Havoc
Haven Book 2
Mary Lindsey
April 5, 2021
Entangled Teen
Blurb: For the first time in his life, Rain Ryland belongs. He’s found a home with the wolf shifters of New Wurzburg and is no-holds-barred in love with Friederike Burkhart, their soon-to-be alpha. But the ascension to power is never easy for a new alpha, and challengers will come from an unlikely source—and bring into jeopardy not just Freddie’s position as alpha but her blooming relationship with Rain.
Rain has never shied away from a challenge—or a fight. And he’s ready to fight like hell for the woman he loves. But then a vision shows him that the biggest challenge of all to Freddie isn’t to her alpha status but against her life…and he’s the one who delivers the killing blow.
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Havoc by Mary Lindsey starts with a scene that feels like it could be an opening scene from Buffy the Vampire Slayer with a young woman beheading zombies (they call them revenants). Written so well and so compelling, I was an excited little reader. But that scene is not this book. Unfortunately. And, equally, unfortunately, parts of that scene are never quite explained.
Anyway. We are back in New Wurzburg, which we visited in 2017 in Haven (my review of that book is here) and which feels like a billion years ago and considering this past year may have been a billion years ago. Rain, our human-turned-werewolf hero, is together with pack alpha Freddie, but their happiness is imperiled by a group from Germany who possess a contract that shows that Freddie must be married to one from their pack. If Rain and Freddie disobey, Rain will be killed.
In tandem, one of my favorite characters from Haven, Petra, who also happens to be the zombie/revenant killing witch from the prologue, has been arrested for failing to do her job of sealing the magic in the dead. But she’s being set up and Rain believes that it’s too much of a coincidence that the Germans show up, separate him and Freddie, and then Petra is arrested.
Havoc is best in my mind when Rain is playing sleuth and in the company of Grant and Petra. The action scenes are thrilling and fast-paced. I don’t much care for Freddie any more this time around than I did in the first book. In contrast, I think Petra is cool and would have seen a lot more of her, or even her own book, which seems unlikely now considering how Havoc ended. The scenes in which Rain and Freddie are together are not my favorite. I also have a severe “meh” feeling when he gets jealous and his wolf wants to rise to the surface–it’s more of a Neanderthal reaction than his character deserves.
While I’d love to tell you that this is a standalone–and I imagine that it could be very well read as one–so much of the fascinating world-building was done in Haven and it explains so much. Without having read that first book, I don’t think the second would have the necessary impact. Havoc is a very good sequel, perhaps not as strong as the first book but a thrilling ride nonetheless.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
rating:
4 out of 5 butterflies