Venators: Magic Unleashed by Devri Walls

How a howl coming from a man could change midcry as his face shifted into that of a wolf. It morphed from something flat and one dimensional to a rich, resonant sound as the vibrations of the cry moved up the length of the snout. 

The first book of Devri Walls’s Venators duology is full of passages like the one above. Many of the supernatural characters are ones we are already intimately familiar with, but her descriptions create a freshness for the werewolves, vampires, elves, and succubi.

The plot: Two college freshmen sorta-friends discover that they are Venators, keepers of the peace in an alternate dimension populated by the supernatural. Grey has known for awhile that he is different. Six years ago there was an incident that brought on a set of powerful abilities. Rune is a young woman whose life has always been tied to her arrogant identical twin. But things are starting to change, she is both mysterious drawn to Grey and feels a power growing inside. The turning point is when she is attacked… a group of nasty goblins appears and it is only a new ally from the other side who is able to protect her and Grey.

Tate is the man with the knowledge about what Venators really are, and the one who will be able to guide when Ryker is taken. Rune will follow. It’s a rescue mission lined with a bit of politics and romance.

The review: Honestly, this is probable not a book I would have chosen to read a couple years ago. But being a part of The Write Reads crew has opened me up to some great lit and authors! So many thanks for that.

This is a book that combines great action sequences with outstanding descriptive passages like the one I highlighted above. One of the joys for me of reading YA is being able to talk with my students about more books and I definitely know several who would like this one.

The third book comes out soon and Walls is thinking there will be many more! Get ready!

Many kudos for this one!

Order the book and find out more about Walls here.