"a fascinating look inside the world of shape shifters"
HUNTER'S MOON by C T Adams and Cathy Clamp is a fascinating
look inside the world of shape shifters, and what happens
when they fall in love with mere humans. Tony Giodone is the go-to guy for the Family, the mafia,
whenever they want someone dead. He's a hit man who also
just happens to be a werewolf, newly initiated into the
shape shifters' world. His new lifestyle however
surprisingly does not interfere all too much with his
choice of employment, actually helping him in some ways.
Never did he expect that a routine job would change his way
of thinking... permanently. Sue Quentin is on a mission, one that is unexpected for a
person in her position. As if her introduction in to the
story isn't enough, she is searching for someone to
assassinate her for surprising reasons. Her life has ever
been one of misery, any glimmer of happiness dampened by
her greedy and domineering family. Winning the lottery
should mean her freedom, but it only means a stronger
prison for her. Tony feels something unexpected for Sue when he first meets
her, making him wonder just why she feels death is the only
way out for her. As her story unfolds, he is amazed by it,
even more so when he tries to chase her away when he feels
the tug of the moon is too strong to fight. He is even more
surprised to find she stays with him through it all, not at
all surprised by his unconventional new life. Feelings
begin to develop between them in spite of the barriers, but
when enemies of Tony make Sue their next target, will these
new tender emotions be enough to pull them through? Then
there is the nagging fact that Sue wants to die... Wow!!! This is a fabulous story that will captivate readers
from the very first sentence. Whoever would have thought
that mixing, the Mafia, shape shifters, and lottery winners
with a death wish would make for such a compelling read?
This story is gritty and raw, fast-paced and action-packed,
with undercurrents of love of many kinds. It is a
refreshing change on the typical werewolf story, building
and expounding on a new world of shape shifters, where no
one is quite what they seem. The first-person narrative
style used here adds dimension as well, getting deep inside
the mind of Tony, and how he reacts to the world around
him. Some interesting plot twists will shock readers as
they progress through the story, making them really wonder
how this tale will flow. This reviewer especially liked the use of the sense of
smell to describe what is going on, with emotions having a
varied array of scents to refer to them. It works for this
story though, for readers know that the sense of smell has
much to do with how animals react to their surroundings,
and it adds that animalistic quality that is often lacking
in shape shifter stories. Too often, authors make their
characters in animal form still react in humanistic ways,
which takes away from the story, making it hard to believe
that these people really are animals for a time. Sparks fly immediately upon Tony and Sue's meeting, adding
an additional barrier to their plans. How can Tony kill his
mark when he finds himself in love with her? And how could
Sue possibly still want to die when she feels more alive in
Tony's presence then she has in her entire life? Those
doubts of the characters are given light in the story as
well, and come to play throughout the story as they
progress towards their entwined fates. The characters are
numerous in this book, bringing a wide variety of
personalities in to the mix, and providing a wide variety
of opportunities for interaction and plot threads to follow. It is evident too, that the authors has a whole bevy of
stories just waiting to be published, that will broaden the
shape shifter world even more. This book made a fan of this
reviewer, who now will be eagerly awaiting future stories
from these talented up and coming authors. © Kelley A. Hartsell, January 2005. All rights reserved.
Reviewed by Kelley Hartsell
Posted January 26, 2005
|
