Simply just was not for me, too confusing and I lost interest in it from the beginning. Didn't particularly like the main character and after reading a few reviews, I'm glad I didn't go further. I love Shifter romance but this is one I just couldnt get into. Sorry. Not all books are for everyone and this is just my honest opinion.

I've read quite a few shifter romances, but this book has been one of the most intriguing stories so far. While other books I've read in this genre focus on the shifter aspect of the characters, this book really encapsulates the nature of the wolf within, and how that affects a shifter's humanity. While I was able to understand and pick up on the world and story building, this is the fifth book in the series, so I think reading the preceding 4 books would have enhanced my reading experience even more. With that being said, I think it can definitely be read as a standalone novel.

Julia and Arthur were such interesting main characters, and I really enjoyed the growth that they both experienced during the story. Their relationship with each other and other members of the pack started off rocky, but evolved over time. I especially enjoyed Julia's strength in realizing what she really wants out of life, and her courage of standing up to the men trying to control her. Overall this was a great story with some spicy romance. A 4-star read for me.

Let me start by saying that The Legend of All Wolves is my favorite series about shifters.  Maria Vale’s unique take on wolves has enchanted me from the beginning.  The wolves of the Great North Pack are a family that only wants to live life on their own terms.  But the outside world keeps trying to interfere. 

Among the worst meddlers are the shifters.  These are beings that can shift at will, or even not shift at all.  This sets them apart from the wolves of the Pack who are influenced by the moon. 

Wolf in the Shadows storyline overlaps with Season of the Wolf with new viewpoints introduced.  In these stories, shifters have invaded the Pack’s land for nefarious reasons.  The Pack has prevailed so far, but more than one shifter has been captured by the Pack.  Julie is one such shifter and, in this story, she struggles to survive in this new environment.  She is assigned to Arthur, who’s own past is complex and poignant.  As they spend time together, they evolve into strong indivudals doing their best to overcome their pasts.

I am fascinated by the Pack’s dichotomy of sharp intelligence and unworldliness.  Nature governs their existence and they have adapted to make the most of life in their territory.  The outside world constantly challenges.  The Pack does not understand what motivates people in the outside world.  Even worse, the outside world will never understand the Pack.

Each book in this series makes the story deeper, richer, better.  These stories of wolves who take human form are unique within the paranormal genre and I recommend them to anyone that enjoys wolf/shifter fiction.

Through NetGalley, the publisher provided a copy of this book.  My review is my honest opinion.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

DNFed at 33%.

Maria Vale is a wonderful writer. I’ve loved other books in this series because of Vale’s facility with language—the description is always striking & I love how complexly she portrays Pack life, what it gives the wolves & what it sometimes demands.

But I decided to finish this book at 33% after a very disturbing incident in which the heroine Julia touches the hero Arthur without his consent while he is transitioning from skin to fur. Julia thinks, “There were no witnesses. Even Arthur couldn’t know.” This moment felt very icky to me, particularly given that he couldn’t speak & that they had never had a conversation about whether it was okay for her to do that.

As another Goodreads review notes, this is actually the second time Julia touches Arthur’s penis without his consent.

I’ve recommended this series many times but I couldn’t finish this one. I found the latter moment in particular to be really disturbing.

5th book in a series is a tricky place to be.

Having 4 stories that have introduced certain parameters and a set of characters already the next book has to take things to another level, and for me it did so quite nicely.

Although Julia Martel and Arthur Graysson's relationship is a focus in this books plot the ongoing story arc of The Great North Pack is also explored and taken further than before.

I personally found not only satisfaction in each step Julias character takes as she finds her personal strength as an individual but also how she and Arthur develop their relationship together.

My greatest joy in reading this particular story though is the two outings Julia goes on with the younger wolves as they venture into territory on field trips designed to help them learn how to blend into public situations with humans.

The youngest wolves were the most fun to spend time with for me, their innocence was a far cry from the brutal reality that the adult wolves face daily.

However that being said these young ones are the hope of a continuing future and this is also a brutal reality they face when time comes for outside excursions.

I have to say that this one started slowly for me but as it’s setup got underway the story plots momentum sped up and things rapidly became too irresistible to stop reading until book ended.

Once the story took off it was really fascinating reading till its ending.

If this is the last of the series it will break my heart to say goodbye to the Great North Pack but at the same time am happy with their latest plot twist.

[EArc from Netgalley]

On every book read as soon as it is done and written up for review it is posted on Goodreads and Netgalley, once released then posted on Amazon, Barnes and Nobles as well.

I love this series so much and this book was no different. Sometimes the writing style can be hard to follow but it is always beautifully written. If you want a different kind of werewolf and shifter book, this is the series for you.

I’m so torn about this, because I loved the rest of this series. But this last book left me pretty cold. I still enjoyed the inhumanity of the wolves, the little ones especially. I laughed a lot at just how adorable the First Shoes were. But the story and the romance…I wanted to like it. And I did appreciate watching Julia grow into herself and blossom. I did. And Arthur made my heart hurt, he was so sweet.

But the events of Wolf in the Shadows run concurrently to those of the last book. There was just so very little new here and a lot of what should have been gripping and emotionally impactful was just glossed over because they were actually the events of the last book in the series. All of which left me feeling like I was reading Julia and Arthur’s romance amongst the outline or memory-jogger of a story. Honestly, even them falling in love felt sketched out.

So, while I’m glad to have finished the series and to have spent a last night with the Great North Pack. I didn’t love the book as much as previous ones in the series.

"Wolf in the Shadows" by Maria Vale

"Wolf in the Shadows" is Maria Vale's fifth book in The Legend of All Wolves series. I have enjoyed them all and this one didn't disappoint either. I love the action and the humor that surrounds the young wolves especially. Julia and Arthur's story was entertaining and I liked how she wrapped up the turmoil with Drusilla, too. I could see this being the last book in the series, but I hope it is not.

Wolf in the Shadows is book 5 in the Legend of All Wolves series. There are very few series that continue to keep my interest this far in and also keep me wanting more, but Ms. Vale has done just that. This book is Julia and Arthur's story and the timeline overlaps with the previous book in the series, so some of the suspense is muted since you already know part of their story. I thought that this would dim my enjoyment of the book, but it didn't at all. Instead, the focus is on Julia and how she manages to become her own person instead of living her life in the shadows. I loved Julia more than I thought I would because in the previous books, she's very one-dimensional with only hints of her real personality. She's a mafia princess and an Instagram influencer to boot which made her seem a very unlikely wolf but she really won me over. This book is more about her character arc with less attention paid to her romance with Arthur, but I did love the romance as well. And Arthur has a secret that I didn't see coming from the previous books too!

This series is technically Paranormal Romance, but it is unlike anything I've read in that genre. The wolves (don't call them werewolves!) are far more wild than human so these books focus on issues that affect wolves here in North America. Their relationships with each other and with humans really reflect this and make the series unique. I am looking forward to reading more in this series.

4.5 STARS

Julia Martel has been subjugated her whole life by the Alpha shifter males controlling all aspects what she does and who she is supposed to be. Indeed, she had no clue of her dual nature until adolescence when it was brutally introduced by Uncle August. He was supreme ruler of the family until some of the members including Tiberius and Constantine who broke ties going over to other side of the wolves. Initially, all Julia wanted to do was to leave with her fiancé, Cassius, who was also caught by the wolves while on a mission to kidnap some of the pack. As Julia spends time as part of her assigned pack group under the care of Omega wolf Arthur Graysson, she begins to embrace her wild nature as well as the freedom from domination by her family who only care about rich people things while causing the Great North pack as much trouble as possible.

Arthur suffered a dreadful punishment for breaking a Great North pack law even though it was for the benefit of them all. While he physically recovers without overt help from anyone but Julia, they begin to form a solid relationship as Arthur teaches her the way of the wild. Arthur is also under pressure because a certain aspect of his nature puts him at risk for the ultimate punishment should he lose control. Julia seems to be able to reach a place in the mind of Arthur’s wolf that no one else can.

As Julia learns what it means to live in “skin” on pack grounds and as a wolf, she embraces a new found strength and freedom while becoming an important member helping to face down their enemies who once again only seek to destroy and dominate. The fact that these opponents are also shifters make their crimes even more heinous. Arthur’s first interaction with Julia and her role in the kidnap attempt was first introduced in the prior book, SEASON OF THE WOLF.

Fifth and final in the Legend of All Wolves series, this story ties the major elements together in a satisfying way. Ms. Vale’s unique shifter series and storytelling is compelling at times as well as visceral, and alternately, lyrical. Readers who have followed these stories will be glad to see how everything works out and what the future seems to hold for those Great North Pack for whom we have come care.

The writing style is beautiful! I love it, however, I was deeply lost when I started this book out. I didn’t understand where it was going or how I even got there and that sets the tone for the book for me or for a story. Though i loved the love for the main characters it was just confusing getting there or even just being there lol. It’s still a good read, it can be read as a standalone but follows four books in the authors series!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Oh my what a fitting end to a series that has absolutely blown readers away with its originality. In many ways it's like going back to the beginning although Julia is certainly no runt but a sheltered young woman brought up only to please others. Now she's found herself a prisoner amongst the Wolves who abhor wearing skin. As a shifter who has never changed shape Julia has a lot to learn about her other side but when she's put under the guidance of Arthur her reality slowly shifts . Arthur is confused by this female and her trappings but as he's also one who struggles with controlling his inner Wolf perhaps these two beautifully damaged creatures can find safety together ?
This was riveting, enthralling and oh so poignant. I loved the changes in Julia as she became the female she was meant to be. Yes there's violence here but handled so carefully by the author that our natural prejudices just don't get the chance to overtake our feelings or indeed our stomachs ! The ending was just perfect with a sense of hope and sheer joy. This is a shifter series like no other so please read in order as it simply builds to be a thing of magnificence that I'm still astounded by .
This voluntary take is if a copy I requested from NetGalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

CW: sexual assault

This review contains spoilers.

The Legend of All Wolves series is my favorite PNR series, hands down. To say I was highly anticipating this final book is an understatement and it’s that much harder to figure out how to write this review. I still highly recommend the first four books, even though this installment wasn’t what I wanted it to be.

Let’s start with the good. Vale’s gorgeous nature writing is in intrinsic part of the Great North Pack’s characterization. Julia, a shifter and a city girl, has never been in the woods before so the forest came alive in a new way through her eyes. As she adjusts to pack life and accepts her shifter-ness, she also begins to see a new future for herself that isn’t based on her looks or value as a female. There was so much I enjoyed about her transformation, especially when she began teaching the First Shoes (pack kids).

The many words the pack has for sadness is a big theme with an emotionally satisfying payoff. Arthur doesn’t understand the concept of “crying” or tears, something Julia does a lot in this initial days and weeks. But he does understand the song of sadness. In the pack, no one is allowed to sing alone and so Julia isn’t allowed to cry alone either. This made for so many moving scenes.

All in all, it was a really strong first half and I flew through the pages, aside from reservations about a plot choice involving sexual assault in chapter 14. This is where my first issue with the book began. SPOILER: [Julia sexually assaulted Arthur while he was in wolf form. She started off petting him and then all of a sudden she grabbed his penis. She thought that he could not feel while he was a wolf—he told her he wouldn’t be able to understand or talk while in wolf form but not that he could still feel. It was shocking and clearly assault. That scene starts off in Arthur’s POV. Then the beginning of chapter 15 switches to Julia’s POV and she is reckoning with her actions, kind of. She knows it was wrong and equates it to roofying someone’s drink to see what you can get away with.]

I was willing to see how it would be addressed or used to move the plot forward. I’m not comfortable with sexual assault being used as a plot device. If it hadn’t been an author I trusted, I might have DNFed right there. I tried to remain open but Arthur and Julia barely addressed what happened, nor did Julia apologize for what she did. That left me feeling even more uncomfortable. It was hard for me to believe Arthur could just write that off. At a minimum Julia needed to own her actions to him. There were a couple more instances of sexual assault by strangers, this time with Julia as the victim, that didn’t seem to serve a purpose. I really could not understand the inclusion of any sexual assault by the story’s end and I remain deeply perplexed about what the intended aim was. It marred my enjoyment of the story.

The second issue was when SPOILER: [Arthur inexplicably arranged for Julia to be left in Montreal. It really came out of nowhere. There was no discussion about her needs or wants. He just decided she needed to be home, leaving her without a clear path to return, even though he knows her aunt Drusilla would love nothing better than for Julia to die. This made no sense to me! It may have been to counteract any hint of Julia only being there because she was initially a prisoner but she’d already had other opportunities to leave. Being dumped somewhere without a word was cruel.]

It was also unnecessary. Drusilla’s appearance would have been enough of an external conflict, if one was even needed at this point. Everything became rushed and Arthur and Julia never discuss what he did or why it was wrong. Vale’s books often have abrupt endings and I haven’t always minded it. But there was so much happening here: the murder of pack members by hunters, Drusilla’s return [and demise], whether Julia will remain with the pack and what that means for her and Arthur. Barely any of it is dealt with and I really needed that to happen in order to trust Arthur and Julia’s HEA, as well as the HEA for Great North Pack. I’m sure all will be well but it wasn’t quite what I imagined for the series end.

It’s worth acknowledging this was written during the pandemic. I have an extra measure of grace and appreciation for anyone who’s been able to write anything during this time, no matter how it personally lands for me. For now, I’ll focus on how the Pack has taken care of the threats against them. They can be wild and free, forever.

OMG, I forgot how beautiful MV's writing style is! Such a breath of fresh air after 3 DNFs. Is a perfect story for wolves lovers. I fell in love with Julia and Arthur's interaction. A little sad that the series is over but here's to hoping more books will follow.

~ I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own ~

I was very excited to discover there was going to be another book in the Legends of All Wolves series! I found the plot idea similar to a mafia story, with Julia being the mafia princess who suddenly has to fend for herself after having so many protectors around her. With her uncle, the nemesis of the Great North Pack dead, she's become their hostage and under the care/control of Arthur, a wolf at the bottom of his pack. She has to learn a whole new way of living, and understand what she really is. In doing so, she grows up and becomes the woman she's meant to be, and also becomes committed to a relationship with Arthur who shows her what life could be like as part of the pack. There is no sugar coating life as a wolf in this author's worldbuilding, making it a unique entry in the various shifter worlds out there. The whole series is a game changer in paranormal romance. .

I'll be reviewing this also at All About Romance around release date and will update with a link.

Maria Vale continues her paranormal romance with a dynamic pair of lead characters. It was wonderful to revisit her world.

It’s hard to put into words how beautiful this story really is.

As always with this series, it’s about what it is to be pack. What it is to be home. But what’s more, in this story; what it is to survive in the shadows and come out the other side.

“Being sad is not weakness. It is being strong enough to recognize how fleeting and fragile life is.”

Julia’s side of the story hits hard. She was raised to be “perfect” in the eyes of wealthy, “powerful” men who think women should be seen and not heard. Her story alone would have made this book amazing…

“Samaras don’t look like much—a bit of paper and a tiny seed. Inside each one, though, is the possibility of a maple tree but to become more than a possibility, they need to escape the shadows cast by bigger trees.”

But then there’s Arthur. I did NOT see his story coming, and it just made everything even better. And his way of just seeing Julia… beautiful.

“I can’t stop her from shrinking in on herself around Cassius, but I can’t stand it around me.”

<b>8/10:</b><i> Excellent read, well written, fell right into the fictional world created.</i>

One thing to be said for these books, they really are easy to fall back into.

It's been a while since I read the last book in Maria Vale's werewolves (not werewolves) series. I wasn't sure if I would remember what happened last time, but the author did a great job of wrapping the recap up in the narrative without distracting the reader.

The opening line was exceptional.

<I> Two days ago, I ate my fiancé.</i>

I was hooked from there.

The world Vale has created is just different enough from the average shapeshifter story to make this series something more. The rules, the Great North Pack live by, make the story more believable, even if they are wolves and not people.

<I>You take what you want, but you eat what you take.</i>

And some of those rules are quite moving...

<I>"No one should sing the song of sadness alone," I answer, "but I've never done it in skin."</i>

The language used is descriptive and simply beautiful. I found myself highlighting lines in the book for no greater reason than they sounded pretty inside my head.

<I>I am spiralling into the night, but I hold on.</i>

Julia and Arthur's relationship progressed nicely. There wasn't anything epic about it, but her ex's behaviour will certainly speak to some readers. It spoke to me.

<I>Things have changed, though, because I now know him for who he is: a small man with a small mind who needs someone smaller than he is to make himself feel big.</i>

In the end, this was a very enjoyable story. It still couldn't beat out "Forever Wolf" for sheer heartbreaking storytelling, but it did draw me in and keep me entertained in a world I am more than happy to return to, time and again.

<I>I am coming home.</I>

<b>Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca via NetGalley for the ARC to review.</b>

Julia - A Canadian wolf-shifter finds herself kidnapped by a pack of wild shifters, forcing her to re-evaluate her life and choose between the pampered life she has always known, and embracing the truth of who she is.

Arthur - A shifter with a dark power that makes the rest of the pack nervous. Battling an internal war, as well as the war between the wild pack and other shifters, the last thing he expected was to have Julia thrown in the mix.

An interesting read through and through, the dual narration from both Julia and Arthur provides a wonderful style of storytelling. Definitely piqued my interest towards the rest of the series.

Wolf in the shadows by Maria Vale.
The Legend of All Wolves Book 5.
A hero with a haunted pastA shifter heroine with a lot to learn about being part of the PackDark secrets that could destroy everything they love.
A good read with good characters. I did find this slow but readable. 3*.