Black Rook (Cornerstone Run Trilogy, #1) by Kelly Meade
Urban Fantasy
E book/Novel
July 15, 2014
Intermix

Reviewed by Tori

Favorite Quote: “The Little Magus Who Could.”

Brynn Atwood, a low level magus, has come to Cornerstone Run to circumvent a vision she had of her father’s death. An embarrassment to her father, a high level Magus, and the Magi council, Brynn figures that she can prove herself useful if she is able to prove her visions are real and not figments of her imagination. Brynn’s target is Rook McQueen, the man she saw in her vision and who she believes will kill her father.

Rook McQueen is the youngest of three sons to the powerful Cornerstone Run Alpha. A former musician, Rook has come home to participate against his oldest brother, Bishop, to take over the run when their father retires. As a black wolf, Rook is automatically predisposed to be alpha but a large part of him doesn’t feel he is the best choice.

When Brynn and Rook meet, the chemistry between them sparks fiercely. Brynn soon realizes her vision of Rook killing her father is flawed and strikes a deal with Rook to help find her father’s true killer. As his and Brynn’s attraction grows stronger, fatal assaults against other runs leads to an assault against one of Rook’s brothers, leaving Rook facing a powerful dilemma. Rook must decide which path his destiny lays down…with Brynn or his people.

Black Rook is the first in a urban fantasy trilogy based on a family of loup garous-The McQueens by Kelly Meade aka Kelly Meding. I am a huge fan of Meding’s Dreg City series so I expect great things from this new offering. Strong new adult and romantic elements offer up an action packed storyline with inclusions of humor and sorrow that engages readers from the first page. Though some may be put off by the predictability of the supernatural mythos, there really are only so many ways to describe a shifter pack, readers will delight in the heavy characterization and twists that Meade uses to make this her own.

Well defined characters gives depth and plenty of maneuvering for continuing world building and arc development. The beginning starts out slow as Meade sets up the storyline and arc; explaining character backgrounds and offering us information in the logistics of each supernatural race and the roles they play in the world. Racism and treachery set the stage as the action increases and the story picks up speed, racing to the finale. I found myself constantly on the edge of my seat wondering, “how can this end good?” Even with the multiple story lines; you never feel overwhelmed. The word play and blending is smooth without any abrupt changes or confusion. I do want to note that those with assault triggers may find some scenes disturbing as Meade doesn’t shy away from violence and horror.

Brynn is curious mixture of vulnerability, loyalty, and bravery. Made to feel small and useless by her father and other members of her race, Brynn continues to try and prove her worth, even knowing nothing she does will ever be good enough. Her love for her father remains steadfast as she struggles to find her place in a world that doesn’t want her. She goes into enemy territory, knowing if caught it could mean instant death, to try and save his life. She isn’t your average warrior heroine. Her gifts aren’t deadly and she has a bit of a Mary Sue quality when you first meet her. The longer she stays in Cornerstone Run and interacts with the McQueens,her confidence levels increase as does her knowledge that her father’s indifference towards her maybe caused by something totally different and much more insidious.

Rook is one of my types favorite heroes. A bad boy alpha/beta mix. His sweet and considerate nature mixes well with the general heroic vibe that generates from him. He has no angsty unmanageable baggage that causes him to be a jerk to his potential lover. His love for his family is a delight to see. He and his father and brothers love one another and would do anything for one another which is shown with somewhat tragic results. His issues are more internal than Brynn’s. The loup garou hierarchy is determined by color. A black wolf is considered the fastest and deadliest of the wolves; instantly marking them as potential alphas. Next comes the gray and white. Rook wars with himself as his older brother Bishop has been groomed to take over as alpha since birth, until Rook was born. Though Rook has all the makings to be an alpha, he doesn’t have the ruthlessness that a good alpha needs when making hard decisions.

Chemistry wise, Rook and Brynn click effortlessly but being natural enemies makes their relationship strained. Meade takes it extremely slow as neither is in any position to pursue anything remotely romantic. I enjoyed the slow build up though the plotlines take up the majority, leaving the romance a nice side dish to complement the story.

As I stated earlier, heavy characterization gives this story the push it needs to catapult it from mundane to entertaining. The McQueen boys and their father are a force to be reckoned with as we learn more about each of them individually. Various other Loup garou families are introduced, letting us see the differences that exist in this tight knit community. Knight and Rook take center stage while Bishop appears at key moments. I did find that odd as Bishop’s is the next story in the trilogy however, Meade gives us enough clues to let us know his journey to happiness will be harrowing.

A climactic explosive finale clears up the immediate conflict while leaving the arc wide open. I thoroughly enjoyed Meade’s newest urban fantasy and look forward to reading more about the McQueen’s and their world.

Rating: B

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