Dire by Alyssa Rose Ivy Pages: 191
Published by Createspace Independent Pub on September 15, 2014
Series: The Dire Wolves Chronicles #1
Genres: Animals, Love & Romance, New Adult, Paranormal
Source: eARC from Author
Gage was the first guy I ever wanted. He was my first crush and my first fantasy, but he wasn't my first in any other way because he never saw me as anything more than a friend— at least not until the night that changed everything.
It was all Gage's fault. He insisted we drive through the storm and take the back roads. By the time the storm hit full force we had no chance. One night of snowbound sex changed our relationship forever. The problem was at the same time I caught another guy’s attention. This other guy happened to be the alpha of a pack of shifter wolves. I thought the wolves were the worst of my problems, but I was wrong. When things went from bad to worse I had to make a lifelong sacrifice to save Gage, but what price is too much to save the one you love?
Yay for some good new adult paranormal. We need more of that, in my opinion. And yay for Alyssa Rose Ivy for creating an original storyline. It was part kidnapper story, part shifter and a whole lot of interesting. I really enjoyed Dire. I wasn’t sure what to make of the romance a lot of the time. I liked Cage, and Hunter left me with mixed emotions. But I do know one thing for sure, I need to get my hands on a copy of Dusk as soon as possible because I am dying to know what is going to happen next. Alyssa Rose Ivy created this world I think set in the world of the Empire Chronicles and the Crescent Chronicles because the creatures are the same and a king was alluded to, but there hasn’t been any character cross over yet (although I haven’t completed the Empire Chronicles, so maybe there is) I think that was a really cool way to set up a book. I love that the paranormal world is the same one that I loved in Crescent Chronicles. It is not as daunting, but still felt fresh and different since we were exploring a different creature.
Cage and Mary Anne are driving home in a snowstorm when they are stranded and found by Hunter and his crew. Cage and Mary Anne have known each other their whole lives, but were never more than neighbors until this trip. I couldn’t get a good read on Cage before the wolves were introduced. I didn’t know if his feelings were genuine or not, and because of that I didn’t write Hunter completely out. I am just a mess of emotions between the two of them. Yes, Cage seems to care about Mary Anne the more the book went on, and yes Hunter is technically the person holding them hostage, but I have no idea who I want the romance to be between. And the awesome thing about Dire is the book doesn’t go one way or the other! There isn’t really a ton of romance. The bulk of the story was set up on Mary Anne and this world she found herself thrown into.
I can’t even get into how terrifying this must all be for Mary Anne and Cage. I mean being forcibly taken into this whole new world, and being so powerless to do anything is scary. I admired Mary Anne a lot. And I admired Cage for sticking by her side the whole time. He really does seem like a good guy.
Alyssa Rose Ivy certainly knows how to keep a girl on the edge of her seat. This was unlike any book that I have read in a while. I can’t get a good read on what is going to happen in the coming books. Sure, I know some things, and I have a guess as to what the conflicts will be, but the Dire Wolves Chronicles is turning out to be anything but predictable. There was a lot of stage-setting in this Dire, and I feel like the romance and conflicts are really going to take off in Dusk. I am not revealing any of my “teams” or “sides” until I read the next book. But fans of Alyssa Rose Ivy will really enjoy Dire. It is another solidly enjoyable read. (not that I am surprised, I seem to love everything Alyssa writes.) People that are burned out on new adult contemporary should give new adult paranormal, and Dire, a chance!
Other Books in the Dire Series:
A single howl made me stop short. “The wolves!”
“Let’s hope they are farther away than they sound.” Gage tightened his hold on my hand and pulled me forward.
Three more howls filled the night. “They sound closer.”
We picked up the pace, and I chanced a glance behind me. That was a mistake. Several large grey wolves came into view. “Run!”
Gage didn’t need to be told twice. He broke into a run without letting go of my hand.
I ran as fast as possible over the frozen snow, but we didn’t get far before the wolves started circling around us. “Oh my god.” Could things get any worse?
“You have to make a run for it.” Gage’s voice quivered. “They’re going to kill us.”
“I’m not leaving you.” I tried to stay strong, and I kept my eyes locked on the wolves. There were five of them. All of them were massive, much larger than any wolf I’d seen before, but one of them was even bigger and had a large silver streak running down its back. That wolf seemed to be staring right at me.
“I’ll distract them. You run. I’ll catch up.”
I spotted an opening next to one of the smaller of the wolves and went for it. I didn’t make it far before one of the wolves stepped in front of me. I froze, paralyzed with fear, before my legs were knocked from under me. Suddenly, I was lying in the snow with a giant wolf hovering over me.
“We’re fucked.” Gage voiced exactly what I was thinking.
The silver streaked wolf stared down at me. It’s almost glowing eyes bored into mine. Was I really going to die as half-frozen food for a giant wild animal?
Then things got hazy and the air seemed to buzz. Moments later it wasn’t a wolf on top of me—it was a man. A completely naked man with a faint scar across his face.
“What the heck?” I tried to scurry back, but Hunter didn’t move. His very exposed parts nearly touched me. I didn’t want to notice his size, but I did. He was huge. He also didn’t look remotely concerned with the cold.
His lips brushed against my ear. “Were you going somewhere?”
To enter, fill out the rafflecopter below
Note: This giveaway is NOT sponsored by Book Briefs. All of the prizes, terms and conditions of the giveaway should be contained in the rafflecopter below
a Rafflecopter giveaway
<scriptsrc=”//widget.rafflecopter.com/load.js”>
Have you entered these awesome giveaways?
Click on the banners to enter
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
Erika
Love them all! Faes, werewolves, vampires! Just has to have a good story 🙂
kindlemom1
Wasn’t this good? I still don’t know how I feel about the shifters but I am so hoping I warm up to them all like I want to in book two.
Ellen
Great review. I wondered about the crossover when they mentioned the king also and can’t wait to see where that goes. I feel the same way about Hunter to. I don’t want to decide I don’t like him yet, even though I wasn’t very crazy about him in this novel. I didn’t like Toby in the Crescent Chronicles and Empire Chronicles in the beginning either then wound up loving him. I agree that Dusk can’t get here soon enough:)
Red Iza
I’ve never read the Empire chronicles, but the Crescent chronicles are on my list and this novel also is, now. Great review !
Carolyn Injoy-Life
Looks like I’ll need a cold shower.