Reviewed by PizzyGirl

TITLE:  Out of the Ashes

SERIES: Dreamspun Beyond #1, Asheville Arcana #1

AUTHOR: Ari McKay

PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press

LENGTH: 220 pages

RELEASE DATE: August 1, 2017

BLURB:

Asheville Arcana

In their differences, they’ll find strength—and love.

Alpha werewolf Eli Hammond returns from a fishing trip to discover a nasty surprise—five members of his pack murdered and the rest missing. He needs help locating and rescuing his pack mates, but the supernatural council in Asheville, North Carolina, turns him away.

Except for one man.

As they work together, Eli is stunned—and not especially thrilled—to discover half-elf Arden Gilmarin is his destined mate. But as Arden and his friends struggle to help Eli in his quest, Eli surrenders to the demands of his body—and his heart. They’ll need to bond together, because the forces opposing them are stronger and more sinister than anyone predicted. The evil has its sights set on Arden, and if Eli wants to save his mate and the people he is entrusted with protecting, he’s in for the fight of his life.

REVIEW:

What a great start to the Dreamspun Beyond line and the Ashville Arcana series! Out of the Ashes had everything I look for in a romance and everything I needed to fall in love with this world. It was so much fun to read and left me feeling utterly satisfied.

I absolutely love the supernaturals and the world they live in. Mages and vampires and elves and werewolves Oh My! I loved learning about the magic and the abilities of each faction and how they worked or didn’t work together. The council and pack structure was interesting and I really liked the little petty squabbles because they made this so relatable even though this is a paranormal tale.

I absolutely fell in love with all of the characters. Obviously Eli and Arden were the main focus but I loved Whimsey and Julian just as much and can’t wait for their stories! And Arden’s parents were fantastic as supporting characters and I really loved the way they dropped it on Arden that he and Eli were mates.

The demon lore and the mystery of who done it and why were intriguing and I had to keep reading to find out what was going to happen. And the tension was off the charts when Arden found himself in a hot spot. Oh man was I worried about how this would turn out! I mean I KNOW its a romance and it was all going to work out, but for a bit there, I was concerned.

Finally, I loved the mating between Eli and Arden. Arden was such a generous soul and he really complimented Eli. They worked well together even when they didn’t see eye to eye or one of them was being a stubborn ass. It was just a really good combination for me and I loved the way their mating made me feel.

This was my kind of story. It may not be for everyone, but I was hooked from the get go and can’t wait for the rest of the series to be released.

RATING:

BUY LINKS: 

Dreamspinner Press

Amazon