High drama, graphic origin story—not a romance!

Deacon’s idyllic life is irrevocably changed at 10 yrs old when a rival werewolf pack kills his family and forces him into their service. Deacon learns to fight, rises through the ranks, and bides his time. Over the years that follow he wreaks vengeance on all those who had a hand in that day and eliminates anyone else who stands in his way … slowly, inexorably fighting his way to the top.

Like all Nicholas Bella novels, this origin prequel is graphic in sex and violence, but much more sombre than other stories—certainly it was a lot unhappier than Theoden, the other origin prequel for this series. Deacon is such an antihero: we watch him lie, use, and betray to feed his ambition, and yet he elicits a devoted loyalty from his wives, children, and acolytes. This reads like a Shakespearean tragedy as Deacon leaves a trail of bodies in his wake and I could appreciate the big stakes and high drama. However, it’s certainly not a romance of any sort: Deacon sleeps with any male or female he fancies and there’s very little emotional connection involved. The message here is we are the product of our environment and experiences, both good and bad. Overall, I’m looking forward to the rest of the series. 🎧 I didn’t mind Matt Williams’ audio narration. I’m guessing he’s an American actor because although he did a credible job of all the British and Scottish accents, he pronounced a bunch of words quite strangely. That might also explain why he sounded flat and emotionless at times.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!