ARC Review: The Black Wolves of Boston by Wen Spencer

The Black Wolves of Boston
Author: Wen Spencer
Publication: Baen (February 7, 2017)

Description: REBUILD A LIFE, SAVE A CITY

Silas Decker had his world destroyed when he was attacked by vampires outside of New Amsterdam. He has rebuilt his life a dozen times in the last three hundred years—each time less and less successfully. Now he lives alone, buried under a hoarding habit, struggling to find some reason to wake up with the setting of the sun.

Eloise is a Virtue, pledged to hunting evil.  What she doesn’t know is how to live alone in a city full of strangers who know nothing about monsters.

Seth is the sixteen-year old Prince of Boston, ward of the Wolf King.  Now he is left in a city that desperately needs his protection with enemies gathering all around.

Joshua believes he is a normal, college-bound high school senior.  His life is shattered when he wakes up in a field, covered with blood, and the prom committee scattered in pieces about him like broken dolls.

These four must now come together to unravel a plot by Wickers, witches who gain power from human sacrifices and have the power to turn any human into their puppet. Four people who lost everything struggle to save Boston by saving each other.

My Thoughts: This was a great story about love, friendship and accepting yourself for yourself. Of course, it was also urban fantasy so we had evil Wickers who wanted to take over the werewolf Prince of Boston and make him their puppet.

The story starts with brand new werewolf Joshua being rescued by Decker who is a depressed vampire who is hundreds of years old. Decker has been getting more and more isolated and has been hoarding things to combat his loneliness. He takes Joshua home and they two form a firm friendship.

The story is told from Decker's viewpoint and Joshua's. It is also told from the viewpoint of Seth who is the 16-year-old Prince of Boston who has been in the care of the Wolf King in New York City since his whole family was massacred when a Breach let evil into the world when Seth was thirten. He wants very much to return to Boston along with his older cousin Jack who is one of the Wolf King's Thanes.

Elise is also a viewpoint character. She is a Virtue whose purpose in life is to live among humans and seek out evil and destroy it. Elise has known Decker all of her life but is so focused on being a Virtue that she only uses him as a tool. Elise, too, is alone and lonely.

The four characters come together to find and defeat the Wickers before they can succeed at their evil plan. Along the way there are a lot of funny moments in this story. Joshua has a tendency to turn into a small wolf when he's frightened or when he sneezes. It also has some touching moments as we learn that Seth has been longing for more family and really wants Joshua to be the older brother he thought was lost forever.

This is a wonderful story filled with characters real enough to step off the page. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Favorite Quote:

The first fortune read, "Accept something that you cannato change and you will feel better." He dropped the slip of paper on the table and opened the second cookie. The fortune said, "Depart not from the path which fate has you assigned."

Decker cocked an eyebrow at Joshua's face and picked up the discarded fortunes. "See. No going back."

"I don't take advice from baked goods," Joshua growled. "They're just random nonsense."

I got this one in exchange for an honest review from Edelweiss. You can buy your copy here.