Man, I would have loved this book as a teenager (for context, about 20 years ago… yikes!). Magic, shapeshifters, badass women characters, evil mages, magic in the real world… it has everything I would have loved diving in for when I was a super avid reader. And by super avid reader, I mean I kept my nose consistently buried in a book as often as possible.

Now as a far too busy working mother of two, it’s harder for me to take the time to read. So, when I get a book that isn’t that engaging, or doesn’t have the themes I want to dig in to when I’m reading… I get a little bummed.

The good news is, this book wasn’t disappointing. It wasn’t everything I’d want in a book, but the author has a ton of room to grow within this series he’s trying to develop.

The author has more than a few creative characters and one-liners that made me burst out laughing or smile… and it isn’t a comedic novel at all. The way the author crafts cats… and has them talk to their ‘owner’… was a joy to read.

I wish more time was spent on relationships in this book. A lot of the conversation is about family, about Pack, about friendships. Only, not enough time was spent on developing it for the reader to read. A lot of it was hinted at. There was a lot of backstory brought in to the novel and at times it was distracting.

I’d love to see more of this modern world with magic brought back… and I want to see more character development in the coming novels.

I’d give it a 2.5 out of 5 because while it was an enjoyable read (and I particularly loved the cat Hally in this book), it could have easily achieved a 4 out of 5 if it had spent more time on developing friendships, romance, and family rather than “telling” it existed.

Exciting page turner .
I love that Shifter pack is made up of different animals and yet still close knit family.
The different types of Magi are very interesting.
Love the telepathic cats.
Alaric becomes more interesting as the story progresses
Good villain.
I hope we get to know the other shifters better as series continues.
Can’t wait for the next segment.

What a fantastic concept for the series, the writing was well done as well as the characters and their development. I had a great time reading this and look forward to more in the series.

I enjoyed everything about this. There was a great cast of diverse characters and the MC was likable and relatable, the world building was top-notch. I loved the collision of the magic and modern worlds. Even though the premise has been used before the was a different take on it.

The storyline was interesting, enough so that I was drawn in and had a hard time putting the book down. It flowed well and had excellent editing. All in all a very enjoyable read and I really looking forward to reading more of this world and its people.

This book is amazing!
I love how the author took from several mythologies and made a story all his own. I loved the characters, the diversity and the world building.
Alaric, the main character has quite a journey ahead of him and it makes him stronger and more powerful than he could ever know.

The relationships in this book are amazing, too.
Alaric's parents are a true power couple, his mother a fantastic warrior and his father a powerful and sometimes whimsy mage. Their love for each other and their son is written in a wonderful way.
And we have a stunning pack of shapeshifters, who are Alaric's best friends and part of the family.
Without them, each of them with a beautiful well-rounded personality, the story would only be half as great.

And then there is also Hally, Alaric's wonderful cat. She is, without giving away too much, an important part of everything and everything a cat can and should be. I love her!

This book has amazed me in many ways and John Reed has brought every part of his story to an epic ending. He is one of the great storytellers and I am eagerly waiting for the next book. In the meantime, I will miss the Pack and this great family.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for this gem. It's rare that I find a book with shapeshifters done right.