Trial by Fire by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Title: Trial by Fire (a Raised by Wolves novel)

Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Publisher: Egmont USA

My Copy: ARC received

Summary:

There can only be one alpha.

Bryn is finally settling into her position as alpha of the Cedar Ridge Pack—or at least, her own version of what it means to be alpha when you’re a human leading a band of werewolves. Then she finds a teenage boy bleeding on her front porch. Before collapsing, he tells her his name is Lucas, he’s a Were, and Bryn’s protection is his only hope.

But Lucas isn’t part of Bryn’s pack, and she has no right to claim another alpha’s Were. With threats—old and new—looming, and danger closing in from all sides, Bryn will have to accept what her guardian Callum knew all along. To be alpha, she will have to give in to her own animal instincts and become less human. And, she’s going to have to do it alone.

Bryn faces both the costs, and the rewards, of love and loyalty, in this thrilling sequel to Raised by Wolves.

My Thoughts: I LOVE this series. Jennifer Lynn Barnes is one talented writer. I absolutely adored Raised by Wolves – in fact, I think it's one of my all-time favorite paranormal books. It took me a while to get to this one and while it did not pack the punch that Raised by Wolves did, I wish that I had read it sooner.

This series is different from all other werewolf series about their because while there is a human girl involved, she's not falling mindlessly in love with a guy and then later finding out he's a werewolf. Bryn was raised by wolves and she is strong and determined because of that. She consistently pushes the boundaries between what it means to be human and where the line is drawn in our animalistic desires.

The one thing I love about this series, aside from its originality, is the characters and their relationships. I would love to have Devon and Lake as my best friends and everyone, from Ali to Maddy to Lucas, has secrets and multiple sides. I spent most of the novel trying to figure the characters out and, honestly, I still can't decide what I think about a few certain characters.

Unfortunately, while there was a lot of action in this, I did not feel the connection to the story that I felt with Raised by Wolves. Even though many of the plot twists caught me off guard, it didn't blow me away as the first novel had. However, this is common with the second book in a series and, overall, Trial by Fire is still a great book.

Trial by Fire is a worthy second book in a great series. If you haven't picked this series up yet, I suggest you do!