Wolf Rising

August 15, 2018
When an elite SWAT werewolf saves a teacher's life, they are both sent on a different path.Jayden Brooks lives for his work, his pack, and his mother. As part of a team of alpha werewolves who make up Dallas PD SWAT, he puts his life on the line daily to stop gang activity and save lives. Selena Rosa believes in saving lives in a different way; she works hard to keep her students out of gangs and on the path for something better. When she finds herself at the wrong end of a gun, Brooks and his team intervene. He and Selena have an instant connection. The wolves have a legend about The One, and Brooks is hesitant to acknowledge that Selena might be his--but he's still very interested in dating her. It's not until things get heavy for them that he realizes she is becoming a werewolf after her traumatic, near-death experience. The potential outcome of her not taking that information well, combined with a new gang leader in the area and werewolf hunters on the loose, leaves Brooks pulled to all sides. In the eighth book in the SWAT: Special Wolf Alpha Team series, Tyler (Wolf Hunger, 2017, etc.) continues a central conflict that has been developing for several books. For a newcomer, key details are not clearly reiterated and characters are not very well introduced. Even Brooks, who was a secondary character in earlier books, is not given a complete introduction. A newcomer might also be uncomfortable with what appear to be the first protagonists of color in this series both coming from stereotypical, tragic backgrounds. Brooks, having grown up in a housing project, lost his father to gang violence at a young age. Selena, similarly, grew up surrounded by gangs; she never knew her gangbanger father and barely remembers the mother who abandoned her. The violent trauma that sends Selena over the werewolf edge? Also caused by a Latinx gang member. Were the majority of the characters of color regular, hardworking people, it might be less noticeable; unfortunately, this is not the case. With the exception of Brooks and Selena, who are both overwhelmingly perfect, and a few of Selena's students and associates, there are no acknowledged people of color on the good side. Combined with unclear explanations of wolf shifters who don't appear to actually turn into wolves, this book leaves much to be desired.A disappointing contribution to the paranormal suspense genre.

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September 3, 2018
Tyler once again immerses readers in the fascinating lives and loves of a Dallas SWAT team populated by alpha werewolves in this entertaining eighth Special Wolf Alpha Team romantic thriller (Wolf Hunt). Teacher Selena Rosa is on a mission to educate her students and keep them from the clutches of local gangs. After losing her brother to a gang war, she’s determined to save as many teens as possible. When her crusade leads to her being taken hostage in a school shooting, it’s SWAT team member Jayden Brooks who comes to the rescue. Jayden and the other members of the team are also dealing with a shadowy group of werewolf hunters and a new drug kingpin who’s emerged with a deadly product. Now Jayden has to contend with a surprise attraction to Selena, and Selena produces a surprise or two of her own. This fast-paced procedural brims with heat and action. It’s a fully immersive experience that showcases memorable characters. Agent: Bob Mecoy, Creative Book Services.

September 15, 2018
The Dallas SWAT team remains in danger after the events of Wolf Hunger? (2017). Officer Jayden Brooks is not ready to find the One when he enters an active-shooter situation at a school. But when he sees teacher Selena Rosa bravely protecting her students, he knows that his One has arrived. Selena is just as attracted to Jayden, and, during a date, she gets so excited, she bites him. That's when Jayden realizes that there's one complication to their relationship. Selena is a werewolf, too, but doesn't know it yet. And she may be an omega, a type of werewolf known for wild mood swings and hair-trigger aggression. Selena doesn't have time to process her transformation amidst protecting her students from future gang violence, helping her friends, and dealing with the growing passion between her and Jayden. Members of the Dallas pack of werewolves have steadily found their mates throughout the series, and here Tyler provides lots of fast-paced action and twists, and the explosive ending will leave readers panting for her next book.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)