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The Wolfborne Saga #1
Defiance
The Fate of a Werewolf-Werewolves are the guardians of sleeping vampires, protecting their masters during the deadly light of day.But what happens when a werewolf gets fed up with the persecution and tempts fate by breaking his chains and fleeing while his masters sleep?Wounded and desperate, Zev finds himself at the mercy of a family who stumbles upon him during their own quest for vengeance against the demons of the night.Reader Reviews-***** It's compelling and despite how many pages it's so intense it become a fast read.***** It is action packed from the moment you start and does not stop!***** I think these are the best books I have read in quite a while!***** The tears I shed at the end were ones of hope and joy!***** I so enjoyed this series and really hated to see it end.Fans of Jim Butcher, Stephanie Meyer, Carrie Vaughn, and the Vampire Diaries are loving these books! If you are a fan of fast-paced young adult paranormal thrillers, then this urban fantasy series is sure to please.
253 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2018
315 people are currently reading
296 people want to read
About the author
Cheree Alsop
172 books493 followersCheree Alsop is an award-winning, best-selling author and the mother of a beautiful, talented daughter and amazing twin sons who fill every day with joy and laughter. She is married to her best friend, Michael, the light of her life and her soulmate who shares her dreams and inspires her by reading the first drafts of each book. Cheree is a fulltime author and mother, which is much more fun than work! She enjoys reading, riding her motorcycle on warm nights, and playing with her twins while planning her next book. She is also a bass player for their rock band, Alien Landslide.
Cheree and Michael live in Utah where they rock out, enjoy the outdoors, plan great adventures, and never stop dreaming.
Check out Cheree’s other books at www.chereealsop.com
Cheree and Michael live in Utah where they rock out, enjoy the outdoors, plan great adventures, and never stop dreaming.
Check out Cheree’s other books at www.chereealsop.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
February 11, 2020
3.5 stars
October 11, 2021
Defiance by Cheree Alsop: YA. Urban Fantasy. Supernatural. Drama. Found-Family. Action. Suspense. Single First-Person POV. Werewolves. Monsters. Hunted. Attacks. Redemption. Injuries. Defiance.
This is an absolute gem. Defiance is a clean werewolf drama with intriguing supernatural lore, bursts of action and moments of suspense.
The story springs into a chase scene following Zev, a werewolf, as he runs for his life after escaping from the Masters who've controlled him all his life. In a last-ditch effort to escape the werewolves from tearing him apart, Zev leaps onto a road and is hit by a car. The innocent well-meaning driver is distraught and carries Zev into the backseat, saving his life. Injured and weak, he waits for an opportunity to escape while the family grows suspicious that he's more than just a wolf. When he breaks loose and escapes into the woods, the older daughter speaks to him and appeals to his reason, he's injured and wouldn't make it on his own. Then suddenly, he realises that the Masters will kill them for helping him and if he left them, he'd be abandoning them to a horrible fate. As the werewolves close in and the attacks increase, he must find a way of protecting them. He knows the best thing for them was to never have met him at all, but he knows now if he falls, they're next.
This is the best werewolf book I've read to date. I have tried several werewolf stories in the past, but they were always paranormal romance and/or abusive/toxic. So, I'd honestly given up on werewolves. But this book makes me happy.
There are many things I love about this story. The main character, Zev was raised as a ruthless guardian, as an animal really and taught to protect and feed The Masters, vampire-like creatures. There's no compassion, no love and they dehumanise and pitched the werewolves against each other. Despite all that, Zev, still wants to help people, but being part of a family is an alien concept and he struggles to adjust. It's very compelling.
On top of that, the werewolf lore is detailed and complex, and my favourite element was how moonlight strengthens and heals the wolves. The world building is open, crisp and fresh; the injuries aren't immediately healed; action scenes are full of suspense, and I can't wait to discover what else this series has in store.
I'm grateful BookBub algorithm recommended it to me or otherwise I wouldn't have found it. I'd highly recommend it for people who like found-family, the Hunter-Becomes-The-Hunted, werewolves without romance, YA urban fantasies, supernatural worlds, and mistreated but self-less and brave main characters.
How much I liked it: 5 Stars
Ideas - World Building: 5 stars
Ideas - Plot: 4 Stars
Character Depth: 4.5 Stars
Character Interactions: Average
Animal Characterisation: Standard Realistic - 3.5 Stars
Warnings: None.
Execution: 5 Stars
Writing Notes: n/a
This is an absolute gem. Defiance is a clean werewolf drama with intriguing supernatural lore, bursts of action and moments of suspense.
The story springs into a chase scene following Zev, a werewolf, as he runs for his life after escaping from the Masters who've controlled him all his life. In a last-ditch effort to escape the werewolves from tearing him apart, Zev leaps onto a road and is hit by a car. The innocent well-meaning driver is distraught and carries Zev into the backseat, saving his life. Injured and weak, he waits for an opportunity to escape while the family grows suspicious that he's more than just a wolf. When he breaks loose and escapes into the woods, the older daughter speaks to him and appeals to his reason, he's injured and wouldn't make it on his own. Then suddenly, he realises that the Masters will kill them for helping him and if he left them, he'd be abandoning them to a horrible fate. As the werewolves close in and the attacks increase, he must find a way of protecting them. He knows the best thing for them was to never have met him at all, but he knows now if he falls, they're next.
This is the best werewolf book I've read to date. I have tried several werewolf stories in the past, but they were always paranormal romance and/or abusive/toxic. So, I'd honestly given up on werewolves. But this book makes me happy.
There are many things I love about this story. The main character, Zev was raised as a ruthless guardian, as an animal really and taught to protect and feed The Masters, vampire-like creatures. There's no compassion, no love and they dehumanise and pitched the werewolves against each other. Despite all that, Zev, still wants to help people, but being part of a family is an alien concept and he struggles to adjust. It's very compelling.
On top of that, the werewolf lore is detailed and complex, and my favourite element was how moonlight strengthens and heals the wolves. The world building is open, crisp and fresh; the injuries aren't immediately healed; action scenes are full of suspense, and I can't wait to discover what else this series has in store.
I'm grateful BookBub algorithm recommended it to me or otherwise I wouldn't have found it. I'd highly recommend it for people who like found-family, the Hunter-Becomes-The-Hunted, werewolves without romance, YA urban fantasies, supernatural worlds, and mistreated but self-less and brave main characters.
How much I liked it: 5 Stars
Ideas - World Building: 5 stars
Ideas - Plot: 4 Stars
Character Depth: 4.5 Stars
Character Interactions: Average
Animal Characterisation: Standard Realistic - 3.5 Stars
Warnings: None.
Execution: 5 Stars
Writing Notes: n/a
April 25, 2019
I really enjoyed this book. I loved the worldbuilding, and especially the trials of the main character and how he changed and grew over the story. I appreciated that the subtle romance subplot was clean. I was surprised, though, that a book marketed as "clean" had so much violence/gore in it. I was fine, but I wouldn't let my preteens read it. Personally, though, I loved it. I have always enjoyed werewolf books but it's hard to find ones without explicit content. This was a win.
I also liked how the werewolf packs were realistic. The alpha-beta-omega pack structure has been scientifically debunked, but a lot of werewolf books still cling to that system. This one did not. It acknowledged both how wolf packs really worked and how the ones in this book were manipulated and were not normal. Bonus points to the author!
I also liked how the werewolf packs were realistic. The alpha-beta-omega pack structure has been scientifically debunked, but a lot of werewolf books still cling to that system. This one did not. It acknowledged both how wolf packs really worked and how the ones in this book were manipulated and were not normal. Bonus points to the author!
September 11, 2023
Defiance is the first book in The Wolfborne Saga and you get a very different take on vampires and werewolves! It starts with Zev escaping in wolf form, from who or what you don't know. It's a close call though, nearly his last call, but he is saved by a young man driving a car. This opens up a whole sort-of-new life for those Zev meets and for him himself.
This was brilliantly written, with plenty of world-building and information given without it being an info-dump. There is definitely character growth from Zev but the others are just as interesting.
As the first book in a series you expect to get a lot of the ground-work, sometimes to the detriment of the story. Not so here. Ms. Alsop has provided a great start and I am looking forward to the next book in the series. Definitely recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Dec 19, 2019
This was brilliantly written, with plenty of world-building and information given without it being an info-dump. There is definitely character growth from Zev but the others are just as interesting.
As the first book in a series you expect to get a lot of the ground-work, sometimes to the detriment of the story. Not so here. Ms. Alsop has provided a great start and I am looking forward to the next book in the series. Definitely recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Dec 19, 2019
December 5, 2018
This was one of the better werewolf books I have read. The storyline is exciting and the characters you can relate too. Can’t wait for book 2
June 1, 2019
He escapes from the vampire's "Lair". He is #3 in in line of security guards protecting the vampires.
He is also a werewolf. Born a wolf that can change to human. The horror and the brutality of his life finally break him and he runs and the others give chase. He runs across a road and is hit by a truck and brought into the human world. Great story great characters I already have next 2 books in series on my Kindle Unlimited. Mild romance.
He is also a werewolf. Born a wolf that can change to human. The horror and the brutality of his life finally break him and he runs and the others give chase. He runs across a road and is hit by a truck and brought into the human world. Great story great characters I already have next 2 books in series on my Kindle Unlimited. Mild romance.
November 17, 2018
Great story of survival!
Another great book by Cheree Alsop. The story started off strong and continued to be so through each and every page. You can just feel the emotions from the characters because of the way the author writes this story. Zev is a 19 year old wearwolf who has been through the unimaginable. He has scars. He’s lived a horrid life at the hands of his so called “masters”. He escapes from their clutches only to accidentally bring a family into harms way. But fortunately, they support him and want to help him fight to live. Loved every minute of this story. I can’t hardly wait to read more. Thanks for another great read!
Another great book by Cheree Alsop. The story started off strong and continued to be so through each and every page. You can just feel the emotions from the characters because of the way the author writes this story. Zev is a 19 year old wearwolf who has been through the unimaginable. He has scars. He’s lived a horrid life at the hands of his so called “masters”. He escapes from their clutches only to accidentally bring a family into harms way. But fortunately, they support him and want to help him fight to live. Loved every minute of this story. I can’t hardly wait to read more. Thanks for another great read!
September 20, 2020
Delightful tale of a werewolf becoming involved with humans as his new tribe. Well-written, good character descriptions, some very bloody fights, interesting history of werewolves as servants to vampires. There are 6 of these stories!
October 5, 2021
Nice
This was a nice read. I would recommend this to someone who is just starting out with the supernatural or liked the twilight series. The beginning grabbed my attention but overall I skimmed most of it.
This was a nice read. I would recommend this to someone who is just starting out with the supernatural or liked the twilight series. The beginning grabbed my attention but overall I skimmed most of it.
November 11, 2018
Another good series!
I usually really like the worlds Cheree creates. She had been writing more stories lately that combine different monsters one world. It's almost like Cheree-werewolf version of the TV show Grimm ( which I also love). I've really been into urban fantasy lately, this book got the spot. I love being inspired to see mundane things as actually extraordinary
I usually really like the worlds Cheree creates. She had been writing more stories lately that combine different monsters one world. It's almost like Cheree-werewolf version of the TV show Grimm ( which I also love). I've really been into urban fantasy lately, this book got the spot. I love being inspired to see mundane things as actually extraordinary
March 31, 2019
I really enjoyed this so much. It was so different. It didn't focus on vampires and was completely a story in itself. I loved being a part of this story and seeing it unfold. I'm intrigued for more.
July 30, 2019
A Glow Shines Through The Darkness
Number Three, Zev, is a truly remarkable werewolf! Raised in a cruel environment that only taught him death, he overcomes his conditioning to become a humble hero. This is a book to read!
Number Three, Zev, is a truly remarkable werewolf! Raised in a cruel environment that only taught him death, he overcomes his conditioning to become a humble hero. This is a book to read!
March 8, 2020
I really enjoyed this story and it perfectly sets up for the next book. I feel there are a lot of parallels to society and breaking free from what we’re supposed to be versus the monsters that are inside.
February 17, 2019
Good Werewolf
Ms Alsop has a way of describing the werewolf that matches how I often picture them. I am looking forward to the sequel.
Ms Alsop has a way of describing the werewolf that matches how I often picture them. I am looking forward to the sequel.
March 14, 2019
Yes
I got sucked right in! I can’t wait to read the next one. The hidden world of the supernatural is frightening yet hope comes in a werewolf looking to get out.
I got sucked right in! I can’t wait to read the next one. The hidden world of the supernatural is frightening yet hope comes in a werewolf looking to get out.
October 20, 2019
So good
This was definitely a good story. somewhat unique in the story premise but more so in the characters and delivery. I really enjoyed it. Clean both in language and sexually.
This was definitely a good story. somewhat unique in the story premise but more so in the characters and delivery. I really enjoyed it. Clean both in language and sexually.
January 20, 2020
Intriguing
An interesting take on the supernatural world. I look forward to learning more about a new werewolf and vampire dynamic.
An interesting take on the supernatural world. I look forward to learning more about a new werewolf and vampire dynamic.
October 23, 2023
I’ve been trying to go through some of the old books I’ve had on my kindle for a long time, and as someone who is a big fan of books about werewolves, it was no surprise to find this book in the depths of my kindle.
Defiance is the story of Zev, a werewolf who is actively escaping his vampiric masters during the opening of the book. Just as he is about to be caught by the wolves on his tail, he gets hit by a car, and the teenage driver mistakes his wolf form for a large dog. Hoping to help, the teenager brings Zed to his sister, who is training to be a vet… and paints a target on the family’s backs as well.
I found this book interesting, but I think it relied a little too much on coincidences to tell its story. The teen who hits Zev with his car just so happens to have a sister who is training to be a vet, and the sister just so happens to remember training with their dead father when she was younger, learning his supernatural-hunting ways. The family also just so happens to know another family that can use magic, and while the enemies are hunting both Zev and the family down, they just so happen to want to deal with Zev first, rather than picking off the defenseless family while he’s not around.
I will say that I enjoyed seeing the world this author was building throughout the book. It’s not often in modern werewolf fiction that I see werewolves enslaved by vampires, and the pack hierarchy was an interesting spin on more traditional roles. The two human families, one of which has history being trained to fight supernatural creatures and the other which has access to magic, was also an interesting inclusion to this book, and I can’t help but wonder how the rest of this story will go on after this first book.
However, this book just didn’t grab my attention enough to make me want to continue on with the series. I didn’t love it. I didn’t hate it. It just… exists.
Defiance is the story of Zev, a werewolf who is actively escaping his vampiric masters during the opening of the book. Just as he is about to be caught by the wolves on his tail, he gets hit by a car, and the teenage driver mistakes his wolf form for a large dog. Hoping to help, the teenager brings Zed to his sister, who is training to be a vet… and paints a target on the family’s backs as well.
I found this book interesting, but I think it relied a little too much on coincidences to tell its story. The teen who hits Zev with his car just so happens to have a sister who is training to be a vet, and the sister just so happens to remember training with their dead father when she was younger, learning his supernatural-hunting ways. The family also just so happens to know another family that can use magic, and while the enemies are hunting both Zev and the family down, they just so happen to want to deal with Zev first, rather than picking off the defenseless family while he’s not around.
I will say that I enjoyed seeing the world this author was building throughout the book. It’s not often in modern werewolf fiction that I see werewolves enslaved by vampires, and the pack hierarchy was an interesting spin on more traditional roles. The two human families, one of which has history being trained to fight supernatural creatures and the other which has access to magic, was also an interesting inclusion to this book, and I can’t help but wonder how the rest of this story will go on after this first book.
However, this book just didn’t grab my attention enough to make me want to continue on with the series. I didn’t love it. I didn’t hate it. It just… exists.
November 18, 2021
The escape of werewolf, Rev, whose who’s been enslaved to vile group of vampires known as the Masters, has dire consequences when he’s hit by a car but quickly rescued by the driver. That act of kindness puts the driver’s entire family in grave danger, which forces Rev to stay and protect them from the wrath of the vampires.
This short, fast-paced book is an interesting take on the werewolf saga. Zev has spent more of his life as a werewolf than as a human, which makes interacting and trust difficult. We’re also introduced to a family of witches and learn that demons, ghouls, and other creatures exist in the mortal world. It’s easy to sympathize with the characters as they prepare to battle the barrage of werewolves determined to bring Zev back to the Masters.
While the main plot is resolved, for the most part, the saga clearly isn’t over. As Zev connects with one particular family member, Alia, we also see the potential for what could be some sort of romance. This first book in the series is a great introduction for more adventures. I just wish the book was a bit longer, as I wanted to learn more about how Zev and the Masters came to be.
This short, fast-paced book is an interesting take on the werewolf saga. Zev has spent more of his life as a werewolf than as a human, which makes interacting and trust difficult. We’re also introduced to a family of witches and learn that demons, ghouls, and other creatures exist in the mortal world. It’s easy to sympathize with the characters as they prepare to battle the barrage of werewolves determined to bring Zev back to the Masters.
While the main plot is resolved, for the most part, the saga clearly isn’t over. As Zev connects with one particular family member, Alia, we also see the potential for what could be some sort of romance. This first book in the series is a great introduction for more adventures. I just wish the book was a bit longer, as I wanted to learn more about how Zev and the Masters came to be.
October 24, 2021
More like two and a half stars, but I rounded it up because I liked the humour in this book.
I wondered if it was aimed at a young adult audience, and I see reviews tagging it as such, so I am not really in it's target audience, but actually found myself getting more into it as it went along.
One thing that needed explaining was when Zev was making his escape a werewolf chasing him hit a point where it could go no further because of some sort of spell, yet Zev doesn't seem to be subject to that spell, umm why?
Worth noting that this is not really a stand alone, you won't see all the issues resolved at the end.
Since these are in Kindle Unlimited I would like to find out where the story goes next.
I wondered if it was aimed at a young adult audience, and I see reviews tagging it as such, so I am not really in it's target audience, but actually found myself getting more into it as it went along.
One thing that needed explaining was when Zev was making his escape a werewolf chasing him hit a point where it could go no further because of some sort of spell, yet Zev doesn't seem to be subject to that spell, umm why?
Worth noting that this is not really a stand alone, you won't see all the issues resolved at the end.
Since these are in Kindle Unlimited I would like to find out where the story goes next.
January 8, 2021
Enthraling and full of surprises
Definite.ly a 5- star rating for a surprising hero one can't help rooting for; a hero filled with the pain of an unimaginably horrendous past attempting to adjust to a world that might as wellbe a different planet, for its unfamiliarity. The author has created an amazing cast of characters, and enough twists to have kept reading right through at one sitting. I reccommend this book to everyone who enjoys werewolf stories with a young hero you're bound to want to see succeed.
Definite.ly a 5- star rating for a surprising hero one can't help rooting for; a hero filled with the pain of an unimaginably horrendous past attempting to adjust to a world that might as wellbe a different planet, for its unfamiliarity. The author has created an amazing cast of characters, and enough twists to have kept reading right through at one sitting. I reccommend this book to everyone who enjoys werewolf stories with a young hero you're bound to want to see succeed.
November 15, 2022
This book
I don't believe that you could ever write a bad book. Everyone that I have read has been truly amazing. The characters are great, the area and the story is very remarkable. The only thing that bothers me, is that whoever edits your books, just doesn't know how to spell. But I can always figure it out. I really appreciate what you do. I'm always part of the good books. Thanks. I see you.
I don't believe that you could ever write a bad book. Everyone that I have read has been truly amazing. The characters are great, the area and the story is very remarkable. The only thing that bothers me, is that whoever edits your books, just doesn't know how to spell. But I can always figure it out. I really appreciate what you do. I'm always part of the good books. Thanks. I see you.
November 14, 2021
Fun new universe to read
This was my first introduction to this universe and it was a good one. There was a ton of action, lots of fun characters and a slightly different take on the werewolf and supernatural creatures than other books I have read. It was a good mix and I recommend this book and look forward to the other books in the series.
This was my first introduction to this universe and it was a good one. There was a ton of action, lots of fun characters and a slightly different take on the werewolf and supernatural creatures than other books I have read. It was a good mix and I recommend this book and look forward to the other books in the series.
January 18, 2022
3.5*. I liked this book. The characters were easy to like. It was a little different from the normal werewolf vampire story. Was a little confused at beginning that he had to get to the road as there was a ward holding the werewolves in. But it didn’t hold him in. Never got an answer to that either.
January 27, 2022
Werewolves, Witches, and a Warlock...Oh My!
Enjoyed this book very much. Moved at a good pace. Lots of interesting characters to get involved with and looking forward to their stories too. Going from a killer guardian for Vampires to being human proves to be quite a challenge. No sex here as most werewolves are involved with, just a good story that kept me reading.
Enjoyed this book very much. Moved at a good pace. Lots of interesting characters to get involved with and looking forward to their stories too. Going from a killer guardian for Vampires to being human proves to be quite a challenge. No sex here as most werewolves are involved with, just a good story that kept me reading.
April 1, 2022
I am really enjoying this series. I have read most of her other series, and this one caught me a bit by surprise. Instead of the normal cast of werewolves, here we have wolves raised by vampyres and forced to protect their "masters". The first book is Zev's escape from the masters and it was an exciting first book to this series!
December 17, 2022
Zev (a werewolf) is trying to escape from the werewolf pack that is controlled by vampires.
The vampires are the Masters and send some of the wolves after him to either bring him back or kill him.
A human family takes him in and they fight with him against the wolves.
Alternate concept that works well.
The vampires are the Masters and send some of the wolves after him to either bring him back or kill him.
A human family takes him in and they fight with him against the wolves.
Alternate concept that works well.
August 31, 2023
Exciting start to a werewolf series, with witches and warlocks thrown in as well. A young werewolf escapes his cruel vampire masters and is taken in by a loving human family, whom the werewolf feels obligated to protect, and finds himself imagining a different life.
Typos: The usual spelling and punctuation errors, missing word, redundant word, failure to capitalize a brand name.
Typos: The usual spelling and punctuation errors, missing word, redundant word, failure to capitalize a brand name.
March 13, 2021
Defiance is not to be taken lightly...
Completely engaged from beginning to end is the mark of a good read...this was a very good read. Characters, situations and interaction is amazing. You feel like you need to reach out and wipe away the blood. Yes, it's that good!
Completely engaged from beginning to end is the mark of a good read...this was a very good read. Characters, situations and interaction is amazing. You feel like you need to reach out and wipe away the blood. Yes, it's that good!
October 7, 2021
Interesting
A well told story of change, awareness, fear and new emotions and a whole lot more. This ends as a cliffhanger. It isn’t well proof read, there are mistakes, the story is a good one,though not good enough for me to purchase the next books to read the ending.
A well told story of change, awareness, fear and new emotions and a whole lot more. This ends as a cliffhanger. It isn’t well proof read, there are mistakes, the story is a good one,though not good enough for me to purchase the next books to read the ending.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews