Human, Witch, Shifter, or Hybrid?
Who will come out on top?
Why does a mere human captivate the alpha-heir to the most powerful shifter pack in the country?
Can Fated-mates ever be faked? And why the hell are the Coven so interested in the same girl?
Aaron is poised to take over the pack and wage an all-out war with the Coven, but his wolf is strangely enchanted by a red-headed human, and is getting distracted. Can he find a Luna to stand beside him as alpha to the Fenrir Watch, and protect the elementals, or is he simply wasting precious time?
A suspenseful paranormal fantasy romance awash with magic.
Recommended for readers 18+ due to explicit language and content of a sexual nature.
Human, Witch, Shifter, or Hybrid?
Who will come out on top?
Why does a mere human captivate the alpha-heir to the most powerful shifter pack in the country?
Can Fated-mates ever be faked? And why the hell are the Coven so interested in the same girl?
Aaron is poised to take over the pack and wage an all-out war with the Coven, but his wolf is strangely enchanted by a red-headed human, and is getting distracted. Can he find a Luna to stand beside him as alpha to the Fenrir Watch, and protect the elementals, or is he simply wasting precious time?
A suspenseful paranormal fantasy romance awash with magic.
Recommended for readers 18+ due to explicit language and content of a sexual nature.
PROLOGUE: TWO WEEKS FROM NOW
Having two men fighting over me is exhilarating and not a little terrifying. I watch as the two square up to each other – essentially opposite in aesthetics – one rough around the edges, a few days stubble and an out-doorsy look and the other the epitome of smooth sophistication and elegance.
My eyes narrow, I don't approve of machismo nonsense, and the longer I watch the more cross I am with the side of me that's thrilled to be the subject of the argument. My sleeve tugs again.
“Come on!” Liz hisses “enough drama for one night don't you think, Aphrodite?!”
Giggling, I roll my eyes at my friend. Trust Liz to make an unexpectedly geeky joke to snap me out it. Together we weave our way to the exit, unnoticed by the two men apparently vying for my attention. Sighing I have to admit to myself they're just letting off some steam - it could be any girl they're fighting over, it just so happened to be me.
Luna Ascending falls under the "girls thinks she's normal until weird stuff happens to her and she has an epiphany and realizes she is supernatural" trope. To makes things even sweeter the female protagonist has two hot heir apparent alphas pursuing her.
The juxtaposition of Aaron, hot smoldering alpha shifter against Maricel's cool sophistication was highly entertaining. There was also a great combination of paranormals- Witch, Shifter, or Hybrid and the mystery surrounding the coven and their plans was compelling. I particularly enjoyed the concept of "Mates 4 Life" which is a speed dating service for shifters and honestly believe this could be a fantastic story if pursued further.
While this book was entertaining there were some things I did not particularly agree with, mainly the non-consensual relationship between Freya and Maricel. While I understand rape can be used for dramatic effect, Freya's non-response within the situation was puzzling.
The narration felt disjointed in several instances and I felt like the author spent too much time and effort concentrating on non-salient points that were highly descriptive instead of streamlining the major plot. A perfect example of this is seen in the repetitive dialogues of Freya and Aaron which could have been avoided if it was consolidated.
While I believe Luna Ascending has great potential, in terms of the plotline, the flow of the story felt off. There was very little explanation on the magical components and the major jaw-dropping scenes felt very "by the way" this is happening instead of "Oh my gosh, did that just happen?" I think the story could use a nice injection of flavor as the characters felt slightly cliche and stereotypical.
I think with a couple of edits and some more proofreading this has the potential to become an incredible series.
Thank you to the author and Reedsy Discovery for providing me with an arc in exchange for a review.