I really enjoyed the first book about Tony the assasin, and "Captive Moon" about Sazi coucil member Antoine the Magnificent. However, I had a difficult time following the characters in this book.
Raphael has been assigned to a help a newly bitten leopard/cat to a new Sazi life. I still don't understand why a wolf would be teaching a cat and why try to merge her in a wolf pack as well. That was a badly written plot device. As was the heroine's name, "Catherine", now shortened to "Cat", makes me want to roll my eyes.
An old homicidal psychopath has been targeting women who look like the woman that he once loved. Cat is now caught in the crossfires because of her resmemblance and her resistance to his charms. While Raphael is training her to become a Sazi, Cat must be on guard all the time from the murderous killer and from antagonism of a wolf pack. On the other hand, Raphael, newly promoted Alpha of the wolf pack must bring pull reel in all the pack members is defiance. It's a trying time for both the hero and the heroine.
Unfortunately, everything about this story was either boring and confusing, and at some point I just started skimming to get it over with. I had a difficult time understanding the whole bonding thing, and back history. Psycho killer hates Raphael because the love of his life, Fiona, bonded to Raphael. Isn't Fiona mentioned in a previous book and already bonded to someone else? Now Raphael was either mated or bonded to the previous wolf Alpha, Lucas's wife, Tatya. Except Tatya left Raphael to marry the Alpha. Don't wolves mate for life? What caused 2 men to instantly want to bond w/ Cat, the heroine? Is bonding a pre-destined soul thing? If you bond to a person who doesn't bond back, can you still bond to another person? The whole thing just did not make sense. After the black mail evidence was taken care of, why wasn't a real assasin like Tony, used to off the bad guy? I'm still not certain why Raphael was forced to retire from Wolven force either.
Of all the Sazi books, this book is the worst in the series. I did not care for any of the characters, the plot, or the world of the wolf pack. Raphael as a tow truck business owner just doesn't cut as much of a romantic figure either. His powers of a secondary alpha didn't seem that impressive since the whole wolf pack ignored his orders and weren't really that afraid of his punishments. Despite killing his own pack members, no one was afraid of him. Not great alpha material in my opinion. The happily ever after ending was a little over the top as well. Does the only thing that make a man an alpha the ability to breed and change shape at will make him an alpha? Aren't wolves territorial? Does another pack using an alpha from outside seem realistic?
I would not recommend this book. Avoid this one if possible, as it doesn't really contribute anything to the overall Sazi world.
