Customer Reviews

Howling Moon (Tales of the Sazi, Book 4)

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

I found this to be the most non-romantic "romance" novel I've ever read. My gripes: key plot points centered around the hero's previous "mates" (this isn't for life?) and women (yes, plural) he had children ("puppies") with. Sorry, but what a major turn-off to this reader! Yuck!

I think any reviewer would agree that the majority of this book was centered around plot...the romantic storyline was a tiny part of the story. I think these authors are talented, but need to be reclassified into a paranormal fiction category.

I loved the authors first book, which kept me dragging through this one. Wish I could get those hours of my life back!

I had hoped that we were going to go back to the standard of writing and storyline that was shown in the first 2 previous books 'Hunters Moon' and 'Moon's Web'. No, this book is just seriously dreadful. Too much pointless details, the book is crammed with useless details - at one point we're given details of the main female going food shopping, filling up her trolley, and then paying for it and then carrying it blah blah blah. There was so much useless details I kept forgetting what the main storyline was suppose to be! I didn't care for the writing, it started to feel that a 15yr old had written parts of it, and badly. There was no romance, the sex was really bad. The characters came across as weak and the main male character as useless. Actually I ended up rooting for the serial killer - I'm not going to give out any spoilers - but all these super intelligent beings couldn't come up with an idea years ago on how to deal with him???? Seriously, don't buy, get out from the Libruary, save your money.

I've thoroughly enjoyed reading this serries thus far. However, I am unable to buy book 5 on my kindle. It seems as though Moon's Fury doesn't exsist. Please help me resolve this dillima. I would not want to skip or miss a book in this serries. That simple.

Courtesy of CK2S Kwips and Kritiques

In Howling Moon we are finally given the full story about Cat and Raphael. Their circumstances were alluded to in previous books Hunter's Moon and Moon's Web as having a strong impact on the Sazi world as a whole. Now we finally discover why...

Catherine "Cat" Turner's world is turned upside down when she is brutally attacked by a serial killer and turned into a were-jaguar. Her previously uneventful life now takes a drastic turn as she has to come to terms with her new animalistic appetites and desires, as well as the lingering affects of the brutal murders of her family and her own violent attack.

Raphael is a retired agent of Wolven, the Sazi secret police, as a result of a huge scandal several years ago. When he is called in to protect and teach Catherine by her Godfather, who is none other than leader of all the Sazi, Charles Wingate, he knows life is about to get very complicated. Raphael is a wolf and Cat a jaguar, two species that are bitter enemies. Add in that her attacker, Jack, is at the heart of Raphael's past scandal and circumstances are about to get very tense.

Amidst pack politics, societal threats by a madman, and ingrained prejudices between Sazi species Cat and Raphael form a bond that defies all expectations. As their love as mates grows they find their position in the pack even more precarious, until they are forced into a decision that will challenge the beliefs and minds of all Sazi.

In their most ambitious novel to date, C T Adams and Cathy Clamp give readers a chance to delve deeper into Sazi society with Howling Moon. The timeline is also longer than the usual novel in the series, as was necessary to really give Raphael and Cat's story the attention it deserved and needed. We are also given a stronger lesson in the laws of a pack society through Cat's lessons. As she discovers what her new life means, so do we the readers.

It is also fascinating to get in to the mind of a serial killer like readers will here. We see glimpses of Jack's thought processes through his mental link to Cat, which pops up in all sorts of situations. This adds an additional element of surprise to the story as no one ever knows when he'll put in an "appearance" and reveal more of himself to Cat. Through his mind link, Cat and Raphael find out more and more about Jack's plans and grow ever more desperate to put an end to his reign of terror.

I personally think that the love between Cat and Raphael is better and more intense than any of the other couples we've met thus far in the Sazi society. Just knowing how they came together and all the adversity they had to face makes their bond that much more powerful. I cried many tears over the pack's treatment of the couple. As times grow tenser and a decision is forced, my heart was so strongly bound up in the story I wanted to scream and shout and cheer Cat and Raphael on in their passionate relationship.

Now all that said, and as much as I loved this foray into Sazi life, there are a couple things that need mentioned. Due to the circumstances in Howling Moon, there is a ton of information about pack laws and hierarchy that must be relayed to Cat, and in turn, the readers. Though I completely understood the need for these crucial details, they did cause some confusion, due to information overload more than anything. I found I had to go back to previous chapters several times to try to remember what I learned. Sometimes the action gets bogged down by the details. Also, having read Hunter's Moon and Moon's Web a while back, when they were first published I sometimes had a hard time remembering the connections between the supporting players.

On the flip side, we get much of the back story of the Sazi in Howling Moon and it helped to explain more clearly events and relationships we were introduced in previous novels in the series. This is not a quick read as it takes time to process all the data, but that makes the novel no less compelling and action-packed. Howling Moon is definitely a character-driven story and is very heart-wrenching. You will laugh, cry, rage and scream along with Raphael and Cat, and their loved ones and enemies. Be prepared to run the full range of emotions when reading Howling Moon. You won't be disappointed.

© Kelley A. Hartsell, December 2006. All rights reserved.

Well I almost bought this book in Borders on December 17, good thing I sat down to read it before I bought it, the copy I got, which was the only copy in the store, skipped from page 20 to 53 so it was missing 33 pages. I ordered a copy & hopefully when it comes in it'll be intact & not missing pages. I was really enjoying it before I hit the defect though.

A Sazi jaguar, Jack, attacks Cat Turner and her mother and father while they are on vacation. Jack kills her parents in front of her and Cat is turned into a jaguar. Cat's godfather, Charles, inducts Raphael, who is a wolf, to take Cat under his wing and instruct her in the ways of the Sazi, if she survives the turn. Happily, she survives and begins to learn the world of the Sazi, but unfortunately, wolves do not play nice with cats. Raphael soon discovers that Cat is his mate. Raphael's pack does not want to accept Cat and even more so, does not want Cat as Raphael's mate.

I was quickly caught up in this wonderful love story between Raphael and Cat. It was a slow progression of building trust, friendship and love between the two characters. I loved the pack politics and the harrowing story of Jack, who has gone insane over the love of his mate, Fiona.

My one small problem with the book was that several characters are mentioned and you do not have a clue as to who they are and then several chapters later, their story or part of their story is revealed. I was confused on more than one occasion, thinking I had missed something, but in actuality, these stories have never been told as I have read every book. Fiona has been mentioned in all of them and still I don't have a clear picture of who she really is. Maybe one day the authors will devote a book to her as she is mentioned in all the books. However, other than that one small problem, I absolutely loved this book and read with great intensity from cover to cover.

Raphel is a former enforcer in the Sazi Police. Somehow he was caught up in some kind of trouble and has been on his on for a while now. He is a wolf and is living as the second in his pack to his alpha. He is called unexpectedly by the Chief Justice of the Sazi, it seems a renegade seriel killer has struck again and this time leaving the Justice's God-daughter mauled. He killed her parents.

The sazi know who the seriel is, it is Jack Simpson, a jaguar shape-shifer. But Jack is a US Senator and the Sazi are afraid of the publicity if he dies. Jack has made a list of all the Sazi he knows and he knows alot of them because he was once head of security for the Sazi. When his mate chose someone else over him he went beserk. It seems several may mate to a female but she can choose who she wants. The Justice wants Raphel to find the god-daughter, Catherine, and help her through the full moon. If she makes it she will be a Jaguar if she looses it she must be put down.

Catherine has no idea what has happened to her. She is visiting with her aunt when Raphel finds her and while explaining she undergos the change. Jack has not forgotten her either he is determined for her to die.

The plot is fast and fasintating. The emotions between Raphel and Catherine are explosive and the pack hates her for being a cat. The enmity between the two types of Sazi is also explosive.

They not only have to fight Jack and defeat him without revealing the presence of the Sazi, they also have to fight the hatred of the pack itself. I found it impossible to put down. Very good book.

I had trouble putting this one down. I read far into the night anxious to find out what will happen between Cat and Raphael as well as Jack. Like previous reviewers, it was a bit difficult remembering all the players in the Sazi. This being the fourth book, the list is getting longer and longer and I'm hoping the writers will consider this in the future---perhaps subtle reminders on who is who would be nice. This story was way more tense and drawn out than the others. Cat definately went through several dramatic events in her life. What I liked about the writing of this was that it was not overdone or understated. The reader also gets a real feeling for the bond Raphael and Cat share. It too was not overdone or overstated.

Very enjoyable. I'm looking forward to the next one. I was a little disappointed that we didn't get a sneak preview. I do have one complaint. The authors need to get a new editor. The editing was horrible in this book.

In their letter to readers at the start of their paranormal romance HOWLING MOON, Cathy Clamp and C.T. Adams said this was a terrific story. They were not exaggerating.

I enjoy books with a strong suspense plot, a strong romantic plot, and main characters I like. HOWLING MOON had everything I want in a book and more:
* main and secondary characters with interesting personalities, including insight into the villain's warped mind
* suspense with plot twists and mortal danger for the hero, heroine, and people they care about
* an intense love story between Catherine (or Cat) Turner (the were-jaguar heroine) and Raphael Ramierz (the were-wolf hero).

In their earlier books, Adams and Clamp revealed some things about the culture, rules, and politics of the shape-shifting Sazi world, and HOWLING MOON provides a more complete picture of this fascinating world. The reader learns about the conflict between some of the different Sazi species, especially the conflict between were-wolves and were-cats, and more about the were-wolves' pack politics.

I have been reading the Sazi books since the first one, HUNTER'S MOON. Each new book, MOON'S WEB, then CAPTIVE MOON, and now HOWLING MOON has become my favorite in the series.