Surrendered Twilight

by Emma Flemming

In the past, created, rather than born, Dmitri is thrown through life and used by one person after another.

Part of an organisation, hidden both from supernatural and humans, the werewolf follows orders, all while striving to be more than what he was made for. Happiness finally finds him when he’s not looking. But the fates have been rarely kind and it’s gone, before he ever really had it.

In the present, all but a ghost in her own life, Kaylah Bannon drifts through existence with nothing to cling to. No real friends and no family to call her own. Just barely existing, until one late night fate lands her at the feet of the tall, dark and grumpy Mikhail, far from home and her life changed forever from a single bite.

A werewolf and the Alpha to the Hawthorn pack, Mikhail is not happy to have Kaylah tossed into his relatively controlled life. And a turned human to boot? There hadn’t been one in years! Keeping her put is a challenge and training her is a pain, but when he starts to fall for her, that’s what frustrates him the most.

The past and present are about to collide, with two different worlds aligning. Who will be standing when the dust clears…?

Kindle Edition

Published April 30, 2021

About the author

Eldest of five I was drawn to writing as young as seven years old, but only really got into it when I turned ten. It started out with poetry, short stories about unicorns and genies and from there sort of exploded.
Falling into a world of books only made me want to write more and in my teens when emotions didn’t make sense and I hurt in ways I couldn’t explain, the words on the page became my solace.
I tried several times to get published over the years and was turned down for one reason or another. Not for any lack of skill, but because my work didn’t suit the apparent target market.
After the birth of my first son, I contented myself with posting on fanfiction.net, then later AO3. More a hobby, I had been left disheartened and had no desire to try again.
Then on June 14th 2018 I watched my second child come into the world 15 weeks too earlier and I saw someone who seemed too frail to be real, fight through all the odds and never let anything keep him down.
I realised then, if my little warrior can do that...Then I can be the writer I always wanted to be.
I like writing really anything, but I stick primarily to fantasy and sci-fi. As my work comes to light and grows, hopefully I’ll have something to suit any avid reader x

Reviews

[Nancy Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

My review may contain some minor spoilers of the plot!

I entered this book with pretty much zero heads up regarding the plot. More akin to a Greek tragedy that just happens to have werewolves than a Paranormal Fantasy, this book splits itself into 2 timelines known as Past and Present (we aren't offered an exact year the present timeline takes place, only that it happens sometime after 2006).

We then enter the POVs of 3 equally tragic characters: Cassandra & Dimitri from the Past and Kaylah in the Present.

Cassandra's heartwrenching story instantly sucks you in within the very first page. Tortured in an underground cellar by a madman named Elijah, Cassandra's initial hopes of escaping her tormentor makes the reader devour the pages as her hopes for salvation diminish with each passing day.

Dimitri soon enough makes his grand entrance. Born to become an experiment subject and military weapon, he spends his childhood serving a mad scientist/handler named Rick to become the most lethal werewolf, only to have second thoughts about being little more than a slave and yearning above everything else to have a real family. He is always viewed as a likeable person despite the gruesome things he's forced to do, well versed in Classical Music and Russian cinema, but hopelessly clueless when it comes to popular culture or having normal interactions outside of the friendship he forms with Isaac and Roan. Allured by the prospect of living like a true werewolf in nature where he belongs, the reader will feel equally perplexed and saddened by his story.

Intertwined with the Past timeline is the story of Kaylah, a young woman with a troubled past that ends up being turned into a werewolf and starting to adapt to her new life among a small pack that has welcomed her with open arms for mysterious reasons. We get glimpses of her difficult childhood intertwined with her faux passes when she is openly disrespectful of the pack Alpha Mikhail who tries his earnest to be friendly in her most dire time of need.

Sooner or later, the Past and the Present timelines seem to collide with brutal force to its shocking climax. I appreciate the author has kindly offered a warning to readers that the book hasn't been professionally edited. I have placed at the end of the review a list of some pesky typos I found. The book is still quite enjoyable in its present state, but occasional confusing minor plot holes such as the fact Mikhail's sister Saoirse knew Kaylah's name before she said it out loud or that Mikhail is familiar with popular American slang phrases even though he has lived a sheltered life in the mountains of an unspecified English speaking country are a bit odd. As much as I liked Tobias, I think putting his flashback scene pulled me out of the story far too much and it would have better served as exposition in a potential 2nd book. I also wanted to know what happened to Christopher and what the hell was Roan. Maybe more explanations of both characters will be offered in the potential 2nd book. I believe this book is quite a solid read under its own merits and having it edited will make it fully polished.

4 1/2 stars!

Typos List:
Page 15 as the giggled - they
Page 24 a sacrifice, Bruce when - Bruce,
Page 26 guy who's car - whose
Page 34 Loosing - Losing
Page 36 and a no clouds - and no clouds
Page 65 she barely register - registered
Page 74 was finished this - finished with this
Page 82 think your so special - you're
Page 82 Your gonna - You're
Page 84 wonders - wanders
Page 84 and end up - ends
Page 87 let lose - loose
Page 91 by it's cover - its
Page 102 Some day - Someday
Page 106 confidant - confident
Page 137 Keep Kaylah - keep
Page 144 steal - steel
Page 144 time, frame - timeframe,
Page 147 who's - whose
Page 152 there wolves - their
Page 152 There pack - Their
Page 154 hadn't be possible - been
Page 154 minutes past - passed
Page 168 miracle your even - you're
Page 168 herself - her self
Page 172 he change the angle - changed
Page 172 side affect - effect
Page 178 wouldn't wonder close - wander
Page 178 his conscious - conscience
Page 184 accept in one situation - except
Page 184 near by - nearby
Page 189 your gonna - you're
Page 189 as your almost - you're
Page 195 birth parents - parent's
Page 195 whole knew - new
Page 197 the distant - distance
Page 198 who mated , Myrina - remove the comma
Page 205 Tobias' - Tobias's
Page 206 the pick up - pickup
Page 207 by it's entrance - its
Page 207 accept for Kaylah - except

[ElectricOutcast · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good story for people that may want something similar to the anime series Wolf's Rain.

[Niamh Hunter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Often does a book catch your attention as quickly as this one did. Telling us three stories from the outset, we learn of Cassandra, Kaylah and the escapades of a young wolf who has no place in the world. We meet characters that you root for and ones you want to kill with a rusty spoon. We find an evil corporation known only as LUPUS taking girls ultimately culminating in the creation of one of our other characters, Dmitri. We also learn of Kaylah, a girl who has faced the world and roared back at it. An alpha who just wants a damned cup of coffee before he’s woken. An irritating she wolf that would make the Shakira song seem like a lie. And a family that would make you smile.


This is the first novel by Emma Flemming, and I cannot wait for more.


I found myself wanted to burn LUPUS to the ground and dance upon its ashes, but then I felt the same about Sciath and knew deep down, that though they seemed good they were only in it for what they could get out of the people they ‘saved’. There were amazing cultural references and time spanning decades and an ending that almost made me throw my kindle against the wall. And I must add, the use of fuck and shit was inspired. Never have I laughed at a character swearing as I have with this book.


And let me tell you, Mikhail’s grandmother is the kind of grandmother we all need!!! We saw a sibling dynamic in Mikhail, Hayden and Saoirse that felt very familiar and comfortable. The pro’s so evocative that I could picture them as if they were alive in my house.
I look forward to the next instalment with bated breath.


Excellent work.