by Glen Duncan

This started out with a different tone than I usually see in werewolf novels. More of a crime drama or conspiracy story tone as it's established that with the murder of a werewolf in Berlin, the protagonist is the last of his kind and an organisation that hunts down and kills werewolves will now be focused on him.

This was a very literary read. Despite a few descriptions of violence, the use of language made it a joy to read and the first person pov of the werewolf throughout felt very intimate and personal. I found myself wanting him to survive. It had a few very sexual references. Apparently being a werewolf sends the libido into animal rut. But both the sex and violence stopped short of becoming gratuitous, even if it nudged that parameter on occasion.

There was a lot of suspense well done and a few twists to keep things interesting. The last few chapters had me breathless!

The writing was so good that I went to see what else the author had written and found that this is actually a trilogy! I'll look forward to reading the next books. This was one of those stories that when it ended, I just had to sit a few moments, staring into space while processing the feels. It really had a strong emotional impact on me.

Originally published at midureads.wordpress.com on March 3, 2018.

2012

The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross

I don't much remember what went on in this book, except there being a plot to replace the Queen with an automaton clone. Must have made an impression on me because I rated it 4 stars on GR. Oh, and the covers in the series are beautiful! I recently and reviewed the second book in this series.

Must Love Hellhounds by Various Authors

GR tells me that I loved most of the stories from this anthology. Must have been a good collection. I remember trying it out because it also included a story by Ilona Andrews -- a favorite author couple of mine.

Frostbite by David Wellington

If you don't yet know that an awesome vampire series by David Wellington's exists, then you haven't been paying attention. Like the Laura Caxton series, this one is creepy AF. My GR review tells me I recommend it to:

I loved it and I don't even like horror much! Here, let my gushing adoration convince you that you need to try Wellington's books.

Stray by Rachel Vincent

When I first read it, one of the most annoying things about this series was its heroine. She was a whiny, selfish brat who didn't care about the consequences of her action. One of the best things about it, as I continued to plod along, is how she changed! By the end of the series, the events have transformed her into the alpha her father always knew her to be. If that doesn't float your boat, maybe stay for all the violence and the gore? Oh, and did I mention that the series is complete? You can binge read it!

The Last Werewolf by Glen Duncan

Maybe I have a soft spot for tortured, lonely werewolves or maybe it's something else. Either way, I just completed this series. While the first had impressed me, the second and third fell short. All I'm saying is that even with the cliffhanger at the end of the first one, it can easily be read as a standalone.

2013

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

I have had much to say about the second book in this series on this blog. All good things, I promise. Therefore, it won't come as a surprise that I loved the first one, as well! The ending blew me away even when I have become so jaded about last-minute twists that change everything. Check this one out!

He was a Hero, He Shouldn't have Died by Kenneth Mugi

If you asked me to describe this book in a word, I'd probably say weird. But wait, this is what I said in my review:

I got this book for free, in exchange for an honest review from Making Connections. Get your copy here.

This book is very different from the plethora of Paranormal novels out there- it turns the idea of Dorian Gray’s picture on its head.

What I really liked about it was that the touch of fantasy/paranormal elements didn’t overwhelm Kasumi’s story.

Another thing to like was that if the new edited version had any errors, I couldn’t find them.

There is enough humor to balance the darkness in the story.

I would have liked to see more of Morgan but watching Kasumi grow into her powers would be exciting too.

Hoping that there are some fight scenes in the next book!

This book isn’t for everybody but if you’d like to read something unique, give this one a whirl.

The Gods Among Us by D.C. Belton

An old read, an old review:

The author was kind enough to give me a free review copy.

You know those books that you just don't wanna put down? Not because there's something exciting happening in the story or it is a good story...not only that but mostly because the writing flows and the story is being told so smoothly that you just read on and on. This book was such a book.

The parts I loved the most began when Pallas is aboard the ship and meets the crew. Their humor, lightheartedness and loyalty towards each other made them lovable.

I also liked that we're set up to hate Elena in the beginning of the story but we find out she has more depth and understands political intrigue much better than her younger sisters give her credit for.

Othello, I feared and hated just like I was supposed to. Even when I laughed at his antics, I wasn't less creeped out by him!

About the gods and their machinations: a) I'm not yet sure if they're actually deities and not humans who know what opposable thumbs are, b) they just don't care whose life they ruin, do they? Even Pallas who claims not to believe in gods & goddesses can't escape their schemes!

Pallas keeps mentioning how her father must miss her and I couldn't shake the feeling that there's something wrong there. Poor Pallas!

What would have made the book even better was a little more world building, maybe? Or a map, so we could understand what this world is like even better.

Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple

Lovely, fun at times and sad at other times, quirky as heck read. I liked it, maybe you would too?

Well, those were my faves from the past years. You can also find reviews of books from 2018 that stuck with me. 

Turn-Offs

So, the last werewolf wasn’t the last one by far! In fact, there was a group of werewolves, just waiting to be discovered. Then there were the new ones that Talulla kept making and they arrived at exactly the right moment. One of the things that turned me off about this book.

The cliffhanger at the end seemed unnecessary. For me, the story was complete, so why complicate it with the real Remshi’s appearance?

Turn-Ons

I love the covers on all the books in the series.

What I liked was that the author did not shy away from violence, gore, and the other big taboo, sex while in werewolf form!

I wasn’t a fan of Talulla because her inner monologues were just as irritating as I found Dani’s (Fever series by Karen Marie Moning) to be! Well, okay not that irritating but they did annoy me a lot. She may not have been likeable, however, I appreciated that she didn’t try justifying or apologize for who she was.

Some Favorite Quotes

 

My mother once told me she thought hell would be nothing more than being given a glimpse of God — then having it taken away, forever.

 

 

His face was full of masculine prettiness and immensely likeable. Which, by horror’s law of inverted aesthetics, made me sure we were being taken to our death.

 

 

Even when you want to stop caring about it you can’t. Even when the solution to knowing they’re going to cut off your left breast is to disown it, you can’t. It’s yours.

 

If you were a woman a portion of your fear was given over, in installments that began when you were still a little girl, to rape

 

 

Did you write The Book of Remshi?

Yes.

When?

When papyrus was new.

New Words Learned

While watching the TV series Lucifer on TV as I got the Season one DVD. I thought it is time to talk about books on Lucifer.

I like books about Lucifer. The freedom fighter, the character that respect freedom.

Yes. I like Neil Gaiman Sandman version of Lucifer. 

The Master and Margarita is one of the best book I read.

I also like Palanuik version of the devil being the bad guy.

Lucifer fight the dictator and want freedom. As a freedom fighter version, Lucifer is an activist and wonderful. 

It is the dictator, mass murdering god character is the really bad guy. 

Most books that start out being a miserable read will stay that way. This was not one of those books. My relationship with this book began with profound irritation; the writing style was annoying, the characters were unlikeable, and the international espionage-like plot was the polar opposite of the kind of books I like to read. But as I was soldiering on the minimum 50 pages before I could DNF, something wonderful happened. It sucked me in. I can’t describe why or how, either, because the main character remained an intolerably self-involved navel gazer and the plot continued to be a goofy sort of werewolf international intrigue. Maybe I just finally adjusted to the writing style, because I eventually began to enjoy it. If there’s one thing I did profoundly appreciate about this story, it’s that you will find no heroically romantic werewolves or vampires here. They are all monsters.

Also, this is one of the handsomest books I own. It’s why I bought it, originally. The paper is good quality with a classic oldfashioned typeface. I love the simple cover, black with iridescent phases of the moon, and the pages are edged in a dark brownish maroon, like old dried blood.

I read this for the Full Moon square in 2016 Halloween Bingo, and this makes my last 2 bingos and achieves blackout.

Previous updates:

http://sheric.booklikes.com/post/1482293/the-last-werewolf-progress-36-346-pages

http://sheric.booklikes.com/post/1482561/the-last-werewolf-progress-89-346-pages

http://sheric.booklikes.com/post/1484968/the-last-werewolf-progress-194-346-pg