Sianim #4: Wolfsbane Review

Title: Sianim #4: Wolfsbane Other Series: Aralorn #2 Author: Patricia Briggs Date of Publication: November 2, 2010 Buy This Book: Amazon Synopsis: Shapeshifting mercenary Aralorn leads a dangerous existence. Now she must return home for her noble father, the Lyon of Lambshold, has passed away. But when Aralorn and her companion Wolf arrive, they find he's not dead, but ensorcelled by the ae'Magi, using him as a conduit to destroy Aralorn and Wolf. Now she must overcome this mysterious mist or fall to the blackest of magic.

My Review:

I have always loved Patricia Brigg's books and this one was no exception. While Wolfsbane was a little less action packed than the first novel, Masques, I still reveled in the romance and mystery and enjoyed this continuation of the characters journey. Aralorn is an entertaining character to read about and while the story itself is not the most original Aralorn and the other characters make the novel a very fun read. One of my favorite parts of this novel was that instead of limiting herself to werewolves Brigg's has made Aralorn capable of several different shapes depending on the situation. While I absolutely adore the Mercy Thompson series there are just so many werewolf books out there that Masques and Wolfsbane offer some different scenario's than the typical werewolf book. Because of the characters abilities to transform into several animals the plot felt a little more fresh and interesting than another book about werewolves would have been.
 Aralorn and Wolf are both strong characters and both of them have their own set of demons to face. From Wolf's inability to see himself as worthy to Aralorn's desire to keep Wolf safe at all costs, even if it means manipulating him. Their romance is sweet and cute, maybe a little on the shallow side but entertaining none the less. I really enjoyed being able to get a closer look at Aralorn's family in this novel and the reasoning behind why she left to become a mercenary. From her shape shifting uncle to her noble step-mother Wolfsbane was full of a diverse cast of characters.The plot of this novel felt a little bit weaker than that of the first novel but that made this one no less enjoyable. Patricia Briggs is truly a master at taking an old story and creating a whole new world with new characters that make the story feel fresh and new. I absolutely love Briggs's writing and this novel was absolutely no exception. A great novel all around I enjoyed both Masques and Wolfsbane far more than I thought I would have!
Fans of Patricia Briggs will no doubt devour this novel and those looking to check out Patricia Briggs for the first time will definitely enjoy this small series. With great characters and great writing the overdone plot line feels new and fresh and fans of fantasy will undoubtedly enjoy this series. 4/5