Rating: 3.25⭐️
I picked up this series and another because the authors are co-authoring an urban fantasy series that I’m absolutely in love with, and I thought I’d explore what each writer was doing separately.
At least, if this (and Jilleen Dolbeare’s Splintered Magic novel) are any indication, they are far stronger together than apart.
Heather G. Harris’ Protection of the Pack has some interesting ideas and promising elements but it’s derailed by its main female character , a surprise here, and a world building where its lack might be due to its many related series and overlapping characters, none of which are well explained in the story. It’s assumed that the reader has the foundation knowledge of this universe to understand the under explored elements.
But it’s mostly on the shoulders of a poorly conceived main female character that is unable to carry the weight of the story and a romantic relationship that had little to no chemistry between them that’s the issue here.
I’ll try to make it brief.
Lucy is was a regular person until her serial killer incubus boyfriend made her his next victim and put her into the ICU in the hospital. A quick bite from her werewolf bestie and she’s a werewolf and , in a plot from another story, a reluctant Alpha of an unhappy little pack. That’s the facts.
But Lucy? She’s another SMH character. Instead of trying to learn how to lead, focus on pack dynamics, etc. That girl’s gonna party. And whine about her problems.
There’s a good element of the werewolf or just wolf being a separate entity within her, complete with its own personality and goals. Esme, the wolf inside has hidden knowledge and history of pack rules and otherworldly creatures from the advice she offers to Lucy. Not that Lucy is willing to listen all that much.
Lucy is frankly written as an annoying person. That boyfriend is a serial killer, has basically killed her, murdered multiple women. Her stance? She feels sorry for him.
What is the author doing? Consistently, Lucy is running off, not informing anyone where she’s going, putting herself, the shaky pack leadership, and the pack itself in danger. Honestly, she’s a gorgeous twit.
Greg Manners, former dragon brethren, is an overlapping character from another series. His story is scribbled in briefly so maybe his background is described in another series. But his lack of one makes him very one dimensional here, especially as he’s seen as the main romantic character for Lucy. No chemistry and no real sense of connection.
That’s the issue here with the other characters. They seem to be carryover from other books and it’s assumed we know what their relationships and stories are. New readers will feel completely lost as very little information is given out about any of them.
This isn’t to say there’s not some intriguing plot lines or great characters. There are. Bob the gargoyle and his group. The Griffin assassin (from another series) is fascinating, if only for his stance on morality.
But the fact that the main characters are not the strongest characters in the series or are not as well crafted as to be able to keep me invested in her story is a big problem here.
It’s continues to be in book 2, but I’ll address that in my review later.
I’m actually very surprised that I didn’t like the story more. That Lucy wasn’t as good a character or as well constructed as I expected from having read the other co-authored series.
I’ve read book two and it’s more of the same. Honestly I’m debating on whether I should read all the books.
Cover Design by Christian Bentulan.
The Other Wolf Series – now complete!
Protection of the Pack, Book 1
Guardians of the Pack, Book 2
Saviour of the Pack, Book 3
Awakening of the Pack, Book 4
Resurgence of the Pack, Book 5
Ascension of the Pack, Book 6
Buy link
Protection of the Pack: An Urban Fantasy Novel (The Other Wolf Series Book 1)
Blurb
***Series Complete!***
I have a wolf in my head. Her name is Esme, and she likes killing things.
I’m Lucy, a regular accountant turned alpha werewolf. A tryst with the wrong incubus ripped me from my ordinary life and sent me tumbling into a magical realm that I’d never even dreamed existed.
I was just adjusting to pack life when I was asked to mercy-kill the current alpha. I’m not a total bitch so I did what he asked, but it’s left me as alpha of a pack I don’t know, full of werewolves who resent that I still live and breathe while their old alpha doesn’t. If I’m to survive in this dog-eat-dog realm, I’m going to have to win my new pack over – and fast.
I’m still trying to find my way in this violent new world when my third in command, Mark, is brutally murdered right under my damn nose. To regain control of the pack, I need to find the killer and bring him to vigilante justice. Luckily, my wolf, Esme, is more than happy to get her paws dirty.
When the werewolf council show up to question me, things get a little dicey. Thank goodness I have the deadly Greg Manners, former dragon brethren and general ass-kicker, to back me up. Now I just need to unravel who’d want to kill Mark – and there’s a really long list of suspects because he was shadier than an oak tree.
I’m hip-deep in suspects, and I need to move swiftly – before the killer strikes again…
Burn through this fun, fast-paced, laugh-out-loud mix of urban fantasy and mystery.
This is the first book in the Other Wolf series. Don’t miss this internationally best-selling series if you like humour, heart, a strong heroine and a slow burn fade-to-black romance.
Written in British English.
- Publisher: Hellhound Press Limited (September 9, 2022)
- Publication date: September 9, 2022
- Language: English
- Print length: 387 pages
The Other Wolf Series – now complete!
Protection of the Pack, Book 1
Guardians of the Pack, Book 2
Saviour of the Pack, Book 3
Awakening of the Pack, Book 4
Resurgence of the Pack, Book 5
Ascension of the Pack, Book 6
Don’t miss all the books set in the Other Realm!
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 