The first book in the second trilogy. Or the fourth book, technically speaking. Apparently everything prior to Rebirth is just one big arc but honestly this might as well be the start of a second trilogy because pretty much all plot threads of the first three books all tied together in Raven's Call, with some small room left open for future plotlines. Anyways, let's have a look! Spoilers ahead.
After the defeat of Duke, Step is facing troubles with his new role as Alpha when a new dog named Jack rears his head and challenges him for his leadership role. Not only this, but a creature known as the Terror is seemingly terrorizing the packs. Step will now have to step up and show his true qualities as a leader in order to succeed.
I liked this book a lot. I don't think it's as strong as the first three books in the series were, but it's still overall really solid.
I like that Step didn't just instantly gain the Alpha role just because he was appointed by Charles prior to the late leader's death. He still has to work and earn his position through the competition with Jack. The conflict with the Terror is also interesting and the reveal of what the creature actually is also is. Moreover, the packs are still in slight turmoil even after the war is over. Prophet (formerly Flare), who was previously a happy and snarky pup, now is a scarred and traumatized semi-blind channel for the Spirits who has darker intentions than she might be letting onto. Her pack also still seems to (at least partially) think that Duke was in the right.
This is all neat stuff. It shows that you don't just easily move on from such a terrible war. It has repercussions for our characters and the politics of the packs. It's sad for our heroes, obviously, because you want to see them happy and succeed, but it simply isn't realistic for everything to suddenly be as it all flowers and rainbows. The war has consequences, not just on Step but also characters like Prophet, Ruth, Alex, Auburn, Brutus, others and even the packs as a whole.
Speaking of characters, I still like them quite a lot. Step is still a solid protagonist, but he also clearly shows some of his flaws in this book, such as when he is willing to risk Asher's safety in order to capture the Terror, or doesn't stand up for Brutus when the blind dog has to face execution by Jack and his followers. This doesn't make him less likable, it just makes him feel realistic, and he does feel guilt over his actions (well, at least the Brutus part). There's also still characters like Hope, Auburn, Brutus, Dew, Jack, Ruth, Alex and Prophet/Flare who have clearly changed.
I am also thankful that a possible romance between Hope and Step is currently seemingly on hold with neither of them making any advances towards one another. I made it clear in my review of Raven's Call that I didn't vibe with this ship personally (don't hate it, I just always read their bond as a sibling one rather than romantic), so I'm happy that it at least currently isn't going anywhere. However, again, it also feels realistic because currently these characters are too busy rebuilding their lives and pack after the war to have much time for romance.
Dew and Jack are two characters that are newly introduced in this book, and I think they're pretty interesting. They do share a certain connection that I won't spoil here (it's just too good), but it was nice to see that Jack wasn't a downright villain, more so an antagonist. The connection between these two dogs is also nicely built up throughout subtle hints throughout the book if you know where to look.
So overall I've been very positive about the book, why one star less than the other two? The answer is simple. The perspective-shifting. I don't mind books that have multiple POV's, heck, it can be very effective. The problem I have with it is how it's handled here. Normally when a character's POV switches in a book, there'll be a blank line (sometimes with asterisks to separate the two) to start a new paragraph from a new character's POV. Or, heck, some books even start a new chapter when switching to a new character's POV. In Rising Moon, however, the POV would sometimes just randomly shift to a different character without a clear indication that we're in another character's head at the moment. Which was rather distracting and sometimes made me have to do a double take to remember whose POV I was reading, taking me out of the story. It's not a major problem, but it was rather annoying sometimes. I don't recall this being a very prevalent problem in the earlier installments in the series. So this is really my only major gripe with the book.
But other than that, it's still a rock-solid installment in the series that deserves a look if you completed the first three books. I can't wait to see what happens (good or bad) to Step and the packs of the Spires next.
Rating: 4.5/5
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