A review by vikingwolf
Wolf's Bane by Judith Post

5.0

*I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review*

Reece is attacked by a werewolf and saved by a gargoyle, discovering that she has hidden witch powers. The gargoyles want her help as rogue werewolves are blackmailing people for 'protection' money and if you don't pay, a loved one is turned into a werewolf. With help from captured rogues, a powerful witch and a local werewolf pack, Reece and her gargoyle friends must find a way to stop the rogues from taking over the city.

This was a really good book. The plot was interesting and I liked the angle of the rogue werewolves working like the mafia to intimidate and blackmail people into keeping their families safe from being bitten. Having a rogue pack working to an agenda like this was a bit different from the usual werewolf books that I've been reading. It was nice to have the winged creatures as gargoyles instead of angels for a change. I liked seeing how they were brought into existance and how the responsibility of looking after humans can age them. The addition of the domestic violence sub plot and the magical family roots of Reece helped to develop the characters nicely. And of course there are cool werewolves everywhere! There is plenty of action throughout the book with the encounters with the rogues and Reece dealing with her family problems, and there are lots of great characters to root for.

Reece and her family are very likable though you wish her mother would grow a backbone when dealing with Eugene! Even though you are not meant to like Eugene, I did find him to be an interesting 'bad guy'. Andre was charming and funny, and his flirtations with Hecate were very enjoyable. Hecate was a great character that you warm to straight away and I liked the scenes where she is doing magic and battling the other witch. The gargoyles were fun and I liked the way they interacted with each other. The touch of romance with Reece and Damian was good because it was sweet and not sexually graphic all the time. Sometimes I feel that less is more, and it worked in this book. The introduction of the local werewolf pack was good because you see the Alpha's character changing as he gets to know his new allies and the idea of him being henpecked by his wife was pretty funny.

There was an excellent mix of strong plot, interesting characters, good interaction and witty humour. There was magic and monsters. The story flows nicely without big info dumps or boring bits, keeping you entertained the whole time. I'm very much looking forward to book 2 in the series.

Recommended for urban fantasy, werewolf and paranormal fans.
***upgraded to 5 stars in 2016***