Autumn Moon by Jan DeLima
Series: Celtic Wolves, #3
Paranormal Romance
Released: September 28, 2015
Ace
Reviewed by Tori
Favorite Quote: “He’d waited centuries for her. Was it too much that she wait a few months for him to be worthy of her?”
Cormack has spent centuries trapped in his wolf form, unable to shift. Shunned by humans and shifters alike, his only salvation was with a young woman named Elen. Elen, also shunned because of her unusual magic, welcomes Cormack into her life and the two build a bond nothing can shatter.
When Elen is able to heal Cormack of his inability to shift, Cormack experiences true freedom for the first time in forever. Having always admired and respected Elen, Cormack now realises that his feelings for her are much much deeper and he wants to have it all with her.
But someone else wants Elen to. Someone who will do anything, hurt anyone, to take control of her and her gifts. Cormack must use every skill at his disposal if he is going to save his woman from a fate worse than death.
I first discovered Ms. DeLima’s Celtic Wolves series while at Coastal Magic Con 2014. I bought books one and two and devoured both quickly. A dark passionate paranormal series with romance, suspense, and some delicious action packed scenes all overlaid with a strong dose of celtic/welsh mythology. Though each story is dedicated to one hero and heroine with a romance and resolvable conflict; the arc is strong, multi plotted, and overflows from story to story. I do not recommend reading these out of order.
The Celtic Moon series is a paranormal series that revolves around tribes of wolf shifters and Guardians. The Guardians, the rulers of the shifters, have subverted their power over the centuries, using unmated females as breeding stock and killing off the weaker shifters who are unable to shift. Now the shifter tribes are revolting, wanting to live their lives in peace and freedom. This book picks up right after book two, Summer Moon, ends. The shifters barely won the battle between them and the Guardians and now the shifters are gearing up for the full-out war that is coming.
During the battle of Avon, Elen, sister to Dylan, the alpha of her village, uses her magic to save her nephew’s life by stripping a Guardian of his magic. She in turn gives the magic to Cormack, lifting the curse that has plagued him. In doing this, she opens up a door to something thought lost long ago. This draws the attention of Pendaran, the vile leader of the Guardians. He begins to court her, wanting the power she has for his own use. When Cormack learns of this, he realises that the time has come for him to make his feelings for her known but first he must soothe Elen’s hurt feelings. Cormack has been staying with Dylan since he regained his powers, wanting to relearn his humanity out from under Elen’s watchful eye. He knows her need to help him would only interfere with his need to do it on his own. But before he can tell her how he feels, Elen is betrayed and given over to the Guardians.
I love we finally get Elen and Cormack’s story. They have played a central role in the ongoing arc since book one. Though they are at this center of this story, the conflict is a bit stronger and divulges deeper than the romance. Cormack’s and Elen’s bond is strong. Built on friendship and affection, their ‘romance’ has essentially been developing for centuries. When Cormack is healed, they are finally given the chance to be together as they were always meant to be. Mild misunderstandings occur but DeLima doesn’t waste time and allows them to be easily cleared up. The love scenes were minimal but their time together is a lovely mixture of innocence and enthusiasm that stays true to their personalities.
The well plotted storyline intertwines with the romance, using multiple subplots and an expansion of the world and subsequent arc to help strengthen what is already in play. DeLima uses some devious twists and turns, to force the story down it’s intended path. Further development on the legends portion only adds to the suspense and anticipation of what’s coming.
The main conflict continues to address the long standing racism and antagonism that exists between the shifters and Guardians, drawing in and expanding the story in fascinating directions. New enemies and allies emerge, each holding an important puzzle piece to towards the big picture while we see plenty of old faces and learn more about their roles in the storm that’s coming.
The ending is an intense, violent, action packed roller coaster ride of deception, betrayal, and reward as Cormack and Elen fight to protect their love and their family. DeLima continues to improve this series with each new installment and I am excited to see where she takes us next.
RATING: B
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