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Review: The Last Wolf by Maria Vale (The Legend of All Wolves #1)

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The Last Wolf by Maria Vale // VBCThe Last Wolf (The Legend of All Wolves #1)
Maria Vale
Published: Feb. 6, 2018 (Sourcebooks Casablanca)
Purchase: Book Depository or Amazon
Review source: Copy provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review

Reviewed by: Jo

Rating (out of 5): 3 stars

Born with a lame leg in her wolf form, Silver has little hope within her pack. When her intended mate is kicked out, her outlook goes from bottom of the pack pair to unmated servant. But the appearances of a bloody and wounded stranger throws her one last lifeline. Ty has grow up with his Shifter clan but when they turn on him, he seeks out the refuge of his mother’s wolf pack. If Ty and Silver can convince the pack to accept them as a mated couple, they will both be allowed to stay—if not, exile awaits.

But with him Ty brings the threat of a centuries old war between the Wolves and the Shifters. With enemies at the gate, Silver will have to trust that her gamble on Ty will pay off.

The Last Wolf is very interesting take on a wolf/shifter novel. In this world, the werewolves seem to be more wolves that can turn into humans sometimes, were as Shifters are the opposite. This made for a very animalistic feel to the characters, even when in their human forms. It reminded me of the wolves from Anne Bishop’s The Others series, but I found it harder to relate to these characters. Maybe it was the lack of human influence, meaning nearly everyone here is running on instinct, with less of a need to delve into their deeper complex emotions or the whys of them.

I liked Silver, she’s brave and definitely had the underdog vibe going. I found her quite closed off though and I couldn’t figure out if that was because of her character or because she was more wolf than human. She accepts her packs treatment and even a pretty big betrayal with very little emotion. I struggled to understand her loyalty to a pack that are mostly complete asshats to her. She does start to open up through her relationship with Ty, but even here it’s more about making him “a better wolf.” I kind of wish this had been a dual point-of-view novel, as I think adding Ty’s perceptive and his motivations would have made this feel like a much more rounded read. It feels like his character goes through a lot more conflict and growth and I wanted to be more privy to that. The relationship between them was actually very sweet, and I liked that they had a “in this together” attitude from the beginning. They start out tentative, both guarded after years of disdain (and abuse) but soon find a passion and connection that makes them into a pretty badass unit.

The pack, it’s structure and politics are a huge part of the plot, which while interesting didn’t make for massive amounts of action within the first two thirds of The Last Wolf. With so much of the book taking place within the pack’s territory the plot felt kind of insular. The outside threat of the Shifters seemed distant right up until the end. In fact the whole reason for the war between them felt underdeveloped. I think perhaps if there had been more interactions between the two factions, and with the outside world, it would have opened the plot up and deepened my appreciation for the conflict.

While I did enjoy The Last Wolf, I think there was a little too much Wolf and not enough Were for me. However, If you’re looking for a werewolf book that really delves in the animal instincts of a shifter and the complexity of a pack, then this might be a great read for you.

Sexual content: graphic sex

One Response to “Review: The Last Wolf by Maria Vale (The Legend of All Wolves #1)”

  1. Monique D says:

    I completely agree with you. It was too raw to my taste, and I found the writing uneven. Sometimes lyrical, other times unpolished. Those are not my types of shifters.

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