Book Review: “Captive of Wolves” by Eva Chase
Captive of Wolves
Eva Chase
Published by Ink Spark Press
When Talia’s family are killed, the men responsible kidnap her and lock her in a cage, taking her blood and keeping her chained. But another group arrive, similar to the monsters she knows, and Talia doesn’t know if she can trust them. They take her away from the cage, but she remains a prisoner. At least this time she has a room, a bed, and proper food.
Paranormal Romance is one of those genres I often find myself dipping into, and it’s a genre I absolutely love even if I don’t read a whole lot of it. Captive of Wolves is, I think, the first ‘reverse harem’ novel I’ve read, and I admit I only know the term because of seeing it on other reviews. I really like the idea of this trope, and to me, this book handled it well. Because it uses multiple POVs, we don’t just see things through Talia’s eyes, but through the eyes of the men who have saved her, too. It adds more layers, though Chase does a good job of holding back key information without it feeling forced or dishonest.
I also really liked the use of the werewolf trope. These aren’t cursed men, they are cursed fae, who have other powers and abilities outside their monthly changes. The way these are woven together is done really well, and the conflict these men face feels real. They want Talia to be comfortable and happy, and are outraged at her previous treatment, but they need her blood, and releasing her back home might cause more problems for them and her.
The worldbuilding here is great, despite the setting being focused originally in a cage, then in the larger house, we still get ideas of the outside world revealed through dialogue and interactions among the fae. It doesn’t feel forced, either, as sometimes happens, and resists info-dumping, instead allowing us to discover layers of the world as Talia does. I also liked the differences in the ways they all interacted with her, and how she adapted to each one, learning carefully what she can say in the presence of one, but perhaps not around the others.
All the characters are fleshed out and it’s easy to connect with each on deeper levels. Talia’s character arc moved well, and though I can see how it might be a bit fast for some, to me it felt like she was mainly adapting to the situation she was in.
Overall I really enjoyed this book, and I look forward to checking out book two in Bound to the Fae, and perhaps in the meantime I’ll keep an eye out for more reverse harem Paranormal Romances.
Grade: A
Review by Elle Turpitt
@elleturpitt
I received this e-book from publisher Ink Spark Press via NetGalley for review consideration.