Reviewed by Larissa

TITLE: Black Moon

SERIES: Wolf Moon Rising Book 1

AUTHOR: Sam Burns and W.M. Fawkes

PUBLISHER: Self-published

LENGTH: 330 pages

RELEASE DATE: April 22, 2021

BLURB: 

An apple a day won’t keep this doctor away.

Linden Grove has always known that he’s not destined to be the next pack alpha. That position belonged to his brother Aspen—but then Aspen left the pack to join the military. When the unthinkable happens and the pack is left rudderless, someone has to step up and take care of it. Can a doctor go from “do no harm” to defending his own with his teeth and claws?

Colt Doherty is used to a certain kind of life. Glittering, picturesque, and . . . empty. As the youngest child of the country’s only werewolf senator, Colt has grown up in the spotlight, and he’s all too used to knot-headed alphas taking credit for the work of others, especially omegas like himself. When his editor sends him to write a story on the Grove pack, though, he finds something completely unexpected: Linden Grove in his unpolished perfection, as shiny and sweet as the apples his pack are known for.

A Grove pack omega has been kidnapped, and someone has to step up. The pack needs Linden to fill his father’s shoes, but no wolf can stand on his own. To save the day, sheltered Colt has to drop the politics and become the action hero he never thought an omega could be.

Black Moon is an 90k word standalone novel featuring one fiery journalist, one doctor with an obsession for hand knit sweaters, and the sweetest apple pies on the whole eastern seaboard, all bundled up in a non-mpreg A/B/O universe.

REVIEW: 

Sam Burns and W.M. Fawkes’ Black Moon ushers us into a new, non-mpreg, Omegaverse of werewolf shifters coexisting in a modern world with humans.  This first book in the series shows us a fascinating, colorful landscape of werewolves living in urban environments and holding jobs just as humans do, like Colt’s father who is a powerful Senator from Maryland, and Colt himself, who is a journalist.  It also shows rural werewolves residing out in the country, like Linden’s Grove family pack, who own and live on an apple farm in the middle of nowhere Virginia.  

But wherever they live, werewolves around the country are being impacted by the “Condition”, a mysterious deterioration of omega werewolves’ health.  Without omegas to stabilize alpha werewolves, the alphas’ behavior becomes increasingly volatile until they revert into a near feral state.

Black Moon centers on the Grove pack’s conflict with a neighboring pack whose omegas have all died due to the Condition.  There’s some action and suspense as well as some tragedy, but the events that transpire will have you eager to turn the pages to find out what happens next.  But the primary driver of this story are the two magnetic main characters, Linden and Colt.

Linden and Colt are a couple that turns expectations, assumptions and prejudices on their heads.  Colt is an omega who is driven, independent and strong-willed, the opposite of “traditional” omegas.  Linden is an alpha with a sweet, unassuming personality, a nice guy with a collection of hand-knit sweaters from a pack who love him.  He’s not bossy, domineering or assumptive.  He doesn’t like to fight or assert himself.  All of this contrasts with what is expected from a “traditional” alpha werewolf.  

Yet, as we learn, “Linden’s steel in a cozy sweater”.  Linden is the second son of the pack alpha, Aspen Senior, who always undervalued Linden and his contributions.  His father always relied on his older brother, Aspen Jr., because his brother fit the “alpha” stereotype.  Linden was always considered “soft” and useless as well as “frivolous” because he became a doctor for werewolves, a species that rarely gets sick and heals rapidly.  In fact, we see he is far from frivolous and highly valued by his pack for his altruistic spirit, his even-keeled nature, and his absolute, unwavering dedication to his pack and every last one of its members.

As strong and opinionated as Colt is, at heart he embraces traditional omega values, wants and desires.  He wants to be mated and be able to soothe and support his alpha.  He wants to be valued, something his family doesn’t do.  He’ll even be a bit domestic and stand back and let his alpha take the lead.  Colt is treated respectfully by Linden, as an equal, with his consent paramount in any decision in their relationship  which enables Colt to let go of some of his fiery need to fight back and politic about everything.  He can just be himself. 

I adored Linden and Colt’s dynamic.  They are perfect counterpoints for each other.  Both strong and generous, willing to put each other first and always respecting the other.  They have chemistry for days and even their interactions and banter are funny and heartwarming.  There are not a lot of steamy scenes in this book, but the few that are there are well-done, super-hot and most importantly, have meaning not just to Colt and Linden, but to us as the reader.  They serve a purpose in the storyline and also in Colt and Linden’s journey to learn about themselves.

In addition to Colt and Linden, the story introduces us to a host of other intriguing Grove pack members.  The story has a strong found family aspect to it, with the pack embracing newcomer, city boy Colt, who has always been diminished and undervalued by his family, but is accepted as he is by this loving group of people.

This book has a similar feel to Ms. Burns’ The Fantastic Fluke books.  Creative premise, colorful characters.   Incisive, witty, descriptive and clever writing.  There’s plenty of emotional content, delivered impactfully, but not too much to weigh things down. The development and exposition of the connections, love and loyalty between the Grove family and their pack is exceptional.

Also consistent with The Fantastic Fluke, this is not your typical M/M romance.  Black Moon is romance wrapped in urban fantasy and the authors really make it work.  It’s unusual, checks all the boxes for what you’d want in a romance, engages you from page one, and delivers a very accessible, entertaining story.  I recommend you give this one a read.  It looks like another installment will be releasing shortly so we won’t have to wait long for more enjoyable content from these two authors in this captivating new world. 

RATING:

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