Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

SPOILERS AND TRIGGER WARNING (NECESSARY FOR MY REVIEW, but they won't show up in the first part) The purpose of this review is not to tear down the authors, or those who love them, so much as to offer would-be readers some honest information about the book. There's quite a bit that *ISN'T* being acknowledged by other reviewers (including the endorsements from other authors) and it really needs to be plainly discussed for the sake of would-be readers. I attempted to leave a very thorough review, which Amazon stated did not abide by their 'community guidelines' which I challenged. After contacting Amazon, I've been instructed to attempt a second review, so I'll try and make this one shorter. I'll warn before spoilers or triggering content. The way the blurb is written, and with endorsements describing Night of the Wolf Moon as 'The Handmaid's Tale meets The Selection' and other reviews waxing about the lush world-building and culture I expected those to be accurate descriptions of the story and to play a main part of the story. The reality, however, is sparse mentions of nondescript gowns, here and there, and a big fancy city without any real detail. There is no depth to the shifter culture, and while the book heavily refers to it as pack-life, and wolf-type social structures, it's completely unlike the social structures of actual wolves. Likewise.... ***************************SPOILERS***************************** Poppy's sister who was supposed to be sent to the wolves was her TWIN sister, but the non-existent relationship between them is possibly the worst use of a 'twin relationship' I've ever come across. I AM a twin, and Poppy and Willow's 'relationship' is so unrealistically awful it would be laughable if it weren't being obnoxiously used as a ham-handed plot tool. Instead it's just crass and ignorant, from the perspective of an actual twin. More Spoilers Ahead As Well As Triggering Subjects.... Just as painfully awful as Poppy's 'twin' relationship (which literally does not exist other than to remind readers of how much she hates one of the shifters) is the fact that the entire premise of this book is one of a society built completely and irredeemably on the systemic rape and subjugation of women. The 'mating houses' are warehouses of women who weren't chosen as wives. They're forced into them where they're raped by shifter men until they get pregnant at which time they're protected until they give e birth. Their babies are then taken away, and they're sent back into the sex houses. The entire book studiously avoids acknowledging the reality of this. The word rape is literally never used. The genuine reality of the women living in the mating houses is hardly even hinted at, and what little innuendo there is, is oriented in a 'you need to try harder unless you want to fail at getting a husband and end up there' way. This re-victimizes the women being used as sex slaves by stating that they ended up there because they didn't try hard enough to please the important men. At one point, Poppy even ends up being told she's getting sent to a mating house, but at the last minute the alpha makes up a new rule that sends a different girl instead. The fact that Poppy's salvation means that another virginal girl is hauled off for a night of being repeatedly raped isn't even acknowledged. Even worse–yes, there is actually an 'even WORSE'–is the fact that the shifters are repeatedly defended by women in the book, including the main character Poppy. The authors go out of their way to portray several of the main shifters, including the alpha as not really being 'bad men'. The alpha himself even has a conversation with Poppy wherein he assures her that he's never 'forced' any of the women he's had sex with at the mating houses, that he's not like that. Via this dialogue, the authors are saying that someone who has sex with women who were kidnapped from their homes and forced into sexual slavery aren't participating in that slavery simply because they didn't physically pin the slaves down during sex. If a person is kidnapped and forced to have sexual intercourse they do not want to have, that's rape. If they're forced to have sex under threat of harm or death for themselves, or their family, that's rape. If they're confined to a building where they do not want to live, forced to have sexual intercourse they do not want to have, that's sexual slavery. This really isn't up for argument or debate. It's a fact. I kept waiting for someone in this book to point this out, but it never manifested. I expect that the authors intend to have the second book contain some sort of societal overturn and restructure, but it will never redeem this book. There's even 'fated' mate situations wherein shifters fixate on specific human women, stating that they are fated, and that they WILL end up together. The human women vehemently refuse this, yet despite them concisely stating they are not interested, they do not want a relationship with their shifter captors, and masters, the authors simply have the women eventually change their minds, and fall for the shifters anyway. For anyone who has been through sexual abuse, or abusive relationships, or has friends who have been through it, this book is going to be unenjoyable at best, horribly upsetting at worse. The authors seem to have a steadfast fan base, which is fine with me. I'm not trying to change anyone's mind, or argue that the folks who loved this story or wrong to love it. All I want is for one review to be written from a perspective that doesn't see all of this as romantic or healthy. I've got a young niece, and this is the LAST sort of relationship I ever want her to admire or emulate. The book is continuing to rack up stellar ratings, and I expect it'll continue to do so, but if I can help one would-be reader avoid the disturbed disappointment I suffered, then my effort will have been worth it.