Reflected

December 15, 2013
Third entry in Held's werewolf saga (Tarnished, 2013, etc.). No surprises. Left damaged and without a wolf self after torture by the injection of silver nitrate, Silver nevertheless acquired certain advantages from her experiences: She can see the wolf selves of others, and her constant (invisible) companion, Death, makes trenchant observations and offers occasional advice. Silver and her mate, Andrew Dare Roanoke, now control the packs of the entire North American werewolf population. This time out, alas, readers should steel themselves for some absurdly contrived plotting. First, Held removes Dare from the proceedings by dispatching him to Alaska on the flimsiest of excuses. Next, Portland, a rare female alpha, shows up with her beta, Craig--the latter bringing a petition to require Portland to step down as alpha, since she's pregnant (with his child). Silver's problem is whether Craig is genuinely concerned or simply trying to force Portland to yield. Then, Sacramento, the other female alpha, disrespectfully pokes her nose in--Portland confided in her, there's a mutual sexual attraction, and meanwhile, Sacramento has issues with her own sister. Finally, before he left, Dare gave his 18-year-old daughter, Felicia, an ultimatum: Get a job, go to college, or go roaming. But then Enrique shows up; a childhood friend from Spain (where Felicia was raised), he rapidly ingratiates himself with Felicia. But the alpha Madrid is Dare's deadly enemy, and Enrique soon reveals a plot to force Felicia to help him discredit Silver. And Felicia, being 18, refuses to confide in Silver or anyone else. The characters are convincingly portrayed, their interactions ring true--mostly--and engage; the plot does neither. Fans only--and be prepared to take the rough with the smooth.

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January 1, 2014

In this third series entry (following Tarnished), Dare, leader of the North American wolf packs, is pulled away to handle a crisis in Alaska, leaving his mate and co-Alpha, Silver, to deal with pack business as well as with Dare's teenage daughter, Felicia. Silver has a tenuous grip on reality and a strangely personal relationship with death, so acting as a stepmother might be too much for her to handle. Meanwhile, Felicia is in a state of sulky rebellion even before her childhood playmate Enrique comes to Seattle to ensnare her in the plots of a European pack. VERDICT Watching the 18-year-old Felicia repeatedly make bad decisions is frustrating reading, even if her actions reflect authentic teenage behavior. Although the shift in focus to a younger heroine might make this volume more appealing to teens, it is probably at the expense of some adult readers. Hopefully, future installments will return the emphasis to pack politics and the damaged but fascinating Silver's hunt for her missing wild self.

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