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IronMoon #1
The Alpha's Oracle
The award-winning serial in novel form for the first time!
Gianna is a Seer : blessed with visions and dreams from the Moon Goddess.
Alpha Gabel intends to be the first Alpha King in five hundred years, and his ruthless cruelty and ambition are without limit. Gianna and their Bond are his toy, nothing more.
Taken against her will, Marked without consent, and forced to play Gabel's cruel games, Gianna vows to be the one soul that Gabel never conquers.
Gianna is a Seer : blessed with visions and dreams from the Moon Goddess.
Alpha Gabel intends to be the first Alpha King in five hundred years, and his ruthless cruelty and ambition are without limit. Gianna and their Bond are his toy, nothing more.
Taken against her will, Marked without consent, and forced to play Gabel's cruel games, Gianna vows to be the one soul that Gabel never conquers.
492 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 23, 2015
350 people are currently reading
791 people want to read
About the author
Merry Ravenell
23 books343 followersMerry is a dark sci-fi and fantasy author that currently lives in rural Alabama. She enjoys tormenting her main characters and doing excessive research to make sure unrealistic things are as realistic as possible.
When she's not writing, she enjoys coffee, vodka, painfully bad movies of all varieties, documentaries, coloring books, and knitting.
When she's not writing, she enjoys coffee, vodka, painfully bad movies of all varieties, documentaries, coloring books, and knitting.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews
October 16, 2016
DNF this... sorry xx
December 19, 2016
I've read a lot of werewolf books on Wattpad. All with the generally same story line. The "runt" of the pack has her parent's killed in a rouge attack, and everyone magically hates the kind beautiful girl because of...reasons, so she runs away and meets her mate, the "Big Bad Alpha". Who has bi-polar disorder and creepy Edward Cullen like dialogue, and she hates him but loves him and blah, blah, babies. THE END.
But not this book. ;)
Okay, some parts of this story had elements from what we talked about previously, but for a Wattpad werewolf writer, she had me hooked. There was actual plot. I know, it's amazing!
In all seriousness, this story was fun. It was interesting because the world she created was different from what I had read previously. With the way the oracle worked, the bond, to the way the wolves are born. She made it creative and intriguing.
I loved the main character and the way rational way she handled things. *Unlike other stories where the heroine is just there to do nothing but gush about the hotness of her mate *. And I loved how she described the visions...that was so cool. Her voice, didn't sound like a bratty teenage girl, she sounded like someone real and whole. Although some character development could have been sprinkled in here or there, I generally liked and respected the main character.
Now the romantic interest...was actual interesting. He was mysterious and well...he had a personality. Unlike other stories where the male consists of one the character trait: a possessive male who makes unreasonable choices. In this book, we actually get more information about him that really develops his character.
I am not saying that this book was perfect. The ending was a little rushed, and sometimes the writing was a little amateur. But, the action scenes were fun, and the romance was cute. I see potential and the possibility of the book becoming published. Great work Merry!
But not this book. ;)
Okay, some parts of this story had elements from what we talked about previously, but for a Wattpad werewolf writer, she had me hooked. There was actual plot. I know, it's amazing!
In all seriousness, this story was fun. It was interesting because the world she created was different from what I had read previously. With the way the oracle worked, the bond, to the way the wolves are born. She made it creative and intriguing.
I loved the main character and the way rational way she handled things. *Unlike other stories where the heroine is just there to do nothing but gush about the hotness of her mate *. And I loved how she described the visions...that was so cool. Her voice, didn't sound like a bratty teenage girl, she sounded like someone real and whole. Although some character development could have been sprinkled in here or there, I generally liked and respected the main character.
Now the romantic interest...was actual interesting. He was mysterious and well...he had a personality. Unlike other stories where the male consists of one the character trait: a possessive male who makes unreasonable choices. In this book, we actually get more information about him that really develops his character.
I am not saying that this book was perfect. The ending was a little rushed, and sometimes the writing was a little amateur. But, the action scenes were fun, and the romance was cute. I see potential and the possibility of the book becoming published. Great work Merry!
dnf
November 24, 2021DNF 49%
The premise is interesting with an Oracle werewolf h, a dominating pack seeking to rule all, mysticism, the Moon Goddess, betrayal and a war looming throughout the story....but I was having pretty much 0% fun reading.
The first half of the book is all about how the H is a piece of shit and enjoys the h's pain and likes toying with her and humiliating her- and the h is in turmoil and at her breaking point every other second.
Then the excuses for his behavior start, the h's feelings start softening, and the *unwanted* Bond is pressuring them to be together...yeah it's not for me. Wish I read the reviews on GR before I started reading.
The premise is interesting with an Oracle werewolf h, a dominating pack seeking to rule all, mysticism, the Moon Goddess, betrayal and a war looming throughout the story....but I was having pretty much 0% fun reading.
The first half of the book is all about how the H is a piece of shit and enjoys the h's pain and likes toying with her and humiliating her- and the h is in turmoil and at her breaking point every other second.
Then the excuses for his behavior start, the h's feelings start softening, and the *unwanted* Bond is pressuring them to be together...yeah it's not for me. Wish I read the reviews on GR before I started reading.
February 21, 2021
It was an okay read, the romance along with the actual plot was not balanced well and it felt like at times the only thing keeping it going was the romance, and the story kind of lost its way. The mystery side of the book did intrigue me a little, but not enough. The romance was nice to start with, but after a while just got repetitive and boring.
→ 2.5 stars
→ 2.5 stars
November 22, 2018
Violence
I am not a fan of violence or cruelty in my romance. This has both. The relationship is abusive and cruel. It will appeal to those who like that style but it nauseated me.
I am not a fan of violence or cruelty in my romance. This has both. The relationship is abusive and cruel. It will appeal to those who like that style but it nauseated me.
December 8, 2021
"What happens to traitors in IronMoon?" I asked him.
Gabel smiled.
the ship is good, they have chemistry and some great scenes, but other than that I don't have nice things to say about this book. Maybe if you enjoy fantasy that includes werewolves, grumpy girl and enemies to lovers it will be interesting but for me it wasn't, it took me almost a month to finish this.
Gabel smiled.
the ship is good, they have chemistry and some great scenes, but other than that I don't have nice things to say about this book. Maybe if you enjoy fantasy that includes werewolves, grumpy girl and enemies to lovers it will be interesting but for me it wasn't, it took me almost a month to finish this.
Read
October 23, 2019What can I say, I read book 1 and 2 in November last year, but for the life of me I can’t remember much anymore about the story. It was an ok read, but not spectacular and a bit jumbled, especially at the end. It got a bit chaotic.
Book 3 is till today not available online. At least i can’t find it on any platform.
Therefore I am not rating it lol
Book 3 is till today not available online. At least i can’t find it on any platform.
Therefore I am not rating it lol
April 5, 2021
Reread on 4/5/21, edited to add:
- Gabel, the main Alpha, is never someone you're meant to like. You may come to understand him, but he is not kind. He is unstable. This creates a compelling tension throughout the whole story; you're never quite able to find your feet when it comes to him.
- This is a darker romance than I remembered, and I'd hesitate to call it a romance at all. Gianna and Gabel's relationship is hugely important here but it ties into a larger political, scheming plot.
- Despite the werewolves, this felt so real. Ravenell has thoroughly considered what their culture would look like, and she doesn't shy away from the ugly bits. These characters sometimes operate by different rules. It's smart writing; for some people, I don't think it's easy writing. I don't mean that it's hard vocab-wise or has twisted plot lines--I just mean human sensibilities are challenged.
- Couldn't stand the overuse of a particular pet name. Forgivable, but definitely annoying.
- This is book one of a longer series. There are several plot lines that are planted here that you won't find resolutions for until book two or three (as of writing this, the series is still not officially finished), so be prepared for an ending that doesn't answer all your questions. The main relationship arc ends in a reasonable place (in a literary sense) that does feel satisfying enough to let this book semi-stand on its own.
Original thoughts below:
If you can only stomach pretty, predictable, and safe romance novels, you shouldn't read this book. You'd only want to throw it on a fire. I'm not hating on anyone's preferences; I only want to spare you some pain by suggesting you find something more traditional.
Now, if you're sick of the dime-a-dozen, clean cut romance novels saturating the market, then The Alpha's Oracle has something to offer. The main couple have a slow burn, dark-ish relationship that starts violently and never feels 100% healthy. Personally, I appreciated the realism.
I roll my eyes at romance novels that are too scared to have their characters make ugly choices. You want an arranged marriage? The heroine taken by the brutish, rampaging hero? The truth is that he's probably not a gentleman. If someone's clawed their way from nothing to rule over a wild and bloodthirsty kingdom, then there's a good chance they're selfish, egotistical, lack perspective, mean, unapologetic, and terrible at compromises. He takes what he wants and that doesn't make it okay, it doesn't excuse violence, but logically, that's probably what would happen. If he suddenly transforms into the heroine's servant, he's acting out of character. That's bad writing.
So yes, when Gabel the war hungry werewolf invades Gianna's pack's territory, he marks her without her permission. It's inexcusable, but it's what happens. It's not brushed under the rug as the story progresses--Gianna is very much aware of the injustice and it pisses her off, but she doesn't have enough power to make it immediately go away. Fate steps in, though, and it turns out they might have been mated for a reason. Cue the plot.
I've read 1,000+ pages of Merry Ravenell's work in the past three days, and as much as I obviously find something enjoyable about her writing, I'm sick of repeating myself. Read the book's synopsis for a better summary. I'll only offer a short list of thoughts:
- It bears repeating: you will not like this book if you cannot stomach violence. Gabel handles problems with blood. He does not rape the heroine and does not allow his men to rape either, but there are graphic descriptions of fighting and punishment.
- The camera doesn't pan away from uncomfortable situations, violence aside. Plenty of oh shit moments.
- I appreciated that Ravenell's writing harks back to the bygone epics of the 70s. Romance used to be more commonly intertwined with sprawling plots with many moving pieces, but somewhere along the line, it all got so one-dimensional. This isn't just a story about Gabel and Gianna--it's also about allegiances and how to rule a kingdom and how to wage war. That will be a turn-off for some; it's not just straight-up romance from start to finish.
- It's a book about werewolves. You're going to get some Alpha male posturing and possessive, irrational jealousy.
- These characters make mistakes that can't be easily brushed aside. I find that admirable. Sometimes there is no easy fix that erases wrongs; in the real world, it's more likely that you'll just have to swallow it and reconstruct your life. Some things can't be taken back.
- Having read further on into the series, I will say that Gabel and Gianna's relationship dynamic wildly changes in a way that you'll probably find dissatisfying. The entire series shifts away from the romance genre and dips deeper and deeper into questions of faith and politics. The tone of this book is not the tone of book two or three. That's not necessarily a bad thing--you might find yourself enjoying it; it's definitely novel--but it bears a warning.
- This is a long book. I loved it, but if you're not one for some day-to-day details, you'll get frustrated. Things don't happen quickly.
- Gabel, the main Alpha, is never someone you're meant to like. You may come to understand him, but he is not kind. He is unstable. This creates a compelling tension throughout the whole story; you're never quite able to find your feet when it comes to him.
- This is a darker romance than I remembered, and I'd hesitate to call it a romance at all. Gianna and Gabel's relationship is hugely important here but it ties into a larger political, scheming plot.
- Despite the werewolves, this felt so real. Ravenell has thoroughly considered what their culture would look like, and she doesn't shy away from the ugly bits. These characters sometimes operate by different rules. It's smart writing; for some people, I don't think it's easy writing. I don't mean that it's hard vocab-wise or has twisted plot lines--I just mean human sensibilities are challenged.
- Couldn't stand the overuse of a particular pet name. Forgivable, but definitely annoying.
- This is book one of a longer series. There are several plot lines that are planted here that you won't find resolutions for until book two or three (as of writing this, the series is still not officially finished), so be prepared for an ending that doesn't answer all your questions. The main relationship arc ends in a reasonable place (in a literary sense) that does feel satisfying enough to let this book semi-stand on its own.
Original thoughts below:
If you can only stomach pretty, predictable, and safe romance novels, you shouldn't read this book. You'd only want to throw it on a fire. I'm not hating on anyone's preferences; I only want to spare you some pain by suggesting you find something more traditional.
Now, if you're sick of the dime-a-dozen, clean cut romance novels saturating the market, then The Alpha's Oracle has something to offer. The main couple have a slow burn, dark-ish relationship that starts violently and never feels 100% healthy. Personally, I appreciated the realism.
I roll my eyes at romance novels that are too scared to have their characters make ugly choices. You want an arranged marriage? The heroine taken by the brutish, rampaging hero? The truth is that he's probably not a gentleman. If someone's clawed their way from nothing to rule over a wild and bloodthirsty kingdom, then there's a good chance they're selfish, egotistical, lack perspective, mean, unapologetic, and terrible at compromises. He takes what he wants and that doesn't make it okay, it doesn't excuse violence, but logically, that's probably what would happen. If he suddenly transforms into the heroine's servant, he's acting out of character. That's bad writing.
So yes, when Gabel the war hungry werewolf invades Gianna's pack's territory, he marks her without her permission. It's inexcusable, but it's what happens. It's not brushed under the rug as the story progresses--Gianna is very much aware of the injustice and it pisses her off, but she doesn't have enough power to make it immediately go away. Fate steps in, though, and it turns out they might have been mated for a reason. Cue the plot.
I've read 1,000+ pages of Merry Ravenell's work in the past three days, and as much as I obviously find something enjoyable about her writing, I'm sick of repeating myself. Read the book's synopsis for a better summary. I'll only offer a short list of thoughts:
- It bears repeating: you will not like this book if you cannot stomach violence. Gabel handles problems with blood. He does not rape the heroine and does not allow his men to rape either, but there are graphic descriptions of fighting and punishment.
- The camera doesn't pan away from uncomfortable situations, violence aside. Plenty of oh shit moments.
- I appreciated that Ravenell's writing harks back to the bygone epics of the 70s. Romance used to be more commonly intertwined with sprawling plots with many moving pieces, but somewhere along the line, it all got so one-dimensional. This isn't just a story about Gabel and Gianna--it's also about allegiances and how to rule a kingdom and how to wage war. That will be a turn-off for some; it's not just straight-up romance from start to finish.
- It's a book about werewolves. You're going to get some Alpha male posturing and possessive, irrational jealousy.
- These characters make mistakes that can't be easily brushed aside. I find that admirable. Sometimes there is no easy fix that erases wrongs; in the real world, it's more likely that you'll just have to swallow it and reconstruct your life. Some things can't be taken back.
- Having read further on into the series, I will say that Gabel and Gianna's relationship dynamic wildly changes in a way that you'll probably find dissatisfying. The entire series shifts away from the romance genre and dips deeper and deeper into questions of faith and politics. The tone of this book is not the tone of book two or three. That's not necessarily a bad thing--you might find yourself enjoying it; it's definitely novel--but it bears a warning.
- This is a long book. I loved it, but if you're not one for some day-to-day details, you'll get frustrated. Things don't happen quickly.
January 5, 2019
Ughhh is it too much to ask to find a good book that I can get lost in?
I picked up Alpha's Oracle because it sounded interesting and it's been ages since I've read a good werewolf romance. Well you're not going to find it here. First off it's been rough getting through the 43% of the book I have read. Let alone the rest of the series. And I saw in a different review that this series does not have a happy ending. Listen the first rule of fight club, I mean romance, is that we get our happy endings or it's not romance!
Here's the deal. This story is confusing af. So we have our main alpha Gabel. He's an asshole. And wants to create a challenge for himself so he marks Gianna, who also happens to be an oracle, as his mate. Oracle's aren't suppose to have mates due to the nature of their job. They are required to keep secrets and you're not suppose to have secrets from your mate.
Whatever.
Originally I thought there HAD to be some deeper meaning as to why Gabel marked Gianna. Like give me something. But no, he legit just marked her to mess with her. And then the 43% I read is just them fighting this bond they have for each other. It was super weird. I honestly didn't even really like Gable because he is so violent but then Gianna gets a taste of blood herself.
So there I was thinking "yeah they probably wouldn't make good mates anyway." to "Actually, this might work, she's just as blood thirsty as him."
And then I read a review that's like "The ending sucks." which makes me think they do not in fact wind up together. But like... why not? But also, I don't care enough to read the series to find out why because this story has been such a mind game. I really just don't get it.
The author did a really good job of crafting this universe and the writing is not bad, I just can't jive with this plot line.
So yeah #DNF
I picked up Alpha's Oracle because it sounded interesting and it's been ages since I've read a good werewolf romance. Well you're not going to find it here. First off it's been rough getting through the 43% of the book I have read. Let alone the rest of the series. And I saw in a different review that this series does not have a happy ending. Listen the first rule of fight club, I mean romance, is that we get our happy endings or it's not romance!
Here's the deal. This story is confusing af. So we have our main alpha Gabel. He's an asshole. And wants to create a challenge for himself so he marks Gianna, who also happens to be an oracle, as his mate. Oracle's aren't suppose to have mates due to the nature of their job. They are required to keep secrets and you're not suppose to have secrets from your mate.
Whatever.
Originally I thought there HAD to be some deeper meaning as to why Gabel marked Gianna. Like give me something. But no, he legit just marked her to mess with her. And then the 43% I read is just them fighting this bond they have for each other. It was super weird. I honestly didn't even really like Gable because he is so violent but then Gianna gets a taste of blood herself.
So there I was thinking "yeah they probably wouldn't make good mates anyway." to "Actually, this might work, she's just as blood thirsty as him."
And then I read a review that's like "The ending sucks." which makes me think they do not in fact wind up together. But like... why not? But also, I don't care enough to read the series to find out why because this story has been such a mind game. I really just don't get it.
The author did a really good job of crafting this universe and the writing is not bad, I just can't jive with this plot line.
So yeah #DNF
June 21, 2017
So bad, it makes me cringe.
This book was disappointing. It started off cliche but interesting. But at some points it became extremely boring.
Characters were horrible and lacked depth and a personality: Gabel is disgusting and narcissistic (Becoming the Alpha King?), he's everything I loathe in a guy. And Gianna annoys the hell out of me and is quite weak.
As for the writing style, it was bad. This story lacks description and the speeches between the characters didn't help the story at all.
Also, any man acting with me like Gabel will lose his capacity to reproduce. I don't get authors writing things like this; guys being jerks to girls; but I am sure I hate their books. This one was badly written, and I don't see why it's so popular.
So no, I didn't finish this book. and I don't regret it. If there is one thing I regret, it's having wasted my time on such a bad book.
This book was disappointing. It started off cliche but interesting. But at some points it became extremely boring.
Characters were horrible and lacked depth and a personality: Gabel is disgusting and narcissistic (Becoming the Alpha King?), he's everything I loathe in a guy. And Gianna annoys the hell out of me and is quite weak.
As for the writing style, it was bad. This story lacks description and the speeches between the characters didn't help the story at all.
Also, any man acting with me like Gabel will lose his capacity to reproduce. I don't get authors writing things like this; guys being jerks to girls; but I am sure I hate their books. This one was badly written, and I don't see why it's so popular.
So no, I didn't finish this book. and I don't regret it. If there is one thing I regret, it's having wasted my time on such a bad book.
May 18, 2021
It begins well, but somewhere it flounders off. In an attempt to stretch out the series (which actually feels pretty stretched out), a lot of plots and subplots were added that didn't go along well with the underlying storyline.
The background story kept changing, as if the author was trying to figure out the story as she went along (not always a bad sign), with no definite ending or direction in her mind. It didn't really work well.
The background story kept changing, as if the author was trying to figure out the story as she went along (not always a bad sign), with no definite ending or direction in her mind. It didn't really work well.
April 13, 2020
This was a fair read. I have to know. Does this series end in a HEA? I feel nervous about investing more time if it doesn’t
November 7, 2020
This felt like a truly epic shifter novel. Enemies to lovers and the hate is real in this one! So much angst, heartbreak and politics. I really loved this. My let down was the sex scenes were just awful - the first time they had sex I was so confused as to whether they’d actually done it or not I re-read it twice and sure enough - no mention of a penis anywhere!
Apart from that the story was good, the secrets a little dragged out and sometimes I had no idea what the fuck was going on. But I am looking forward to the next because although this ended happily, I think there are bad things a-coming...
Apart from that the story was good, the secrets a little dragged out and sometimes I had no idea what the fuck was going on. But I am looking forward to the next because although this ended happily, I think there are bad things a-coming...
March 14, 2019
Reading this book was like reading The Wheel of Time series in one sitting.
April 3, 2021
less smutty and more fade to black than i anticipated but one takes what one gets.
January 17, 2020
I really struggled with this book. I really, really struggled with it, and I haven’t struggled with a werewolf book in a long, long time.
I was only recently introduced to Merry Ravenell’s writing, having stumbled upon her NightPiercer and immediately falling in love. I went into that book with low expectations – because, you know, unknown author + kindle unlimited isn’t always promising – but I’d been absolutely blown out of the water. I was eager to see what other stories she’d written, and picked up The Alpha’s Oracle the same day. Unfortunately, I had the exact opposite problem with this book. Fresh off NightPiercer, I came into The Alpha’s Oracle with high expectations. I was incredibly disappointed.
The whole time I was reading this, something was nagging at me that this felt less like a professionally published book and more like a story published on a site like Wattpad. It wasn’t until I sat down to review this that I realized this actually was originally published on Wattpad, though I’m told there have been substantial changes made to the storyline. It just… doesn’t feel professional. There are typos and errors throughout, the character development seems lazy, and the plots is a strange hodgepodge of some original content and a hell of a lot of stuff you’ve definitely seen in a million other unpublished stories.
This book sorely lacks refining, and is in desperate need of an editor. I don’t know if it’s because this was one of her earlier books originally self-published on Wattpad, but unlike her newer books, The Alpha’s Oracle was at times riddled with typos, extremely awkward phrasing, and confusing descriptions. I remember one scene, where H and h are interrupted by a third person, h makes a comment aloud about how she should leave, and then all of a sudden h and the third person are having an apparently private conversation and H is nowhere to be found. …Did h actually leave, and the third person followed, or did H leave? Were they in a different room than where they’d started? What the hell happened? It was a minor scene, of course, and wasn’t really significant, but that kind of thing seriously interrupts the reading experience. And don’t get me started on the typos. They were a constant element in this book, and some of them were bad and pulled you out of the story. At one point, h’s thinks the following line about H: “I could have my pups in his belly.” h’s thoughts. Read that again. h's thoughts. Clearly the “my” and “his” were swapped – it’s a simple mistake, but a bad one. It’s something any editor could’ve immediately caught. An editor probably also would’ve cut like 30%+ of the book as unnecessary, but hey, that’s a separate conversation.
The character development, though, is what really got me. For the most part, the H and h are meh. They’re not really all that multidimensional, they’re not super interesting, but they’re also not the worst Mary Sues in existence. I don’t want to pick on them too much, because really, they weren’t that terrible. But I really couldn’t connect with either of them, and by the end, couldn’t really bring myself to care about either of them at all. That’s not a good sign. But still, not my main issue. No, what really bothered me about the characters in the book were the side characters. Literally NONE of them felt even remotely fleshed out. Maybe the veterinarian? Except she was only present for three seconds. Anyway. Several seemed like they were straight ripped from a list of most common and overused clichéd characters ever. I mean, let’s talk about the only real female character in this book that isn’t h herself. h refers to this other character the entire time as “Platinum.” Because, of course, she has platinum blonde hair. And, of course, she wears make up. And, heaven forbid, perfume. And, wait for it, she’s interested in H and is a bitch to h. And, spoiler (not really), she’s too dumb to realize she doesn’t have a chance. It’s so. incredibly. cliché. and just downright lazy writing. There’s also a bad guy who’s just completely bad it’s cringe-worthy. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I can get behind a good bad guy who is unapologetically bad and doesn’t have an excuse to be how he is. That can actually be refreshing. This was the opposite of refreshing, though, because the character was barely elaborated on and given no real purpose other than to show that, hey, h could’ve had it worse, because she could’ve been forced to be with Evil Guy instead of H. C’mon. Also, no. That does not excuse H’s behavior in any way, shape, or form. Yeah, sure, he’s not Evil Guy. Doesn’t make him even halfway decent. Oh. Right. H is sort of irredeemably bad, if you’re wondering. Their relationship feels kind of Stockholm-syndrome-y, but I had expected that from the beginning, and there’s an interesting mention of something that perhaps contributes to H’s behavior (but does not excuse it, obviously), related to his conception, that makes it more interesting than your average Werewolf Stockholm Syndrome situation.
And the plot. It just moved. so. slow. It kept dragging on and on and on. There are books that are long, where you can look down and realize that you’re only 30% of the way through the book, and you’ll be immediately elated to learn you’ve got so much left to enjoy. This is not that kind of book. This is the one where you swear you’ve been reading for an hour, you glance down, and somehow you’ve only made 1% progress on the story… which, by the way, has still gotten nowhere. The first half of the book is just miserably slow. The latter half does manage to pick up the pace a bit more, but by that point, I was frustrated enough that I really couldn’t actually get into the book anymore. I almost dnf’d this multiple times, but I don’t review books I haven’t finished, and I wanted to be able to post this review to warn future readers.
I will say, the concept of oracles was an interesting addition. It was something creative and new, and it played an actually significant role in the story. That said, it also got really boring at times. Reading through some of those visions just made me wish I was drowning in those damn ‘tides’ she was riding. Blech. But, I’ll give points for creativity. Two stars.
I was only recently introduced to Merry Ravenell’s writing, having stumbled upon her NightPiercer and immediately falling in love. I went into that book with low expectations – because, you know, unknown author + kindle unlimited isn’t always promising – but I’d been absolutely blown out of the water. I was eager to see what other stories she’d written, and picked up The Alpha’s Oracle the same day. Unfortunately, I had the exact opposite problem with this book. Fresh off NightPiercer, I came into The Alpha’s Oracle with high expectations. I was incredibly disappointed.
The whole time I was reading this, something was nagging at me that this felt less like a professionally published book and more like a story published on a site like Wattpad. It wasn’t until I sat down to review this that I realized this actually was originally published on Wattpad, though I’m told there have been substantial changes made to the storyline. It just… doesn’t feel professional. There are typos and errors throughout, the character development seems lazy, and the plots is a strange hodgepodge of some original content and a hell of a lot of stuff you’ve definitely seen in a million other unpublished stories.
This book sorely lacks refining, and is in desperate need of an editor. I don’t know if it’s because this was one of her earlier books originally self-published on Wattpad, but unlike her newer books, The Alpha’s Oracle was at times riddled with typos, extremely awkward phrasing, and confusing descriptions. I remember one scene, where H and h are interrupted by a third person, h makes a comment aloud about how she should leave, and then all of a sudden h and the third person are having an apparently private conversation and H is nowhere to be found. …Did h actually leave, and the third person followed, or did H leave? Were they in a different room than where they’d started? What the hell happened? It was a minor scene, of course, and wasn’t really significant, but that kind of thing seriously interrupts the reading experience. And don’t get me started on the typos. They were a constant element in this book, and some of them were bad and pulled you out of the story. At one point, h’s thinks the following line about H: “I could have my pups in his belly.” h’s thoughts. Read that again. h's thoughts. Clearly the “my” and “his” were swapped – it’s a simple mistake, but a bad one. It’s something any editor could’ve immediately caught. An editor probably also would’ve cut like 30%+ of the book as unnecessary, but hey, that’s a separate conversation.
The character development, though, is what really got me. For the most part, the H and h are meh. They’re not really all that multidimensional, they’re not super interesting, but they’re also not the worst Mary Sues in existence. I don’t want to pick on them too much, because really, they weren’t that terrible. But I really couldn’t connect with either of them, and by the end, couldn’t really bring myself to care about either of them at all. That’s not a good sign. But still, not my main issue. No, what really bothered me about the characters in the book were the side characters. Literally NONE of them felt even remotely fleshed out. Maybe the veterinarian? Except she was only present for three seconds. Anyway. Several seemed like they were straight ripped from a list of most common and overused clichéd characters ever. I mean, let’s talk about the only real female character in this book that isn’t h herself. h refers to this other character the entire time as “Platinum.” Because, of course, she has platinum blonde hair. And, of course, she wears make up. And, heaven forbid, perfume. And, wait for it, she’s interested in H and is a bitch to h. And, spoiler (not really), she’s too dumb to realize she doesn’t have a chance. It’s so. incredibly. cliché. and just downright lazy writing. There’s also a bad guy who’s just completely bad it’s cringe-worthy. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I can get behind a good bad guy who is unapologetically bad and doesn’t have an excuse to be how he is. That can actually be refreshing. This was the opposite of refreshing, though, because the character was barely elaborated on and given no real purpose other than to show that, hey, h could’ve had it worse, because she could’ve been forced to be with Evil Guy instead of H. C’mon. Also, no. That does not excuse H’s behavior in any way, shape, or form. Yeah, sure, he’s not Evil Guy. Doesn’t make him even halfway decent. Oh. Right. H is sort of irredeemably bad, if you’re wondering. Their relationship feels kind of Stockholm-syndrome-y, but I had expected that from the beginning, and there’s an interesting mention of something that perhaps contributes to H’s behavior (but does not excuse it, obviously), related to his conception, that makes it more interesting than your average Werewolf Stockholm Syndrome situation.
And the plot. It just moved. so. slow. It kept dragging on and on and on. There are books that are long, where you can look down and realize that you’re only 30% of the way through the book, and you’ll be immediately elated to learn you’ve got so much left to enjoy. This is not that kind of book. This is the one where you swear you’ve been reading for an hour, you glance down, and somehow you’ve only made 1% progress on the story… which, by the way, has still gotten nowhere. The first half of the book is just miserably slow. The latter half does manage to pick up the pace a bit more, but by that point, I was frustrated enough that I really couldn’t actually get into the book anymore. I almost dnf’d this multiple times, but I don’t review books I haven’t finished, and I wanted to be able to post this review to warn future readers.
I will say, the concept of oracles was an interesting addition. It was something creative and new, and it played an actually significant role in the story. That said, it also got really boring at times. Reading through some of those visions just made me wish I was drowning in those damn ‘tides’ she was riding. Blech. But, I’ll give points for creativity. Two stars.
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June 18, 2021Diamond in the rough
I was randomly browsing the kindle store and stumbled on this one. The cover and name alone drew me in. The author was completely new to me, I went in totally blind and was hooked. Off to read book 2!
I was randomly browsing the kindle store and stumbled on this one. The cover and name alone drew me in. The author was completely new to me, I went in totally blind and was hooked. Off to read book 2!
May 18, 2021
The writing wasn't for me. Honestly, I didn't get very far. I love this cover though.
March 26, 2018
4/5 stars
Well this was a really interesting read, and I really did enjoy it.
What I loved about this book was that it did not follow the typical "werewolf" story line. Often I feel like werewolf storys tends to be really similar. Every story has a brutal dark alpha and a main character who falls in love straight away. In this story this does not happen, yes we do have a brutal alpha male, but our female wolf despise him.
Another thing that intrigued me with this story was how well Merry had put together oracles in this book. An oracle can ride the tides, and get glimpse of future events that can happen. I really did enjoy this type of "riddles" we got out from Gianna´s (main protagonist) scrying, and how we could all put this riddles together.
The story had plenty of rich characters, and most of them do develop over time. Some of the characters are hilarious, and the will stay with you.
Loved Gianna as a main character!! She was sassy, independent when needed to be and most of all she had such an open mind towards mostly everything.
Then we have the dominant alpha male Gabel, who only sendt out darkness and destruction.
Having the opportunity to see how they grew together was so fascinating.
I would really recommend to read this book. It is a fast read, and a great, refreshing werewolf story.
Thinking about reading the sequel.
Thank you Merry Ravenell for creating such an astonishing world, with great characters!
November 27, 2018
Hmmmm.....
I was ready to give this book at least 3 stars but it just drug on and on. Gianna and Gabel's relationship was icky. Gabel was not able to redeem himself in my eyes for the way he treated her. I didn't get it and did not like the world the author built.
I was ready to give this book at least 3 stars but it just drug on and on. Gianna and Gabel's relationship was icky. Gabel was not able to redeem himself in my eyes for the way he treated her. I didn't get it and did not like the world the author built.
July 4, 2020
I was expecting a toxic enemies to lovers book, and I was given just that.
May 28, 2023
I'm banking 0.0 here lately spoilers
Just in a book of omg is that the main male ?
Wow . Not sure what is happening to me in the book department lately .This sounded so good . I enjoy some resistance and fire in my books . ...no Insta love for me .
Folks this is neither .
We got an female wolf that gets mate marked but its a little different than your fate mate .Here they give off a compatible smell and can be more than one female he is attracted 2 ..Already with the romance chills ...no. He raked his claws down her arm and these mate marks are ment to be painful with the possibility of festering and killing the bond . Doesn't happen
He is A tyrant that has brought all the rogues and undesirable together . Then systematically starts war on all packs till he gets to bigger ones and they just all bow out with no fight ....he's tired of nothing challenging him and wants to see if he can make the mating bond bend to his will .
He takes her against her will and tells her its gonna be fun .Pretty much ALL the time he is trying to hurt her so he can feel it through the bond but instead of it bothering him he fights the impulse to work for her mental health by taking pleasure in her pain. This is his main goal to marking her. He sets another woman at her place ,to hurt her,and smothers affection on this other girl going so far as to say to the Alpha he is meeting with that their might be a bonding with her. While the bonded mate is ignored at the end of the table . And to the enjoyment of most of the rogue he has.....There are several scenes of him tormenting her and honestly I think she should just end it and take him with her ....this is not romance its abuse of the highest order .Only a evil crazy man would do this and that's not a romance I want clinging to my brain.
Then read where this hasn't been finished and left on a cliffys for years.......
Bye bye to this writer and series .😘
Just in a book of omg is that the main male ?
Wow . Not sure what is happening to me in the book department lately .This sounded so good . I enjoy some resistance and fire in my books . ...no Insta love for me .
Folks this is neither .
We got an female wolf that gets mate marked but its a little different than your fate mate .Here they give off a compatible smell and can be more than one female he is attracted 2 ..Already with the romance chills ...no. He raked his claws down her arm and these mate marks are ment to be painful with the possibility of festering and killing the bond . Doesn't happen
He is A tyrant that has brought all the rogues and undesirable together . Then systematically starts war on all packs till he gets to bigger ones and they just all bow out with no fight ....he's tired of nothing challenging him and wants to see if he can make the mating bond bend to his will .
He takes her against her will and tells her its gonna be fun .Pretty much ALL the time he is trying to hurt her so he can feel it through the bond but instead of it bothering him he fights the impulse to work for her mental health by taking pleasure in her pain. This is his main goal to marking her. He sets another woman at her place ,to hurt her,and smothers affection on this other girl going so far as to say to the Alpha he is meeting with that their might be a bonding with her. While the bonded mate is ignored at the end of the table . And to the enjoyment of most of the rogue he has.....There are several scenes of him tormenting her and honestly I think she should just end it and take him with her ....this is not romance its abuse of the highest order .Only a evil crazy man would do this and that's not a romance I want clinging to my brain.
Then read where this hasn't been finished and left on a cliffys for years.......
Bye bye to this writer and series .😘
July 22, 2020
I have to be honest,i stumbled across this one by accident a while back.
Having read the first bit,it sounded interesting enough to buy.
After all,it was on sale for only €0,99....
Gianna is the Oracle of her pack,Shadowless.
When the Alpha of IronMoon,Gabel, demands their surrender,her pack doesn’t fight him.
Instead,they round up their women for him to choose from.
Gianna is the “lucky” girl,and before she knows it,he’s marked her against her will.
It goes downhill from there very fast....
She hates him,but he keeps pushing.
And instead of festering,the marks heal,and a bond is forming.
His demand they sleep in the same bed,makes it hard to keep a distance.
She doesn’t want this bond to grow stronger,but fighting it gets harder and harder....
The visions she has are confusing,or show betrayal,and she struggles with their meaning.
As Gabel sees more of Gianna,he likes the idea of pushing her a little more.
If only there weren’t forces working against them,trying to seperate them.
But he isn’t Alpha for nothing,he wíll show them what happens to those that defy him.
This was the first part of a series.
A story of shifters that is raw and gritty,as such a story should be.
Don’t expect flowers and roses,or any kind of romance.
These shifters are primal forces,and aren’t afraid to shed blood when necessary.
Gabel isn’t a kind Alpha,he’s rough and mean,but once you get to know him,he grows on you.
Gianna is a strong woman,as an Oracle should be.
One that doesn’t take kindly to being pushed,or humiliated.
There ís very little actual steam,if that’s what you’re looking for.
They do tease and touch,but that’s about it.....
(Not any details,if you know what i mean)
With all that being said,this is a good story in its core.
A little long perhaps.....i mean 3 parts?
I’m going to think about part 2 and 3 for a while
Having read the first bit,it sounded interesting enough to buy.
After all,it was on sale for only €0,99....
Gianna is the Oracle of her pack,Shadowless.
When the Alpha of IronMoon,Gabel, demands their surrender,her pack doesn’t fight him.
Instead,they round up their women for him to choose from.
Gianna is the “lucky” girl,and before she knows it,he’s marked her against her will.
It goes downhill from there very fast....
She hates him,but he keeps pushing.
And instead of festering,the marks heal,and a bond is forming.
His demand they sleep in the same bed,makes it hard to keep a distance.
She doesn’t want this bond to grow stronger,but fighting it gets harder and harder....
The visions she has are confusing,or show betrayal,and she struggles with their meaning.
As Gabel sees more of Gianna,he likes the idea of pushing her a little more.
If only there weren’t forces working against them,trying to seperate them.
But he isn’t Alpha for nothing,he wíll show them what happens to those that defy him.
This was the first part of a series.
A story of shifters that is raw and gritty,as such a story should be.
Don’t expect flowers and roses,or any kind of romance.
These shifters are primal forces,and aren’t afraid to shed blood when necessary.
Gabel isn’t a kind Alpha,he’s rough and mean,but once you get to know him,he grows on you.
Gianna is a strong woman,as an Oracle should be.
One that doesn’t take kindly to being pushed,or humiliated.
There ís very little actual steam,if that’s what you’re looking for.
They do tease and touch,but that’s about it.....
(Not any details,if you know what i mean)
With all that being said,this is a good story in its core.
A little long perhaps.....i mean 3 parts?
I’m going to think about part 2 and 3 for a while
June 6, 2019
It took me quite a while to read this book, it's quite big.
The concept of this world is a very interesting one, with the oracles, the marks, packs, mating rules and scents, and I like Merry's writing style.
She did her job in making me want to find out what happens next.
That said, it is obvious that this book was written chapter by chapter on Wattpad. The romantic fighting did drag and could have been reworked a bit to run smoother. And I feel that the length of time spent on the romance drowned out the plot that always seemed to be on the periphery.
I wish that an inline editor and developmental editor could have had their hands on this book to really polish it up to its potential. Yes-men and fans aren't going to give you an honest opinion for the most part. You need someone objective.
With this length of book, either it needed to be trimmed or made into two books.
(Spoiler)
I would have had the beta be a bigger villain and bookend the first book.
Secondly, the ending seemed abrupt. I know it's the first of a series, but there needs to be a better tying of some loose ends. I personally got to the end hoping for something more, at least a sneak peek to book two in the series.
Thirdly, though there was some gore... I feel fights ended too quickly. Or were anti-climactic. Like when she asked him not to torture the guy. Ugh.
Lastly, I felt weird about the slut shaming done with one of the characters. It made me like the MC less. It felt over the top and unnecessary.
All in all, I like Merry Ravenell's book. It stuck with me and I will still buy the rest of the series.
The concept of this world is a very interesting one, with the oracles, the marks, packs, mating rules and scents, and I like Merry's writing style.
She did her job in making me want to find out what happens next.
That said, it is obvious that this book was written chapter by chapter on Wattpad. The romantic fighting did drag and could have been reworked a bit to run smoother. And I feel that the length of time spent on the romance drowned out the plot that always seemed to be on the periphery.
I wish that an inline editor and developmental editor could have had their hands on this book to really polish it up to its potential. Yes-men and fans aren't going to give you an honest opinion for the most part. You need someone objective.
With this length of book, either it needed to be trimmed or made into two books.
(Spoiler)
I would have had the beta be a bigger villain and bookend the first book.
Secondly, the ending seemed abrupt. I know it's the first of a series, but there needs to be a better tying of some loose ends. I personally got to the end hoping for something more, at least a sneak peek to book two in the series.
Thirdly, though there was some gore... I feel fights ended too quickly. Or were anti-climactic. Like when she asked him not to torture the guy. Ugh.
Lastly, I felt weird about the slut shaming done with one of the characters. It made me like the MC less. It felt over the top and unnecessary.
All in all, I like Merry Ravenell's book. It stuck with me and I will still buy the rest of the series.
September 16, 2023
2 star read. Interesting premise if the story had been well-written, but we’ll get there.
The story is about werewolves where things such as this oracles, a Moon Goddess, and other mysticisms exist.
Gianna, an Oracle, is sacrificed to an alphahole Gabel, who marked her as a test to himself and his own mind fuckery. He forces her into his pack of strays, where Gianna is constantly both mistreated and insufferable in not resisting him as she contradicts herself by her own words and actions. In the end, they succumb to the Bond(™) and drama ensues.
What I need to note here is that this book intentionally pits women against women because it’s ✨wolves✨
Resident bitch (heh) Gardenia nicknamed “Platinum” is used as a constant device to make the MMC look like a bastard and the FMC look irrationally jealous. The MKC continuously fans the flames rather than putting her in her place, but it’s justified he’s just ✨messed up✨. The FMC somehow has no stomach for actual death so she handles it like a child, is forced to fight Gardenia with words, and is just all around another jealous FMC.
I’m not sorry to say this recurring theme is disgusting.
I don’t need another MMC who causes problems with an OW intentionally with 0 chance of resolving them nor apologizing and an FMC who has power but refuses to use it because she’s to ✨noble✨.
2 stars.
The story is about werewolves where things such as this oracles, a Moon Goddess, and other mysticisms exist.
Gianna, an Oracle, is sacrificed to an alphahole Gabel, who marked her as a test to himself and his own mind fuckery. He forces her into his pack of strays, where Gianna is constantly both mistreated and insufferable in not resisting him as she contradicts herself by her own words and actions. In the end, they succumb to the Bond(™) and drama ensues.
What I need to note here is that this book intentionally pits women against women because it’s ✨wolves✨
Resident bitch (heh) Gardenia nicknamed “Platinum” is used as a constant device to make the MMC look like a bastard and the FMC look irrationally jealous. The MKC continuously fans the flames rather than putting her in her place, but it’s justified he’s just ✨messed up✨. The FMC somehow has no stomach for actual death so she handles it like a child, is forced to fight Gardenia with words, and is just all around another jealous FMC.
I’m not sorry to say this recurring theme is disgusting.
I don’t need another MMC who causes problems with an OW intentionally with 0 chance of resolving them nor apologizing and an FMC who has power but refuses to use it because she’s to ✨noble✨.
2 stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 18, 2023
DNF at 28%
This was just a Russian doll of horrible. One scene after another was a disappointment. There is no world-building regarding giving some background knowledge to the setup of the world the author created. Instead, the initial scene is Gianna getting into a disagreement with her father. She comes across as incredibly bull-headed and unwilling to consider that there is an underlying reason why things are happening the way they are. Granted, I'm not a wolf, so what do I know?
I did not like a single one of these characters. Gabel is legitimately awful and not in a potentially redeemable way. He continuously disrespects and disregards Gianna's boundaries and desires. He marked her without her consent. Then Gabel purposefully puts her in situations where she is humiliated when he has Gardenia handle things that should be her responsibility. The whole pitting women against one another is drab and unnecessary. Gianna, all-in-all falls into the stereotypical jealous FMC. Despite the energy she had at the beginning of the book, she has no taste for bloodshed.
This book should have just stayed on Wattpad. The dialogue is cliche, and most of the arguments between Gianna and Gabel are the same. Whoever recommended this to me needs to have her recommendation license revoked.
This was just a Russian doll of horrible. One scene after another was a disappointment. There is no world-building regarding giving some background knowledge to the setup of the world the author created. Instead, the initial scene is Gianna getting into a disagreement with her father. She comes across as incredibly bull-headed and unwilling to consider that there is an underlying reason why things are happening the way they are. Granted, I'm not a wolf, so what do I know?
I did not like a single one of these characters. Gabel is legitimately awful and not in a potentially redeemable way. He continuously disrespects and disregards Gianna's boundaries and desires. He marked her without her consent. Then Gabel purposefully puts her in situations where she is humiliated when he has Gardenia handle things that should be her responsibility. The whole pitting women against one another is drab and unnecessary. Gianna, all-in-all falls into the stereotypical jealous FMC. Despite the energy she had at the beginning of the book, she has no taste for bloodshed.
This book should have just stayed on Wattpad. The dialogue is cliche, and most of the arguments between Gianna and Gabel are the same. Whoever recommended this to me needs to have her recommendation license revoked.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 21, 2017
I really wish that we could give half stars on Goodreads as that's perfect for this book. It'snot quite four stars but it isn't three stars either. It's just in between.
What I liked about this book:
I really liked the characters and how they were all well formed. I also really liked how the main realtionship developed and how they slowly realised that they did care for each other. I also quite liked the world building and how this werewolf world has Oracles in it. There are still a few things that need to be cleared up but what we had was pretty solid. The ending was also very good. It off a few questions unanswered but you could just leave the book here (as in not read the next one) (only on Wattpad) and still be sastified.
What I didn't like:
The pacing. There was quite a few chapters were nothing of importance was really happening and everything got a little boring. Also even though the main ship does properly get together and sorts out their problems there is still a slightly unhealthy tinge to it. And there was a lot of sexism coming from one of the characters. That pissed me off.
What I liked about this book:
I really liked the characters and how they were all well formed. I also really liked how the main realtionship developed and how they slowly realised that they did care for each other. I also quite liked the world building and how this werewolf world has Oracles in it. There are still a few things that need to be cleared up but what we had was pretty solid. The ending was also very good. It off a few questions unanswered but you could just leave the book here (as in not read the next one) (only on Wattpad) and still be sastified.
What I didn't like:
The pacing. There was quite a few chapters were nothing of importance was really happening and everything got a little boring. Also even though the main ship does properly get together and sorts out their problems there is still a slightly unhealthy tinge to it. And there was a lot of sexism coming from one of the characters. That pissed me off.
November 7, 2018
There were things that I liked a lot in this book and there were things that I thought were really silly and awful.
I really liked the wolf fights and the world buildings. Ravenell did a great job with those, the history and space of the place she created was really great. Loved the nightmare wolf that Gabel was, that was awesome. Trips to the tides, amazing. That was all top notch.
The romance in this was awful. To be honest, all the romance could have been cut from this and I would have been ok with that because it added nothing at all to the story.
Also the author could use a editor. This book was riddled with typos and errors. Really, really obvious ones.
Still, I want to know how this whole thing turns out with the clans so I'll likely read the next book.
I really liked the wolf fights and the world buildings. Ravenell did a great job with those, the history and space of the place she created was really great. Loved the nightmare wolf that Gabel was, that was awesome. Trips to the tides, amazing. That was all top notch.
The romance in this was awful. To be honest, all the romance could have been cut from this and I would have been ok with that because it added nothing at all to the story.
Also the author could use a editor. This book was riddled with typos and errors. Really, really obvious ones.
Still, I want to know how this whole thing turns out with the clans so I'll likely read the next book.
February 21, 2019
Great shifter series
I can’t exactly remember how I came across this book. I think it was through another review. Anyhow I have been recently into shifters and this book hit the mark.
This isn’t a typical shifter love story which is what makes it so good. You don’t know what to expect. It doesn’t end on a cliffhanger but does end unfinished. Book 2 is already out so I’m off to read that one.
There were a few times where I thought the plot became murky and hard to figure out. Could have been me just reading to late, to fast, or not paying close enough attention. Sometimes though the thought process seemed a bit hard to follow. Still was able to enjoy it and understand the story though.
I can’t exactly remember how I came across this book. I think it was through another review. Anyhow I have been recently into shifters and this book hit the mark.
This isn’t a typical shifter love story which is what makes it so good. You don’t know what to expect. It doesn’t end on a cliffhanger but does end unfinished. Book 2 is already out so I’m off to read that one.
There were a few times where I thought the plot became murky and hard to figure out. Could have been me just reading to late, to fast, or not paying close enough attention. Sometimes though the thought process seemed a bit hard to follow. Still was able to enjoy it and understand the story though.
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