Secret of the Wolf (Warriors of the Rift) [Mass Market Paperback]

Cynthia Garner (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 26, 2012 | Series: Warriors of the Rift (Book 2)

Warriors of the Rift

Once a generation, the rift between the paranormal world and the human world opens, allowing supernatural entities to cross. Vampire, demon, or shapeshifter, they can save the world-or send it spiraling into chaos.

As a werewolf liaison to the Council of Preternaturals, Tori Joseph is used to straddling the world between humans and immortals. She plays by the rules and always delivers justice, no matter the cost. But after a string of increasingly brutal attacks results in humans turning into werewolves, Tori doesn't reveal her horrifying suspicion: Someone very close to her might be responsible.

Investigating the paranormal violence, no-nonsense detective Dante MacMillan believes Tori is hiding something. His search for the truth draws him into greater danger as he gets closer to the dark realm of the immortals-and to the sexy werewolf who stirs his primal lust. Now with evil closing in around them, Dante must convince Tori to trust him . . . before her deadly secret destroys them both.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Tori is a terrific individual torn between the two most important people in her life...Readers will appreciate the fascinating Garner mythos." (Harriet Klausner on SECRET OF THE WOLF)

"With mystery, romance and plenty of paranormal, this series will appeal to a variety of genre lovers." (Newsandsentinel.com on SECRET OF THE WOLF)

4 Stars! "In the second installment of her Warriors of the Rift series, Garner returns to her paranormal world where supernatural beings are in constant conflict with each other, and humans often becoming collateral damage. Filled with hefty doses of action, suspense and romance, Garner's latest is an intriguing read." (RT Book Reviews on SECRET OF THE WOLF)

"This book...was amazing. It still brings both tears in my eyes and a smile on my face. Cynthia Garner: Thank you for creating this amazing universe, and I can't wait until Heart of the Demon releases!" (www.dangerousromance.com on SECRET OF THE WOLF)

"This was a quick read with a good mystery, a memorable heroine and a hero that will charm you." (ParanormalHaven.com on SECRET OF THE WOLF)

"Secret of the Wolf puts a new spin on the origins of preternaturals and breaks away from the stereotypical structure of most Paranormal Romance relationships. I enjoyed this book and will be adding Heart of the Demon to my 2013 wishlist." (www.rabidreads.ca on SECRET OF THE WOLF)

"Cynthia Garner's new series is unforgettable!" (Larissa Ione, New York Times bestselling author of Immortal Rider on KISS OF THE VAMPIRE)

"THREE STARS! This is Cynthia Garner's debut novel and the author shows great promise. Various characters in the story have complex, yet compelling, backgrounds that kept the story intriguing to me as I read. As for the ending, AWESOME! I wondered if something similar to it would happen, but did not really expect it. I closed the cover of this book while wishing that the second title was available for me to dive immediately into." (http://www.huntressreviews.com/ on KISS OF THE VAMPIRE)

"The first Warriors of the Rift romantic urban fantasy is a refreshing look at the origin of vampires, werewolves and other myths. Fast-paced, the romantic and police procedural subplots deftly balance a strong storyline that starts off with an Arizona newspaper editorial condoning the killing of a vampire and never slows down as Cynthia Garner provides a fascinating take on the supernatural." (Harriet Klausner on KISS OF THE VAMPIRE
)

"An inventive spin on supernatural mythos draws readers into this fast-paced paranormal series launch...Garner (a pen name for Sherrill Quinn) shows promise with great characters, constant action, and steamy sex." (Publishers Weekly on KISS OF THE VAMPIRE
)

"With interesting back stories and even more interesting futures ahead Garner keeps the readers wanting more. Tobias and Nix's relationship is passion filled with hot love making and even hotter story lines. I will eagerly be awaiting the next addition in this new series." (Goodreads on KISS OF THE VAMPIRE)

"4 STARS! I cannot wait for this series (Warriors of the Rift) to continue. Garner seamlessly combines paranormal romance and romantic suspense that has you on the edge of your seat." (anoveladdiction on KISS OF THE VAMPIRE)

"I can't wait to see what Ms. Garner has coming up next!" (www.nightowlreviews.com on KISS OF THE VAMPIRE)

"Garner introduces her intriguing new Warriors of the Rift series. Garner provides both a cool premise and interesting characters. One to watch!" (RT Book Reviews on KISS OF THE VAMPIRE)

"A deliciously dark and scorchingly sexy treat for fans of paranormal romances." (Chicago Tribune on KISS OF THE VAMPIRE)

"KISS OF THE VAMPIRE is an amazing debut with a fresh spin on how paranormal beings came to earth. Ms. Garner's world is peppered with strong fascinating character who come alive between the pages." (FreshFiction.com on KISS OF THE VAMPIRE)

"Quick, witty banter between the three protagonists, intrigue and multidimensional characters make Kiss of the Vampire a thoroughly enjoyable introduction to Garner's Warriors of the Rift series." (USA Today on KISS OF THE VAMPIRE)

About the Author

Cynthia Garner discovered her love for writing when her sixth grade teacher told the class to write a story that began "It was a dark and stormy night . . . " With that Cynthia's love for all things paranormal was born. When she's not working her day job as a mostly mild-mannered human resources manager, she's on her laptop writing or playing way too much Solitaire. Originally from Northeast Ohio, Cynthia now lives in the desert Southwest.

You can learn more at:
CynthiaGarnerBooks.com.
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cynthia-Garner/254199854599157
Twitter: @CynthiaGarner.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Forever (June 26, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446585122
• ISBN-13: 978-0446585125
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 0.9 x 7.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #982,320 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Great summer read June 28, 2012

By Delia

Format:Mass Market Paperback

Cythnia Garner has done it again. This is the second book in her Warriors of the rift series and I have to say I couldn't tear myself away from it! Picking up shortly after the first book, Secret of the Wolf, follows two secondary characters from the first book as they continue on their investigation of the rift machine.

We find Tori, a werewolf, forced to work with Dante, a human cop, in order to figure out the strange rift machine. Along the way they learn to trust each other, even as the people around them are threatening to change everything. Tori must walk a fine line between family, loyalty and love. Dante is so caught up in keeping himself from getting involved that he finds himself right in the middle.

I have to say I've loved Dante from book one. He's a cop, he drives a big truck and he has horses (specifically an Appaloosa, my fav) whats not to love. I did find myself wishing he would get it together and date Tori on more than one occasion, but he came around eventually.

Now that we are at the second book the whole idea of the rift is easier to understand. I also liked that Cynthia Garner took the time to explain a little more about the way the essence of one being and the humans can join together.

This book had a mix of everything; paranormal, romance and a little mystery. A great summer read that works as a standalone but I believe is made better by reading the first book.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Good for fans of the series June 27, 2012

By Lizzy's Dark Fiction

Format:Kindle Edition

This is the second book in the Warriors of the Rift series and though the author does a great job slipping in details from the first book into this one, I wouldn't recommend reading Secret of the Wolf before the first book, Kiss of a Vampire. So much of the book is spent on telling the back-story, that the majority of the first half of the book is simply boring. It seems like everything either happens off screen or in the past. It becomes obvious very on in the book that there are two distinct plot lines - one is figuring out which werewolf is attacking humans; the other is deals with the rift device. I like that the series has a definite goal: Close the rift that was opened in the first book and let in all these supernatural beings that are using humans as hosts.

Tori is a werewolf who has been living on Earth in a human host for 150 years. Although she has been on Earth longer than most, there are many other supernaturals that are more powerful. She's a werewolf liaison in Scottsdale, Arizona (and yes, the setting is 100% authentic...I wish I lived in that part of Phoenix with the clubs and fancy restaurants. Too rich for my wallet.) but is clearly anti-authority. Its only a matter of time before she has to decide between doing her job and retaining loyalty to her friends and family.

Dante is a human detective who works with Tori on the case to solve the murders involving a crazed werewolf. Tori and Dante, have amazing chemistry both on duty and off, yet Dante spends quite a bit of the book making excuses as to why they shouldn't engage in a romantic relationship. Its frustrating to Tori but a refreshing chance from the traditional love-at-first sight relationships in most books of this genre.

Secret of the Wolf began with an amazing shifting scene in the Sonora desert of Arizona, but besides mentions of werewolves, vampires, and faes there is little paranormal on screen until the last couple of chapters. It felt like more of a detective mystery than a paranormal novel. I like more of an active fantasy role in the books I read.

Overall, I had to let this story sit in my mind for a couple days before I could make up my mind if I liked it or not. As a stand alone novel, it fails. If you want to read this book, check out the first book in the series prior to trying this one out. Fall in love with the characters and the world Cynthia Garner crafted. Only then read this book. As a second book in a series, it works. It advances the master plot quite well. I will check out the next book in the series when it comes out, despite the shortcomings of this one.

** I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest critique.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Warriors of the Rift book 2 September 13, 2012

By Sarah Gibson

Format:Mass Market Paperback

Please note that Secret of the Wolf is the second book in the Warriors of the Rift series and this review will contain spoilers for the first book Kiss of the Vampire. If you're new to the series I would suggest not reading any further but it is definitely worth checking out reviews for the first book.

Every 73 years a Rift opens between dimensions that allows incorporeal beings to come to earth. These beings must take over the body of a human host or they are unable to survive, the body they take over then becomes an immortal - either a vampire, shapeshifter or a demon. Traditionally the beings that were sent through the rift were other world criminals who were banished from their own dimension as punishment for their crimes but it seems like that is changing. Tori is a werewolf who works as the liaison for the Council of Preternaturals and she is currently investigating the device that Tobias managed to take from his enemy Natchook in the previous book. She must work alongside human police detective Dante to try and discover what the device is for. But work on the device comes second to investigating a spate of werewolf attacks - just why is the werewolf changing seemingly random people and can they find a way to stop them?

I enjoyed the second instalment to the Warriors of the Rift series but I have to admit that it didn't quite live up to my expectations. I had hoped to find out more about the ongoing story with Natchook (I still think that is one of the worst evil bad guy names I've ever come across!) but it didn't really feel like that plot thread moved much further forward. We learn a little more about his motivations but not enough to satisfy me. This series seems to straddle the line between urban fantasy and paranormal romance but it doesn't quite manage to tick all of the boxes for me in either category. There isn't quite enough action and intrigue for an urban fantasy series and the romance is a bit too slow and straightforward for a paranormal romance.

While I liked both Tori and Dante I wanted a bit more conflict between them. It was very clear from the beginning that they both had the hots for each other. The only thing stopping them being together was that Dante was afraid to fall in love with her and then lose her. He also didn't feel that he had enough time to devote to a relationship in between caring for his recovering sister and building his career. These just seemed like pretty poor excuses to me - especially considering the chemistry between them. I prefer my heroes to be a bit more of the go and get her type rather than too scared to attempt to claim their woman.

With regards to things that happened with Tori's brother Rand and Dante's sister Lily I felt that it was too easy to figure out what was going on. None of the reveals surprised me as I'd guessed quite early on how things would turn out for each of the main characters. It's a bit disappointing because I do think this series has a lot of potential but neither of the first two books have managed to live up to that. I do have hopes that when the author finally hits their stride with these books then there could be a massive improvement. Will I read the next book? At the moment I'm not too sure. I do want to know what happens next in the ongoing story line but characters Finn and Keira who are the focus of the next book aren't really ones that I'm particularly curious about. Don't let me put you off giving the series a try though - I've seen a lot of very positive reviews for Kiss of the Vampire and I think anyone who loved the first book will enjoy this one just as much.