((Full disclosure: I did get this e-book as a gift from the author.))
Writing in an expanded universe is always a challenge. Those who are used to the original expect both more of the same and something different, whereas those who aren't used to it have to be led into the full universe. A daunting task, to be sure. In an urban fantasy environment, that's even trickier, because the rules have to be introduced each time, but in a way that doesn't make the audience lose interest. With a romance angle, and a great deal of page space having to be taken up in advancing that, the challenge grows. Add in the elements of a mystery story, and this would be a very ambitious project, indeed.
I'll admit that I've never heard of the Vampire for Hire universe, and thus I fall into the 'everything has to be re-explained' category. And that is, in the end, where Wolf Moon loses its ratings for me.
The writing itself is pretty solid. The romance angle between Fulcrum Kingsley and Samantha Moon went over my threshold of tedium- I'm personally quick to get tired of one character lusting after another- but I recognize that it's a part of the genre and it works well for what it is. The plot line itself is good, too- a beautiful woman walks into a private i's office and asks for his help, despite having a mysterious past and no real way to help him. She's made a deal with the devil and she needs his help to get out of it, before it's too late. In true urban fantasy fashion, her problem expands to create a very much more dangerous one, for everyone. The writing, mechanically, is much improved over Eve's earlier works, showing both dedication to improvement and a willingness to do her best to create as good a story as she can. For all of these things, the story really should deserve a higher rating.
But. But.
The downfall of this story is that it throws too much at a new reader at once, expecting things to be swallowed without need for explanation or much reaction. I'd call it 'Double Mumbo Jumbo,' save that there's even more different kinds of magic than two, all wrapped together in a frustrating tangle. Allow me to give an example.
There are vampires and werewolves. Sure, that's one thing, in urban fantasy. There are also demons. Again, sure, we can nudge that in there. But then there are angels. And that's a bit more of a stretch, requiring a bit more explanation than "Oh yeah, there are angels and they can fall." Then we toss in the fact that vampires can read minds and werewolves have a talisman kiss thing. Now we're straining it, because neither of those two are things that commonly happen in urban fantasy. Then we toss in Dracula for good measure, because why not? And I mean it that way- Dracula is literally summoned because the main character speaks of him.
Which independently creates a new rule of writing for me, "Leisure Suit Dracula." But that's neither here nor there.
And then... Dracula is also a dragon. Or can transform into one, at least. And his blood is special. And there's precisely the moment when I can no longer mumbo jumbo my way through this. Right when heaven and hell threaten to get inverted because of a song- no, really- I just can't do it anymore. I finish the story, yes, but I've long since been able to buy into the story or really get that invested into it. It's a bit like someone speaking of a sports game that I'm not familiar with- I know kind of what's being said, but I'm completely removed from it.
Which is a shame, because this story didn't need all of those extras. Dracula the Magic Dragon doesn't add much to the story. Angels, fallen or otherwise, don't add much to the story. Simplifying and refocusing the story would have made it stronger, and not knocked someone like me out of the flow with all of the extraneous bits.
So, in the end, I have to go with three stars. For what it is, it's a good story, and Eve Paludan can rest assured that she's done well with the expanded universe she's written in. But personally, I just can't have the kind of reaction to this story that she would have wanted, and that's a loss for the both of us. Still, there are more stories planned in this series, so who knows, perhaps a second go-round will get me back into the Kingsley universe. Time will tell!