October 31, 2016

EARLY REVIEW: Daring Fate (Silver Tip Pack #1)



Daring Fate (Silver Tip Pack #1), by Megan Erickson
Publish Date:
November 14, 2016
Publisher: self-published
Format: ARC, provided by the author
Genre: adult m/m paranormal romance
To Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Rating: 4 STARS


(Synopsis) I wake up chained to the wall of a dark cell aware of two things: I failed my sister, and I smell my enemy.


When I’m taken to meet Dare, the alpha of the Silver Tip pack, I’m sure I’m about to lose my throat. The last thing I expect is for the Alpha to recognize me as his fated mate. No way is he going to let me go now, and I still have to find a way to rescue my sister.


As I plot my escape to save her, I find that if I leave, Dare could be killed by power-hungry members of his pack. And now he’s more to me than my fated mate—my heart is involved. With time ticking by on my sister’s life, I have to make a choice I never thought I’d face—my sister’s life or my mate’s? That’s if I can survive the undead shifters intent on killing me first...

In honor of Halloween, I wanted to post a review of a paranormal book. Only fitting, right? When I think of the paranormal books that I've read lately, one sticks out in my mind more than others. 

Daring Fate is Megan Erickson's first trip into the world of the paranormal, and what's awesome is that you can tell she fully embraced this new series and made these shifters her own. I promise this is nothing like any other shifter book you've read before. The mythology is unique and it's set in a dystopian world, so it's like the best of both genres. 

Set in a version of future Earth where all humans were wiped out by a deadly virus, and shifters are all that are left, Daring Fate asks us to consider that there are actually two types of shifters - werewolves and Weres. Werewolves wander the Earth in either human or wolf form. Weres, however, have three forms - human, wolf and a huge, scary half-wolf/half-human. Think Lupin from Harry Potter. 


The two species have a common enemy - nasty, undead Weres called Noweres (such an awesome name for the bad guys, right?). The Weres and werewolves usually keep to themselves in walled cities, safe from the Noweres, never interacting since they kind of hate each other. So, imagine Reese's surprise and horror when he discovers his True Mate is the alpha of the Silver Tip Were pack. 

I'd never expected to find my True Mate. The odds of finding one were incredibly slim in this day and age where we locked ourselves away behind fortified walls. True Mates were mostly an urban myth nowadays, but the deep recesses of my shifter brain knew the scent on instinct. And now that I smelled him - a minty, sweet smell - I understood why the True Mate bond was so coveted. I craved him, and my blood rushed through my veins like fucking fire.

Dare is powerful and commanding and confident. He bears the weight of his entire pack on his shoulders and he does it willingly and proudly. He didn't earn his position easily, but he is the best suited for the position. It's a big burden, and he's never been able to share that with anyone. Until Reese comes along. 

Reese and Dare are forced to navigate the choppy waters of a new relationship amid distrust from some members of Dare's pack, as well as some secrets that both men are keeping from the other.  Reese's secrets, especially, have the power to cause real problems for Dare, and the closer they get to each other, the harder it is for Reese to come clean. 

I love shifters. I love how protective they are of the people they care for. I love the sense of community you always get with the pack. And, I love what fierce warriors they are. Despite the uniqueness of Megan Erickson's shifter world, these hallmarks - the things that draw me to this genre the most - are still there in spades. 

There's plenty of action and danger in Daring Fate. The Noweres are no joke. And a nearby werewolf pack, as well as some members of Dare's own pack give Dare and his closest allies reasons to fight. There's lots of action in Dare's bedroom too (and the garden, and the cave, and...). The hotness starts very quickly and doesn't let up. 

Reese and Dare have a special kind of chemistry. At first, you know that part of it is biology - the things about them that make them mates and draw them to each other. But, as time goes on, I loved watching them learn about each other, make sacrifices for each other, and fall in love with each other. 

Even if you've never given shifter books a go before, you should really try this one. This is not a cookie-cutter book - the world is unique, the romance is hot, and the action is plentiful. The guys just happen to turn into wolves from time to time. Which, really, is pretty freaking cool.

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