Goodreads blurb:
'The bloody, raw meat was tantalizing her; calling to her. She hated it and yearned for it all at once.
"Stop." She ordered. "What are you doing?!"
"So hungryyyyy," snarled a primal voice deep within her.
"Don’t you dare!" She screamed back.
But it did dare.”
What would you do if you discovered you weren't human? That you turned into a bloodthirsty monster against your will?
What if your instincts, emotions and desires were torn between your own and the dark, dangerous animal lurking inside of you?
If
it could make you yearn for someone you shouldn't, make you say and act
in ways you wouldn't and overwhelm your whole existence?
If everything you'd ever known about your life was a lie?
In
a world where a deeply hidden community is swathed in mystery, deadly
secrets, betrayal and murder, Jaz Barker struggles to fight against the
dangerous Beast within her and the emotions and desires it thrusts her
way.
When tensions ride high and people she cares about are put in
danger, she will have to decide how much of her newly awakened animal
side she's willing to let in.
And if it is worth the risk...
Where can I buy this book?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Beasthood-Hidden-Blood-ebook/dp/B00CYBFTWC/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1375428905&sr=1-1&keywords=Beasthood
http://www.amazon.com/Beasthood-Hidden-Blood-ebook/dp/B00CYBFTWC/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1375428948&sr=1-1&keywords=Beasthood
My review of Beasthood:
*I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review*
This
is a really hard book to classify. It's not really horror, urban
fantasy or paranormal romance but it has werewolves, and elements of
several genres. Dark fantasy is the best description I think. It is very
much a character based slow burner where the tension and plot build
towards the end so don't expect action packed sequences all through it.
That does not mean boring as there is always something happening that
takes the story forward. And yes, you will need to read book 2 to get
some of the answers!
Let's start with the good stuff! First,
the characters. I liked Jaz-feisty, stubborn and scared witness when
weird stuff happens to her, which is what you'd expect. We get a lot of
what she is thinking, her conflicted feelings, her less than sensible
thought processes, so you learn a lot about her as a person. I liked
Alf, Ronnie, Skye and the gang a lot and they are well developed so that
you care what happens to them as the story progresses. The sequence at
the river had my heart in my mouth, especially concerning Ronnie and
Alf. I don't want to give spoilers but it was the first time I was
seriously worried for any of the gang. Fraya is good as the bad girl
because she doesn't come across as just evil for the sake of it, she has
a history that makes her that way, which I liked. She seems like a
complex character and you see quite a few sides to her as the plot
develops. Nik is also a complex character. He has to be the tough Pack
Leader and have discipline and control, but he is also human and has
flaws. There are no perfect characters which adds to the realism of the
book cast. You want flawed characters as they are more interesting.
I
liked that the author has done something different with the werewolves
as well, which isn't easy given their popularity. They aren't a bunch of
sex mad monsters constantly howling at the moon, mating and fighting,
they are people who are different. They talk, they work, they have fun,
they show a whole range of emotions. The story flows smoothly though you
must pay attention to the first few chapters as the flashbacks go back a
full year and if you aren't paying attention, you might get confused.
It is well written and when the tension starts building in the last
third of the book, it really becomes absorbing. The whole arena scene
was pretty nerve jangling as you didn't know what was going to happen
next and I was quite upset about what happened to one of my favourites! I
was also trying to think through who the traitor was and certain clues
were given ie eye colour, that I might need to go back and look at again
as I have two suspects in mind.
Dialogue is obviously important
to the author and a lot of seemingly innocent conversations or diary
entries prove important later on so pay attention to detail. Readers who
skim will miss the clues and it's fun to try and put the clues
together. There is also humour in the writing which I enjoy in a dark
story.
The bad? Nothing that I would call bad to be honest.
It does get off to a slower start than the action packed urban fantasy
that I usually read so I was a bit worried that I might not get into it,
but that didn't happen so that was good. The author approached me about
reading the book, saying she thought I would enjoy it based on my book
tastes and she showed good judgement there because I did enjoy it. Like I
said it was different from my usual reads but in a good way and I will
be interested in reading book 2 for sure.
A.Z.Green was born in 1989 and
raised in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. She met the love of her life aged
16 and moved to London, finally settling down near Brighton. She has
written various novels and short stories in her lifetime but has only
recently decided to publish. She writes a wide range of genres such as
dark fantasy, romance, thriller, historical fiction, dystopian, horror
and paranormal. Her books tend to fit better into the New Adult genre as
they usually have a more mature theme. Beasthood is her first published
novel.
Where can I find AZ?
blog: http://azgreen786.blogspot.co.uk/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/azgreen786
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7106784.A_Z_Green
Here is a message from AZ!
"I'm an indie author swimming in the sea of authors and trying to keep my
head above water to get noticed. I'm not special but I believe I have
something to give and that a lot of readers will like my work or at
least admire it for its style and originality. I have plans to cover
several genres I'm passionate writing in, so that I grab the interest of
a variety of readers. I'd like to kick down the walls of genre-judging
so that people who usually read a particular genre or style go out of
their comfort zone and read something different. I hope to be the one to
encourage that for at least one person. My secret wish (not so secret
now) was to write from a male POV in such a way that people who didn't
know I was a woman would think it had been written by a man. Beasthood
is my first published novel and so far it has shunned the werewolf genre
stereotype. It isn't in fact a werewolf novel, it's a 'beast' novel,
and I guarantee it'll be something you haven't read before."
Roxanna
Rose is a California native with a deep connection to her Ulster
Heritage. Fascinated by Myths and Legends from cultures around the
world, she enjoys creating YA & Fantasy novels steeped in their
mysteries. “Desires: A Legacy Novel” is the first in a series based on
Celtic Myth & Legend. “Malevolence: A Legacy Novel” will be released
later this year along with “She Who Watches,” an Urban Fantasy novel
based on the Native American legend. Roxanna divides most of her time
between her writing and her career as a Veterinary Technician and
Wildlife Rehabilitator.
Take a look at Roxanna's debut novel:
What if your entire
race were created by the ancient Celtic God, Dagda to please his beloved
daughter, Brighid, who gifted your maternal bloodline with a spark of
her soul? Now you’re given the task of living in the mortal realm to
bring the gift of the Arts to the mortals she loves; while being
relentlessly hunted by the Goddess of the Killing Rage to satisfy a
deadly desire for Otherworldly vengeance.
Just before
Eléan’s seventeenth birthday, the Goddess of Lust & Rage, along with
the Immortal she created, destroyed her sheltered life. Now, an object
of possession by mortals and immortals alike; Eléan must learn to
control her legacy and, with the two warriors that love her, save the
Goddess Brighid by protecting the small flame of Immortal soul that
lives within her.
Liam and James have been
friends…brothers…since they were children. Now the Otherworld has been
released into the Mortal Realm leaving a bloody path of terror in its
desire for vengeance. It’s coming for Eléan, a woman they both love and
would die to protect. Will the Otherworld destroy their bond…or will
their love for Eléan give them the strength to fight what’s coming?
Forced into the service of the Goddess Morrigan and made immortal,
Greagoir must be the vessel for the Goddess’ uncontrollable lust and
killing rage. Eléan is the key. After all these centuries, all that
stands in his way are two mortal warriors gifted by a goddess and a
young woman’s desire to survive.
Where can I buy this book?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Desires-Legacy-Novel-R-Rose/dp/1458208222/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1375361593&sr=1-1&keywords=Desires%28A+Legacy+novel%29
http://www.amazon.com/Desires-Legacy-Novel-R-Rose/dp/1458208222/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1375361646&sr=1-1&keywords=Desires%28A+Legacy+novel%29
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/desires-r-rose/1114669082?ean=9781458208217
Elena Michaels seems
like the typically strong and sexy modern woman, She lives with her
architect boyfriend, writes for a popular newspaper, and works out at
the gym. She's also a werewolf.
Elena has done all she can to
assimilate to the human world, but the man whose bite changed her
existence forever, and his legacy, continue to haunt her. Thrown into a
desperate war for survival that tests her allegiance to a secret clan of
werewolves, Elena must recon with who, and what, she is in this
passionate, page-turning novel.
My review:
Elena
is the only female werewolf in the world, bitten by her lover Clay when
she had no idea what he was, and her anger and resentment resentment for him makes her leave
the pack and try to live a normal life like she did before the bite. Then her pack leader calls to say that dead bodies are turning up
near the Pack home, putting their existence in danger and Elena reluctantly goes back
to help. Then it becomes clear that the rogue wolves want to kill every
pack member and the Pack are not ready for the fight.
I
love this series. Elena is pretty tough and feisty and has chosen to turn her back on the Pack. You can understand how she feels. However much you love someone, it would be difficult to forgive them for deciding to change you into a werewolf without your consent. I doubt I would have wanted to see Clay again after that kind of betrayal, especially when Jeremy ordered him not to do it. She is drawn to the Pack but she wants her freedom and hernew normal life, well away from Clay. Their
relationship crackles with tension as well as desire and I liked that. It's certainly not easy to like Clay when you first meet him, that's for sure. The pack members are great characters especially Nick and Jeremy. Nick adds a bit of fun and he's sweet, while Jeremy sounds like my kind of guy, maybe without the wolfing out bit!
When you think of werewolf packs in the genre, most are very big, strong and ready to defend themselves. Despite Jeremy's care and leadership, this Pack are woefully unprepared for the rogue attacks that tear them apart. Even the smart Elena gets herself into situations that nearly get her killed. They make plenty mistakes in their investigation and planning and these flaws in the Pack make them better characters, as well as the action packed plot. The constant danger, the action attacks, the tension and the big finale are excellent and I enjoyed this book a lot.
I don't really have a negative of this book though I admit that I didn't really like Clay and his attitude much. For those who feel the same as me, your opinion will probably change in book 2 like mine did! I do think that having no other female werewolves in existance does limit the scope of available stories and the fact that Elena keeps reminding us of that status does get a bit annoying! Great series though.
