"Action-packed Paranormal Romance with Innovative Characters and Superb World Building"
Reviewed by Monique Daoust
Posted January 1, 2015
Romance | Romance Paranormal
Celia Lawson is making a life for herself in Sedona
Arizona, after having fled her home of the Colony.
Malcolm Daniels, the man who broke Celia's heart a few
years before has travelled to Sedona and needs to find
her because the crystals in the Colony must soon be
rejuvenated, or else their home is threatened. Celia is a
shapeshifting werewolf, as is Malcolm, and she has been
passing herself off as human in Sedona. However she is
the only one who able to infuse the crystals with the
magic that protects her pack from the Gauliacho and the
Abatu. The Gauliacho are demons in shadow form who have
been hunting the shifters for a thousand years; and to do
so they invade the bodies of suitable humans, known as
Abatu. On his way to Celia's, Malcolm is attacked by
their enemies, and he and Celia must make a quick escape
in wolf form, but they hadn't counted on Celia's cousins
who were visiting, to witness their change...
LYING WITH WOLVES follows a previous book in this series,
and while LYING WITH WOLVES can easily be read as a
standalone, I do wish I had read the first
instalmentRunning with Wolves. However Ms. Cooke
does a splendid job at giving sufficient background
information to enjoy LYING WITH WOLVES, because the world
building is extremely intricate and meticulous.
Shapeshifters are not my favourite kind of paranormal
creatures, but I was curious to read how Ms. Cooke would
fare because she has demonstrated in her more recent
endeavours that she has enormous talent at world
building, and she succeeds again!
Malcom and Celia's true nature is shapeshifting; the
paranormal angle is not merely incidental but intrinsic
to the plot, and they are superb werewolves! The story is
quite complex, yet easy to follow, due to the author's
narrative clarity, exceptional descriptive ability, and
effortless prose. The villains, the Gauliacho and the
Abatu, deserve a special mention: they are extraordinary
creatures, some of the most creative villains I have ever
seen; they are innovative, understated, mysterious yet
spectacular and quite scary. There are several major
characters involved, and some from the first book feature
prominently, though as background figures, but whose
importance is crucial to the story arc; and all the
characters are multifaceted, whether principals or
secondary players.
LYING WITH WOLVES is no ordinary paranormal romance: the
action aspect predominates and is intrinsic to the
reunion between Malcolm and Celia; their relationship is
strained, and for good reason. Although they still love
each other, Celia has a hard time dealing with Malcolm's
betrayal and recklessness; they do not fall in each
other's arms at the drop of a hat. Ms. Cooke has penned
another superlative paranormal romance, and she has
become my new go-to author in paranormal romance because
she always brings something new to the genre!
SUMMARY
Only her powerful magic can save the Colony and the man
she loves… In the wake of a betrayal, Celia Lawson, the last of a
preeminent magical bloodline, is building a new life for
herself outside the security of the Colony. Meanwhile,
demon raiders have breached the protective barriers of
the
compound and are threatening everyone she loves. When she
learns of the tragedy, Celia races home to help mount a
magical offensive—and finds comfort back in the arms of
the shifter who broke her heart…. Risking exposure for all that he's done, Malcolm Daniels
wants only to redeem himself with the pack and win back
Celia's trust. But as demon forces invade, Celia's magic—
and her own conflicted feelings for Malcolm—will be
tested
in ways neither of them ever would have imagined.
ExcerptAs the first streaks of dawn lit the horizon, she ran.
Her paws scraped along the fine red dust of the desert
floor as she dashed through creosote bushes, snakeweed
and prickly pear cacti, her nose filling with the honey
scent of graythorn.She paused, catching a different scent—the tangy musk of
fear. Her sharp eyes scanned the area in the lingering
darkness as she searched the desert floor for shadows,
for movement, for something to chase. And there it was,
frozen next to a sage bush, impossibly large ears
twitching, its round eyes wide with fear. A jackrabbit. She gave chase—the rabbit's scent filling her nose, the
rapid pounding of its small heart thumping in her ears.
The rabbit jumped, launching itself at least ten feet,
its long legs propelling it at impossibly fast speeds as
it zigzagged through yucca and agave. Exaltation urged Celia faster. She chased the little
creature while the sun, cresting beyond the stark
canyons, lit the sky in an explosion of color. Power
pulsed through her body, with each step rejoicing in her
freedom as she raced through the morning air. She wished
she could run like this all day but knew it would be too
risky here in the Arizona desert, where people rose with
the sun. Then she heard the sound she'd been so afraid would come. Just a murmur at first, far in the distance, but then the
sound grew louder. Closer. Humans. Warily she paused, letting the rabbit get away. Early-
morning campers were up ahead in the canyon. She spun,
racing away. Too late. Someone yelled a warning to the
others. A commotion sounded. The parking lot was just
ahead. Her legs, pumping hard, carried her quickly to her
car. In the lightening sky, she deftly changed back to
her human form, standing naked in the cool morning air
until she could reach her clothes inside. A wolf living among humans was a bad idea. And this was
only one of the reasons why. Striking out on her own,
leaving the safety of the Colony, was not going to be
easy. But for her, freedom from the Colony was worth the
price. Freedom from seeing Malcolm every day, from hearing his
voice or sensing him in the forest when she ran, knowing
he'd be sleeping with her every night—a woman who would
give him the control he so desperately craved. Freedom
from that was worth any price she had to pay. Even if she had to live each and every moment hiding her
true self from humans and from the demons who were
determined to hunt her down and kill her. Celia Lawson's nerves bunched as she gazed out the large
picture window at the red rock mountains. It had been
almost two weeks since she was able to transform, to
stretch her legs and run. To feel the sweet night air
against her face, to chase rabbits and run free. She was
trapped in this shop of soaps, lotions and scented
candles. Transforming here put her at risk of discovery.
Humans were a concern, but the bigger threat were the
Gauliacho. The demons in shadow form had hunted the
shifters for a millennium. They wouldn't overlook her. She ran her finger across the large red crystal in front
of her. The only protection she had from the demons were
the crystals composed of dark energy that negated the
shifter's energy signature, effectively hiding them from
the Gauliacho and the lost humans they possessed—the
Abatu. The irony wasn't lost on Celia that even though she was
free of the Colony, from Malcolm, by leaving the safety
of the Colony's borders, she was now trapped in a prison
of the shop's four walls, hiding behind the energy of the
crystals. Energy only she as the Keeper of the crystals
had the power to rejuvenate. She looked longingly at the mountains one last time. She
couldn't take the chance, even if her skin felt as if it
were on fire. She bounced up and down on her feet,
anxiety growing within her by the minute. She had never
gone this long without making the change to her natural
state. Was it the need to run free that had her so wound
up or something else? Something coming. Abatu? A lost human soul with no will of his own, who
didn't have the strength of character to keep the
Gauliacho from latching on and hitching a ride. Abatu
were rudderless and easily manipulated and gave the
Gauliacho a physical form to track the shifters. To
search them out and destroy them one by one. There were
more of them around lately, almost as if they had her
scent but couldn't quite find her. But as frightening as the Abatu could be, it was the
Gauliacho themselves in their shadow form that struck
terror into Celia's heart. She'd dreamed about them as a
child, their insidious whispering, the way they'd get
inside her mind and stop her cold, turning her muscles to
water. Throngs of people crowded the busy Sedona Street. She
should open the door and welcome them into Desert Winds.
Thanks to her cousin's recipes of organic soaps and
lotions, they were doing a quick and steady business. And
she would invite the shoppers in. She just needed…a
minute. Pressure built inside her chest, squeezed her
lungs and made it difficult to breathe. She needed to
run, to escape the walls of the shop, if only for an
hour. Tonight, she promised herself, when the moon was high in
the sky, she would drive deep into the desert where only
the coyotes dared roam. She stretched her arms high above
her head and turned her shoulders, left, then right until
the bones in her back popped. It was times like this that
she missed the redwood forests of home, the wide-open
meadows and majestic peaks of the jagged, soaring
mountains. But when she thought of home, a deep ache
settled within her, a longing that twisted and pulled
with a sharpness that shredded her insides. Longing for
what should have been, and pain for what wasn't. Pain
caused by Malcolm. Malcolm. His name whispered across her mind, conjured
eyes of forest-green and a smile that could melt the
coldest ice-covered peaks that surrounded her home at the
Colony. She pushed his image away. She would not think of
him. She deserved better. Here in this red desert so far
from the lush green forests of home was her chance to
start over. The tinkling of the Kokopelli chimes rang as her twin
cousins, Ruby and Jade James, burst into the shop. Celia
had come to Sedona specifically to find them. She'd grown
up hearing about her crazy aunt who'd left the Colony to
find adventure and had fallen in love with a human.
Together they'd had twin baby girls. She wondered for
years what her human cousins were like and if they would
they make the change, too. "You like them?" Ruby asked, pointing to the peacock
feathers in her hair. "I loved your eagle feather so much
I had to get a feather for myself. Not too many eagle
feathers lying around on the ground here, though. But I
thought this was real pretty." Celia smiled and ran her fingertips along the smooth
feather twined in her hair. "My mother said this feather
would be perfect for me, since I've always wanted to fly
away from home and be free." Ruby laughed. "Really? I can't imagine why. How beautiful
your home in the mountains must be. You have to take me
there sometime to see it. Plus, I'm dying to meet my aunt
Jaya." "Absolutely," Celia enthused, but she knew she wouldn't.
Humans were not allowed into the Colony. Not even if they
were married to a shifter, or were a shifter's offspring.
Unless those offspring made the change. But with half-
breeds, no one ever knew if they would or even when. Ruby
and Jade hadn't, and because their mother had died when
they were so young, they were completely unaware that the
possibility for them to transform into shifters even
existed. Which, she supposed, was for the best. But the reminder of her mother sent a pang of
homesickness echoing through her. Celia wished she could
see her again or even talk to her. But her mother refused
to use modern contraptions, referring to them as the
downfall of humanity. Celia sighed. Malcolm believed the
exact opposite and filled the village with as many
computers and telephones and televisions as he could. "You are going to love this new concoction we came up
with for our lotions," Ruby said, dropping her natural
hemp bag on a nearby table with a loud thud. "Not only
does it feel incredible, but we've added sandalwood oil,
a natural aphrodisiac. Now not only will the wearer feel
silky smooth—" "And relaxed," Jade interceded. "But it will make them in the mood for love," Ruby said
in a singsong voice while holding the lotion under
Celia's nose. "Smell." Celia took a whiff and smiled. "It does smell good." She
pulled away. "But since love is not something I'm looking
for, I don't think I'll put any on." "Smart move," Jade said. "Especially after the
incantation she put on it." Celia smiled. She didn't doubt it. She might be able to
wield the energy in the crystals, but her cousins could
work magic with herbs, oils and spells. Jade opened a box and handed the bottles to her sister,
who strategically arranged them in the window. "Ruby was
up half the night practicing—" Celia flinched as Ruby picked up the dark red crystal
Celia had placed in the center of the windowsill facing
due north, and moved toward the counter. Celia lurched forward to stop her. "That can't be moved,"
she said, and snatched the crystal out of her hand. Ruby looked up at her, startled. "Why not?" she asked,
sounding surprised and a touch confused. She took a step
back from the crystal, rubbing her hands across her
jeans. Celia cringed at her too-sharp tone. "I'm sorry." She
smiled and tried to soften her words. "I have four of
them placed at each compass point of the room for
protection. They can't be moved." "Protection from what?" Jade asked, her icicle-blue eyes
narrowing as she studied her. From the Gauliacho, who want to kill me. But Celia
couldn't tell them that. She could never reveal the truth
of who and what she was. Not even to them. It was better
they didn't know the horrific details of how their mother
died, or how easily she could just disappear one day.
Even though her aunt, like Celia and her mother, had been
a Keeper, the crystals' power hadn't been able to protect
her from the demons. As Keepers, they alone had the gift to rejuvenate the
dark energy of the stones and keep the protective force
field strong. But as her mother had warned, she couldn't
stay away from the Colony for too long. Keeper or not,
she would be safe only in the Colony. Aunt Sue's death
had been proof of that. "I'm sorry. Old Native American folklore." Celia forced a
smile and spun to place the crystal back in the window. "No problem," Ruby said, continuing to rub her hands
across her jeans. She began rearranging her bottles
again. But the happy mood had been broken. Celia glanced out the window again as an uncomfortable
skittering raced once more along her nerves. Something was definitely coming. Something or someone. Malcolm Daniels sped along the winding desert road
through mountains unlike any he'd seen before. And
completely unlike the towering ragged granite peaks he'd
left behind at the Colony. The deep red of the rocks of
the Arizona desert were stunning against the backdrop of
blue sky, but the sparse trees and wide-openness of the
land left little room for cover against prying eyes. Here
there was nowhere to run without being seen. No way to
hide. How could Celia stand it? He was getting closer to her now. He could feel her—a
wave of warmth in the pit of his stomach that spread out
to encompass him. Their connection was strong. She might
think she could run away from him, but there was no
running from the bond they shared. He would find her and
he'd make her come back to the Colony. She had to return
to rejuvenate the boundary stones. If she didn't, if he
couldn't bring her back to the Colony in time, the
shifters would die. He would find her. Even if she hated him for it. He touched the string of stones on his wrist, running his
finger over the black-and-red crystals that offered
protection for three days. Day three was here, and if he
didn't find Celia soon, his presence would become known
to every demon out there. In physical form and in shadow. He slowed his truck as he turned the bend on 89A and the
town came into view. Small eclectic shops and restaurants
lined either side of the highway displaying woodcarvings,
paintings, crystals, beads and palm readings in this
metaphysical mecca. He crawled past several stores, each quaint and unique
with outdoor tables and pots overflowing with bright
flowers. His gaze shot to a storefront displaying an
abundance of beauty products. Copper vortexes spun
outside the large picture window, but his eyes fixated on
the large red crystal sitting on the sill. A crystal from the Colony. This was it. Finally! A quarter mile down the street, he found a parking place
and pulled into it. His heart was pounding. He rubbed his
damp palm on his jeans. He'd wanted to see her. Had
thought of nothing else during his three-day journey, but
now that he'd found her… How was he going to tell her
what had happened to Jaya? He walked slowly toward the shop, trying to think of
words that should never have to be said or heard. What
was the best way to break someone's heart? "I'm sorry.I don't know where to start," he said,
practicing, not paying attention when a large man stepped
out of a restaurant directly in front of him. Almost
plowing into him, Malcolm sidestepped the man,
stiffening, his eyes widening. Malevolence, thick and
rancid, rolled off the man. An Abatu. Dammit! Malcolm kept his head down and kept going,
adrenaline surging through him, kicking up his heartbeat.
The Abatu hesitated on the curb. Malcolm continued
forward, hoping there was still enough energy in the
stones on his wrist to keep him shielded. Through the reflection in the restaurant's large picture
window, Malcolm saw the Abatu turn toward him, confusion
tightening his face for a long moment before he finally
spun around and walked away. Malcolm let out a relieved
breath. He got by him. This time. If he was going to find Celia and get his crystals
regenerated, he'd better do it soon.
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