Review: Secret of the Wolf – Cynthia Garner

Warriors of the Rift

Once a generation, the rift between the paranormal world and the human world opens, allowing supernatural entities to cross. Vampire, demon, or shapeshifter, they can save the world-or send it spiraling into chaos.

As a werewolf liaison to the Council of Preternaturals, Tori Joseph is used to straddling the world between humans and immortals. She plays by the rules and always delivers justice, no matter the cost. But after a string of increasingly brutal attacks results in humans turning into werewolves, Tori doesn’t reveal her horrifying suspicion: Someone very close to her might be responsible.

Investigating the paranormal violence, no-nonsense detective Dante MacMillan believes Tori is hiding something. His search for the truth draws him into greater danger as he gets closer to the dark realm of the immortals-and to the sexy werewolf who stirs his primal lust. Now with evil closing in around them, Dante must convince Tori to trust him . . . before her deadly secret destroys them both.

Series:  Warriors of the Rift #2
Release Date:  June 26, 2012
Publisher:  Forever
Source:  NetGalley
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Reviewer’s Thoughts:

I love this take on preternatural existence.  Supernaturals are actually beings from another dimension sent to Earth as punishment.

A rogue werewolf is on the lose, attacking humans in what appears to be an attempt to change them.  But soon the rogue’s activity escalates to murder and Werewolf Liaison Tori Joseph has to wonder if the strange behavior of her newly found brother is connected.  But not wanting to lose the only family she has, she hides her suspicions from the Council and her human partner, Detective Dante MacMillian.

I loved Dante in Kiss of the Vampire.  He was a man who would do anything for those that he loved, even if one of those people turned furry once a month.  While he fought his attraction to Tori, one because he was a werewolf, but mostly because he didn’t think he could give her the time and attention he deserved, he wore his heart on his sleeve as he tried to do the right thing.  He was one of those tough on the outside but soft and squishy on the inside men that make you all gooey.  Once he got out of his own way, he proved he was the type of man that stood by his woman…no matter what.

Tori was a great character as well.  She’d spent the past 150 years without her brother, while knowing he was sent through the Rift at the same time she was.  Having family was important to Tori, but she didn’t look at family as anything other than blood relation.  She had her friends, but to her that wasn’t the same.  When her brother Rand found her, she was excited to finally have what she’d craved.  But their relationship wasn’t what she though it would be.   It wasn’t until Dante and his sister Lily that she understood that family wasn’t so much about blood, but about those that had your back and stood by your side.

Besides the romance between Tori and Dante, we have the on-going story about someone (or someones) determined to create their own Rift and send, what appears to be, massive preternatural beings to Earth.  The villain from Kiss of the Vampire, Natchook, who (come to find out) is Tori’s cousin Stefan, has managed to get his hands on the device Tori and Dante were trying to crack.  Now that it’s back in the wrong hangs, one can only wonder just what exactly is going to happen next.

If you like your vampire, werewolf, fey, etc stories with a twist, this is definitely a series you need to pick up.