"Werewolves want to wreck libraries and weredogs want to save books. Who will win?"
Reviewed by Clare O'Beara
Posted May 3, 2015
Fantasy | Science Fiction | Paranormal
A race of shapeshifting werewolves is out to destroy the
world's books. Fortunately for our libraries, there's a
dog
whose mission it is to stop the vandals. REPRINTED has a
premise that made me laugh out loud, then want to read the
story.
We start in New York, where a Werewolves Conglomerate has
been pirating e-books and distributing them free. Pacifico
Lopez is a dog-shifter who is opposed to werewolves; his
own people act to preserve libraries and publishing.
Pacifico has tracked down the pirating software to a major
building where Dominika Romano directs operations. Landy
Romano is in the office however, one of the firm's
daughters and a book-lover, as it happens. She'd like to
be
brave enough to publish a good book from the slush pile,
despite her alpha sister's jeers that she must be half
wolf, half dog. Sybilla Romano is bigger, stronger with a
snarly nature so maybe there is something to that jibe.
Sybilla ensures that Landy doesn't get to talk to the
inquisitive Pacifico - dogs are not welcome in wolf
territory. And what Landy doesn't know about the firm's
activities won't hurt her.
The clothing issue is overcome by mixing a little magic
with the genetic ability to shapechange - wolves needed to
change back fully dressed to survive among humans. I
enjoyed the constant humour and satire; the werewolf
publishers have a policy of rejecting good work and
ignoring most submissions, while the pirated books are
being copied by Davy Jones Inc. Pacifico is a Chihuahua
from the Yucatan peninsula and loves Mexican food;
although
he's a business owner who has accumulated high-tech firms,
the alpha dog takes the lead in person.
The action flies off to a luxury resort in the Caribbean,
fittingly for pirates, where we discover that werewolves
like luxury as much as anyone. Landy is earnestly trying
to
get a vampire girl librarian's memoir published, under the
guise of a New Adult book, while the evil empire of her
family firm is plotting to seize and destroy all
computerised copies of books everywhere. The contrasts are
great fun and any avid reader or aspiring author will get
a
kick out of finding out what happens. The romantic
interests are well written for a general readership, and
characters may be one-sided but it's easy to follow their
issues. The heartless wolfish comment about hurricanes
destroying libraries and their contents is a good example.
This splendid shifter series by Amber Polo is called
The
Shapeshifters' Library and there have been a few
earlier
instalments as the wolves attempt to destroy libraries and
dogs have to foil their plans. REPRINTED is silly, sassy
and satirical - and secretly we suspect it's all true.
SUMMARY
For centuries a magical race of shapeshifting dogs have
protected the world's libraries from evil book-burning
werewolves. But when Chihuahua-shifter Pacifico Lopez,
techno-genius inventor of Zoogle, the world's most
powerful
search engine, discovers a werewolf plot that threatens
to
destroy the world of books, dog-shifters face their
biggest
challenge yet. Werewolf Landy Romero, an editor at wolf-owned World Wide
Publishing, and secret book lover, is horrified to learn
that Pacifico thinks her own company is sabotaging books.
Their quest to track down ebook pirates takes them to a
werewolf Caribbean island resort where they discover an
e-book thieving sailing vessel called The Cloud, a
diabolical book distribution plant, enslaved dog-shifters
who hold the secret to the true dog-shifter/ werewolf
history, and an unlikely romance. In this most exciting Shapeshifters' Library adventure
yet,
Pacifico and Landy are thrust into the heart of a
tropical
storm as they battle lies and uncover injustice and
betrayal. And the truth, when exposed, will change
everything they believe about themselves and their world,
forever.
ExcerptPacifico Lopez stared at the elevator door. Anger had
brought him to New York City. Just the smell of this
werewolf office tower made him want to bare his teeth.
For months he’d applied his software conglomerate’s
resources to track down an international book piracy
operation. At last he had proof the werewolves’ World
Wide Publishing, WWP, was stealing ebooks by the millions
and giving them away free from an unknown location.Pacifico pulled himself as tall as his five foot two
height allowed. His black fedora and shoulder pads added
height and bulk and he’d need every centimeter to face
Dominika Romano. Online photos showed she looked like an
older version of her daughter Sybilla, who’d for years
terrorized his town of Shipsfeather. Tall with terrible
fierce beauty, the Romano women were alpha from their
Mediterranean noses to the tip of their plumed tails. With a whoosh the door parted. He stepped onto the black
ninety-ninth floor marble lobby. The gold letters WWP
floated over the receptionist’s head next to a swirly
abstract logo that looked like a wolf swallowing a
penguin. Pacifico removed his hat, grasped his briefcase
tighter, and marched toward the desk with all the
confidence of a CEO of the world’s dominant software
company. Known to prefer to do business electronically,
the financial press called him the most brilliant recluse
since Howard Hughes. Ready to do battle, he would expose damned Dominika if
she didn’t shut down the scam ruining the book world.
Werewolves only entered publishing to dominate and
intimidate other publishers and demoralize librarians and
dog-shifters dedicated to disseminating knowledge. The
woman behind the desk looked up and opened her mouth.
When he strode past, she demanded, “Where are you going?”
to his well-tailored back. He heard the receptionist phone security as the soles of
his Italian-made shoes tapped stone-tiled floor, sending
echoes against walls lined with museum quality paintings. The hall ended at a huge double door labeled D. Romano,
Publisher. Pacifico didn’t slow but pushed open the door
and stepped inside, primed to demand Dominika end all
illegal operations immediately or he’d point all Zoogle’s
resources into shutting down WWP, ruining her personally,
impeaching her former husband Senator Dante Romano, and
if necessary revealing them all as werewolves. That last
would, of course, be the last resort, for exposing
werewolves would also expose the worldwide community of
dog-shifters whose librarians kept safe the world’s
knowledge and literature. As the door closed behind him, his brow wrinkled and he
blinked. Instead of the terrifying werewolf he’d
expected, a petite young woman peered at him over reading
glasses. His eyes scanned the office the size of most New York
bistros, black leather except for the red carpet under
the ebony desk and book-lined walls. Behind the desk a
window framed a classic New York skyline. He squinted in
the midafternoon light to see the woman who leaned over a
messy pile of papers. Whoever she was, she was not
Dominika Romano. Perhaps a secretary or gofer, but not
the most powerful woman in a city run by powerful women. The woman stood, her delicate body draped in a black
dress, a white cardigan pulled over her shoulders. He stepped closer, “I’m looking for Ms. Romano,” and
noticed exotic periwinkle blue eyes against her pale
face. Her voice was hesitant as she smoothed her blond curls.
“I am Ms. Romano. Who are you?” He saw a flicker of recognition in her eyes before he
replied, “Pacifico Lopez, Zoogle Corp. But you’re not
Dominika.” He smelled a faint scent of frangipani and his
face flushed. She snugged her sweater tight over her chest. “That’s my
mother. She’s out of town. I’m Atlandia Romano. Her
daughter.” Then added, “Mr. Lopez.” Pacifico realized he was staring. Atlandia looked nothing
like her mother or Sybilla. This lovely woman didn’t look
like she could even be a werewolf. His face softened and
he smiled, then remembered he’d come on serious business. Behind him doors flew open and two ugly security guards
entered, burly werewolves that appeared to be wolf-hyena
crosses. The bigger one growled, “Want us to hurt him,
miz?” Atlandia shook her head. “I’m fine. Leave us alone.” When they left, she raised her chin and asked, “Why did
you come, Mr. Lopez?” Pacifico stepped closer to the desk. “I have information
that WWP operates an international ebook piracy
operation. I want your mother to shut it down.” The look on Atlandia’s face told him she had no idea what
he was talking about. “You must be mistaken, sir. This is a legitimate
publishing company. Not financially successful, but I try
to publish—” The door burst open again and Sybilla Romano stepped in
looking as mean as in the days she was Alpha of the
Shipsfeather Pack. Her black Armani suit and knife-sharp
stilettos accented her werewolf bitch style suit. Her
raven chignon was pulled so tight that the edges of her
darting dark eyes slanted up. “Landy, whatever is this
dog doing in Mother’s office?” She approached Pacifico,
looked down her prominent nose at him, and laughed. “Dog-
shifters should be leashed. Or are little lap dogs an
exception?” Pacifico bristled. “Sybilla, this is not your business.” “Ha! Chihuahua-shifter, you have no business with my
little sister.” She turned to Landy. “Will you put the
dog out or will I have to do it?” Landy rubbed her hands together and seemed to shrink next
to her sister’s powerful persona. Sybilla snapped at Pacifico, “Get out! Now scat!” Pacifico didn’t move. He looked at Landy who seemed too
frightened of her sister to speak. He removed a gold pen
from his inside jacket pocket and wrote on a business
card. Sliding it across the desk towards Landy, he said,
“My card,” and with a nod strode past Sybilla and out the
door.
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