Blurb:
Survival
demands sacrifice. Healing requires forgiveness.
After
losing her lover and then her mate, Victoria Storm builds a new life in Sierra
Pines, California. When the Norse Fates predict the she-wolf will destroy the
world to save her unborn child, her duties as Freya’s priestess conflict with
her responsibilities as Odin’s Valkyrie.
Sawyer
Barrett has hunted Victoria so passionately, he doesn't know whether he loves
or hates her. Desperate to end the fighting, he will take chances with
everything—except his heart. This hunter harbors a deadly secret he can't
reveal without risking the tentative ceasefire and his father’s continued
disapproval.
Men
revere him; monsters fear him. Jake Barrett—the notorious Hunter King—values
loyalty to family above all else. When he believes his eldest son was murdered
by a wolf ally, he releases a chain reaction of violent destruction that claims
the lives of both wolves and hunters.
An
ancient vampire plots the destruction of wolves and hunters alike. If the
embittered rivalry doesn't end quickly, there is no hope for the Hunters,
Victoria's pack, or the mortal world.
Excerpt:
Shadows
enshrouded Skuld, and her voice manifested upon the air, thick and oppressive,
closing in from all sides. "Your daughter will not grow to adulthood in
Midgard."
Victoria's
heart slammed against her breastbone. Her breath expelled in a horrified gust.
The bowl dropped from her hands which flew to protect her abdomen. "What
do you mean?"
"Your
daughter will be taken from you on the eve of her third birthday," Skuld
said. "The one you trust most, a member of your own pack, will give the
child over to your greatest enemy."
A
growl trembled in Victoria's throat, and her entire body shook under the dual
assault of fear and rage. The suggestion of betrayal from within her own pack
filled her with disbelief to the core of her being. It was unthinkable.
Gritting her teeth, she sought a solution, refusing to dwell on it. "How
am I to prevent this?"
"We
speak of what will come to pass," Verðandi said in a sympathetic tone.
"Your
predictions are not carved in stone," Victoria said. Arguing with Fate was
a foolish endeavor, but she refused to accept their prophecy.
The
old woman, Urðr, smiled with a frightening gleam in her eyes.
"Predictions, carved into the trunk of the World Tree, carved into the
spiritual fabric of the world."
Stubborn
determination settled over Victoria like armor. Her mother had taught her there
was no absolute fate, just as there was no absolute free will. Life consisted
of a wide range of possibilities between the two extremes. She refused to allow
her daughter to die at three years of age. She would move worlds, alter fate,
slay gods.
Whatever
it took.
"Do
you wish to save your child?" Skuld asked.
Victoria
answered without thought. "Yes. I'll do anything. Tell me. Please."
"The
final days are upon us," Verðandi said.
Skuld
took over speaking. "To save your daughter, you will side with Loki
against the Aesir. You will use your enchanted dagger to cut the binding of the
great wolf Fenrir. You will be responsible for freeing the beast that kills
Odin."
Victoria's
stomach turned. Her head shook in automatic denial. "When the gods
imprisoned Fenrir, my people pledged fealty to the Aesir. We have served them
loyally ever since. Even when we were driven from the homeland, almost a millennium
ago, we remained faithful. I will never cut Fenrir's bonds. To do so would end
the world we live in and doom us all."
Skuld's
gaze held steady. "You will."
Victoria
snarled her denial. "No. I will never become the servant of the Trickster
or willingly take part in bringing about Odin's death."
Skuld
turned her head and pinned Victoria with one black eye that rolled in its
socket like a liquid marble. "To save your daughter, you will."
 |
| Enter to win this beautiful hematite necklace. |
4 stars
Being
a fan of mythology in general, once I saw the words Loki, Valkyrie priestess
and wolf shifter, I knew I had to read Battle Cry. I figured it would either be
a book I loved, or a book I hated. It was the former.
At
first, I had a hard time getting into the book. Part of it was the writing
style, and the other part was due to the fact that while this is a standalone
book, it is also the second in the series. I felt like I was missing important
information throughout parts of the book. Plus, it took me a while to sort all
the different people, rivalries and such out, which I think would have been
much easier had I read book 1.
However,
this did not deter my enjoyment of the book. Once I made it past the first few
chapters, I was drawn in to this interesting world, both familiar yet different
than the mythology I know. I wasn’t sure the author would be able to blend all
these various elements (paranormal, fantasy, mythology, etc.) successfully, but
I was very pleased with the result. The story flowed, the imagery was described
in vivid detail, and the characters were three dimensional and entertaining.
I
thoroughly enjoyed this novel, and I cannot wait to read the other books in
this series in order to learn not only what happened before this book, but what’s
to come as well.
March 16: Lilac Reviews
March 23: Author Amanda Kimberley LB
March 30: Unabridged Andra's
March 30: Paranormal Romance and Authors That Rock
April 6: Sharing Links and Wisdom
April 6: Laura's Interests
Author Bio and Links:
• Melissa Snark is published with The Wild
Rose Press & as an Indie author with five unique titles: A CAT'S TALE, THE
MATING GAME, LEARNING TO FLY, THE CHILD THIEF, and HUNGER MOON.
• Her Loki's Wolves series includes THE
CHILD THIEF, HUNGER MOON and BATTLE CRY.
• She lives in the San Francisco bay area
with her husband, three children and a glaring of cats.
• She is a professional cat herder and
unrepentant satirist who blogs about books and writing on The Snarkology.
Connect with Melissa
Snark:
Buy
Links:
Emily,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for hosting my Battle Cry tour today. Your thoughtful review is very much appreciated. I'm so pleased you enjoyed the story.
It was my pleasure Melissa :)
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