As Jade rebuilds her life after last autumn’s trauma, Sarah decides joining track is the perfect distraction. While Jade’s figuring out how to compete without giving away her wereanimal status, Bevin finds someone nice he can date.
When summer begins, Jade travels cross country with José, Owen, and Tanner to visit colleges. A run-in with rogue werewolves triggers new epsilon abilities and an unlikely alliance develops. The question becomes: can she save her new ally or will she end up dead?
The first 63% was a bit tedious and monotonous. It was more on the everyday happenings in the pack household. The action started in out of state and was minimal but resulted in a new pack member. Soul connection, fated mates and more of Jade’s ability expanded and explored. I have a feeling there will be a new couple soon which is a very unlikely pair but who knows.
I am loving this series. I'm so amazed with the author. She really did some extensive brainstorming and knows so much about wolf shifters. Its amazing. I never knew a lot of this stuff she writes about. I hope to see more from her after this series is done.
I liked the focus of the book. More time was spent on the young adults and the issues they face. I think that everyone can find something that they can relate to. Good story. I’m glad to be going right on to book 4.
Jade is just the sort of smart, responsible, clumsy bookworm I would've had for a friend as a teenager. She's also the type of kid I'd want my children to hang out with and have in their inner circle. She's devoted to her family, friends, and her pack, and she has her head on right. In this third installment of the Jade Stone Chronicles, our beloved epsilon werewolf makes an interesting discovery about her gym teacher, joins the track team with best bud Sarah, tries to be a rock for her friend Bevin, and then goes on a road trip to visit colleges out west. One of the stops is Las Vegas, where she runs into an old nemesis. As it turns out, not everything that happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. Alphas is a great book that's just right for teens who love werewolves without the paranormal romance and abusive alphas aspect. There's plenty of comedy to balance out the "feels" and interesting plot twists... as we've come to expect in Rahr's work
Many authors go dry by the 3rd book ime. They struggle with pacing and keeping me turning the page. Huckleberry Rahr does not. I found myself devouring this in one day and forgetting the real world, anxious for the next scene instead of dragging through to the finish. Well done, as always <3
A werewolf coming of age story. The were stories are given new, unexpected twists that make them fun to fantasize about. Stories about werewolves have been written for generations, nonetheless, this story feels fresh. This series gets richer with each installment. The prose is smooth, so I can forget I'm reading and "hear" the telling of the story. A great time-out.
I wasn’t keen on how Jade never really got any time with Piper, and then the annoying introduction of Brooke. More romance for Jade please! Otherwise I’m really enjoying this series.
Alphas, the third installment in The Jade Stone Chronicles, might just be the strongest yet. Huckleberry Rahr delivers a story that balances supernatural intensity with the raw, very human experiences of healing, friendship, and figuring out who you are after life knocks you flat.
Jade’s recovery from the trauma of last autumn feels grounded and honest. Her decision to join track gives readers a refreshing glimpse of her resilience it’s not just about powers or danger, but the everyday courage of trying again. Watching her navigate competition while carefully guarding her wereanimal identity brings a wonderful mix of tension and relatability.
Sarah shines in this installment too, offering warmth, humor, and loyalty in all the right places. Meanwhile Bevin’s new romance is sweet and surprisingly emotional, giving the story beautiful moments of calm between storms.
But the cross-country college trip where Jade, José, Owen, and Tanner confront rogue werewolves is where the book truly hits its stride. The action is sharp, the new epsilon abilities are exciting without feeling overpowered, and the alliance that forms is unexpectedly moving. The stakes feel real, the danger feels close, and Jade’s struggle to protect someone who might become a friend or a threat adds rich emotional depth.
Rahr’s writing continues to blend teen life, paranormal suspense, and heartfelt growth with effortless flow. The character development is strong, the pacing tight, and the emotional beats land with authenticity.
A fantastic addition to the series intense, human, and impossible to put down. If you’ve been following Jade’s journey, Alphas is everything you hoped for and more.
This was a great third book! Usually book three is where the momentum slows, but I actually liked this one the best so far. The story was simple, but really well paced and put together. I love what was done with Brooke! I felt her character arc was unresolved and she had just too much page time in the first 2 books to be a complete incidental character, so I'm glad she's being developed and am eager to hear her back story. My only real complaint is that nobody seems to process trauma. All these super traumatic things happen to a couple characters, and they're basically instantly like, "oh, yeah, I was nearly beaten to death but whatever I'm fine now so moving on." Um...what? No discussion, no healing, no trauma bonding even? I mean, this book is about queers. We trauma bond compulsively. It's a thing! I'm eager for Sarah to play a bigger role. She's an awesome character, but I feel like she's under utilized. As Jade's bff, and Alpha, and Soul Bond or whatever, their relationship should matter more to the story. You could have basically taken her out of Books 2 and 3 and the plot wouldn't have suffered.
I'm eager for the next book though! This series is keeping me invested for sure!
Okay, big win for Bevin but the rest of the book was a little lacklustre, especially the whole forming a new pack... And I assume Brooke trying to weasel her way in between Piper and Jade, between her saying Piper isn't good enough, the whole "they could be twins" and the hate which is definitely not hate.
This series is just plain good reading, and this book just continues the trend. Love following Jades story and following the adventure of her life. On to the next one up, TBR pile be danged.
This series has all of my favorite genres in one. LGBTQ+, Shifters with a bit of other magical abilities. It is not obvious in the first book about everything, but it builds as it goes along. I love the dynamic of the characters in the book, their friend group is awesome, and the way they are written you get an amazing picture of them.
In this book we go through the change again, but this time with Jose and Bevin, and then later on Brooke as well, which came as a surprise. I felt sorry for Jade who had to suffer with her tiredness and energy drains and headaches, and then when Brooke was turned and the events around that... It was another great read that kept me riveted to my Kindle.