Fateful

August 1, 2011
Werewolves on the Titanic! It sounds ridiculous (and make no mistake, it is), but fans of campy, swoony romances should find this mix of the historical and the paranormal a worthy guilty pleasure. Gray (the Evernight series) delivers a novel filled with soap operatic twists and turns, romance that bridges class boundaries, and lots of sharp fangs. Tess Davies has long been maid to the Lisle family, headed by the harsh Lady Regina. The family is aboard the Titanic, traveling from Southampton to New York City, where Tess plans to ditch the Lisles and start a new life. When Tess meets Mikhail, an evil werewolf, and gorgeous Alec, a werewolf fighting his violent nature, her voyage suddenly becomes about survivalâbut also love, her steamy relationship with Alec leading to such lines as "You can offer me tonight" in response to Alec's lament that he has nothing to offer Tess. Though the serious tone, extreme melodrama, and constant threats to Tess (a depressingly passive heroine) get to be a bit much, Gray's fans should find it a fast-paced, fun read. Ages 14âup.