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The Full Moon Medic #1
Emergency Shift
Never promise a fey anything.
With magic leaking back into our world, working the nightshift as a paramedic comes with danger. But I handle it. I’ve got a shotgun for the zombies and my lycanthropic rage hasn’t escaped my apartment. Life is normal-ish. All that changes when I’m called to help a dying fey knight and I make a promise.
There’s a little girl with big eyes and a heart-rending sniffle. I can’t say no. Of course she’s not human. She’s their key to opening the long-closed gates and feasting on humanity.
Now an entire world I know nothing about is trying to kill me. And if I don’t protect her, the teeth around my heart will finish the job. If I learn fast and bargain the right parts of my soul, the girl and I might make it out alive. Otherwise the cruelest winter will freeze even the warmest hearts in the city.
With magic leaking back into our world, working the nightshift as a paramedic comes with danger. But I handle it. I’ve got a shotgun for the zombies and my lycanthropic rage hasn’t escaped my apartment. Life is normal-ish. All that changes when I’m called to help a dying fey knight and I make a promise.
There’s a little girl with big eyes and a heart-rending sniffle. I can’t say no. Of course she’s not human. She’s their key to opening the long-closed gates and feasting on humanity.
Now an entire world I know nothing about is trying to kill me. And if I don’t protect her, the teeth around my heart will finish the job. If I learn fast and bargain the right parts of my soul, the girl and I might make it out alive. Otherwise the cruelest winter will freeze even the warmest hearts in the city.
288 pages, Paperback
First published April 8, 2021
1490 people are currently reading
433 people want to read
About the author
Daniel Potter
20 books71 followersThere is more than one author with this name
Daniel Potter has always been inspired by the mysteries of the world. His early interest lead him to become avid researcher as well as gamer and writer. After obtaining his PhD in vascular biology, he began exploring fictional magic and spiritualism using his own particular scientific lense. Daniel published the webcomic Walking the Lethe from 2010-2012 and is an active member of the East Bay Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Meet-up group. His debut novel, Off Leash, is just the first in his Freelance Familiar series.
When he's not chasing his imagination, Daniel works as a vascular biologist in the Bay Area. He shares an apartment with his wife, two cats, and a large collection of video games.
Daniel Potter has always been inspired by the mysteries of the world. His early interest lead him to become avid researcher as well as gamer and writer. After obtaining his PhD in vascular biology, he began exploring fictional magic and spiritualism using his own particular scientific lense. Daniel published the webcomic Walking the Lethe from 2010-2012 and is an active member of the East Bay Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Meet-up group. His debut novel, Off Leash, is just the first in his Freelance Familiar series.
When he's not chasing his imagination, Daniel works as a vascular biologist in the Bay Area. He shares an apartment with his wife, two cats, and a large collection of video games.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 147 reviews
April 23, 2021
EMERGENCY SHIFT by Daniel R. Potter is a fascinating series of misadventures about an EMT having possibly the worst night of her life. Well, week really. I used to date an EMT and she had the most fascinating stories of unruly patients, ludicrous situations, and epic weirdness. I can't imagine what sort of stories she might have shared if she'd lived in a world where the supernatural existed and "Code-Z" was a problem you had to deal with on a regular basis.
Abby is an interesting protagonist who seems dead-set on trying to treat her extremely hardcore night, opening with a vampire awakening in her ambulance, as just another ordinary night as things continue to go off the rails. This includes dealing with an evil Santa, unwittingly adopting a werecat girl, and making friends with a Mean Girl turned professional Necromancer from her old high school days. It is a very strange book and all the stronger for it.
The story is excellent with the best parts being those that have Abby dealing with the weirdness of her day to day shift in the quote-unquote "real world." Midway through the book it goes more toward high fantasy with her getting sucked into the spectacular world of the fae, gods, and goddesses.
It's an impressive piece of work and I strongly recommend it for people who want to enjoy truly wild Gaiman-esque fantasy.
Abby is an interesting protagonist who seems dead-set on trying to treat her extremely hardcore night, opening with a vampire awakening in her ambulance, as just another ordinary night as things continue to go off the rails. This includes dealing with an evil Santa, unwittingly adopting a werecat girl, and making friends with a Mean Girl turned professional Necromancer from her old high school days. It is a very strange book and all the stronger for it.
The story is excellent with the best parts being those that have Abby dealing with the weirdness of her day to day shift in the quote-unquote "real world." Midway through the book it goes more toward high fantasy with her getting sucked into the spectacular world of the fae, gods, and goddesses.
It's an impressive piece of work and I strongly recommend it for people who want to enjoy truly wild Gaiman-esque fantasy.
October 31, 2021
This book felt very messy to me. I so much wanted to like it, but it was all over the place, and I had a seriously hard time keeping up with everything. Part of that was how messy the supernatural world seemed to be, another part was the general lack of world building, which leads us to the third reason: This book felt like it was the second or third in a series, not a first. It kept referencing things that had happened like the reader should already know these things.
The characters also felt weird to me. I don't know what it was, but they all seemed very one-dimensional and kinda rough. Like this was an early version of the script that skipped a few rounds of editing. I'm not sure I'll be continuing on, whenever the sequel arrives.
The characters also felt weird to me. I don't know what it was, but they all seemed very one-dimensional and kinda rough. Like this was an early version of the script that skipped a few rounds of editing. I'm not sure I'll be continuing on, whenever the sequel arrives.
May 12, 2021
Confusing
Started out good, but then they went down a rabbit hole of confusion. I couldn't make sense of anything so I quit reading a skipped to the end. Never finished the book. Lost interest.
Started out good, but then they went down a rabbit hole of confusion. I couldn't make sense of anything so I quit reading a skipped to the end. Never finished the book. Lost interest.
April 30, 2021
I picked up this book because it looked different from a lot of what I've read recently and it was. There were peeks at characters from other movies, books, and fairytales that have been twisted just a little to make them interesting. I like the way this author writes. It is very easy to visualize the story when I could concentrate.
The reason I have this a 1🌟 is I DNF at 50%. It went from one disaster near death experience to another with barely any downtime between. I don't like that I like a little downtime to take a breath before the next big thing happens. It was a little confusing because while the author gave little hints it was hard to follow sometimes. That is most likely because I couldn't concentrate due my pain levels. I probably would have enjoyed it several years ago.
The reason I have this a 1🌟 is I DNF at 50%. It went from one disaster near death experience to another with barely any downtime between. I don't like that I like a little downtime to take a breath before the next big thing happens. It was a little confusing because while the author gave little hints it was hard to follow sometimes. That is most likely because I couldn't concentrate due my pain levels. I probably would have enjoyed it several years ago.
May 13, 2021
I guess I'm too old for this one.
As I am a big fan of fantasy , after reading the introduction, I thought this would be a book for me. Though some parts are funny and interesting I didn't understand most of it and lost interest half way through. I'm not a fan of anime, manga, or video games so for the most part I didn't understand the characters. I'm sure this would be a great read for someone younger than me and do wish the author luck.
As I am a big fan of fantasy , after reading the introduction, I thought this would be a book for me. Though some parts are funny and interesting I didn't understand most of it and lost interest half way through. I'm not a fan of anime, manga, or video games so for the most part I didn't understand the characters. I'm sure this would be a great read for someone younger than me and do wish the author luck.
July 29, 2022
I wasn't entirely in the mood for the tone of this book so probably raise it to 3.5☆.
The last chapters were enough to lure me to the next, mostly due to how she interacted and ALTERED Mab. Quite the twist on the trope but totally in keeping on how the author built her version of an Underhill so to speak.
The last chapters were enough to lure me to the next, mostly due to how she interacted and ALTERED Mab. Quite the twist on the trope but totally in keeping on how the author built her version of an Underhill so to speak.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 11, 2021
A little bit of a rabbit hole trip but an interesting read!
After the first two chapters referred to incidences that happened in a previous book (short story in an anthology?). The author did indicate that it wasn't necessary to read-but for me I felt like something was missing (like starting a series from book 2 - shudder). The pre sequel can be found by joining his newsletter group/bookfunnel club.
After reading the short, this story then made a bit more sense. By the way this author is in the group that doesn't describe their characters. You get an idea of how the secondary characters look based on the heroines comments but very little about her self. Another reason why I read the pre sequel -again no wiser.
Lack of descriptives - usually makes me tag my books as meh - maybe. However I am vested in reading the second one when its comes out. Off to read his first book in the familars series!
After the first two chapters referred to incidences that happened in a previous book (short story in an anthology?). The author did indicate that it wasn't necessary to read-but for me I felt like something was missing (like starting a series from book 2 - shudder). The pre sequel can be found by joining his newsletter group/bookfunnel club.
After reading the short, this story then made a bit more sense. By the way this author is in the group that doesn't describe their characters. You get an idea of how the secondary characters look based on the heroines comments but very little about her self. Another reason why I read the pre sequel -again no wiser.
Lack of descriptives - usually makes me tag my books as meh - maybe. However I am vested in reading the second one when its comes out. Off to read his first book in the familars series!
May 6, 2025
Emergency Shift is book one in The Full Moon Medic series by Daniel Potter.
I picked this one up because of the blurb and title, but unfortunately it didn’t work for me.
I’m so confused after reading this book. Why I say this is; because I was lost throughout the novel trying to understand what was going on and where the story was going. Nothing was clear.
The author references events that previously happened and so, I felt like I was missing a book. Which is weird; because this is the first book in the series. Then we have the world-building which there is none.
As for the characters they felt weird, one-dimensional, and kind of rough.
I wanted to like this novel, but Emergency Shift was a hard read for me. It had some interesting things, but being confused and not understanding the world took away my enjoyment.
Rated: 2 Stars
I picked this one up because of the blurb and title, but unfortunately it didn’t work for me.
I’m so confused after reading this book. Why I say this is; because I was lost throughout the novel trying to understand what was going on and where the story was going. Nothing was clear.
The author references events that previously happened and so, I felt like I was missing a book. Which is weird; because this is the first book in the series. Then we have the world-building which there is none.
As for the characters they felt weird, one-dimensional, and kind of rough.
I wanted to like this novel, but Emergency Shift was a hard read for me. It had some interesting things, but being confused and not understanding the world took away my enjoyment.
Rated: 2 Stars
December 9, 2022
DNF at 55%. I felt the book was messy and confusing.
II really wanted to like it but, it lack world building. I kept thinking that I missed a prior book in the series. This felt like it was book 2 or 3 in the series not book 1.
It kept referencing a past as if the reader should already know what happened. Characters felt wonky, like the author wasn’t sure what type of supernaturals should be in the book, so let’s through all this in there and not really explain it well. Then let’s throw in some Disney character references to see if it helps the reader understand the character. It didn’t.
II really wanted to like it but, it lack world building. I kept thinking that I missed a prior book in the series. This felt like it was book 2 or 3 in the series not book 1.
It kept referencing a past as if the reader should already know what happened. Characters felt wonky, like the author wasn’t sure what type of supernaturals should be in the book, so let’s through all this in there and not really explain it well. Then let’s throw in some Disney character references to see if it helps the reader understand the character. It didn’t.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 12, 2021
Loved this Book
I loved the storyline. A werewolf and a cat. The only part I had issue with is Cindy. She needs to grow as a person. Abby needed her. Cindy needs to find her inner strength and be braver.
I loved the storyline. A werewolf and a cat. The only part I had issue with is Cindy. She needs to grow as a person. Abby needed her. Cindy needs to find her inner strength and be braver.
April 12, 2021
Solid urban fantasy
I read a lot of urban fantasy, Andy this still managed to feel like a fresh take. I will definitely follow this series.
I read a lot of urban fantasy, Andy this still managed to feel like a fresh take. I will definitely follow this series.
Read
May 15, 2021DNF
June 29, 2021
😻
That was surprisingly good. A lot of head twists here and there a lot of Alice in wonderland thrown in. BTw I really like secret!!
That was surprisingly good. A lot of head twists here and there a lot of Alice in wonderland thrown in. BTw I really like secret!!
April 27, 2021
A breath of fresh air
As a night shift medic,.I had to read it. And o loved it, the characters are well written,with there own unique personalities. The story line and plot progress well, between the fantasy and the medical . This isn't a.child's book but a glimpse of some of the darker sides of far. Getting the second book asap!
As a night shift medic,.I had to read it. And o loved it, the characters are well written,with there own unique personalities. The story line and plot progress well, between the fantasy and the medical . This isn't a.child's book but a glimpse of some of the darker sides of far. Getting the second book asap!
September 17, 2021
DNF. Made it to 50% before giving up. I’ve never been so confused in my life. Nothing was explained and there was no world building. The premise was good. The execution was a mess.
June 10, 2023
This book was amazing! I really enjoyed it! I can't wait to read the next book!
April 26, 2021
First I have read by this author
I enjoyed this new series so far can't wait for the next one. I like the concept of the EMT being what she is and who her friends are.
I enjoyed this new series so far can't wait for the next one. I like the concept of the EMT being what she is and who her friends are.
July 12, 2024
I really wanted to like this. It sounded so interesting and it started off strong.
BUT then it just kept getting more and more weird and random.
I usually love creative stories. But honestly I could not keep up. There was so much going on.
I hit 44% and felt so lost.
This is like word-drugs for the mind. It was like reading about someones bad trip. Which just isn't for me.
I went back a few pages, thinking maybe I missed something. But no..
Maybe I am not in the right mood or frame of mind. But either way, this is a DNF for me, at least for now.
What is worse, there is a prequel book to this one 'Twilight Run', it's a short novella, like 60 pgs. The only way to get it is through signing up for author emails. I read it first. It still does not explain all the stuff referenced to in this book.
Like many reviewers have pointed out, this comes across like its book 2-3 in a series, not book one. As there is so much referred to that we are clueless about.
Just not well-thought out or put together, IMO..
BUT then it just kept getting more and more weird and random.
I usually love creative stories. But honestly I could not keep up. There was so much going on.
I hit 44% and felt so lost.
This is like word-drugs for the mind. It was like reading about someones bad trip. Which just isn't for me.
I went back a few pages, thinking maybe I missed something. But no..
Maybe I am not in the right mood or frame of mind. But either way, this is a DNF for me, at least for now.
What is worse, there is a prequel book to this one 'Twilight Run', it's a short novella, like 60 pgs. The only way to get it is through signing up for author emails. I read it first. It still does not explain all the stuff referenced to in this book.
Like many reviewers have pointed out, this comes across like its book 2-3 in a series, not book one. As there is so much referred to that we are clueless about.
Just not well-thought out or put together, IMO..
April 8, 2021
This was a fantastic new storyline and not what I was expecting at all. I was thinking it was going to be a more fluffy happy type of story but it got pretty dark there for a bit which I love. Abby and Secret are a fantastic duo, and I love that Abby does not treat Secret like a human child (because she isn't). Both of them have to make sacrifices to survive the warring Queens and their courts. Solid first book and will absolute read book #2. ( I received an ARC for a fair and honest review but I also purchased a copy)
June 22, 2021
Needs Worldbuilding
You are thrown into this book with a proper build up of the world it takes place in. What is this plague that happened? No explanation is ever given. If a book is not set in the now and in this same world proper history and descriptors are definitely needed.
There was a brief message in the beginning of the book that if you wanted to know about the h’s past you could subscribe to the authors newsletter. Perhaps this is where all the missing world building takes place? That work building should be in this first book.
I get that an author wants to drum up a following, etc. but provide that newsletter sign up as a bonus incentive, not one for an integral part of the story you want people to purchase. You’ll gain more followers if your story is complete and not confusing from the get go.
(Bonus Examples: Deleted scenes, extended epilogues, the story/a pivotal scene from a different characters POV, the backstory on a minor character, etc.)
You are thrown into this book with a proper build up of the world it takes place in. What is this plague that happened? No explanation is ever given. If a book is not set in the now and in this same world proper history and descriptors are definitely needed.
There was a brief message in the beginning of the book that if you wanted to know about the h’s past you could subscribe to the authors newsletter. Perhaps this is where all the missing world building takes place? That work building should be in this first book.
I get that an author wants to drum up a following, etc. but provide that newsletter sign up as a bonus incentive, not one for an integral part of the story you want people to purchase. You’ll gain more followers if your story is complete and not confusing from the get go.
(Bonus Examples: Deleted scenes, extended epilogues, the story/a pivotal scene from a different characters POV, the backstory on a minor character, etc.)
April 11, 2022
I really wanted to like this book. It hits all the right points to be an ideal selection for me. Urban-fantasy, paranormal, and EMS-related are my hot buttons. The writing was good. The protagonist in this book would often start spouting far-left political ideology. I thought initially that I could gloss over it since it was a fantasy world and the author could have it work the way they wanted. I am slightly left of center politically, so early on I was willing to overlook some things. However, after the egregious disrespect towards the police offices and the heinous violation of just about every firearms safety procedure ever written, the author had me hoping the protagonist would get eaten by something. I have picked this one up and tried to finish it many times in the last 11 months. Finally, I just skimmed to the end so that I felt like it was over.
May 5, 2022
I expected an urban fantasy story with a somewhat well-defined magic system and a story about the MC being drawn into fae affairs. Which is technically what the book is about.
But what I actually got instead is a drug trip induced by strong hallucinogens that fits best into the "Magical Realism" genre if anything.
It's a weird amalgamation of urban fantasy where Fae start to return to the human realm setup with loose bits of classic body horror sprinkled in and real-life anime human-animal hybrids like catgirls even including general online otaku culture. Even the wish-fulfillment aspect of that genre is somehow present but falls strangely flat because it doesn't fit into the story of a straight FMC at all. It instead shows the sexy cat girls to the book audience which comes across very weirdly. It also borrows a lot from Japanese mythology and mixes it with the traditional european Fae folklore as well as lots of random pop culture from all over the place. There are enough individual ideas in the first half of this book to fill an entire 4 book series.
Quite a few sections really read like an LSD trip gone wrong with no rhyme or reason. It's just this weird soup out of anything and everything with no real direction and no logical consistency to anything. It sways back and forth between your classic high-octane fast-paced urban fantasy and ponderous whimsical magic.
My biggest problem with all that is that none of this is my genre. It is a book that spectacularly misses its target audience with its presentation in terms of cover, genres, and blurb.
I am sure there is an audience that can appreciate this kind of story. It's not particularly badly written but it's chaos and not my kind of story at all.
But what I actually got instead is a drug trip induced by strong hallucinogens that fits best into the "Magical Realism" genre if anything.
It's a weird amalgamation of urban fantasy where Fae start to return to the human realm setup with loose bits of classic body horror sprinkled in and real-life anime human-animal hybrids like catgirls even including general online otaku culture. Even the wish-fulfillment aspect of that genre is somehow present but falls strangely flat because it doesn't fit into the story of a straight FMC at all. It instead shows the sexy cat girls to the book audience which comes across very weirdly. It also borrows a lot from Japanese mythology and mixes it with the traditional european Fae folklore as well as lots of random pop culture from all over the place. There are enough individual ideas in the first half of this book to fill an entire 4 book series.
Quite a few sections really read like an LSD trip gone wrong with no rhyme or reason. It's just this weird soup out of anything and everything with no real direction and no logical consistency to anything. It sways back and forth between your classic high-octane fast-paced urban fantasy and ponderous whimsical magic.
My biggest problem with all that is that none of this is my genre. It is a book that spectacularly misses its target audience with its presentation in terms of cover, genres, and blurb.
I am sure there is an audience that can appreciate this kind of story. It's not particularly badly written but it's chaos and not my kind of story at all.
March 26, 2023
While I found the premise interesting I didn't enjoy it as much compared to other books in this genre. The main character was pretty well defined but some of the side characters didn't feel as well fleshed out and reliant more on stereotypes. Although I will admit that the resolution to one of the conflicts was indeed very unique, which helped as a result I found the book more "fun" to read towards the end. However, it's not one leaving me chomping at the bit to read the next in the series.
Abby Shift is a paramedic in the world where the "seal" keeping the mythical from mundane is breaking down. She and her partner, Cindy, are having to deal with things like zombies, vampires, and to top it off once a month she turns into something else after been bit by the goddess, Luna. Society has broken down in many aspects. Her last paramedic run exposed her to a dying fey "knight" who was charged on delivering a halfing Pooka that resembles a young child that was partly cat and a shifter. Abby makes the mistake of promising the Knight to deliver said child to "the Queen". However, reality is much more difficult as what she thought was an empty promise has a magical leash that if she doesn't fulfill could kill her. Also, there are multiple queens in the fey realm. Who should she deliver this child to and will they misuse or abuse if she does so. She must decide where this child is the safest and if necessary how to find a loophole around the promise if necessary to do so.
Abby Shift is a paramedic in the world where the "seal" keeping the mythical from mundane is breaking down. She and her partner, Cindy, are having to deal with things like zombies, vampires, and to top it off once a month she turns into something else after been bit by the goddess, Luna. Society has broken down in many aspects. Her last paramedic run exposed her to a dying fey "knight" who was charged on delivering a halfing Pooka that resembles a young child that was partly cat and a shifter. Abby makes the mistake of promising the Knight to deliver said child to "the Queen". However, reality is much more difficult as what she thought was an empty promise has a magical leash that if she doesn't fulfill could kill her. Also, there are multiple queens in the fey realm. Who should she deliver this child to and will they misuse or abuse if she does so. She must decide where this child is the safest and if necessary how to find a loophole around the promise if necessary to do so.
February 27, 2024
I quite enjoyed this book and am glad I read the prequel first to explain a bit more about some of the characters and what had happened to them before this one.
Abby Night is a EMT in a world where zombies and fae exist. On a call out to help an injured being, she inadvertently becomes the guardian for a very special and prized, young shapeshifting cat. Secret was just the cutest!
When an evil redcap posing as Santa appears demanding for Secret to be given to him, Abby will do anything to stop her from being taken, but the redcap won't take the rejection lying down! Oh no! He is downright vicious and relentless in his attacks and to make their escape, Secret takes Abby through the Dreamland in order to find help.
The journey through the Dreamland was strange, full of unusual beings, but magical all the same. Eventually they make their way through battle after battle (some gruesome; some freezing cold) and Abby goes through some major transformation on the way!
I loved how Abby's friends all came together for her in several times of need, even Victoria, the goth necromancer from the previous prequel. I'm hoping that Abby is able to grow with her new found powers and responsibilities. I would love to know more about what went on with Jimmy as well other than what he did at the end of time together.
I enjoyed this one enough (despite the few typos and missing words here and there) to buy the next one in this series as well.
Abby Night is a EMT in a world where zombies and fae exist. On a call out to help an injured being, she inadvertently becomes the guardian for a very special and prized, young shapeshifting cat. Secret was just the cutest!
When an evil redcap posing as Santa appears demanding for Secret to be given to him, Abby will do anything to stop her from being taken, but the redcap won't take the rejection lying down! Oh no! He is downright vicious and relentless in his attacks and to make their escape, Secret takes Abby through the Dreamland in order to find help.
The journey through the Dreamland was strange, full of unusual beings, but magical all the same. Eventually they make their way through battle after battle (some gruesome; some freezing cold) and Abby goes through some major transformation on the way!
I loved how Abby's friends all came together for her in several times of need, even Victoria, the goth necromancer from the previous prequel. I'm hoping that Abby is able to grow with her new found powers and responsibilities. I would love to know more about what went on with Jimmy as well other than what he did at the end of time together.
I enjoyed this one enough (despite the few typos and missing words here and there) to buy the next one in this series as well.
February 12, 2025
I DNF'd this one at 50% so I am counting it.
This felt like a book the author put together from too many ideas and then couldn't quite make it cohesive. The descriptions are great, the world-building was so bad I felt like this should have been the 2nd or 3rd book. I also had a hard time following it because there were so many places and ideas that I felt didn't drive the story forward. There is this detail that keeps coming up, an old boyfriend named Jimmy. I get that it's part of Abby's backstory, but it was never fully explained, but brought up over and over again.
Abby is a newly turned werewolf and paramedic. One night she rescues a little girl who has ears and a tail like a cat. She has no name so Abby names her Secret. Abby is bound to Secret by a vow she makes to Secret's dying guardian? Not sure the actual relationship there. Abby is supposed to take Secret back to someone, not explained well at all. But there are others after her. It seemed at some points that the general population knows about the paranormal and at other times it didn't seem like it at all. I was really confused.
And then it sort of shifts from urban fantasy to epic fantasy. Anyway, I just can't stick this one out. It tried hard, but just didn't hold my attention.
This felt like a book the author put together from too many ideas and then couldn't quite make it cohesive. The descriptions are great, the world-building was so bad I felt like this should have been the 2nd or 3rd book. I also had a hard time following it because there were so many places and ideas that I felt didn't drive the story forward. There is this detail that keeps coming up, an old boyfriend named Jimmy. I get that it's part of Abby's backstory, but it was never fully explained, but brought up over and over again.
Abby is a newly turned werewolf and paramedic. One night she rescues a little girl who has ears and a tail like a cat. She has no name so Abby names her Secret. Abby is bound to Secret by a vow she makes to Secret's dying guardian? Not sure the actual relationship there. Abby is supposed to take Secret back to someone, not explained well at all. But there are others after her. It seemed at some points that the general population knows about the paranormal and at other times it didn't seem like it at all. I was really confused.
And then it sort of shifts from urban fantasy to epic fantasy. Anyway, I just can't stick this one out. It tried hard, but just didn't hold my attention.
July 25, 2021
Loved it!!
I really like this book. I love the concept and the characters. I really love that our lead heroine makes the difficult decisions. She is afraid but she moves you know? Some of my issues with some of the more popular supernatural/paranormal fiction (read:Dresden) that I’ve read is that the characters freeze. Or they make stupid decisions and I don’t know if this is the author trying to make them seem more “human” but no. THIS is what I want to see in a lead character, THIS is what I want to see for a human!! I love how layered this world is and I’m really enjoying getting to know these characters. Our lead heroine isn’t worried about saving the world, she’s worried about the people entrusted to her and she truly makes decisions based on that. It’s amazing. It’s empowering. It’s what I’ve been desperately looking for in a lead character. I was at the point of rolling up my sleeves and figuring out how to write a book myself when I found this one. I am so excited about this series and I am impatiently waiting for the next book. I’m so ready to read more and to explore this world!! Great job Author!!
I really like this book. I love the concept and the characters. I really love that our lead heroine makes the difficult decisions. She is afraid but she moves you know? Some of my issues with some of the more popular supernatural/paranormal fiction (read:Dresden) that I’ve read is that the characters freeze. Or they make stupid decisions and I don’t know if this is the author trying to make them seem more “human” but no. THIS is what I want to see in a lead character, THIS is what I want to see for a human!! I love how layered this world is and I’m really enjoying getting to know these characters. Our lead heroine isn’t worried about saving the world, she’s worried about the people entrusted to her and she truly makes decisions based on that. It’s amazing. It’s empowering. It’s what I’ve been desperately looking for in a lead character. I was at the point of rolling up my sleeves and figuring out how to write a book myself when I found this one. I am so excited about this series and I am impatiently waiting for the next book. I’m so ready to read more and to explore this world!! Great job Author!!
February 8, 2024
Made it to 45% before giving up. It reads more disjointed than the original Alice in Wonderland. There's trauma in her past that bleeds through at odd moments. There's creatures coming at her left and right with no breather in between for readers to adjust or absorb. There's a lot of vagueness going on, in amongst all the madness, and constant battles, and being stalked, and falling through worlds, and, and being given a mission, and ... There's some serious lack of world building, and not a lot of info given along the way. Characters are introduced but then change behaviors every new chapter or scene change. There's a lot of backstory that gets glossed over that I think would help readers bond to them. There's a main plot arc: get girl to queen, but which one? And if the girl can't say anything, how is she supposed to find out anything? There's no other guides, no other sources of information, no other protection for this very important being, and nothing flows or makes sense. I liked the concept of magic bleeding into the world and things changing but the format didn't work for me. I'll circle back and try again in a week or so but I'm putting it down for now.
September 4, 2021
I definitely recommend
I can't believe I spent hours completely under the spell of a book, reading a fantastic tale of a very strong (physically and mentally/emotionally) and even tempered heroine, who not once obcessed over how sexy some male was, and stayed focused on her mission: protecting a little girl who was of a different species from her. And I'm still processing the fact that I know nothing about her lips, the curve of her hips and so on. She was just a brave and honest adult person who I'd love to have as a friend, living a big adventure. Not a hypersexualized woman. Or a very weirdly prude inocent young woman who was weirdly constantly pursued by strong sexy men. And so on. And I'm not against a hot moment in a book, but it almost always feels like the women need therapy for that area of their lives (and a protector for life in general). At this point a book like this is incredibly refreshing and healthy for me mentally. And it was written by a man. Kudos!!
I can't believe I spent hours completely under the spell of a book, reading a fantastic tale of a very strong (physically and mentally/emotionally) and even tempered heroine, who not once obcessed over how sexy some male was, and stayed focused on her mission: protecting a little girl who was of a different species from her. And I'm still processing the fact that I know nothing about her lips, the curve of her hips and so on. She was just a brave and honest adult person who I'd love to have as a friend, living a big adventure. Not a hypersexualized woman. Or a very weirdly prude inocent young woman who was weirdly constantly pursued by strong sexy men. And so on. And I'm not against a hot moment in a book, but it almost always feels like the women need therapy for that area of their lives (and a protector for life in general). At this point a book like this is incredibly refreshing and healthy for me mentally. And it was written by a man. Kudos!!
March 19, 2022
I really loved the story. I liked it because I have not managed to find stories where a werewolf is the protagonist and not trying to climb up some hierarchy. I've seen lots of werewolf stories with the protagonist needing to climb up ranks in the pack and whatnot. I always found them a bit annoying since I expected a lot of politics to be involved, and real-world politics are already very depressing.
I loved the main character since she was quite amusing and found herself wrapped up in a situation that was completely alien to her. How she decided to say "forget it" and just go full werewolf, just to protect a kid made me smile.
Although, it's important to note I did have some issues with it. The magic system seemed heavily based on old folklore and what not. This bothered me because I've never really liked how old folklore sets up magic and so on. As it just never appealed to me. Also, the story was a bit hard to follow at times and did get a bit muddled. It was unclear at times what the protagonist was doing and why.
Overall, I loved the book. Would definitely recommend it.
I loved the main character since she was quite amusing and found herself wrapped up in a situation that was completely alien to her. How she decided to say "forget it" and just go full werewolf, just to protect a kid made me smile.
Although, it's important to note I did have some issues with it. The magic system seemed heavily based on old folklore and what not. This bothered me because I've never really liked how old folklore sets up magic and so on. As it just never appealed to me. Also, the story was a bit hard to follow at times and did get a bit muddled. It was unclear at times what the protagonist was doing and why.
Overall, I loved the book. Would definitely recommend it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 10, 2021
Enjoyed basic story, but couldn't finish.
I really do like the premise of this book. Its characters are interesting and I wanted to finish, but made it only half way through. The reason is that this story takes from numerous classic books and movies, a very large part of those are child-oriented, and weaves together their story and this one. It's been many years since I read those stories and saw those movies, and I kept having to stop reading and think, trying to remember the story! This "weaving" of stories happens often. I got halfway through the book and realized that I simply wasn't enjoying reading it, because it had started to feel like I was taking a very long test! When I realized that, I stopped. Who wants to voluntarily take a test that takes as long as reading a full-size book?
✋🐺
I really do like the premise of this book. Its characters are interesting and I wanted to finish, but made it only half way through. The reason is that this story takes from numerous classic books and movies, a very large part of those are child-oriented, and weaves together their story and this one. It's been many years since I read those stories and saw those movies, and I kept having to stop reading and think, trying to remember the story! This "weaving" of stories happens often. I got halfway through the book and realized that I simply wasn't enjoying reading it, because it had started to feel like I was taking a very long test! When I realized that, I stopped. Who wants to voluntarily take a test that takes as long as reading a full-size book?
✋🐺
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