Reviewed by Jen B.
TITLE: Cold Hard Ground
SERIES: Carpe Noctem #1
AUTHOR: Ariel Millar
PUBLISHER: Self Published
LENGTH: 240 Pages
RELEASE DATE: May 12, 2021
BLURB:
Kor:
As an Alpha of the First War, the only thing I had ever known was battle.
Captured, bound, and unable to see, I wasn’t the sort of Alpha to give up without a fight.
Escape turned out to be the easy part, but coping with everything else threatened to drop me to my knees. Learning that my injuries were permanent made me question my abilities as an Alpha, but when my Wolf wanted to bond with the human who had been brought in along with me, I started to question my sanity. Never mind that I had no time for a mate, there was no way the resistance would follow a blind Alpha with a human as his bonded. Still, they had little choice. More of our people were going missing every day, and it was starting to look like the corruption was going all the way to the top.
Misha:
I never believed the madness of my father would one day turn on me.
Held prisoner in a genetic lab, rescue came at the hands of a Wolf, and the promise that they could figure out what sort of experiments my father was working on me. The pain was overwhelming, and it wasn’t until I saw glowing orange eyes in the mirror that I realized what was happening. I was turned. I was an abomination, and unlikely to survive.
And I might have welcomed death if it hadn’t been for the blind Alpha whose soul wrapped around mine. When his lips called me his, I knew I had to fight. There was a war looming, and mistrust everywhere we turned, but I knew if anyone could protect his people and end the suffering of both humans and Wolves, it was the one who called me mate.
Cold Hard Ground is the first book in a Dystopian MM Werewolf trilogy featuring A/B/O hierarchy with no mpreg, mild violence, and a happily ever after.
REVIEW:
Every once in a while I find myself jonesing for a good shifter book, one more on the “serious” side without all the fluff and everyday traits that seem to be the norm these days. I had a feeling this one would fit the bill from the blurb, and I wasn’t disappointed.
This is a world where humans and wolves are in a very dirty conflict. The wolves are basically in hiding as they regroup and try to figure out the best move forward. Before they can do that, however, they must rescue their chosen leader who has been taken captive by the humans. This is also a world with Alphas, Omegas, Betas, etc. and how they all play roles in the wolf world. I loved the interesting take on who they were in this story and looking forward to seeing that progress as the story unfolds.
This is where the story begins, with Kor in captivity having been experimented on for months, the results of which have left him in pretty bad shape physically, including but not limited to, the loss of his sight.
Misha is a human who is also a captive (betrayed by his scientist father) that has been experimented on, and while he is in better shape than Kor, the effects of what has been done to him are unknown. It is Misha who saves Kor (with the help of another wolf), and the two begin a journey together that quickly develops into more.
What ensues is the recovery phase for both Misha and Kor. Kor is learning how to live with handicap and how to do that as the leader of the wolves, while Misha struggles to deal with what might happen to him. I don’t want to get into too much detail, as things play out in different directions where this is concerned. Suffice to say, these guys face a few challenges, but overcome/learn to manage them together.
I really enjoyed this story and the worldbuilding, although I wish certain areas had been a bit more fleshed out. I thought it was a great series opener, however, and am really excited to see we don’t have to wait too long for the next installment. The war is just beginning to heat up, and it looks like the wolves have a plan with Kor at the helm. Hopefully, we will get to see some retribution and ensuing freedom for all involved.
RATING:
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