Carrie Vaughn

I am not sure how this one got such a low avg rating.
It's entertaining and surprisingly well crafted.
I had these moments a few times of "are you kidding me? this is bs. no one would do that/act like that" but a lot of times after considering human nature I had to concede that it actually wasn't unrealistic.
In the end, I believe this is one of the more believable stories that describe a coming out for werewolves etc. in a way I believe would actually be much more likely to happen.
This book abuses the strict pack trope to an extreme that has nothing to do with actual wolves anymore. It really abuses the "its the pack" thing to get away with a lot of crap that would neither stand in a wolfpack nor a human group.
One could argue that its different with werewolves but then the constant pounding on the "inner wolf" thing is bs.
Either way, wolf nature is used too much as a scapegoat for acceptance of the unacceptable for plot reasons.
Apart from that, the worldbuilding neglects a lot of possibilities and suggests a rather stark, hopeless and incredibly simplistic situation for basically all vampires and werewolves.
In the next book, it becomes clear that this indeed is just a misconception of our main character but it threw me pretty badly and I would expect an average intelligence human to be able to reason this out on their own. Well, we are told repeatedly that the mc isn't particularly bright. Usually, this is just self-deprecation but in this case, it really is true but only if it is convenient for the plot.
At other times intelligence and quick wit go through the roof.
There are attempts at character growth but sadly none of it goes anywhere. The growth survives exactly as long as it is convenient and immediately regresses if it would get in the way of the plot.
This ultimately was the reason for me to drop the series in book 3.
The circumstances change but the mc doesn't which for some is exactly what they want but that's just not my thing.
I think you can spot a pattern here. Plot convenience is probably the main flaw but I have to say I've read a lot worse with much better ratings. It's mostly subtle and if you just don't think about it too hard and go along for the ride this can be quite enjoyable.
I enjoyed the easy-to-read writing and the pacing was fine. There were no 180s or other big failings that stood out like a sore thumb.
From my experience, I would've expected this to be at around 3.85 avg rating.
This is another example of why I should stop holding onto avg ratings as a measure of what to read.… (more)

I absolutely loved this story and can’t wait for the next installment! One thing I especially appreciate is that, while this is obviously dystopian in nature – it doesn't move through the entire fall of a civilization in one novel. What’s happening here is slower than that and MUCH more personal. The reader might be confused as to what exactly preempted “The Fall” and why banners are such a big deal – but we aren’t left with those questions unanswered so much as the details unexplored. To me, this book addresses a major criticism of dystopian writing – that the story moves so fast the characters are lost in the current. It absolutely addresses ALL of those complaints while moving at a pace that keeps the reader engaged and curious about the characters and the world they live in.

I'd absolutely recommend this read, which is now the winner of the Philip K. Dick award!… (more)