I really like this book, the unusual narrative perspective and the overall dark atmosphere is something I enjoyed. Croaker is just an ordinary guy, working as soldier/physician in a soldier unit and lacks comprehension for all the mystical and magical stuff he is involved in. Also his romantic dreams about the Lady and the mockery from his companions really help to improve the character.

This book was nice! So Ray is a werewolf, who is actually a human-werewolf hybrid, but really she's mostly just a werewolf at that point, and she lives in New York. In this world, vampires and werewolves are out to the public. The story begins with her shifting into her wolf to save a little girl during a bank robbery. The story makes the news and she ends up being found by her past. Her past being: an alpha who is her mate and hurt her in the past. She ends up having to go back with him to Tennessee (?) in orfer to macify the authorities. The story also has a big PI plot part, with humans being turned against their will and dying or being left to their own demise. What I liked: - I liked the writing style, I connected to the story really quickly, it was interesting. - I wish I could say more but a lot of other things I liked weren't developped enough to not also appear in the dislike points as "not developpped enough" The main thing that makes me lower to 3 stars is that 1) there was too much happening (Ray and Steven, The IPB investigation, Peter, the pack, Ray and Noah, the past), it was a lot. But at the same time, a lot of it felt like I missed something, like I was supposed to have read something else before. I didn't dislike the main characters, Ray and Noah. I could see why Ray was angry, and left but also it didn't make a lot of sense.... you're presenting this idea of a mate but it's not so important that she can leave 7 years away? I don't see the point. I liked Noah too, but he just was developped enough, it felt like the only emotion he was allowed to feel was frustration, and that's it. The book is so packed with different storylines we don't get to spend even one scene with the two main characters reconnecting. Which brings me to the romance: it didn't exist. The thing is, this book happens like 12 years after the actual story, it feels like. I wish I had a book on THAT story cause it must be really cool, so cool this book is retelling it. I feel like I sound bitter, but it's just, the characters already know each other, so they don't introduce themselves, and things have to be explained to the reader in order to understand but then noth8ng really happens, in terms of relationship. Ray is still mad and then at one point (for reasons explained but debattable) she isn't leaving anymore and she is with Noah.... But, but when did your feelings change? I feel like I'm not explaing myself right.. The side characters are pretty much inexistant. Spoiler: there is a love triangle and a cliff hanger at the end. I won't be reading the next book but I will give the author another try, just with a different story.