Winter’s Trial

Title: Winter’s Trial

Author: Darren Endymion

Publisher: Torquere Press 

Publisher URL: www.torquerebooks.com

ISBN/BIN: 978-1-61040-520-1

Genre: {M/M} Contemporary Paranormal

Rating: 4 Nymphs

Literary Nymphs Reviewer: Dragon Minx

Austin's life is a mess. He’s a true mate and instead of his life being filled with blessings, he’s hated and bullied by his pack because he’s also a feared three-form hybrid wolf. He’s been trying to find another pack that will allow him to become a member but hasn’t had any luck. His only hope is that one day his mate will find him and take him away.

Cristiano is from Brazil. He’s dreamed of finding the one wolf meant for him and the true mate pull allows him to find Austin in Minnesota. It’s immediately obvious Austin’s pack is in trouble—that rebellion is brewing and to protect his mate from those trying to hurt him, Cris gets sucked into the conspiracy. When they find one pack willing to take them in, it’s a battle to get away and if they don’t, there’s little chance of surviving.

When dealing with a new author you never know what to expect but the blurb for Winter’s Trial sounded interesting, so I had to give it a try. I’m glad I did. Mr. Endymion did a nice job developing the personalities of both Austin and Cris and provided enough history on each so I understood them. There’s also good imagery of Austin’s pack and the people in it.

I’m happy to say this author has taken a typical pack that’s supposed to be more like a family and turned it on its ear, giving the reader a new and creative slant to a werewolf story. What surprised me about this first novel are the depth and number of plotlines. There’s the one with Austin and Cris, but there are also several others woven in and around them. These others really flesh out the story, making it fast moving and interesting. It also means this isn’t an easy story to read. It’s filled with anger, unrest, pain and lots of abuse—not just to Austin but other pack members too. So, if you’re expecting a fun and lighthearted read, this book isn’t for you. 

Not only do I like Cris and Austin, but the plot brings in a lot of other characters I found intriguing too. I don’t know if there are other books planned but I’d like to see ones featuring Taylor and Quinton in the future. Hint. Hint.