Review: Full Moon Rising by Keri Arthur (Riley Jenson #1)

Full Moon Rising (Riley Jenson Guardian #1)
Keri Arthur
Published: 2006 (Bantam)
Purchase at: The Book Depository or Amazon

Reviewed by: Jo

Rating (out of 5): 4 stars

Full Moon Rising, the first in Keri Arthur’s sexy Riley Jenson Guardian series, hits the ground running from the first page and the action keeps coming thick and fast.

Set in Melbourne sometime in the near future we see Riley reluctantly get pulled deeper into the Directorate, a government agency tasked with policing the supernatural community, after her twin brother goes missing. This book has a great blend of urban fantasy and sci-fi with Arthur building the mystery throughout for some great twists and turns.

Riley’s dhampire genetics gave a great platform for a mix of werewolf and vampire abilities, although I did wish we could have seen more of her wolf. As the conspiracies and betrayals build against her, Riley struggles to come to terms with her heritage and it’s implications. She doesn’t suffer fools gladly and uses her sexuality as a weapon, which makes for some great verbal sparring (and interesting costume choices!). She can take care of herself but I liked that she never loses sight of her goal. She walks away from dangerous situations or people when they wouldn’t help her achieve it.

Full Moon Rising also has a well-rounded supporting cast of characters, good and bad. The connection between Rhoan and Riley is so strong it drives the plot. You get the feeling it’s been them against the world for a long time. Quinn is your typical brooding-yet-charming love interest. While I appreciated his determination and loyalty, his treatment of Riley is sometimes less than stellar. I enjoyed the flawed (and seemly doomed) nature of his and Riley’s attraction though and am interested to see where it goes.

There is a lot of sex in this book… a lot. The werewolf culture is built around the ‘moon fever,’ an intense sexual need, that they each experience in the week leading up the full moon. This means there is causal sex with multiple partners, which may not be the taste of readers looking for more of a paranormal romance style. This is not without repercussions for the wolves, however, and we see Riley dealing with a fair amount of prejudice about her nature. There are important relationships though, some of which I can easily see leading to more of a steady romance plot in later books.

If you’re looking for a hot and steamy urban fantasy filled with supernatural espionage and darker undertones, Full Moon Rising is one to pick up! Arthur sets the wheels in motion for some long reaching plot arcs and slow building romance, that suggest this is going to be a great series… Even better this series is complete, so no waiting time!

Sexual content: graphic sex, rape