Taken by Storm by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Taken by Storm is the third (and final) book in the Raised By Wolves series.  These are my all time favorite werewolf books and Taken By Storm was one of my most anticipated titles this year.  In fact, I've already done a Waiting On Wednesday and Looks From Books for it.

Book: Taken By Storm (Raised By Wolves #3) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Summary: Spoilers for the first two books... because there is no other way (Bryn changes A LOT in each book).  Bryn is the human Alpha of a werewolf pack comprised primarily of children and teens turned by a brutal Rabid who discovered the secret of creating werewolves.  When a new rabid appears, Bryn's rival alphas want to intervene, because evidence shows that the rabid is female.  Rabids are usually put to death, but females are rare among werewolves and a prize for any pack.  But Bryn thinks the rabid is Maddy, a girl who used to be a part of Bryn's pack before Bryn was forced to kill her boyfriend.  No matter their complicated relationship, Bryn must fend off the other Alphas and find Maddy first, because the other Alphas will see Maddy as nothing more than an object that can produce full blood werewolves.

Characters:  I. Love. These. Characters.  Bryn is a human living in a werewolf world.  Physically, she is the weakest in her pack, but she is a leader and she is able to hold her own.  She is one of the most interesting characters I've ever read and she's surrounded by a group of characters that are easy to love.  Devon is a pure blood were, so he is bigger and stronger than most werewolves.  But he loves show tunes and he takes pride in the way he's dressed.  He is naturally an Alpha, but defers to Bryn's leadership, because Bryn is his best friend.  Lake and Maddy are the two oldest female werewolves in Bryn's pack.  Lake is obsessed with guns and can beat anyone at pool.  She's funny and I loved getting to know more about her past.  Maddy is dealing with the death of her boyfriend... among other things.  She's had a hard life and has a complicated relationship with Bryn, but she is just as fascinating to watch as she grows and makes tough decisions.  My least favorite character is Chase, Bryn's boyfriend, but he's still sweet and intense and exactly what Bryn needs.  I love watching them together.

I'm just touching the surface with all the amazing characters.  There is also Devon's brother who is a wonderful antagonist because he is a cruel, sadistic, creeper of a dude who manipulates everything around him in order to try to gain some females for his pack.  And Sora, Devon's estranged mom, who is on Bryn's side even with their complicated past.  And Callum.  The psychic who is the strongest Alpha in North America, who loves Bryn and plays with her future to protect her, even if the outcome will break her heart.  Seriously, every character in this book is complicated and interesting.

Plot/Pacing: Like the first and second book in this series, the action is non-stop.  The characters are faced with a situation where there are no desirable outcomes.  They have to deal with things they have never thought possible.  They have to constantly reassess their complicated relationships in the face of bigger problems.  There is external conflict, but there is also a ton of internal conflict, and watching these two weave together is what makes these books so riveting.


Moments I Loved:  All of the scenes with Maddy.  I love her so much and watching her grow and deal with her grief even as she encounters new problems was great (in a sad way, because she's grieving and has some pretty serious stuff going on).  Also, the very end when everyone thinks Bryn has lost and she has one more trick up her sleeve... loved it!

WTF Moments:  How am I supposed to write this without spoilers?  Honestly, most of the chapters ended with a twist that made me say WTF.  It's one of the reasons I love this series so much and why I'm so excited for Barne's new serial killer series!

Overall:  I always describe these books as my favorite werewolf books and that is absolutely true.  Barnes's doesn't shy away from killing characters I love and taking her story to places where there is no easy way out.  I'm a little devastated that the series is over and I'll forever hold out hope for a companion series.

Reading Challenges: This book counts toward the following challenges: 314 pages toward the 15,000 page challenge, e-book challenge. Track all my progress on my 2012 Challenges page.

Taken By Storm gets a Fake Steph rating of...