Review of DIRE WARNING by Stephanie Tyler

DIRE WARNING

Stephanie Tyler

Nal, February 7, 2012

ISBN:  139780451562208

Paranormal romance 

102 pages, ebook

From my own private stash.

A breathtaking new tale of the Dire Wolves, from the bestselling author of Dire Needs…

Immortal and invincible, Rifter is the head of the last surviving pack of Dire Wolves—a band of Alpha brothers charged with protecting the Weres. But now that witches have joined forces with nefarious weretrappers, it’s a perfect storm for double trouble. When the murder of human points to a wolf, along with the threat of the packs being outted to the world, the Dires fear that something even more dangerous is out there hiding in the dark, something waiting for the right time to show itself.

Includes a letter from the author and a teaser chapter from DIRE NEEDS.

My Ratings

Review

Sexual

I was excited when I heard Ms. Tyler was working on a shifter/werewolf series, as I am a fan of her Hold Trilogy and have thoroughly enjoyed the first two books of her Shadow Force Series.  Unfortunately, my crush is going to have to end there.

The story in the novella is simple enough:  Their existence is being threatened with exposure and the Dires can’t let it happen.  A young woman has been murdered and someone is willing to part with the videotape (of course for fame and fortune) to prove it was committed by a werewolf.  Not a bad story line, but slim, very slim, and I was able to see right through it.  A murder mystery wrapped around a ghost story too.

The Dire Alphas are “THE ALPHAS” of the Were population.  They have been around for hundreds thousands of years and their job is to protect not only the regular werewolf population but the humans. Okay, if that’s the case, why do these guys have names like:  Rifter, Vice, Jinx, Rogue, Stray and Harm?  Those names are more apropos to a motorcycle club.  Since they ride HD’s, are all bad-ass, and wear leather I guess it’s okay. *yeah right*

I got tired of reading, hearing, whatever about Brother Wolf.  I get it – they’re werewolves. 

Each of the Dire has their own special “ability”:  dream walk, talk to ghosts - - - and I don’t know what else - - - but there are six Dires; so six supernatural skills.  The sneak peek from DIRE NEEDS started out with a bag and quickly went south when Rifter starts to dream walk with Gwen:

And so he was now Brother Wolf both in Gwen’s bedroom and in her dream, and Brother Wolf complied by keeping his paw on Gwen’s hand to not break Rifter’s way into her dream.

I just don’t get it; this “sex in dreams” style of writing.  The hero can get sum-sum and remember, but the heroine doesn’t.  Whatever happened to the awesomeness of the preternatural werewolf without all that other crap piled on top?

However, if you, Dear Reader, are the type that enjoys the convoluted mess of additional talents, you are going to love the Eternal Wolf Clan Series.  I’m taking a pass on this one.  My TBR Bookshelf is teetering as it is.