Forged Alliances (Tribal Spirit, Book 1)

Katherine
McIntyre
Genre: 
Paranormal

Set in today’s rural Pennsylvania, “Forged Alliances” follows the alphas from two packs of shifters—humans who can shift into animal forms. She is a wolf with an iron will; he’s a cocksure mountain lion with a bad attitude.  When Dax, the mountain lion alpha, arrives in Sierra’s wolfish territory, sparks fly. He needs her help to solve some deadly problems in his territory, but mostly his smug, irritating personality manages to piss her off. As their love-hate relationship moves into high gear, it is a race to see if they fall in love before they kill each other, or someone else does it for them.

“Forged Alliances” will definitely appeal to the reader who likes rough and tumble stories told in a gritty, no-holds-barred prose style.  Ms. McIntyre has fashioned an enjoyable tale with the cadence and tone of a lively barroom brawl. Her eye for detail brings the forests and back road dive bars into sharp focus. The main characters are well crafted, though Dax’s character, with his past traumas, is developed more fully than Sierra’s. Her “shattered past” does not get enough play, and the secondary characters seem a bit flat.  The plot starts quickly, driven by the characters, but bogs down in places. The sharp-edged banter between Sierra and Dax, however, will keep readers engaged and caring about the Red Rock and Silver Springs packs and their alphas.

Marc Joseph