lost everything that night. Everything except her life. A life she’s using to hunt the mercenaries who want her dead. There’s only one problem: the wolf inside her has gone quiet, leaving this she-wolf to rely solely on her wits and killer instinct to survive. Standing in the way of her bloody vengeance is a war-torn 18th century countryside ravaged by a vampiric plague and home to a host of unspeakable horrors stalking the night.
When you fight evil with evil, there can only be one outcome...
A shifter’s lust for revenge puts her on a collision course with a band of witchfinders in this novel from acclaimed author Matt Serafini. Devil’s Row combines occult horror and dark fantasy and places it all in the universe first explored in Feral.
- GenresHorror
268 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 18, 2015
69 people are currently reading
98 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
June 28, 2019
Thanks to Matt for the audible review copy. I dug Feral so was chomping at the bit to sink my teeth into this one. (Sorry, I couldn’t help myself...)
*While the audiobook was given to me for free at my request, I am voluntarily leaving this honest review. BAM! Disclaimer nailed!
Unfortunately, this one really didn’t work for me. I don’t recall in the first Feral and I like werewolf stories generally, but pretty much hate werewolf stories that have in them. For whatever reason when those two elements combine it drives me nuts. Too bad too, because I was really looking forward to this one. Oh well, can’t win them all. F’n
This is probably better than I give it credit for but I just couldn’t get into it and it’s pretty much my fault for not reading the synopsis (which I hardly ever read). Maybe, my spoilers aren’t spoilers after all…
On the plus side, the narration was very good and kept me engaged when otherwise I may have thrown in the towel sooner due to the introduction of the .
*While the audiobook was given to me for free at my request, I am voluntarily leaving this honest review. BAM! Disclaimer nailed!
Unfortunately, this one really didn’t work for me. I don’t recall in the first Feral and I like werewolf stories generally, but pretty much hate werewolf stories that have in them. For whatever reason when those two elements combine it drives me nuts. Too bad too, because I was really looking forward to this one. Oh well, can’t win them all. F’n
This is probably better than I give it credit for but I just couldn’t get into it and it’s pretty much my fault for not reading the synopsis (which I hardly ever read). Maybe, my spoilers aren’t spoilers after all…
On the plus side, the narration was very good and kept me engaged when otherwise I may have thrown in the towel sooner due to the introduction of the .
November 13, 2015
Let's start with a confession. I have not read Feral by Matt Serafini. It's been on my radar for quite some time, but never quite managed to make top of my TBR pile.
So when the author asked if I'd like to read his latest release, I thought it would be a golden opportunity to determine whether he wrote my kind of horror.
The short answer is: He does. Even if I was not armed with the knowledge existing fans of Serafini would be, since Devil's Row is a prequel to Feral. And though this may have taken something away from my reading of the former, it did not change the fact that I enjoyed it a great deal.
Set in the early 19th century, the book follows Serafini's version of a werewolf as she seeks to take revenge on a group of hunters after a frenzied battle atop a cliff sees her left for dead. The hunters form the other main POV of the book as they scramble to escape with an unstoppable force of vengeance hot on their trail. Each of these characters is filled in as the chase unfolds, with the hunters running into other creatures typically at home within the bowels of the earth, hiding from the blaze of the sun. These early chapters also lay out Serafini's world and the contempt his varcolacs (werewolves) have for the parasites (vampires). There are also other nasty things, secret orders, and amid it all, a bevy of blood and gore.
Perhaps the strongest elements of Devil's Row are Serafini's writing and the unexpected turns his narrative takes. In terms of the former, Serafini's prose is rich and thought-provoking, without being too wordy or dense. He also has no issue with describing the damage wrought to his characters in full detail, with sentences like "His innards rushed to escape the vertical splits (in his armour) and they plopped across the stairs". With regard to the latter, I was most impressed by some of the plot developments, with Serafini displaying a sure hand in holding back most of them for the last third or so of the novel. To say I was genuinely surprised on more than one occasion - something that happens all too rarely given the amount of horror I read - is intended as high praise.
Of course, there are some elements that did not work quite as well for me. After an intense battle scene - which is almost too much too early as I knew nothing of any of the players and therefore failed to really care - the book settles into a fairly languid pace for it's next 70 or so pages. Some tighter editing here, in my opinion, would have serviced the book well. And the scenes I would have most happily cut would have been the squabbling between the leader of the hunters and one of his paid employees. One or two of these scenes more than adequately illustrated their dynamic. But by the fourth or fifth, it became largely redundant.
Still, there is much to enjoy about Devil's Row and I have no hesitation in recommending it to fans of historically based horror or werewolf tales more generally, as it is a savage and blood-drenched read, which, after some early lulls in pacing, proves both surprising and satisfying.
3.5 Monsters Around Every Corner for Devil's Row.
The preceding was based on an electronic copy of the book provided by the author in exchange for an honest review, which you have now read.
So when the author asked if I'd like to read his latest release, I thought it would be a golden opportunity to determine whether he wrote my kind of horror.
The short answer is: He does. Even if I was not armed with the knowledge existing fans of Serafini would be, since Devil's Row is a prequel to Feral. And though this may have taken something away from my reading of the former, it did not change the fact that I enjoyed it a great deal.
Set in the early 19th century, the book follows Serafini's version of a werewolf as she seeks to take revenge on a group of hunters after a frenzied battle atop a cliff sees her left for dead. The hunters form the other main POV of the book as they scramble to escape with an unstoppable force of vengeance hot on their trail. Each of these characters is filled in as the chase unfolds, with the hunters running into other creatures typically at home within the bowels of the earth, hiding from the blaze of the sun. These early chapters also lay out Serafini's world and the contempt his varcolacs (werewolves) have for the parasites (vampires). There are also other nasty things, secret orders, and amid it all, a bevy of blood and gore.
Perhaps the strongest elements of Devil's Row are Serafini's writing and the unexpected turns his narrative takes. In terms of the former, Serafini's prose is rich and thought-provoking, without being too wordy or dense. He also has no issue with describing the damage wrought to his characters in full detail, with sentences like "His innards rushed to escape the vertical splits (in his armour) and they plopped across the stairs". With regard to the latter, I was most impressed by some of the plot developments, with Serafini displaying a sure hand in holding back most of them for the last third or so of the novel. To say I was genuinely surprised on more than one occasion - something that happens all too rarely given the amount of horror I read - is intended as high praise.
Of course, there are some elements that did not work quite as well for me. After an intense battle scene - which is almost too much too early as I knew nothing of any of the players and therefore failed to really care - the book settles into a fairly languid pace for it's next 70 or so pages. Some tighter editing here, in my opinion, would have serviced the book well. And the scenes I would have most happily cut would have been the squabbling between the leader of the hunters and one of his paid employees. One or two of these scenes more than adequately illustrated their dynamic. But by the fourth or fifth, it became largely redundant.
Still, there is much to enjoy about Devil's Row and I have no hesitation in recommending it to fans of historically based horror or werewolf tales more generally, as it is a savage and blood-drenched read, which, after some early lulls in pacing, proves both surprising and satisfying.
3.5 Monsters Around Every Corner for Devil's Row.
The preceding was based on an electronic copy of the book provided by the author in exchange for an honest review, which you have now read.
February 8, 2018
Devil's Row: A Novel of Werewolf Revenge is a solid enough work of fantasy horror, but one that I struggled to form a deep connection with.
Acting as a prequel to Feral, Matt Serafini takes readers way back to 1700s Constanta and the shores of the Black Sea. In the book's opening moments, a group of Vatican-sanctioned hunters slaughter a pack of werewolves and gravely wound Elizabeth. Presuming her dead, they attempt to make their way back to Constanta. Elizabeth, though, is far from dead, even if the werewolf inside her has been cowed by the injuries inflicted upon her. With her pack dead and her lover slaughtered, Elizabeth follows the hunters' scents, tracking them through the forests and hellbent on revenge.
Serafini certainly doesn't shy away from the violence, and Devil's Row is quite an action-packed affair as the various characters sift through one bloody encounter to the next. I never felt entirely connected to the characters, and there wasn't a lot of room for development in any of the cast between the harshness of the world they inhabit. Despite the plentiful number of encounters between the hunters and their various supernatural foes, the pacing of Devil's Row is rather deliberate, rather than full-on frenetic. I would have preferred a more pacey read, but the slower nature is fitting given the fantasy elements and period setting, which often demand a more leisurely turn of the pages.
Although I enjoyed Devil's Row well enough, it wasn't exactly the perfect match to my tastes I had been hoping for. That said, I'm certainly intrigued enough by the world Serafini has crafted here, and enjoyed his writing quite a bit, that I'll definitely give Feral a read. This particular book makes for a fine starting point to Serafini's werewolf series, but I suspect the modern day setting of Feral will be more suited to my sensibilities.
Acting as a prequel to Feral, Matt Serafini takes readers way back to 1700s Constanta and the shores of the Black Sea. In the book's opening moments, a group of Vatican-sanctioned hunters slaughter a pack of werewolves and gravely wound Elizabeth. Presuming her dead, they attempt to make their way back to Constanta. Elizabeth, though, is far from dead, even if the werewolf inside her has been cowed by the injuries inflicted upon her. With her pack dead and her lover slaughtered, Elizabeth follows the hunters' scents, tracking them through the forests and hellbent on revenge.
Serafini certainly doesn't shy away from the violence, and Devil's Row is quite an action-packed affair as the various characters sift through one bloody encounter to the next. I never felt entirely connected to the characters, and there wasn't a lot of room for development in any of the cast between the harshness of the world they inhabit. Despite the plentiful number of encounters between the hunters and their various supernatural foes, the pacing of Devil's Row is rather deliberate, rather than full-on frenetic. I would have preferred a more pacey read, but the slower nature is fitting given the fantasy elements and period setting, which often demand a more leisurely turn of the pages.
Although I enjoyed Devil's Row well enough, it wasn't exactly the perfect match to my tastes I had been hoping for. That said, I'm certainly intrigued enough by the world Serafini has crafted here, and enjoyed his writing quite a bit, that I'll definitely give Feral a read. This particular book makes for a fine starting point to Serafini's werewolf series, but I suspect the modern day setting of Feral will be more suited to my sensibilities.
December 15, 2019
3.5 rounded to 4 for Goodreads. Full review soon. I listened to this as an audio book. While I did not get along with the narrator, Serafini’s writing insured a decent story line.
November 20, 2015
REVIEW: DEVIL'S ROW by Matt Serafini
Some readers will enjoy DEVIL'S ROW as a prequel to FERAL. Others will acclaim it as excellent, breath-taking historical werewolf fantasy. Me? For me, it's the lyricism and the imagery: Mr. Serafini 's prose flows like poetry. I never thought a battlefield could be made to seem poetic, but I found that here. I know the phrase "not your ordinary werewolf story" is trite; but if it doesn't apply here, it applies nowhere. THIS is literary Werewolf prose-poetry.
Some readers will enjoy DEVIL'S ROW as a prequel to FERAL. Others will acclaim it as excellent, breath-taking historical werewolf fantasy. Me? For me, it's the lyricism and the imagery: Mr. Serafini 's prose flows like poetry. I never thought a battlefield could be made to seem poetic, but I found that here. I know the phrase "not your ordinary werewolf story" is trite; but if it doesn't apply here, it applies nowhere. THIS is literary Werewolf prose-poetry.
August 29, 2016
I first heard of this book when Matt Serafini contacted me and asked if I'd be willing to read it and give a fair review. He sent me a file that could be read with an e-reader. long story short, I have a hard time reading ebooks and my eReader app crashed but I liked what I was reading so much I just ordered a copy so I could finish it.
This is so elegantly and romantically written and it definitely makes the list of one of my favorite werewolf stories. I'm a sucker for lycans. The description of the transformations is both fascinating and disturbing. The damage that Elisabeth, the huntress, can take and keep on fighting I'd nothing short of the powerful image expected of werewolves. Her deep ability to love and feel fierce loyalty to her kind rings true to the human and the beast which both reside in her. I'm glad Matt reached out to me to read this book and I'm happy to have added it to my collection!
This is so elegantly and romantically written and it definitely makes the list of one of my favorite werewolf stories. I'm a sucker for lycans. The description of the transformations is both fascinating and disturbing. The damage that Elisabeth, the huntress, can take and keep on fighting I'd nothing short of the powerful image expected of werewolves. Her deep ability to love and feel fierce loyalty to her kind rings true to the human and the beast which both reside in her. I'm glad Matt reached out to me to read this book and I'm happy to have added it to my collection!
March 30, 2016
This could have so easily been a run-of-the-mill horror novel. It's got vampires and werewolves and witch hunters, things that often make my eyes roll. But not so with DEVIL'S ROW. You've got interesting characters aplenty here with some genuinely shocking deaths. One in particular caught me so off guard, I thought I'd read it wrong. Even if you're sick to death of the aforementioned tropes, give this one a try. With strong writing chops and a great sense of narrative flow, you can't go wrong with Serafini's newest novel.
January 16, 2020
A blood and guts soaked twisted tale of revenge, set among the beautifully descriptive backdrop of 18th Century Constanta.
This was unlike any werewolf story I have read previously, and for that I was pumped. It sucker punched me straight in the guts with the gore, being pretty violent and intense on the action from the very beginning, and continuing on that journey throughout. Serafini weaves the violence bewitchingly into the landscape, creating such vivid imagery to make you feel as if you are nowhere else but there, getting blood splatter and the occasional piece of intestine all over your fresh and clean clothes.
Some scenes for me felt way more memorable than others, in particular a scene that involved a witch which was my ABSOLUTE favourite part of the whole book, the most notable thing about the book, and probably the one thing I will forever remember about this book. So, so good and gross and delightfully ick. Just what the doctor ordered. I was horrendously repulsed and here for it all with a big grin (or maybe a grimace) on my face.
Characters remain a bit of a blur however, I didn’t really have any favourites or feel like I was necessarily rooting for anyone, maybe I was to swept up or preoccupied with the action that it distracted me from what I normally focus upon when listening to audiobooks, and the main reason that I didn’t give this more stars. I don't really remember any of the characters names barring Elizabeth. Although if anything, I found her the most relatable and couldn’t help feeling a little sorry for her.
A brief pause for cover appreciation, I love that grizzly paw on the front cover!
I haven't read Feral, but it's one hundred percent being added to my TBR, alongside other works by Serafini!
3 full moons from me!
Disclaimer: I was given a free copy audiobook at my request and will voluntarily leave this review
https://www.scifiandscary.com/devils-...
This was unlike any werewolf story I have read previously, and for that I was pumped. It sucker punched me straight in the guts with the gore, being pretty violent and intense on the action from the very beginning, and continuing on that journey throughout. Serafini weaves the violence bewitchingly into the landscape, creating such vivid imagery to make you feel as if you are nowhere else but there, getting blood splatter and the occasional piece of intestine all over your fresh and clean clothes.
Some scenes for me felt way more memorable than others, in particular a scene that involved a witch which was my ABSOLUTE favourite part of the whole book, the most notable thing about the book, and probably the one thing I will forever remember about this book. So, so good and gross and delightfully ick. Just what the doctor ordered. I was horrendously repulsed and here for it all with a big grin (or maybe a grimace) on my face.
Characters remain a bit of a blur however, I didn’t really have any favourites or feel like I was necessarily rooting for anyone, maybe I was to swept up or preoccupied with the action that it distracted me from what I normally focus upon when listening to audiobooks, and the main reason that I didn’t give this more stars. I don't really remember any of the characters names barring Elizabeth. Although if anything, I found her the most relatable and couldn’t help feeling a little sorry for her.
A brief pause for cover appreciation, I love that grizzly paw on the front cover!
I haven't read Feral, but it's one hundred percent being added to my TBR, alongside other works by Serafini!
3 full moons from me!
Disclaimer: I was given a free copy audiobook at my request and will voluntarily leave this review
https://www.scifiandscary.com/devils-...
October 24, 2015
**Note: I received a free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This is not reflected in my review in any way.
Immortal werewolf Elisabeth Luna escapes from a band of monster hunters, but loses her lover during the fight. She swears revenge on the hunters and initiates a game of cat and mouse that extends across Eastern Europe, through mountainous terrain and vampire-infested villages, to a city at the edge of the Black Sea, which is about to become the stage for a supernatural drama of death and revenge.
There is a lot to like about Devil's Row. Matt Serafini is a skilled writer whose prose is evocative and detailed, if a bit purple. I really loved his use of location and atmosphere, and I'm a sucker for crypts and catacombs, so bonus points there.
The book does get off to a shaky start, with an opening sequence filled with chunks of backstory that slowed down the main action for me. There are also several flashback scenes for Elisabeth that, while well-written, go on way too long. Luckily, these faults fall away quickly, and the narrative comes alive as we follow the trio of monster hunters through one ordeal after another. The group dynamic among these dissimilar men was my favorite aspect of the book, and Sebastian and Timothy were my favorite characters.
There are a couple of sudden plot turns, which I won't reveal here, but which I thought were handled well and added depth to the story. I also liked how the roles of predator and prey are reversed multiple times, keeping things fresh throughout.
3.5 stars, recommended for fans of dark fantasy and historical horror.
Immortal werewolf Elisabeth Luna escapes from a band of monster hunters, but loses her lover during the fight. She swears revenge on the hunters and initiates a game of cat and mouse that extends across Eastern Europe, through mountainous terrain and vampire-infested villages, to a city at the edge of the Black Sea, which is about to become the stage for a supernatural drama of death and revenge.
There is a lot to like about Devil's Row. Matt Serafini is a skilled writer whose prose is evocative and detailed, if a bit purple. I really loved his use of location and atmosphere, and I'm a sucker for crypts and catacombs, so bonus points there.
The book does get off to a shaky start, with an opening sequence filled with chunks of backstory that slowed down the main action for me. There are also several flashback scenes for Elisabeth that, while well-written, go on way too long. Luckily, these faults fall away quickly, and the narrative comes alive as we follow the trio of monster hunters through one ordeal after another. The group dynamic among these dissimilar men was my favorite aspect of the book, and Sebastian and Timothy were my favorite characters.
There are a couple of sudden plot turns, which I won't reveal here, but which I thought were handled well and added depth to the story. I also liked how the roles of predator and prey are reversed multiple times, keeping things fresh throughout.
3.5 stars, recommended for fans of dark fantasy and historical horror.
January 2, 2024
Closing out 2023 with DEVIL'S ROW by Matt Serafini. It's a prequel to FERAL, but it's been a handful of years since I read that one and definitely do not remember every detail. That being said this book reads easily as a standalone, too. But now this has me wanting to revisit Feral! It's historical werewolfy, dark fantasy, occult, revenge fueled, and brutal!
Some of my favorite scenes and lines were how Serafini wrote the physical devastation that was happening at the time to whatever poor victim. But then the rest of the book is written in such a way that it's almost hauntingly beautiful and poignant? It's kind of hard to explain fully, but you really just do not feel like you're reading a werewolf book and the battle scenes are so well-written that you forget all the mayhem that is actually being caused. And the way the wolves transform?! Really cool stuff!!
And I thought I knew where the book was going to go (for the most part), but Serafini pulled an audible on me in the last 25% or so and switched everything all up. It's pretty cool when that happens as a reader.
This book was definitely the way to leave 2023 with a bang!
Some of my favorite scenes and lines were how Serafini wrote the physical devastation that was happening at the time to whatever poor victim. But then the rest of the book is written in such a way that it's almost hauntingly beautiful and poignant? It's kind of hard to explain fully, but you really just do not feel like you're reading a werewolf book and the battle scenes are so well-written that you forget all the mayhem that is actually being caused. And the way the wolves transform?! Really cool stuff!!
And I thought I knew where the book was going to go (for the most part), but Serafini pulled an audible on me in the last 25% or so and switched everything all up. It's pretty cool when that happens as a reader.
This book was definitely the way to leave 2023 with a bang!
July 22, 2019
“Devil’s Row” is a prequel to book one. The tale takes us back to the eighteenth-century and the origins of the werewolf Elizabeth. While the telling of Elizabeth was interesting and perked up the story, the tale of the hunters did not. The eighteenth-century Old English dialogue, discussions of the hunters, and the troubles they experienced left me wanting. In all honesty, I enjoyed the first book more. This volume does explain a lot and fills in the required (?) background but I got lost in the telling. On the other hand, Elizabeth’s revenge for the loss of her alpha lover was quite exciting. I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
July 26, 2019
I had a bit of a love/hate with this book. I enjoyed the story and narration for the most part. I liked the background story for one of the main characters in "Feral". The plot wasn't disjointed in anyway, but at times I found myself not identifying with any particular character and therefore I didn't always have a vested interest in the survival of the individuals. I enjoy the brutal nature of the characters in the book and the imagery of the world around them. Matt Serafini paints a desolate picture of survival very well. All in all I would give this a 3.5/5
I was given this free review copy audio book at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
I was given this free review copy audio book at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
March 2, 2020
Devil’s Row ..a freaking good book
Devil’s Row ..a freaking good book on its own but when set in the same universe as Feral it is superb. As it was written as a prequel it simply works and as a stand alone it would work just as well..all we can hope for is that the author fleshes out more of this world and these lives that we get a chance to look in on..cant wait to find out more of the Order of Osiris , the vampires and of course the huntress..the beautiful and enticing Elisabeth..and now the survivor Timothy has a tale.. bitten by a vampire and a varcolac what will happen to him..
Devil’s Row ..a freaking good book on its own but when set in the same universe as Feral it is superb. As it was written as a prequel it simply works and as a stand alone it would work just as well..all we can hope for is that the author fleshes out more of this world and these lives that we get a chance to look in on..cant wait to find out more of the Order of Osiris , the vampires and of course the huntress..the beautiful and enticing Elisabeth..and now the survivor Timothy has a tale.. bitten by a vampire and a varcolac what will happen to him..
December 9, 2021
When I found out that this was a prequel to Feral I was a little bummed because I was so interested to know what happened to the characters after that ending, but Devils Row pleasantly surprised me. I ended up enjoying it even more than Feral!! Part of why I liked this book more was because it had vampires in the mix, they were a cool new enemy for both the werewolf and the humans alike. If you like werewolf horror with lots of gore then this is one for you. I hope the author does more with this series, would love to explore more of the werewolves from book one.
April 12, 2018
Well written prequel
This book is well written and I give it five stars because of the writing. I was hoping for a sequel to Feral but it was not to be. I realize that Elisabeth is one of the main characters in this series but I struggle to embrace her. Hopefully the fans of this series, myself included, will get to enjoy a true sequel to Feral in the not too distant future...
This book is well written and I give it five stars because of the writing. I was hoping for a sequel to Feral but it was not to be. I realize that Elisabeth is one of the main characters in this series but I struggle to embrace her. Hopefully the fans of this series, myself included, will get to enjoy a true sequel to Feral in the not too distant future...
October 25, 2019
I have read both books and enjoyed them. Devil's Row is a prequel to Feral but like Feral the book ends unfinished. I personally think it would of been better if one story was completed before the other was started. I have five stars because the story was excellent even though unfinished. I am reluctant to read any more books by Matt Serafini if they are all going to be unfinished.
December 21, 2018
A good read worth it for the back story of the Elizabeth character.
Worth reading for the back story of the Elizabeth character, but left me wanting to know what happens with other characters developed in this story.
Worth reading for the back story of the Elizabeth character, but left me wanting to know what happens with other characters developed in this story.
June 27, 2019
Fantastically nasty little werewolf yarn. Loved the setting and the enthusiasm of the narration. Though I need to go back and read the print version. The narration barreled ahead at break neck speed and I found myself lost a few times.
November 2, 2019
Audible:I may have needed to read book 1.I did not care for the book until about 1/3 of the way through.From there on I 'got' it and it was good.Ramona Master was a fine narrator.I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.'
July 18, 2023
Devils Row
I loved these books! They are awesome. Especially Devils Row. Please continue with the series, especially Elizabeth s life. You seem to be gifted in this genre. Please write more.
Thank you for these!
I loved these books! They are awesome. Especially Devils Row. Please continue with the series, especially Elizabeth s life. You seem to be gifted in this genre. Please write more.
Thank you for these!
October 11, 2018
Devil's Row by Matt Serafini, was a ok read. Didn't interest me much, neither did Feral. Way over done with the sexual scenes, also seemed all over the place.
October 22, 2021
Great storyline, very enjoyable!
Loved it. All the main character storylines seemed so true to life.would make a great period piece horror flick in my opinion!
Loved it. All the main character storylines seemed so true to life.would make a great period piece horror flick in my opinion!
November 20, 2015
I haven't read "Feral" but I read that this book is meant to serve as a prequel and the events in this book are set 300 years before those of "Feral" so readers should go into the book expecting that. If you read "Feral" then I'm not sure if I can comment as to whether you would enjoy this volume, but I imagine fans who are invested in the characters would like to see them in their prior incarnations.
Chapter 1 starts with a seventeen year-old, Claude, and he's a soldier. He's dying on the battlefield and he talks about how his home life was that of a forced labourer, lamenting a life cut short too soon when a werewolf comes by and let's just say this wolf doesn't sparkle at him or regale him with conversation. We don't see him again for a while, but he serves a good purpose.
We then switch to the viewpoint of Elisabeth, a female werewolf who becomes very badly wounded and sees her lover killed. She spends the rest of the book fighting for her own life and hunting those that did this to her and her lover.
We also have vampires represented mainly by Cordin (my apologies if I misspelled that) and although his point of view was less interesting to me, he did have a fair amount of interactions with werewolves, which made his parts more interesting.
On the human side, we have hunters. Sebastian is one of them. He's part of a garrison that hunts supernatural creatures led by Garrick. I found his point of view to be a tie with Elisabeth's for most captivating throughout the book.
Overall, I tend to prefer supernatural books that focus on one or two supernatural creatures at most so it was a bit challenging for me to follow along with the werewolves (who I was most interested in), plus vampires, plus witches/demon types, and then the human hunter element. Each of them is steeped in a deep history that runs quite extensively throughout the book.
From a violence standpoint, there is that in spades, so readers looking for gore won't be disappointed. There's also a fair bit of graphic sex, although it serves its purpose well and doesn't detract from the plot.
One of the strengths of this book is in its characterization. The author did a wonderful job making the reader understanding the points of view of the central characters and their beliefs from Elisabeth to Garrick and Sebastian.
Readers who tend to like their horror mixed in with a historical feel will really dig "Devil's Row." For those who love werewolves but not necessarily the historical feel, this book may not sate their hunger, so really it is a matter of personal taste, but personally I love historical novels (depending on the era) and I love werewolves, so while it wasn't a complete match made in heaven for me, it was a very enjoyable read that had a lot of interesting dimensions to it that your standard werewolf book doesn't. If you're a werewolf fan looking for a different kind of read, definitely pick up "Devil's Row" or if you're someone who likes the combination of historical horror, I think you'll be into it, too.
Chapter 1 starts with a seventeen year-old, Claude, and he's a soldier. He's dying on the battlefield and he talks about how his home life was that of a forced labourer, lamenting a life cut short too soon when a werewolf comes by and let's just say this wolf doesn't sparkle at him or regale him with conversation. We don't see him again for a while, but he serves a good purpose.
We then switch to the viewpoint of Elisabeth, a female werewolf who becomes very badly wounded and sees her lover killed. She spends the rest of the book fighting for her own life and hunting those that did this to her and her lover.
We also have vampires represented mainly by Cordin (my apologies if I misspelled that) and although his point of view was less interesting to me, he did have a fair amount of interactions with werewolves, which made his parts more interesting.
On the human side, we have hunters. Sebastian is one of them. He's part of a garrison that hunts supernatural creatures led by Garrick. I found his point of view to be a tie with Elisabeth's for most captivating throughout the book.
Overall, I tend to prefer supernatural books that focus on one or two supernatural creatures at most so it was a bit challenging for me to follow along with the werewolves (who I was most interested in), plus vampires, plus witches/demon types, and then the human hunter element. Each of them is steeped in a deep history that runs quite extensively throughout the book.
From a violence standpoint, there is that in spades, so readers looking for gore won't be disappointed. There's also a fair bit of graphic sex, although it serves its purpose well and doesn't detract from the plot.
One of the strengths of this book is in its characterization. The author did a wonderful job making the reader understanding the points of view of the central characters and their beliefs from Elisabeth to Garrick and Sebastian.
Readers who tend to like their horror mixed in with a historical feel will really dig "Devil's Row." For those who love werewolves but not necessarily the historical feel, this book may not sate their hunger, so really it is a matter of personal taste, but personally I love historical novels (depending on the era) and I love werewolves, so while it wasn't a complete match made in heaven for me, it was a very enjoyable read that had a lot of interesting dimensions to it that your standard werewolf book doesn't. If you're a werewolf fan looking for a different kind of read, definitely pick up "Devil's Row" or if you're someone who likes the combination of historical horror, I think you'll be into it, too.
November 14, 2015
Elisabeth Luna is a werewolf in ancient Roman times. She lives in a world where she coexists with humans and vampires as well. When her 'pack' is attacked by a band of mercenaries bent on killing all supernatural creatures she barely escapes with her life. Her mate, Aetius is killed in the attack sending Elisabeth on a long quest to avenge his death.
I truly enjoyed this book and found it hard to put down. The characters are well developed, the book is well edited and there is lots of action. I found the detailed descriptions of the vampires, werewolves, and battles to be excellent. There were a couple of minor scenes where I had a little trouble envisioning things unfolding the way they did but I still would highly recommend this book and will read others by this author.
I truly enjoyed this book and found it hard to put down. The characters are well developed, the book is well edited and there is lots of action. I found the detailed descriptions of the vampires, werewolves, and battles to be excellent. There were a couple of minor scenes where I had a little trouble envisioning things unfolding the way they did but I still would highly recommend this book and will read others by this author.
April 16, 2016
I have always enjoyed well written horror novels that are not just "slasher" books but also have substance to them. I really wasn't sure what to expect when I asked for and received a copy of this book to review. I am very glad I did as I really did enjoy it and am looking forward to reading more novels by this author. Thief takers join forces with a soldier to search for a notorious she-wolf named Elizabeth Luna. They become the hunters and also the hunted as they face evil beyond their imagination. There are so many areas of this novel to enjoy. The vivid description of scenery and atmosphere are very well done, and it was intriguing to see the world from the point of view of a she-wolf for once. I received a copy of this novel for free in exchange for an honest review.
July 20, 2016
The prequel to Serafini's first novel "Feral". Where "Feral" was a more fun, b-movie style werewolf story, this is a much much darker and more serious tale. Still filled with plenty of carnage and werewolf mayhem, there is just a much more character driven story along with the chaos. I really enjoyed "Feral" but I think this one kind of blew it away!
Read
December 21, 2015Did not finish.
March 29, 2018
Devil's Row is a prequel to Feral, a werewolf horror story I read a few weeks ago. This is a story of Elizabeth Luna, one of the anti-heroes from Feral. While not focusing very much on her creation as a werewolf, except for the last few pages, this is perhaps Elizabeth's preeminent moment in her transformation from a murderous beast to a woman who just wants to be left alone.
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When Elizabeth and her paramour Aetius discover a desolate place that they can live in peace, they are attacked by a group of hunters determined to rid the world of the werewolf threat. After Aetius is brutally slain and Elizabeth is left for dead, she heals and seeks vengeance for her slain love. The story is very well done, and although a prequel, I believe that this could stand alone as a novel of love, loss, and vengeance. Serafini's writing is crisp and tight, without a lot of wasted words. His characterization of Elizabeth makes her a sympathetic figure, and I personally would like to see more of Elizabeth's adventures in the future.
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When Elizabeth and her paramour Aetius discover a desolate place that they can live in peace, they are attacked by a group of hunters determined to rid the world of the werewolf threat. After Aetius is brutally slain and Elizabeth is left for dead, she heals and seeks vengeance for her slain love. The story is very well done, and although a prequel, I believe that this could stand alone as a novel of love, loss, and vengeance. Serafini's writing is crisp and tight, without a lot of wasted words. His characterization of Elizabeth makes her a sympathetic figure, and I personally would like to see more of Elizabeth's adventures in the future.
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