Premise: Sequel to Black Wolves of Boston, a cozy thriller where a vampire adopts a werewolf puppy. This time with less cozy and, I suppose, more character growth. The new werewolf puppy Joshua makes friends at his new school, gets harassed by panicked were-penguins, and joins a team of demi-angels, mediums, Goths, and a vampire to save their fellow non-monsters and the world (that is, Boston).
Verdict: I was disappointed that the sequel wasn’t as cozy as the first book, but it trades off by being more coherent. The plots are well constructed and well signaled while not being utterly predictable, as one typically expects from Wen Spencer. From a technical viewpoint, I’d say this plot is probably one of her best within a single book.
I found the writing in this one to be drier than most of Spencer’s other books, particularly with simpler sentences and less variation in sentence structure, which disrupted the flow of the book for me.
On the plus side, that “more coherent” aspect: we get to see more of how the wolves–and others–interact with the wolves’ Source, and some major changes happen for just about all the main characters: from puppy Joshua (who now really seems like he’s on track to replace one of the series’ major players), to his little brother and the Boston Alpha Seth (who gets a delightful revelation about his wife’s interest in him and their future together), to vampire Decker (who has a lot to explore in the next installment, thanks to Big Vampire News!!!), and even cousin-bully Isaiah (who is in for a big and well-deserved surprise).
As always, Spencer writes characters who are easy to adore and delivers such great examples of masculine affection and love.
Pick this one up when you’re in the mood for a romping plot and great characters (but aren’t picky about prose).
I look forward to the next one!
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