Forever Wolf is the third and final book in Maria Vale’s Legend of All Wolves series. Although I didn’t like how it ended, it was a very good book. The series was wrapped up in a nice bow. There was a lot of additional information learned in Forever Wolf that added to the overall lore of these wolves that humans would refer to as werewolves.

As with the first two books, the main theme of Forever Wolf is the unlikely coupling of a pack member and an outsider. And to be clear, if you haven’t read the other books in this series, it would be very difficult to really follow along. This is truly a continuation that starts in the first book, The Last Wolf. The main character of Forever Wolf is Varya, one of the protectors of the pack. She is committed to the pack more than anyone. She is very much caught up in the old ways of the pack until she meets Eyulf. Eyulf has no clue what he is or how he came to be. Just like Varya, Eyulf was cast aside. He is alone and has a profound affect on Varya. Unfortunately, the threat from the Shifters that has existed since the first book has escalated into something the pack can no longer avoid and gets in the way of their relationship. In addition, the pack has become fractured because of choices that some of the pack members have made that go against tradition.

There are lots of lessons to be learned from Forever Wolf. It was all about family, tradition, and perspective. Although tradition can be important, you have to be sure to have perspective and understand the reasons why certain laws are created. Some of the pack was so entrenched in tradition, that they failed to recognize the purpose of those traditions which was for the good of the pack. Due to all of this conflict, they fail to see the threat that’s right in front of them. Although Varya seems to be the most cold and feared member of the pack, she ends up being the hero that they never expected. I really admired her devotion to the pack but wished that things could have gone a little differently for her in the end. That’s my only issue. Everything else was great.

In the third book in this world, Maria Vale has harkened back to the first novel. I, for one, really enjoyed this book!

Vale makes a point of separating her wolves from humans, and I think this (if it is the conclusion) is a fantastic end to the story of the North Pack.

It was so enjoyable to see the hard wolf learn to love and to see the pups from the first couple! I'm so glad Quicksilver was a big part in this novel.

The big thing to take note of is that this is the third, and without reading the other two it will be very confusing.

The characters are rich and the bad guys bad, and just so well written.

Really enjoyed and highly recommend. Much better than the second.

I loved this book. My heartbeats have returned to normal, I've dried the tears from my cheeks and I've managed to get my thoughts together. You can read my full review on my WordPress blog, Flora's Musings...

So, what did I like about it?
I am already a fan of Maria Vale’s writing style; her stories are very easy to read and feel graceful and full bodied. The books in this series are unlike any I've read before; I think that her stories are intelligent and feel well researched and I really enjoy her prose - the way she weaves known wolf behaviours, Norse mythology and archaic languages into her tales are inspirational. Forever Wolf is a unique treasure.

Forever Wolf is told from first person point of view by our main female lead, Varya Timursdottir, who is a werewolf from a long dead pack that inhabited an island the Arctic sea and has earned her position of Alpha Shielder of the 12th Echelon of the Great North Pack since being taken in by them when she was younger. Those of you who have read my reviews before will know that I enjoy a story more if the lead female character is intelligent, resilient and independent, i.e. able to stand on her own two feet, I wasn’t disappointed here; Varya was all of these and more, despite her feelings of still being an outsider she is definitely loyal to the Pack and she’s got plenty of gumption as well as a cool wit (albeit unknowingly), a big heart and has a fierce fighting spirit.

I love the concept that the werewolves in this series are born wolf cubs and have to learn how to wear a human “skin” and fit in with the human world rather than humans who have an animal beast within themselves, or animal spirit, a voice/presence in their head and a second being that they morph into that they resist and/or fight and I really enjoyed watching how this variance was played out in this book.

I was so involved in the story, that emotions came easily while reading it; I was on the edge of my seat during the fight scenes, full of horrified indignation at the blatant injustices, shed a few tears at the sad scenes, had a smile on my face with the subtle humour and a lump in my throat at the more romantic scenes. There are explicit sex scenes in this story but the way Ms Vale writes them - lending us the insights into the principles of wolf pack behaviour, Varya’s inner dialogue and the growth of Eyulf and Varya’s trust and feelings for each other - made it all the more heart-warming to read.

I enjoyed the twists and turns that Ms Vale sprinkled throughout her tale and liked the fact I wasn’t ever really sure how, or if, she would resolve things. I couldn’t help but keep reading one more page to find out to find out what would happen next. I am happy to confirm that there is no life or death situation type cliffhanger at the end of this book. Woop!Woop! (‘cause you all know how I feel a about cliffhangers) and the series could be left there, however, I’m hoping that Ms Vale has more stories to share with us about the Great North Pack.

So, ummm, was there anything I disliked about it?
I rated this book 5stars because I wouldn’t change a thing; even the more harsh aspects of this story that are harder to read, played an important role to the overall appreciation of the book.

So, basically what I’m saying is...
I really loved this book. Forever Wolf has everything that I look for in a 5 star story; adventure, some mystery, action, great characters, a little humour and even a sprinkling of romance.

Due to the violence and sexual content, I’d recommend this book to adults who are not offended by content of this nature who enjoy urban fantasy adventures centred on relationships – both family and romantic – with some darker themes.

This series is a unique spin on werewolf tales and feels so much more believable than the majority of paranormal romances, I am completely invested in the Great North Pack and the characters I've met so far. The Legend of all Wolves series is an unexpected find and I can’t recommend the books enough.

From the beginning of the series, I have admired the unique take on the wolves that can wear skin. This is truly a unique world. After reading book three, I am now into the head of one of the bravest wolves of the Great North Pack. This is what the author does. With the first person perspective, Ms. Vale has told a story through a remarkable character and I am even more in love with this series.

And this story blew me away.

Forever Wolf is told from Varya’s view point. She is an introvert. She only speaks when necessary. The author such does an incredible job of getting the reader into the heroine’s head, that other characters often seem to have little importance. This is an introvert’s way of observing the details without engaging other people. Even Eyulf (the other half of the romantic couple in Forever Wolf) is in the background for most of the story. Until he isn’t.

At first, Varya appears cold and distant. Emotionless. Hard to relate to. But Varya has emotions. Sister, does she have them! They will be triggered by the arrival of Eyulf, and also by a pack crisis.

The story of the pack continues with the shifters bearing down. Causing trouble, not just for the pack as a whole, but within the pack. The pack must make a critical decision that could mean destruction or freedom. Silver (main character in book 1) becomes a speaker to keep the old ways. I love that from book 1 to to book 3, Silver has become so much more.

The decision the pack makes will have immediate consequences. Varya and other pack leaders do everything they can to insure pack survival. Because, ultimately, that is what the story of The Legend of All Wolves is about. Survival of pack.

The ending – climatic, explosive and emotional – had me in tears. Hence, my earlier ‘blew me away’ comment.

As much as I would like to tell you that it is possible to jump right into the series with Forever Wolf, I would recommend reading the first two books in The Legend of All Wolves to get the understanding of the Great North Pack and how they got to the position they are in. Besides, it truly is a great series.

Through Netgalley, the publisher provided a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Coming into this series having not yet read the 2-books before this one, left me a little out of my depth. However, Maria seamlessly built this plot-line in a way which devoured you, while you devour it. It encapsulates emotion, and reality into the words on the page, which effortlessly building the world in which you find yourself deeply rooted.

Reading this I felt I was missing stuff. So I do think you need to read the other books, but saying that, I don’t think it detracts from a really good read.

It’s a very different read from the usual shifter books I’ve read. The wolves are human, but most live as a wolf, they think as wolves, their hierarchy is very different from what I’ve read.

Varya is very disconnected from the pack, everything she does is a duty, she is extremely loyal, and there is nothing she won’t do as a “shielder” (a guardian or enforcer) this isn’t her original pack, she moved to this group as a teenager, so is that why she doesn’t connect with anyone ?

Whilst on patrol, Varya finds an injured wolf, now by rights she should have killed it, or at least inform her pack, but there is something about this white wolf that calls to her, it’s stirred up emotions that Varya didn’t realise she had.

Eyulf is different from the other wolves, his eyes give him away, one is blue, the other is green, he carries a heavy prophecy on his shoulders, he could start the end of the world, but he could also save it.

There are many characters from the previous books that we catch up with. And how Varya interacts with them all is very interesting. Most of the book is told from her POV (her point of view) and although not my favourite thing to read, it does give you an insight into Varya and her emotions (or lack of)

So what does the future have for Varya and Eyulf ? In fact, what does the future hold for the pack and the world?



🦋

A fabulous conclusion to The Legend of All Wolves series (at least, it felt like a conclusion). Maria Vale again writes compelling characters that are loners but find community and love.

I enjoyed this read. It is very engrossing and different from other pack/shifter stories I’ve read. I think the story is an action drama with a bit of romance, than a romance with action and drama. Despite the title, I didn’t think the read would end the way it did. Even as it was happening, I didn’t realize the significance. It wasn’t until the last page that the full implications sunk in. I didn’t love the ending, though many of you may. Overall, if with the less than preferred ending, it’s a strong four star read.

I received an ARC of this book, from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for a fair and honest review.

<b>9/10:</b> <i>Fantastic, left me wanting more.</i>

<i>The colder the land, the more passionate the thaw.</i>

It takes a lot to pull me away from my space opera/military sci-fi books at the moment, but Maria Vale is one author that can get me running back to PNR. Her werewolves (not werewolves) series is beautifully written and deeply moving. And different enough from the run-of-the-mill shifter romance stories to make it well worth the time to pick up.

I've loved this series from the start and this latest addition does not disappoint. It took a little while to warm to the protagonist. Varya the Indurate was as cold as her former island home. But beneath that hardened exterior was a wolf desperate for the wild and for love.

I enjoyed seeing previous characters and the progress the overall story arc for the Great North Pack is taking. But the ending really did me in despite having been warned enough times by the author throughout the narrative.

Still, I didn't see it coming. And that's just how I like my books.

<i>I am the Alpha Shielder of the 12th Echelon of the Great North Pack.</i>

A beautiful, heart-wrenching story that somehow still manages to warm its readers in the end (in an entirely unconventional way). Well done.

This is an author and series I will gladly drop my current fixations for every single time.

At this point in this series, clearly war is coming. The Great Northern Pack has two enemies: humans as well as shifters who have both already tried to defeat them. The world is changing in ways the Pack while very much up on new technology, remains unable to defeat intruders who seek to either destroy or rule them. The old ways no longer protect the wolves despite all the courage, determination, and heart those like of their Shielder, Varya, who as a guardian will give her last breath to serve and protect. While out on patrol, Varya discovers Eyulf, a white wolf who grew up totally apart from any other wolves in human society. His bicolored eyes are a harbinger of doom according to the wolf mythology and so she not only saves his life after a serious injury, but hides Eyulf from the rest.

Varya was an outcast from her own Russian wolves and has lived with the Great Northern Pack for several years. As Shielder and one of the Alphas, she helps to rule over her group within the Pack, always as a dutiful solider, never asking for anything for herself. The Pack has been called back to the Homelands by their head Alpha as many of them live in the human world except for the three days of the full moon when they must transform into wolves. So there is much strife between the new living arrangements of those “Offlanders” who have forgotten how it is to live rough, the coming fight for their lives, and for Varya, protecting the wolf who comes to mean everything to her. Her life and his will be forfeit if the Pack discovers that she has been hiding and protecting Eyulf.

This story reminds me of Jack London’s WHITE FANG and THE CALL OF THE WILD as the perspective of Varya and her packmates is so different from human thinking. She is in mind, and often in body, all wolf who can wear “skin” but never be human. Everything about Varya is intense: her loyalty, her relentless determination to save the Pack, and her love for outcast white wolf, Eyulf. She knows the deadly consequences to him if the pack finds Eyulf on their land. From the prior books, Silver, Tiberius, her mate who is a shifter, Elijah and his mate, Thea, a human all play an important role in this third book of the series. The way it all plays out may not be seen as an HEA in the traditional sense and may leave readers pondering a bit. Ms. Vale’s writing is quite gripping and well thought out so this tale will take readers on a wild and intense journey.

I stayed up until the early hours to finish this which I really hadn't expected to do and I went to bed unable to sleep feeling bereft. From the first few pages I honestly felt no empathy for the heroine Varya as she was cold, hard and just felt lacking in empathy. I guess the reason I kept going was simply because she clearly felt enormous loyalty to the Pack, their continued survival and the Law. There's a scene right at the beginning that just felt so very wrong to this reader and then and there it was almost a DNF for me. However Varya discovers a wounded male whilst on patrol and from that moment on she and the reader go on a journey of discovery.
To be Pack and wild is everything. These Wolves are not humans who can transform but still form a cohesive unit with a hierarchy that exists for a reason. Yet I'm reminded of a saying about death and taxes being inevitable and I would add change to that thought. If you've followed this trilogy than you will remember it all began with a Runt and a Shifter. The author brings everything full circle to glorious effect here and this reader has no choice but to grant a five star review.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

It starts off slow and kind of dense, but once the action begins, it's hard to resist the story as it drives forward. It reads as a true epic, one that makes you feel the world really has been reshaped as you read it. Would recommend.

Oh, wow, I loved reading these books so much! The Last Wolf was a top favourite book of 2018, and I was really excited to read Forever Wolf! I'm not sure if the series is over now, since something I read said that this was a trilogy. I would love it if we could have more of this amazing series, though!

It was so great to read these books back to back, because Varya is in The Last Wolf, so is Elijah, so that brought everything closer together, you know? So nothing but positive thoughts about reading this series all together!

Being in Varya's head, we learn about her past. And why she's very law abiding, because she's seen what happens when humans hunt wolves. A big part of the book was the question of following the letter of the law, or the spirit.

The ending, wow, it was so intense! I don't know what else to say about it without spoiling it, because it can't be. It would be cruel to have it spoiled. One reason that I think Forever Wolf might be the last book besides what I read about this being a trilogy, is how it ended. So brace yourself for this ending! Hopefully I didn't spoil, and I didn't build it too low or too high in expectations.

I loved reading these books so much, they were both so incredible, and yeah, I can't wait to read more by Maria Vale, and I would love to have more of this series!

This is the third book of the series and so far I have been so intrigued, not only by the world building but also by the richness found in the wolves of the Great North Pack. The description of this book is vague enough that I wasn't sure what to expect. It is told from Varya's POV.

I admit, I spent a good two thirds of the book scratching my head--what is going on? I felt no connection to Varya at all. She was so detached. Not quite feral but really not bonded with any other wolf. Her only loyalty being to the Pack. So much of the story is her narrative of what it is like to be her in the world of the Great North.

There came a turning point in the story. Now, if I would go back and read again, I may pay closer attention to Vary's words. The light bulb finally clicked for me and I got her. I understood where all her life had been leading. I understood her loyalty and what it would mean for her to love. I honestly still think that throwing in Eyulf's POV might have helped muddle through the first half of the book.

I should know better than to second guess an author's vision. The ending was just fabulous and I am so glad I stuck in there and read the whole book. I am looking forward to more from this author. The Pack has more issues to overcome.