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I'm not paid for writing this review - I do it as a lover of written word. All opinions are personal. Dec 27, Amy A rated it it was amazing. I'm so happy that my expectations for this book were completely founded. I was on the fence with The Trouble With Fate. It had great promise but the plot felt all over the place, and being a first book in a series, it was tasked with all the world building and character introduction.
With all of that out of the way The Thing About Weres was able to put forth a good story and develop the characters. When we last left our group, Hedi's aunt Lou and the Alpha of Creemore pack, Mannus, were killed be I'm so happy that my expectations for this book were completely founded. When we last left our group, Hedi's aunt Lou and the Alpha of Creemore pack, Mannus, were killed before entering the portal to Merenwyn.
Hedi and Trowbridge mated, but he was injured and Hedi figured the best way to save him would be to send him through to Merenwyn with Merry to heal and be safe. So now Hedi is the Alpha-by-proxy to the pack until Trowbridge returns. The problem being, Hedi can't remember the words to the song to call the portal. It's been six months and the pack is getting restless with Hedi as Alpha, for one, being half-Fae and half-wolf she can't shift and two, she doesn't carry the mate scent with Trowbridge.
At the next full moon, the pack ties up Hedi and her inner circle Harry, Cordelia, and Biggs ready to mete out their deaths. The group is saved by, you may have guessed it, the opportune moment with the portal to Merenwyn opens again and Trowbridge along with a Fae and a wolf emerge. It took to the reappearance of Trowbridge for the book to finally pick up speed for me. It was one of those anticipatory moments you knew was coming you just didn't know when or how, but Leigh Evans definitely doesn't pull any punches.
The moment Trwobridge appears the book goes from kind of coasting along to full speed ahead. Everything that came after was fast-paced and I didn't want to put the book down. Hedi quickly regains my confidence as a worthy heroine. At the beginning of the book she had already been through so much and with the loss of Trowbridge she seemed to be just going through the motions. Still, when Trowbridge does return things don't just magically turn sunny again.
They've been apart for quite a while and before that they weren't even together that long. A few days straight tops. Not to mention the fact that the Fae Trowbridge brought back turns out to be Hedi's twin Lexi who was taken the night their parents died nearly twelve years ago. Suffice it to say he didn't have the best of times in Merenwyn. So not only does Hedi have to get reacquainted with her mate but with her twin as well. It's a lot to take in and it would have been understandable for Hedi to shut down, but she comes out victorious and shows the readers what a strong character she really is.
She learns that she deserves to be loved and have good things, but she may have to fight for them first. I really hope this is something that Hedi keeps expanding upon and doesn't regress to her former thought process. Leigh Evans sets up the book perfectly for The Problem with Promises the third book in the series. Just like with the first book, the ending is left open. I would say it's not quite as big of a cliffhanger, but I'm definitely ready to find out what happens next. If you were like me and was not too impressed by The Trouble With Fate don't give up on the series.
Read The Thing About Weres. Jul 30, Stephanie G rated it really liked it Shelves: They get even worse when a representative from a Werewolf council convicts her of treason. While chaos is reigning things take a turn in her favor, but as they do a series of larger issues for not only Hedi, but also for the Fae realm of Merenwyn, and our realm take a turn for the worst. Reading the first book, The Trouble with Fate, is important to understand some of the conflict between characters, and of a basis of the world. Instead she dreams of him, and then gets into a load of trouble. When Trowbridge does come back into the novel the story really kicks off into high gear.
When these two characters are in a scene together I found myself glued to the pages. Once the bigger problem is presented then she decides to take action. As the name of the series implies, Hedi is a Mystwalker. She can walk between realms where souls hang from fruit like trees. In the last novel I was annoyed with her detour from the story to this land. In this novel I felt like it had more reason and purpose. It led to some nice development with her character. The relationship between Trowbridge and Hedi is pretty steamy. Sometimes he seems a little too perfect, but there relationship is hot, troubled, and complicated, which I enjoy in these stories.
Their personal drama helps move the story along, but pile on saving realms, and Hedi not really knowing what she is doing most of the time makes the novel a quick read. The only thing that really frustrated me was how long it took the story to get going. It feels a little meandering at first, but then Evans is also catching the reader up on the events from last book.
The relationship between Trowbridge and her works for me more than any of the characters, even when Hedi is by herself. Dec 06, Leigh rated it really liked it. Unfortunately, she is barely holding it together. She struggles with how to lead the pack, and basically does only what is necessary, often deferring to her right-hand pack mates, Cordelia, Biggs, and Harry, for their assistance.
In addition, she rarely sleeps. When she does, she lands in dreams with Trowbridge that never end well, or she is thrown into Threall with the wizard and mad-one. To say that Hedi is barely hanging in there would be an understatement. Just as a representative of the NAW appears, and the most of the pack idly stands by while Hedi is more or less offered as a sacrificial lamb, more action kicks in, leading to two grand surprises. One is related to her past, and the other is related to her present.
Loved book 1 and couldn't wait for this one! Other Books in This Series. Goodreads is the world's largest site for readers with over 50 million reviews. Visit our Beautiful Books page and find lovely books for kids, photography lovers and more. Really liked that it ended on a happy note while still having the story line set up for the next book. My problem with this book is that aside from some chemistry, nothing good happens.
Hedi is uncertain, though, how either will play out in her future. As with her first novel, Evans has penned a fabulous story in this creative and extremely well written series. The world building of the fae world is sometimes complex but constantly intriguing. We learn so much about fae history, and that of the mages and the mystwalkers. At times, it can be confusing, but Evans does well with flushing out the issues, making them more understandable as the story continues to unfold.
Then there is the pack. Oh, there are times I wanted Hedi to blast some of the pack members back to last week, but she stays strong and surprisingly mature about the ugly politics that surround the pack. I just love how Evans has built this fantasy world that interweaves these two very different groups of fae and werewolves. I look forward to reading about both in more detail in future books.
As a main character, Hedi is not like most heroines found in urban fantasy novels. She is not kickass. She is not badass. She is young and has been thrown into a situation she never expected. Still she continues to try. And it is that inner strength and will that carry her through some difficult decisions and tumultuous times. It is due to these traits, and how she is different from so many other heroines, that I really like Hedi. Can I blame her? I do hope, however, that she becomes more confident as the series progresses. Her character needs to grow in self-assurance, which should come with time and experience.
I am happy to say that we do. Evans pens her story with amazing imagery and excellent aptitude. She has created a fantastical story of weres and fae in which I love to get lost. Hedi and Trowbridge are not similar to most heroines and heros, and for that, I commend her creativity and style because who they are works especially well for the storyline. WERES is a page-turner, and Evans keeps the surprises coming and coming, leaving the reader wanting more and more. Jul 27, Sandy S rated it really liked it. The writing style continues to be descriptive.
Once again, the characters continue to be flawed but more so than any of the others is our heroine Hedi. She was difficult to like at times because she continuously placed her family, friends and mate in danger. She refused to follow orders; she had difficulty believing what she saw over what she believed to be true and in this, she questioned everything and everyone.
But I must add, there were many opportunities throughout the story where the truth of certain situations could have been revealed and many of the difficulties, deaths and even accusations could have been avoided-than again-we would not have had a storyline to follow if that were the case. Again, there is graphic detail with complicated relationships; violence, death and more torture.
Jul 30, Justin Melter rated it really liked it Shelves: I was excited to get to this one as I had really gotten absorbed by the end of The Trouble with Fate. Dayna also had a similar experience. The first thing that jumped out at me as early as page two was the more advanced use of language. It almost made everyone seem slightly more intelligent then in the previous novel. Eventually this tapers off but was worthy enough to note. Another thing I had brought up in my previous review was the off-beat sexuality aspect that was quickly introduced.
The biggest question since the last book is in concern to her love Trowbridge. Since the loss of T into another realm, Hedi is plagued by a reoccurring nightmare of him dying. T reasserts his alpha-ness among the pack by shooting laser beams at them from his eyes. It really felt sci-fi-ish at times. There is lots of dissension in the ranks, with amusing werewolf politics and challenges.
The love story, was a little dispassionate and almost felt like it was at times just in the way.
The introduction of Lexi was probably one of the neatest additions to the story. He is definitely a master of emotions, magic and deceit. I oddly connected with him the most. Though the fact that I connected with a rather feminine male who wears skin tight leather pants worries me slightly… moving on. The descriptions of this in-between realm are better then ever and really make for some exciting scenes.
Leigh Evans has expanded nicely upon her Mystwalker series, answering a lot of the most anticipated questions while raising equally exciting new ones.
Overall the book was a pretty good sequel even though it felt to be more love rather then action focused. May 24, Katherine Paschal rated it really liked it Shelves: Heidi is acting as Alpha since she mate-bonded with Trowbridge and forced him into the portal to Merewynn, the Fae realm, to save his life.
Heidi is barely holding it together, as the pack has been getting disgruntled and her authority is being challenged. Every night Heidi dreams of Trowbridge, yet she fears that he will not be able to ever come back, and that's only if he is still alive. A stranger shows up on pack land, and it leads to the complete unraveling of Heidi's world.
My heart aches f Heidi is acting as Alpha since she mate-bonded with Trowbridge and forced him into the portal to Merewynn, the Fae realm, to save his life. My heart aches for Heidi. Without fail, life throws her the worst situations it can come up with, one right after another. She never gets a break, yet she is always so strong because she knows it is how she should be. There are so many times in this book where I really just want to giver her a hug. She is so resilient that I have to root for her, and somewhere from the first book to the beginning of this book, she has become one of my favorite characters.
I do really wish for her to get more in touch with her inner were and change Trowbridge on the other hand, I am not a fan of. He never acts the way I want him too, and he always does and says the wrong thing to Heidi, and then gets upset when she does not respond the way he wants her too. Its good to be a tough strong man if you are the Alpha of a werewolf pack, but not to be an ass to your "mate".
Maybe I would feel more kindly towards him if we got some parts of the book told from his point of view, instead of just the outcome of his actions, not the why behind them. He is most certainly not "My one true thing". I would classify the series as an urban fantasy, with slight hints of love but really there is absolutely no romance present here. If you are looking for a sweet paranormal romance, this is not the series for you. Both books are gritty and dirty, full of pain and sorrow and death, with just a few hints of humor and Heidi's strong will holding them together.
I thought the first book was ok, a unique start on a werewolf series, but the second book was really good and instantly captivating. I was hooked from the first chapter and couldn't put it down until I was finished. I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. Mar 20, Alice Liu rated it really liked it.
This was a bit of an odd book for me. I found myself not liking Hedi the heroine very much. With her Alpha mate stuck in the land of the fae, Hedi bemoans her lack of a fairy tale life, and uses that as an excuse to be selfish, vacuous, lazy, and indifferent. In the throes of her self-pity, she refuses to step up to her responsibilities and completely overlooks the suffering of those around her. At first, I wondered if this was an expression of grief. But when her mate returned, her behavior d This was a bit of an odd book for me. But when her mate returned, her behavior didn't change. In some ways it got worse.
Trowbridge returned rather grizzled as he had been fighting for his life in the other realm. Rather than feel joy, Hedi judged him for looking ugly and being so old in his 30's. This is villain behavior, not heroine behavior, and much of the book is spent visualizing Hedi's immature thoughts as she tries to process them.
In other words, the book is about Hedi coming to turns with reality. I found myself actively rooting against her and when I only had a few pages left, I put the book down and read another book just to put some enjoyment into my life. So here's the kicker. I really thought this book was terrible as far as urban fantasies go. However, it was a good book in terms of social situations. What Hedi goes through is really what a lot of young women find themselves facing: The juncture of the fantasy life that they thought they were going to live and the reality of the life they are actually in.
It was interesting from that standpoint to see how Hedi rationalizes her way into finally making a decision and actually taking responsibility for that decision. It is a long and repetitive journey for her, and the epiphany doesn't come until the very end. If you are not tolerant of emotional ruminations, then this book might not be right for you.
Dec 24, Rachel V.
When I started this book I was just not in the mood to read it. I can say even though I was not in the mood to read, it was able to suck me in to the story. Due to the events at the end of the last book Hedi is now Alpha by proxy of the Creemore wolves and I am surprised that she survived as long as she did. First of all in this story Hedi did not seem to be quite as strong of a character as she was when Trowbridge was around. She is whiny and to wrapped up When I started this book I was just not in the mood to read it. She is whiny and to wrapped up in her own problems to look at the pack and see that it was getting divided.
However she did have a lot thrown at her in a short amount of time but leaders have to stay strong and focused. By the end of the book Hedi seems to be getting back to herself. There were several surprises in the storyline though that I did not see coming including a family member Hedi did not know existed showing up. He sounds like he has had a hard life but I think he can straighten himself out.
I am holding out for him. The ending really left me wanting to hurry up and read the next one. I want to find out what happens with the Black Mage and her brother. Also I want to know what is going to happen with her being a Mystwalker. All in all this was a good, solid second book to the series and I look forward to continuing with the story. Dec 26, Stephanie F rated it it was amazing Shelves: One word describes this book.. This has easily become one of my favorite series. It is gritty, dark, sweet and unpredictable.
This story is filled with several different plot lines. You definitely want to read The Trouble With Fate before you start this one. Hedi our flawed and snarky heroine is dealing with the NWA the shifters government, trying to be Alpha of a pack that pretty much hates her and trying to open the One word describes this book.. Hedi our flawed and snarky heroine is dealing with the NWA the shifters government, trying to be Alpha of a pack that pretty much hates her and trying to open the portal to Merenwyn to get Trowbridge back. A story filled with ups and downs once it gets going it will grab your attention and holds on.
Hedi does a lot of growing in this book and is slowly becoming the woman I know she is. Her and Trowbridges relationship while dysfunctional is also sweet and when the two of them are together I can't get enough. This series is unique and exciting.
And the Council of Weres wanting her dead Then all Hedi's wishes are granted. Robson Trowbridge, pack leader, returns - and her love isn't alone. He's found her missing twin brother, Lexi, among the fae. With this double helping of wonderful, things should've been all sunshine and flowers, but the fae lands have changed both men.
Hedi's brother is dying of an addiction, and her relationship with Robson may not survive the forces pushing them apart. The Best Books of Check out the top books of the year on our page Best Books of Looking for beautiful books? Visit our Beautiful Books page and find lovely books for kids, photography lovers and more.
Other books in this series. Review quote Praise for the Mystwalker series: Reader beware, if you pick up a Leigh Evans book, you won't put it down until the last page' Patricia Briggs 'A well-crafted world, a great story and dynamic characters To download from the iTunes Store, get iTunes now. Does the nightmare end when your wishes come true? Becoming a werewolf pack's Alpha-by-proxy might be someone's dream, but it wasn't on Hedi's list of life goals.
And it's just not working out. Small hints being Creemore's wolves wanting her blood, or North America's Council of Weres wanting her dead. Then Hedi's deepest wishes are granted. Robson Trowbridge returns from Merenwyn - and her true love isn't alone. He's found her long-missing twin brother, Lexi. With this double helping of wonderful, things should have been all sunshine and flowers, but the fae realm has changed both men.