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Skinners #2

Howling Legion

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“Pelegrimas has done the impossible—come up with a fresh and exciting twist on vampire lore.”
—Ed Gorman, New York Times bestselling coauthor of Dean Koontz’s City of Night   Enter the world of the Skinners, a dark alternate Earth inhabited by vampires, werewolves, shape-shifting monsters…and the humans who hunt them. In Howling Legion —the phenomenal follow-up to the spellbinding series debut, Blood Blade —author Marcus Pelegrimas thrusts video-game designer and skinner-in-training Cole and his sexy, kick-ass partner Paige into a deadly war of beasts and bloodsuckers. Unrelentingly thrilling, Howling Legion is a perfect escape for Halo and True Blood aficionados, and for fans of Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan’s vampire epidemic epic, The Strain.

384 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published October 13, 2009

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About the author

Marcus Pelegrimas

18 books65 followers
Marcus Pelegrimas is the son of Sicilian immigrants who rose to power in the criminal underworld of the 1950’s. No wait…that was Michael Corleone.



Marcus Pelegrimas lives and works in Nebraska . Yes, he eats corn. No, he doesn’t live on a farm.



He graduated with a degree in Criminal Justice and currently lives in Omaha , Nebraska where he has worked in several different genres of fiction including western, mystery, horror and fantasy. Nowadays, he plays too many video games and spends too much time watching crappy movies when he should be hard at work on his next novel. Good thing his beautiful and very patient wife Megan is there to knock him off the couch when the deadlines creep in.

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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
Profile Image for carol. .
1,760 reviews9,991 followers
March 16, 2013
A solid read for the male urban-fantasy type. With minimal GR reviews at the time, I'll go into a little more depth than most my reviews.

The Howling Legion is the second in the "Skinners" series by Marcus Pelegrimas. Skinners refers to the group of people who are trying to fight off the things that go bump in the night and who occasionally skin their prey to make use of the rugged fur. This is book two, so it starts out with our hero, Cole, fight training with Paige, his recruiter and trainer, 8 months after the events of the first book. Of course, Cole is also incredibly attracted to her, which becomes clear from his inner dialogue during the fight and their verbal innuendo. It's an unabashedly modern male perspective that thankfully, Pelegrimas does not linger on for too long. Cole's on physical leave from his job as a video game designer, but he's turning in enough remote work to pay the bills. Otherwise Skinners maintain their life with profits from playing the lottery with the group's prognosticator.

The setting is basically current urban dwelling, with a more unusual version of vampires, werewolves and other things, as Cole discovers during the course of their investigation. The plot is not so much a mystery as much as it is, "find out who is trying to wipe out humanity and stop it." The vampire-like creatures are also known as Nymar, and are created when a parasitic creature makes its way into a human host. The parasite lives on human blood, and the older it gets, the stronger. Weres, which only use that term in the most limited sense, are divided into Half Breeds and Full Bloods. Half Breeds are created after a were attack, but only survive in a very altered form, and are vulnerable to bullets. Full Bloods are virtually invulnerable to anything except especially crafted metals, so it's lucky there are only two to four in North America. A great deal of the narrative text deals with Paige teaching Cole the difference between the two, how they are made, hunt, grow and die. It's helpful for the reader, since the author's monster version is so unique, but it definitely gets a little exhausting. About the fifteenth time I hear how invulnerable the Full Bloods are, I wonder why Paige would be taking Cole into battle with one with the barest outline of a plan. She does this at least two or three times, with potentially life-altering consequences.

The crux of the plot revolves around one of the Full Bloods realizing how few Skinners there are and how unorganized the Nymar really are, and deciding the human cities are his for the taking. There's a very minor secondary plot line that surrounds Cole and Paige's relationship, and the potential for taking it further. Both Cole and Paige end up flirting and potentially pursuing others in the course of the book, so it remains an open-ended issue.

One rather odd aspect of the book is that it occasionally derails into video game discussion. The game Cole helps design is a classic, a multiplayer shooter with a huge following, so he ends up having detailed discussions with his boss or game nuts. On one hand, it's nice that there is life outside the plot for the hero; on the other hand, it doesn't do much for the plot and is needlessly complicated for the non-gaming readers (a group, to which, I don't belong, so my complaint is not out of lack of understanding).

Overall, the pace is very action oriented. The plot is mostly but not always believable within the constraints of Pelegrimas' world. I particularly take issue with how Paige sets them up by attracting all the Half Breeds in the area and is then surprised by how many show, with the bonus of the Full Blood who created all the Half Breeds. It's mostly hand-to-hand fighting and doesn't go into numbers, but I get the feeling that it would take more than 8 months of training with an incomplete weapon for Cole to really hold his ground.

Nonetheless, it's a reasonably interesting and unique world, so I'll undoubtedly pick up the third installment from the library.


Cross posted at: http://clsiewert.wordpress.com/2013/0...
Profile Image for ᴥ Irena ᴥ.
1,654 reviews242 followers
February 9, 2015
3.5

Cole is starting to grow into his proper place as a Skinner. He practices a lot. He is becoming one tough Skinner.
Usually when a character is an occasional ass, as Paige is in this case, we get at least a glimpse of his or her past and with it a reason for the attitude. I am still waiting for Paige's. I know she is supposed to be tough and whatnot. As a Skinner she has to be, but is it too much to ask to know the actual reason why she is there, why she is a Skinner? At least with Cole we know how he got where he is.
In some 350+ pages, these two get beaten so many times that I almost started to feel the pain. It happened every few pages. Still, it didn't ruin the story. It even contributed to it.

In short: a Full Blood decided to claim his territory, go public, make tons of Half Bloods (those poor wretches are some of the most disgusting monsters I've ever read) and only Cole and Paige are standing in his way. They do get unexpected help though. I don't consider this a spoiler since all this becomes clear to them right from the start and essence of the story is not a mystery, but finding a way to beat the unbeatable.
Profile Image for Teresa.
258 reviews3 followers
November 23, 2009
This was a fabulous sequel to Blood Blade! Looking forward to the next one!
691 reviews3 followers
June 10, 2019
The Skinners work to find a way to use the Blood Blade to create more weapons to use against the nearly invulnerable Full Bloods, while at least one Full Blood sees this attempt as reason to come out of the shadows and turn the human race into Half-Breeds or food.
This is a continuation of the first book, and while each book contains a full story, they need to be read in order for the overall story to work.
This is mostly and action book, with lots of violence (not overly graphic), suggestive sexual situations (no actual sex), and minimal character building (most of that was in first book, but the characters do not stagnate here).
Profile Image for Drew McSparin.
23 reviews
July 2, 2018
Good sequel I like cole is badass in this one I just wish the last chapter would of ended differently
Profile Image for Tarl.
Author 25 books81 followers
July 27, 2014
This book was a toss up between a three and a four star for this book, but obviously in the end the higher rating won over. Why? Because Pelegrimas does what he always does with this series, he made it believe able and he made it unique.

As with the previous novel in this series, I was amazed as always with the way that Pelegrimas tackles the various supernatural creatures in his stories. Your vampires are completely different than you will find anywhere else, his Fullbloods are terrifying and unique, and his HalfBreeds are horrifically terrifying in their concept. Even his monster hunters, the Skinners, are completely different than what you would find in other books.

The sexual tension in this book was one of the main reasons I gave it the higher rating. It was there in the first book, but here in the second it gets taken up a notch with enough flirting and mixed signals that anyone who has ever experienced the weird dance of lust and love will find something to relate to. There are touching moments mixed in with moments that made me feel for the characters, and it all helped to build upon the excellent character work Pelegrimas started in his first book.

Another element that continues to get worked on in this series is the male partner's 'nerdiness' as he tries to deal with being a Skinner and a video game designer. It's something else that you don't see in other works and it's refreshing in the Skinner series. There was also enough foreshadowing in this book that I can already see some of the issues he will have in the future and I both look forward to, and dread, if and when they will hit.

The only thing that I found distracting was the third person tight point of view that jumped from character to character. This wasn't really didn't stand out so much throughout the novel until the final climactic confrontation where it not only stood out, but got annoying extremely quickly. One moment you are tight on Cole, next paragraph you're on Paige, then the FullBlood, then Cole, and so on and so forth. Since a vast majority of the book is centered around Cole, to have this sudden jumping around detracts from the tight viewpoint Pelegrimas had been working with throughout the book.

However, I still enjoyed this book. It sets up a lot of things for later novels in the series, and we were still treated to a variety of character building moments, giant fight scenes, and the introduction of more Mongrels, which to be honest, I had forgotten about from the first book. I have already purchased the third book and look forward to continuing this series.
Profile Image for Speciesamused.
33 reviews9 followers
October 18, 2010
I am an avid reader and picky. I like to have something that is like no other. I get very tired of main stream authors pumping out book after book of lame fiction. Marcus Pelegrimas is an author that you never know what the next book will hold, but you can count on it being excellent and well worth your time. If you like a series that has realism mixed with other world do not miss this Skinners series. You will not be disappointed. Simon Green fans will be hooked.

I do recommend you read the first in the series, Blood Blade (Skinners Book 1) so you can follow the story line.

There are two main characters. Paige is a long time Skinner= (someone with the ability to see and deal with all the other world creatures). Cole is a man that specializes in creating video games, an expert in his field.
Cole did not have much excitement in his life until he went on vacation and discovered that their where
creatures on this planet that lived beside us, some in harmony, some meaning to harm us and some to
rule the humans. Paige and Cole are people who get respect and are feared by the vamps, were's and humans (especially the police).
People are being murdered in a way that Paige and Cole know the were's (werewolves)are responsible for. But why?
They must travel to find the culprits. They must be prepared with their magic, potions made with blood of the beasts, we cannot see as humans. Cole is still in training as he is Paige's apprentice. He is coming along well. This will be a fight that is bloody, difficult, and at times almost impossible.
It is hard to give all the details without spoilers. But this book is full of action and other world beings, I guarantee you will not want to set it down. Stray away from what you know.
Teeth of Beasts (Skinners Book 3) is to be released on April 27th, 2010. I cannot wait.
Marcus Pelegrimas is also an author who is a peoples author. Ask him a question and he will answer. Give him a chance, read his books. Let us give him the recognition he deserves. Thank you and enjoy.
Profile Image for Cheryl.
433 reviews7 followers
September 4, 2012
Months after the end of Blood Blade Cole continues to be trained in his new role as a Skinner, which means he’s usually getting his ass handed to him by Paige. Stephanie and Ace try pushing the boundaries to see how far they can get with the new partners, while in Kansas City a full blood seems to be on the rampage, but also with some purpose in mind. They also run into another full blood, one Cole’s familiar with. The two Skinners head to Kansas City with a Blood Blade, a Nymar named Daniels and his lab kit in tow. Daniels is working on something that Paige came up with and that might give Skinners an edge when fighting half and especially full bloods.

As with the first Skinners book I really liked Howling Legion. There’s a lot of action, a bit of humor and some new characters. Though I really like Paige and how tough she is, sometimes she annoys me with how it seems that all she sees of life is being a Skinner and nothing else (that and her impatience get her into a little trouble in this book). I still love Cole’s character. I like his snarky little comments and the fact that, though he handles everything that’s thrown at him really well, he still sometimes can’t believe how much his life has changed. Real life, the real life most people know, in the form of his job as a video game designer is also demanding his attention, attention he has to decide if he can give it. There are some new characters and I liked Daniels, a kind of dorky Nymar who’s a chemistry wiz and a fanboy like Cole and he doesn’t hate the Skinners and actually helps them. The guys and, this time a girl who seems interested in talking to Cole, at MEG are also back.

I’d definitely recommend the Skinners series and look forward to reading Teeth of Beasts.
Profile Image for S.E..
288 reviews1 follower
February 20, 2012
“It had been eight months since Cole first met Paige Strobel. In that time, he’d also met vampires, werewolves, and a few other things that he didn’t know how to categorize.” This sentence from “Howling Legion” summarizes Cole’s adventures at the start of the book.

For the second book in this Skinner series, Marcus Pelegrimas span his story more than moderately well, in fact, better than the first. It was gratifying to see Cole developing into a more skilled and confident fighter, at the same time, still keeping his old lovable nerdy self. His romantic interludes with Paige add a more humorous than emotional touch to the story. One general aspect I noticed about male authors is that they seldom use love to spice up a storyline. If there is a love interest, it is usually based on physical attraction and/or lust. Don’t even think about a love triangle! (There are exceptions of course, notably, Nicolas Sparks).

While reading this book, I also couldn’t help feeling great sympathy for the Half Breed characters. Their transformation from humans to Half Breeds after being infected by a Full Blood was made very real by the author’s description of how Lisa Wilson suffered. It made it very difficult for me to mentally celebrate whenever Half-Breeds were killed in the story.

Readers are treated to graphic battle scenes throughout the book and the last few chapters of the book brought real whiz-bang excitement, culminating in an ending that was satisfying and at the same time, credible enough to make me want to read on. Exact rating : 3.5/5
Profile Image for Mike.
143 reviews4 followers
May 7, 2013

It's at times like this I wish I could give half a star. The action and plot behind this book is good, and tense, but sometimes the characterization of the people, and creatures, in the book seem as if these characters are still shallow, sort of childish. I don't mean that the language or situations or even the actions are childish...it's just that the characters seem more like caricatures. As I said the action is sometimes intense, but can ring hollow at times. I think the language is to blame. Sometimes the language is a bit lowbrow. There's nothing wrong with that, sometimes literature can be too stuffy because the language is too stiff or hard to understand which takes away from the experience of the story. However sometimes the language of this novel is too simplistic, too basic. I think that the author needs to work a bit harder at describing the feelings and interactions of his characters. Even though I gave this book a rather low rating, I have to admit that it was fun. If you're looking for a fun, uncomplicated story, look no further.

Profile Image for Ms. Nikki.
1,053 reviews319 followers
November 8, 2011
I pushed myself to finish this. It was really boring in between the fighting scenes with Cole and his sometimes one track mind. He complained, he ogled chicks, and was always talking about food. To me this read was more fantasy than horror. When it came down to the gore factor it was sorely lacking. Example: the freak looked bigger and bulkier now that he was standing up straight. He reached out to grab Ryan's arm, then pulled it from it's socket with a loud crunch,. End Example - Really?...that's scary? That was really lazy. Where's the grunting, the actual descriptive sounds that would make a person cringe? That happened a lot throughout the story. I have the others in the series, but am in no rush to read them, well maybe to get them off my shelf.
Profile Image for Nessa.
1,858 reviews21 followers
August 10, 2015
I really enjoyed this book. It's packed with action and has my favorites, which are werewolves and shape shifters, and so much more. It's nicely paced and I was easily immersed in the very creative world of the author. I do intend on reading more in this series. His vampires are definitely like no other I've ever read about. Very gripping.
Profile Image for Kel.
98 reviews
September 20, 2012
Oh so good. Not many places to take a breather in this one. Spectacular and nearly constant action. Terrifying monsters. And an excellent pair of main characters with an entertaining although sometimes frustrating dynamic.
Profile Image for Tonya Breck.
275 reviews15 followers
December 28, 2011
While the book was fairly predictable, there's enough world building and interesting details to save this book from being a waste of time. Again, not rushing out to get the next book, but I wouldn't say no to it if I get the chance to read it.
Profile Image for Luanne.
441 reviews
December 14, 2012
Good series. I should have started this series sooner.
This book took the characters so much further.
Each of the books so far had a lot going for the book for the characters and the storyline.
I can't say enough about it.
Profile Image for Tina.
1,111 reviews2 followers
January 24, 2016
Good story for the most part, although it really dragged between action scenes toward the middle. Now that the Mongrels have been given Kansas City, it will be interesting to see where the story goes from here.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Jennifer Wagner.
555 reviews2 followers
May 26, 2014
This one took me a little longer to get through since I didn't think the storyline was as good and there were a lot of fight scenes that were long and descriptive, I ended up skimming some of them.
2,477 reviews17 followers
January 17, 2015
There's no 'howling legion'. Tedious dimwits, more like. They just blunder around punching stuff.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews

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