Reviewed by Dan

TITLE:      Wolf of the West

AUTHOR:     Belinda Burke

PUBLISHER:  Totally Bound Publishing

LENGTH:     330 Pages

BLURB:

In the hour of the wolf, the dark moon rises…and the night comes alive.

Eire is a land of gold and bronze, bought with fire and blood. Yet for thirty years, there has been peace in the name of the High King. Now, his quest for immortality has unleashed Crom Cruach, the bent one, Crooked King of the void.

The faoladh, wolf-protectors of man, have sought to suppress those that would bring Crom Cruach into the world. It is Marcas, one of those wolves, who will confront darkness in the name of duty—and beside him, Connor, prince of Connacht.

Connor is a wounded warrior, marked with brightness to foil the dark—a mark that means Marcas must protect him. Yet the longer Marcas spends at Connor’s side, the more he finds himself wanting Connor for his own, and from the moment Marcas shows himself to Connor as a man, not a wolf, the attraction between them is obvious.

Connor wants just what Marcas wants, if only he can convince him of that in time, but the same question is before each of them, waiting to be answered. Which must they serve—love or duty? For Marcas, the weight of his service may prove too much—a deadly burden. For Connor, only son of a king, even victory may have its price in separation.

In the end, it may not matter either way. The shadow is already moving…

REVIEW:

Connor mac Bradach is the son of a king. One of the many kings of Eire, all of whom swear allegiance to the Ard Ri, or High King.

When the story opens, Connor, his father, and one of his father’s liegemen, are the only survivors of a fierce battle. Horrorstricken, they see the dead (both friend and foe) rising up with black shadows to attack them. Suddenly a great wolf arrives to save them. Why did the wolf show up? And why did it save these three?

Upon returning home, Connor’s father, King Bradach and his liegemen discover that the High King is planning a huge sacrifice of the first born of all the kings and nobles. Connor is sent away to tend the cattle so that he is not involved. But the wolf shows up again! What is it with him and this wolf?

We, the readers, know that the answer is that the wolf is really Marcas, one of the foaladh (werewolves), who keep themselves apart from the normal humans of Eire, and serve The Dagda, the god of light who created the foaladh, and who is also the foe of the dark. The dark creatures are the work of the god of dark, Crom Cruach. We also know that Connor is marked by brightness, and it was him that the wolf was saving, not his father and the liegeman, and since the brightness is still showing, the wolf is still protecting him.

The High King’s plans go astray when King Bradach tells everyone what he is up to, but the word comes too late, a slaughter has happened and Crom Cruach is freed into the world.

What follows is a tale of battles, mythical creatures, gods, monsters and heroes. What will happen when Connor finds out Marcas is actually a quite attractive man and they both share the same “inclinations”? Will our heroes win through, or will Eire be dragged into total black despair and bloodshed?

I really enjoyed this book. It was entertaining, had quite a lot of sex, interesting characters, was very well written and edited, and an interesting storyline. I would recommend it. If you’re into Celtic/Irish folklore fantasy, with an m/m twist, it is perfect for you. I am, so I liked it a whole lot!

RATING:

BUY LINKS: 

Totally Bound

Amazon

ARe