"A Steamy Fantasy Fiction with wolfpack action."
Defiant is the first book in 'The Feral Princess' series by Ann Denton. This is a story about Elena, who is a late bloomer as her Wolf doesn't show up until her 21st, only to suddenly disappear within hours after meeting Black, the alpha wolf.
NOTE: This is a dark menage romance and the series will end with an MFM relationship and an HEA. It has triggers including dubious consent scenes, forced marriage, and eventually will contain humiliation.
Blurb:
Elena
When my wolf appears for the first time, I’m so overjoyed that I don’t think, I just run into the forest…and smack into Black Maddox, the leader of my pack. Only…he doesn’t believe that I’m what I say I am. He insists that I’m part of a rival pack and locks me up in his basement.
Black’s twice my age, insanely powerful, and has a streak of darkness running through him a mile wide and an ocean deep.
He’s exactly the type of man that I always swore I’d stay far away from. I should stick with Jonah, the beta I know and trust, the man who’ll give me everything I ask for.
But what if there are things I didn’t know I ever wanted before? Things I don’t know how to ask for?
The shadow Black casts drenches me, his depravity soaking into my skin.
He’s going to destroy me if I don’t escape him.
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Black
I discover pretty little Elena naked in disputed territory.
At first, I want to crack her open, this wide-eyed temptation who derails me. I want to shatter her and those who sent her into tiny pieces. I will not be manipulated or deceived by her false innocence.
That’s what I tell myself. But even as I say it aloud, my obsession grows and the spell she weaves leaves my wolf and I both panting.
But once I realize Elena’s a special type of shifter, the rarest of the rare, and the most precious of them all… I don’t want to crush her. I want to chain and keep her. I want to make her beg for mercy, but not because she’s broken.
Because she’s mine.
I want her desperate and aching for me in ways she’s never been before.
My wolf and I will claim her, mark her, marry and breed her.
Only one thing’s stopping me.
The entire shifter world wants her too.
Review:
As the Author's note already said that this is a book with many triggers including kidnapping, forced marriage, dubious consent scenes, so it might not be for everyone.
Considering the warning already, I wouldn't focus on the righteousness of the relationships and characters, instead, I'll focus on how the story felt in-line with the trigger warnings.
Firstly, I did love how Ann handled these topics. Although the trigger includes dubious consent, it didn't feel wrong to read it. I have read books with similar triggers, and have not liked the way these situations were handled by the authors. But Ann handled it wisely and delicately.
Now, talking about the characters, there's a complexity to them and you can feel that these characters will surprise you in the next book. Elena, who is a strong confident alpha, turned out to be an omega. She who could control Jonah and everyone around her is suddenly dominant in front of Black. From being a sass queen to being a helpless girl, there's a psychological change in her behavior. Is it because she is an omega and couldn't help herself in front of her alpha, or is it because of her attraction towards Black? This is an interesting relational dynamic that I would love to read and explore more in the next book.
Black himself is a mix of good and bad. Although he is a great alpha, who cares about his pack (and Elena), he also has this alpha hole personality where he doesn't consider Elena as a human being, but as a property that he needs to acquire. With the ending to the first book, I do hope to see some change (positive) in his personality.
Jonah is a nice character in this messed-up world. Being a beta, he isn't strong enough to challenge an Alpha male, but his love for Elena will make him do everything he thinks he isn't capable of.
I like how these 2 male wolves: Black and Jonah, are so different from each other and how their dynamics with Elena are soo different and yet so unique. One makes her so passionate to makes her forget everything else, and the other gives her hope and strength.
The characters are so intricately written, that you can't really hate any of them (Yes.! Even Black).
Ann's writing style is amazing. I actually read this whole book in one go. It's easy to read. And My.....Ooohh......My, is it steamy.! The ending was great, and I am happy how things ended in the first book. I am scared of what will happen to a few characters (Sshh...), but I am excited to see how things will turn out.
I am so excited to read and review the next book in this series (Defiled) and thankful to the author for not leaving me hanging on this cliffhanger, by providing the next book for review.