Review: Wolf's Blade

Wolf's Blade by Clare Dargin
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Sometimes, the good guy finishes first. Wolf's Blade starts out well with an overall world building shell. In this shifter world, werewolves are given a gift by a goddess who also curses a specific line to go feral when they are mad. Once feral, there is nothing to be done but to put the mad wolf down. These mad wolves are the boogie-monster of the werewolf. Parents warn their children, "be good or the Lycan will get you". In current day, Lycan are a thing of a past. Most packs think they are just a myth. For Callum, an enforcer for his pack, Lycans are all too real. He knows this because he has the potential to become one.

The start of this story is good. The good and bad guys are clearly defined. A love interest, Samantha is also defined. After the initial fight between Callum and his former pack mate, Eryx, the story goes downhill for me. The bones of the story is good. The conflict makes sense. The added suspense and tension is fine. The romantic relations between Callum and Samantha is lukewarm for me. There was little chemistry and from a character perspective, Samantha leaves little to be desired. I could have done without her.

What makes the story weak for me is the telling rather than showing. The dialog between the characters are also a bit stilted. The story could use a bit more tightening with cutting out telling us how bad Callum was treated. Instead show a flashback scene of Callum treated with disrespect by his spoiled and hot headed brother. Show how the brother was hot headed. The two stronger characters and ones I liked were Samantha's father and her pack alpha. Their scenes were concise and added to the story layers. The ending is predictable and it is a satisfying one. This is a feel good happily ever after for Callum.

* Review copy provided via Reading Alley in exchange for an honest review.