Moonbreak by Lise MacTague is a supernatural thriller pitting Chicago area werewolf packs against deadly government agents.
Though still a relatively new werewolf, Cassidy is powerful and trying to learn how to be an alpha after the responsibility is thrust upon her by dire circumstances. She and the other regional alphas must work together when their packs are kidnapped by black ops government agents, to find their packs and not be killed or captured themselves. Complicating things is losing contact with her sister Mary when she most needs her experience, power and knowledge, and having to cooperate with an inscrutable and powerful vampire queen.
Travelling with the prickly alphas is another wolf, who cannot be trusted because she is a lone wolf. Snow does not have a pack and likes it that way. She still helps as much as she can, even as the danger and the stakes mount. While struggling to find their packs without getting killed, and deal with power struggles between the alphas stuck in close proximity, Snow and Cassidy become close enough for other to consider them mates, though they want to wait until everyone is safe to pursue their attraction.
Writing
The author pours on hardship after hardship for newly minted wolf Cassidy, who in an earlier book was turned against her will. She is learning the ropes of being an alpha without benefit of a pack or mentor, only the aggressive other alphas she is forced to work with who maintain an uncooperative manner. There is a lot of action scattered about until the end of the book, but the author maintains a lot of tension throughout the story. The wolven world the author has created is deeply drawn and this book immerses the reader in the struggles of this core group of strong willed and powerful creatures.
Being the fourth book of the series will mean a new reader will be confronted with a lot of names and personalities to catch up. The author patiently gives backstory at a steady rate so, while not intimately knowing every aspect of the story, it’s still a thrilling read in a perilous and closely structured wolven world.
Typically, werewolf literature is highly sexual in nature, which makes having an asexual character stand out. The author depicts the character falling in love, and seems to truly capture their attitude toward sexual relations and how a couple would have to work out a new relationship in that setting.
Pros And My Favourite Parts
Having an asexual character was a very interesting aspect, at least for me. Werewolves are notoriously sexual in literature, and here is a major character who is up front about not wanting to have sex with the woman she’s falling for. First, it’s great to explore that in this setting, and next, I really like the way her burgeoning romantic partner handles the situation.
This werewolf milieu is not terribly different from other created by other authors, but it’s so deeply drawn and highly structured that it stands out from many other concepts. A lot of communication and dominance, for instance, is issued completely through smell. This adds a nicely complicated layer of meanings to most of the interactions in the story.
Like the other books in the series, there is a lot of violent action, always well depicted. The alphas’ arduous journey toward rescuing their packs is complicated and raucous, violent and sometimes humorous and sweetly romantic, though that aspect is not a major consideration.
Heads Up
Because it’s wolves, there is a lot of violent action. There is a sex scene that could possibly be difficult for some readers. While it’s not totally non-consensual, some readers might be disturbed.
The Conclusion
Newly minted wolf and inadvertent alpha Cassidy is thrust into close proximity with a group of alphas. The only thing that binds them is finding and rescuing the packs that have been ripped from them by a dangerous black op government operation. Somehow they have to manage this and not kill each other along the way. Lone wolf Snow and Cassidy slowly fall for each other despite the dire situation, having to work through issues of trust and dealing with an asexual partner in a very sexual culture.
This deeply drawn world of fur and fangs and structured societal order is a thrilling read that has me looking forward to the series being complete so I can go back and read all of the books back to back and immerse myself in that world. There may be some confusion for a new reader as the author brings them up to speed but once the action starts it’s a very thrilling story that’s well worth a little work.
Excerpt from Moonbreak by Lise MacTague
Tears were unaccountably about to well up in her eyes. “Does this mean we’re girlfriends?”
The quiet question surprised a laugh out of Snow. When Cassidy stiffened and tried to pull back, she wrapped her arms around Cassidy’s shoulders and pulled her back into a tight embrace. “If that’s what you want to call it. Yes, we’re dating, going steady. I’m keen for you, Cassidy Anne Nolan.”
Now it was Cassidy’s turn to chuckle. “I’m super keen for you too, Snow.” She lifted her arms around Snow’s ribcage and returned her embrace. “We haven’t talked about this, at least not in these terms. I know I like spending time with you, and I think you like hanging out with me. It’s good to know what the status of our relationship is.”
“Relationship.” Snow said the word as if she were savoring it.
“That’s the word.”
“It sounds better than girlfriend.”
“Why’s that?” Cassidy laid her hand on Snow’s shoulder, looking off into the distance. She could hear her girlfriend’s heart beating and savored her warmth.
“I don’t know. It sounds frivolous, I guess. What I feel for you isn’t frivolous.” Her scent took on a brittle edge.
“So what’s a better alternative?” Cassidy grinned. “How about lady friend?”
“That’s awful. I’d settle for main squeeze.”
“Really?” Cassidy pulled her head back to see if Snow was serious. When the lone wolf stared back at her, with no trace of humor, Cassidy nodded. “I guess I can do that.”
“Of course not,” Snow said, her cheekbones flushing red while her eyes danced merrily. “I don’t know what to call us, we can experiment with some terms, but I know that I want to be with you. So there.”
“So there.” Cassidy considered Snow for a moment. “How about my boo?”
“Absolutely not.”
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Series: Five Moons Rising
Five Moons Rising
Hunter’s Descent
Winter’s Moons
Moonbreak
Bits and Bobs
ISBN number: 978-1-64247-496-1
Publisher: Bella Books
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