Bodies drained of blood are scattered around New York City. With a serial killer on the loose, Mackenzie Grey is obsessed with solving the murders. She dives into her work at the Supernatural Investigative Unit to forget about the events that dismantled her Pack a year ago. When the killer makes Kenz the target, she falls down the rabbit hole and discovers she has a lot more to do with these … murders than she realized.
As her past creeps up behind her, she must swallow her pride and seek aid from old and new friends.
In the epic finale of the Mackenzie Grey: Origins series, she will finally become the wolf she is destined to be…
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As soon as I heard about this book being available to read I was eager to receive my copy to read and review. I’ve loved all the previous books in this series so far but this is the last in the series, so I wondered if it would live up to my expectations, and how would it end? Would it be such a final ending that the characters could never be revisited, or would the author leave us the reader still having to answer some of the many questions ourselves, leaving the possibility of a return in the future?
Once again on this cover the kick-ass Mackenzie Grey is front and centre, with the background being the real image of where the Brooklyn Pack warehouse is. This cover fits perfectly with the rest of the series too. I have to say I also loved the original covers.
As the blurb reveals dead bodies are turning up all around New York, some are human, and some are supernatural. Mackenzie and the rest of the Supernatural Investigations Unit have to work out why these deaths are happening, who or what is doing them before they can even plan how to stop them. Mackenzie isn’t on top form at all, still carrying a lot of guilt about what happened to best friend, Luna Blu as well as the other Luna’s that answered her call to stand up for themselves. Mackenzie has been ignoring her wolf for some time now and finds it extremely painful to shift at all. Lieutenant Briggs head of the SIU has to bring in another lycan to make up the numbers of his officers (you’ll learn why when you read the book. I am trying my best here not to give any spoilers!). This new officer that Mackenzie instantly dislikes is Cassidy Chang a member of the Queens’ pack. It takes a lot of time for Mackenzie to accept Cas let alone accept his help with her wolf. I mean after the type of attention Mackenzie has had from some wolves you can’t blame her for being suspicious of Cassidy and his motives. At one point in the book when Mackenzie has reached out to Bash, and things are still unresolved, he turns up at her flat and upon finding Cassidy there jumps to the conclusion Mackenzie has “moved on” and is in a relationship with him. The thing about Mackenzie and Bash they are so stubborn around each other. If they would just sit down and talk through everything with each other they could sort out any problems and move on either together or apart. I seriously wanted to shout at them both at times in this book. Another wolf who needs a good shaking & talking to is Jackson who can’t seem to get over the fact the love of his life is now a vampire, as well as the fact his brother Jonah is staying and working in Scotland. . . . and then other things happen to him. . . . Jonah is the one who has a right to mope about and be moody etc but what he does. . .well. I know this probably isn’t making a great deal of sense but trust me when you read the book…wow!
As the plot develops it becomes clear that all these deaths are somehow tethered to Mackenzie. First she must break this connection and then face the reality of who she is as a human as well as a wolf. She has to kind of learn to coexist and become at one with her wolf, to trust her instincts. This becomes even more needed when she discovers she has another ability which enlarges the ever present target on her back! Of course she has the SIU, with new addition Cassidy, but she soon comes to realise she will need more than her fellow lycans to defeat the “dark force” that is planning to take over not only the supernatural’s world but the humans and their world too! We see the return of some evil characters we have already met whom Mackenzie has to battle with and defeat once and for all with her mixed supernatural army of friends behind her. So yes we get another great fix of Sebastian, Jonah and Jackson. Then there’s Amy and how she is coping with her new life and the realities of being a vampire. During the battle old partnerships return and new bonds are made, there’s even help from some rather unexpected sources too.
I could seriously go on and on about this book. I want to talk all about it but not spoil the revelations in the book for other readers. If you have loved the rest of the series then you should really adore this last book. You really go through a load of emotions reading this book, there’s times you will smile, times you will want to shout at some of the characters in the book (yep Mackenzie included), and then there’s the strong emotion in reaction to how far Mackenzie is prepared to go for, and sacrifice for her best friend, to undo the harm she feels she has caused her. One of the older characters that returns when they are most needed, is Lucian and he had me in tears! I truly love his character, a proper old fashioned gentleman. I love his terms of endearment, when he calls Mackenzie “Pet”.
I even ended up feeling affection towards a couple of the so called “bad guy” characters. One, is wanted by the SIU, but may also be the one that could help Mackenzie with a personal goal of fixing something for a close friend. The other is Malaki, a member of the Fae…and we all know how the Fae cannot be trusted! To be honest I really don’t usually like Fae in books as characters at all, but this is one of the few series with them in, that I do really enjoy them in. Obviously my favourite character is a “no brainer” it’s Mackenzie, the kick-ass, no nonsense, female lycan who wants to change the existing “traditional” role of Luna’s. Mackenzie is an idol/hero to the young Luna’s. Mackenzie has managed what was initially considered impossible and has managed to persuade some of the Alphas and packs to reconsider their treatment of Lunas. A change that will continue to be slow and a learning experience along the way.
To say I loved the book is kind of an understatement! The way the books ends is good. I’d say some “issues” are left for the reader to decide how they will end. For me the way things were left, still left me with questions, as well as wanting even more. Maybe Karina will revisit these characters again? Or maybe they will be featured in another series? Or there could be more books at a later date? (I hope so!).
My first thoughts as I finished were. . . Karina! really!? That can’t be the absolute end! I still want more, I want more about the different Supernatural Investigations Unit, more of the Brooklyn Pack and the possibilities new Luna’s will bring. So to sum up I’ve truly loved, and adored reading this series from the very beginning to the very end. It would be so amazing to re-visit these characters a little down the line maybe. . . .? I can wish for more, you never know? To Karina I want to say thank you for a fantastic series, filled with characters so brilliant, I have become so attached to and don’t want to believe I have to say goodbye to them!