2 stars for the actual writing and plot as we continue this series!
For the vibes and nostalgia, I would give this one the full 3-3.5 stars. It's better than the second book, in my opinion, as we finally get into the Paladin life, and I felt like so much more happened compared to the second book. This series is still a part of my "nostalgia reads," so my review doesn't really align with the actual star review portion. I think there should be a harsh line drawn in the sand when reviewing it for actual plot and writing versus for the "good ole day" feels - as this series is still so very Wattpad coded (take a shot each time I mention Wattpad in my review). And considering the topic and tropes that it dives into, when I started the 1st book, I patiently waited for the pregnancy trope. Was it necessary, especially in the middle of a war? No! Did I expect it when I picked up this Wattpad-type series? 100%. I would have been more shocked if Demi and Sawyer had waited until the war was at least over before having a child. 🤣 Poor Demi having to survive in the wilderness to become Alpha AND be pregnant all before her brain is fully developed (seriously, what is she, barely 21 at this point?). Sage is the real MVP, though.
Also, fastest birth in the West.
And I cannot even begin to fathom that while she was lost in the woods for an ENTIRE YEAR, somehow 24,000 people fit inside a bunker that probably shouldn't have fit them all realistically considering it wasn't made with the Paladin wolves in mind. I could not wrap my head around that one or even come close to imagining it.
Seriously, what is this series? 😂😂😂 What a wild ride - but in the sense that it's purely for the vibes and finding a sense of humor in everything. As an actual book, it's pretty meh for the werewolf genre - I find it hard to find decent werewolf books, whether it's cheesy mate romance or straight-up balls to the wall horror, though, so I am judging pretty harshly. But I have read a plethora of werewolf stories on Wattpad in the past, so I feel less bad about being so nitpicky on certain things and tropes. I feel like the tropes for the werewolf romance stories are tripled for some reason - there's so many that happen in just one book, let alone a series.
That being said, I will read the fourth and final book of the series. I've made it this far. I might as well see how the series ends and how many more tropes it can knock out. 👊
*also, this series is entirely marketed to young adults - I am very aware. Teenage me back in 2013 would have eaten this series up in a day, no questions asked. It would have killed on Wattpad back then.