So, I am sitting here one day in between books and I think to myself, “I wanna read some fluff. Some shifter fluff. Yeah, with mpreg!”. I search around for a bit until I come across Scarlet Hyacinth. Now, I’ve already read her entire Mate or Meal series so I know what I’m in for. I decide to check out her other works. I see Werewolf’s Way and think, “why not?”. I settle down for a nice, light, fluffy afternoon read.
Boy, was I wrong!
This series was an epic, and I do mean EPIC, story. I should have known. I mean, the cover of each book clearly states “Epic Romance” but I didn’t pay it any attention. I just wanted my fluff. Yes, it had shifters. Yes, it had mpreg and matings and claimings and all the stuff I was looking for. But that’s not all I got. I also got action and adventure and intrigue. I got a mystery with convoluted plot lines. I got the whole gamut of emotions. I got stories within stories within stories. And let me just tell you; there was not a single plot hole anywhere to be found. I was not prepared to be sucked into this series like I was. As soon as I finished one book I was immediately purchasing the next (at full price no less). I hungered for these books.
In the first book, Werewolf’s Way, we meet Caelyn, a sprite and Graham, his werewolf mate. Theirs is a forbidden love and we see their flight to freedom. Do they make it? Do they stay together or are they ripped apart by the evil Draechen?
The second book, Draechen’s Mate is about Prince Karien of the Draechen (dragons) and his arranged marriage to Prince Sari of the fae. In this book we get to see that the Draechen may not be so evil after all. Well, at least some of them aren’t.
The third book, Warrior’s Dream, is about Kael and Tali. They are the stuff of legends and we finally get to learn all about the Great Sacrifice. You have to pay attention with this one because it is the reason behind the entire story arc.
Book four, Naga’s Concubine, introduces us to Lieutenant Sage of the Draechen and Prince Camden of the Naga. Here we learn more about the ins and outs of the Shifter Directive and why it needs to be abolished.
Book five, Emperor’s Consort, is about Hareem and Taryn. This story plays a pivotal role in the overall arc. This is also one of my favorites. Taryn will always hold a special place in my heart.
In book six, Fire’s Embrace, we get to experience the love between Alwyn and Rachen. We also get to experience one of the most tender and passionate love scenes I have ever read. I thought my heart would burst from reading it. This book also ends on a MAJOR cliffhanger.
Each of these stories was closely interwoven with the others. All of the main characters and most of the secondary ones are in every book. The plot is intricate and full of red herrings. It kept my attention throughout.
But wait! What about the seventh and final book?
Book seven, From the Ashes, took every storyline in all the previous books, stuffed them in a jar, shook them up and dumped them on their heads. At first I didn’t know my up from down, my right from left, my backward from forward. Everything I learned was gone; all the truths were now lies. I felt a pang of loss so great that it was a physical thing. I grieved for these characters and what they were put through. I still haven’t completely recovered from this book.
Overall, this series was beautifully written. Scarlet Hyacinth has a way of describing scenes to where you can’t help but feel like you’re there in the story even if there’s no way it could be real. Her words when expressing how a character feels are almost like poetry. My heartstrings were not just tugged - they were yanked on. You can really tell a great deal of thought was put into this series. It was so detailed, so intricate and absolutely nothing was left out.
So, while I may not have gotten what I was originally searching for I am delighted at what I discovered. If you like shifters, claimings and matings, you should check out this series. If you like fantasy with fae and magic, you should check out this series. If you like an epic story filled with action and intrigue and mystery, you need to read this series. If you like paranormal romance, read this. I certainly will read this again and again. Just make sure you set aside enough time to read the whole thing because, seriously, it will suck you in and not let go until the end.
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