Huntress Born (Wolf Legacy, #1) by Aimee Easterling

Huntress Born (Wolf Legacy, #1) Reviews

• 
  Marsha

  Wow! I don't even know where to begin to discuss "Huntress Born." Aimee Easterling has a vision for an incredible read with the Wolf Legacy series. The plot is strong and the characters are endearing. So, what made me give this book one star? Well, it is extremely difficult to enjoy a book with there is hardly any dialogue. In this read, the characters have a one sentence statement and then there are pages and pages of mind speak/thoughts. Not only does this break the flow of any meaningful discourse, it is quite annoying. It is hard to feel a connection to the characters or understand any relationship that might development when there is little to no verbal interaction.
  
  Ember comes from a large werewolf family but she leaves her pack in search of her missing half-brother. Apparently cupcakes are a big deal to this pack so when she steps into another alpha's territory she is armed with the tasty treat. No sooner than she exits the Greyhound bus, she stops a rapist's attack on a woman. This woman will soon become pivotal to Ember both in a budding friendship and in locating her brother.
  
  Things become a little complicated when the alpha of the city insists on Ember becoming mated to his son Aaron. He doesn't want to be joined with Ember and she has no interest in him as well. It doesn't take long for Ember to realize that things are not the same in this pack's territory as it is with her own. I love paranormal reads about werewolves. They are actually my favorite kind of paranormal creature but this book struggled on so many levels with overly verbose language describing the character's thoughts, a lack of dialogue, silly names such as "wolfie" with no real humor attached. In the end, a book that had so much potential ended up being something I struggled to complete. This read just wasn't for me and it was not because of the story line. It was due to the writing. Sorry Ms. Easterling, you need to work on including more dialogue!
• 
  Iris Hunter (InstagramREADS)

  Fun YA'ish read but annoying wording and repeating of words and sentences where a killing to finish this book.
  
  Silly names such as "wolfie" with no real humor attached. The endless talk about the damn cupcakes and strange NON-romantic ya'isch story-line with soft action scenes had me struckling to finish this books. In the end, a book that had so much potential ended unexpected up as a book I struggled to complete.
• 
  Coco.V

  💝 FREE on Amazon today (2/22/2018)! 💝
  
• 
  Kate McMurry

  Trigger warning: rapist male werewolves
  
  Amber is a 25-year-old female werewolf who has led a sheltered life as a pampered "pack princess." She is the stepdaughter of an extremely protective alpha of a werewolf pack in an unspecified state in the USA. At the start of this story, she has taken an extended bus ride to an unnamed city in another unspecified state in order to track down her half-brother. We are not shown a single onstage conversation with this missing sibling by either text, email, phone call, or video chat, so it is never clearly demonstrated why she is adamantly convinced that it is imperative that she, and she alone, must race to his rescue. There is no mention of her having a solid plan for connecting with him, once she gets to the city where he is located, because apparently he has not bothered to give her a specific address where they can meet up. There is no explanation as to why her overprotective stepfather and mother have not strenuously objected to naive Amber's heading off into obvious danger. It is also made apparent that her brother has no practical suggestions for how Amber can assist him. Within minutes of arriving in the target city, Amber is victimized by one hostile werewolf after another, and she, unfortunately, has nothing to offer by way of self-defense but a box of fancy cupcakes.
  
  This author seems really hooked on the theme of brutally misogynistic werewolves in her various werewolf series. Similar to her Moon Marked series, in this series as well, predatory, alpha-werewolf males have the ability to magically roofie females, freezing them in place so that they are unable to fight back and defend themselves from sexual abuse, up to and including rape.
  
  The whole goal of female-centric urban fantasy is to provide readers with the vicarious enjoyment of powerful, ferocious protagonists who overcome incredible odds. This author can't seem to manifest that prime directive of the UF genre.
  
  In addition, the structure of this novel consistently suffers from poor character motivation and poor scene construction. Just a few immediate examples:
  
  1. Why would Amber's supposedly highly overprotective alpha-werewolf father tamely stand by while she sets out to another city to find her half brother, when he clearly should know how much of a tasty tidbit she will be to the ruling alpha werewolf in that city, who will inevitably kidnap and imprison her to his own ends?
  
  2. Why would Amber proclaim as her crucial mission that she's in a (generic, unidentified) city to find her brother then proceed to do nothing but bake cupcakes at a temporary job at a bakery, and talk and think about cupcakes in every encounter with hostile werewolves, rather than looking for clues to find her missing brother?
  
  3. Why would a female werewolf, who declares herself to be an alpha personality, wimp out in every encounter with aggressive fellow werewolves?
  
  4. Why would the author choose as a romantic interest for a female werewolf a human college professor? Amber's juvenile crush on Sebastian, which exists as yet another unrealistic and irritating detour from her professed reason for being in town, seems as improbable a plot twist as her obsession with cupcakes.
  
  Unfortunately, the same characterization and plotting issues seem to be in most of this author's books.
• 
  Lorena

  
  Aimee Easterling reliably delivers fun shifter stories with exciting plots. Huntress Born is the first volume in her new Wolf Legacy series, which is a spinoff of the
  Wolf Rampant Trilogy: A Fantastical Werewolf Adventure but can definitely be enjoyed alone.
  
  I found Ember a charming heroine. I loved how she tried to solve so many of her problems with baked goods and was always guessing at what someone's favorite dessert would be. I liked Sebastien too, though I feel like we haven't really gotten a chance to know him very well yet. My main complaint with this book is that besides our main character, I felt like I didn't get to know or understand the other characters as well as I would have liked, so their actions didn't always make sense.
  
  This was a relatively quick read that effortlessly captured and held my interest. The pacing was good and the plot was exciting. However, while I really enjoyed this book, it wasn't always an easy read. There are a couple of scenes featuring sexual assault, and while the text is never too graphic, it could be triggering for some readers. The story also ended much more abruptly than I was expecting, so keep that in mind if you dislike cliffhanger endings. Fortunately, Huntress Bound (Wolf Rampant Book 2) is already available.
  
  I volunteered to review an advanced reader copy of this book. The version I read was neatly formatted, had no significant editing problems, and was free of typos. If you like urban fantasy, give this a try.
• 
  Penny

  I am a huge fan of Ms. Easterling, and, as I always am when a new series comes out by an author I like, I was very excited to see this new series. And, true to the other books, this series opener was terrific! Ember temporarily leaves her pack to find her brother in another town. Along the way, she stumbles upon a mesmerizing human and the troubled pack who rules the town she’s in. Will she find her brother before it’s too late, and will the pack interfere in everything she’s doing? I really liked Ember; I found her to be very positive and fun. I do have to admit at this point I’m not sure if I liked Sebastien. I am still on the fence about him. I found Ember’s troubles with the pack interesting and engaging. I can’t believe the alpha would have let the things go on that were happening, but he did seem a little out of his mind. And, his son was interesting. All in all, this was a well-written, fun, great book that made me crave cupcakes, and I will definitely be reading the next one in the series. Intrigued? Give it a try! Highly recommend! Thanks to the author for the e-book which I reviewed voluntarily.
• 
  Airwreckah

  3.25- i liked a lot of it- easy prose, digestible, but sometimes the characters did stuff i thought was weird/stupid- getting a job during a four day trip, not running away at first attempted rape, not questioning total creeper dudes motivations, not calling your dad when it is really fricking obvious you are in a shit ton of trouble. And then cupcakes. Too much baking detour. Wtf. Like, “ my brother is probably dying, but let me make some scones, and serve some coffee for no discernible reason.”
• 
  Sue

  Ember is a werewolf who leaves the safety of her pack to search for her newly discovered brother who seems to have disappeared, her search takes her into another packs territory but if she was hoping to stay under the radar then that plan backfires as soon as she comes across a shifter intent on rape ! What is going on in this pack ? Exposing their kind to humans is punishable by death. The incident brings her to the attention of her uber driver, Sebastien, unleashing a host of sexually charged feelings but he's human so that's a huge no no right ?
  There's much more going on here than meets the eye and our Alpha female is gonna have to work hard to keep not only herself safe but several innocents as well.
  As she uncovers details about her brothers disappearance it looks like Ember is going to need the help of the one person she really should avoid. Sebastien !
  I love this little details in this story like the fat that Ember has a knack for creating cupcakes to suit and sooth anyone she meets, the delicious treats they choose tells her a lot about the sort of person they are, love it and well played Ms Easterling, you drew me in with this intriguing plot and I have to know how it plays out so book 2 is a must read for me now.
  
• 
  Rosemary

  Huntress Born - a review by Rosemary Kenny
  
  Ember is a young lady with a difference - she's a Werewolf, who also works on a campus and sells cupcakes and other goodies there! Ember's half-brother Derek has gone missing and she decides to go and look for him in a neighboring Pack's territory, so she wangles and invite to their annual hunt, with their parents' permission.
  
  What does Ember find during the hunt? Who is Aaron - and what does his father intend for him?
  Where does Ember meet Sebastien Carter and Harmony Garcia?
  What secrets are they hiding from her? How does Ember feel when she realises?
  Why does the ceremony not take place after the hunt? How does that change Ember's feelings?
  
  With its dual personality narrative and the unusual idea of a werewolf working as a baker, this tale from Aimee Easterling has filled a niche in the fantasy thriller market very nicely - get yours now!
• 
  Denise

  I loved this book all the way up to the cliffhanger ending. Bad author. Lol.
  
  Ember leaves her pack family and goes in search of her half-brother. Things start to go wrong the moment she gets off the bus. She is in the territory of another pack and will need to make nice with the Alpha. There is a werewolf hanging around the bus station acting strange. Then there is the interesting Uber driver. Her job at the nearby college involves her favorite pastime - baking. At least she has that as she tries to juggle a new-found family, avoid the local Alpha's son, fight her attraction to the Uber-driver professor, dodge her father's well-meaning phone calls, and oh yeah, figure out what happened to her brother. All of this when she just wants to slink back home and wallow in her pack's love and acceptance.
  
  I read an ARC of this book and my review is voluntary. I can't wait for the next book in the series. Bad author.
• 
  Donna Hokanson

  Finding new strength
  This is a story of a pack princess that’s never been away from her pack before now. On a quest to find her half-brother after getting a cryptic message from him. Going into a big city that’s run by another Alpha who she will need his approval to be on his territory if she gets caught. She’s hoping to just get in and out before he knows it. But that’s not to be and he has plans for her, like mating his son in 7 days.
  So she needs to get gone before the seven days. What she does discover is more than she can handle by herself. And then there’s that human professor that has caught her eye as well as her wolf. But that’s not meant to be.
  The first book in the series that well written and very entertaining to read with an HFN.
  
• 
  A_MOTUS

  Another strong character comes out from Haven's Pack.
  I just loved the crazy-baker-Wolfie and I was happy to learn about how other characters from Wolf Rampant were doing. No need to read the first series to enjoy the book though, Ember is quite phenomena herself.
  What started as a quest for her elusive brother soon turn into a mess sticky but not sweet. Okay maybe bitter-sweet if we count a certain man too curious for his own good and a kak-kak-chanting girl. The wolfs in the city might have adapted to the lack of wilderness but Ember discover that the overwhelming sounds and smells might be the perfect cover for some of her host dark secrets. While the trail to find her brother run cold she might want to start running for her new human pack freedom.
  The plot was thick with a mystery far more complex than it first appears. Connections of deep love between family members (blood or adopted) or friends (old and new), between wolfs and humans clash with fear, hatred, manipulations and secrets.
  Maybe the remedy is just one big fluffy cupcake: A triple chocolate one of course!
• 
  Sandy Williams

  Warning: you will crave cupcakes.
  
  Thoroughly enjoyed this book! It was my first Aimee Easterling book and it will definitely not be the last. Very well written with characters that have depth. The ending chant-like thing gave me goosebumps, and I can't wait to see how things turn out with a certain human. Fascinating dynamic.
  
  I'm really impressed with the depth of the pack bond thing. I could feel how attached Ember was, how much it meant to her. This is one of the best shifter books I've read in a long time.
• 
  Celeste Crotts

  I received a advance copy of Huntress Born for my fair and honest review. I adore Aimee Easterling's books so much, she paints such vivid worlds with her words. Worlds you can slip right into and fall in love with the characters. This is Ember's first book and she looking for her brother, so pack your bags because we're going on a adventure. This book had me on a trip full of laughter, mystery, a smidgen of romance and even a few tears. She is definitely Wolfie's! I am very excited for the next leg of this wonderful well written adventure we have started on with Ember! 5 of 5 stars from me for sure!!
• 
  Robin

  A wonderful new series that takes place in the Wolf Rampant and Alpha Underground worlds. It has it all - action, a mystery and a forbidden attraction as Ember, the adopted daughter of Wolfie and Terra, searches for her missing brother. Great story line and characters, Huntress Born is a fast read with a strong lead and great supporting characters.
  Although it can be read without reading the prior two series, I would recommend checking out them out to get a better understanding of Ember's world.
• 
  Missy Noecker

  Fun and exciting start for this spin off series! Ember leaves her pack on her own to find a brother whom she never met. This is her first time really on her own and she has to deal with a few obstacles without her pack to support her in person. I loved seeing Ember navigate life by herself and seeing how she would deal with everyone that she meets and if she would actually find her brother. I can't wait for the next book and see where her journey will take her.
• 
  Sarah

  Won this audio copy from a giveaway on StoryGraph. This is the second book I’ve won by this author.
  
  The other book was ‘Wolf’s Bane’. I rated both books as 3 stars but I enjoyed this book slight more.
  
  I liked how warm Ember’s character was, how baking was a passion and how she liked to find everyone’s favourite dessert. It was all quite cute. I liked reading hearing how protective her family was too.
  
  The story was interesting, even though short, this book seemed to have a more of an ending than Wolf’s Bane. I hate series that in reality are just one book split over several, just feels like a waste of my money. This book is part of a series but the ending felt complete enough that I didn’t feel robbed. The mystery is not solved and that part of the story will be continued in the other books.
  
  Overall, it was enjoyable 5 hour listen. The story line, characters and ending were definitely stronger than her other book I read. I wouldn’t mind finishing this series.
• 
  Jason

  This is a very fun book that makes you differently want to read the rest of the series!
• 
  Lory

  This is my first time ever reading anything from this author and I have to say that I was really impressed. This enjoyable and entertaining read had me glue from beginning to end definitely a great start for a new series. I really like Ember she was strong and independent but also wasn't afraid to let her vulnerability show she was very relatable. I'm still not sure what to make of Sebastian yet hopefully that will change in book two. Overall a great book definitely left me craving cupcakes. I'm really intrigued so I'll be checking out book two to see what going to happen next. I voluntarily read and review this ARC no minority compensation was received the opinions I have expressed are my own.
• 
  Tera Comer

  I am a HUGE fan of this authors work and extremely happy when there are new books to read!! Even though this is a start to a new series there are people from other series in it like Wolfie and Terra. This series focuses on Ember and she has always been a favorite of mine. I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
  
• 
  Melinda

  Dieters Beware! You will gain 10 pounds reading this!
  
  Seriously, this book revved up my sweet tooth! Ember loves to bake sweet treats like cupcakes, apple turnovers, muffins, brownies, and more. Every time she would start thinking what treat to serve someone, I got hungry. :D
  
  "Huntress Born" is the third book I've ready by Ms. Easterling. I started with "
  Verdant Magic" of the Dragon Mage Chronicles---which I absolutely loved. I was excited to start new series and meet new characters. Once I started I realized "Huntress Born" was a spin-off of another series,
  Wolf Rampant Trilogy: A Fantastical Werewolf Adventure; I was thrilled to find it was written so that I didn't feel lost at all. I do plan on reading the original series, but I didn’t want to have to stop to read it before this book.
  
  As with "Verdant Magic" enjoyed Ms. Easterling's writing style and the fact that I ran across words I needed to look up as I wasn't quite sure of their meaning or they were totally new. I love stuff like that and yes, I'm weird. Some of the words were: chivying, ungulates, adroitly, bruja, perspicacious, lassitude, and dint.
  
  Something else that I enjoyed about this book was that the love interests were not wham-bam and they were in bed. Yes, the insta-affection was there, but it didn't result in an immediate sex-fest like that happens in many shifter books. I've nothing against a good romp, but sometimes I like the characters to introduce themselves first 😊
  
  I really enjoyed the characters especially little Rosie. Her antics made me giggle. The grandmother was hilarious and I loved her moxie. She was a take-no-prisoners gal. Ember was a likeable heroine. She was smart, but not so smart that she didn’t make mistakes. I loved her fierce devotion to family. Sebastian was a little harder to read. I didn’t feel we really got to see his personality so I can’t say how I feel about him being Ember’s love interest. Ember’s parents, Terra and Wolfie, were very interesting and I’m going to need to get busy reading their story.
  
  What stopped “Huntress Born” from being a 5-star read? The ending ☹ My immediate feeling was WTHeck??? It felt unfinished. Yes, the issue with Alpha Greenbriar was resolved, but it felt incomplete still. I don’t know. I guess it was just too abrupt of an end for me. The good news is that the second book in the series was published at the same time this was so I don’t have to wait. I already own “
  Huntress Bound” so I can pick up where this one left off.
  
  Full Disclosure: I was gifted an Advance Review Copy which allowed me to start reading the book before it was published. I purchased a copy to further support the author.
  
  How is the author's writing? Good
  Is there violence? Yes--including attempted sexual assault
  Is there sexual content? No
  How is the story narrated? First person
  How would you describe the plot of this book? Some twists
  
  Which of these words best describes the mood? Light-hearted & Suspenseful
  How would you describe the pace? Steady
  How would you describe the characters? Ember is developed, others need more developing.
• 
  George

  I started this book somewhat reluctantly. I don't know why. Sometimes the description of a book doesn't appeal to me. But once I got into it I was hooked. The idea of human/wolf shape shifters might seem far-fetched (well it is) but Aimee Easterling made this secret parallel world come alive for me.
  
  So much so, in fact, that I tried to immediately order the next book in the series, but Amazon, bless their pointed little geeky heads, no longer makes it simple to order a book on .com from Canada. They want me always to shop at .ca, even though the books I want don't come up automatically when I shift countries. You would think that after all this time their IT geeks would have come up with a system that shifts you automatically to your own country when ordering a book, and put you automatically to the book you want, but oh no, you have to go through some complicated shifting to find the book in Canada.
  
  I loved the Huntress Born book and when my anger at Amazon moderates somewhat I will order her next book because her shape-shifting world and its alliances has come to fascinate me.
  
  Her cast of characters, their nature, and the compulsions they are under makes for a cracking good story, and there is always the subtle suggestion in her writing that things may not actually be as she is describing them--especially in human/werewolf relations. That's what really hooked me on this paranormal story. It's a romance, thriller, suspense and mystery novel all wrapped up in one neat package.
  
  So if you're up for it, enter the secret world of shape-shifting human/wolves, their pack alliances, and the strange relationship they are beginning to have with one-body humans. Quite a writing feat to keep that all in order--and believable. A great yarn for the beginning of a great series. If only Amazon would let me buy on .com. Authors beware. There are 40,000,000 of us above your northern border. Surely a market worth exploiting.
• 
  Eating Between

  The Sweet-
  
  I have been on a werewolve kick lately so when I picked this read up I was looking forward to reading a kick ass urban fantasy but found a New Adult book (in my opinion) instead and I thoroughly enjoyed it! The author’s writing style and imagination lends to a whole new prospective into the world of wolves.
  
  The author uses what we as readers all know and love about werewolves to not only add but create her own world of family and her own brand of wolf magic. Ember is innocent but at the same time sassy and smart. She gives this story the salty sweet taste it needs and I couldn’t picture the story with out her. She is loyal and fierce but also a mean lean baking machine!
  
  I found the characters to be well placed and written though at times confusing but that may have been the authors intent. To confuse the reader so the plot twist at the end would be that much more surprising which is was! While reading the book you find yourself holding your breathe waiting and wanting to see what happens next. the author and storyline pull you in.
  
  The Sour
  
  This plot though well thought out and written left me a bit upset only because honestly I thought it was a bit of an outrageous turn at the end to why the god awful would be crimes are happening. It was just a bit too far fetched for me personally.
  
  Rating- I would recommend this book to any one who loves a good shifter story that has action, mystery and just a pinch of romance!
• 
  Shayay

  The writing is good; maybe a little wordy, but I like the flow of the story. Ember is an interesting character, and the premise is interesting. Ember is a wolf shifter, and her brother has gone missing, so she leaves her very sheltered living for a bigger city in search of her brother. Ember has to deal with the wolf pack when she arrives, and there's some crazy things going on. I enjoyed the opening scene, it created a good sense of suspense to the story. I just think Aimee Easterling's take on wolf shifters didn't work for me, I found a lot of it weird. Also, the relationships between characters felt weird, and a bit disjointed. I also didn't like where this book ended, I felt like there should be more growth in the story and characters by the ending, but this is the first book in a new series, so I suppose there's plenty of time for that. I'd like to see where the story goes because I do like the feeling of the story, and there could be some interesting scenarios to be had for Ember.
• 
  Camille

  Great read
  
  I love the tale of a strong shifter female who finds herself outside of traditional pack rule and shifter bonds - will be reading the rest of the series
• 
  Lori

  4🌟 with reservations...really 3½🌟
  
  I really did enjoy reading this story! The female lead was well written. I wish that I had read the parent's story first-this said Book #1 so I missed it. Hopefully it fills in some questions I have, I'll be reading it next.
  
  My biggest annoyance with this book? Yes, the female lead is well spoken, but the number of times the word "perspicacious", or a variation of the word is used is too much! Now, if she spoke like this, "He is much too perspicacious to be taken in by such a spurious argument"! Luckily, he is "a source of valuable insights and sapient advice to educators". Annoying, isn't it? Thanks to 'WordNet Dictionary" for providing the phrases. So, keep the "Word of The Day Calendar" closed please? I really love your writing otherwise! 🐺