Lawson and his pack were once enslaved in the Ninth Circle of Hell, destined to become Hell Hounds, these werewolves had no choice but to do their masters’ bidding. That is of course until Lawson and his pack found a loophole and decided to escape to Earth. However, even though they are always on the run, they need to somehow get the remaining pack members out of Hell, save the girl Lawson love and most importantly, they need to survive. But things are not always as they seem. When the pack runs into Bliss, a mysterious ex-vampire, who have been looking for the Hounds, it seems that she has information that the pack might find useful. The question is though, will Bliss be able to trust the good-looking boy that’s got the soul of a wolf? Will the pack be able to trust the ex-vampire who’s father is the Dark Prince himself? Only time will tell…
Wolf Pact by Melissa de la Cruz is the first book in a series, which is a lot different than your ordinary, run-of-the-mill werewolf/vampire novel. Sure, we have the whole romance thing, but the plot is not entirely set around that. In fact, Wolf Pact is more about the darkness that follows these Hounds, the conflict that arises between them and inside them individually, the will to survive and not be who they aren’t. Young adult books that often use werewolves and vampires in their plot often forget that not every single problem in a kid’s life is based on ‘finding true love’, which Melissa de la Cruz was able to voice in this novel. What’s more is that we have violence and even a bit of ‘assumed gore’ (in other words, it’s suggested, but not necessarily present – let your imagination work for a change!). Also, the good versus evil element is prominent, but at the same time the ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’ theme comes in, making it a complex plot to decipher.
It’s a great first book and I would love to see what happens next with the gang in the upcoming books. I also enjoyed the religious aspects of the book, with Hell becoming a very prominent factor in these kids’ lives. On a side-note, it’s not some beginner’s volume to Satanism, so parents don’t have to worry… In truth, it reads more like a modern, twisted tale that will remind you Dante’s Inferno, which is not a bad thing at all.
This is definitely a series you want to keep your eyes on, especially if you enjoy books like The Vampire Diaries, True Blood and similar young adult werewolf/vampire books. (And for some shameless self-promotion, if you enjoyed my novel, Charming Incantations: Enticed, you’ll love Melissa de la Cruz’ Wolf Pact)
