So the 4.5 stars are because I had fun at the moment, not because I think that this book is a literary treasure(and let's be honest, I never read these). It is funny and fast and easy to read but just 4 days after reading it I remember almost nothing. It is a no-brainer, have-fun-at-the-moment kind of book. I'll be the first person to tell you that this book isn't memorable at all. Vig the Viking is one hot and reliable guy to have around and his helping Kera get used to her new life(among other things) makes things a bit easier for her. The one positive thing about her new life? Her savior who turns out isn't damaged. She is too uptight and moral for the group of crazy ladies, otherwise known as the Crows, warrior women that literally bring death everywhere they go and they love it. Kera is grateful for her second chance at life but the conditions that come with it. Not for me on this occasion I am afraid, I wish it was, I love a read that is different in its themes, but I need to be able to ascertain where its going and who the characters are more importantly.ĪRC generously provided via Netgalley, I am sorry that I cannot offer a more positive review on this occasion.Ĭontrary to what the pic might suggest the book isn't dark.ĭying isn't fun, but dying and coming back as a member of a crew of homocidal bitches is really tricky. For me, the main characters need to be established and understood and then you add everyone else into the mix.

I am all for big epic lengthy reads, with lots of characters, side plots and POV's, I read and loved War & Peace so I really have no problem with that sort of writing, but The Unleashing is so, so confusing in its lack of definition, the overload of information you are given doesn't really seem relevant this early on in the book. It was like an episode of MTV Real World L.A, but with a bit of violence at the beginning, add in to that your first day at the office, where you are introduced to so many new people you forgot who most of them are by the time you sit down at your desk, and thats pretty much where I was with it. Add too that she habitually changes the way the other characters address each other from their forenames to their surnames and I am all sorts of confused.

I am going to go out on a limb and say The Unleashing is firmly in the 'series' bracket, mainly because is hard to tell who are actually the main characters, the author introduces an absolute plethora of people and POVs from the get go, and I don't really have a clue who is whom and where or what their parts in the story are.

The author on her opening to the reader, confirms it is a stand-alone as well as the start of a series. This book is set (up to where I read) in LA. I am not someone who gives up on books easily, but I have spent the last couple of hours (more like 4 hours) reading this book and I still don't really wholly understand what is going on, which in effect has slowly drained all my interest in it away.

The Unleashing by Shelly Laurenston