Pack Queen

The Grimoire Chronicles #2

by Zelda Knight

My name is Charity Johnson, and I’m a reporter specializing in shifter activism. And yesterday, I left my boring desk job for the most important mission of my life. I work in Crescent City, a border town that separates the human world from the shifter nation. Here, humans with an affinity for magic, alongside other paranormal beings, police the border between worlds. I was a paper pusher with no special powers or dormant magical lineage to speak off. Until recently, that is. When Crescent City Shifter Control (CCSC) catches wind of a dangerous and illegal breeding program, I’m sent deep undercover to get the scoop. There I meet three alpha shifters—Maahes, a lion smuggler, Rajesh, a tiger assassin, and Omar, a hybrid frostwolf. They, like many others, were tricked by a shadowy organization with one goal in breed a new race of super shifters or die trying. Our connection is instant, our situation perilous, and before I know it, I go from an ordinary woman to this patchwork pack’s queen. And this mama bear won’t stop until we’re all free. Pack Queen (Shifters of Crescent City) is a standalone reverse harem curvy girl omegaverse dark shifter romance set in the Atherverse Universe.

Genres: Fantasy, Shapeshifters, Why Choose, Romance

208 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 29, 2020

About the author

Zelda Knight is a USA Today bestselling author of steamy romance, a British Fantasy Award-winning, and NAACP Image Award-nominated editor, as well as a diverse bookseller. She’s also the publisher and editor-in-chief of Aurelia Leo, an independent Nebula Award-nominated press. Zelda co-edited Dominion: An Anthology of Speculative Fiction from Africa and the African Diaspora (Aurelia Leo, 2020), which has received critical acclaim, and Africa Risen: A New Era of Speculative Fiction (Tordotcom, 2022). Keep in touch on social media @AuthorZKnight. Or, visit her website authorzknight.com. You can also email z@authorzknight.com.

Reviews

[Alannah · Rating 1 out of 5]

I would not call this a spin off.

There are grammatical errors, continuity errors, and, in the case of my version that was recieved free, a chapter that was doubled and another that was missing.

This obviously takes place in the world of another series and, while the author does seem to try to explain things in a way that could make it a stand alone, something's are repeated and other things need more expansion leaving the reader all around confused.

Lastly, the relationship development is lacking. I just don't feel the love with these characters, sex sure but that's not the same thing.

[Christy deSade · Rating 1 out of 5]

NOT a standalone

This book assumed that the reader had a significant amount of information going in... to the point where I double checked the author's website to see if this was a spinoff. It wasn't a spinoff, just poorly written. No world building, no character development, no real relationship building and very little plot development. Definitely an author to avoid.

[Yeri (wildflowerreader)]

I don’t know what is happening in the story so I’m DNFing

There is so much wrong with this book. It doesn’t look like it has had any editing. Maybe it’s a first draft that was accidentally published? I don’t think so.

I got to 69% and had to continuously go back and reread what I had read because I thought I missed something, I didn’t, information and pieces were missing, and then a chapter doubles, back to back. This book needs to be taken down and edited. The characters need to be fleshed out, the plot of the story feels disjointed, messy and sloppy. This book is not a standalone, I don’t even know what it is, except a waste of time.

[Danyelle Williams · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good premise, missing the connections

This book and a very good set up but I felt like it was missing pieces and at time I found it a bit confusing.

I enjoyed the premise and the characters for the most part. However I felt like some things were rushed through or not needed more information (world building). I know the characters were thrust together in crazy situations but I missed a bit of the relationship development especially as a stand alone read.

Overall I wanted more from the story. I think with some tweaks it could be better.

[Mystyc Metrik · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a VERY steamy shifter/paranormal reverse harem story. While the main character, Charity, is likable, the only other characters given much attention are her fated mates. Her three alpha fated mates spend most of the story trying to "claim" her, while all four of them are attempting to foil a dangerous underground ring of breeding shifters. The storyline definitely takes a backseat to the romantic plotline, but it's definitely adequate if you like steamy paranormal stories.

[Kitty · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

This is a standalone book, but really needed more world-building and an explanation of.. everything. The plot also moved so fast that it was very hard to keep up. Overall, the book just lacked a sense of cohesion and story. We could have had 200 more pages and lots of fleshing out to make a good, standalone book. The spicy scenes weren't my favorite. Again, they were very rushed and felt very disjointed.

[Jessica Moyer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Drags with Plot

Don't get me wrong, the story has potential in my eyes. It's just....I made it to chapter six and I just felt....bored. the plot is suffocating instantly. And it might just be me.

Super detailed and overwhelming to say the least.


I might try to read this at another point and will update my review if I see fit.

[Ayanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was…okay. I liked that the main characters were POC, but the general pacing of the book was weird. Spice was good but it kinda lacked Romance to me, probably because the characters shapeshifters 🤷🏾‍♀️

[Rameisha Johnson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Save your brain

The only positive portion of this review I have is that it was grammatically well edited. The plot, characters, and pacing were inconsistent. I tend to read pretty quickly, and this book too way to long to read because it missed the mark in so many ways.

[Miechelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dnf

This was not my cup of tea
Messy plot

No connection
Bordering on coercion rape like first sex scene

You can use queen all you like but if you don't pause to explain or bother to find out what you actual going on it's not for me

[Skyler Paige · Rating 2 out of 5]

Id give this 2 stars. It felt really rushed to me, and I feel like a lot was missing:/

[Olivia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay book

I thought the start of the book showed promise. With good world building. Unfortunately for me it went down hill from there. 

[Ana]

DNF @ 11%

I was so lost 😭😭

[Danae · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed it. It was a fun quick read. I just wish there was more explanations. It seemed like there was some information missing. But it was good!

[Elysian · Rating 1 out of 5]

There wasn't enough information for me to care about any of the characters. This was basically just written porn with a tiny bit plot around it.
Everytime you think that there might be something redeemable about this story, you are almost immediately disappointed.