Lord of the Wolfyn

By Jessica Andersen

Once upon a time the Blood Sorcerer vanquished the kingdom of Elden. To save their children, the queen scattered them to safety and the king filled them with vengeance. Only a magical timepiece connects the four royal heirs —and time is running out.

For practical Reda Weston, nothing could explain how reading a sexy version of Little Red Riding Hood catapulted her into another realm—face-to-fang with the legendary wolf-creature who seduced women. A wolf who transformed into a dark, virile man .

Dayn cursed the Sorcerer that turned him wolfyn and damned him to a lonely fate. As a beast, he mated with women to gain strength. Strength he needed to save Elden. But as a man, he craved Reda's heated, sizzling touch. With little time left, Dayn had to either embrace his wolf to save his kingdom —or fight it to save his woman.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Harlequin Nocturne
• Release date: Nov 1, 2011
• ISBN: 9781459215849

Jessica Andersen

A lifelong New Englander, Jessica Andersen received a PhD in genetics from Tufts, but when the committee head said her thesis “read like a mystery novel,” she admitted she was also writing romance. She now writes full time, and has penned more than thirty science-themed intrigues and paranormal thrillers that have hit the bestseller lists and been nominated for numerous awards. She lives in CT with a cast of four-legged friends, and is hard at work on her next novel!

Reviews for Lord of the Wolfyn

[lauren2013_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Lord of the Wolfyn
3.5 Stars

Synopsis
Sent into the Wolfyn Realm by his dying parents' spell, Dayn must wait for the woman who will guide him home to fight to free his people from the Blood Sorcerer. That woman is Reda Weston, a practical ex-cop transported into a strange realm by a magical book where she comes face to face with the hero of her dreams.

Review
Captivating romance but the plot is underdeveloped.

The Red Riding Hood references have potential, however, they are not effectively integrated into the story. Moreover, the character backgrounds also lack detail and there are more questions than answers: what is the connection between Reda's mother and the Kingdom Realm, who is Moragh and how is she related to the Blood Sorcerer, and how exactly did Dayn become a Wolfyn?

Reda and Dayn are an engaging couple. Their chemistry is intense and their relationship the most intimate and passionate in the series so far (their bonding scene is incredible).

Reda is an ambivalent heroine. While her suffering both past and present makes me sympathize, she has a tendency to over-dramatize things and constantly thinks the worst of Dayn, which is unwarranted. Nevertheless, she slowly comes into her own throughout the book and becomes a self-confident and worthy partner.

Dayn is a combination of valiant vampire and sexy shapeshifter (like Michael in the Underworld films). He is a compelling hero but his internal conflict with regard to reconciling his Wolfyn nature could have been better developed.

The pacing is good and the writing flows smoothly. The action scenes are excellent and the ending is satisfying. I am eager to read the final installment written by Nalini Singh to see how everything comes together.

[msjessie · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The third in the Royal House of Shadows series has thus far been my favorite by a wide margin. Steady to form, the third book centers on a third scion of the House of Elden: time time the tale is that of the Forestal/vampire/wolfyn Dayn by a new, fresh author. I hadn't read anything by this author or the previous one (Jill Monroe) and I can say I'd be interested in another book from this one, just judging by Lord of the Wolfyn. Andersen does a more-than-admirable job of selling her individual retelling of Red Riding Hood using a formulaic romance novel outline and hampered by an obviously limited length. The rebellious, headstrong son is the only male protagonist thus far in this series to really catch my interest - Dayn's brother Nicolai and brother-in-law (? I'm assuming/paraphrasing) Osborn from the first two didn't do it for me with their passive-aggressive and will-I-won't-I-kill-you attitudes, respectively - and I have Ms. Andersen to thank. Some basic elements still need fleshing out - are there realms: human, wolfyn, Elden. . but what about the Abyss? The Always? - but hopefully the fourth will include more details.On the whole, I was way more than impressed with the style, voice and story in this third volume. I did find the time-limit to find the Blood Sorcerer a bit off, in the general scheme of the four book series - surely it could've been introduced earlier, as a more natural progression of the storyline rather than a random acceleratant? - but I appreciated the added tension to the atmosphere of the story. I liked the differing views of the realms (human, wolfyn, Elden) - knowledge of this "world" is uncovered more with each successive tale, with each author leaving an individual style and flair.Dayn is a thrice-natured man (as he points out in his discussions with Reda, he is a man, just more so.) But even so, he's an obviously conflicted one - ashamed of his wolfyn-acquired powers, fearful of showing his vampiric nature and unsteady as just a regular human - and even more appealing for his confusion. [Just an FYI: A wolfyn is basically a werewolf shifter with distinctive red and gold markings and an unavoidable enthrallment to human women.] Compound that with the deadly allure of vampires, and Dayn is a hard man/character to top in abilities/attractiveness. With his guilt issues (he was away on a fit of pique when his parents died), inner conflict and isolation so easy to understand and empathize with, it's no wonder I found Dayn a more well-rounded person than previous male characters. He's not all anger or negative emotion 24/7; he experiences grief and darker emotions, but he doesn't kill all the lighter moments in his life. He's just so controlled a la Christian Bale (c'mon imagine all that [[focus]] right on you.. oooo) I find it sexy and I don't find many vampires sexy. I also appreciated the differences between Dayn and his brother Nicolai: not only in personality but abilities and powers.Alfreda "Reda" is also the first female character I've really invested in so far this series. They even brought a smile to my face at their inevitable, predictable, sweet interactions. I identified with her much more than the two previous girls, even though some of her attitudes wore on my nerves (I really dislike the "it's all a dream"/hallucinations ploy of denial for characters.) Like Dayn Reda suffers from guilt and massive amounts of self-doubt over deaths of loved ones - that's a hard bond to shake and understandable for two characters trying to rebuild. She's also delightfully bitchy without overdoing it, vulnerable and searching for a one-of-a-kind book named Rutakoppchen from her childhood -- one that leads her to wolfyn realm and naturally to Dayn.Let's talk about Reda and Dayn together. Finally! a couple I genuinely liked - both individually and even more for each other. They were genuinely good together and good for each other. Unlike Jane and Nicolai, Breena and Obsborn where the women are obviously the protected and the men the protectors, it's more a partnership of equals with Dayn and Reda. Reda even saves Dayn's bacon on numerous occasions, and though he returns the favor he never credits her with less bravery/skills than himself. "'He'll have a good second in command,' she returned. 'So will I.' His lips turned up as glanced over at her. 'Or am I your second? I'm never sure.' 'We can trade off......'It didn't feel like a random pairing of types (outdoorsy woodsmen Prince + fiery petite independent woman) but a real, nurtured relationship. By far the most original -- and best! -- sex scenes occur in this novel out of the entire three books. They also felt like a natural evolution of the affection between the two, rather than scenes tossed out to keep a reader interested. Similarly their predictable/eventual intense conflictdid not come across as trite or contrive but as appropriate for the events happening, to put it in the vaguest of terms. I never wasn't interested: besides the chemistry, the ups and downs of Reda and Dayn there were creatures and villains aplenty to keep the pages turning with alacrity. An evil woods witch as amusingly creepy as she is dangerous keeps the two lovebirds on their toes in the absence of the immediate presence of the Blood Sorcerer they race toward. I also loved the addition of a dragon (who doesn't like dragons? You're lying if you say you don't) Feiynd - and the accompying fight was particularly excellent.I'll admit to feeling slightly underwhelmed by the first two that this series had to offer - obviously not so here with Lord of the Wolfyn. Each book is obviously edited/written to a specific length and it works better for some authors than others, and though I appreciate the variety of voices and styles this was the first to my taste entirely. I had read a book by Gena Showalter before Lord of the Vampires (it was titled Catch a Mate, a cute if generic chick lit) and felt the lack in her first effort. Lord of Rage also failed to engage me (Breena just wasn't a character I'd ever relate to... and Osborn though possessing certain admirable/attractive qualities just wasn't for me) and with a somewhat truncated feel to the conclusion. Not so for Lord of the Wolfyn: a male lead I genuinely like (and like like), a fulfilling and satisfying conclusion, and all within the stated 281 page limit.I seem to be in the minority with my high enjoyment level of this novel, and specifically the ending. I absolutely LOVED the ending - I think I even laughed out loud - but the complaints that Lord of the Wolfyn 'failed to set up the fourth book' confuse me. As I understand it, each author has 281 pages to build their own general story of survival and avenging prince/sses as readable standalones in a series. No one "set up" book two, nor book three. It wasn't Ms. Andersen's job to start Ms. Singh's concluding volume - it was her job to sell a sexed up Red Riding Hood with hot men and can-do woman and she did. And it's only $4.11 for your Nook!

[stewartry · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I've always been baffled by books that are put out with spoilers in the blurbs – like mysteries telling who the victim in chapter 5 is going to be – or even in the jacket art. Putting one in the title, though, is even dumber than having a title which actually means little to the story (thinking of Across the Nightingale Floor here). On page 172 of Lord of the Wolfyn (about which title I wondered, since the main character is many things but not Lord of the Wolfyn), something happened which made my eyes flick up to the title, and I thought "Ah. Well, I know how that's going to come out, now, don't I." At which point I rolled my eyes and skimmed for awhile. Apart from that, it was an, I think, above average paranormal romance (PNR), though surprisingly undersexed if anything. That is not, I should add, a complaint. It has an interesting premise, and interesting worldbuilding – I actually love and am intrigued by the concept of the three worlds linking, intrigued enough that I may one day seek out the other book in the series (one for each sibling – this was #3). Each seems to be a take on a different fairy tale, this one being Red Riding Hood. It has a cop (or former cop) for the female main character, which is not so successful: I don't buy it. She's one of the tiny-and-damaged breed of romance heroine, and I simply don't believe that the character as presented would have met either the physical or mental health requirements for the job even before the incident that damaged her further. In the story she is a former cop because of a terrible incident in which she froze in the middle of a crisis and cost a life (and, incidentally, let a criminal get away), and that for me doesn't make it easy to either warm up to her (she shouldn't have been on the job in the first place) or believe in the near-miraculous turn-around she undergoes when her new beloved needs her. There are three worlds: ours, the dull world of science and no magic; Dayn's, the one with magic and no science; and the wolfyn world, with borrowings from both. Dayn was a "guest" in the halfway world for 20 years, and picked up some earth-y slang. However, throughout the book there are references to "another fitting human saying" (that one was "Damnation" – which I suppose he shouldn't even understand the meaning of) or "a particularly fitting human idiom". Yet shortly after these there's a mention of "the deer-in-the-headlights freeze" … considering the man's never, unless I'm very much mistaken, seen a car, that's careless. I don't even want to get into "bad fur day" or "You're it for me". *shudder* It was cute. I used it as a diversion from a larger, denser, more difficult book, and it sufficed. It was, as I said, a great over-arching idea, another one (rather like Alchemy of Desire) which I can only wish had been written as a straight fantasy, without the concentration on mating rituals. But it is what it is, and it's adequate for its intended purpose.

[jdonnelly14_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

RECEIVED FROM: Net Galley for Review***NOTE MY REVIEWS OFTEN CONTAIN SPOILERS***Reda Weston used to be a cop, now she’s a destroyed woman, broken from having watched her partner die. When she begins having dreams for a lost fairy tale book in her childhood she has to acquire it. But opening the book and repeating the magic words from her childhood takes her to a world she never thought really existed. A world of shapeshifting wolves called Wolfyn and a woodcutter vampire who needs her help to save his people. When Dayn’s parents used their dying breath to save their children he ended up in a parallel world, one where his true identity would get him killed. He was told to wait for a guide who took twenty years to arrive, but from the moment of his arrival he has four days to take back his kingdom or he and his siblings will die. Unfortunately his guide isn’t sure who’s crazier – him or herself? Will he be able to convince her before it’s too late? Before this installment I’d been devouring this series, and I was really pleased that it seemed even though there were a few discrepancies between installments all the writers involved were equally talented. Then I read Lord of Wolfyn and there’s no longer just a few discrepancies between titles now if I were to list them all it would take a few pages. The amount of discrepancies made me wonder if these writers truly collaborated at all to create this series. I have so far read three different versions of the king and queens deaths and final spell and this one isn’t even in the same location. And while I probably should have really expanded upon this in the previous novel since the time period between the spell and battle actually matches with the first novel in this one, the characters from the second novel are apparently really poor fighters as they’ve been there for close to twenty years now with no apparent progress. Plus the second installment didn’t say anything about either of the leads being near to immortal so from the sounds of it they’ve aged like a human into their 40s and 50s before the real battle has even begun. However I didn’t notice those discrepancies as much with reading that title because I was enjoying the story. In this novel it was an effort to keep turning the pages and those discrepancies seemed plainer than ever to be joined in with the blaring list of discrepancies in this novel. If multiple authors are going to write the same series they should build the world together and share character sketches etc as well as details of any scene to be used in more than one novel. I may have liked this book more if it wasn’t part of that series only because I wouldn’t have noticed the many, many ways it didn’t match the previous books. While I will say the book did offer more in plot than just sex scenes, the main focus of the book was sex. They’re running for their lives but stopping to have sex multiple times and somewhere in their many many joinings they fall in love. News flash sex and love are not the same thing. Fortunately for the reader we only have to hear the details of three of these scenes and to be honest while I like a well written sex scene, I’d have rather skipped all of them. For one thing the male leads in romances are supposed to be well endowed. I get that, however either she has the world’s smallest hands or he should be sleeping with large animals instead of women. She couldn’t wrap her hand around it?! What is it the width of a pop can? There is such a thing as too big. I know the expression is hung like a horse but no one means that literally. If someone was actually faced with a man endowed literally the size of a horse it’s unlikely that they’d want to have intercourse with that person. The intercourse would be like giving birth backwards and I’ve yet to hear anyone say that giving birth turns them on. I’m certainly not jealous of her; I pretty much figure she must be some kind of masochist to enjoy that. While I will say the book isn’t just sex scene strung together by a few sentences, it still manages to use sex to sell the book rather than strong characters and a good plot. Romance novels like this one are the reason I started reading more of the other genres and only reading romance on occasion. I witnessed nothing within in the novel to convince me in any way, shape or form that the two characters are in love or have anything to even base a relationship on. While it should be fast paced based on the scenes covered in this novel it seems to drag on and on. Some of that was all the differences between plot points mentioned in other books. A lot of it was a dislike of the characters. Reda is self involved and annoying. Anytime we’re viewing a scene from her eyes we get pages upon pages upon pages of her obsessing about this or that. I really couldn’t stand her. Other than her constant obsessing she was pretty one dimensional as was every other character within this novel. None of the characters in this book were well developed or had any real flesh to them, but they did have sex a lot. And it’s near to impossible for me to respect a male lead who sleeps with the female lead scant hours after leaving the bed of another woman. I mean sure it’s nice to have an experienced male lead but he had sex with Keely at the beginning of the night and then sex with Reda at the end of it. Basically she’s made Reda into a character happy to accept sloppy seconds. That really made me respect her too – not. While Anderson had some interesting ideas for her plot she spent too little time developing those ideas and fleshing out her characters and too much time focusing on sex. This title also might have worked better outside of a series because then she could display the originality she has without contradicting previously mentioned plot point from the other two books. Her novel pretty much is the book where the series falls apart and it’s clear that the writers really didn’t work together too much before they decided they’d throw together a series. As a standalone I might have liked those scene but not as part of this series. She’s got a great talent for description and like I mentioned some very interesting ideas but instead of expanding upon scenes of interest she fills the pages with characters either obsessing about something or having sex. The things that interested me she glossed over, the things that bored me is what she went on and on and on about. While I’ll probably read the last novel in this series I’m unlikely to pick up another title by this author. However I’m just one opinion among many and the book has been getting some decent ratings from other readers on goodreads. The only positive thing I can think of about reading this book is it’s an installment of the series, however I guess you’ll have to read it and decide for yourself whether it’s worth your time.

[rtb_3 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Reviewed by JenReview copy provided by NetGalleyI've been working my way through this series that had so much potential. This third installment fell short for me and is so far the weakest link. The story arc of the children of Elden trying to return t overthrow the evil Blood Sorcerer is advanced. While this book may stand alone, it's going to make much more sense if you start at the beginning of the series. Lord of the Wolfyn is "based" on the fairy tale Little Red Riding Hood. Ms Andersen does a good job linking the two, which may be the strongest aspect of this story. What didn't work for me was the characters. I had trouble caring for Reda, in particular, and Dayn. Reda was just too whiny through much of the book, and while she grows, in the end I just wasn't caring and wanted Dayn to get home so I could move on to the last book. I'll finish the series since I'm invested and want to know how it all works out. But if this one had been my introduction, I'm not sure I would have continued.

[momgamerwriter · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Likes: 1. I absolutely love the premise of the book. Imagine a kingdom being overrun and a king and queen who would do anything to save not only the people of the land but also their own children. Throw in some magic, sorcery, vampires, werewolves, unusual creatures and you have the makings of a fascinating tale. A+2. Never having read any of Jessica Andersen other novels, I find her voice interesting, easy to read, not too intrusive, and overall very descriptive. The world-building in this book was outstanding. For the most part, I felt that I was in the Wolfyn realm with Reda. Experiencing her world spinning out of control as much as she did. The pacing was decent and there was plenty of action, never a dull moment unless we were in Reda’s head over thinking.3. The theme of “Little Red Riding Hood” fit well into the story. It was very believable and cleverly worked alongside the magical elements and other mystical creatures. It was a delightful twist on an old fairytale and readers should have fun discovering all the little twists and turns that Andersen takes.4. Love scenes in Lord of the Wolfyn were fantastic. There were only a few, but in actuality with the threat against a kingdom that’s all the book really needed. The few scenes we did get (check the shower), were delectable and oh so yummy.Dislikes: 1. Well it was a very short read. I feel as though as soon as I started getting invested in the characters, oh about page 100 or so, I was finished with the book without really having known too much about either of them.2. I would have loved more background on Reda’s end. We get hints about her mother, a few hints about her father, a quick glimpse into her current life, and then we are transported to another world. I would like to more about a certain book that is often mentioned, more about her mother, and more about what she truly is. Maybe this was all explained in Book #1 or #2 in the series, and if so then my point here in null and void. If not I really think this would have added to the story and maybe given readers a little more insight to her character.3. Another thing I didn’t particularly like about Reda was her internal dialog for the first half of the book. At times she came off wimpy, whiney, indecisive, and unsure of herself and everything around her. I really didn’t start liking Reda until she started to get some fire in her blood and speaking her mind. She was not a complete waste of space as a character, but as a main character she did fall kind of flat. I’m thinking that if we were given more back-story then this would not even be an issue.

[debbieaheaton · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

In Anderson's paranormal romance novel, Reda Weston was practical and nothing could explain how reading a sexy version of Little Red Riding Hood could catapult her into another realm. Once there, she was face-to-face with a legendary wolf-creature who seduced women to do his bidding. Dayn cursed the Sorcerer that turned him wolfyn and damned him to a lonely life. As a beast, he mated for strength. As a man, he craved Reda. With time running out, Dayn had a decision to make: embrace the wolf and save his kingdom or fight to save his woman. This is by the far the best of the series.

[niinac_2 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Dayn is the Prince of Elden, not the heir, and when Elden is attacked his parents send him through magical portal to another realm the one between the human realm and the magical realm, to place inhabited by Wolfyn, men who can turn into wolves, werewolves.Reda is a cop, well used to be a cop until she froze and her partner was killed. Reda grew up with a different version of the Red Riding hood and when her mother's old book appears so close in her grasps she can't help but use a spell for nostalgic reasons, this time the spell works and she's transporter to another realm where she meets her woodsman and the wolves.Dayn is sure Reda is the girl he's been waiting the one who will lead him back to Elden, and Reda is sure she's hallucinating - eager to escape the wolves and her woodsman. But as they get to know each other passion flares and lines between them become blurred.I wanted this book to be my favourite as I love werewolf stories, but unfortunately the werewolves we just in the background.Now, I loved the first and second book in the series! This one, not as much, I still liked it but I couldn't get into the flow of the story like the previous two.I loved the new take on Red Riding hood and having a darker theme, but what was missing for me was the connection between the two main characters, I would have wanted more, the connection felt loose and not quite as solid as in the first two.It was in about halfway of the book that things really kicked up for me, the passion got steamy good and I got to experience more from both characters. Dayn become more affected by everything as he begun to fall for Reda, and Reda become more soft and lucid which made her very likable. In short the bottom half of the book improved greatly!Good book, but definitely needed that something extra. RATING: 2.5 STARS

[lavinient · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The third book in the Royal House of Shadows follows the 2nd born of the siblings, Dayn. When his parents, the king and queen of Elden, are attacked by the Blood Sorcerer, they quickly pool their magic together to send their four children to different places and times to save them. Dayn is sent to another realm, the realm of the Wolfyn. He must wait 20 years for the person he is told will guide him back home to revenge his parents and save the kingdom.Reda, a disgraced cop from the human realm, is that guide. She grew up on the story of Little Red Riding Hood, told by her mother, who died when she was young. She is transported to Dayn in the Wolfyn realm after a book she rediscovers reminds her of a spell her mother had taught her.Dayn expects Reda to know what is going on and how to lead him back home. But Reda has no idea what is going on and for awhile thinks she is in a dream. After it becomes clear she is in fact not dreaming and after a little scuffle with the local Wolfyn pack they start making their way to a vortex gate that will return them to Elden.This book takes place over 4 days, so the romance happens very quickly. So far, I think this was the steamiest of the three books. The sex scenes were hot! But I wasn't completely convinced of their relationship. Reda just had too many problems. Also, when a secret Dayn has been keeping is revealed, her reaction is not completely rational. Her transformation throughout the book is hard to believe.The way Dayn is described in the description is misleading. It makes him out to be someone who uses women for sex to gain strength. This is not the case at all. He is actually quite sweet towards women. He thinks of himself as selfish, but really is not.Also major spoiler in the title and description!! I wish they had not revealed that about Dayn. I would have liked to have been just as surprised as Rena when she found out.Overall - entertaining and sexy, but Reda is a downer.ARC provided by NetGalley.

[onyx95_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Having knowledge of the attack to the kingdom of Elden as it was happening with the mind speak he had with his father only left Prince Dayn more frustrated. Leaving him with his memory intact but with the knowledge that he would be stuck where he landed until a guide found him and helped him return to the kingdom realm. Recent tragedies left Reda Weston’s confidence more than just shaken. Blaming herself for not being able to function in a crisis. Knowing that her action, or in-action caused so much pain and the death of her partner. After all that, a career change was in order. Finding a book her mother used to read to her and that they had cherished together was just the distraction from her self thought of inadequacies. Reading “Rutakoppechen” (Little Red Riding Hood) in this version with these pictures, pulled on something inside of her. Suddenly finding herself dropped in the land of the wolfyn with just the woodsmen’s familiar likeness (in Dayn), Reda discovered that fairy-tales might be true. His guide really did not know what she was suppose to do for him, so Dayn had to rely on the final words he had heard his father ‘mind speak’ to him about being true to himself ~ he had to save his family and the kingdom as the Prince of Elden, it was obviously his duty.Book 3 ….. Still really enjoying the concept of the 4 authors creating a series of 4 paranormal versions of fairy tales. While I really liked the story of Dayn and Reda, so much of it got muddled with the repetition of the story. Yes, Reda was naive about the realms and she was down trodden because of her past, but the self pity was almost overwhelming. There was occasional confusion about who was where and who was doing what. The dream was a bit confusing at first too. The time gap between the siblings became more obvious with no real explanation just yet (hopefully it will come to light in the last book). Not the best of the series, but still a good addition. Now I am looking forward to getting to know Micah in the next and last book, Lord of the Abyss by Nalini Singh.I was extremely luck to have received this book as a reviews copy from NetGalley, Lord of the Wolfyn is due out October 25th, 2011.

[thewalkinggirl · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The worldbuilding was good. Consistent and detailed enough to provide a clear idea of the different realms without venturing into info-dumping.The writing was good, although the storytelling didn't engage me as much as I'd hoped.The characters were.. uneven may be the best description I can come up with.I liked Reda at the beginning. I found her a very sympathetic heroine. She'd suffered a serious trauma shortly before the book started, and was struggling with her sense of self-efficacy and self-worth and even with her sanity, and then she's magically thrust into an alternate realm that she'd only heard of in the fairy tales her mom told her as a child. All in all, I thought she coped pretty well... until she gets involved with the hero, Dayn, and suddenly becomes a caricature of herself.Dayn is... you can tell the author made an effort to make him likable and interesting. He's a rebel with a heart of gold. Unfortunately, he had all the charisma of the guy who played Riley on Buffy (a.k.a., Captain Cardboard.) All in all, my reaction to him was a resounding meh.Then you've got the villains. Or should I say Villains? They were so OTT, so campy that the whole tone of the book changed with their presence. The problem for me was that after the very grounded introduction of Reda, the portrayal of the villains was discordant. I'm okay with villains as the Big Ebil, but only when the tone of the rest of the story is equally as cartoony. Here, it didn't really work for me.And neither did the romance. Emotionally damaged heroine whose love interest is someone she's known for 3 days? (During which they alternate between having sex and running/fighting for their lives... at least until Reda convinced herself that Dayn had enthralled her so she couldn't trust him, but she still wanted him, blah blah blah, sigh.)Anyway, I could deal with a HFN ending, but the baby-crazy HEA just made me cringe.This review is based on a digital ARC received via NetGalley.