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Born Wild #2

Savage One

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Death isn’t as black and white as they say, at least not for me. I can tell you when you’ll die and pull you back from the brink of death. In a world ravaged by plague, where survival might come down to the smallest misstep, I can help you cheat fate. If only I could save myself…

I’ve been abused and abandoned, bartered and paid for. The only reason I’m alive right now is a man named Callon, who I managed to trick into sticking by me. But things are looking up when my last purchaser calls for a truce, and I land a nice comfy place to live. 

Except when something seems too good to be true, it usually is. There is a larger threat lurking that no one sees, and it’s about to wipe out the lodge in order to get to me. In a world torn apart by wars and sickness, a safe place to lay your head is hard to find, and I won’t go down without a fight.

330 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 14, 2019

249 people are currently reading
81 people want to read

About the author

Donna Augustine

50 books1,300 followers

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5 stars
376 (54%)
4 stars
207 (29%)
3 stars
99 (14%)
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8 (1%)
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3 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
Profile Image for Lien.
296 reviews242 followers
July 12, 2020
The pace was off. I was so dead set on this being the second book of a trilogy that I thought there was more to come until I got to the second to last chapter and realized omg this book is going to wrap up Teddy and Callon's story.
I loved the fact that I didn't have to wait for the conclusion and was ecstatic about getting a happy ending so soon but that's also precisely why the ending felt so rushed and anticlimactic. Same with the romance but overall I still really liked this book.
Profile Image for John Gilbert.
1,376 reviews219 followers
September 27, 2022
This was the second book in the follow up to the four book Wilds series by Donna Augustine and it did not disappoint. Nice to have a two book series for once, not a drawn out three or more book series to milk an idea to tedium.

Teddy is an excellent heroine, a fighter who has had a very tough go in life in this dystopian series of survival. Her journey with her best friend Tuesday and the four companions led by Callon, was worth it. Read the Wilds first to get the most understanding and enjoyment from this, Dal and Dax even make an appearance from the first series.

Four stars.
Profile Image for Krista.
1,120 reviews30 followers
July 30, 2019
The fun continues as they try to deal with the Magician and now the oily goo lake following her around. Did I catch your attention? Good, you should read these books. Very entertaining.

Once again, the inner dialogue sets our H's (Teddy, really?) character apart from other books of this type. Its humorous (not so much laugh out loud) and interesting:

"Callon didn’t look at me with pity. I wasn’t sure he had that emotion in his repertoire. He either got annoyed that you fucked up, pissed if your fuck-up cost him somehow, or livid if you kept fucking up"

I appreciated the deep thoughts but so much of the book was of the heroes warring/arguing with each other. I do wish we had more time at the end of the story with an actual relationship with actual talking before the book wrapped. It fell kinda short of feeling believable.

It was a tender moment (for me) to realize WHY he was staying away- duh Krista- she was nowhere near commitment (due to her issues) so of course he kept his distance. Its easier to understand the character when they have dialogue but he was a completely silent character, so I was left with assuming. And we ALL know what happens when we assume :)

So very enjoyable over all but I am hesitant to read more of the authors work if they all are this way, does anyone have any feedback on this??
Profile Image for Debbie.
944 reviews80 followers
August 6, 2019
Donna Augustine returns to The Wilds with Savage One and ends her Born Wild mini-series with a bang.

Series recap:
Teddy, the daughter of a plaguer, was born with death sight, she may not know when you die but she knows how. The only thing she knows about her plaguer mother is that she sold her to monsters when she was a child. So when a beast kills the man who’s tortured her for her entire life she owes him her life.

With yet another madman after her Teddy isn’t ashamed in the least (okay maybe a little) for tricking Callon, the man/beast who saved her and her best friend Tuesday from a life of constant torture into keeping her tied to him. She figures the best chance she and Tuesday have for survival is staying close to Callon and his band of beasts. But just when she thinks she’s got a foolproof plan to wipe out this latest threat another and seemingly more deadly advisory shows its ugly head.

Okay wow this is a fabulous ending to Donna Augustine’s Born Wild mini-series including a few jaw dropping, OMG’s and a visit from her dynamic duo from The Wilds series.

There are a lot of stand-outs in Savage One, one-Donna’s knack of showing readers Teddy’s innocence, spunk, vulnerability and her soft side, then there’s her fantastic storytelling skill that will keep readers mesmerized as she entertains them in The Wilds. But I think the biggest stand out is her innate ability to take the reader into the story by intimating them to her unforgettable characters. Oh and the several times she blindsides her audience with shockers doesn’t hurt either. All in all this is one heck of a tale and must be read after book one, Wild One.

Profile Image for Denise Belt.
314 reviews1 follower
August 6, 2019
Teddy and Callon have the most complicated relationship and they are not able to go more than
five miles from each other because of the death magic the witch preformed tying them together
forever. When the hell pits begin acting peculiar, Teddy is bound and determined to find a way
to find a way to severe their bond and save those that she loves.

Teddy has a passion and fire about her that you can admire. She stands up for what she believes
in and has learned to fight for everything and everyone who needs it. Callon is a hard man who
rarely shows his feelings but the magnetism between the two of them is undeniable. This story
has more surprises than expected and will keep you on your toes.
966 reviews11 followers
July 16, 2019
3.5 stars.

I loved the Wild one and found it well paced and tense. A great read, this not as much.

It felt a bit perfunctory in places and to me the end felt wrong, perfectly reasonable ending but it felt flat somehow as if the author was thinking, I've just got to get this book finished!

As a romance, it was just ok as it was a love story about two people who snarled at each other incessantly but also didnt go away and pine for each other. Which for me dampens the romance somewhat. Another drawback to this book too was how petulant Teddy became.

However I'd still recommend the series on the strength of the first book and the great world building.
Profile Image for Literati Literature Lovers.
2,007 reviews158 followers
August 7, 2019
Love??

I have no clue why Callon and Teddy fell in love. I don’t know why no one thought about the prophecy during the rush to stop the mud. I have no clue about a lot of this book. This is a new adult fantasy that I really felt let me down as a reader. The plot seemed as if the author just pushed this off to finish off her other series with a ultimate HEA.

Read via kindle unlimited..
Profile Image for Jassicca.
820 reviews3 followers
November 1, 2025
Earlier, I said I was a little disappointed that the story didn’t follow any of the old characters from the Wilds series. Well, well, well, would you look at that! This second book gave me exactly what I was hoping for.

It answered questions I’ve had since finishing the Magic, the last book from the Wilds series. According to Tiffy, Dal was pregnant with a baby boy, and now I finally know what happened to him. I have to admit, it wasn’t what I expected. It wasn’t pretty.

As for the ending, it’s classic for this author. She sticks to her formula: slow burn, enemies-to-lovers tension, loyal friends, and ends with a sweet wrap-up. It’s predictable, but comforting in its own way.

I’m also satisfied that the mystery of the mud following Teddy was finally explained. That part felt complete. But the Magician? Honestly, a bit anticlimactic. After all the buildup, I thought he’d be the central threat. Turns out, not so much.

If you love the Wilds series, you ought to check this series out.
Profile Image for Natalie.
377 reviews3 followers
January 18, 2020
Savage one - Book two of the Born Wild series by Donna Augustine.

The story continues with Teddy, a plaguer with powers that can take life as well as give it, and her relationship with Callon, a beast that is reluctant to reveal his cards that he keeps close to his chest.

Teddy still trying to find a way to end the Magicians interest in keeping her forever, finds that he is the least of her problems. With poisonous mud that eat people trying to get to her, Teddy needs to confront her past and find out where she came from and who her parents were in order save her home and the people who live there.

The book is well written, and Teddy and Callon demonstrate that classic love hate relationship with the overtones of sexual frustration added to the mix. The other characters are great and funny in parts too.

Profile Image for ~♥*Marianna*♥~.
903 reviews57 followers
November 22, 2020
Again, it’s good but somehow just a bit short of great. What should be the main reason is that the resolution to the plot in the end is magical and is not in an way an effort on the heroine’s part. She just has to show up and a little fairy tells her everything. This is pretty weak.

But, I could ignore that if the romance would’ve just sparked a little more. I enjoyed the buildup but it’s a bit long of a wait for just that that smudge of vanilla at the end. The thing I liked best about their relationship is the heroine’s almost eagerness to get the beast to lose his mind and come at her. But in the end things are not at all beastly. I felt like I got his human side and that human is kinda boring in bed.
12 reviews1 follower
May 2, 2022
Love a strong woman

I like a book That has a super strong man who is a little rough or intimidating. I love a woman who Is not a pushover and wants to walk beside the man not behind the man. A little fantasy, A little intrigue And a lot of chemistry. I love Everything Donna has written to date.
941 reviews8 followers
May 9, 2020
Love This

Donna Augustine is one of my favorite authors. Her books and series always leave me wanting more and more. This series was no exception. And, we got to meet up with Dal and Dax again as well as Bitters. Awesome book and series.
138 reviews
August 30, 2020
Every time

Freaking loved this series! The Wilds is such a beautiful world! I always appreciate the rawness and uniqueness of Donna’s characters. They have flaws and you get swept into their lives. Would love to see more stories set in this world!
7 reviews
October 30, 2020
Frick!!! It's Good

Best series ever. Read it about 8 times already. The chemistry is so on fire, I blush even thinking about it. Super brass characters and I love the danger. I'm love with Callen and Teddy is a badass.
Profile Image for Mezzy .
101 reviews1 follower
July 13, 2021
Really good continuance of the wilds

Really good story, loved hearing about the wilds but there was a difference to the world building, not as much effort went into it and the villain didn't get their own story but all in all excellent story. Recommend it
Profile Image for T..
Author 13 books572 followers
June 24, 2023
Savage One, the second book of the Born Wild series, is an ebook I borrowed through Kindle Unlimited (KU). Violence, a fast paced story line, and wonderful characters made this a terrific read. Excellent plot progression from book one.
Profile Image for Kim Pow.
819 reviews7 followers
July 27, 2024
Not bad

Interesting plot... A little bit of a challenge to read, because of all the angst and drawn out drama. In the end, some clarification but I still felt like I was left hanging.
Profile Image for K Alexander.
31 reviews
June 26, 2020
Loved it

Fantastic ending to a surprisingly imaginative story with a great couple. Love this world and the characters! Go and check this series out, highly recommended!
Profile Image for Larissa.
484 reviews14 followers
July 27, 2019
Overview

Honestly, I thought this book was better than the first. The major problem for me though was pacing. We have this big villain, the Magician, who was tormenting the characters at the end of the last book, and he's like not that big a deal. We get a new villain immediately, so that felt a little too quick on the switch. The whole time I thought this was going to be a trilogy, so I was ok with the way things were moving. The romance was a bit too slow for me, I was so sick of all the arguing- we already spent an entire book on that so why are we still going. It felt with every step forward she took ten steps back. I can understand how that would happen, the last six years or whatever haven't been great to her, but Callon is equally annoying about it. I'm all for characters that are protective of each other, but they should act like they actually like each other? I need at least a couple of sappy monologues and love professions before I'll deal with that.


Teddy's parentage is brought up, kind of glossed over as well. Again, felt like it was a trilogy so I was ok with it until the end when I realized that this is a duology. Just felt slow at some points and then bam extremely rushed. I loved the characters and I loved the plot, I just wish the events had been spread out a little better. Especially when, A lot of build up for a lot of what felt like instant gratification.


Feels like I went a little too hard on the roasts, but I actually do genuinely enjoy the plot and characters which is why I gave it four stars. I feel like there was a lot that Augustine could have expanded on, but it's perfectly acceptable for her to draw the line and decide to end it rather than keep it going unnecessarily long.


Would I Recommend?

For sure! It was a great sequel, most things were tied up, and we had great closure for Teddy and Callon. I'm happy I finished the duology, and I look forward to what Donna Augustine does in the future.



This review and all my others posted on: https://aworldshapedbybooks.blogspot....
Profile Image for Jo Dawson.
216 reviews2 followers
July 14, 2019
Savage One, Donna Augustine’s follow-up to 2018’s Wild One, takes us back the dystopian world of Teddy and her protector née antagonist Callon. The story begins where book 1 left off, squirreled away at the lodge in the woods, with the immediate threat gone, there lies bigger and badder looming. Teddy struggles between what is right, what her heart wants, and how to protect those around her. As Callon tries to save Teddy, often times from herself, Teddy seeks to prove she is not a damsel in distress, but a force to be reckoned with. It would all be so much easier if they weren’t tethered to each other.

Donna Augustine is a world builder extraordinaire; one of the things I enjoy the most of her books is how fully committed she is to the fantasy world she’s developed, it leaves you no doubt that Newco, the Wilds, and everything in-between will be there after this world crashes. No doubts at all.

This is a tough book to review without spoilers, suffice it to say the book gave me highs and lows. I wanted to bonk both Teddy and Callon upside the heads more than once, but then it made my heart sing and my knees weak, it made me tear up a little and rejoice a lot. It was a great read, completely top of Ms. Augustine’s game.
Profile Image for Donna Taylor.
Author 2 books20 followers
July 14, 2019
Donna has once again weaved a story that covers all the feels. The twist at the end is so delicious and unexpected, a hallmark of an Augustine book. Her mind just doesn't work like a normal person. And that's a good thing, a very good thing for her readers.

I went into this second book with a million questions. Not only were they answered, they were resolved in a way that put a smile on my face. What really had me grinning was having some old friends from previous Wilds' books show up.

Teddy and Callon are the type of protagonists that are like book candy for me. Teddy with her tough girl front but a heart willing to sacrifice it all for her friends. Callon with his alpha dominance putting it on the line for the ones he protects. Both so stubborn, both so loyal.

A well written addition to the Wilds series world. This book definitely has a home on my Favorites shelf.
Profile Image for Sterling Thomas.
Author 11 books118 followers
July 15, 2019
Exactly what I’ve been waiting for

I love this series and these characters so much. The Wilds makes for such a great setting, and Teddy is is the best kind of flawed bad-ass heroine. No Mary Sue here, Teddy is prickly and guarded and broken- and she’s not beloved by all simply for existing- but she carves a way for herself out of sheer force of will, and it resonates with me. I’d read five more stories about Teddy and her pack, but if this is where her story stops, it is a satisfying conclusion.

This is one of those story arcs that you are sad to finish because you’ve become so invested. Another fantastic book from Donna Augustine, who has easily become one of my favorites.
Profile Image for Boo.
3,672 reviews14 followers
January 28, 2022
Awesomeness

This book was great! Finally get the answers to our questions and meet some old friends that had me shed some tears. This ending in this book was one I wasn’t expecting and I loved it for that. As always Donna kept us on our toes and kept the twists coming. But also kinda made me angry about. I understand the story I just don’t like what happened to Dax and dal first kid after reading there story. It became a lie. There first child was supposed to be a boy and be ok. Not pass.
Profile Image for Ashleigh.
8 reviews
July 15, 2019
AMazing!

This was an amazing addition to the Wilds series! Not only did we get to see our characters grow and develop, we got to catch up with some favorites from last books! I loved the way this one brings all the others together and closes off loose ends as well as adds to a world I have fallen in love with. With Ms. Augustine's use of dark humor, a strong heroine and strong supporting characters and an ever growing mystery surrounding the world these characters inhabit, it is definitely a story you can't miss out on!
Profile Image for JadeShea.
3,235 reviews60 followers
July 18, 2019
Savage One begins with Teddy and her friends going after the guy who got away, this time however, something else is after them. Something no one saw coming.

This book was good. I enjoyed how Teddy did things, and I liked what happened in the end, although this sort of felt like the end of this series. This book also brought in a few twists and turns that I didn't see coming and I thought they were freaking awesome!
866 reviews12 followers
July 19, 2019
Boring and redundant..

Not much actions and the FMC was annoying. The h was a jerk to her. Then at the 93% the author decided that they both love one another. The heroine was constantly repeating her not being good enough or how she had a rough childhood. No chemistry except until the end. The only best part on this book was the epilogue. The original wild series were much better.
78 reviews1 follower
August 2, 2019
Perfect

I loved this book as much as the first one! I absolutely love all the characters; Augustine expresses their personalities throughout by their actions, conversations, etc. & I feel like I know them so well. This is a paranormal book that has many different types of humor, which I loved. I experienced everything from frustration to laughter while reading this. I thought it was a perfect sequel, and I enjoyed it from beginning to end!
Profile Image for Bianca.
983 reviews5 followers
August 14, 2019
I like the books set in the Wilds, but this book's ending was a let down with all the anxious building up that they were doing. The bad guy who was gonna give a good fight got taken out in the first book and the hyping up of the goo just to make the solution so simple was very anticlimatic.

With the other wild story the leading lady was kicking serious ass and I kind of felt this story didn't measure up although I did enjoy it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews

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