Call of the Wolves

Call of the Wolf #1

by Adam Dark, Matthew Thrush

A dead body. A forbidden attraction. An impending war.

Magic enforcement agent Alyssa Crawford is called to a murder scene involving a dead shifter in hopes her fire magic can help solve the case. Instead, she finds herself dragged back into dealing with the same shifter pack she hoped never to encounter again.

The victim of the magical crime belongs to the Walker Pack—a gang of shifters Alyssa swore she would never get involved in again after Marcus Walker broke her heart. But after conducting a sweep and finding no other clues, Alyssa must find Marcus and accept his help..

Alyssa and Marcus dive deeper into the case, only to be thrust to the forefront of a war they want no part in. And if they can’t set aside both their differences and their growing attraction to each other, they’ll fail to uncover the killer before he strikes again.

Fans of Bella Forrest and the Sookie Stackhouse series are addicted to this new paranormal thriller romance by #1 International Bestselling Authors ADAM DARK & MATTHEW THRUSH!

Genres: Suspense, Romance, Werewolves, Magic, Fantasy

252 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 20, 2020

About the author

My name is Adam Dark.

I write horror and paranormal stories based on my vivid dreams. It's the best way that I know of to get the demons out and onto paper. I hope they haunt you and leave your heart pumping like they do me.

I established my first LLC. when I was ten years old. My friends were my first employees. Other than sharing my stories with others, I love making videos on YouTube. If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a video is worth a million. I've directed two movies so far. You can find them on YouTube at Super Plus Toys.

Outside of writing, I spend most of my time playing guitar or golf. Travel is also high on my list of leisure activities. I've been to seven countries within Europe and plan to visit many more in the years to come. The richness of other cultures is thrilling!

I have a pet tarantula named Venom; a dog named Emma; and cat named Ellie. They are my secret confidants to the mysterious worlds I create. I have both an American and Danish passport. Feel free to ask me more about my Polish heritage.

Some other things I enjoy are rock n' roll, public speaking, broccoli (I know, isn't that weird!), school, and heart-wrenching horror movies that leave me clinging to the seat. While I love learning, I dislike homework, disrespectful and rude people, senseless drama, and bullies. There is no room for hatred. We only have one life to live; let's do it to the best that we can and treat everyone with love and kindness.

Want to know more about me? Shoot me an email at adamdarkbooks@gmail.com. I'd be happy to connect with you!

Reviews

[Sheena ☆ Book Sheenanigans · Rating 3 out of 5]

[Sasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Partial Story

I like the writing but nothing is resolved in this book. It ends rather abruptly. I felt that something should have been solved or a portion of the plot tied up. I got nothing. Now I have to wonder if all of the books will be like this.

[Jennifer Layne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book review of Call of the Wolves by Adam Dark and Matthew Thrush

Well, hell ... that was a cliffhanger if ever I've read one!

I love Alyssa she is strong and capable character that I enjoyed getting g to know better. I also fell for Marcus who is also a dynamic character. The world is familiar but foreign and the magic is fantastic! On to the next book!

I received this as an Advanced Reader Copy from Booksprout with the hopes I would like it and review it.

[Stacy Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Matthew Thrush and Adam Dark are the authors of Call of the Wolves. When dead bodies are discovered in a dumpster, the book describes the ensuing inquiry. A paranormal investigator and witch, Alyssa is entrusted with visiting the little community of Clover Pines in the Northern California hills to talk with The Walker Pack's Alpha. Once there, the infamous Marcus Walker, a former love, and a pack of irate wolves were encountered. Once there, the infamous Marcus Walker, a former love, and a pack of irate wolves were encountered. Witches find it difficult to form friendships and connections, and Alyssa forms several of them while also learning valuable lessons about loyalty and trust. As Alyssa acquires self-assurance in her skills and professionalism as an investigator, she undergoes a noticeable metamorphosis.

This book's language, which effectively conveys the characteristics of the people and their social setting, contributes to the scenery. Even unexpected or incomplete individual moments might be highly captivating. Given that the author's keyboard appears to be missing the letter "f," there are numerous grammatical problems. The occurrence of these mistakes slowed down reading. If Thrush and Dark focused more on specific moments and spent less time on unnecessary and occasionally risqué details, the Call of Wolves plot might be more robust.

The characters' voices in the books are skilfully changed by Thrush and Dark, who are outstanding dialogue writers. Thanks to the variety of voices, readers can move between the various perspectives as the narrative shifts. The novel's finely portrayed settings are one of its merits. The pace is brisk throughout, and the story's events start to unfold right after the central conflict of the storyline. The novel is challenging to put down because of the steady building of character tension. Because the author needs to pay extra attention to the flaws stated in this evaluation, a rating of five stars was not possible.

This fantasy novel contains traditional elements and strong, memorable characters. It will be enjoyable to fans of the genre or those who like plot-driven storytelling.

[Jamie Reddinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

WHEN can I get my hands on the rest of this series?! If I could’ve given six stars, I would have, based just on the genre. I can admit, I’m a closet “Twilight” fan and I really enjoy reading paranormal/magickal stories. Adam Dark and Matthew Thrush do a fantastic job in this book, the first in what I hope will be a long series of stories. I did not want to put this thing down.

I really liked how ordinary the main character, Alyssa, is portrayed, even though she is anything but ordinary, as she is a fire witch. Her struggles, both professional and personal, are easy to identify with. The authors did a great job describing her and telling the story from her point of view. While she has obligations to her job as a detective, she also has personal (and maybe romantic) influences to another main character in the book, Marcus. Universal themes, like love and duty, are an interesting read when they pertain to otherworldly characters, like witches and shapeshifters.

I also really enjoyed the overall description of the setting and scenery. I could practically smell the dumpster in the beginning of the story (yuck) but then I could also feel the sun and smell the lush grass later when we went to the Walker neighborhood. That is a fair trade; you take the good with the bad, the garbage with the greenery.

The story progressed well and had my complete attention. I must admit that I feel a bit impatient to begin the next book. If I had to recommend any changes to this book, the only thing I would recommend to improve it is tighter proofreading. I found a few grammatical errors that could be easily fixed. Until they are fixed, they do lend to the reader stumbling a little.

Overall, I recommend you answer this Call of the Wolves and join Alyssa and Marcus as they navigate some interesting challenges.

[Kim Walters · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a lover of magic, romance and mystery. I always love a great book that can capture all aspects and my attention all at the same time. The author’s certainly knew how to get you to invest in the next book….it left me hanging, needing to know the outcome and wanting to start the next book.
This book reminded me of two of my favorite storylines. One being Lucifer a Netflix series and the second being the Twilight series. Two of my favorite things wrapped up in one made for some good reading. If the next book in the series is the same mix, I will be excited to read the whole series. I love that there is some romance mixed in, who doesn’t love a twist of brewing passion and attraction. This also helps the book not be in the darkness the whole time.
I look forward to reading the next book in the series and finding out who the murderer is. I am also curious about any other genre of books that these two authors might have. Matthew seems to be interested in a few different genres, less fictional, I think I would be interested in taking a look at those.
I am happy that the young author Adam has a positive and productive venue for his deep and dark dreams. I also love that he donates 10% of profits to charity! That alone would keep me buying his books! Contributing to the greater good is commendable. I hope that he carries this trait with him throughout his life. The more good we do in the world, the more light it brings into our life.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alyssa was in love with Marcus, the local packs alpha's son. When things got too serious between them the alpha and the rest of the pack chased her away...because wolves hate witches. Al eventually gets over her heartbreak and moves (or so she says) on to become a detective solving supernatural crimes. However a dead body shows up, that she can't get a trace on and the victim has a direct link to Marcus and his pack. The fact that she can't find a magic trace, it seems like secrets are being kept about the case and all of the feelings about seeing Marcus again really makes for this being a difficult case to solve.

This was ok but another case where I thought the story of the murder and missing persons was way more interesting, and I could have actually done without the romance. It just didn't do much for me. Also, Alyssa was in such denial, it got old. She was obviously not over Marcus....which is fine, but stop lying to yourself. And she kept saying she was good at her job but it really seemed that without her magic literally telling her who was guilty she couldn't actually do much detecting. Overall though this was fun and decently paced.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Nikki · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rating: 2.75 Stars

There was an exposition, rising action, and climax, but no falling action or resolution. In fact, the cliffhanger was the climax. Things happened, but nothing happened. Nothing was accomplished, solved, or answered. I’m left feeling very unsatisfied, which is a shame because what story there was, I mostly enjoyed.

Title: Call of the Wolves (Call of the Wolf #1)
by Adam Dark, Matthew Thrush
POV(s): Singular—First Person (Heroine)
Interconnected Series: Yes
Standalone: No
Cliffhanger: Yes
HEA: N/A
Genre(s): Urban Fantasy, Mystery, Suspense
Triggers: N/A
Tags/Tropes:
❖ Alpha-Male-Hero
❖ Fire-Witch-Heroine
❖ Hero-Broke-Up-with-Heroine
❖ Hero-Chose-Pack-Over-Heroine
❖ Heroine-is-Detective
❖ Hero’s-Pack-Part-of-Heroine’s-Case
❖ High-School-Sweethearts
❖ Murder-Mystery
❖ Seperation (~10 Years)
❖ Shapeshifter-Romance
❖ Slowburn (no romance by end of book)
❖ Wolf-Shifter-Hero

[Nickole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rcvd an advanced reader copy for giving my two cents. We meet fire witch and paranormal detective Alyssa trying to get a read on a dead body found in an alley. Nothing is showing up except for a tattoo behind the ear....a wolf pack from her past. Al doesn't want to contact the pack...too many things went wrong with the son of the alpha but a job has to be done and a murdered found. Alyssa didn't expect to see Marcus, she was hoping for the alpha but she's there to do her job. Marcus is shocked to find one of their own dead and was on detail with his father to visit the high priestess...how did Ren end up dead? She also finds out wolf pups kidnapped and there was an investigation against the alpha. How the heck is Alyssa supposed to do her job when things are stacked up against her? One things for certain, her case is connected and she still desires Marcus. Will Al get assistance from Marcus or will it be the end of her career?

[Cyrene Olson · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is some good and some “what just happened” moments in this starter to a new series. I liked the originality since this genre’s market is quite flooded, this one does have a nice base to start out. I liked Alyssa – and her job as a forensic expert with her fire magic, able to track spells. When a shifter ends up dead, and other bodies start piling up, Alyssa is going to have to talk to the alpha of a local strong pack, one that has a strong history for her. When she gets to the pack, she finds out that the alpha is missing and his son, Marcus, whom Alyssa had a young romance with, is whom she’ll have to work with.

I liked the book, it kept me interested and the plot moved along nicely. Considering it’s written by 2 authors, it felt like a cohesive story. My main objection was how this book ended. It was just done. I’m not sure what the authors were thinking – but this could have easily rated higher from me, except for this very bad miss step.

[Lorraine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this Alyssa is a cool and collected amazing character. It was great to read her thinking about what choices to make and then follow through on them. She was also understanding of other peoples decisions even if she didn’t agree with them. Which sounds like a small thing but the amount of books I’ve read where this doesn’t happen is a lot.
Marcus is also an interesting character and I wish we learnt more about him.
The romance side of the book is light at least at the moment and there is miscommunication which I hate but I guess as that happened when they were younger it can be forgiven.
The main issue I had with this book is that it just ended, literally when we got to the main part of the action. It just stopped. I’m not a massive fan of cliff hangers at the best of times but to me this wasn’t a cliff hanger more of an abrupt end and that rubs me the wrong way. So I settled on 3 stars or maybe really 2.5.

[Azar · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did not know when I started this book that it's part 1 of an 8-part series! So, the cliff-hanger at the end was a huge bummer because I was pretty invested in how things were going to turn out.

The storyline itself was pretty good. Nothing too unique or earth shattering, but interesting enough to keep me engaged. The story felt like the TV series True Blood, with all the interactions between humans and various super natural beings, mostly getting along, but sometimes just barely. I was expecting a ton of awkward sex scenes and was relieved that the romance was just some mild flirtation and reminiscing over a past relationship.

The writing was mostly ok, some typos (more and more towards the end), and some awkward phrasings and conversations that made me cringe. But if you can overlook those aspects and just follow the story then it's an enjoyable, easy, and short read. Subtracting one star for the poor writing.

[Lucia Maranghello · Rating 5 out of 5]

Call of the Wolves is a storyline where modern-day reality and magic take place in the story. We are introduced to a murder of a man, or rather a shapeshifter wolf, that our main character which Detective Alissa has to investigate. She realizes that it's an unusual murder that involves magic and a shifter wolf gang she grew up with and wants nothing to do with them.

The story gets you hooked on in the first chapters. With a hint of suspense in every dialogue, the story gets more and more mysterious as the pages go by. Learning about Alyssa's past and her dark romance with his despicable ex was also something that makes the reading so smooth and easy-going. It offers an interesting premise for an enduring series. I also loved that the romantic part didn't involve censored or sexy dialogue or scenes, it offers the perfect connection between a romantic and suspenseful storyline. Would recommend!

[Ashley Mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Call of the Wolves is a Paranormal Urban Fantasy Shapeshifter Romance, the first of the Call of the Wolf Books by Adam Dark and Matthew Thrush. Alyssa, a fire witch and agent of magical enforcement is called along with her team to the site of a magical murder. At the scene, Alyssa is completely frazzled—her powers give her no reading on the murder, and the resulting investigation puts her side by side with the pack leader that broke her heart, Marcus.
I like that the characters are older than in many shifter fiction stories, and found Alyssa’s quips entertaining. For example, “Damned the old gods, the new ones, and every deity in between”, upon hearing that the murdered shifter was in her ex’s pack.
The beginning felt slow, but overall, this book felt similar to the Blood Trails books in theme, and I recommend it to older teens and young adults that like mysteries as well as shapeshifter romances.

[Mayra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Call of the Wolves by Adam Dark is a fantasy novel mixed with romance and the paranormal, that caught my attention from the very beginning. Agent Alyssa Crawford is called to a murder scene involving a dead shifter. The victim of the crime is part of the Walker Pack—a gang of shifters Alyssa swore would never get involved in again. As she had her heart broken by Marcus Walker himself. But after finding no way out nor other clues, Alyssa has to find Marcus and ask him for help. They not only go deep into the case, but also have to fight their differences and their growing attraction to each other, if they want to find the murderer.

I was recommended the writer by a friend of mine, as we share the same likes in books. At first, I was a little doubtful as regards the plot. However, once I started reading, I couldn’t stop reading it. The plot, the writing style and the characters in the story make a wonderful match for an intriguing and captivating novel.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading these two before so when I seen this offering I was thrilled. I would be more than that by the time I finished. Alyssa whom is a agent caught my interest with this gem. It also has a murder with that being something my inspector version delights in when reading. The victim belongs to the pack of the ones she thought not to encounter again. I do believe that is why they have that saying and also it turned into a second chance too when they encounter each other-that is Marcus and her. Working together to find the answers they also get something they do not want. Also rekindling is the chemistry stronger and better than before but they also have to make sure to catch that killer. So with that and everything else you are given a full plate of a read that keeps you until the last page.

[Virginia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Call of the Wolves: A Paranormal Urban Fantasy Shapeshifter Romance is the first book in the series written by authors Adam Dark and Matthew Thrush. I was really surprised to know one of the authors is so young and then I read about him and he was called a prodigy; all that was very interesting and pushed me to read this novel which just by looking at the cover we see is captivating.

I was really glad to know there are plenty of books written by these authors because I was compelled by the writing style of this one. This book has a very captivating storyline that is easy to follow and which has a fast pace that demands the reader to keep on reading until the very end.

The characters are well-created and have enough story for the reader to empathize with them. If you like adventure, this is the book for you.

[Haisam Syyed · Rating 5 out of 5]

Call of the Wolves: A Paranormal Urban Fantasy Shapeshifter Romance is the first book in an eight-book series written by Adam Dark and Matthew Thrush. It’s a romance following a Magic Enforcement agent Alyssa who’s called to a murder to help because of her powers, but instead she ends up involved with the same Walker Pack she vowed never to talk to again. It’s a well-written romance novel that isn’t too over-the-top. It’s a book that grips you into the story, every page is filled with the perfect number of words and plot. It's impressive. The characters are interesting and have depth to each of them, they all are extremely different and provide much to the story plot. My favorite part of the book was the intensity between both of the characters involved in the romance aspect. Overall, it’s a great book, written well and a good romance novel.

[Marina L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Call of the Wolves: A Paranormal Urban Fantasy Shapeshifter Romance” is a fantastic book and the first one in the series. This book definitely kept me reading and wanting to know more!

A very different kind of paranormal story packed with mystery and romance. I really liked how the story progressed from low to high, beginning with a high level and ending with a great level. In terms of the characters, I found it fascinating to see how each of them develops. Each has their own unique features, personality, and interests that they put aside in favor of the story.

It is really a book that captivated me from the beginning, and as it progresses, it only confirms how great it is.

[Celeste · Rating 5 out of 5]

Call of the Wolves is the first instalment in a promising series full of fantasy and romance. That is one of the things I liked the most about this book; it integrates fantasy to a murder mystery and romantic story and that doesn’t feel strange or out of place. What I perceived from reading the book is that the fantastic elements are secondary to the construction of the plot, although they are very well employed and add some substance to the whole novel. The romance provides an emotional background to an intriguing and suspenseful murder case that the protagonist has to solve and make the book compelling and thrilling. Although the characters are not described in depth, they are interesting and I would like to read more about them in the following books. All in all, this is a great story. I strongly recommend it.

[Conscientious · Rating 5 out of 5]

Call of the Wolves: A Paranormal Urban Fantasy Shapeshifter Romance by Adam Dark and Matthew Thrush is a captivating paranormal. Alyssa Crawford belongs to magic enforcement but when she is called to a murder scene, she is more than annoyed having to deal with a pack she hoped never to get involved again. Avoiding tangled with Marcus Walker in a romance and having to work with him together is more than she could tolerate. Alyssa and Marcus need to find the killer before he strikes again with side stepping every hurdle in their way. Amazing chemistry, strong storyline, and a mix of forbidden romance, I became an instant fan! I enjoyed every bit of it as everything comes together perfectly. I could feel the energy and vibe of a paranormal setting which is a huge deal for me. I can't wait to read the entire series. A well-deserved 5 stars, highly recommended.

[Chico's Mom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Promising fantasy romance novel.

Okay knowing that this is a series made me really hopeful for the next couple of books. The storyline is something that you would already expect as having supernatural entities co-existing with human beings. They can either be friend or foe, even love interests.

Although it is a familiar, plot I still enjoyed following Alyssa around the town solving murders. The authors made it still interesting enough for me to want to read the whole series including the prequel. I loved that this seems like a clean YA novel even though there was romance involved in the story line, not talking about bits and pieces of one's body that should not be mentioned. I like Marcus’ character, he gives off a very dominant person vibe but is soft for Alyssa.
Some parts of the book need to be re-edited but, all in all, a very promising series. Can't wait for the next one!

[Almiria · Rating 4 out of 5]

A detective who investigates the paranormal, shapeshifters, mystery, romance… this novel contains everything a thrilling urban paranormal mystery and romance needs! Detective Alyssa Walker, an investigator of all creepy and unsavoury magical happenings, comes across a case she cannot solve without the assistance of her old crush, wolf shape-shifter Marcus Walker. But she puts aside personal feelings for her job and, of course, both the mystery and the romantic tension of the novel increase from there. My only gripe with this book is the cliffhanger at the end. I personally prefer novels that can be read as a standalone, and I am just as likely, if not more so, to read more by the same author if it was a good standalone than if the book ends with a cliffhanger.

[Susan B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Call of the Wolves: A Paranormal Urban Fantasy Shapeshifter Romance is the great opening book of a series that seems to be promising.
The authors have created a compelling Werewolves and Shifters suspense that becomes more engrossing with each chapter and he wonderfully laced the plot with intrigue and suspense. All this makes it a brazen edge-of-the-seat tale.
If I have to summarize two things that stand out from this book, I would say that one of them is the amazing way in which the author depicted the characters. The second would be the fond and size
he chose to write this book since it is not written in the typical Arial 12 most books are written in. This type of medium-sized letter allows the chapters to be fast-paced and prevents them from becoming dull and tedious ones.

[Aneley Sánchez · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good paranormal novel.

Call of the Wolves is the first book of a fantasy series. This book is a blend of paranormal elements and mystery with romance. Alyssa Crawford, a enforcement agent, must use her fire magic to help solve the murder of a shifter but to do so, she must get involved again with the Walker Pack gang and with Marcus, who once broke her heart.
I liked this story because it was entertaining and light; it was easy to read. Although the author created a fantastic world that flows smoothly between normal and paranormal elements, I think this aspect could be further deepened, which would improve the story even more.
I enjoyed it and will read the next books. I would like to find a great twist that surprises me!

[Evelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Call of the Wolves” is a suspenseful story full of constant action, an edge of fear, amazing settings and wonderful characters.
This is the first book of a long fantasy series which has enough to pull any kind of reader; personally, it held me for the ride. At the end of this first installment, I found myself wanting more of Alyssa and Marcus and I appreciated there were more of these awesome protagonists in the next book.
As soon as I read the first sentence of chapter one: “The dead body already smelled by the time I arrived at the crime scene”, I knew that the intrigue of this title will captivate me and I was absolutely right. The tension is present throughout the whole narrative and it’s difficult to put it down!

[Alfredo R · Rating 4 out of 5]

A complete and promising series

“Call of the Wolves” is the first book of the series “Call of the Wolf” by Adam Dark and Matthew Thrush. The promising series tells the story of Alyssa Crawford, a magic enforcement agent who is very fierce and just when it comes to following the rules.

She is assigned to a complicated case, but her strength and sacrifice make her move on and reveal deep secrets.

What I liked the most about this story is the description of the settings together with the character development. It is easy to imagine and accept this hypothetical magical world because of the descriptions of the writers. I was not convinced by the love story between the main character and Marcus, her partner, but I loved the rest of the plot. Four stars for this one!

[Juan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this piece of work since it’s cleverly written and it kept me engaged all the way to the end.
The characters are authentic and changing, as it’s the relationship between Alyssa y Marcus, the protagonists. They make a really formidable team and they complement each other.
At the end of the chapters, we can find information about the authors and something that called my attention and in which I found a great pleasure was the fact that they invite the readers to contact them. This closeness they created is amazing and it was the main reason I gave the book 5 stars.
This is a captivating, fast paced and exciting story that I definitely recommend as well as a highly recommended series.

[CarlitasFox · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gripping mystery story
The moment I started reading “Call of the Wolves”, I became fascinated by this urban fantasy novel penned by Adam Dark together with Mathew Thrush.
The story revolves around Alyssa Crawford who is in charge of figuring out a strange murder that apparently was done by black magic or something like that. To do so, she must count on Marcus' help to solve it.
Apart from excitement and mystery, this novel contains a rollercoaster of emotions among the main characters despite their differences and quarrels. The dialogues are simple and realistic, and this makes it easy to be inside the plot. It's an excellent story down to the last page! Fans of mystery will find it really gripping. Highly recommended.

[Saya J · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great paranormal fantasy adventure

Call of the Wolves: A Paranormal Urban Fantasy Shapeshifter Romance is the first installment in the series called “Call of the Wolf'' written by authors Adam Dark and Matthew Thrush. It is a great paranormal fantasy adventure that caught me reading for hours. There’s not much new in this story regarding the genre but the story is very entertaining. The characters were well rounded and described. I liked the dialogues and the description of the scenes. It would have been a good idea to double check proofreading because there are some slight errors. Anyways, this is nothing that stopped me from reading the whole story until the very last page. I recommend it and I am eager to read the following book.