Review: The Wrath of Wolves by Kelley York and Rowan Altwood

Title: The Wrath of Wolves

Series: Dark Is the Night: Book Three

Authors: Kelley York and Rowan Altwood

Publisher: Amazon/Kindle Unlimited

Length: 371 Pages

Category: Historical Romance, Horror

At a Glance: Superb storytelling and irresistible characters set against an excellent alternate historical backdrop populated by various supernatural entities elevates this series to the top of its class.

Reviewed By: Lisa

Blurb: Preston Alexander has wanted to see the world for as long as he can remember. Now, an opportunity has presented itself. A supposedly haunted item needs transporting clear across the Atlantic. James and William can’t take it, so Preston jumps at the chance. He may not know nearly as much about the dead as his friends, but surely it can’t be that difficult. Besides, he won’t be alone: Benjamin will be at his side, and together, they’ve always been able to handle anything.

After abandoning his new job and the strained relationship with his father, and still grieving the loss of his mother, Benjamin Prichard is eager to figure out his place and purpose in life. He isn’t keen on the idea of travelling across the world, but if it means staying with Preston and keeping him out of trouble, he’s willing to give it a go.

But their trip isn’t exactly the holiday they’d hoped for. Not only is their cargo possessed, but it’s also sought after by a mysterious group led by a man with supernatural abilities far beyond what either of them thought humanly possible.

They aren’t just being trailed; they’re being hunted.

This time, the true danger is as much the living as it is the dead.

Review: This is it. The Wrath of Wolves is the first book on my Best of 2020 list. I’m calling it now. Kelley York and Rowan Altwood continue to impress, awe, and captivate me with a diligence and dedication to their characters and this world that left me chilled and breathless at the same time.

Benjamin Prichard and Preston Alexander have been devoted to each other for years, but they have never declared their feelings outright. In fact, there’s a point where Preston thinks he’s lost Benji for good, so when Benji shows up on the Alexander’s doorstep, unannounced, to accompany Preston to America, there are more things left unsaid than declared between them. The way Preston has always watched over Benji—sometimes not in a way Benji appreciates but will tolerate because he loves Preston—is a point of contention between them that eventually plays into the danger they’re mired in from the near moment they embark on their journey to deliver a mysterious box filled with unknown cargo to its buyer. A box that’s allegedly haunted. A box that, as it turns out, is hella haunted and is being pursued by a shadow group known as The Order. The only thing I know about The Order at this point is that they are not to be underestimated, are lethal in dark and uncanny ways, and “the boss” will use any means at their disposal to get what they want, which includes Nathaniel Chase, a man who was introduced in A Hymn in the Silence and who, along with his group of accomplices, plays a significant role in this book.

As has been the case since book one of the Dark Is the Night series, York and Altwood epitomize what it means to craft a horror story that is truly horrifying without it being gratuitously violent or exaggerated. The thrills are thrilling, the chills chilling, and the moments during which Benji and Preston confront the restless spirits are narrated to glorious effect. The fear that is tapped into in those moments isn’t the privilege of or exclusive to the characters in those scenes. It leaps off the page and into the imagination of those readers who consume the genre for that specific spike in adrenaline unique to it, and I relished every word. Benji and Preston each learn some specific truths about themselves and each other along the way too, which will carry them forward into a future that, no matter where in the world they find themselves, will always mean home as long as they are together.

Through the fog-shrouded streets of San Francisco to the forests beyond the bay area’s borders, through perilous moments and serious injuries, Benji and Preston lead readers on an adventure that delivers them each to a turning point, and they bring some unexpected allies along with them. All was not lost, nor was everything resolved, which means they, along with James Spencer and William Esher and Aunt Eleanor, will continue their spectral pursuits even against the warnings of dire consequences to them for doing so. One thing that will remain steadfast, through calm and chaos, is Benji and Preston’s love and devotion to each other. Superb storytelling and irresistible characters set against an excellent alternate historical backdrop populated by various supernatural entities elevates this series to the top of its class.

You can buy The Wrath of Wolves here:
[zilla_button url=”http://authl.it/B083F58B2F?d” style=”black” size=”large” type=”round” target=”_blank”] Amazon/Kindle Unlimited [/zilla_button]