SPOILER ALERT!

The Wolf (The Sons of Destiny, Book 2)

The Wolf - Jean Johnson Check out my reviews at http://thewindowseat13.blogspot.com/


This book, The Wolf, is still a strong addition to the Sons of Destiny series. The brothers have embraced their destiny and they are ready to put aside their fear of finding their mates. This book focuses on Wolfer, the second brother, and his childhood sweetheart, Alys.

Now that the brothers have more or less accepted that it is time for them to fulfill their destiny, it is time for the youngest brother (Morganen) to fulfill his role as the matchmaker. To this end, he summons his second born brother's childhood sweetheart to the island. Wolfer and Alys had met as children. Alys had been friends with all the brothers, but even as children, it was clear that her bond with Wolfer was stronger. When the brothers were exiled, Alys gave Wolfer a lock of her hair which he has worn on his wrist ever since. Now that Saber is wed and he is willing to let women on the island, Alys is free to escape her abusive uncle's home and join Wolfer in exile.

The only problem is that Alys is not willing to tell the brothers what she knows about the troubles they have had on the island since their arrival. They have been plagued by attacks of deadly spiders, snakes, dragons, and all sorts of other vicious creatures. Alys not only knows that her uncle was responsible, she was forced to help care for these animals. Even knowing that the animals were destined for Nightfall Island, she was powerless to resist her uncle's orders to care for them. Alys is afraid that if the brothers discover this, they will not allow her to stay on the island. It will take a lot for her to convince the brothers that she did everything she could to protect them.

Wolfer and Alys are a unique couple in this series because of the past that they had to their story. It also helps to keep the involvement of the sister-in-law Kelly to a minimum. This is a good thing! :) Wolfer and Alys are able to convince the reader quickly that this is a continuation of a romance that was interrupted by the exile of the brothers rather than a new thing and that gave it a sweet innocent quality.

In addition to the romance blossoming between Wolfer and Alys, the series continues to focus on the other events of the island. The kidnapped brother, the injured brother, the evil mages out to get the brothers, etc. At this point in the series, this is still a pleasant diversion and it keeps the plot moving. Unfortunately, that won't always be the case...

My major complaint about this book is that too much is made over the fact that Alys seemed to go from brazen and confident to shy and scared in a matter of minutes. In fact, this is something that gets repeated ad nauseam throughout the series. This is a classic example of what writers should NOT do. Don't tell, show. Show us that Alys can switch from timid to brazen as circumstances warrant. Don't just tell us she does it. And, in addition, don't let her do it on every page...That moves her from endearing to a little manic... :)