The Trouble with Beasts in the first book in Howl for the Damned, a series based in the world of D. Fischer's Divinus Kingdom. Divinus Kingdom is interconnecting novels that branch one series to the next.
Title: The Trouble With Beasts
Series: Howl For The Damned
Author: D. Fischer
Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal, Shifter
Release Date: 25th January 2020
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Bitten by secrets. Broken by truths. That's the trouble with beasts.From bestselling and award-winning author D. Fischer, arrives the highly anticipated Howl for the Damned, a series for fans of Mercy Thompson, Bitten, and Alpha and Omega.All Jinx Whitethorn wants is to discover a life outside of a coven she could never fit in with. She's a witch born without magic, and a woman with a handful of problems to keep her company at night.Determined to find some answers, Jinx digs through old family secrets layered with choices of desire and loyalty. What she learns about herself makes her wish she never went looking for answers in the first place.Jacob Trent, the alpha of the local Riva Pack, stumbles into the middle of Jinx's secret while trying to solve several shifter murders in the nearby town his pack protects. She's a threat. Dangerous. An impossibility. While bringing the troubling woman to heel, Jacob discovers Jinx's family history has made her the prey of a hunt she isn't prepared for.
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REVIEW
I am always on
the look out for great shifter series to try so when the cover of this book
caught my attention and I read the blurb I decided to give it a go.
At just 15% I
was feeling pulled into this world already.... initially, it was reminding
me a tiny bit of Karina Espinosa's Mackenzie Grey Origin's Series which is
a huuuge compliment as I truly adore that series & the
following one. Jinx kind of reminds me of Mackenzie! ....could Jacob be Jinx'
very own Bash? I did discover before reading that this book/series is set in
the same world as the other series written by D. Fischer but I couldn’t really
find any specific information for which books or series to read first so I dove
right into this one.
There is a bit
of a backstory that is referred to quite often, “The Realms War” where all the
supernaturals fought and sustained heavy losses in their packs, covens etc. I
don’t think you absolutely have to have read the books about the
Realms War first, prior to this book as the incidents referred to in
connection with the Realms War are well explained. I will say I do feel I
would like to read the both the series set around the Realms War and the Cloven
Pack Series too.
My favourite
character is Jinx Whitethorn with her independent, kick ass, stubborn attitude.
Jinx belonged to the Lotus Coven of witches and grew up within it until she
realised she was a witch with no magic, making her an anomaly, the odd one out.
Jinx left the Coven’s home which means leaving their protection but at the same
time she is leaving behind the judgmental, inquisitive stares of the other
witches. Jinx has moved in to the flat that is above the Be Deviled bar that is
owned and run by Cinderson Robin’s a shifter who is part of the local Riva
Pack. Things have taken a weird turn for Jinx lately as it seems some strange
group, or pack is hunting her. At first, Jinx thought it maybe just coincidence
but then she noticed all these men/beasts had the same tattoo like mark on
them. Even stranger is whilst fighting these assailants Jinx seems to blackout,
and cannot remember how the fight progressed or ended.
Jinx best
friend from within the coven is Sara, who is the daughter of Jamie, Jinx’
mother’s best friend also. Sara is a good, supportive friend to Jinx and
doesn’t care whether Jinx has magic or not. There is a point in the book where
Jamie kind of asks/warns Jinx not to involve her daughter in whatever she is
mixed up in. I think perhaps there could be further trouble for Jinx in the
future with some of the members of the coven. The witches seem to see things in
a very black and white way and the fact Jinx has no magic, to them means Jinx
is not one of them. Thankfully for Jinx her friend Sara doesn’t think like that
at all and is willing to face anything side by side with her best friend. Sara
encourages Jinx to speak to her own mother to ask questions about her heritage
from her father’s line. Jinx ends up asking her mother about her father as that
is clearly where she gets her Native American looks. Eventually her mother,
Tabatha reveals that she really loved Adriel, Jinx father but witches are not
supposed to fall in love, they are supposed to be lone women bringing up their
daughters. Sadly, the day Tabatha revealed to Adriel that she was pregnant he
was killed in a mystery car accident. Jinx also learns that her father was also
a supernatural, he was a Shaman, so perhaps that is where her gifts lie…..could
that be linked to her blacking out?
I also adored
Cinderson’s character, so “happy go lucky”, such an easy going, kind of guy but
at the same time hiding his own heartbreak and heartache at the loss of his
sister Allie in the Realms War. Also still upset at the loss of Allie, is
Jacob, the Alpha of the Riva Pack. Jacob is involved with Evo, Alpha of the
Cloven pack who also lives in the area. They have to keep an eye on rogue
werewolves and encourage them to learn to live within a pack, if they cannot do
this they need to “take care of them”. It’s whilst looking into some shifter
deaths that Jacob and Evo realise the dead shifters are part of the Bane pack.
Wice Bane is not a well liked, shifter in either of his forms. In fact, the
Bane Pack are known to work as mercenaries for whoever has the money to pay for
their services.
It turns out
that Jinx has what could be described as her very own brand of magic that she
has through her father’s bloodline. Jacob decides to take Jinx under the
protection of his pack until they can work out why the Bane pack is after Jinx
and until Jinx can control her new found powers. Unfortunately for Jacob he
decides that kidnapping Jinx is a good way to get to talk to her, and to say
this irritates Jinx is an understatement. Jinx is used to being independent and
makes her opinions and views well known which causes friction within the Riva
Pack and Jinx. Jinx does prove how tough she is and the fact she can take care
of herself and soon integrates with the majority of the pack members. There are
also some great descriptive sparring scenes between Jinx and the Riva pack.
Towards the latter part of the book when Jinx is once again in danger because
of the Bane Pack there are some great fight scenes too.
I loved the
description of the Lotus Coven garden that is only accessible in its true and
wonderful form for witches. Witches can gain access to this garden because they
have given a drop or as it is described in the book a bead of their blood to
it. There is a small clearing separating the vegetation and a pentagram that is
outlined in brick with a circle surrounding it. Each triangle of the pentagram has
a different shade of flowers, white for the earth realm, red for the demon
realm, purple for the dream realm, yellow for the guardian realm and blue for
the death realm. The description is so good you can almost visualise how this
would look.
My immediate
thoughts upon finishing reading this book were Oh wow what a great start
to another potentially fantastic paranormal, shifter series!
Certainly eager
to read more about Jinx, Jacob, Cinder, Sara, the rest of the Riva
pack.....multiple shifter packs, plus covens, and Native American shaman as
well as vampires being hunted at.
To sum
up on one hand I could honestly go on and on about this book but on the
other hand it’s difficult to talk about without revealing too much about the
book as I certainly do not want to spoil the reading experience. I truly loved
the beautiful necklace that Jinx has that belonged to her father, though it
turns into a bit of a mixed gift. A connection to her father, yet something the
Bane Pack desperately want and don’t care how they get it. I am seriously
looking forward to hopefully learning much more about Jinx heritage and what
her gifts and powers will be, as well as where her potential relationship with
Jacob will go. In amongst all the pack hierarchy, the witch laws and fighting
there are hints at things that may be coming in the future. I am hoping for
more things happening around the Be Deviled and I’m already pairing off another
witch and wolf couple. So. after all my rambling and rattling on I would say
this series and author are going on my “must read” lists. Other series as well
as the Mackenzie Grey series’ by Karina Espinosa I would compare this book to,
are Jessica McClain series by Amanda Carlson, the Shifter's series by Rachel
Vincent and the Women Of The Otherworld series by Kelley Armstrong. I have also
seen this series compared to Alpha & Omega and the Mercy Thompson series’
but having only read Cry Wolf I haven’t added it to my, “to compare to list”.
ALSO DID YOU KNOW BK 2 IS
OUT NOW!
Title: The Liar Among Creatures
Series: Howl For The Damned
Author: D. Fischer
Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal, Shifter
Release Date: 16th May 2020
BLURB from Goodreads
Uncertainty is measured in lies.
From bestselling and award-winning author D. Fischer, arrives the highly anticipated Howl for the Damned, a series for fans of Mercy Thompson, Bitten, and Alpha and Omega.
Balancing loyalties and desires isn’t easy, but Jinx Whitethorn is determined to try. She finally understands what she is and the secrets that bind her fate, but she still has questions. Jinx turns to the only living relative she has left on her father’s side. It goes against every tribe fable Kaya Whitethorn had been told as a child, but she agrees to help her skinwalker niece.
Possessing both a combination of shaman and witch magic, Jinx needs to learn how to control her power to defend the people she loves, and her father’s pendant. A pendant that harnesses the wolf souls of the cursed Bane Pack shifters.
Meanwhile, Jacob looks into a mole inside the pack. Someone’s feeding the Bane information, and he’s determined to find the traitor among them. He’ll protect the woman he loves, no matter the cost.
From bestselling and award-winning author D. Fischer, arrives the highly anticipated Howl for the Damned, a series for fans of Mercy Thompson, Bitten, and Alpha and Omega.
Balancing loyalties and desires isn’t easy, but Jinx Whitethorn is determined to try. She finally understands what she is and the secrets that bind her fate, but she still has questions. Jinx turns to the only living relative she has left on her father’s side. It goes against every tribe fable Kaya Whitethorn had been told as a child, but she agrees to help her skinwalker niece.
Possessing both a combination of shaman and witch magic, Jinx needs to learn how to control her power to defend the people she loves, and her father’s pendant. A pendant that harnesses the wolf souls of the cursed Bane Pack shifters.
Meanwhile, Jacob looks into a mole inside the pack. Someone’s feeding the Bane information, and he’s determined to find the traitor among them. He’ll protect the woman he loves, no matter the cost.
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