She had been bitten, she could feel the pull of the full moon and her first change that would come with it & determined not to become the monster that they made her into…. She steps off the ledge….
Only she doesn’t die because some other pesky wolf saves her, not just any wolf either…. He’s one of them! A monster, a werewolf and as soon as she’s able, she will run from him too.
Travis Williamson is a changeling, born into the life but events from his past mean that he now a lone wolf. He survives day to day, never settling… until one day, his wolf takes over and determinedly takes him to a mountain ledge where he sees her fall. Having glimpsed the changeling green sheen in her eyes, he knows she won’t die but she needs help and for some reason, he feels compelled to help her. But by befriending Geneva – Neva- Ross in her hour of need, Travis is pulled into a deadly game of cat & mouse and uncovers a power hungry sire who demands that you join her pack or die! Can Neva & Travis stay clear of Meridith’s clutches or will their fate be the same as so many before them? And with Neva’s view on werewolves, will she ever see Travis as anything other than a monster?
I thought First Bite was a great introduction to the Dark Wolf series by Dani Harper. I liked the whole premise and the ‘changelings’ had a more magical feel than the usual werewolves we read about. I immediately connected with Neva’s character because from the get go she is in emotional turmoil, trying to commit suicide and obviously there was good reason so the empathy came straight away, it’s not often you read of a supernatural doing that or feeling like there was no alternative to the lifestyle but saying that, when you find out why she thinks that way, it does come across as logical. Obviously she survives and that brings Travis into her life and he brings some sparks - literally& figuratively – as they clash in a battle of wills. Travis is there to help, he knows what she’s about to go through and feels like he needs to help guide her but Neva uses Travis as a scapegoat for her anger over being turned against her will & let’s not forget, she views all werewolves as monsters. She knows it’s unreasonable but she needs to vent somehow and Travis is an easy target but as she realises that he isn’t like the others, she starts to warm to him, he starts to appreciate her and we get a nice bit of sizzle added to the story which was great! And I loved that there wolves voiced their approvals too.
The story gave a slightly different take on werewolves, focusing on a magical change rather than a physical process. I liked the set-up of a power hungry wolf seeking to build an army of ‘weres’ to do her bidding, I’m not going to say a lot about her because it’s part of the story but if you were caught & turned by her, you’d be in a no win situation and the fact that Neva is the only one to ever escape her clutches will tell you just how devious she is. I also liked having a female villain in this, they are quite underused and I liked what she was about, what she did and how she achieved that – her story is begging to be told and I really appreciated the insight into her, through her POV. I always like a good run & chase scenario and it provided some good scenes throughout the book, you could really feel the urgency as Neva& Travis tried to evade capture & I have to say - the dump truck scene would be awesome in a movie! I loved the way the ‘weres ‘seemed more magical and how magic was brought into the plot, I feel we only get a sneaky peak at how it could be used especially through Meridith and look forward to seeing how that will evolve as the books go on & I like how the ‘baddie’ wasn’t the only one with secrets. Another thing I liked about this is that a few of the Changelings & there wolves seemed to be separate inside the same person, they cause some inner turmoil between both selves, sometimes trying to dominate each other, it gives another added ‘something different’ to the usual were story and I loved which way it came across in the relationship between Neva& Travis.
All in all though, this book was great, it was gritty & exciting & it was hot! A really good start to a new series brimming with potential & I can’t wait to see what happens next.
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