Preston Alexander has wanted to see the world for as long as he can remember. Now, an opportunity has presented itself. A supposedly haunted item needs transporting clear across the Atlantic. James and William can’t take it, so Preston jumps at the chance. He may not know nearly as much about the dead as his friends, but surely it can’t be that difficult. Besides, he won’t be alone: Benjamin will … will be at his side, and together, they’ve always been able to handle anything.
After abandoning his new job and the strained relationship with his father, and still grieving the loss of his mother, Benjamin Prichard is eager to figure out his place and purpose in life. He isn’t keen on the idea of travelling across the world, but if it means staying with Preston and keeping him out of trouble, he’s willing to give it a go.
But their trip isn’t exactly the holiday they’d hoped for. Not only is their cargo possessed, but it’s also sought after by a mysterious group led by a man with supernatural abilities far beyond what either of them thought humanly possible.
They aren’t just being trailed; they’re being hunted.
This time, the true danger is as much the living as it is the dead.
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A great third installment. High stakes, extra-creepy antagonists, and some really ominous hints of what’s to come.
The Wrath of Wolves was one of my most anticipated books, probably ever. After reading A Shimmer in the Night I could not wait for more of Preston and Benji, and let me just say, Kelly York and Rowan Altwood did not disappoint! I’ve got to say, Benji and Preston are giving William and James a run for their money, when it comes to being my favorite Dark is the Night couple!
I loved that Preston and Benji’s story is different, yet similar to James & William’s. While I think James & William are better equipped to handle the heavier paranormal stuff, Benji and Preston did a very admirable job with all that was thrown their way. I think the fact that this story focused a little more on the danger and mystery of the “Wolves” worked really well for them. There was still enough of a paranormal element to the story, which allowed us to learn more about Benji’s powers. And woah, did he have some interesting powers!
This story kept me on edge from the time Benji and Preston first set foot on American soil until pretty much the very end. There was a point where I did get a little complacent, thinking all would be fine- I should have known better! Just when I thought all was well, something else, something even worse, was thrown at us and I wasn’t sure any of us would recover!
It was wonderful seeing Benji grow throughout this story, from his quiet, unassuming self, to someone willing to stand up to Preston. I understand why Preston treats him the way he does, wanting to look after him, and I love him for it, but it was great to see Benji assert himself a little. Preston cares so much about Benji, and while he never wavered in wanting to protect him, he did finally relax (might not be quite the right word!) enough so that Benji was able to find his own way and stand on his own feet.
“I did not want the world to get a hold of Benjamin and ruin him.”
I loved getting to be in both Preston and Benji’s heads. I liked that we were able to see the vulnerability of each character from the other’s point of view. I just adore their relationship! They have a similar “power’ balance as James and William, but in their own way. I loved the slow build up, and when they had their first kiss, guh my heart! It made me cry.
Finally, finally, Benji leans down and presses his mouth to mine. If there was ever a moment I was born for, it was this.
I am definitely wanting more from this series, that is for sure! There’s still so much to learn about this group, but it’s all starting to tie together from AHITS, especially there at the end. I can’t wait to be back with James & William and Preston & Benji. I don’t think I will ever tire of this series.
This is it. The Wrath of Wolves is the first book on my Best of 2020 list. I’m calling it now. Kelley York and Rowan Altwood continue to impress, awe, and captivate me with a diligence and dedication to their characters and this world that left me chilled and breathless at the same time.
Benjamin Prichard and Preston Alexander have been devoted to each other for years, but they have never declared their feelings outright. In fact, there’s a point where Preston thinks he’s lost Benji for good, so when Benji shows up on the Alexander’s doorstep, unannounced, to accompany Preston to America, there are more things left unsaid than declared between them. The way Preston has always watched over Benji—sometimes not in a way Benji appreciates but will tolerate because he loves Preston—is a point of contention between them that eventually plays into the danger they’re mired in from the near moment they embark on their journey to deliver a mysterious box filled with unknown cargo to its buyer. A box that’s allegedly haunted. A box that, as it turns out, is hella haunted and is being pursued by a shadow group known as The Order. The only thing I know about The Order at this point is that they are not to be underestimated, are lethal in dark and uncanny ways, and “the boss” will use any means at their disposal to get what they want, which includes Nathaniel Chase, a man who was introduced in A Hymn in the Silence and who, along with his group of accomplices, plays a significant role in this book.
As has been the case since book one of the Dark Is the Night series, York and Altwood epitomize what it means to craft a horror story that is truly horrifying without it being gratuitously violent or exaggerated. The thrills are thrilling, the chills chilling, and the moments during which Benji and Preston confront the restless spirits are narrated to glorious effect. The fear that is tapped into in those moments isn’t the privilege of or exclusive to the characters in those scenes. It leaps off the page and into the imagination of those readers who consume the genre for that specific spike in adrenaline unique to it, and I relished every word. Benji and Preston each learn some specific truths about themselves and each other along the way too, which will carry them forward into a future that, no matter where in the world they find themselves, will always mean home as long as they are together.
Through the fog-shrouded streets of San Francisco to the forests beyond the bay area’s borders, through perilous moments and serious injuries, Benji and Preston lead readers on an adventure that delivers them each to a turning point, and they bring some unexpected allies along with them. All was not lost, nor was everything resolved, which means they, along with James Spencer and William Esher and Aunt Eleanor, will continue their spectral pursuits even against the warnings of dire consequences to them for doing so. One thing that will remain steadfast, through calm and chaos, is Benji and Preston’s love and devotion to each other. Superb storytelling and irresistible characters set against an excellent alternate historical backdrop populated by various supernatural entities elevates this series to the top of its class.
The Wrath of Wolves is a perfect, suspenseful, scary, and scarily amazing addition to the Dark is the Night series! It answers some questions about all the things that go bump in the night and some other threats out there, but raises even more and introduces several intriguing new secondary characters (please pretty please can we have more N & S?). The reader is mercifully spared a cliffhanger ending, but still left so so needy for more stories in this universe.
This is the first full-length story that doesn’t revolve around James and William, but it holds up beautifully next to A Light Amongst Shadows and A Hymn in the Silence. I liked Preston and Benji fine before, but I utterly adore them now. They were a bit of a surprise, so different from James and William, but just as strong in their devotion and love for each other and absolutely wonderful characters in their own right. I’d be hard put to name a favorite MC at this stage.
In The Wrath of Wolves Benji and Preston are faced with mysteries and threats on different levels, some of this world and some… decidedly not so. And perhaps even more dangerous for it. I loved the suspense and the scary, threatening atmosphere throughout the story, as well as the action scenes, which were excellently paced and very, very bad for my blood pressure.
The love story builds up very slowly, though we are never in any doubt about the strength of Benji and Preston’s feelings for each other. The longing and intense emotion these two young men feel for each other is only hinted at for the longest time, but picking up the clues left by the authors was the sweetest torture. Preston’s feelings are slightly more obvious than Benji’s which makes everything even more of a tease for the observant reader. Will they, won’t they…? And when?! The moment they finally cross that line was just…everything! Such a pivotal scene, a shot to the heart.
Loved this and need more!
Recommend!!