WITCH OF THE WOLVES

A witch discovers her true lineage after she’s abducted by a handsome werewolf in this dark Victorian romantasy.

All her life, Cordelia Carter has believed that she’s descended from a line of powerful witches—and that’s true, but now that she’s moved in with her aunt Lenora in London following her mother’s death, certain traits, such as her heightened sense of smell, ability to see at night, and increased appetite, have brought up lingering questions. After crossing paths with a handsome, top hat–wearing stranger, Cordelia quickly uncovers the truth. She’s a lycan, someone who happens to be both part witch…and part werewolf. The latter half she inherited from her father, an Alpha werewolf who’s just sent his second-in-command, Bishop Daniels, to abduct her and return her to her rightful place at Trevelyan, the estate belonging to the Albion Pack. Unfortunately, Cordelia’s father also has more nefarious intentions for her, and they start with forcibly marrying her off to Bishop, his intended successor, in order to ensure the Pack’s strength continues for generations to come. Surrounded by dangerous werewolves at every turn and unsure of whom she can really trust, Cordelia has been restricted from using her magic to save herself—and she can’t challenge her father’s authority as Alpha, either. Under Bishop’s guidance, she begins training to understand her new lycan abilities, but she’s also confronted with her increasing attraction to her father’s strongest lieutenant. Archer’s debut romance is a quick, diverting read, but it struggles to balance heavy themes with more lighthearted ones. The will-they, won’t-they tension between Cordelia and Bishop contributes to some of the book’s best scenes, but their building romance sits in sharp contrast to some pretty dark twists that may take readers by surprise. The ending hints at the clear possibility of a stronger sequel with the two characters positioned as a united front against multiple antagonists, and there’s the potential for an already rich supernatural world—consisting of witches, werewolves, demons, necromancers—to be built out even more extensively.

A fast-paced, action-packed paranormal romance that teases a more promising sequel.