This is not your typical wolf/ human story. It drags in places and was hard to get interested in it at the beginning. As it went along it got better and the story was full of intrigue, danger and love. Elijah and Thea had a lot of obstacles placed in front of them but manage to overcome all of them. It is a good read but not for everyone.

I read this book but found it wasn't the best flowing. I'm not sure if it just didn't grip me in the way others of this genre do but I could put it down and go back to it rather than hating to leave the story to do my usual chores. I did finish it so it wasn't that it was badly written or anything, just not my cup of tea I guess.

I loved reading this book! It wasn't as good as the first, I don't know, maybe because Thea wasn't a part of his world, or because Elijah was off world, and we weren't immersed in this world of wolves like in the previous world.

You have to feel bad for Elijah, being in the human world is pretty hard, in multiple ways, physical, emotional, psychological, and that he's been doing it for so long, that he can't do it much longer. But he's told that he has to continue. That'd be hard on anyone! Though Silver berating him about using self-centric language, all the more reason he should come back!

One thing that I loved, was that we got to see Silver and Tiberius' cubs born! Which was pretty significant in multiple ways-because it means a change to the documents to add these new members, as well as other ways that I won't mention because spoilers! Plus, emotional moment, too!

I really enjoyed how everything worked out! From the suit that Thea was dealing with, to Elijah's work and coming home and all that, to Thea and Elijah's relationship! It took some work, but it made for a satisfying ending!

I absolutely loved this book, and I really hope that we get a 3rd book and more, because this world and Maria Vale's writing is so original and amazing!

Werewolves are my jam and this one presents a unique and gritty version of them. Anne Bishop fans will find a new author in Vale!

Elijah is a man who turns into a wolf. Actually, he was born a wolf and can turn into a man. He is also a lawyer and works in New York City for the good of the Pack. He spends too much time in his skin and it’s starting to mess with his head. He wants so badly to return to his home more than just once a month, but the Alpha of his Pack tells him that they need him where he is. His frustration grows until he meets Thea Villalobos.

Thea is a search and rescuer but needs help with a legal issue she’s having with her neighbor. Through a friend of a friend Thea ends up in Elijah’s office and immediately he is smitten. He tries his normal seduction routine with her but she wants nothing to do with his bullshit. After many screw ups with Thea Elijah finally realizes that he just needs to be himself. He’s been playing a part for so long, however, that he’s not sure how be himself. He does know that he’s falling for Thea but he can never tell her what he is and she would never be accepted by the Pack. How can he be happy with living a half-life?

The second book in the Legend of All Wolves series was a good one. My heart went out to Elijah and all the bullshit he had to put up with by living in the city. He truly just wanted to be in his home and yet wasn’t allowed. It ended up working out well because he got to meet Thea but I felt so bad for him!

Thea was a lovely person – and just simple. Not simple-minded, she was just not someone who had any use for bullshit. She lived in a one room cabin with just one of everything. One towel, one fork, one bowl, etc. She didn’t need anything extra – no TV or radio – she had books. I loved her no-nonsense attitude as it served her well working with Elijah. The pair were so good together and I loved the ease they had with each other.

I can’t tell you too much about the book without ruining things but suffice it to say that it was good. I have to admit that the ancient language that Vale uses at the beginning of the book got a bit old, but it ended up being ok. She actually uses it throughout the book, but I was only annoyed by it in the beginning as it made it had to follow things at first. Overall, however, I’d say it was definitely an enjoyable read.

Rating: 4 out of 5

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This is the second book of the series. You will need to read the first one and a lot of the world building happens in book 1. An unfamiliar reader may have a difficult time keeping up with what is happening and the rules of this particular Pack.

That said, this one was interesting in that Elijah does not live on Pack land. He supports the Pack in the human world. But he longs to be home again. He happens upon Thea, a woman tied closely to the land and off the grid. Elijah knows, he needs her to help save himself.

The book brings intrigue and action. The over arching feeling of needing Home is spread throughout the story. Besides the chemistry between Elijah and Thea, I could feel the blossoming of love. They become friends and lovers. They understood each other on every level.

This book continues the story arc from book 1 and looks like there are still some bad guys out for destroying the Pack. I liked catching up with the wolves from book 1 as well.

Looking forward to seeing where the author takes the Pack next.

A Wolf Apart by Maria Vale
For years, Elijah Sorensson has lived a successful life. He has sacrificed to manage the business affairs of his people at great personal cost to himself. He despises the man he has become and something inside him is dying. Until he meets Thea Villalobos, who calls to the wild in him as no one has done in years. Can she heal him despite his secrets?
This is the second installment in gripping and unusual Legend of All Wolves series by Maria Vale. And while Elijah is a prickly rather unlikeable character, he has a great vulnerability and loyalty that eventually redeem him.
I found the novel a great blend of suspense and romance. The relationship between Thea and Elijah was engaging and the story, while complete in and of itself, move the overall series arc along. A very fast and engaging read that is surprising thoughtful for a paranormal romance. One of my favorite aspects of this series is that the characters aren’t humans fighting their wolves but wolves who exist with their human selves. The pack structure and lifestyle really add to the world building and reading experiences. I enjoyed this a great deal and highly recommend this novel. 5 stars.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Maria Vale's The Last Wolf was a total impulse buy for me. I had been on a "new author ban" until my TBR pile was dealt with, but I found myself intrigued and decided to pick it up. As much as I enjoyed it, and I did, my absolute favorite part was the excerpt it had for A Wolf Apart. Those few chapters grabbed me right away, and A Wolf Apart became a must buy.

This one was really different than what I usually read, but I very much enjoyed it. Very few of my stories are from a male POV, which was a nice change. And there was way less romance than I usually go for, but here it really worked. The world building was great, I enjoyed all of the characters, and I couldn't even guess how things were going to play out. All in all, this one was a winner for me.

I received a copy of A Wolf Apart by Maria Vale from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was intrigued by the summary and wanted to like this novel, but it was a chore to keep reading at times. The world-building could have been more streamlined, and characters and threads of plot could have been pulled together better (more linear). There were flashes of real goodness, but then the story would get bogged down or veer a little off track.

I would try reading another book by Maria Vale to see if a future novel would improve in pacing and character development, but I wouldn't re-read this novel.

♥♥ 4 Wild Stars ♥♥

Elijah Sorensson has been Offworld for the last thirty years working as a lawyer for the Great Northern Pack. His predecessor ended up dead after being separated from the Pack for too long, and Elijah isn't sure how much longer he can hold onto his inner wolf. He's tired of the facade of life in NYC: the easy women, the social and political hierarchy, and the meat. Meat should only been eaten when you've killed it.

And then he meets Thea, quite by chance. She's nothing like the Offworld women he's used to. One, she doesn't have fake tits. Two, she doesn't play coy and seductive, she just is. Her simplistic lifestyle and respect for nature draws Elijah in, and soon he's making promises to himself that he's not sure he can survive, much less keep.

Elijah and Thea's story just feels so real. There aren't any early onset declarations of love, and I just felt like Thea was so down to earth. This was the first paranormal romance I've read in a while that wasn't incredibly fake and just about some alpha male claiming some unsuspecting mate. The prose is well-written and while the plot isn't necessarily fast-paced, I never got bored or felt like the plot was dragging. A Wolf Apart was a pleasant surprise every step of the way!

I enjoyed the story of Silver and Tiberius very much but I found the story difficult to read at times because so much world-building was kind of crammed into the book. I was a bit distracted by trying to make sense of the whole scenario and the story itself lost out a little bit because of it. I have no doubt that the rest of the series (if there is more) will benefit from the fact that the setting is now established. Maybe a prologue outlining some of the basics of the society or lengthening the book a week bit might help? Overall a good read though.

Halfway between a <b>9/10:</b> <I>Fantastic, left me wanting more<I> & a <b>10/10:</b> <I>There is no comparison...This is the Mona Lisa of the fictional world!</b> on NBRS.

<I>I could kill her easily, but I won’t. I know what I am; I am strong enough to be vulnerable. Strong enough to love. And strong enough to die for it.</I>

Book one of this debut series by Maria Vale was good.

Book two was brilliant.

It might be that I’ve just immersed myself more fully into this gritty werewolf (not werewolf) world now, but Elijah’s story really touched me.

A wolf apart from his pack, his home, the one thing that means anything to him, leaving him a shell slowly crumbling. The wild inside him is dying and his alpha won’t let him come home.

Man, this one got to me. So beautifully written, and heart-wrenchingly believable.

<I>For those three days out of thirty, when the moon is pregnant and full and her law is Iron and the Pack has no choice but to be wild.</I>

Vale has created a different, more visceral werewolf culture here, which I could not be happier to read. No sparkly vampires to make them pretty, these wolves are wolves first and humans second. And Elijah was perfectly portrayed, straddling the divide between both sides of himself.

<I>It is not a good kill, John, but this is what happens when you domesticate a wolf. You pervert him.</I>

We see old favourites from the first book, which is nice. We learn a little more about the Pack hierarchy. But it is Elijah and Thea who really steal the show for me. Elijah in particular.

Told from his perspective, we get a little humour, a lot of alpha, and a good dollop of heartache. This book had everything and I loved it.

<I>I know it’s not his fault, but still, a little dignity. Please.</I>

Utterly outstanding. I can’t wait for the next.

A Wolf Apart sounded super good in the synopsis, but after diving in I was so confused and it felt not quite put together. I had a very hard time finishing the book. The book could be good if it wasn't all over the place the connections with characters could not be made at all.

I tried, I really did... I cannot even get through chapter one of this book. I have tried reading this book twice. I give up. This just isn't the book for me.

The second installment of Maria Vale's wolf series is told form the perspective of Elijah, a Pack member who is often away from his community due to his work as a lawyer for the Great North Pack. He lives ostentatiously, in the way of a performance artist, so that he gives the appearance of being a very successful human man. This human life has left Elijah feeling empty and longing for home--and then he meets Thea Villalobos. This is a terrible time for Elijah to fall in love with a human, since the conflict that began with the Shifters in 'The Last Wolf' comes to an ugly head.

Vale's world building is as rich as it was in 'The Last Wolf,' but her characterization is not as rich. While Thea is a compelling and capable character, she's very internal; since the narration is exclusively from Elijah's point of view, it's hard to know her. Additionally, Elijah has... a lot of feelings, all the time, to the extent of causing a level of "feelings overload" for the reader. Things smooth out somewhat in the latter half of the novel, when Elijah returns to his pack and readers are reunited with the characters introduced in the previous book.

Overall, it's an enjoyable followup to Vale's first novel, but here's hoping that subsequent installments are from her female characters' perspectives. Since Vale's male characters emote so heavily, being stuck in their heads is a little overwhelming.

What an interesting departure from the first book in this series. I like that Vale's weres are a little more wild, a little less human than most popular UPF fiction.