Brought by OBS staff member Katlyn
Summary
As a curious child, Clayton didn’t resist the bite—he asked for it. But surviving as a lone child werewolf was more than he could manage—until Jeremy came along and taught him how to straddle the human-werewolf worlds, gave him a home…and introduced him to the Pack. So begins this volume, featuring three of the most intriguing members of the American Pack—a hierarchical founding family where bloodlines mean everything, and each day presents a new, thrilling, and often deadly challenge. For as Clayton grows from a wild child to a clever teen who tests his beloved mentor at every turn, he must learn not only to control his animal instincts, but to navigate Pack politics—including showing his brutal arch nemesis, Malcolm, who the real Alpha is… (Source: http://www.kelleyarmstrong.com/)
Review
As a huge fan of Kelley Armstrong’s “Otherworld” series, this book was an absolute MUST for me to read. We met Clay and Jeremy in the first book, “Bitten”. But we saw them from Elena’s point of view which was skewed by the fact that she resented them for what they were and what Clay did to her. I really wanted to know how Jeremy became Alpha and how Clay became the rough but sweet (only to her) werewolf Elena fell in love with.
The first part of this book was ‘Infusion’, a short story about Jeremy’s biological mother, and how she was not from the “normal” world. Malcom saw this as weakness in his son, Jeremy, so he wanted nothing to do with him. Fortunately the Pack took Jeremy in when Malcolm did not. This was a great introduction to Malcolm and how ruthless and selfish he was, and also the fact that Jeremy had other special traits than just being a werewolf, ones that made him a bit more supernatural than most.
The second part of the book was ‘Savage’, a novella about how Clay became a werewolf. This story completely absorbed me from the start. Young Clay comes across a werewolf and tells him he wants to be bit. The man agrees, knowing that this child will die before turning. But Clay does not die and he turns more into a savage creature always looking for food and not getting enough. Jeremy rescues Clay and adopts him as his son, much to Malcolm’s discouragment. This book made me laugh out loud because of the crazy antics Clay performed while Jeremy wanted to assimilate him to the human world. We finally learn what happened with the dissection of the class guinea pig.
The third part of the book was ‘Ascension’, a novella about Clayon’s coming of age and the Pack choosing its new Alpha. Jeremy and Malcolm were up for the new Alpha which basically split the Pack. This book showed the dark side of these men. When fighting for control and power within the Pack many lives were lost and friendships broken. This was a pivotal starting point to the ‘Women of the Otherworld’ series. We understood how Jeremy got to become Alpha and what it cost everyone in the Pack.
The last part of the book was ‘Ghosts’, a short story that takes place in 2007. Jeremy and Jamie are together traveling for her show, and Jeremy comes upon a strange woman with strange requests. The strength of Jamie and Jeremy’s love is tested and the whole other world of Jeremy’s mothers past is revealed that will leave you wanting more!
