In Wolf Awakened, the author introduces readers to Willow/William. Willow can alter herself into a man, and during the day she is William. At night, she is Willow, but no matter what persona she is she dominates in everything that she does. Her father despises her for being "weak" and not being able to shift into her wolf form, but Willow has hardened herself into being something more and it won't be long before she makes her father regret the way that he has treated her. Now! This book does have some dark themes, but since I like dark...I found this book to be absolutely delicious. The introduction of the four brothers...welcome to New York boys. LOL! At first, I didn't think that I was going to like them. At. All. I was prepared for: ego, bad attitudes, disrespect...you name it that's what I was expecting. What I got?? Surprise! I got calm, smarts, intellect, and more! I love how different each of them is. I even have a favorite brother!!! No, I won't tell though, but it's the one who appeals to me the most. lol!
I truly appreciate how the author warns readers of the darker elements of this book so that if readers have an aversion, or have certain issues that might be triggered by this book then they can avoid it and find something else to read. This book does have quite a bit of struggle and darkness in it, but I can easily say that the author doesn't delve so deep into it that she gets lost and drowns in it. You get just enough to give you a good picture of the things that not just Willow went through, but Onyx as well. So you get a two for one with the background story, but of course, things were worse for Willow.
Now, while I did enjoy this book, there is a reason why I am declaring 4.5 out of 5 instead of a full 5-star rating. Since things take a long while to connect to the prologue, it gives you a future scene and then begins the book with more of the "present" I don't see the point of having read it. Also, as is the case sometimes with longer books, there was a bit of repetitiveness in spots that were just a bit too close together. In the beginning, for example, the author states how tall Willow is in her female form. That was fine, but then literally a few pages later, hardly enough time for me to forget that one detail, it's repeated again. That particular detail wasn't needed. Then there were places where there was a bit too much thought-process going on, basically, the characters reflecting and going into a bit too much detail. Sometimes less is more, and in some places, I felt like it was just filler that really wasn't needed. It slowed the book down, so when I started coming across these places my brain would literally hunt for the important information and skip the rest to keep from getting bogged down.
My only other issue is Willow/William. I'm disappointed in their lack of empathy towards others. I get that you are literally taking your life into your own hands and giving to another when you are a part of the mafia, but I'm still disappointed. Willow/William shows little to no empathy for the individual their father murders simply because he's "displeased." These individuals aren't the reason why he's angry...they are just a convenient target. I'm not saying that they should cry about it, but to show some empathy wouldn't be so bad, especially when they are the reason for that individual losing their life. But that's just me.
All in all, I am loving this story and I can't wait for what comes next. So I am rating this book 4.5 out of 5 stars. Willow/William is a fascinating character in both forms and I can't wait to see how they move forward to conquer NYC and show the world...you don't mess with the Forbidden pack.
