Book Jacket:
There can only be one alpha.
Bryn is finally settling into her position as alpha of the Cedar Ridge Pack—or at least, her own version of what it means to be alpha when you’re a human leading a band of werewolves. Then she finds a teenage boy bleeding on her front porch. Before collapsing, he tells her his name is Lucas, he’s a Were, and Bryn’s protection is his only hope.
But Lucas isn’t part of Bryn’s pack, and she has no right to claim another alpha’s Were. With threats—old and new—looming, and danger closing in from all sides, Bryn will have to accept what her guardian Callum knew all along. To be alpha, she will have to give in to her own animal instincts and become less human. And, she’s going to have to do it alone.
Bryn faces both the costs, and the rewards, of love and loyalty, in this thrilling sequel to Raised by Wolves.
Review:
This is one smart book. Raised By Wolves was one of my favorite paranormal YAs of last year, so I came to Trial by Fire with high expectations, and happily I was not disappointed – what I found is a taut, clever story that isn’t afraid to change the game. This book surprised me, and I liked it.
So often romance is the be all, end all of this type of book, such that the story gets mired in a dewy eyed, breathless fantasy of impossibly perfect love. Happily, there is no such story hostage taking in this book – never fear, shippers, there is still a romantic pairing, but this book dares to ask, what next? Where do we go from here, how does it work – or does it? What if love isn’t enough? Instead of staying safely within the lines of what we’ve been conditioned to expect in a book with this type of cover, Barnes gives us a story that is a true coming of age, and it is a wonderful thing. This book has it all – action, romance, suspense, a plot with surprising twists and turns – but make no mistake, Trial By Fire is utterly and entirely Bryn’s story. She is forced to face very, very difficult decisions and take full responsibility for the consequences, even when they are life or death. It is so utterly, fantastically brilliant – and honestly, rare in YA – to see a girl heroine who isn’t defined by her love interest, whose life doesn’t revolve around being in love, who has a story all her own. Bryn has so much going on, without and within, that it makes for a highly engrossing story. Thank you, Jennifer Lynn Barnes!
As for the series view, this book really opens up the game – it expands the horizons of Bryn’s werewolf world, brings secondary characters from the first book firmly to the foreground, and mixes in witches to boot. Plus Ali gets some utterly kick ass moments this time around, which I unabashedly loved – and how rare is that, to see a parental figure present and integral to a YA story. And the ending, wow. What Bryn is willing to sacrifice to do what she thinks is right gave me shivers.
So yes, this book easily lives up to its predecessor – it’s smart, and different, and I enjoyed it very, very much. This series is growing up in intriguing ways, and I can’t wait to see what Jennifer Lynn Barnes does next. Here’s hoping this series doesn’t stop at book three!
Byrt Grade: A
As Levar Burton used to say – you don’t have to take my word for it…
The best part of this book for me is Bryn. She is up against all the odds but always keeps it calm and thinks around the problems in front of her with a cool head ensuring that whatever step she takes is the best one for her uniquely female heavy pack. I loved how this book really gave Bryn a chance to shine while not ignoring that vunerable edge that Bryn has, that wants to help people and do what is best.
Trial by Fire was a well-written thriller packed with compelling characters and twisted situations that kept me hooked till the end…
The Discriminating Fangirl says:
I liked Trial by Fire a lot more than Raised by Wolves. Bryn is more in, literally, in charge. She’s a much stronger character. And other female characters who were background in Raised by Wolves become more important, like Bryn’s friend Lake and her adopted mother Ali…
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