ARC Review: Raised by Wolves - Jennifer Lynn Barnes

He's in a cage, I reminded myself, but the words meant nothing to me, because I just couldn't stop staring into his wild eyes and playing the last words he'd said before he shifted, over and over again.

I GOT BIT... I GOT BIT... I GOT BIT...

At the age of four, Bryn watched a rabid werewolf murder her parents.  She was taken in by the mysterious Callum, the alpha of his pack.  Now fifteen, Bryn's been a human among werewolves, adhering to pack rule.  Little fazes her.

But the pack's been keeping a secret, and when Bryn goes exploring against Callum's orders, she finds Chase, a newly turned teen Were locked in a cage.  Bryn needs answers, and she needs Chase to get them.  Suddenly, all allegiances to the pack no longer matter.  It's Bryn and Chase against the werewolf world, whatever the consequences.

Raised by Wolves Series:
Raised by Wolves (releasing in the UK on 16th September 2010)
Trial by Fire (due to be published in 2011)

For more information visit Jennifer Lynn Barnes' website

Review:
When Bryn was just four years old her family was attacked by a rabid werewolf, she only survived because of the arrival of Callum and his pack but they weren't in time to save her parents.  Despite the fact that Bryn is human Callum adopted her and marked her as a member of the pack for her protection.  She has been brought up as one of just a few humans living amongst the werewolves and has never quite felt she belonged.  When Bryn finds Chase - a newly turned werewolf - locked in Callum's basement she begins to realise that the pack has been keeping secrets.  She is determined to uncover the truth and needs to work with Chase to do that.

I'm a huge fan of paranormal stories so have read a lot of books in this genre both adult and YA.  I was really looking forward to reading Raised by Wolves but was expecting the story to be similar to others I've read before.  I thought I'd seen pretty much everything that could be seen when it came to werewolves but Jennifer Lynn Barnes pulled out all the stops and created a story that had me hooked from the very first page.  She has created a captivating story with a first class heroine and plenty of twists that took me completely by surprise.  If you're a fan of paranormal stories then this is a must read book, one that I would highly recommend - I'd rate it right up there with Shiver, in fact I think I liked Raised by Wolves even more!

Bryn is a fantastic character, as one of the only humans in the pack she is used to being physically weaker than everyone around her. That doesn't mean Bryn is a pushover though - she is a rebel through & through and is constantly pushing the boundaries of the pack rules.  She needs to know about her past and about how Chase became a werewolf and will do whatever it takes - including breaking Callum's rules, which will have severe consequences if she is caught - to find out more.

Alongside Bryn there is a host of likable and fun characters.  I loved Bryn's adopted mother Ali, another human amongst the wolves she is someone else who is prepared to stand up for what she believes in no matter what the cost to herself.  She wants to keep Bryn safe and only joined the pack to be able to protect her.  I also loved Bryn's friends Devon and Lake, Devon has been Bryn's best friend since she first joined the pack, he is the strongest of the younger werewolves and an alpha in the making.  Lake is one of a very few female werewolves and has been brought up by her father away from the rest of the pack, she is very independent and knows how to protect herself.  Alongside Devon, Lake looks out for Bryn and wants to help her dig into her past and solve the mystery of where both Bryn and Chase came from.

The story is fast paced and has plenty of action and Jennifer Lynn Barnes has created an interesting world with an unusual twist to the werewolf mythology.  The story sucks you in and takes you along a roller coaster journey until the very last page.  Although the story ended well things have definitely been left open for the next book Trial by Fire and I can't wait to get my hands on it.  I'm very much looking forward to reading more of this series and will definitely be looking up some of the author's other books in the meantime.  This is definitely a book I would recommend to urban fantasy / paranormal fans.

Source: Received from publisher Quercus in exchange for an honest review

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